How do you remember Phoenix? Stories from long time residents... (Tempe: carpenter, hiking)

[slowesthand]

Originally Posted by baby sinister

Wasn't their sign a big hammer?

yes it was, it had a big hammer and a large carpenters square.

[chaparrito]

Originally Posted by Arizona Mike

This bowling alley was just south of Thomas on 24th Street - is it the one you're thinking of, chaparrito? You can see the Green Gables sign in the background.

That's the place, thanks for the memory! No indication of an actual name for the bowling alley, maybe it didn't have one!

[chaparrito]

Originally Posted by Desertspiritsteve

I have no memory of this bowling alley. I can see the sign for the Western Auto store in the background but the AJ Bayless store is hidden. The newest car I can find is a brown 60 Chevy wagon across the street. There is a sign for the "Biltmore Shopping Center" next to the Shell station. Was this in your family photos?

I got my first shotgun from that very Western Auto store. A Remington .410 single shot. I was about 10. My son learned to shoot with it when he was the same age.

I got my hair cuts at the Biltmore Barber Shop in that shopping center. When very young it was owned by a fat Italian looking guy everybody called Brownie. He always had a short, fat cigar about an inch long smoldering in one side of his mouth. I used to wonder why his mustache didn't catch fire. By the time I was in junior high he had sold it to a guy named Vince, who cut my hair till I started college and quit getting haircuts.

[Arizona Mike]

Originally Posted by baby sinister

It played there for more than a year. I passed there many times and saw the sign advertising "Star Wars" before I even saw the movie. It wasn't until I watched the academy awards the following year 1978, that I found out what all the hoopla was about. I went to see it at least once a week for a month after that. The giant screen with the big red curtain that would open when the movie was about to start was a nice touch too. Waited in line at the CC to see "The Empire Strikes Back" in 1980.

I tore tickets at the Cine Capri from April to October 1977, so it's likely I tore the tickets of some people reading this at one point (Hey! Good to see you again!) It was amazing how long the lines remained, even in the summer people would wait in line through the showing of one film while waiting to get seats for the one after that.

[Arizona Mike]

Originally Posted by chaparrito

I got my first shotgun from that very Western Auto store. A Remington .410 single shot. I was about 10. My son learned to shoot with it when he was the same age.

I got my hair cuts at the Biltmore Barber Shop in that shopping center. When very young it was owned by a fat Italian looking guy everybody called Brownie. He always had a short, fat cigar about an inch long smoldering in one side of his mouth. I used to wonder why his mustache didn't catch fire. By the time I was in junior high he had sold it to a guy named Vince, who cut my hair till I started college and quit getting haircuts.

Western Auto stores sold a lot of firearms and a lot of bicycles. You can't picture O'Reilly (formerly Checker) Auto doing that.

[baby sinister]

Originally Posted by Arizona Mike

Western Auto stores sold a lot of firearms and a lot of bicycles. You can't picture O'Reilly (formerly Checker) Auto doing that.

I think they had a Christmas catalog that I enjoyed as a child.

[toextra]

Originally Posted by slowesthand

I lived right in that area in the late 70's and don't remember it either. Seems like I do recall a couple of empty lots there.

The bar across the street was still there and had a laundermat next to it, thats where I did my laundry each week.
Just south of the picture would be where the canal crossed 24th st.
The Shell station was a Circle K and there was a picture framing shop next to it. If you went down a little farther south to Oak St. there was a good hardware store, I think it was called Lubo's ?? I might be off on that name though.

We lived a couple of blocks due west of the bowling alley from the late 70's to early 90's. (Never bowled there) Not sure when it ceased being a bowling alley, but it became a Green Stamp redemption store at some point. I still have a socket set that came from there.

Bought many items at Lubo's Hardware. One of the last good independent hardware stores.

If I'm not mistaken, the Western Auto store moved to the west side of 24th street in a new building.

[AZtrails]

Here's a little more detail about Lubo's Hardware:
Roadside Peek : Other Roadside Signage Arizona 3

[slowesthand]

Originally Posted by toextra

We lived a couple of blocks due west of the bowling alley from the late 70's to early 90's. (Never bowled there) Not sure when it ceased being a bowling alley, but it became a Green Stamp redemption store at some point. I still have a socket set that came from there.

Bought many items at Lubo's Hardware. One of the last good independent hardware stores.

If I'm not mistaken, the Western Auto store moved to the west side of 24th street in a new building.

I must be losing it,I also lived a couple blocks S.W. of there in that same time as you, passed by there a million times and still drawing a blank. It seems as though I remember a building being torn down there , that must have been it.
I also went to Lubo.s for things, they always had what you needed, from a tiny screw on up, and someone there to help you find it.
I.m not sure when they opened, late 70's or early 80's but there was a Pep Boys on the west side of 24 th St., just north of Thomas. Also a mexican restaurant next to that, ate there many times, but have forgotten the name, but the place was always busy.

[chaparrito]

Originally Posted by slowesthand

I must be losing it,I also lived a couple blocks S.W. of there in that same time as you, passed by there a million times and still drawing a blank. It seems as though I remember a building being torn down there , that must have been it.
I also went to Lubo.s for things, they always had what you needed, from a tiny screw on up, and someone there to help you find it.
I.m not sure when they opened, late 70's or early 80's but there was a Pep Boys on the west side of 24 th St., just north of Thomas. Also a mexican restaurant next to that, ate there many times, but have forgotten the name, but the place was always busy.

Ricardo's. Originally owned by the Elias family if I'm not mistaken. I think they're still in business elsewhere in the valley. It was north of Thomas on the west side, 2926 N 24th St. We ate there all the time. Opened in about 65 or 66.