"Gone but not Forgotten in Atlanta" (East Point, Decatur: condo, shopper)

[antiquesmountainapache]

There was a bus labeled "SHOPPERS" that ran between Rich's and Davison's and it only cost ten cents to ride.


I loved the shopper bus! My parents had a dime store in the suburbs. We closed at 12:00 on Wednesday afternoons and went downtown to buy some of our merchandise every week. For several years the wholesalers were located on and around Pryor Street, so Daddy would let us out at Davison's. We would shop there and then ride the bus to Rich's.

The bus ride was a great adventure to me. I can't remember if you gave the man the dime or put it in a slot, but I usually begged to handle this job. I would always sit next to the window and look at the buildings and people outside.

Walking into the main entrance of Rich's was paradise. I still remember buying some pickup sticks over to the right of the main entrance. My father never could understand why I wanted to buy toys at Rich's since we sold them in our store, but the grass on the other side of the fence looked much greener to a five year old!

Another item that fascinated me was a woman who sold ladies' hairpieces next to the escalator. They were braided and fastened on the head with long, thick bobby pins. The woman would brush and brush the long, loose pieces and then weave them into these beautiful, thick creations. I thought it was the most elegant thing that I had ever seen.

[gswonsn]

Yolanda Gwin covered society in Atlanta forever and was quite the personality.
I miss the tea room at Rich's, especially at Lenox. They served almost as wicked a cocktail as The Collonade. I also miss the 50's modern Gulf station at Lenox. I want to know when it became Lenox Mall and quit being Lenox Square. I worked at Muse's for many years and the old timers there always refered to it simply as "The Square."
The Haverty's at Lenox that had its entrance off the back side of the shopping center. For that matter the concrete mythological creatures at Lenox that were there when it was an open air shopping center.
Another thing I miss is The Toy Museum on Peachtree at Rumson Rd.
Thanks for reminding me of the big blue Sears at Peachtree and West Paces Ferry.
Almost forgot the round C & S bank buiding at North Ave and Peachtree where Bank of America Plaza is today.

[LexingtonDad]

Another restaurant came to mind the other day. Anybody remember "The Lark and the Dove" that was located on Roswell Road just outside of 285? I had my first Caesar salad there.

[Iconographer]

Originally Posted by LexingtonDad

Another restaurant came to mind the other day. Anybody remember "The Lark and the Dove" that was located on Roswell Road just outside of 285? I had my first Caesar salad there.

Indeed I do. Still know the former owner. He's now a Methodist minister that lives in Hiawassee.

[DeaconJ]

Originally Posted by gswonsn

Yolanda Gwin covered society in Atlanta forever and was quite the personality.
I miss the tea room at Rich's, especially at Lenox. They served almost as wicked a cocktail as The Collonade. I also miss the 50's modern Gulf station at Lenox. I want to know when it became Lenox Mall and quit being Lenox Square. I worked at Muse's for many years and the old timers there always refered to it simply as "The Square."
The Haverty's at Lenox that had its entrance off the back side of the shopping center. For that matter the concrete mythological creatures at Lenox that were there when it was an open air shopping center.
Another thing I miss is The Toy Museum on Peachtree at Rumson Rd.
Thanks for reminding me of the big blue Sears at Peachtree and West Paces Ferry.
Almost forgot the round C & S bank buiding at North Ave and Peachtree where Bank of America Plaza is today.

Great memories...

As far as I know it's still Lenox Square: Lenox Square - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Some people may refer to it as Lenox Mall, but it will always be Lenox Square in my book.

[Mike Dailey]

Originally Posted by FrostedOrange

The Woody Willow Show began on channel 2 in the late 1940s and was the predecessor to the Club House Gang and the Popeye Club.

Hail hail the gangs all here, Time for woody willow Time for woody willow Hail hail the gangs all here Time for woody willow now

[TakeAhike]

Originally Posted by DeaconJ

Great memories...

As far as I know it's still Lenox Square: Lenox Square - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Some people may refer to it as Lenox Mall, but it will always be Lenox Square in my book.

LOL--I'm really dating myself--but who cares?

I remember when it was built. Must have been the first mall?

Northeast Plaza, on Buford Highway had been open for a few years, IIRC and that was a pretty big deal. It had 'a lot of stores---all in one place'. Prior to that the options were 'Go Downtown' or to Decatur. I know Decatur had a Belks---and fabric stores---my Mother made most of my clothes so we spent a good bit of time looking at fabric.

To 'Go Downtown' was an event. I was in absolute heaven when I was taken to Rich's to shop for an Easter dress --indescribable---all the pretty things and so many floors---The Escalator and an Elevator.

Ah the memories.

[Iconographer]

Originally Posted by TakeAhike

LOL--I'm really dating myself--but who cares?

I remember when it was built. Must have been the first mall?

Northeast Plaza, on Buford Highway had been open for a few years, IIRC and that was a pretty big deal. It had 'a lot of stores---all in one place'. Prior to that the options were 'Go Downtown' or to Decatur. I know Decatur had a Belks---and fabric stores---my Mother made most of my clothes so we spent a good bit of time looking at fabric.

To 'Go Downtown' was an event. I was in absolute heaven when I was taken to Rich's to shop for an Easter dress --indescribable---all the pretty things and so many floors---The Escalator and an Elevator.

Ah the memories.

My grandmother wouldn't shop for clothes anywhere but Regenstein's and J.P. Allen. After shopping, it was time to dine at the Frances Virginia Tea Room...all the ladies in their hats and white gloves.
I still have my mother's Frances Virginia Tea Room cookbook.

http://southernfoodmillie.com

[Librarykid]

One big thing I noticed about Lenox Square when it was open to the elements was that it was often so quite that you could hear the fountain as you walked between stores. That is probably because shoppers did not lollygag out in the heat. Once the place was enclosed, the noise was far less pleasant.

Do you remember the sidewalk market that used to be a part of Rich's Harvest Sale when fall produce was sold from wooden wagons and stalls on the sidewalk in front of the Store For Homes?

I remember the people carrying signs that said, "Jim Crow Must Go" outside of Rich's.

When you walked into the original Rich's, the Silver Department and Fine Jewelry were on the first floor. In the late 50s, I believe, there was usually a display of clear Lucite purses in various geometrical shapes in that area by the elevators. As soon as we reached them, I would open one and take a deep sniff of the wonderful smell inside that I guess was the glue and other volatile compounds from the manufacturing process. I probably right then and there pickled my brain, liver and whatever else could be damaged. I would open and sniff from as many of them as I could as we moved toward the escalator.

There used to be a fabulous store by the name of House of Denmark on Piedmont, north of Cheshire Bridge. They had an outlet store on the I-85 access road outside of the city.

Has anyone mentioned the overhead trolley wires that seemed to hold the city's buildings together? We lived briefly in Decatur just beyond the end of the trolley line. I remember times when one of the trolleys (the name for the pole connecting the bus to the overhead wires) would jump off the overhead wire. The driver would have to get out and tug down on the wire that was on a pulley on the back of the car to reconnect the power.

We sometimes caught the Belvedere Peachcrest bus at Pryor and Alabama Streets after shopping. Somewhere around there was one of Atlanta's original gas street lamps with its orange flickering flame. There was a Sealtest ice cream plant in the area and a Hastings (I think) seed store that would have vegetable and flower plants displayed outside the store. Long before Underground Atlanta opened, there were locally produced features on TV about the hidden city under Atlanta. I remember the report that the Sealtest plant used the vault of an old bank to store the sugar for the ice cream manufacturing.

One of my college professors was an investor in Alexander Stinson. In addition to the store at Emory village, they opened one at Perimeter when it was new.

Not directly across from the Roxy, but a little north was the Cross Keys Restaurant. It was next to the old Atlanta Gas Light Company building. We sometimes ate at the Cross Keys before going to a movie at the Roxy.

We also ate at Evans Fine Food Restaurants with some friends. One was on North Decatur Road at Clairemont Ave. The other was on Candler, south of Glenwood Road.

Remember when Beaudry Ford was on the square in Decatur? Past the square on Ponce de Leon was a Chevy dealership then Hanson Buick and Calloway Olds. The Newsome family had the Texaco station and tire store across the street just to the west and behind them was a Chrysler dealership. As long as your father was looking at cars or having the car serviced, the salesmen were nice about letting you sit in the various models in the showroom. Two Chevrolet dealers I remember are Tim Timmers and East Point Chevrolet.

For years we got haircuts at the Candler Hotel Barber Shop in downtown Decatur. Remember how you would walk in and everyone would look up at you then you would take a seat and somehow everyone knew just whose turn it was when the next barber became available. If my brother and I were finished before our father, we would get premission to go next door to Peacock Office Supply to look at the five cent Bic pens. If we had a bit more time, we could go to the dime store. Around the corner on Clairemont was Miller's Books with the thick, frameless glass door that had one pivot point top and bottom instead of hinges, very modern and worth a trip into the store just to be able to push it open. Across the street was the Cake Box Bakery with all of these shelves of decorated cakes. We ordered the cake for my 5th birthday there. I was surprised to learn that underneath the frosting, the display "cakes" were cardboard.

Remember how many years, decades maybe, that the Heinz mansion on Ponce de Leon sat vacant and overgrown? I think the name of the house was Rainbow Terrace. It was not until sometime in the 70s or 80s that the story of the place became widely known after it appeared in the magazine section of the Sunday paper. The owner was the conductor of the Atlanta Symphony and he was shot one night by a burgler. His wife never lived in the house again. It was later turned into condos, but one fact about the sheer size of the place remains in my memory. The downstairs hall took nine 9' by 12' rugs to cover the floor.

Also on Ponce de Leon was the fountain in the park designed by Frederick Law Olmstead. I hope that is still there.

[TakeAhike]

Originally Posted by LovinDecatur

My grandmother wouldn't shop for clothes anywhere but Regenstein's and J.P. Allen. After shopping, it was time to dine at the Frances Virginia Tea Room...all the ladies in their hats and white gloves.
I still have my mother's Frances Virginia Tea Room cookbook.

Millie Coleman's The Frances Virginia Tea Room Cookbook

I 'sort of remember' the Francis Virginia Tea Room--my Mother and her friends definitely went there. I know I went to Rich's tea room/restaurant. I'm not certain but did the Frances Virginia originate the recipe for the frozen fruit salad? That was a special dish in my family--maybe cream cheese and fruit cocktail?

My Mother and her friend Ina--quite a pair. Worked downtown during/after WW2. Ina could really tell some stories, LOL. They lived in Inman Park/Grady High School. That's the family that I think of as 'Atlantans'. Grace Methodist Church.

At Ina's funeral her daughter had a picture of her that reminded me of 'Rose' --from the movie 'Titanic'. She made the best oatmeal cookies in the world and was maybe the nicest person in the world, jmo.

This makes me want to go to the Colonnade.