How do you remember Phoenix? Stories from long time residents... (Scottsdale: tourist, pass)

[observer53]

Originally Posted by pbenjamin

Interesting. So where on Thomas was it?

Originally Posted by slowesthand

Wasn't it around 15th ave, or somewhere near Encanto park?

Right, just east of 15th Ave (really in the complex that's on the corner) across from Phoenix College. I visited that location many times, as it was more in areas I normally go. I think I've been to the current location twice.

[CoxMeadowsNative]

Wow! I just discovered this site. I was born in Glendale in 1963, grew up in North/Central Phoenix, and lived there for 35 years. I moved to Oregon in 2002. I enjoy reading about all those memories. Metroport Lounge...wow.

[roosevelt]

JC Rodeo parade back in the 50's on 4th Street in front of Rudolph? service entrance. The Big Apple is having a big auction this week, north 19th Ave location.

[jukebox47]

Originally Posted by roosevelt

JC Rodeo parade back in the 50's on 4th Street in front of Rudolph? service entrance. The Big Apple is having a big auction this week, north 19th Ave location.
Attachment 129976

We used to visit the original on Van Buren. Also the El Diablo on Van Buren. El Diablo was owned by Bill Johnson too. One of those had the live radio booth in it. The B.J. waitress' wore six shooters and there was sawdust on the floor. I think the health department got rid of the sawdust but it was a nice touch. There was great neon on El Diablo!

More info here:

Bill Johnson's Big Apple

[trillcatz]

Originally Posted by jukebox47

The flower gardens were so beautiful. I wish I had taken lots of pictures when the gardens were at their highest popularity. Especially nice to ride by on an old motorcycle. My wife went to school (South Mountain High) with some of the kids. I believe they were the Watanabe family. I hope I spelled their name correctly. Great people who provided the flowers for our wedding in 1968 at St Catherine's.

Oh, Welcome back Roosevelt!!

I'm from south side too and graduated from SMHS in '71. Dennis Watanabe was in my class...actually we were school mates from about '61 on...Valley View. Debbie and Greg Watanabe were a couple of years ahead of us.

[trillcatz]

Originally Posted by roosevelt

And after the caterpillars came millions of yellow butterflies that clogged car radiators.

I remember the caterpillars coming on two separate years years. I was just a kid but I remember the roads being slick with them. I remember my mom trying to "wrap" her plants so they wouldn't get eaten. Has the caterpillar "phenomenon" happened again since the '60's?

[trillcatz]

Originally Posted by Old Fossil

About 1970 I visited my Dad in Phoenix and he took me to a steak house somewhere out of town. We drove both ways after dark and I'm not sure which direction, but we could see the city lights off in the distance, and I don't remember any other businesses nearby.

It was family owned and operated and the husband, wife, and adult children worked there. It was a "rustic" building with exposed ceiling beams and tradition was that if you came in there wearing a neck tie they would take scissors, cut it off, and nail it to the ceiling beams. There were lots of ties up there. The tables were "picnic tables". The steaks were grilled outside on a large grill over mesquite. After we ordered our steak they set the table with bowls of all the "trimmings". They also had the tradition that if you ordered a special large steak (I don't remember it's size) and could eat all of it, the meal was free.

The husband/owner was from Arkansas and he and Dad were long time friends. They gave us our dinners as a gift to honor the reunion of Dad and me after many, many years.

Anyone know who/where this was?

Northeast of Phoenix? Riata Pass? Pinnacle Peak Patio?

[Arizona Mike]

Originally Posted by jukebox47

We used to visit the original on Van Buren. Also the El Diablo on Van Buren. El Diablo was owned by Bill Johnson too. One of those had the live radio booth in it. The B.J. waitress' wore six shooters and there was sawdust on the floor. I think the health department got rid of the sawdust but it was a nice touch. There was great neon on El Diablo!

More info here:

Bill Johnson's Big Apple

The El Diablo was on the southwest corner of 32nd Street and Van Buren. We used to go there a lot, too. I think it was the Big Apple on Van Buren that had the DJ booth in it. Years later, I think Bob Boze Bell did a show out of there for a while in the 90s, then did a morning show out of Harold's in Cave Creek. I remember the apple pie a la mode in the Big Apple being really good.

[AZtrails]

Originally Posted by trillcatz

Northeast of Phoenix? Riata Pass? Pinnacle Peak Patio?

Yes, the steakhouse with the cut ties is Pinnacle Peak Patio. Riata Pass is now closed, but was basically across the street. Both Riata and Greasewood Flats were owned by the Cavalliere family (of the blacksmith shop in downtown Scottsdale). Pinnacle was more for tourists and locals were more likely to eat at Riata.

[Arizona Mike]

Reata Pass was used as the "Grange Hall" for the robbery and climactic fight between Nicholas Cage and Randall "Tex" Cobb at the end of "Raising Arizona."