How do you remember Phoenix? Stories from long time residents... (Mesa: house prices, cost of living)

[1937Gal]

Originally Posted by roosevelt

I went to the Broadway pool only once. It was at 20th Ave. and Broadway. There was also a dance pavilion there. One reason the water was cold could be because there were salt cedar trees around it providing shade. The tiny pollen or flower spikes from the tree would fall into the pool and it was a real mess. There was also a life guard there named Phyllis with an hour glass figure that guys liked to stare at.

My main pools were Coronado and Encanto. Encanto was very cold because it was so big. I learned to swim at University Park.

I grew up swimming at University Park ...we lived just west of 15th Ave and it was my swimming haunt. I can still rememeber walking through the shower to get to the pool. Remember the old railroad car sitting on the south end? I spent my teen years at Encanto. I think we had our 8th grade graduation party at Broadway Pool.

[David Wendell]

Originally Posted by 1937Gal

I grew up swimming at University Park ...we lived just west of 15th Ave and it was my swimming haunt. I can still rememeber walking through the shower to get to the pool. Remember the old railroad car sitting on the south end? I spent my teen years at Encanto. I think we had our 8th grade graduation party at Broadway Pool.

A friend and I used to ride our bikes, in the summer, all the way to Encanto Park. It was about 15 miles round trip. We fished golf balls out of the lagoon and sold them to the golfers, played with the lawn sprinklers and had fun in general. Once I saw a really nice golf ball just sitting out there on the grass. Friend ran out to get it and suddenly over the PA system came this booming announcement "hey you out there, drop that ball and run" He did drop it and run and as we looked up towards the club house. There was a huge group of people laughing and pointing. I suppose it was a golf ball driving contest or some kind of tournament. We laid low for a while after that minor bit of mayhem and adventure.

[roosevelt]

Originally Posted by David Wendell

A friend and I used to ride our bikes, in the summer, all the way to Encanto Park. It was about 15 miles round trip. We fished golf balls out of the lagoon and sold them to the golfers, played with the lawn sprinklers and had fun in general. Once I saw a really nice golf ball just sitting out there on the grass. Friend ran out to get it and suddenly over the PA system came this booming announcement "hey you out there, drop that ball and run" He did drop it and run and as we looked up towards the club house. There was a huge group of people laughing and pointing. I suppose it was a golf ball driving contest or some kind of tournament. We laid low for a while after that minor bit of mayhem and adventure.

Here is a photo of the Encanto pool showing the archery targets on the west side. I was always wary of an arrow finding its way to the pool area.That might be Robin Moore on the left, he was a sensational swimmer in the 50's.

[Donalumni]

Originally Posted by SluggoF16

Those were great sales. At the time my tastes were for beer, not spirits. Dirt cheap way for a minimum-wage college student to enjoy being 19 at a time when that was the drinking age.

There were the interesting "creatures" on the restroom doors which attempted to depict the proper gender. Many an intoxicated patron went to the wrong door.

This may seem surprising to some, but I always found Minder Binders (and Dooley's, later re-named "After The Gold Rush") to be more "upscale". The Devil House, Hammerheads, and Timothy O'Tooles (which was right across from ASU on Rural) were more my speed.

Does anyone remember the Blue Goat Pub at Miller and Indian School? A web search shows a number of local talents played there, and it was popular with KCAC.

As I remember and maybe The Blue Goat Pub moved but wasn't it located just north of the river bottom on Hayden Rd? I worked next door at Apache Rentals during the early 80's and it seems that was the name then.

[SluggoF16]

Originally Posted by Donalumni

As I remember and maybe The Blue Goat Pub moved but wasn't it located just north of the river bottom on Hayden Rd? I worked next door at Apache Rentals during the early 80's and it seems that was the name then.

Apparently they moved to the river area near the Salt Cellar in the late 70s or early 80s. When The Blue Goat was in Scottsdale it was known as a "beatnick" joint, my dad's words. It had a reputation for being a progressive music venue; apparently Bob Meighan and Joe Bethancourt, who appeared on the first KDKB Arizona Sounds album, played there.

Small world... my dad worked at ASCO/CRS, 7th Ave and the south side of the Salt River, in the 70s. Apache Rentals and ASCO were competitors.

[SluggoF16]

Attention, lounge lizards! Live from Paul Shank's French Quarter, for New Years Eve, 1969, Art and Dotty Todd!

From the 31 Dec 1969 Scottsdale Daily Progress. They played at The Safari quite a lot.

[jvs_2]

One thing always in Ladmo bag was "Ladmo Waffo". A confection type waffle.

[David Wendell]

Originally Posted by jvs_2

One thing always in Ladmo bag was "Ladmo Waffo". A confection type waffle.

Darn, I never got a Ladmo Bag. I got into a balloon blowing contest once but it got away so I didn't win. My favorite on the very early shows was the "Nasty Brothers". They reminded me of the big kids in our tough neighborhood. I did buy a copy of Bill Thompson's book from him years ago. Great memories, I sure enjoyed those "PC Incorrect" cartoons on the show!

Did anyone go to Lew King's Ranger Show? I always wanted to but never got to go. I think a person could get in for a few Shamrock Milk carton tops orr something like that. I think it was at the Fox Theatre.

[roosevelt]

Who remembers this place in Mesa? It evolved over the years.

[RabidEwok]

I lived in Phoenix with my family as a young child in the early to mid 1970's. We lived near the Phoenix Country Club. North High School was across the road. We moved there for Dad's work from Ohio in Summer, 1971. I was 3, nearly 4 years old. We moved away in Summer 1976, after school let out. I finished 3rd Grade at Longview Elementary and then started 4th Grade in an elementary school in my new town in Connecticut. I went to a Central United Methodist Preschool, PCDS, and Longview Elementary. I still have my 1976-1976 Longview Lancers Yearbook! The CarpetTime store was across the street from Longview, they have an ad in the yearbook. I dearly loved Phoenix, though alas, I think I'm the only one in my family that really loved it there. I've had a wonderful time the last day or so reading about everyone's memories, because I remember so many of the same things. So many fond memories of that time and place, I go all warm and fuzzy inside.

Wallace and Ladmo, how I loved that show! Met Ladmo backstage at the AZ State Fair in 1975 or 1976 and was so shy and in such awe I could not say a word to him! But he came right over and made me feel much better. Never did get a Ladmo Bag, however! I remember the bigger Ladmo bags, the ones that were about the size of a paper grocery bag, rather than the lunch paper bag size they seemed to have later. We shopped at Park Central, Thomas Mall, Town and Country, Christown, all of it. El Rancho, Basha's and Safeway,Bayless, and Skagg's too. Mostly we shopped at a shopping center that had a Skagg's, a Safeway, a Baskin Robbins 31 Flavors, a hair dresser, barber, and a restaurant that in the 1970's had white furniture with yellow cushions. If you went right up the street (16th or 12th or 7th?) from my house you'd come to a U-Totem several blocks up. Turn left instead, and you could shop at Circle K! Loved the Phoenix Bird at Town and Country!

One of my two best friends in Phoenix, Kerrie, lived next door. Her step dad had a boat, and we often went to Lake Saguaro or Lake Powell with him, her mom and her older sister and brother on weekends. It used to take FOREVER to get to either of the lakes! But I gather now it doesn't take much time at all! Kerrie's grandfather was Dr. Borah, a dentist. He'd been in Phoenix from very early, and one year Kerrie and I got to ride on a float in the Fiesta Bowl parade because of her grandpa. Her older sister Kris was in the parade often. Remember the city all decked out for the parade. Across the street from us lived the Starretts, who owned several clothing stores in Phoenix. The Starrett's and my parents were very close. My brothers were friends with their youngest son, he was a year older than my oldest brother and 2 years older than my other older brother. The Starretts had a huge Memorial Day Weekend Bash each year that began Friday afternoon and continued all through the weekend ending sometime in the wee hours of Tuesday AM after Memorial Day Monday.

My brothers and I went to Dr. Shembab at the Grunow Clinic. We saw a pediatric dentist there named Dr. Moore as well. I loved loved loved Camelback Mountain and used to just sit and look it for hours and hours. We were regulars at Big Surf, though my Mom did not let me do the surf part until that last year, when I was 8. Before that I was confined to the sides and the water slides. Also remember Legend City, though it was not my favorite place. I was small for my age and was restricted from so many rides because of it. Spent lots of time at Encanto Park, my brothers and I took archery lessons there. I was always begging to go to KiddieLand! Remember that wonderful Goofy Golf place at Green Gables. That and several other Goofy Golfs. My 2nd favorite I remember had a "castle" with a restaurant inside. My favorite place was the Phoenix Zoo, every summer I was enrolled in the kids' programs there. We were regulars at all the Drive-In theaters as well. I liked to read and spent much time at the big central library in Phoenix. Still remember the smells, sounds and sights there like it was yesterday!

My parents took us out for dinner once a week. Sometimes it was fast food brought home. Jack In the Box, McDonald's, Kentucky Fried Chicken, and Whataburger were favorites. Lots of wonderful Mexican food from any number of family run places. Some times it was Bob's Big Boy or the Pepper Tree. Or Chinese, which my dad and oldest brother loved. I had yet to really fall in love with Chinese food, so I always got an egg roll and wonton soup. My favorite was The Old Spaghetti Factory! Mostly we went to Village Pizza. It was across from St Joseph Hospital, and showed old time movies, cartoons, and had balloons for the kids! I saw so many things at the Phoenix Coliseum. Rodeos, the circus, you name it! Every year we went to the AZ State Fair, and once I started school we went at school too!