If you're feeling nostaglic, post away! (Metrowide Version) (Minneapolis, Eden Prairie: appointed, amusement park)

[GlowingInk]

If there's a thread like this, I'm sorry - I did search for one like this, but to no avail. If there's one, go ahead and delete OR possibly merge it. Anyway... Feel free to throw in your local memories, stuff our brains with the local haunts, histories, and such!

Today, I've stumbled upon a book and read it briefly and I saw a picture. A flashback... Like that, for the last 20 years, I have forgotten all about it suddenly came back into my mind and I was like, that's what I remembered! I'm talking about the Graffiti Bridge in Eden Prairie. It has been two decades since it was demolished. Anyone has good stories or memories about that area?

[uptown_urbanist]

I'm only in my 30s so my memories aren't so old, but I have fond memories of the Tastee Treat at 44th and France in Minneapolis; we used to couple that with afternoon at the older (and presumably more dangerous, but far more cool) rocket ship at the Linden Hills playground. Good times, circa 1986 or so. Some of my other Linden Hills favorites are still around, however, such as Sebastian Joe's and Creative Kidstuff (both now much bigger!) with some newer favorites added (Wild Rumpus).

And while I love the Midtown Greenway and think it's been a wonderful addition to the city, I do sometimes miss hearing the trains. I also miss seeing the big cranes at the crane company located along Colfax or so; they helped build a lot of the skyscrapers downtown.

And then there's my old and very beloved elementary school, Northrop, over in south Minneapolis; I haven't been past it recently, but last I heard they were planning on demolishing it, and have, I believe, already done so. I peered in the windows one last time in the fall, but I hate the idea that such a great and inspiring school building had to go. SO much nicer than those modern boxes they build these days.

[west336]

I used to go to Clancy's, at 50th and France. When I first moved to Edina when I was 9 or 10, Clancy's was still the classic 1950's diner with a malt shop and an arcade in the basement. Every day I'd go over there to get a strawberry malt and then blow any change I had and play arcade games. That year was 1990, and I remember seeing a "goodbye 80's, hello 90's" magazine on the magazine rack, and a box of Topps baseball cards with Ken Griffey Jr's face on the box, and all I wanted was KGJ's rookie card for some unknown reason. 20 packs or so later, I got it! Clancy's later renovated and got rid of the malt shop and the arcade, and became a boring drug store. Now it's D'Amico Cucina Italiana -- not exactly crappy, but not "nostalgic" like Clancy's! Anyone who grew up in the area -- do you remember "Sports Collection"? It was my favorite baseball card store and even at a young age I was hustling the store owners and selling cards for money/more cards. It had a smell that cannot be replicated, but I can still smell it now and if I smelled it again I'd go into "severe" nostalgia overload!!!

[GlowingInk]

Hey, I'm in my late 20s. While the most my memories of my younger years being in the cities are being slow diminishing, I still can remember some of them vividly. Ah, yes, I remember seeing those many cranes, building newer skyscrapers in Minneapolis. Here's another example: I used to go to school in the Seward Neighborhood and not too far away from school, there is Brackett Park. We kids always played in a 3 stories high rocket, it was painted yellow, and most of the paint were peeling off, exposing rusts. About 20 years later, I wonder what happened to that rocket.

I also recalled an so-called intersection. It's another one in EP, however my memory is kinda fuzzy on this one. I'm not sure if it was actually an intersection. Like that Graffiti Bridge in EP, the train crossing on Hwy 5 back in the 80s and very early 90s near where Venture Ln is now. Anyone remember that one?

[uptown_urbanist]

Oh! I remember Clancy's. We used to go there, too. It was always fun -- they had pretty much everything. (also remember going to Woolworth's downtown, which was also always a highlight) I went on my first real date at the movie theater across the street, which is still there. Moving east a bit, I really, really miss the Boulevard Theater at 53rd and Lyndale. The building is still there, but the theater's been gone at least a decade now. It was the place to go for cheap movies. I have a lot of good memories from that place.

GlowingInk -- I never spent time at Brackett Park, but the rocket sounds like the one in Linden Hills; I know the one there was replaced, but I, too, would love to know if they were just scrapped or if some lucky person has them tucked away in their backyard. The newer, safer stuff just doesn't compare. Those rockets were amazing.

Did anyone here ever go, or bring your kids to, the downtown Dayton's drop-off daycare center? I LOVED that place when I was a kid. My mom would drop me off there while she went shopping and ran errands. The highlight of the place was an enormous wooden elephant slide; you climbed up an enclosed staircase in one leg, could peek out a window on the side, and then slid down the trunk. I'm not sure when the place closed, but I was a regular there during the 1980s. I once even called Dayton's (when it was still Dayton's) to see if they had that elephant, as I was hoping to buy it (would still love to, if anyone knows where it is and if the owner is selling...).

[west336]

Originally Posted by uptown_urbanist

Oh! I remember Clancy's. We used to go there, too. It was always fun -- they had pretty much everything. (also remember going to Woolworth's downtown, which was also always a highlight) I went on my first real date at the movie theater across the street, which is still there. Moving east a bit, I really, really miss the Boulevard Theater at 53rd and Lyndale. The building is still there, but the theater's been gone at least a decade now. It was the place to go for cheap movies. I have a lot of good memories from that place.

GlowingInk -- I never spent time at Brackett Park, but the rocket sounds like the one in Linden Hills; I know the one there was replaced, but I, too, would love to know if they were just scrapped or if some lucky person has them tucked away in their backyard. The newer, safer stuff just doesn't compare. Those rockets were amazing.

Did anyone here ever go, or bring your kids to, the downtown Dayton's drop-off daycare center? I LOVED that place when I was a kid. My mom would drop me off there while she went shopping and ran errands. The highlight of the place was an enormous wooden elephant slide; you climbed up an enclosed staircase in one leg, could peek out a window on the side, and then slid down the trunk. I'm not sure when the place closed, but I was a regular there during the 1980s. I once even called Dayton's (when it was still Dayton's) to see if they had that elephant, as I was hoping to buy it (would still love to, if anyone knows where it is and if the owner is selling...).

Not the Boulevard! That was in my old neighborhood of Kenny (or near it)! I saw ET, Golden Eye, Star Wars (re-release) and many others I'm sure I can't remember! ET was also a re-release (I believe) in 1984, and is one of my first memories! There was also a drug store where Starbucks is now called "Sulk Drug" and a grocery store where Kowalski's is called "The Owl" or something.

My parents took us to a place called "Kid's Time Out" where the Mattress Giant is now right next to McDonalds, Best Buy and Taco Bell near 66th and York. THAT was the place to be as a kid when your parents wanted to go on a date night! I had endless fun there!! I bet some of you were probably my play buddies if you are around my age....

[GlowingInk]

Originally Posted by uptown_urbanist

GlowingInk -- I never spent time at Brackett Park, but the rocket sounds like the one in Linden Hills; I know the one there was replaced, but I, too, would love to know if they were just scrapped or if some lucky person has them tucked away in their backyard. The newer, safer stuff just doesn't compare. Those rockets were amazing.

I've decided to do the google map, using the street view of the playground at Brackett Park. I did not see yellow rocket there. I suppose it has been removed some time ago. I am disappointed. It does not look like where I used to play with my friends during our "fun" times. I really hope that rocket ship was removed because it was deemed unsafe, better than sorry, right? If it was for no reason other than it was simply too old, yanked it off the ground is not something I want to know.

The play area was also changed. This time, with new plastic-y thing-y.

Yes, I agree with you Uptown Urbanist, OLD SCHOOL FTW! The rockets were the best, IMO.

[audadvnc]

The best movie theater in town was, erm, that big orange one out on Hwy 12 in St. Louis Park, where there's a Fuddruckers or some such waste of space now. Oh, yeah - the Cooper Theater! I saw a new 70mm print of "Lawrance of Arabia" there in the 80's (shortly before it closed) and was floored! What an awesome space! Modern multiplexes are poor, dim shadows of the old movie palaces.

[yoyoma02]

I'm only in my mid-20s so I don't have a ton of memories, but I remember going to The Boulevard in 7th grade, it was my first semi-group-date with a group of friends.

Sebastian Joe's Waffle cones were "the cool thing" to get in 4th and 5th grade - in Linden Hills.

Shinders in downtown Minneapolis was were my dad took me to get all of my baseball cards/POGs, now it's just an empty building (I think..)

The Warming House, where kids would go to ice-skate on Lake Nokomis was on the west side of Cedar Bridge back in those days... now I think it's near the Big Beach.

Anyone remember Hiawatha Ave, before there was a lightrail and there was a huge grassy field on the intersection of 55 and Minnehaha Parkway? We would play baseball there all the time.

Lot's of school trips to the Old Guthrie, in Loring Park.

[Ghengis]

I remember...

Queene Anne Kiddieland
Uncle John's Pancake House
Excelsior Amusement Park
My older sister seeing the Beatles at Met Stadium
driving across the Cedar Avenue bridges
when the Foshay Tower was the biggest building in town
G.E.M.
the '65 flood

now if I could only remember where I set down my glasses....