How do you remember Phoenix? Stories from long time residents... (Maricopa: assess, American)

[learicalAZ]

My father drove an ice cream truck around Phoenix when he first arrived here in 1948. Before I was born, so I have no idea where his route was. I believe that's why he had the chauffeur's license. That all stopped when he joined the AZ Army National Guard full time later in '48.

[Westside Willie]

Originally Posted by SluggoF16

There used to be the snow cone carts as well, often old Cushman carts or buggies with a cooler full of shaved ice and various flavored syrups. No fancy tunes, just a driver who constantly pulled a string which rang a bell. It was a cheap treat (maybe $.20) but worth standing out on the hot pavement.

Ours was Art the Ice Cream Man. Thats what he had, a 3 wheeled Cushman carts with a bell in front with a string. Everything was 10 cents no matter what it was. The Enhelder brothers stole it once and drove it all over while eating all the goodies. Did I mention they're both worm food now? Both OD'd in the '70s
They shouldn't have messed with old man Art. Karma baby.

[desertratz]

Originally Posted by trillcatz

eeewwww on cicadas...kenny davis and john o'dell made me hold one when i was a little girl and from then on i was scared to death of them...they'd flop around under the street lights...cover a screen porch if the porch light was left on. yuk!

Remember those big green June Bugs that flew around and crashed into everything? We would catch them and tie a thread on one of their legs and let them buzz around on a tether. Great fun for us kids, just don't make the mistake of taking one in the house! Mom had no sense of humor about that.

[baby sinister]

Originally Posted by Desertspiritsteve

In about 1960 a whole new ice cream man appeared in our neighborhood. Mr. Softee. Later he disappeared. They had really big catering trucks with modern florescent lighting on the outside. I don't remember what they sold. I only have a recollection of the trucks being surrounded by kids and large flying insects on hot summer nights. My understanding is that the ice cream trucks now are really territorial which sometimes leads to violence, and they sometimes sell more than dream cycles and milk nickles out of those trucks. I had a no-frills childhood so I could probably count on both hands the times we got something from the ice cream man.

I vaguely remember those huge ice cream trucks that came thru the neighborhood...and you're right, they were lit up pretty bright. The first ice cream trucks I can remember, the guy would have to get out of the truck and walk to the back. My favorites were popsicles and bullet pops.

[John B Sloop]

I graduated from Camelback High in 1960. The big thing to do was 'cruise Central, Bob's Big Boy @ Central & Thomas Rd for burgers after the drive-in movies at either the Cinema Park, Indian or Rodeo drive-ins. Phoenix was a small town of 300.000 with a big city attitude. Downtown was a real downtown. The only free-way was Black-Canyon on the west side. I loved it back then. It's too big and sprawled out for me to even recognize streets. Now I live in the center of the world... Manhattan, New York City. Who would have thought a 'desert rat' like me would wind up in the Big Apple! jdb
"GO SPARTANS"

[John B Sloop]

Originally Posted by desertratz

Remember those big green June Bugs that flew around and crashed into everything? We would catch them and tie a thread on one of their legs and let them buzz around on a tether. Great fun for us kids, just don't make the mistake of taking one in the house! Mom had no sense of humor about that.

We would tie them to our bed on a string for some reason - i guess as a pet! That was a really big thing to do catch June bugs. Do kids still do that?

[ssmickey]

Anyone remember when the Jaycee would have a band come in for the weekend, I'm thinking it was on fifth ave or sixth ave around thomas rd.

[Imissmalarleys]

Originally Posted by John B Sloop

We would tie them to our bed on a string for some reason - i guess as a pet! That was a really big thing to do catch June bugs. Do kids still do that?

I used to do that as a kid in Michigan. When I moved to Phoenix in 1970, I tried that with those horrible palmetto bugs that look like huge black cockroaches. The darn thing bit me!! Really hard, too!! I'm glad we don't have them up here in Mayer!!

[Imissmalarleys]

I read this entire thread page by page over the last 3 days. I remember a lot of things posted, but a lot I don't remember since I only arrived in Phoenix (Mesa, actually), in 1970. A lot of things I do remember, especially the Wallace and Ladmo show. I was 13 when we came out here, and I used to watch it every morning before school. I even caught a few shows at Legend City when they were there. And I remember all of the nightspots in that timeframe as well, because I came of age in the Disco era. Who else remembers Sun Devil Disco Lounge on Apache and Rural? I used to hang out there quite a bit, and was sad when it finally closed for good around 1995 or '96. (It had another name then, but don't remember). It also was a comedy club called Chuckles for awhile. And After the Gold Rush. I worked for Motorola on Hayden/McClintock and a lot of us Motorolans would go there after work on Fridays. And my absolute favorite was Malarkey's/Patrick's on 16th St. and Highland. I used to go to Bogart's in T&C mall, and one night Bogart's was closed, and someone put up a sign about Malarkey's, and we went to check it out, and fell in love. I miss that place so much, but I do have a couple of mementos from there. I went to their auction after closing and bought a square brass bar sink, and a plaque that reads "On this site in 1897 nothing happened". The sink is now in my new bathroom vanity that was put in about 3 months ago, and looks great. I get lots of compliments on it when visitors see it there. Maybe someday I'll post pics, but don't have a good camera right now. I also went to the original CineCapri to see Star Wars, and had to wait in line forever, but it was so worth it. What a great theater!! Me and some other Motorola friends went the last night to see "Titanic" in the very last showing before the CC was demolished. When the ship was sinking, and the band played "Nearer my God to Thee", everyone in the theater was bawling. I'll never forget that. So much has changed in Phoenix, and certainly not for the better. I'm glad I moved out of there 3 years ago. I still work in Phoenix, as a school bus driver for Washington Elementary School District #6. I love my kids, but I'm glad I no longer live in Phx, and can leave there when my workday is done.

[Donalumni]

Originally Posted by taharvey

things i think i remember but not sure: parades on 1st street not central, palm trees in the center of central, the cloud nine sign looked like a pale blue cloud, a theater for plays behind west high, an italian rest on van buren or wash east of 48th street but west of tempe(good food), sky harbor had hotels on the airport property, there were houses between mill and the university, a parking lot at van buren and central next to a gas station, the curve on tatum(before being widened) seemed to have a huge drop off and we tested our guts at seeing how fast we could take that turn, 1/4 mile marked off on sweetwater between 35th and 43rd aves for drag racing and a shooting range somewhere between west phx and luke afb.

I remember that curve on Tatum north of Lincoln because 4 teens were killed on that curve on their high school graduation day the same day I graduated from Coronado in 74. We were taking our dirt bikes out to ride on Bell road and went by and saw the sheets over their bodies. Anyone remember the dirt berm (flood control) that ran along the north side of Bell Rd. west and east of Scottsdale Rd? Everybody would go out there to use it for a backstop to sight their guns in for hunting deason and just to plink. Pima road was dirt beyond Bell Rd. until you hit Pinnacle Peak road. We hunted quail and rabbits where Desert Highlands and Troon golf courses are now.