Gone But Not Forgotten in San Antonio! - Part II (Houston: temps, vegetables)

[Nix54]

Originally Posted by ranchodrive

I never knew that Kiddie Park was on Austin Hwy.
I do recall the PlayLand Park on Broadway St. across
from the Butter Krust & the aroma of baked bread.
One of my first jobs after school was at Joske's by the
Alamo . I worked in the first floor in the camera dept.
Christmas time I worked in the 3rd floor Fantasyland
& also the "trim-a-tree" dept.
My favorite breakfast was in the basement of Joske's
cafeteria. The Coney Island on St. Mary's
Working as a short-order cook at the Prince Drive-In
on Broadway St.
The library downtown with elephant statues on each side
of the entrance & the Barnum & Bailey Circus display inside.
The gorilla at the Buckhorn Saloon on Houston St.
Brock's book store & smell of old books.
Baby chicks of different colors that were sold @ Woolworth.
Old guy at the corner of Houston & St. Mary's selling the
San Antonio Light.(never could understand what he was yelling)
Shoe shine stands on Houston St.
And the Green Gate Club down stairs...which as a kid I would
visit every time I passed by....well ....at least in my mind...
& imagination .

Kiddie Park on Austin HWY? Kiddie Park is on Broadway, adjacent to Brackenridge Park!

[ranchodrive]

Originally Posted by johnrex62

No, I think North Star or Central Park was the first mall in San Antonio



I remember the Piggly on Pleasanton rd. I don't recall one on Zarzamora, at least not south of downtown.

On Zarzamora St. today on the southside where there is a railroad crossing. There are several
streets. If you cross the railroad tracks to the left heading south you will see Oscars taco place.
If you go to another street straight that would be the location where the Kelly Drive-In on the right side
used to be. On this intersection, there is now an Exxon gas station.
That is where the Piggly Wiggly store was located when I was a kid back in the 1950s. It's gone now.
I used to work in the produce section. I was the kid who had to unload the potato sacks that came
in a burlap material which weighed about 50 to 100 lbs. Somethings you just don't forget !

[cholo57]

Originally Posted by johnrex62

No, I think North Star or Central Park was the first mall in San Antonio



I remember the Piggly on Pleasanton rd. I don't recall one on Zarzamora, at least not south of downtown.

..hmmmm...I was told it was Valley-Hi Mall.

[ranchodrive]

[quote=cholo57;30626107]..hmmmm...I was told it was Valley-Hi Mall.

[TrapperL]

Valley Hi Mall, if you want to call it a mall, is at 410 and Valley Hi drive just west of Lackland gates. It wasn't there when I was going to Marshall in early to mid 60's so I doubt it counts. Even Marbach was a one lane gravel road back then. We used to called that area 5 Finger Discount Auto Supply as that's where the auto thieves dumped the cars. McCreless Mall, the old one was already built, aged out and a new one built before Valley Hi Mall.

[smuboy86]

First mall as we know them today, fully enclosed and climate controlled was wonderland, followed by North Star then central park

[cholo57]

Originally Posted by TrapperL

Valley Hi Mall, if you want to call it a mall, is at 410 and Valley Hi drive just west of Lackland gates. It wasn't there when I was going to Marshall in early to mid 60's so I doubt it counts. Even Marbach was a one lane gravel road back then. We used to called that area 5 Finger Discount Auto Supply as that's where the auto thieves dumped the cars. McCreless Mall, the old one was already built, aged out and a new one built before Valley Hi Mall.

Hmmm....I remember the sign read 'Valley-Hi Mall"...that's what I'm going with.

I remember Marbach road would go up to what was then the newly develop Ray Ellison's "Heritage Northwest" subdivision...maybe a dirt road further up.

[ged_782]

Originally Posted by Nix54

Kiddie Park on Austin HWY? Kiddie Park is on Broadway, adjacent to Brackenridge Park!

But there was one on Austin Highway, also. NW corner of Austin Highway and Rainbow. I think it closed by the mid-1960s. My mom took me there several times when I was a kid.

[Supertrucker]

I remember the Quarter House, The Brass Monkey and Danny's Pool on Main and don't forget The Wet and Wild.

[Macgrad89]

The title of first enclosed shopping mall in San Antonio likely goes to North Star, which held it's grand opening on September 23, 1960. Wonderland opened in 1961, McCreless in 1962, Central Park in 1968, followed by South Park in the early 70s, Windsor Park in 1976, Ingram Park in 1979, and Rolling Oaks in 1988 (25 years ago tomorrow, July 27, 1988.) Rivercenter opened in either 1986 or 1987.

Macgrad89