Gone but not forgotten in Jacksonville! (Springfield: car, subway, property)

[steppen]

Originally Posted by JSAXL

Several more random memories. We always visit Ragtime at Neptune Beach when we visit. It use to be a drug store. Can't recall the name. The door was on the corner as I recall. The bar that is across the street that now has upstairs seating sold beachwear in the 60's. It is good to see the Neptune Beach town square booming with bands on the weekends and good food.

There use to be a BBQ place going in town toward Jax on the right just several miles before the main street bridge. Was it Lou Bonos? Excellent pit cooked BBQ.

In the late 50's, early 60's we went to the Oasis Bar just south of Ponte Vedra. It was a bar on the beach with bands and dancing outside on the beach side of the building.

We also use to meet further south at an area to go to the sand dunes at night and build a fire on the beach and stay just about all night. It was a meeting place for many teens to get away from the tourists.

That was Silvers Drug Store that was on the corner there and Roland's Red Barn Bar BQ was across the street (Atlantic Blvd.)

[majormadmax]

Originally Posted by Zeerow6

Redgiant,
Good post. Growing up in Killarney Shores, you must have came across Jimbo. He was another MX'er that rode the trails at Grove Park and Beach Blvd. He lived in the same neighborhood. Jimbo was always at the sand mines off Southside Bvld. Tattersol Apartments was built where we used to park and ride in sand mines.

I saw Rick(Rick Cycles) at the post offfice this week. Ron Turner was at that location later, but moved next door, now he's gone. Jim Davis, another MX'er is in the old building.

I mentioned Competition Cycles earlier in this thread, I remember being able to ride down the powerline trails from Ft Caroline Road all the way to Beach Boulevard. Kernan Boulevard now runs down that route (and beyond).

There was also a big sand pit north of Craig Field that is now Mill Grove golf course.

I am continually amazed when I visit Jax at the number of places that used to be undeveloped are now neighborhoods and strip malls!

[Parkerclassof72]

Originally Posted by majormadmax

I mentioned Competition Cycles earlier in this thread, I remember being able to ride down the powerline trails from Ft Caroline Road all the way to Beach Boulevard. Kernan Boulevard now runs down that route (and beyond).

There was also a big sand pit north of Craig Field that is now Mill Grove golf course.

I am continually amazed when I visit Jax at the number of places that used to be undeveloped are now neighborhoods and strip malls!

Yeah Max. It's amazing ... and not always a good thing to see what's changed. For my next high school reunion, I'm considering putting together a power point show entitled "What the hell happened to my Arlington".

[majormadmax]

To be honest, it is the one aspect of going back to Jax that I don't like. I have a few friends left there from high school, and we'll be celebrating our 30th reunion in 2011 (Class of '81); but things have changed too much to make it feel like home to me anymore.

My mom still lives in Jacksonville, and some developments--such as Wonderwood Dr--would have been nice back when I was a teenager. But for the most part there just has been too much growth, and too many of those "gone but not forgotten" places disappearing, for my tastes. The same is happening here in San Antonio, but since we are transplants we aren't as sensitive to it as those who have lived here all their lives. But even in the ten years since we first arrived (and the three years were were gone, stationed in Belgium) we've seen a lot of change. Some for the better, but most for the worst if you ask me...

[AT1984]

I stumbled across this forum, and had to sign up. I grew up in Oceanway (Oceanway?!). Lived there from 1967 to 1981. Went to Oceanway Elementary (2nd through 6th grade) Oceanway Junior High (7th grade), then got bussed over to Ribault Junior High for 8th and 9th grade. Went to Andrew Jackson until November '77. My Mom withdrew me from there after a falling out with the sadistic "Dean of Boys" named, I believe "Seger". He hit me with a paddle so hard, I could barely walk! Those were the days, though!!! I ended up going to Florida Junior College (Northside) for High School credits, then finished up with a GED, after I joined the Army.

Someone mentioned the Skatarama (?) off of Lem Turner Road...I remember that, the K Mart, and the movie theater there, also. When my buddies and I took up skateboarding, we used to skate down that hill by the K Mart. We also used to skateboard down "Kite Hill", behind Kite Elementary (across from the K Mart). Many a collar bone was broken on that hill, due to the "speed wobbles"!

Used to hang out at the Jetties and Talbot Island a lot, as a teenager. My Mom practically lived at Talbot Island, when I was growing up.

I'd kill for some Pig BBQ Sauce! I heard the Lem Turner location has closed down, but a friend sent me some sauce from the other location, a couple of years ago. Still the best sauce I've ever tasted.

Did anyone on this forum live in Oceanway?

[cellmaker]

Things remembered, indeed. We moved from Southside (Peachtree Circle, near Hendricks Avenue Elementary and the Saki Shop bar/package store) to Orange Park when OP was hardly bigger than a flea. The bridge across to Fleming Island was a flat drawbridge that was later torn down, the remains of which were barged over to form the jetty at the Club Continental, where we used to wade out and then walk on the big pieces of concrete and asphalt.

The only grocery store was the A&P at 17 (later "Park Avenue") and Milwaukee, which also had Atkinson's Pharmacy and a laundromat. Milwaukee to the river was a dirt road with trees in the middle.

At the north end of town, near the dog track and some fairly unsavory-looking motels, was the only fast food joint (I think), the Char-Burger. Later the Winn-Dixie would open on Kingsley Avenue and a sort of mini-mall sprang up there, including a small two-screen movie theater.

Before that if you wanted to go to the movies one of the closer places was on Edgewood where 17 turned into the Expressway. Saturday mornings they would have cartoons and then one or more movies. You could go for 25¢ if you got the coupon (with the picture of Bugs Bunny) they would run in the Times-Union. (And there was still an afternoon paper, the Jacksonville Journal. Orange Park had the daily Clay Today, and there was also the weekly Clay County Crescent.)

At Cedar Hills Shopping Center (or was it Murray Hill?) there was a hobby shop where they had a big oval electric racecar track that you could see through the window. Both Murray Hill and Cedar Hills had movie theaters. The St. Johns Theatre had "Rocking Chair" seats.

Somebody mentioned Monty's (West Inn) in Avondale, which seems not to have survived the family friendly trend of recent years and is now a Tex-Mex restaurant, I think. What a den of overprivileged iniquity that place was back in the day. And fun. (Then again, Jax Liquors used to provide drinks through the drive-in window, so at least we weren't driving while we were there.)

The Playboy Drive-In, later renamed the Playtime supposedly because they got sued by Hugh, turned into a Flea Market at some point and was later bought by an ex-Episcopal church. The church folk found a bunch of X-ish rated movies in the projection booth and had an exorcism. Florida Church Burns X-Rated Film Reels : NPR

[jhamel]

Okay guys. Let's go back a few more years. I was born in Jacksonville in 1951. The first house I remember living in was across the street from Wolfson Park. The area was called fairfield. Then we moved out to Marietta and I went to school at Thomas Jefferson Elementary School. I too remember the civil defense drills we had during the Cuban missle crisis. We actually had to load on the school buses.

Living on the Westside, I remember the Normany Drive In. This was a twin drive in theater. Normandy Drive in had a petting zoo, a minatrue train ride, and swings and slides. We also had the old Airbase Drive In down past the naval air station on US17 going toward Orange Park.
Also had to remember the Blanding Drive In with the A & W in front.

I went to Jeff Davis Jr. High School (7th grade, JFK was shot) and gradutaed from Forrest High School in 69. Hard to believe that was 40 years ago.

[orca17]

I too remember the civil defense drills we had during the Cuban missle crisis. We actually had to load on the school buses.

Remember what they used to tell us? When you see the flash, take cover under your desk. A school desk was the only thing that would protect you in the event of a nuclear strike! It all seems rather humorous now.

Did anyone on this forum live in Oceanway?

I didn't live there, but I went out there many times to visit friends. I went to high school (Andrew Jackson) with a bunch of Oceanway kids.

[poolgirl51]

Originally Posted by kmbohne

My Grandfather (Ray Silvis) used to make saddles at Hochmans Western Wear. I have such fond memories of him, and he made some beautiful saddles!

I had not thought of that name in years. He did make beautiful saddles. I had one!! :-)

[bparramore]

I was just thinking about Pop Barriers, we use to get the original Frosty there. It was on Cassat Ave.