How do you remember Phoenix? Stories from long time residents... (grown, condos)

[Arizona Mike]

Originally Posted by Magnum Mike

I also remember the Northern Drive-in movie theater on the northwest corner of I-17 and Northern. There's a K-Mart and a Motel 6 over there now. French's Lighting is one business that's still on Glendale Ave just west of 27th Ave and they're still there.

I've had people tell me that if you drive over the parking lot at that K-Mart (now closed, I think) and Motel 6 you can still feel the remains of those little raised humps where you parked your car at the Northern Drive In, as they didn't quite grade the ground enough before laying the asphalt. It's subtle, and maybe it's wish-fulfillment on my part, but I think I could feel it when I drove around on it a while back. I probably just like the idea of artifacts from that time poking through into modern-day Phoenix.

[Paul M.]

Originally Posted by Arizona Mike

I've had people tell me that if you drive over the parking lot at that K-Mart (now closed, I think) and Motel 6 you can still feel the remains of those little raised humps where you parked your car at the Northern Drive In, as they didn't quite grade the ground enough before laying the asphalt. It's subtle, and maybe it's wish-fulfillment on my part, but I think I could feel it when I drove around on it a while back. I probably just like the idea of artifacts from that time poking through into modern-day Phoenix.

I can tell you that particular KMart is still open for business. I only live about a 1/2 mile from there.

And yes, you can still feel areas of that parking lot rise & fall as you drive over it!

And over the last year or two, I've found that there are more of those "artifacts" in metro PHX than I ever thought. You just have to know what to look for...sometimes they're very subtle. I'll post pics of some of those artifacts that I find. Really cool stuff for us PhD's (Phoenix History Detectives)...

[Paul M.]

Originally Posted by Magnum Mike

Looking at the car under the billboard in the middle, it's a 1971 Chevrolet Impala, so that picture was probably taken sometime in the early 1970s.

Central And Osborn - The one curved building on the right, used to have Western Savings' logo at the top and I think that was where their headquarters were - Several buildings that have been around in that area for a long time have been renovated in recent years, but this building needs to be either torn down or renovated. It has looked the same for as long as I can remember. I drove by there less than a week ago and in my opinion, it's an eye-sore. I'm not sure who the architect was that came up with that design on the south side of the building, but it's in serious need for a change. I'm sure the design looked modern back in the day when it was built, but now it looks like something out of a Flintstones cartoon! LOL.. This is a more recent picture of Central & Osborn and it doesn't look like it has changed since it was built.

I also gotta respectfully disagree.

That building is very unique looking and very much "of it's time", the early/mid 1960's.

The skyscraper catty-corner to it, on the SW corner of Central & Osborn, has an almost completely glass exterior and is very much of it's time too, the 1980's.

I like them both and I like many different eras represented. I don't mind if they don't look modern.

Just my 2 cents...

[jukebox47]

If the theatres of Arizona are an interest to you Brad has a huge amount of information at http://www.bradhallart.com/images_ph...e_theaters.pdf

Did anyone ever venture into the Rodeo Drive In Theatre at 12 St. and Buckeye Rd? In the early/mid sixties it was a dollar a carload. Drinks were 10/20 and 30 cents. Popcorn was 10 cents. Pizzas were 50 cents. There were always two full length features and two cartoons. It was located in a tough neighborhood.

[Pops51]

[quote=cobalt1959;37632583]I was born in Phoenix in 1959 and was raised in Glendale in a little WPA-built housing development in a twin cul-de-sac on the corner of 51st Ave. and Northern. 5002 W. Waite Place. Went to Grace Lutheran School for all 8 years of elementary school and Apollo high for high school. Graduated in '77. Worked at E. L. Gruber/Spring City Knitting from '77 until '81 when I moved Northwest to Kingman.

My mother, Mrs. Daniel, taught 3rd grade at that school in 60s. My little sis, Marcia Daniel (1960), attended Grace for a couple of years.

[observer53]

Originally Posted by pbenjamin

Totally disagree. This is one of the few interesting buildings from that era in Phoenix. (There are a couple of others nearby, the two adjacent rotundas and the inverted pyramid.) Most buildings from that era are flat out boring, as are most of what is being built these days. To tear that down would be a tragedy.

Agreed.

[Arizona Mike]

Originally Posted by Paul M.

I can tell you that particular KMart is still open for business. I only live about a 1/2 mile from there.

And yes, you can still feel areas of that parking lot rise & fall as you drive over it!

And over the last year or two, I've found that there are more of those "artifacts" in metro PHX than I ever thought. You just have to know what to look for...sometimes they're very subtle. I'll post pics of some of those artifacts that I find. Really cool stuff for us PhD's (Phoenix History Detectives)...

I would love to see those. Our city tends to eradicate evidence of its past, so it fascinates me when I can find anything like that - especially if it's something I remember.

For instance, this is the old Copper Belle Restaurant, a riverboat-shaped restaurant that was at 1534 W. Camelback in the 1960s/1970s:





If you look at the restaurant that is there now (Peter Wong's Chinese Restaurant), you can still see the distinctive lines of the old restaurant:

[Arizona Mike]

Originally Posted by jukebox47

If the theatres of Arizona are an interest to you Brad has a huge amount of information at http://www.bradhallart.com/images_ph...e_theaters.pdf

Did anyone ever venture into the Rodeo Drive In Theatre at 12 St. and Buckeye Rd? In the early/mid sixties it was a dollar a carload. Drinks were 10/20 and 30 cents. Popcorn was 10 cents. Pizzas were 50 cents. There were always two full length features and two cartoons. It was located in a tough neighborhood.

Yep, lots of B and Z movies there - horror flicks, kung fu, etc. The photo below was from circa June, 1965. Nice that the Rodeo gave Native American actor Jay Silverheels top billing.

[ELOrocks17]

There are several restaurants that I remember from the past.

Kings table (A buffet restaurant)
Mr C's 50s diner
The Royal Fork
Tuccettis (sp) near town and country)
Lunt ave marble club

Is there any Swensen ice cream shops around other than in metrocenter?

[Magnum Mike]

Originally Posted by Arizona Mike

I've had people tell me that if you drive over the parking lot at that K-Mart (now closed, I think) and Motel 6 you can still feel the remains of those little raised humps where you parked your car at the Northern Drive In, as they didn't quite grade the ground enough before laying the asphalt. It's subtle, and maybe it's wish-fulfillment on my part, but I think I could feel it when I drove around on it a while back. I probably just like the idea of artifacts from that time poking through into modern-day Phoenix.

I think you're right Mike, I remember driving over the bumps, or dips in the parking lot. The last time I was at that K-Mart was probably about year ago and I drove up to the north side of parking lot, close to Motel 6 and I do remember the dips.

I didn't even know K-Mart closed..