Mid-century Reading Road (Cincinnati, Norwood, Wyoming: new house, car wash, retire)

[deneals]

Originally Posted by goyguy

HEY! A newbie to this venerable thread! Bust open the memory bank, we eagerly await.

NEWBIE? Are you talkin' to me??

Join Date
08-26-2007
Total Posts
6
Profile visits
100

[goyguy]

If anybody hasn't selected a gift for my birthday next month, here's an idea. I've posted about this place before and try to drive by at least once while I'm in town. There are plenty of houses near Reading Rd I wouldn't mind living in, but this is the only address ON Reading Rd I'd consider.

Cool Homes: Herschede Mansion offers trip back in time

[paperharri]

I really enjoyed all the wanderings thru Reading Road, etc. Realized my husband and I must have ate a lot...Mandrin (best sweet/sour shrimp on earth), Fortune Cookie (great oriental), Morse's (BTW up the street from Upper Crust-different building), Carters (every weekend), Bucaneer (jazz club with Dee Felice), Perkins for "night people", McIntosh's (good and not too expensive), LaRonde (expensive but worth it)...the Carousel is no more became very tacky...Tom House (fried rice to die for)

I remember almost everyone of the places you named. I worked at Reading and Tennessee in the 70s and many were still around (including yummy Capri Pizza)...how about the Wishing Well also. We lived first in Mt. Adams and then in St. Bernard. Great times for night life around town.

[goyguy]

Anyone who worked at Reading & Tennessee had to have stopped by the Blue Gibbon and Sugar & Spice (both still around.) No?

[paperharri]

Have seen many mentions of the Park Lane. Super nice when first opened. My boyfriend and also my boss lived there. Tried to keep them separate!

The Whisper Room turned into a go-go joint and lost all credibility. Steins and Buccaneer were two different places.

[susie cincy]

[quote=Katzcolumbus;3980160]A couple of quick thoughts - first, as the song goes, thanks for the memories. Then, Loretta's, on Reading Rd. near where Paddock runs into it, served deli food.

I remember Loretta's restaurant on Reading Rd. and having yummy mb soup there. I remember dad taking us to Bounceland and we jumped and jumped on those really dangerous trampolines and had the times of our lives there. Did anybody else climb the fence at Coney Island in the winter and ice skate on lake Como? We did and many times fell in the lake. It isn't deep at all!! There was no security either. We had it made, huh?? We didn't live in Bond Hill but I sure do remember the Twin Drive Ins. We lived in Mt. Washington and we had the Elstun Theater, Scotts and 3 drug stores with soda fountains...Chili's, Alan's and Alfieri's. I remember that art theater on McMillan in East Walnut Hills and saw some really strange flicks in there. Susie

[kjbrill]

I had a 2nd cousin in College Hill who was a fan of Loretta's. He had a business at Reading and Tennesse which was quite profitable. The house in College Hill was large and off a small road called Lanius Lane which in turn was off Hamilton Ave. A fantastic view of the valley.

Every year he would throw a large New Years Eve party and basically invite the entire relation. He always had Loretta's cater it. Wow what a spead! What I remember the most were the cabbage heads absolutely smothered in cocktail shrimp on skewers. My cousin and I would abscond with one to his bedroom and just devour the whole thing.

[goyguy]

[quote=susie cincy;36309582]

Originally Posted by Katzcolumbus

I remember Loretta's restaurant on Reading Rd. and having yummy mb soup there.

For the less culturally exposed goyim here, "mb soup" in this context refers to matzo ball soup.
Strange thing - for a while, the conspicuously empty block between Barry Lane and Avondale Ave on Reading Rd was crawling with activity. It looked for all the world like a new building was finally going up there. But in June it was a vacant lot again, valiant attempts at decent landscaping in effect but just open land.
And the sale of the Herschede mansion, perpetually on and off the market, ultimately fell through according to a check of Zillow.

[Wilson513]

Although this discussion seems mostly centered around Jewish deli's and restaurants, let me share that Reading Road had actual black owned businesses when I was a boy. My father, a classic liberal (old school liberal is a bit different than the *******s of today), in the Adlai Stevenson mold, thought supporting black owned businesses was a good idea, and so most every Sat. morning meant a trip to Reading Road with me in tow. We lived a block from Hyde Park Square and back then you could get anything in Hyde Park, from one of the three shoe repair places to a car dealer. But, my dad insisted that he spread the business around. He even made friends with Cliff the black Pharmacist at Highland what is now MLK despite the three Rx's in Hyde Park Square. We saw the "fish man" the "leather man" and the "knife man" and several others. I remember that the leather man would have his children in there on Sat., all dressed up like they were going to church and sitting on chairs across from his counter. Back then, children were mostly in the speak when you are spoken to mold and the little black children of the leather man were no exception. He did belts, briefcases, upholstery of small items, etc. These were family businesses with skilled owners. Mama was in the kitchen or wherever, but she was not behind the counters. Strong black men running their own businesses. I suppose that the riots in 1968 put the final nail in the coffin. The blocks I recall visiting were all burned out.

[susie cincy]

Originally Posted by elston

I lived of Wm Howard Taft Rd on Essex Place, around the corner from Gruen Watch factory and ? Beau Brummel. I was in elementary school when we lived there. There was a dairy if you went to Wm H taft road and turned left. I remember they sold cottage cheese in grey stoneware crocks and the lid was just a piece of wax paper tied on with a string.

I went to Cummings School and somewhere near there was a bakery; I remember the wonderful smell of their bread baking. It might have been Bond Bread or perhaps Wonder Bread. I also remember 12 cent White Castle hamburgers with the dehydrated onions, pickle and ketchup and Frisch's Big Boy.

There was a grey stone church on Essex Place that we went to, Universalist Church and City Temple. I have an original ink drawing of that church that appeared in the newspaper. The church had a round stone tower at the entrance. The streets around us had lots of old brick victorians that had been turned into apartment bldgs.... at that time occupied by the migration of Appalachian people thru Cincinnati on their way to Detroit or points north looking for work and oppurtunity.

I commented on another thread remembering that for very special occassions we went to La Maisonette resturant in the Alms Hotel.

I dont think it was in the immediate neighborhood but a very fond memory was going to a little wild live museum in Burnett Woods for nature classes with two wonderful old ladies. They had a crow named Rosie who could talk.

I went to Cummings school; samuel ach jr high and withrow High school.

I think there was a Sears and Roebucks store near there.....I remember the smell and sight of cashew nuts going round and round under a hot lamp. I also remember stopping somewhere for a cherry or chocolate coke and a bakery that had wonderful pecan rolls.

Another Cincinnati memory (not in the neighborhood) was going with the youth group to a place called The Handlebar Ranch.....they rented bicycles and they also held hay rides.

I have been thinking and thinking about the times I spent in Mt. Healthy as a little girl. We went on hayrides and Handlebar Ranch was the name of the place. Thanks!! Susie