Friday, February 6, 2015

Six Southern California Things We Will Never See Again

LOS ANGELES - As we get older many of us find ourselves looking back more often and wonder, "Remember when 'that' used to be there?" For plenty of us who grew up in Southern California there is surely becoming more of "that," which is no longer here anymore.

Why do we talk about these things and places of years gone by? Perhaps we talk about these long gone places as a way to reach back into our childhood and maybe remember a simpler time. Or, given the nature of L.A. and Southern California with so many people moving here, it is a way for native Southern Californians to connect with each other.

Whatever the case may be, here, in no particular order, are six places and things that will never been seen in Southern California again.

1- Thrifty Drug Store

♫Save a nickel, save a dime.
Save at Thrifty every time.
Save a dollar and much more,
at your Thrifty Drug Store!♫

It was called Thrifty Drug Store, but most of us just called it, "Thriftys," and its red and white oval-ish logo was unmistakable. 

 photo Ryder-Thrifty_9-83.jpg
Photograph of Thrifty Drug Store trailers taken circa 1983. Author unknown; used under a Creative Commons license.

Beginning in 1929 brothers Harry and Robert Borun opened up the first Thrifty Drug Store at 412 S. Broadway in downtown Los Angeles. Despite the depression and World War II the brothers opened up 100 Thrifty stores in the L.A. area by 1950. Accelerating in the post war Southern California suburban building boom just about every new major shopping center (and a lot of small shopping centers) in almost every city had a Thrifty. Thrifty grew to be as ubiquitous as palm trees and tract-housing developments.

 photo thriftydrugstore.jpg
Save up those Blue Chip Stamps for a cool little transistor radio. Late 1950s photograph of a Thrifty location somewhere in downtown Pomona (where The Glass House now stands). Author unknown.

Starting in the 1970s Thrifty went through various acquisitions, and at one point was even owned by a subsidiary of the Southern California Gas Co.

 photo thriftyBW.jpg
A very common view in post-war Southern California. Location of this Thrifty and date is unknown.

It would be 1996 and an acquisition by an East Coast corporation called Rite Aid that would soon make Thrifty a place that would live in our memory. Before those back East painted over our beloved red and white Thrifty logo ugly shades of corporate blue even the powers that be in the boardroom of Rite Aid realized Thrifty is very strongly ingrained in Southern California culture, and waited a couple years before fully converting all Thriftys' to Rite Aid. In fact, as late as 2000 there still were less than a handful of Thrifty and Thrifty Jr. locations, but, by the end of that year there would be no more Thrifty locations.

At the dawn of the new millennium Thrifty Drug Store was no more.

Today not all former Thrifty locations were totally painted shades of corporate blue. There still stands a few Rite Aid locations that never fully quite converted to the desires of the new corporate owner, and the look, and logo, of Thrifty can still be seen. 

 photo ThriftyFlor.jpg
Photograph of ground embedded Thrifty logo at a former location in Pomona. Used under Creative Commons.

Thrifty may be long gone, but we do not need our imagination to still enjoy Thrifty Ice Cream.


A 1981 Thrifty commercial, aired on KHJ-TV, showing and selling the goodness that is Thrifty Ice Cream.

"Thank you Thrifty."

2 - The Peoplemover

In 1967 "the new Tomorrowland" at Disneyland opened up, and one of its new featured attractions was a ride called, The Peoplemover.

 photo PeopleMove1.jpg
For many this circa 1968 photograph is probably the Tomorrowland everybody remembers (and a good many wish the powers that be at Disney would bring back), bright, colorful and full of promise, with The Peoplemover riding above it. Author unknown; used under Creative Commons.

The Peoplemover was not designed to be a thrill ride, or make a Disney film come alive, but rather it was suppose to be a preview of transportation in the future. As the narrator said on The Peoplemover, and nearby Monorail, maybe one day you will see this in your town.

It was not exactly a ride that changed and shook up the theme park industry, but for many people The Peoplemover was really one of those rides, excuse me, "attractions," that seemingly everybody just simply liked.

Whether you were one just for "A" Ticket rides or "E" Ticket rides The Peoplemover just always seemed to be one of those "must ride" attractions when visiting Disneyland.


Going back to 1990 let us take a ride on The Peoplemover.

What was once new soon became old, at least according to Disneyland, which closed The Peoplemover in 1995 in preparation for designing and unveiling... a "new Tomorrowland" in 1998.

In 1998 the tracks of The Peoplemover would be replaced by the ill-fated Rocket Rods attraction, which, due to MANY mechanical issues did not last too long.

So now, perhaps not unlike some abandoned Pacific Electric railway tracks, The Peoplemover track remains unused and just there doing nothing.

That, no doubt, leads many to ask, will Disneyland ever bring back The Peoplemover? The answer right now, based on insider information, is NO. Why? As The Peoplemover track stands now it is currently not in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Will Disney ever do something with The Peoplemover track? That remains to be seen, but, as of late, there are rumors going around amid Disneyland and theme park enthusiasts that Disney may (again, it is only rumors) create a Star Wars attraction using part or all of The Peoplemover track.

If it is any consolation, LAX plans to open a Peoplemover-like transit device, and so the narrator on The Peoplemover at Disneyland was sort of right after all.  

3 - Zody's 

In an era when "big-box stores" are frowned upon (or outright despise), particularly in certain Southern California neighborhoods, there is one long gone big-box store that holds a lot of sentimental value for anybody who grew up in Southern California, and that is a store called Zody's.

 photo Zodys1.jpg
Early 1980s ad for Zody's. Used under Creative Commons.

Just about anybody age 30-plus will have some kind of memory about Zody's, and with good reason, because there was a time Zody's ruled Southern California. For a lot of us that was the first store we remembered going to as kids and perhaps that is the first place we remember family or friends of the family working.

At its height just about every sizable city in Southern California had a Zody's complete with its funky red-ish-to-orange-ish color-scheme and seemingly disorganized shelves. Zody's began life under The Orange Curtain in Garden Grove in 1960 and was so successful that they expanded to many locations in Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, and even the Detroit area.

 photo ZodysDTLA.jpg
While Zody's certainly had a funky look in many of their stores Deborah Sussman designed the look of this downtown L.A. Zody's, which would mark the beginning of Ms. Sussman's unique L.A. design that would bring her Worldwide fame.

With national corporate chains and mergers of discount department stores becoming players in the already competitive Southern California discount retail market, along with a recession, by the late 1970s Zody's was having some financial problems staying relevant. Those problems did not find a way to work themselves out as Zody's parent company, HRT Industries, declared bankruptcy in November 1982, which HRT claimed its Zody's stores had abnormally weak sales and, ''were the primary cause of its financial problems.''

According to a 1982 New York Times article HRT said many Zody's were, "in lower-income areas where unemployment is extremely high and it cited the effects of the Mexican peso devaluation and its resultant effects on its border stores."

 photo image006.gif
Undated newspaper ad circa mid-1960s ad for Zody's in The San Fernando Valley. Author of ad unknown. Used under Creative Commons. 

For a few years after declaring bankruptcy a handful of Zody's began closing and for the dozens that remained open there was uncertainty, from the employees to vendors (which included Circuit City who supplied Zody's electronic department) what the future would hold. Well, despite bringing over the President of May Co. to run Zody's in 1984, by March 1986 the worst fears came true as HRT decided, abruptly, to close Zody's for good, "due to adverse operating conditions and Zodys' failure to meet financial projections."


A 1977 holiday time television commercial for Zody's, but just remember before you do your Christmas shopping that 8-track player is not available at the downtown L.A. location. The Zody's in Montebello probably has them in stock.

Some of those funky designs of Zody's still exist, if you know where to look. If you go in the back of Albertsons in Montebello off the Pomona Freeway, which used to be a Zody's, you can still see the funky color scheme along the wall.

4 - Cal Worthington

What more can be said about Cal Worthington that has not already been said. For one, late night television is not quite the same without Cal. Cal's grandson (or is it his great-grandson?) has been filling in wearing the cowboy hat doing those late night ads, but it just will never be the same.


Here it is, in all its glory, the full Cal Worthington jingle.

Sure, Cal Worthington's car dealership in Long Beach will always be there, and that famous, forever misunderstood, jingle will be in our minds until our days come to an end, but Cal Worthington and his dog Spot is something that we will never see again. 

5 - The Broadway, May Co., Bullocks, and Robinsons

While New York had Macy's and Bloomingdale's, Chicago had Marshall Fields and Philadelphia had Wanamaker's, here in Southern California we had four department stores. Sometimes called, "The L.A. four department stores," these department stores were very unique to Southern California, and they all began in downtown L.A. As the baby boomers and "Gen X" know very well, these department stores very much were apart of the Southern California mall scene as typically, in major malls, at least two of "the L.A. four department stores" were the mall's anchor.

 photo broadwayStore.jpg
Here is what a typical post-war Broadway mall location looked liked. It is unclear what mall this is and when this photograph was taken. Used under Creative Commons.

In the era of the post-war shopping mall construction all four department stores had, at most of their locations, a unique style of architecture, which included dramatic entrances and a cathedral like setting.

 photo ICMall1960s.jpg
A 1967 view of The Broadway and May Co. at The Inland Center Mall in San Bernardino. Used under Creative Commons. That freeway in the foreground went through its own name changes. When this photograph was taken the freeway was likely U.S. 395, then Interstate 15, then became I-15E and finally becoming I-215.

In the 1980s the four department stores became victims of a variety business problems, acquisitions and takeovers.

By the early 1990s such complex business decisions resulted in Southern California's own department stores, staples of the Southern California shopping scene, going away forever, and to be replaced with the names of New York department stores. Much like Thrifty the corporate powers that be did not see the need, and frankly, appreciate the value, to keep these legendary L.A. department store names, style and brand intact. 

By the mid-1990s, just like that, in a blink of an eye, something that was uniquely Southern California that many people grew up with was gone.

 photo BWayValley.jpg
Not just The Broadway, but, The Broadway Valley seen in this late undated photograph of the Panorama City Mall. While the date of this photograph is unknown the late 1950s/early 1960s would be an educated guess, given the automobiles, and the fact this mall opened in 1955. Used under Creative Commons.

The last gasp of "the L.A. four department stores," Robinsons-May, closed in 2006 after being acquired by Macy's parent company.

When you walk into what has ever replaced these "L.A. four department stores" and listen closely you might still hear the chimes amid the muzak.


While we will never hear these chimes ring inside The Broadway all is not lost as these chimes still, in this hyper technology age, ring in a handful of the old department stores around the country.

6 - Licorice Pizza

For teenagers coming of age in the 1970s who were looking for that song they just heard on KMET, or maybe even KROQ, most probably went to Licorice Pizza to find the record. For many 1970s and 1980s teens Licorice Pizza was probably their first record store experience.

 photo LP3.jpg
Serving up very good Licorice Pizza. It has never been clear who designed this famous logo. No copyright infringement intended.

Take a name from an old comedy sketch by 1960s folk singers Bud and Travis and you have a record store. Founder James Greenwood thought it was funny, and would make a good name for a record store, and so Mr. Greenwood opened this record store called Licorice Pizza in Long Beach in 1969.

 photo licorice-pizza-ad-1982.jpg
Having trouble deciding whether to get your grandmother the latest Yoko Ono album for Christmas? Well, just tell your grandmother the clerk gave you "The Pizza Promise" and Yoko's work is of the best quality. That is what this 1982 Licorice Pizza ad claims. Author unknown; no copyright infringement intended.

Through the 1970s and into the early 1980s Licorice Pizza expanded rapidly and essentially became a regional chain record store in Southern California with 34 stores at its height.

 photo LP2.jpg
This Licorice Pizza on The Sunset Strip certainly had an ear for music. Photo © Copyright 2001 Roger Meyers, All Rights Reserved

By the early 1980s Licorice Pizza went from beyond being a record store to getting into the highly lucrative video rental business. Now all you had to do is ask, "where is the Beta section?"

In March of 1986 Mr. Greenwood sold his Licorice Pizza empire to Record Bar Inc. of Durham, North Carolina. Then in April of that same year Minneapolis-based Musicland Group bought Record Bar Inc. for $13 million.

One reason Musicland wanted Licorice Pizza in their fold was their desire to get into the very lucrative Southern California video rental business.

During the sale of Licorice Pizza it was reported that Musicland would keep the Licorice Pizza name, but, as with the case of Thrifty, The Broadway (you get the idea), the name Licorice Pizza would quickly become a memory. Many Licorice Pizza locations during 1987 became either Musicland or Sam Goody.

With so many places unique to Southern California gone and taken over by corporate entities one wonders what the young kids today will be remembering 20 years from now?

279 comments:

  1. If you're going to list Zody's and Thrifty -- don't leave out Gemco, another discount department store in So-Cal of the same era.

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    1. Of course we can't forget Gemco... Back in the day, it was the place in Southern California where you could do your grocery shopping for the week, buy some jeans and a pair of sneakers, get your prescriptions filled, buy that new album your friend is raving about, some bedsheets and towels, a new garden hose, have lunch, and buy a new watch, all under one roof...

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    2. Don't forget White Front Stores.

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    3. Wasn't Gemco on of the first membership stores like today's Sam's club and Costco? I lived in SoCa until 1988 and moved to the Midwest. I miss SoCa and all the stores. The past really is disappearing. How sad. : (

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    4. And Fedco!! A membership store if I remember correctly. What couldn't you buy there?? I got my first guitar there and my first pair of pearl earrings! :) But what I really remember is the food area. We never ate there but I remember the smell of the food and the big heating lamps and huge windows of food!!

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    5. Heavens yes! Gemco in Simi Valley was where my older sister and I would shop for clothes we could afford as teenagers! Loved the place!

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    6. How about Federated and Pacific Stereo, Monkey Wards

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    7. How about Fed-Mart

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    8. Leo's stereo, Pacific Stereo (who reappeared recently), music plus, tower records, federated group, builders emporium, Jack la lanes gym, sav-ons, but I will miss fedco the most

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    9. oh yeah jj Newberry too

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    10. and Henshaws un the San Gabriel Valley

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    11. When I was a kid, we shopped at T.G.& Y Stores, Woolworths, Builder's Emporium, and Treasury Stores.

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    12. Not Federated, it's "Fredrated"

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    13. dont forget Bill's Drugs chain

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  2. And White Front stores

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  3. Replies
    1. Montgomery Wards came back in 2004 as a online store

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    2. My mom worked at Gemco in Gardena, and I worked at Licorice Pizza in the Lakewood Mall. Was there when they changed over to Sam Goody. Memories!

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    3. How about orbachs

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    4. I worked at Jack La Lane as an exercise girl in the early 70's on PCH. I got to this site because I am looking for the receipe for Calderellas Pizza. The best pizza in the world.
      Sadly no luck but open to ideas.

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  4. Montgomery Ward was not exclusively a southern/central California chain.

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  5. What about Fedco? That was the best.

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    1. We collected the Fedco Reporter with all its interesting articles.

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    2. Fedco was such a part of my childhood. All during elementary and Jr. High years the routine on Sunday's was Mom took me to church then we shopped at the Fedco on Raymer St. in Van Nuys. My toys, clothes and sundries were supplied by mighty Fedco. I still have a dental floss dispenser as a keepsake in the med cabinet...

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    3. Me too... My Mother used to put furniture on layaway all the time. I still have the maple dining room set and bedroom set from there.

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  6. My grandparents retired from Thrifty's in 1974!

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  7. Tower records was a huge memory for me. Gemco too.

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  8. Remember "Two Guys"! Their theme song went "Two Guys is worth going out of your way for - you get more than you bargained for be bop bi de dip YEAH"' LOL!

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  9. Yes Andy----Thrifty kept us in a pretty nice life style for 35 year---The best 35 years

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    1. And Sa-vons!!! When the chain was sold, it was briefly named Osco, which went over real good with Spanish speakers in SoCal! Needless to say, it was changed back to Sa-Vons before becoming Rite-Aid

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    2. Sav-on became CVS.

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    3. I worked for Sav-on, then changed to Osco, back to Sav-on, then CVS!

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    4. Sav-on and CVS are 2 different entities! Sav-on is in my Albertson's Market, where I can get my meds filled. CVS is across the street. CVS took over the buildings, but the actual Sav-on is elsewhere.

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  10. Replies
    1. Newberrys bring back lots of memories.. thanks for mentioning😄

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    2. So, I'm just seeing this about 9 months later, but I couldn't help but comment. Newberry's was the BEST place to shop. Not only could you get funky hair accessories, but also food, clothes, and pets! They had bunnies, goldfish, guinea pigs! What great memories :)

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  11. And what about Woolworth's ....classics!!

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    1. In the late 40s and early 50s my favorite thing to do with my aunt and grandmother was to ride the bus downtown to shop and we'd always eat at the counter in Woolworth's, finishing with a hot fudge sundae!

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    2. Woolworth's was the greatest! My grandma would take us there and we thought we were so grown up because we got to sit at the counter! They had cool stuff there too!

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    3. At the beginning of the 1960s, my parent's owned The Hollywood Cafeteria, 6556 Hollywood Blvd. When we finished eating dinner there, my mother and I would often go to JJ Newberry Company just a few doors down. And when finished there we'd go to Woolworth's very close to it on the same (south) side of the street. I have so many wonderful memories of them!

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    4. I forgot to say there was a THRIFTY'S on the corner in the other direction from our Hollywood Cafeteria!

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    5. Lunch counter at Woolworths had best burgers & chocolate shakes!

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  12. Replies
    1. Tower Records started in Sacramento, not L.A.

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    2. Don't forget Musicland. What about ice cream places like Farrell's and Swensens??

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    3. There's a couple of Farrell's in the IE!
      http://www.farrellsusa.com/locations

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  13. Who Knows what evil lurks in your plumbing? ADEEDO!!

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  14. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  15. "Pete Ellis Dodge Long Beach freeway Firestone exit South Gate, Pete Ellis Ford 91 freeway Lakewood exit Bellflower"

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    1. "Worthington Ford. 2850 Bellflower Blvd in Long Beach."
      Or,
      "Bob Spreen Cadillac. Where the freeways meet in Downy."
      Or
      "11980 East Firestone, Dial Chevrolet"

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  16. Thrifty still has a presence in Mexico in the form of Thrifty Ice Cream Stores. I was very surprised to see one on a business trip to Mexicali.

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    Replies
    1. I seen them in TJ pretty cool. We have a neighborhood liquor store that sells it by me.

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    2. I seen them in TJ pretty cool. We have a neighborhood liquor store that sells it by me.

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    3. I still sing that Pete Ellis jingle!

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    4. Adray's was a great store. They were a hole-in-the-wall store forever and closed soon after building that new store (which has set empty now for 20 years) on Chapman Ave in Orange.

      I also have fond memories of Tony B at Fullerton Dodge selling van conversions.

      Finally, I think this list needs NAUGLES.

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    5. Ferrell's sells Thrifty ice cream!

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    6. so does Rite-Aid who bought them out.

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    7. Akron on Sepulveda Blvd, Food King, Food Giant, Grants and Builders Emporium!! :-)

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    8. Akron on Sepulveda Blvd, Food King, Food Giant, Grants and Builders Emporium!! :-)

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  17. "He's the giant of the valley in Encino. Terry York Chevrolet"

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  18. Don't forget about Federated Electronics and its spokesman Fred Rated (Shadoe Stevens).

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    1. Oh, my gosh....I'd forgotten Shadoe Stevens, thanks for the memories!

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    2. And their wannabe competitor, University Stereo.

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    3. And the good guys are gone too

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    4. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  19. Replies
    1. Finally!!! My most missed store.

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    2. Got my first credit card at Mervyn's in 1988!

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  20. Replies
    1. They were owned and operated by JC Penney. There was one on Firestone Blvd. in Downey we used to go to. You could use your Penney's card for everything except for food, as we learned at the checkout one day, lol.

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  21. End of an Era...Con$picuou$ Con$umption. was heaven...mi$$ it $ooooooo much!

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  22. How about the following: Hughes (Family) Market, Alpha Beta(as well as Alphy's Coffee Shop), Stop 'N' Go, Herald Examiner, KMET 94.7, or Miller's Outpost?

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  23. Zody's was not a big box store, but a precursor of Target and that ilk. Fedco, Calstores,and later the Price Club were early versions of stores like Costco and Sam's Club.

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  24. What about Kinneys Shoe store, Luckys Market, and Pioneer Chicken? Any others?

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    1. Luckys and Pioneer Chicken are still around but only in very limited places.

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    2. I grew up in So. Cal from 63 -74 and moved my sophmore yr in High School. I remember - Chicken Delight, TicToc convenience stores - Thifty ice cream being that round cylindrical shape 1-scoop 5cents, 2-scoops 10cents and a triple for 15 cents. Shakey's pizza! Granny Goose Potato Chips and Langendorph Bread, Burris cookies

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  25. Don't forget Pup n Taco or Boys Market!

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  26. The Helms Bakery truck that would cruise the neighborhoods selling their baked goods. I remember how cool it was to pick out a goody (usually a cream puff) out of the big drawers at the back of the truck.

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    1. The Helm's truck was the highlight of our summer days in OC along with the ice cream truck!

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    2. This comment has been removed by the author.

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    3. The milk man delivering to homes!

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    4. My uncle was a milkman and raised 6 kids without any credit cards or loans. :)

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    5. My uncle was a milkman and raised 6 kids without any credit cards or loans. :)

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  27. Worked at Thrifty for 5 years in Santa Paula dipped many ice cream cones there. They had the best ice cream. Also worked at GEMCO in Montclair and my very first job was at Bullocks in Pomona. Fond memories of all of these places.

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  28. How about Alphabeta grocery stores, Builders Emporium, and Bank of America had Versatellers.

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  29. That photo of the Broadway at an unknown mall was taken at the Montclair plaza. The building is still there as a JC penneys, I got lucky and found this image only showing the building and the mall signage: http://images.search.yahoo.com/images/view;_ylt=AwrB8pdo79hUkm0AhdCJzbkF;_ylu=X3oDMTIyNTB2dXEzBHNlYwNzcgRzbGsDaW1nBG9pZAM4ZTJjZWQyZjBiM2Y4YmFmYWRiNTA1MjUwZGE1OGYwYQRncG9zAzYEaXQDYmluZw--?.origin=&back=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.search.yahoo.com%2Fsearch%2Fimages%3Fp%3Dmontclair%2Bplaza%2B80s%26n%3D60%26ei%3DUTF-8%26fr%3Diphone%26fr2%3Dsb-top-images.search.yahoo.com%26tab%3Dorganic%26ri%3D6&w=800&h=502&imgurl=i6.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fy225%2Fdk1964%2FMontPlaza.jpg&rurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.topix.com%2Fforum%2Fcity%2Fupland-ca%2FTHMI2FF01J0B6CMP6&size=52.5KB&name=+%3Cb%3EMontclair%3C%2Fb%3E+%3Cb%3EPlaza%3C%2Fb%3E+turns+40&p=montclair+plaza+80s&oid=8e2ced2f0b3f8bafadb505250da58f0a&fr2=sb-top-images.search.yahoo.com&fr=iphone&tt=+%3Cb%3EMontclair%3C%2Fb%3E+%3Cb%3EPlaza%3C%2Fb%3E+turns+40&b=0&ni=68&no=6&ts=&tab=organic&sigr=11ril4hhf&sigb=14epepf57&sigi=11jhamru6&sigt=117ngtsdr&sign=117ngtsdr&.crumb=eT9gyiacYXw&fr=iphone&fr2=sb-top-images.search.yahoo.com

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    1. I thought it looked familiar!

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    2. Actually the picture is part of a police cold case file of a missing person named Cindy Lee Mellin and is located in Ventura Calif. in what used to be the Buenaventura Mall. It was changed to a Macy's later on and is now part of the Pacific View Mall. The Broadway used the same style of bldg. for all or most of their stores which is why it looks like other Broadway store locations, but this one in particular is the one in Ventura, Ca. I recognized the bldg as I shopped there a bazzilion times. http://www.venturacountyscoldcases.com/2013/06/unsolved-cindy-lee-mellin.html

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  30. Miller's Outpost was exclusively Southern California, I believe. Started by the Miller brothers. Dave Miller and I can't remember his brother's name, started Miller's Outpost.

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    1. Miller's Outpost was renamed Anchor Blue back in the late 90's/early 2000's

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    2. My husband, a life long New Mexican, and grew up with Miller's Outposts in Albuquerque.

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    3. When they changed their name and logo, they used "A B," prison slang for Aryan Brother. Be careful where you wear their gear!

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    4. I worked at Millers Outpost in the early 80's. Awww....

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  31. Wasn't there a department store called Buffums?

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    1. Yes I remember Buffumsand Bullocks there was one at Fashion Square in Lahabra.Does anyone remember some of the old restaurants like Loves BBQ and Fiddlers Three Bob's Big Boys Spires El paso Cantina The Big Yellow House Bobby Mgees

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    2. my 21st birthday was at Bobby Mgees, right by Disneyland, I wanted to be a waitress there and wear the themed outfit

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  32. Replies
    1. I remember music +. My older sister, brother, and I used to ride our bicycles to the one on Topanga past Van Nuys.

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  33. I remember...Sir Georges Smorgasbord!

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    1. Hadn't thought of that in many years.

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    2. Is this the one on the hill that had the cool gift shop with a lot of things for Holland? We went here often. There was also the Plantation in San Bernardino.

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  34. C.C. Browns, Herbie's Hot Nut House and La Barbara's Pizza. I miss them all.

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  35. Worked for Cal Worthington when he had the Dodge dealership in Huntington Beach and worked at Licorice Pizza in Garden Grove ~ at times, both places at the same time

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  36. How about Earl Schribe, "Paint any car, any color, for $29.95. "

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    Replies
    1. I remember when it was $19.95! I'm really old!

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  37. I don't know if people are just throwing out places they remember or not but most of the places you are mentioning were also up here in Northern California too. Yes Tower Records started here but we also had Thrifty's, Woolworth's,The Akron,Kinney Shoes (where I once worked) Mervyn's,Gemco,White Front,Miller's Outpost,Lucky's, Alpha Beta, Pioneer Chicken and much more. Not sure but maybe some were exclusively Californian.

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    1. You hit just about all of the SoCal Icons and what we grew up with our children will never know the feeling of the feeling of walking into these stores and knowing you would find what you were looking for. Still hear "May I help you?" Today it's "Can I help you guys?" So little training on greeting people and more on getting them to buy something now. Sad sad sad.

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  38. Orbach's! Lee's Barstools and Dinettes!

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  39. Alpha Beta supermarkets. White Front, Gemco, Fedco, The Wiener Factory, the original Sherman Oaks Galleria, Moby Disc...

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  40. I worked at the original licorice pizza in downtown long beach from 1978 to 1979. Our gay manager mysteriously grew sick with a flu like virus and died of pneumonia shortly afterword during september 1979. We have often wondered if he was in fact the first victim of AIDS in long beach.

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  41. I worked at the original licorice pizza in downtown long beach from 1978 to 1979. Our gay manager mysteriously grew sick with a flu like virus and died of pneumonia shortly afterword during september 1979. We have often wondered if he was in fact the first victim of AIDS in long beach.

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    Replies
    1. Probably. Sorry for your loss. I did a report on it in high school in 1982; when it was still called the "mysterious gay cancer", then "GRIDS" (Gay Related Immune Deficiency Syndrome) before the CDC — due to pressure from the gay community — finally settled on AIDS.

      As we now know, AIDS itself doesn't kill you; it weakens the immune system to the point that your body cannot fight off even a common cold. That turns into pneumonia (& usually sepsis too) & you die from that. Another very common way AIDS patients die is hepatitis (inflammation of the liver) which is usually caused by the sepsis. So it is a good possibility that was the culprit.

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    2. Does anyone remember Funky and Damn Near New in La Puente or Crawfords Market in El Monte?

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    3. Yes! I remember "Funky's" in downtown La Puente. I had forgotten all about it until tonight.

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    4. I didn't know there was one there. But I used to get all my Levis at the JC Funky and Damn Near New in Baldwin Park. I can find no trace of any memory of that now.

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    5. Funky's in La Puente - only went there once, but when we moved to Hacienda Heights in the 70's as I was about to start high school, our phone number was either their old number, or really close to their number, because we would get calls for them all the time.

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  42. Wallich's Music City. You could listen to the records before you bought them.

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    1. Finally...someone who mentioned Music City. I used to go there all the time when it was on Sunset Blvd. and bought all my albums there. Great store...fun to sit in the glass booths facing
      Sunset and watch everyone go by while listening to 45's.

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  43. One one nine eight oh east Firestone. Stanley Chevrolet.

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    Replies
    1. The jingle was sung by the moderately popular Country Western singer, Miss Molly Bee.

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  44. The drive up Fotomat. The girls working were call "Foto-mates"

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  45. How about Sage's market!

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    Replies
    1. Oh my gosh... I was just trying to find information about this store and came across this website. I sure do miss the stores of my childhood.

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  46. What a great website this is. Thank you for sharing this with all of us who loved growing up in So.Cal. and miss it terribly. At least, miss the days that were. Not too sure how it would be living
    there now with all the traffic. It was bad enough when I moved from Van Nuys in July 1982 but it was tolerable.

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  47. the Knott's Berry Tales ride at Knott's Berry Farm.
    http://lh6.ggpht.com/_5WNlUduLe18/S7ewsMqWfYI/AAAAAAAABEU/cEgun-nmBZo/CoyoteLarge_thumb%5B1%5D.jpg?imgmax=800

    on that topic, the original Mr. Toad's Wild Ride at Disneyland was sooooo much better than today's current ride.

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    1. I was 10 and living in Santa Ana when Disneyland opened in Anaheim and loved flying over Never Never Land with Peter Pan and the scary Mr. Toad's Wild Ride! To this day still ride them with my grandchildren, but hate the long lines! In fact, now try to only go in the winter on a day when the weather isn't so good, just to miss the throngs of people!

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  48. AM I the only one who remembers Gold Circle? Or 360 Circlevision?

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  49. Remember Knott's Berry Farm when there were no big rides and you could get in for free? I do.....loved Mott's Miniatures!

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  50. Don't forget Musicland, Farrells and Swensens. Also: Sambos.

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    Replies
    1. The original Sambo's in Santa Barbara still exists. It's the only one left. I ate breakfast there the other day. The food was excellent; better than IHOP. I think it's still owned by the same family.

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  51. Anyone remember the carousel store in Glendale? Memories...

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  52. anyone else remember FedMart? (precursor to Target, as I believe..) Used to go there across the street from the Sears store @ the Esplanade from 1978-80...

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  53. No one mentioned Fedmart!?

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  54. Not just the Peoplemover but the Flying Saucers and of course outside the park was the miniature golf course north of the hotel (when there was just the one) where each hole was. Disney themed. Great for a date and after to the Jolly Roger for monte christos. Wonderful!!

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    Replies
    1. Best monte cristos will forever have been at... Belyles(?) Chapman and harbor... Can't remember ever finishing a plate on my own, even through my hungrier teenage years...

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    2. Best monte cristos will forever have been at... Belyles(?) Chapman and harbor... Can't remember ever finishing a plate on my own, even through my hungrier teenage years...

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  55. Also at Disneyland - the Circlevision, the House of the Future, Rocket Rods, Flight to the Moon then flight to Mars, Tomorrowland Boats, the Skyway, the Carousel of Progress then America Sings, the Adventure Thru Inner Space, Skull Rock and Pirates Cove, Videopolis, the Pck Mules, the Stage Coach, the Mine Train, the Keel Boats, Country Bear Jamboree, the Swiss Family Treehouse, the Electrical Parade, I know there are more.

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  56. What about the drive in theater?

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  57. Casey Kasem on KRLA

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  58. What about the Treasury department store? There was one in Long Beach

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    Replies
    1. My mom used to take me and my sister to The Treasury located at the corner of Beach Blvd. and Orangethorpe. I bought my first 8 track tape there....A beach boys album.

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  59. What about the alligator farm and donkey ride by knotts berry farm

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  60. Poco Padre, Vista Drug, Mayfair market, TG&Y, El Toco all on Euclid near Ball

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  61. Angels do it yourself stores, at your one stop, Angels do it yourself stores. - A TV ad from 1976. I can still hear the song in my head.

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    1. Don't forget National Lumber with their mascots "Shorty" and "Cheap Chicken". Also, Builder's Emporium- "Builder's Emporium, Builder's Emporium, for folks who like to do things!" with "The Builder's Beaver".

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    2. I remember the chicken - "I want a candy..."

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  62. Are there still 31 Flavors in So. Cal.. They are gone in Eugene, OR.?

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    Replies
    1. Yes. Baskin Robbins 31 flavors

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  63. I currently work as a Sales Rep in CVS Pharmacy stores. Sav-On Stores and Longs Drugs Stores were sold to CVS.....Thrifty stores became Rite Aid.....

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  64. Before Fed Mart there was Cal Stores. I remember the one at Brookhurst and Westminster. Anyone remember it? That location is currently a Target Store.

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  65. "Join the Sav-on hit parade, it's fun to serve yourself and save at Sav-on Drug Stores, Sav-on Drug Stores, SAV- ON!" oh my gosh, I have no idea where THAT came from!! Lol!

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  66. How About "Pizza Man?" I Was A Delivery Driver In Orange, Santa Ana, And Garden Grove In The Late 60's. In Those Days Nobody Got Robbed And It Was Considered A Pretty "Cool" Job. Now, You Need A Concealed Gun Permit And A .40 Caliber Glock.

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  67. What about Clarks, Tastee Freeze, Funky's, Rasco's & Grayson

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  68. Also missing are the supermarket chains I grew up with: Lucky (originally Jim Dandy), Thriftymart, Food Giant. The stores from that era either disappeared or were absorbed through subsequent acquisitions into Albertsons-Safeway and Kroger.

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  69. Wasn't Kress/Kresge also a SoCal chain? And Builders Emporium?

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    Replies
    1. Kresge was a national chain, and the parent company of K-Mart.

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  70. If you think you'd like a hand,
    With buying a Chevy today,
    Come on down to discount land,
    Cormier Cheverolet...

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  71. Worthington Ford in Long Beach,
    Wothington Ford in Long Beach,
    San Diego Freeway,
    at Bellflower Boo-la-vard...

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  72. You can still get Thrifty ice cream at Rite-Aid, too!

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  73. Sadly, there will never be another KMET. They were the greatest...

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    1. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  74. Drive-in theatres with only one screen. On the back of it, there was always the coolest neon lights...

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  75. The Akron! Smith's Food King!

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    Replies
    1. Akron is ... The-first-and-original-Something-for-everybody-Out-of-the-ordinary Store!

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  76. I Miss Thrifty's Its Better than Rite-Aid. Thrifty's in Monterey is Now Rite-Aid. I never go there

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  77. There are so many. Big-A, Lumber City, Builder's Emporium.

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  78. Dial Dial Dial Chevrolet
    Two blocks off the Santa Ana Freeway
    11990 East Firestone
    Dial Chevrolet!

    Lerner's
    Big Ben's
    H. Salt Fish and Chips

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  79. Anyone tendency remember Old Towne mall in Torrance?

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  80. The Thrifty in that picture with the tall sign and huge lot was in Phoenix. On 35th Ave and Van Buren. It was there until the 80's when I grew up. I could be mistaken but I'm about 90% sure.

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  81. "It's the good stuff, at the right price....National Lumber!"

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  82. That stand alone Broadway store in the picture is now Macy'sand is located at the Laurel Plaza, it was at walking distance from my home

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  83. That stand alone Broadway store in the picture is now Macy'sand is located at the Laurel Plaza, it was at walking distance from my home

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  84. I remember the Broadway, Robinsons, May Co., and Thrifty. Those were the days! I remember the People Movers too. That was a great ride, er um attraction. When you wanted to take a little break and sit down, you'd hop onto the People Movers for a little joy ride elevated slightly above the park in Tomorrowland at Disneyland. I thought that was one of the more ridiculous things that Disneyland removed, because if you've been there since, there is nothing, but track still sitting there. They may as well have kept it in. Bad move removing that.

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  85. these department stores very much were apart of the Southern California mall scene as typically, in major malls, at least two of "the L.A. four department stores" were the mall's anchor.

    Apart means separate from. I think this author wanted to say they were "a part of" meaning, they were included. Using the word he did gives the exact opposite meaning. Who edits this crap anyway?

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  86. Jim Ladd is still around on Sirius radio deep tracks is the name of the station. KMET 94.7 will always be the best radio station.

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  87. Jim Ladd is still around on Sirius radio deep tracks is the name of the station. KMET 94.7 will always be the best radio station.

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    Replies
    1. Rememver Pirate Radio 100.3 with Scott Shannon? Or Knac or 95.9 FM. Xall sign escaoes me, but the station was on Ball in Anaheim. How about Sprouse Ritz in Cerritos? Homebase and Eagle Hardware.

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  88. Did anyone mention Alpha Beta grocery stores

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    Replies
    1. Pay N Pack or 84 Lumber or the National Lumber Company.

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  89. Alpha Beta, Market Basket... Someone mentioned Naugles - yea! Rexall Drug Stores (mom and pop), La Puente French-American Bakery (thee BEST sourdough bread ever), Jolly Roger restaurants, Straw Hat Pizza, Gemco, Velvet Turtle, PJ Pizzazz, Bob's Big Boy, the original Green Burrito, lots of American style mom and pop restaurants and coffee shops (a dying breed)...

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  90. The Red Onion!!! Velvet Turtle and the Green Burrito as mentioned. Orange Julius! The Reef! I worked at Boys Market, and then Luckys. Got into trouble at work for mentioning that I shopped at Gemco as a little girl. The Pig Pen. And a Swedish Smorgasbord downtown Long Beach. What was it's name???

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  91. Bit O' Sweden! Downtown Long Beach.

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  92. May Company actually was from St. Louis but they were in L.A. since the 1920s.

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