How do you remember Phoenix? Stories from long time residents... (Tucson: vs., architecture)

[Desertspiritsteve]

Good food at Lafonda. Do you remember all the crickets chirping inside the theater at Hayden Plaza East by the Woolco?

[Donalumni]

Originally Posted by AzSon

That sounds like Hayden Plaza East , there was another , Hayden Plaza West at 35th ave & Indian School. Both had Harkins theaters when I was around Phx. Saw Neil Young's Rust Never Sleeps at H.P.East.

Yes, that's it, Hayden Plaza East. I was in town in July and went by the area and saw the new La Fonda's and couldn't really discern the rest. The Jack in the Box on the SE corner of Weber and Scottsdale Rd. is a vacant lot but some of the hotels north of there where the drag racers would stay at in the 60's for the Winternationals at Beeline Dragway were still there. Sometimes if we played gopher for them they would get us into the pits for the race. Of course, that wouldn't happen nowdays. I did notice that the old building for the Hacienda Corral mexican restaraunt north of Thomas on the west side of Scottsdale Rd. is still there but is called Avanti's Sugar Daddy or sumthin now.

[roosevelt]

An antique mall went in Hayden Plaza East during the 80's and then moved up to the former Best? store next to Mayo's (Bruner's) furniture store north of McDowell.

Here is a photo of the Wigwam, not the one in Tempe but same owner.

[deraffe]

Originally Posted by Donalumni

Yes, that's it, Hayden Plaza East. I was in town in July and went by the area and saw the new La Fonda's and couldn't really discern the rest. The Jack in the Box on the SE corner of Weber and Scottsdale Rd. is a vacant lot but some of the hotels north of there where the drag racers would stay at in the 60's for the Winternationals at Beeline Dragway were still there. Sometimes if we played gopher for them they would get us into the pits for the race. Of course, that wouldn't happen nowdays. I did notice that the old building for the Hacienda Corral mexican restaraunt north of Thomas on the west side of Scottsdale Rd. is still there but is called Avanti's Sugar Daddy or sumthin now.

Sugar Daddy's was owned by the Dos Gringos CORP. it was not do super well at the point the owner was nailed for tax evasion. he had to sell off Sugar Daddy's along with The Big Bang and i think 1 of the Dos Gringos locations to keep afloat. it sat vacant for almost a year until this June/july when the contents were auctioned off. as far as i know, noone else has moved in there, but i don't pay much attention to the building when i drive by.

i noticed that the owners house on Camelback, by the Phoenician is also sold now too.

[Donalumni]

Originally Posted by roosevelt

An antique mall went in Hayden Plaza East during the 80's and then moved up to the former Best? store next to Mayo's (Bruner's) furniture store north of McDowell.

Here is a photo of the Wigwam, not the one in Tempe but same owner.
Attachment 68836

Great pic Roosevelt. I love the gas pumps.

[desertratz]

Originally Posted by Donalumni

Yes, I just remember some goofy animal sitting on top of sign there at The Steak Pit. I spent many a lunch at Grumpy Johns BBQ when it was in the old shack of a place on the west side of Scottsdale Rd. and after they moved across the to the newer place on the east side of Scottsdale. He played the character of being grumpy well and he had 2 or 3 sons who worked there also. I worked for a time as a teenager down the road at Jack in the Box and there was a pretty good LaFonda's Mexican food across Scottsdale in the strip center where we went to the movies to see "A hard Days Night and of course 007 "Thunderball" I think that Woolco was the anchor store and the strip center was called Hayden Plaza?

Hayden Plaza has seen quite a few changes over the years. The Progressive insurance office on the southwest corner used to be the old Woolco store. It sat empty after Woolco closed and then it was remodeled into the Hughes Helicopter offices after they landed the Army contract to build the Apache attack helicopter. Hughes was sold to McDonnel Douglas (now Boeing) and they moved offices to their plant by Mesa's Falcon Field airport. I believe there was also a Lucky's store in that plaza at one time.

The old wing of the strip mall just north of Woolco held a nice billiards/pool parlor that I believe was called the Golden Cue. Next to that, in the same wing, was the Fifth Estate teen nightclub in the 60's. We used to frequent it alot and it was a pretty neat place for us teenagers. They had projectors all over the place running old black and white movies which where shown on the walls and they had a pretty good house band called the Mile Ends. Of course they had the obligatory pulsing strobe lights everywhere hammering with the beat.

They used to get name acts every so often also. I had to take my girlfriend there to see the Association play, but I regret not going to see the relatively unknown band from LA that played there for 2 days in 1966. Just some little group that didn't have a hit record yet called the Doors. Corey Wells Blues Band was also an awesome group to see before he went on to big stardom in 70's as one of Three Dog Night.

Just about a good stone's throw south of Hayden Plaza and on the opposite side of Scottsdale Road was JD's in the river bottom. We went there also to see Mike Condello play in the downstairs part of the club. Being strictly into rock and roll at the time, I didn't pay too much attention to the guy playing "cowboy music" upstairs. It's a shame because I missed a golden opportunity to catch an early Waylon Jennings.

Don't know if you recall, but Curry Road that runs on the south side of Hayden Plaza was originally called Princess Drive and ran from Hayden Road to approximately 68th Street behind the plaza where it basically dead ended. Curry Road originally ran along the north side of the plaza and aligned with Weber Drive on the east side of Scottsdale Road.

[observer53]

Originally Posted by desertratz

Hayden Plaza has seen quite a few changes over the years. The Progressive insurance office on the southwest corner used to be the old Woolco store. It sat empty after Woolco closed and then it was remodeled into the Hughes Helicopter offices after they landed the Army contract to build the Apache attack helicopter. Hughes was sold to McDonnel Douglas (now Boeing) and they moved offices to their plant by Mesa's Falcon Field airport. I believe there was also a Lucky's store in that plaza at one time.

The old wing of the strip mall just north of Woolco held a nice billiards/pool parlor that I believe was called the Golden Cue. Next to that, in the same wing, was the Fifth Estate teen nightclub in the 60's. We used to frequent it alot and it was a pretty neat place for us teenagers. They had projectors all over the place running old black and white movies which where shown on the walls and they had a pretty good house band called the Mile Ends. Of course they had the obligatory pulsing strobe lights everywhere hammering with the beat.

They used to get name acts every so often also. I had to take my girlfriend there to see the Association play, but I regret not going to see the relatively unknown band from LA that played there for 2 days in 1966. Just some little group that didn't have a hit record yet called the Doors. Corey Wells Blues Band was also an awesome group to see before he went on to big stardom in 70's as one of Three Dog Night.

Just about a good stone's throw south of Hayden Plaza and on the opposite side of Scottsdale Road was JD's in the river bottom. We went there also to see Mike Condello play in the downstairs part of the club. Being strictly into rock and roll at the time, I didn't pay too much attention to the guy playing "cowboy music" upstairs. It's a shame because I missed a golden opportunity to catch an early Waylon Jennings.

Don't know if you recall, but Curry Road that runs on the south side of Hayden Plaza was originally called Princess Drive and ran from Hayden Road to approximately 68th Street behind the plaza where it basically dead ended. Curry Road originally ran along the north side of the plaza and aligned with Weber Drive on the east side of Scottsdale Road.

I remember all that, now that you mention it... I guess we HAVE been here a long time!

[Westside Willie]

Roosevelt

Can you tell us where these 2 images were shot?

[roosevelt]

Originally Posted by Westside Willie

Roosevelt

Can you tell us where these 2 images were shot?

First photo is on 1st Avenue looking north to Adams St.

The second is not in Phoenix, maybe Los Angeles.

[observer53]

Second one is LA, look at the picture of the Palace Theatre in this link:

Cinema Treasures | Palace Theatre