What are some of your "back in the day" Seattle memories? (Bellevue: apartments, rent)

[wmweeza]

Originally Posted by Ira500

Last Exit on Brooklyn, home of memorable people, pie, and ice cream.

Parker's Ballroom. Saw BB King there.

The PPC store in Ravenna, just north of 65th, at 20th.

Cause Celebre ice cream on 15th.

Lou Piniella. Edgar Martinez. The Kid. Dave Niehaus. Bobby Ayala, the relief pitcher who screwed up nearly every single time.

Wow! I'd forgotten Ayala!
Anyone remember Pizza N Pipes?

[wmweeza]

Originally Posted by perigee

This thread is making me feel old!


Cafe Minnie's! Remember that place, where the waitresses were pure Seattle, tattoos, crazy hair, were a little rough, but in a loving way with the customers, but called out BS when they saw it. That one, that one stings.

I miss that place

[franklin42]

Originally Posted by wmweeza

Every birthday we had was a Farrell's
It seemed Gooeyducks were EVERYWHERE and JP patches was at every event.
Every year we bought our Christmas dresses at Frederick and Nelson's.
Anyone from up by Lynnwood remember Toy Town in the 80's?
I remember the Sonic's (not the burgers)

Someone mentioned the WTO riots, I had to call in sick that day because we had tear gas floating into our apartment, and the street was too packed to leave anyway.

You saw The Sonics play live? The Tacoma garage rock legends?!

[pnwguy2]

I remember the PCC store at 20th NE and NE 65th. But I also remember before it was a co-op, but can't recall the name. Anyone?

Also mentioned in the previous incarnation of this thread, The Barb just east of Northgate Mall, just a nice mid-priced restaurant with no windows, but always good food. Reminded me of another family favorite, "Sir Wedgwood Broiler", at last check still open with the same no-nonsense waitresses, definite '60's interior, and good food at a good price. In the same area, Pay 'n Save, (now Rite-Aid), Tradewell (now QFC), and Seattle First National Bank, (now BofA), and some of the regions first cash machines called "Transaction Machines" where you could get up 100 bucks, but that was it. The Wedgwood subdivision of new post-war homes built in tract fashion, with the original rockery gated entrances still standing today off 25th NE.

I remember when Nathan Hale High and Ingraham High were ultra modern high schools.

The Roosevelt Sears store, with the smell of popcorn throughout.

The original Red Robin on Eastlake. Flaming Mai-Tai's were the special. The Old Spaghetti House on Lake City Way, very popular, now selling something else, but not pizza.

The four corner gas stations at NE 75th and 25th NE, all of which offered free knicknacks for your business, like silverware, glasses, etc. Now there is only one left on that intersection, no free silverware.

Eckstein Junior High School, at NE 75th and 30th NE, a modern marvel 50-60 years ago, now showing its age, but still a remarkable architectural achievement.

Dahl Field at NE 76th and 25th NE, hosting many little league football and baseball games in "the swamp"...as there was little drainage.

[Jiff]

The Parker's building was built at 170th and Aurora in 1930. Demolished in November, 2012. Lots of memories of that big double level, column free space with the huge dance floor. Started going there in 1975 when it was the Aquarius Tavern, dancing to local bands like Child and Burgundy Express. Heart played there a lot. It hosted touring bands from its onset with acts like Tommy Dorsey, but I didn't see any touring bands there until after its million dollar remodel in 1980. Living in Brier and Lynnwood, it was pretty convenient. Sorry to see it become more of a sports, gambling and DJ bar in the late 90s, doing away with live music in 1999.

In April of 2012 it received a legal notice to cease gambling operations. The owner and holder of the gaming licenses had sold his interest in Parker's to a new owner without notifying the state and without the new owner applying for licenses under his own name. There was also reference to back taxes.

So Parker's joins The Spanish Castle in Midway, where Jimi Hendrix got his start, and The Jolly Roger Roadhouseon Lake City Way as prominent 1930s dance halls gone away. Parker's has an interesting history, like the reasons for its location, black and white musician unions' turf wars, alcohol rules, etc, at History Link:
Parker's Ballroom - HistoryLink.org

I missed "BB King" there. Touring acts I saw there:
1982 Randy Meisner
1985 Poco
1985 Nicolette Larson
1985 John Sebastian solo, Arlo Guthrie, David Bromberg
1986 Byrds Tribute (Gene Clark, Rick Roberts, Rick Danko, Blondie Chaplan, etc)
1990 Warren Zevon w/ Timothy B Schmit and Dan Dugmore
1991 Little River Band
1992 Graham Parker, Lucinda Williams
1992 Dave Mason
1993 David Crosby
1993 Marshall Tucker
1994 Karla Bonoff solo, JD Souther solo
1999 Eddie Money

Aquarius 1979:

[Jiff]

Originally Posted by wmweeza

Wow! I'd forgotten Ayala!
Anyone remember Pizza N Pipes?

I went to Pizza & Pipes in Greenwood once. No one played the organ. It was originally installed in a theater in Massachusetts in 1930. Moved to P&P in 1973. Some guy moved it to his barn in Maple Valley when P&P closed in the late 80s.

[Jiff]

Some of you might be interested in random thoughts and observations concerning changing Seattle at the Mthead Forum (originally KMTT FM's message board):
Changing Seattle in Music and more... Forum
Where have all the Dive Bars Gone in Music and more... Forum

[franklin42]

Originally Posted by Jiff

Some of you might be interested in random thoughts and observations concerning changing Seattle at the Mthead Forum (originally KMTT FM's message board):
Changing Seattle in Music and more... Forum
Where have all the Dive Bars Gone in Music and more... Forum

Interesting, thanks for the links.

[tommy64]

Originally Posted by pnwguy2

Absolutely. And the smell of fresh popcorn. A lot of my childhood clothing was purchased there.

Yeah, I remember the popcorn. I used to bend down to pick it up off the floor to eat when I was really little. My mom was always mortified.

[Sockeye66]

I moved to Seattle in '89.
Cherished memories- Had an apt on Queen Anne Ave N. with views of downtown, the sound, Ranier, and Seattle Center at $650 month.

Take the monorail to Westlake and walk down to Pioneer Square, $7 dollars got you in 7 clubs including Larry's when it was an excellent Blues venue.

The Mercer mess, wasn't the mess yet.

Jump on I5 by 3:30 and you could actually get somewhere.

Larry's market was a destination, there was chatter of it being a singles meeting place.

The Seattle Center and surrounding area was just a bit sleazy, but still awesome to go to.

The music scene!