Memories of San Diego in 1970s (Corona, Coronado: crime, home, theater)

[rjf1958]

I didn't see a previous thread on this topic, so thought I'd start one.

I'm doing research for a book set in San Diego in the 1970's and would like to read anyone's thoughts about the city back then; not necessarily the big things like the PSA collision, but the day-to-day life back then - the downtown, pre-gentrification Gaslamp district, traffic, shopping, crime, etc.

Thanks in advance!

[ronmcq]

I moved to San Diego in 1956 as an infant, my dad was in the Navy and haven't moved out of the county since. Graduated Patrick Henry HS in 1972. Can remember growing up near Home Ave and Hwy 94 and as a young child riding our bicycles down Market St. to the SD Zoo or catching the ferry across to Coronado (kids and bikes were free for both). No concern from our parents our only criteria- be home before dark. 20 years later while working as a Telecommunications Technician, we wouldn't drive into those same areas without a couple of vehicles for safety reasons after dark and generally tried to work in pairs daytime. My early 70's remembrances of Horton Plaza were prior to the Plaza being built. My underage buddies and I used to go down there Friday evenings to sneak into the Adult Theaters and shops that were in abundance. Never once thought about crime back then. Later years after the Plaza was redeveloped most of the seedy shops were pushed to outlying areas. I haven't personally been down there in 20 years, moved to far east county and retired about an hour away with no reason to go down there. Good luck with your research, Ron

[expatCA]

Originally Posted by ronmcq

I moved to San Diego in 1956 as an infant, my dad was in the Navy and haven't moved out of the county since. Graduated Patrick Henry HS in 1972. Can remember growing up near Home Ave and Hwy 94 and as a young child riding our bicycles down Market St. to the SD Zoo or catching the ferry across to Coronado (kids and bikes were free for both). No concern from our parents our only criteria- be home before dark. 20 years later while working as a Telecommunications Technician, we wouldn't drive into those same areas without a couple of vehicles for safety reasons after dark and generally tried to work in pairs daytime. My early 70's remembrances of Horton Plaza were prior to the Plaza being built. My underage buddies and I used to go down there Friday evenings to sneak into the Adult Theaters and shops that were in abundance. Never once thought about crime back then. Later years after the Plaza was redeveloped most of the seedy shops were pushed to outlying areas. I haven't personally been down there in 20 years, moved to far east county and retired about an hour away with no reason to go down there. Good luck with your research, Ron

Aah yes the strip joints and "adult" theaters. I remember them for sure.

[Encinitan]

Growing up in Solana Beach in the 1970s, people had bumper stickers that said "There's No Life East of I-5" and it was pretty true back then!

[ucctgg]

Originally Posted by expatCA

Aah yes the strip joints and "adult" theaters. I remember them for sure.

The Tower was my favorite.

[ronmcq]

Don't forget the Pussycat Theatre, the F Street Bookstore or the Ken Cinema up on Adams Ave. Shame on me in my late teens

[kettlepot]

Originally Posted by ronmcq

Don't forget the Pussycat Theatre, the F Street Bookstore or the Ken Cinema up on Adams Ave. Shame on me in my late teens

I didn't know that the Ken Cinema had an "adult" past. Are you sure about that? Or were they just showing artistic European films that 1970s San Diego thought were a bit racy for the times?

[ronmcq]

Hard "R" flicks to a 16 year old was very racy back then. Pretty sure the Ken showed them a couple days a week but that was 47 years ago.

[echo42]

The two movies I remember seeing at the Ken were The Rocky Horror Picture Show and The Decline of the Western Civilization-over and over again. Quite possibly two of my favorite movies in my early teens.

[echo42]

The 70s for me meant being on my bicycle. BMX was the bike of choice for me. I even raced for a few years at the track they had inside the velodrome at Morley Field. The bike I remember the most was a red, Redline. I went through other bikes and traded names like FMF, Torker, SE and of course Schwinn, but i remember saving up money from my paper-route for the Redline.

I grew up in North Park and had the previous mentioned paper-route, delivering the Tribune on the weekdays and the Union on Sunday morning. They would drop the papers off on my front porch after school on the weekdays and early Sunday morning. It was my responsibility to fold and rubber band them and stuff them on a big beach cruiser type of bike I had with baskets and saddle bags- I think the guy who had the route before me sold me the bike with the paper route. My route was from 31st street out to the edge of the golf course on 28th.

Everything seemed to focus around a bicycle. We would see how far away from home we could actually ride. Used to go downtown and fish off the B street pier. A regular destination was an abandoned skateboard park on Home Ave. I think Mission Valley was the furthest destination we made. I remember distinctly trying to trying to peddle back up Texas street with my friend on the back. His bike was stolen in front of May Company. Our first exposure to crime.