Tucson of the 60s,70s and 80s (Phoenix, Congress: theater, restaurants)

[ZonyPony]

Originally Posted by lilygee

Plenty of Circle K's already happening.

What was then the far, far, far east side around Tanque Verde/Grant:

http://img20.imageshack.us/img20/534...oycecircle.jpg

Oh, Thank Heaven!

[pdxMIKEpdx]

I lived in Tucson from 1976 to 1985. I was 18 at the time.
I remember cruising Speedway endlessly on weekend nights.
We hung out at Bob's Big Boy, and then Der Wienerschnitzel.
I can't remember the cross streets now.
Midnight drags on Rita Road.
I lived outside of Three Points for a while and remember driving into Tucson early, early, in the morning and catching rattlesnakes basking on the heat of the road and selling the belts and hatbands we made from them at the swap meet at Tanque Verde and Grant Road by Pinnacle Peak Steakhouse.
When I first moved there, we lived out on Catalina Highway, and that area was just starting to be developed.
I worked at old Old Tucson as a ride operater and junior stuntman when I was 19 and 20 yrs old. Also as an extra in movies.
It took me half an hour to get to work from the east side.
I used to put in my Marshall Tucker Band eight track when I got close to Gates Pass and roar past all the motorhome and tourists.
I wasn't worried that they would recognize me at Old Tucson, because you could go to wardrobe and costume your self anyway you liked.
That was great because you could then talk up and date the hot tourist girls that were on vacation with their families and bored to death.
Lots of good memories. The new post fire Old Tucson just isn't the same. Not even close.
I'm 50 now BTW.
My first job was wrangling at the Tanque Verde Guest Ranch. Is that still there?
We used to take our jacked up balloon tired four wheel drives up and down Pantano Wash and nobody cared.
The place off Silverbell road (I think) where the Pantano, Rillito, and Canada del Oro washes met on the Santa Cruz River was affectionally called Chit Creek (with an "S").
We used to party there and four wheel and ride our three wheelers there on the weekends before they closed it down.
I remember a steak house out there called "Lil Abners" that was pretty good.
There was a country western dive that we went to called the "Outlaw".
It was by the Wildcat House off of Stone I think.
The big foothills resorts like Ventana Canyon and La Paloma were just starting to be laid out.
Farrells at El Con mall was THE place to go for a kids birthday party, as was Golf and Things on Tanque Verde.
I spent my wedding night at the Arizona Inn. It was pretty swanky back then.
The mines had gone downhill. The economy sucked, and they were trying to turn it around with the tourist trade.
I could rent a three bedroom house in Tucson for 250 to 300 bucks a month.
Air conditioning wasn't even close to being standard in cars, and I remember being stuck in traffic on Speedway during moonsoon season and being soaking wet from sweat.
I visited Tucson a couple of years ago and barely recognized it after 20 30 years.
It just was not Tucson any more. You are right, the old Tucson is gone, and people will never realize how cool it was back then.
It was a small city just getting ready to bust out. Now I think it's like a mini Phoenix.
There was a joke when I lived there that the main industries in Tucson were:
1. Owning a bar.
2. Robbing banks
3. Smuggling drugs
4. Smuggling illegal aliens
5. Being on unemployement.

[Chorizo]

My first job was wrangling at the Tanque Verde Guest Ranch. Is that still there?

Yep still there. Some trivia on it: they filmed the Nickelodean show Hey Dude there.

[ZonyPony]

Originally Posted by pdxMIKEpdx

I lived in Tucson from 1976 to 1985. I was 18 at the time.
I remember cruising Speedway endlessly on weekend nights.
We hung out at Bob's Big Boy, and then Der Wienerschnitzel.
I can't remember the cross streets now.
Midnight drags on Rita Road.
I lived outside of Three Points for a while and remember driving into Tucson early, early, in the morning and catching rattlesnakes basking on the heat of the road and selling the belts and hatbands we made from them at the swap meet at Tanque Verde and Grant Road by Pinnacle Peak Steakhouse.
When I first moved there, we lived out on Catalina Highway, and that area was just starting to be developed.
I worked at old Old Tucson as a ride operater and junior stuntman when I was 19 and 20 yrs old. Also as an extra in movies.
It took me half an hour to get to work from the east side.
I used to put in my Marshall Tucker Band eight track when I got close to Gates Pass and roar past all the motorhome and tourists.
I wasn't worried that they would recognize me at Old Tucson, because you could go to wardrobe and costume your self anyway you liked.
That was great because you could then talk up and date the hot tourist girls that were on vacation with their families and bored to death.
Lots of good memories. The new post fire Old Tucson just isn't the same. Not even close.
I'm 50 now BTW.
My first job was wrangling at the Tanque Verde Guest Ranch. Is that still there?
We used to take our jacked up balloon tired four wheel drives up and down Pantano Wash and nobody cared.
The place off Silverbell road (I think) where the Pantano, Rillito, and Canada del Oro washes met on the Santa Cruz River was affectionally called Chit Creek (with an "S").
We used to party there and four wheel and ride our three wheelers there on the weekends before they closed it down.
I remember a steak house out there called "Lil Abners" that was pretty good.
There was a country western dive that we went to called the "Outlaw".
It was by the Wildcat House off of Stone I think.
The big foothills resorts like Ventana Canyon and La Paloma were just starting to be laid out.
Farrells at El Con mall was THE place to go for a kids birthday party, as was Golf and Things on Tanque Verde.
I spent my wedding night at the Arizona Inn. It was pretty swanky back then.
The mines had gone downhill. The economy sucked, and they were trying to turn it around with the tourist trade.
I could rent a three bedroom house in Tucson for 250 to 300 bucks a month.
Air conditioning wasn't even close to being standard in cars, and I remember being stuck in traffic on Speedway during moonsoon season and being soaking wet from sweat.
I visited Tucson a couple of years ago and barely recognized it after 20 30 years.
It just was not Tucson any more. You are right, the old Tucson is gone, and people will never realize how cool it was back then.
It was a small city just getting ready to bust out. Now I think it's like a mini Phoenix.
There was a joke when I lived there that the main industries in Tucson were:
1. Owning a bar.
2. Robbing banks
3. Smuggling drugs
4. Smuggling illegal aliens
5. Being on unemployement.

Great memories of another Tucson, Mike!

[sierraAZ]

Originally Posted by ZonyPony

Great memories of another Tucson, Mike!

Actually, ZP, I'd probably like THAT Tucson a whole lot more, too. Same goes for the country.

These pictures of the lively downtown are lovely! The other day when I went to Ted DeGrazia's gallery, I saw some movies from these days as well - again, a nice, normal town... It was just fine before the car and the burbs took over.

[ZonyPony]

Originally Posted by sierraAZ

Actually, ZP, I'd probably like THAT Tucson a whole lot more, too. Same goes for the country.

These pictures of the lively downtown are lovely! The other day when I went to Ted DeGrazia's gallery, I saw some movies from these days as well - again, a nice, normal town... It was just fine before the car and the burbs took over.

I'm very happy to know that you appreciate such subtle things. I wasn't sure if anyone ever really understood my particular brand of craziness!

[pdxMIKEpdx]

I'm glad somebody likes and remembers the way Tucson was.
I am not an Arizona native, just went to school there.
I am a native of Portland, Oregon.
The same thing is happening up here.
The Portland (and Oregon) of years past is mostly gone.
The influx of "new" people tends to take the old local flavor away. But that's the thing. The times they are always changing, (and they were changing 20 years ago--I'm sure there were plenty of oldtimers cussin' back then too) and you can't really do much about it.
When you wax nostalgic, people can't understand how things have changed because they have no historical basis. And there are a lot of things that you can't really put into words, and a lot of things that happened that aren't recorded as fact. You had to be there.
With the passing of time only a few people care to remember the way it used to be, whether it's just skewed memories or not.
When you bring up the old times, and dare to say they were better than now (whether it's true or not) you get labeled as a "cranky provincial native".
All I know is that the Tucson I remember is not the Tucson I visited three years ago and the Portland, Oregon of my youth is definately not the same as Portland now.

And by the way, yes it's grey, rainy, and 45°F 9 months out of the year up here.

[Chorizo]

Tucson has not changed much as long as I've been around, that I've noticed. But I'm a youngin!

Born (early 80s) and raised here. trying to think of things when I was a kid, that are no longer - I am drawing a blank.

[sierraAZ]

Originally Posted by Chorizo

Tucson has not changed much as long as I've been around, that I've noticed. But I'm a youngin!

Born (early 80s) and raised here. trying to think of things when I was a kid, that are no longer - I am drawing a blank.

I've been living here for only 12+ years and it HAS changed quite a bit IMO, mostly for the better considering the damage that had been already done (killing downtown and having everything revolve around cars and parking lots) can't really be undone anymore. With that disclaimer, I think a lemonade IS being made out of the lemons as much as possible...

[Chorizo]

Originally Posted by sierraAZ

I've been living here for only 12+ years and it HAS changed quite a bit IMO, mostly for the better considering the damage that had been already done (killing downtown and having everything revolve around cars and parking lots) can't really be undone anymore. With that disclaimer, I think a lemonade IS being made out of the lemons as much as possible...

I went to school downtown in the early 90s. It is exactly the same now as it was then. Unless you count a new $30k griffin, some new sidewalks, and a renovated [still empty] theater as changes for the better.