How do you remember Phoenix? Stories from long time residents... (Litchfield Park: area codes, 2008)

[JoeC]

Originally Posted by AZBradley

Anyone remember PV mall in the 80's - early 90's?
Where Sears is today, I remember it being "The Broadway".
The Broadway's at Los Arcos & Metrocenter had restaurants, correct?

Was there a restaurant at the PV "Broadway". I think I remember eating upstairs overlooking the interior of the mall. There are large windows above the Sears/mall entrance.

Anyone?
Thanks

The Broadway Southwest was my favorite department store.
OK - it was the only department store I could afford to shop in. Always had great sales on clothes and kitchen stuff.

I lived in the apartments (The Pavillions) just north of PV mall in the early 90s, and shopped at that mall regularly. For the life of me, I can't remember if The Broadway had a restaurant or not.

[desertskies]

Originally Posted by JoeC

The Broadway Southwest was my favorite department store.
OK - it was the only department store I could afford to shop in. Always had great sales on clothes and kitchen stuff.

I lived in the apartments (The Pavillions) just north of PV mall in the early 90s, and shopped at that mall regularly. For the life of me, I can't remember if The Broadway had a restaurant or not.

Broadway had their clearance center at their ChrisTown location, on the lower floor. I believe all of their non-sold merchandise, system wide, ended up here. It was not unheard of to pick up a $450 comforter for, like, $89.00. If one was picky and patient, they could get a killer deal on some really nice threads.

[Dave Bob]

Originally Posted by roosevelt

That is part of the Bayless property; they lived on Central and Northern next to the lot. They never sold it. The south end of the house was used to train cashiers. The family must still own the property.

The "historicaerials" photos look like that lot was a citrus grove until the 70s or so. The trees disappeared over the years until it was just dirt.

[Dave Bob]

Originally Posted by observer53

Thank you for this pic of the bird as the artist designed it, not the way it looks now. One of my treasured childhood memories.

I loved Town & Country as a tyke. Our Mom would drag us all to Ernie Brewer's to buy shoes. If I was lucky, we'd go to the Toy Cottage and I'd lust over Matchbox and Dinky Toy race cars and army vehicles. The food court was great too, an overwhelming selection for a little kid.

[jack swilling]

Originally Posted by observer53

Yes. The bird isn't displayed in the same spot or manner, and has been painted white (!!!!) but that's the place.

Do you know when, and why our Phoenix Bird was painted white?
Who was responsible for doing such a tasteless, sacrilegious act?
Who, in his right mind? I believe you, but I had difficulty believing.
I had a useless uncle (by marriage) who put ugly, cheap, brightly colored paint on beautifully finished beautiful wood, but I hear he died in early 2000s, so it probably wasn't he.
I guess the cliche, Nothing is sacred anymore, is appropriate here

[jukebox47]

Originally Posted by Jim 1946

Could you have been thinking of the 1961 Studebaker Lark?
Attachment 96278

Image & info obtained here
azcentral.com blogs - A VIEW FROM SCOTTSDALE/PHOENIX - Jim8413 - THE STUDEBAKER LARK, 1959-1963

It was the Studebaker Lark. I helped my dad at the Big Sky Drive In Theatre whenever I was not in school. A really nice Cop would drive in several times a week in a Studebaker for a coffee. It was hard to believe but there it was, a Studebaker cop car. I remember, he said, they all had overheating problems in the summer if allowed to idle with the AC on.

The drive in theatre was a good job, essentially janitor and maintenance. Great people to work for and you could eat & drink all the soda and popcorn you cared to. The catch was that the job was 7 days per week. I think my dad got a vacation week off after every year of employment. They hired me for a lot of odd jobs such as painting and other maintenance. I was 13 or 14 years old.

[observer53]

Originally Posted by Dave Bob

I loved Town & Country as a tyke. Our Mom would drag us all to Ernie Brewer's to buy shoes. If I was lucky, we'd go to the Toy Cottage and I'd lust over Matchbox and Dinky Toy race cars and army vehicles. The food court was great too, an overwhelming selection for a little kid.

Absolutely! Bought my first (and only) parakeet there, for my fifth birthday, at the pet shop. Had him until I was 18. Loved the food court and the Toy Cottage. And, I know I wore Ernie Brewer shoes. Had forgotten that until you mentioned that store.

Originally Posted by jack swilling

Do you know when, and why our Phoenix Bird was painted white?
Who was responsible for doing such a tasteless, sacrilegious act?
Who, in his right mind? I believe you, but I had difficulty believing.
I had a useless uncle (by marriage) who put ugly, cheap, brightly colored paint on beautifully finished beautiful wood, but I hear he died in early 2000s, so it probably wasn't he.
I guess the cliche, Nothing is sacred anymore, is appropriate here

I found a site somewhere that talked about the "restoration" or whatever word they used. I'll look for the link. It was moved a couple of times from its spot out along Camelback, it was when they moved it a second time that they "changed" it. You are so right, on so many levels.

[1937Gal]

Amazing coincidence of your memory on this lot. I just happened to drive past that last week, the vacant lot is still there and I too wondered how it escaped an enclave of expensive townhouses or two story homes....something that seems to happen in smaller land areas. All of a sudden there appears a gated community with a small street lined with two story homes. But not this lot (so far)...

Originally Posted by scutt

Hi,

I have been wondering about this for a long time, and I think this is the best place to find an answer. I grew up around 12 street and Northern ave, we moved there in the early 1990's. If you take Nothern ave. west, just past Central, there is a large dirt lot on the south side of the road. As long as I can remember it has always been dirt. Its seems weird there are no houses built, as that is a very popular area around central. Does anybody remember what used to be there on that spot? Is there a reason the land is not used?

Any help would be great,

Scott

[Commander Max]

Here is some more pics.

Another of Luke 1944.


Here is one of Litchfield Park. At about the same time.


I asked my mother about this place she didn't have any memory of it(and she is the little girl in the pics).

Anyone know anything about a "Tiny Town" in 1948?

[Commander Max]

My Grandfather built this house with what he had leftover from his home building company. This was taken in 1948, there isn't much around it.

5620 N. Kay Drive, hard to believe that's now in the middle of town.

Here is the same house in 2011. My Grandmother sold it back in the early eighties.

For a little more fun.

A couple of pics my mother took while riding her horse down Central(1948).
Right ahead, Central and Bethany home Rd.