How do you remember Phoenix? Stories from long time residents... (Florence: costs, correctional)

[hotashell]

where is westside willey?

[observer53]

Originally Posted by hotashell

where is westside willey?

Send Westside Willie a direct message and ask.

Back to topic.

[Leaving Arizona]

Originally Posted by desertratz

I'm thinking there was also a FedMart on the NW corner of Broadway and McLintock in Tempe or am I imagining things?

Yep, there sure was, northwest corner; there was a Red Lobster for years to the west of it, and a Village Inn across the street (SE corner) with an Alpha Beta. Mom went there all the time when I was little - one of my earliest childhood memories was the boxes of dried milk, red with the dots. Eh, it was the late 1970s after all.

I still see the parking lot and the garden center of that FedMart in weird recurring dreams sometimes.

The building and its receiving docks stood vacant for many, many years while the city tried to figure out what to do with the land. Eventually the store was razed but the docks remained. Then the empire building started at ASU in the mid-2000s and it was the perfect time to finally raze the docks and build a monster apartment complex with a CVS (I think) on the corner.

After FedMart and O'Malley's closed (O'Malleys in Tempe was east of McClintock)... and there used to be that great nursery there up until the early 1990s, what was it called? ...that area surrounding Broadway/McClintock was sort of a stepchild. It had a minor renaissance around the time I was in high school but died out by the end of the 1990s. Again, only the major expansion of the university drove new construction in that area.

[observer53]

Originally Posted by Leaving Arizona

Yep, there sure was, northwest corner; there was a Red Lobster for years to the west of it, and a Village Inn across the street (SE corner) with an Alpha Beta. Mom went there all the time when I was little - one of my earliest childhood memories was the boxes of dried milk, red with the dots. Eh, it was the late 1970s after all.

I still see the parking lot and the garden center of that FedMart in weird recurring dreams sometimes.

The building and its receiving docks stood vacant for many, many years while the city tried to figure out what to do with the land. Eventually the store was razed but the docks remained. Then the empire building started at ASU in the mid-2000s and it was the perfect time to finally raze the docks and build a monster apartment complex with a CVS (I think) on the corner.

After FedMart and O'Malley's closed (O'Malleys in Tempe was east of McClintock)... and there used to be that great nursery there up until the early 1990s, what was it called? ...that area surrounding Broadway/McClintock was sort of a stepchild. It had a minor renaissance around the time I was in high school but died out by the end of the 1990s. Again, only the major expansion of the university drove new construction in that area.

Yes, I remember, too, how long that FedMart building (and then the docks) remained, with that telltale yellow and orange paint job. Yes, that's a CVS on the corner. The nursery was Tip Top (one of many locations around the Valley) loved that place.

[Arizona Mike]

A FedMart in Phoenix in the 1970s. Not sure which one.



FedMart was the precursor to Costco and Sam's Club and other membership only Big Box stores. When FedMart started in San Diego they offered memberships only to federal employees (which San Diego has a lot of) but later expanded (like USAA later did), and dropped the membership requirement entirely in '63. Their downfall came when the German discount chain Hugo Mann bought a controlling interest and didn't do a good job running the business. FedMart opened the first retail department store in the Navajo Nation at Shiprock.

Gemco was another big chain I remember.

[Arizona Mike]

If you look real closely, you can see the sign on the left for the FedMart at Grand and Osborn.

[Arizona Mike]

Originally Posted by cgangst

Hi,
The El Rancho was on Van Buren and 13th Avenue. My parents bought it in 1960 and managed it for many years. It was a nice area when they bought it. We lived on property initially. I walked to Grace Court Elementary School for grades 3-12 and played at nearby University Park. My siblings and I got to watch first hand the decline of the area.

Another view of the swimming pool at the El Rancho, 1950s:



El Rancho postcard, 1940s.



El Rancho in the 1950s

[Applegate8]

In the distance in this photo, behind the closest telephone pole on southeast bound Grand Avenue, is a bakery supply building that burned down in a huge fire in the mid to late 60s. I was there and saw huge flames coming from the roof as well as hundreds of pie tins shooting up into the sky! In the far distance you can see the giant Goodyear Tire sign on the Black Canyon Highway just south of Thomas Road.

[Arizona Mike]

Originally Posted by PhureeKeeper

Seeing all the "back to school" items in the stores reminds me of growing up in Scottsdale. At the start of the school year (always AFTER Labor day), we'd get to pick out one outfit from Saba's and one from Woolworth's. Did anyone else shop at Saba's?

You can see Saba's on Brown Avenue, next to Porter's.

[Joni1935]

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[CENTER][CENTER][FONT=Times New Roman]I lived across the street from Skiff School when my family lived there in 1949 at 1208 South 18th Street, Phoenix, Arizona. I visited there in 1994 and the interstate had taken the school and my house. The last time I visited there in 1996 the Shy Harbor Airport had bought all the land surrounding it and it was mostly vacant land.[/FONT][/CENTER][/CENTER]
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