How do you remember Phoenix? Stories from long time residents... (Mesa: loan, eat)

[roosevelt]

[quote=Dave Bob;11396442]

Originally Posted by cjs123

Boy, that 122-deg day was a real treat, wasn't it? I remember sitting at a red light at 44th & Van Buren on my way home from work at about 4:30 or 5 p.m., riding my motorcycle and wearing a dark colored full-face helmet. No breeze, asphalt radiating like mad, surrounded by idling cars & trucks. My head felt like it was being microwaved at 100% power.
Permanent dain bramage!

Dain bramage, that's funny.

I remember that day, someone from a local TV station was out on a sidewalk trying to fry an egg, it didn't work.

[Dave Bob]

Originally Posted by cjs123

Remember the then N/NE Scottsdale area with Shea Blvd having nothing but desert landscape on both sides, and SDale Rd north of Shea being empty.

In the early 60's my Dad showed me how to make a mini hot air balloon from a dry cleaner's plastic bag, some thin wire, and a cotton ball soaked with alcohol. One calm morning we drove "way out" to the desert at the NE corner of Scottsdale & Shea to launch one. I remember running through the flat expanse of creosote bushes chasing it for what seemed like miles.

[observer53]

Originally Posted by Dave Bob

In the early 60's my Dad showed me how to make a mini hot air balloon from a dry cleaner's plastic bag, some thin wire, and a cotton ball soaked with alcohol. One calm morning we drove "way out" to the desert at the NE corner of Scottsdale & Shea to launch one. I remember running through the flat expanse of creosote bushes chasing it for what seemed like miles.

Shea was the "end of the earth", it seemed.... I remember the sign pointing the way to Taliesin that stood at the intersection of Tatum and Shea. Taliesin seemed a million miles away, very remote. My dad had the opportunity to buy some land at the corner of Scottsdale Rd and Bell (now Frank Lloyd Wright). He didn't, because it was "just too far out of town.

[KarmaPhx]

Originally Posted by observer53

Shea was the "end of the earth", it seemed.... I remember the sign pointing the way to Taliesin that stood at the intersection of Tatum and Shea. Taliesin seemed a million miles away, very remote. My dad had the opportunity to buy some land at the corner of Scottsdale Rd and Bell (now Frank Lloyd Wright). He didn't, because it was "just too far out of town.

I bet that parcel would be worth millions now!

My coworker said she used to camp near Tatum and Shea, they had big "desert parties".

[roosevelt]

Anyone old enough to remember the Central Ave. Dairy? This was the land Park Central was built on. I don't know when it first opened but it must have been before 1900.

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[Dave Bob]

Originally Posted by roosevelt

Anyone old enough to remember the Central Ave. Dairy? This was the land Park Central was built on. I don't know when it first opened but it must have been before 1900.

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Guess I'm too young for any knowledge of the Cental Ave dairy. (Nice to know I'm still too young for something) It's fun to see the old ads from generations before the "Got Milk?" campaign, though. Message hasn't changed--Drink more milk!
We got dairy products delivered from Kruft when I was a kid. And I seem to have mental image remnants of a dairy operation around 19th Ave & Glendale; or maybe that's just a false memory implanted by evil milk producers.

On a different subject, but related to early 1900's Phoenix; my grandmother grew up in a small community called Riverside, which I think was somewhere along the north side of the Salt River west of downtown, but I don't know how far west. Her dad had a small grocery or general store. If anybody knows anything about "Riverside" I'd be interested to learn it.

[roosevelt]

Originally Posted by Dave Bob

Guess I'm too young for any knowledge of the Cental Ave dairy. (Nice to know I'm still too young for something) It's fun to see the old ads from generations before the "Got Milk?" campaign, though. Message hasn't changed--Drink more milk!
We got dairy products delivered from Kruft when I was a kid. And I seem to have mental image remnants of a dairy operation around 19th Ave & Glendale; or maybe that's just a false memory implanted by evil milk producers.

On a different subject, but related to early 1900's Phoenix; my grandmother grew up in a small community called Riverside, which I think was somewhere along the north side of the Salt River west of downtown, but I don't know how far west. Her dad had a small grocery or general store. If anybody knows anything about "Riverside" I'd be interested to learn it.

Riverside ballroom and swimming pool was on Central just north of the Salt River.

Kruft was at 42nd Street and McDowell.

Westward Ho Dairy was at 19th Ave. and Glendale.

I note that in the menu/recipe pamphlet from Central Dairy that they recommended that you drink one quart of whole milk a day. That should have sent cholesterol counts soaring.

[Westside Willie]

Her dad had a small grocery or general store

take a close look at "Riverside Ballroom_2.JPG" to see a small store in the background. Appears to be a mom & pop type place.

[missingArizona]

I lived in the Phoenix area from '58 til '96 and boy do I miss the northern part of Arizona now. I moved in '96 to find an area that had less sun on the advise of my dermatologist. I settled into country living north of Portland Oregon. And yes, it is clowdy and rains a lot here. I remember when Sky Hardor was just three small terminals and you could stand up on the tops of the terminal and wave goodby to people as they took off. I just flew in and visited the valley last month and boy has things changed in the last few years. I grew up with Ladmo and Freinds and Legend City. I lived in Glendale back when there was nothing but citrus orchards north of Nothern ave. and when Lake Pleasant was actually nothing more than a small puddle with a stream running through it. I remember my dad asking a real estate agent what kind of fool he thought he was for trying to sell him that worthless desert land for 125.00 an acre where now stands Sun City. Boy, was my dad wrong. I remember the huge dust storms that used to roll through but are now a thing of the past for the most part due to the clearing and building east of the valley. But the thing I miss most about Arizona is the thunderstorms. I haven't seen a good thunderestorm in the last 10 years or so. Thanks for the memories.

[roosevelt]

Originally Posted by missingArizona

I lived in the Phoenix area from '58 til '96 and boy do I miss the northern part of Arizona now. I moved in '96 to find an area that had less sun on the advise of my dermatologist. I settled into country living north of Portland Oregon. And yes, it is clowdy and rains a lot here. I remember when Sky Hardor was just three small terminals and you could stand up on the tops of the terminal and wave goodby to people as they took off. I just flew in and visited the valley last month and boy has things changed in the last few years. I grew up with Ladmo and Freinds and Legend City. I lived in Glendale back when there was nothing but citrus orchards north of Nothern ave. and when Lake Pleasant was actually nothing more than a small puddle with a stream running through it. I remember my dad asking a real estate agent what kind of fool he thought he was for trying to sell him that worthless desert land for 125.00 an acre where now stands Sun City. Boy, was my dad wrong. I remember the huge dust storms that used to roll through but are now a thing of the past for the most part due to the clearing and building east of the valley. But the thing I miss most about Arizona is the thunderstorms. I haven't seen a good thunderestorm in the last 10 years or so. Thanks for the memories.

Try $1 an acre where St. Joseph Hospital is now, that is what my grandfather turned down because he didn't like the soil. Land in Paradise Valley was 50 cents an acre because the land wouldn't grow crops, only good for raising chickens.

Here is an interesting photo, store was on Central a half block north of Washington on the west side.

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