Was Your Hometown Retro?

[Lilibet]

I grew up in San Rafael, CA, one of the suburbs just north of San Francisco. The city has a mix of neighborhoods, from the Victorian era up to the typical 1960s developments. (Some of those 1960s houses, build by Joseph Eichler, are highly desirable now but when we were growing up they were considered pretty junky.)

I think the main reason why the area hasn't been completely modernized is because there is a very limited amount of space in which to build, so the options were either to tear down and start over or to keep something in good repair. Certainly a lot of tearing-down went on, but in general the old homes and commercial buildings are still around. A few of the main streets of the little towns around there still have their Art Deco movie theaters, although some were badly damaged in the Loma Prieta earthquake in 1989 and either were torn down as a result or were repurposed during their repair.

 

[John in Covina]

Was your town Retro?

It's funny, the original question has been spinning around in my head and I'd have to say, Yes & No.

Groweing up, living in Copiague on Long Island (South shore between Amityville and Lindenhurst) it was suburbia and that meant that change was expected. There were a number of places that seem timeless, Camerado's, Walter's Deli the Original Alberts Pizza. The 5 & dime store, Sunbeam supermarket. But in the end they all succombed to change.

Occassionally you can find a place that is an "Institution" because it is family owned or those that bought it don't see the need or want to make changes, but they are few and far between.

Heck, the last time I went to McSoreley's (The Old House at Home) in the city (NYC) they had made changes to that institution. Gone was the great phone booth and the seating had changed. Oh, well, that's life.

Many places I thought would never change were ground into the dust of History. White's department store on Sunrise Highway in Massapequa bit the dust early on. THe A&S in Babylon. Many a store in Amityville.

Juggling the location of the Copiague Public Library, I recall as a little guy going to it when it was in the Great Neck Road School. The smell of the building and the books and the furniture. I close my eyes and see the inflatable Dino the Dinosaur from the Sinclair gas station over by the childrens section, long gone.

On the other side is the joy of finding a gem of a place that is unchanged or maybe even restored. Out this way in Southern California you can still stumble into some fabulous places that have been saved.

And we havwe to remember that the new stuff that they are building gets to be old memories for another generation.

In the end you can't go back home, because that doesn't exist anymore.

Time marches on.

The real idea is to have fun and share with others while you have the chance.

Sincerely,
John in Covina

 

[Avalon]

Living in Copiague on Long Island (South shore between Amityville and Lindenhurst)

Ah, a local fella! I'm from Lindenhurst, and my grandparents lived in Copiague. fftopic:

 

[John in Covina]

Ah, a local fella! I'm from Lindenhurst, and my grandparents lived in Copiague. fftopic:

**********
Lindenhurst was an interesting place, great shops on the main drag. Is the Karl Ehmers Deli still there? One place made their own Italian Ices and the Vanilla was just wonderful. I had friends that worked at Friendly's. Also there were a tremendous number of bars near the train station any pub crawl was extensive. Pat Benatar is a Lindenhurst girl!

Copiague was much despairged by Newsday in the past, do they still hold it in as low esteem as in the past?

 

[Avalon]

Copiague is still held with as much "respect" *cough* as it used to be. Sorry, John.

Karl Ehmer closed up shop a couple of years ago, but it's still a deli - called "Joe's Italian Deli" now. It's pricey but from what I hear, pretty good. Sadly, a lot of the shops on Wellwood are vacant. Lindy is slowly being taken over by banks and nail salons. And bars...yes, there are even MORE bars in Lindy now. :eusa_doh:

Friendly's is now a 7-11...but the weird thing is, they kept the same building. Just gutted it and put in Slushy machines. lol So I still get a kick out of passing the old bricks. Patsy's is still there! I just bought a pint of the cream (vanilla) ice last week. Mmmmm!

 

[Bubble Cheeks]

I grew up in New Orleans. Some of that can be considered "retro", certainly. Vintage goodness of a different sort. Driving to a touristy beautiful plantation for a picnic lunch and a guided tour inside, or melting into a chair in a smoky jazz club with a stellar martini while a sultry jazz singer with finger waves and a magnolia blossom in her hair began to belt out a delicious tune.

My love for mid-century retro though developed when my father took us all on family summer vacations to Florida and California. I fell madly in love with Googie architecture, and the interiors that went with that. Now I appreciate an even older style, but that's how this madness, for me, began.

 

[Bill Taylor]

The town I grew up in would have definitely been retro as I was born in 1932, close to the beginning of the "golden era". Unfortunately, the years after about 1960 were unkind to it and downtown is mostly shuttered and boarded up now Too bad, it was a wonderful, thriving little town with a population of about 9,000 when I was growing up and for decades before and after.

We moved from San Francisco to Alabama in 2006 upon retirement. The little town we now live closest to (Tuscumbia, AL - population about 10,000) is definitely retro, but not to the golden era. The downtown is maintained fairly well with quite a few businesses operating, but most of the buildings date from the 1830's, not the 1930's such as the Palace Drug Store and Ice Cream Parlour. (grilled cheese sandwich $1.75 - milk shake $2.00 - a good buy) Many of the other buildings are later than pre Civil War and some look to be as late as the 20's or 30's. The Courthouse, a beatiful Greek Revival building, was built long after the Civil War in the latter quarter of the 19th century. The First Presbyterian Church where we attend dates to 1819 or 1826, can't remember the exact date. Helen Keller was christened there in 1880.

Many of the Greek Revival homes nearest downtown are used as offices by law firms and other professional service businesses. Much of the original residential areas are intact and beautifully maintained. Most all are on historical landmark status. Cost? Eat your hearts out, folks from California. One of our sons bought a house in that area to use as a summer home (they live in CA)for about $138,500 plus about $60,000 in renovations. Built in 1837, 4 bedrooms, 3 baths, about 3,500 sq ft. Small lot, though - only a half an acre. (25,000 sq. ft) In comparison, In CA Bay Area a 2 bedroom, 1 bath craftsman house of 1,000 to 1,400 sq. ft. with a tiny lot of 5,000sq. ft. costs $500,000 to $600,000. In San Francisco, LOTS more.

Bill Taylor

 

[Jedburgh OSS]

It certainly was

Lebanon, Indiana in the 1960's, the Boone County seat, with a turn of the century domed courthouse in the center of downtown. The corners of the square acre it sets on decorated with cannons and monuments to the county's fallen in wars past. The phenomenon of the courthouse square seems to be a midwestern thing that begins in Ohio and moves toward the Pacific. On the four sides of the courthouse were the main businesses: an A&P grocery with canned goods priced by a spring-loaded mechanism that left purple numbers from ink crackheads could get high on today (ka-chik, ka-chik, ka-chik); the Avon Theater that we were treated to at Christmas by the school and given a red fishnet sock filled with hard candy, like satin pillows, and an orange; an independent drugstore with a soda fountain that served egg creams, ammonia Cokes, chocolate malts, and other memorable treats; a bank that still looked like John Dillinger himself could have made a withdrawal; a shoe store featuring PF Flyers, the rival to Chuck Taylor's; a separate shoe repair store (ah, that unique aroma); a Hallmark card and gift store, a florist; an independent hardware store; a five and dime variety store like Scott's, GC Murphy's, or SS Kresge's with a lunch counter (I can't tell you how many times I ordered a burger, fries, and shake); a Montgomery Ward and JC Penney catalog outlet, a furniture store, and a few other lesser ones I'm afraid I've long since forgotten.

On the outer fringes of the town square are the old Lebanon High School, mercifully saved from razing, the police station, Russell and Hitch Funeral Home (in an old house, of course), a grand limestone library, and a Texaco gas station (fill'er up, ethyl at 32 and 9/10ths cents a gallon), an IGA, and a few other small independent grocers (each neighborhood had one in walking distance). I went to grade school for a couple of years at Stokes Elementary School, built in 1922 and attended by my dad in the late 30's and early 40's, since replaced on the same spot by a newer building. It was right out of "A Christmas Story," with hardwood floors, coat rooms in the back of each classroom, transoms above the frosted glass doors, and steam radiators. Borden's had the DIVCO milk trucks making home deliveries, and the milkman would let us ride a short distance with him. Imagine that today.

We could ride our Schwinn and Columbia bikes from one end of the town limits to the other, probably no more than a mile and a half in any direction from the courthouse and not have to worry about a thing like the crazy, twisted world of today. Just be home for supper or before dark. Practically everybody knew each other, and if you were seen up to no good you got your hiney fanned when you got home. I ought to know, and I still believe in this.

Thanks, Lizzie, for starting this thread; it brought back a flood of memories, better than truth serum. Oh, to be a kid there again for just 24 hours.

 

[vitanola]

I grew up in 1960's suburban sprawl, but would often stay at grandmother's. She had a large Arts and Crafts four-square house in a streetcar neughborhood of Cleveland, OH. The neighborhood was developed between 1916 and 1924, and most of the original businesses were still in the shoping district. She would market each day, walking to the corner Fisher grocery store with her two-wheeled shopping cart. Next to Fisher's was a dress shop, then there was Jimmy's Butcher Shop, the Bag-A-Sweet candy shop, Baker's Bakery, Michalski Dry Goods, Dale Hardware, West End French Dry Cleaning, and Peretti Produce.

Most of these stores had been around since the 'twenties, and were stillmunder original, or second generation management in 1969. In 1970 jimmy the Butcher retired. By1973, all of the old stores had closed save the bakery. the coming of the second car had doomed our neighborhood shopping area.

 

[Caity Lynn]

My hometown was far from retro...but as I'm still young, the place I live now, which will leave the most impact on my life, could be viewed as such.The high school I attend (my grandfather was in the first graduating class) was dedicated by Eleanor Roosevelt. The town's theatre was built in the 1800's. Although their have been new additions (dollar tree, wal-mart, McDonalds [we're in the process of building a KFC/Taco Bell!!!] ) things still have an older feel to it, especially when you get around the older people who mainly inhabit the small town, It's like you can still feel the 40's.

 

[Imahomer]

Having grown up in San Francisco, I'd have to say.... Nope... Not retro. I enjoy being in the small town atmosphere though and now days I live in a fairly small town in the S.F. Bay Area.

 

[WinoJunko]

Eh, not really. There are some parts that have buildings from the 30s or 40s or even older. But other then that its not retro or vintage at all. The character has been very modern for as long as I can remember (I grew up in the 90s) I think the closest San Bernardino has been to being vintage is during those times, haha.

Here is a photo of a part of San Bernardino from 1909. Its not very good but I thought I'd post it anyways.

 

[Dexter'sDame]

Yes!

Yes--So much so, I was in my 20's and living in another part of the country before I realized those houses that most of my relatives lived in that had the big porches and "cute dining room bookcase thingies" were actually craftsman bungalows with original built-ins still intact! (Town just outside Indianapolis. It's now the 'burbs of Indianapolis and the bungalows are mostly gone, replaced by headquarters of several corporations.)

 

[AmateisGal]

I grew up in a very small town - 1,500 people - in western Nebraska. The main street is still there, as are many of the original buildings. The courthouse was built in 1909 and is still in use. It's a lovely old building, and became the subject of quite the controversy years ago when they wanted to tear it down and put up a new one since it was too small to fit the current workforce. But the local townspeople fought to keep it and so they just built a more "modern" building right next to it to accomodate everyone.

We used to have an old movie theater that I remember as a kid, but it was closed down long before I was born. This is a picture of part of main street as it is today.

We also had a drive-in movie theater that was still in use by the time I was in college. That was the best - I remember going to the movies as a child, dressed in my pajamas, because I inevitably fell asleep before the movie was done. They used to have dusk-to-dawn showings, movies all night long. Sadly, it closed down probably about ten years ago. Here's the marquee.

 

[Unlucky Berman]

I am living and grown up in "Old Europe", so there are lots of buildings older than some decades. In Weimar, where I was born, are still some buildings from the time of the early 19th century (Goethe's and Schiller's homes and such stuff). With all this history stuff there, it was a little bit like living in a museum and today it is even worse, than in my childhood. Sure, they renovated the things but, with all this masses of tourists walking every weekend through the town, it got on my nerves. Then I lived a while in an old industrial city, maybe some know it for some of the local textile goods Plauener Spitze (someone said they export it today mostly to the USA [huh] ). Plauen had its heydays at the beginning of the 20th century, so there are still nice buildings in art nouveau. I even lived a while in a building, that was quit nice, cause it had huge rooms and high ceilings.
Some other old things I am fond of since my childhood are the old castles, where I was with my parents on holidays, or sunday excursions.
Right now I am living in one of the typical former industrial centers of the GDR, high unemployment rates here, and ugly buildings from the 70s and later, cheap living houses and blocks for the workers. But there are some nice art nouveau things even here and some things older than 200 years, you will find in most old towns of Europe.

An example of some nice buildings in my actual "hometown"

 

[Tibor]

I grew up in the 'burbs of Cleveland. I remember a lot of pretty retro things. After all, they filmed the parade from A Christmas Story in the downtown. Honestly, watching that movie always takes me back because that's about how it looked when I was a kid. Higbees department store had seven floors and the escalator to the 7th narrowed to one person wide. I think both the sixth and seventh had wooden escalators. They used to decorate the windows about like that too. There was also a great roasted nut store downtown that would pump the roaster exhaust out front to lure you in.

If you've never been to The Arcade in downtown Cleveland, you've missed one of the great preserved retro experiences:
www.thearcade-cleveland.com/

Cleveland's fallen on some tough times, but I still hold it close to my heart.

 

[Corky]

The block I grew up on doubled for Neil Simon's in Lost In Yonkers...

Ludlow, Kentucky doubled for Neil Simon's hometown in Lost In Yonkers.

 

[Gingerella72]

For me it was a combination of living in a semi-retro town AND having retro parents.

I grew up (and still live) in central Nebraska which, while we're not still driving horse and buggies as some people on the coasts like to joke about, stays a little behind the times.

My town had McDonalds and Burger King, but we didn't have a mall or Walmart until 1984. Until then we had a thriving downtown, with buildings from the late 1800's and department stores from the 40's that had never been renovated. One of those was Kaufman's & Wernerts, similar to Woolworths complete with wooden floors and lunch counter. Going there is one of my favorite childhood memories. They closed in the late 80's after not being able to compete with Walmart. Fortunately, they didn't tear the building down or do horrible things to it; it was tastefully renovated to house different businesses, and the basement (which used to be the toy section) became an awesome antiques emporium.

As soon as the mall hit, the downtown dried up and the town desperately tried to attract people back through various renovation and improvement projects. Today there are only a small handful of businesses that survived; the rest are specialty boutiques that seem to change hands every few years. Downtown is a pleasant place to visit, but it's not the same as it was. I wish I could have grown up during it's heyday instead of it's last gasping breaths.

Back to my parents....they were born in 1930/31 and married in 1952, and even though they were young enough to have gotten caught up in all of the changes in pop culture that were occurring, they chose not to. They retained their "old fashioined" values and looked on with disdain at the rock n' roll era (my dad is a jazz musician; he remembers watching on TV when the Beatles first came over and sitting there shaking his head in dismay at what the world was coming to). They tried for years to have kids, to no avail....until I showed up unexpectedly in 1972, 20 years and 4 days after they got married! lol

I also come from a family with rural, farming roots, so visiting farms and small towns frozen in time while growing up helped shape my fascination and appreciation for old things.

Anyway, I grew up listening to big band music, hearing stories about growing up during the Depression and through WWII, looking at old photos, and having an appreciation for "old things" that my peers didn't. Oh, I was a typical teenager of the MTV generation that dressed up like Madonna and did back flips when we got our first mall.....but I never lost my love for all things retro either.

 

[CopperNY]

Southern Tier / Catskills Region of New York.

5000 people. about 30 miles from the next town.

born 1970. no chain stores until the local pharmacy was bought by CVS in '95. a mini-McDonald's followed in '02.

you could knock on almost any door in town and ask for a drink of water. if you were loitering on the main street, your parents knew before you got home. never wore a watch because you knew what time it was by the church bells and factory whistles. not unusual to go hunting before school and have your dog wait in/under your truck until you got out. we had guns in school, it was called 'rifle team'. pocketknives were acceptable as long as you didn't pull it out in class.

view from the spot where the house i was born in was located, eventually condemned and used for firefighter practice. was at one time a beautiful two family connected farmhouse:

 

[Trebuchet64_Fal]

I did not grow up in a small town , but spent all my school holidays at my grandparents farm which was about 20 miles out of a small town very much as you described.
With a small hamburger joint a swimming pool and the Star Cinema ,
where as teenagers we spent many a summer afternoon at the Matinee or pool followed by a fries and a milk shake at the Cafe.
I definitely have fond memories of those day's.