Welcome to the Oxford Circle Memories blog. The purpose of this blog is to reminisce about the Oxford Circle neighborhood in Northeast Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the way it was back in the 1950's and 1960's. You know, when Philly police cars were painted red! I decided to create this blog for several reasons: to have the opportunity to exchange memories with other folks who have (mostly) fond memories of the neighborhood where I spent my childhood years, to have readers contribute photos of the neighborhood from that time period, and to experiment with blogging. So much of the neighborhood has changed it no longer felt like "home" the last time I passed through over a year ago.
I haven't lived in Philadelphia for just about 35 years. I moved out of Philly for my career after college. I attended Carnell Elementary School, Fels Junior High, and Northeast High School. I grew up near the intersection of Hellerman and Frontenac, just a few blocks from Castor avenue.
For my first post, I thought I would list the establishments that I remember along Castor avenue, from about the Oxford Circle to Cottman Avenue that existed in 1950s/60s that are no longer there. These places are just a distant memory now. If you have any pictures of the neighborhood from that time period that you'd like to share on this blog, I'd really appreciate it. Anyway, here goes:
Benner Theatre: I remember this as the theatre where I saw "Rosemary's Baby" in 1968.
Castor Theatre: In the late fifties (or early sixties) they had children's matinee movies for 25 cents. Lots of "creature feature" type movies for kids back in those days.
Tyson Theatre: they used to have $1 movies back in the 1960s.
Dante's Inferno. Pizza restaurant.
Pep Boys (between Stirling and Levick?). As a kid, I remember being fascinated with the vacuum tube testing machine they had. I think it was next to or close to the post office.
Frankford Trust Bank (at Hellerman): where my parents banked.
Western Savings Bank: think I had a passbook savings account there a long time ago.
Sun Ray Drug Store (at Hellerman). It later became the Gingham House restaurant.
Sailor's Dairy. A couple doors from the Sun Ray Drug Store.
Linton's restaurant (near Hellerman). I think there were several Linton's restaurants in Philly back then.
Fogel's (at Hellerman). I think this was a dress shop. I remember it had a large neon sign that was lit at night and could be seen from my house. Singers Appliances is there now, I think.
A&P Supermarket (at Passmore). You can see the A&P in the photo in the upper right section. Next to it is the Woolworth's 5 and 10. I think there's a drug store there now.
Bogalavsky's (sp?) bakery (at Greeby). I believe this is now an upscale restaurant called Paloma MexicanHaute Cusine.
Fleet's (at Magee). A men's clothing store. I believe they closed sometime in the 1990s.
Corset shop (between Magee and Fanshawe). I can't recall the name of the shop, but it had a great classic sign. I'd really like to see a photo of it.
Lenny's Hot Dogs. In about 2003 when I was helping my mother move out of Oxford Circle, I took a walk along Castor with a friend of mine. We were passing the storefront where Lenny's used to be and overheard a couple of guys discussing Lenny's. Turns out it was the owner of Lenny's reminiscing about his Castor store.
Penn Fruit supermarket (at Magee).
Barson's Grill (at Tyson). Waffles and ice cream was a favorite of mine there. Across Castor avenue from Barson's on Tyson there was a wooden newspaper stand where you could buy a newspapers from your car while driving by.
Chinese restaurant (between Tyson and Princeton). The name eludes me, but I believe it was just a few doors away from Barson's on the same side of the street. It had a long purple awning that stretched across much of the sidewalk. Does anyone remember the name of this restaurant? It was probably where I had my first Chinese meal.
Ronnie's Hot Dogs / Cooks Hamburgers / Fun Bun Hamburgers. All occupied the same location. There might be a 7-11 there now. Not sure if Ronnie's or Cooks was there first, but whichever was first is where I had my first fast-food meal. I vaguely remember hamburgers at Cooks were 15 cents and 10 cents for fries.
Wellington Car Stereo Center (7000 Castor). I used to pick up WFIL Famous 56 top 50 song lists from there. I still have them!
Ott's Camera shop (at Longshore). Not sure if it is still there, but I think had been around forever.
Novack's. I think this was a place to get seafood and bbq chicken takeout. It was pretty good from what I remember.
Lit Brothers (at Cottman). A department store. Later it became Gimbels, and then Clover.
Food Fair Supermarket (at Cottman). Next to Lit Brothers.
Lychee Garden (between Cottman and Bleigh). Chinese restaurant that my family frequented. We were friendly with the owner and I once had an opportunity to play table tennis with him at his house. There may still be a Chinese restaurant at that location.
Well, that's about all I can recall from the cobwebs of my mind at this time.
297 comments:
1 – 200 of 297 Newer› Newest»I remember that Chinese restaurant on Castor Ave near Tyson but can't remember the name. I remember waiting over an hour many times, just to get seated! Today, I won't wait more than 20 minutes to get into a restaurant but in 1965, I would wait for 60 minutes. Also at Tyson & Castor, Barson's restaurant didn't last long at that location, possibly because of the small parking lot and smallish size of the place. I missed both of those restaurants when they closed.
Just looking at these pictures bring back memories. Look how clean the streets and sidewalks are! Never see this today.
The Food Fair next to Lit Brothers on Cottman Ave became a Toys 'R' Us store in 1985. I worked in that store in the late '80's, when Toys 'R' Us converted it, they added a loading dock to the parking lot side of the store. The original store outside was then inside the loading dock, including a Food Fair logo (with the name painted over!)
I remember that distinctive Food Fair logo. I don't recall that it had been painted over. What was at that location prior to Toys 'R' Us? I think that Food Fair became Pantry Pride, but I don't know if that was the case at that particular store.
Come to think of it, you're right, it was the Pantry Pride logo. It had the shape of a set of those swinging saloon doors from the old westerns.
The sign was actually inside the store, but not where customers could see it (in the loading dock area.)
I found this doing a quick Google search for the logo:
http://www.cruisecloseouts.com/Food%20Fair_Pantry%20Pride.htm
Was the corset shop you mention called "Hannes"? There was one on Ogontz Avenue in West Oak Lane (it's still there but under different ownership) but Oxford Circle and WOL are similar neighborhoods in form, and in the mid-20th Century, demographically, too.
Ott's Camera is still there and still a beautiful building of its period.
I just came across an article about that corset shop: Mi-Lady Corset Shoppes. It was located at 6614 Castor Avenue.
What a difference 60 years makes. Driving down Castor ave. from Cottman to Oxford Ave is depressing.
I don't know if it was the Lichee Garden, but my folks would always take us for Chinese food on Friday nights. I think it was on Roosevelt Parkway.
Anyway, one time we got ice cream topped with kumquats for dessert, and that didn't seem to agree with my brother and I. We ran out of the restaurant and heaved our guts out in the gutter right in front. I remember a couple walking by us and laughing;I thought that was very mean of them then but today I would probably do the same thing. Having people throwing up in front of your restaurant is such bad publicity. I don't know if we ever went back there. And I haven't eaten a kumquat in over forty years!
I remember the Penn Fruit and Pep Boys (there us one in Towson MD on Joppa Rd that still has the sign with Manny, Moe (the mean one!), and Jack).
Was Linton's the place with the multi-colored floodlights, or was that Lenny's? I don't think I ever had a Texas Tommy. I still like hoagies though ("American cold cut" outside Philly). I always order it with provolone though, most places put yellow American cheese on it.
My brother and I used to like to watch the goldfish in Kresge's (Woolworth's?) eating dead ones that had sunk to the bottom of the tank. We would stop in on the way to the Penn Fruit.
Speaking of fish, remember Fisher's restaurant? I think it is still there, they had a website or showed up on a google search a few years ago. Mock (I hope) turtle soup and crabmeat-stuffed flounder, mmmm.
Remember the Hush Puppies shoe store? They had two bassett hounds that you could pet.
Dante's Inferno! That was how I found this blog. Remember the mural on the back wall of a giant Satan slavering over a large pizza with extra sinners? They had great pizza too, not too tomatoe-ey, that how I've liked my pizza ever since. But the mural scared the hell out of me as a kid.
Supposedly the owner was Mike Kellin's father (a character actor of the 1950s-early 80s), and he never wrote or visited. That's what my brother said anyway, I don't know how he heard that. imdb says Kellin was born in Connecticut.
I went to school with one of the Gimbel kids, 1st and second grade (Gilbert Spruance Elementary). She was rather stuck up as I recall: "I'm a Gimbel!" She must have been from the poorer side of the family, or she wouldn't have lived around there.
Mr. Eggins was the principal at the time, we had crabby Mrs. Kramer in first grade, then Mrs. Grant (a mean black lady) in second. She left midway through the school year, then we had Miss Botts (one of my first crushes!), who got married and invited the entire class to her wedding. Then we had a substitute for the remaining month or so, I don't remember her name.
@Bushrod Boy: That Chinese restaurant between Tyson & Princeton was definitely not named Lichee Garden... Lychee Garden was indeed a Chinese Restaurant located a block or two North from Cottman Ave on Castor.
Lenny's is probably the place you're thinking of that had multicolored flood lights. I don't think Linton's was that distinctive.
I sure do remember Fishers... I think they remained in business through the late 80s or maybe even early 90s.
And finally, yes I certainly remember that mural on Dante's inferno! Matter of fact, that's most of what I remember about that restaurant. I can't remember how good the pizza was, but that mural depicting the devil was sure unforgettable!
Wasn't that restaurant the China House?
What about Mr. Sterns Deli near Benner and Castor.
@Anonymous: I think you're right! China House rings a bell with me. That must have been it.
I wasn't familiar with Sterns Deli.
There were two Dante's Infernos. The original was near Fleet's, on the west side of Castor Avenue. That was the one with the devil mural. They had fabulous and unique cheesesteaks. The other Dante's was Calinoff's, south of the original Dante's and on the east side of Castor Avenue near Levick Street. Not nearly as good as the original place. Calinoff's kid was the actor Michael Callen, who starred in a series called, "Occasional Wife."
I went back last week to Oxford Circle and could not believe what happened. I should have not returned.
i still live in the circle. grew up on top of Bogoslavsky's bakery from 1955-1976. very different now.
Hi Debbi... Thanks for your comment. Wow, you lived above the bakery for 20+ years! Do you happen to know when Bogoslavsky's went out of business? They weren't still in business in 1976, were they? And what was it like living above the bakery? The aroma coming from the bakery must have been quite pleasant.
Bogoslofsky's! Now that's a memory. Reminds me of all the trips i made with my Dad to the Castor Deli to get lox & bagels for Sunday morning breakfast!
I also spent alot of time in Cottman Lanes as a teenager who loved bowling.
Chuck
I also grew up in the ne, but must be getting senile already because I don't remember Dante's! But my best friend was just talking about the guy who would walk up and down the driveway buying old clothing! I do remember going to Tarken every Friday night to ice skate! And, the restaurant was called The China House. This same friend and I would often have chicken chow mein there! Thanks for doing this! Great memories!
I remember Frank's? They sold penny candy in the glass case up front and soda from a cooler in the back. When Frank died, his son, Ed, took over (who was kind of mean). My mother would buy her cigarettes there. It was across from the Benner Movies.
Remember Polly's (luncheonette)? It was next to the Benner Movies.
And Stern's Delicatessen where we bought lox and bagels on Sunday morning (across from the Benner Movies). The owners were Holocaust survivors.
And the Italian Take-Out? I had a crush on the twin boys that worked there.
Lenny (Lenny's Hot Dogs) and my father grew up together during the depression and ate the hot dogs each day that Lenny's mom didn't sell. I worked there when I was 16, hosting the children's parties and scooping water ice. However, I don't remember those lights. Lenny's son, Brian, must be the person you heard reminiscing about Lenny's (Lenny died a while ago).
Does anyone remember Bee and Mel's Luncheonette on Tyson -- and I think Penway -- Streets?
I also remember the VFW Post right near Bee and Mel's; my extended family used to hold yearly family reunions there.
I went to Solis-Cohen Elementary; then we moved across Castor Ave., and I went to J. Hampton Moore, Fels Jr. High (it's now a high school) and Northeast High School.
My grandfather had a shoe repair shop at 1401 Fanshawe Street, a corner store front. Did anyone get shoes repaired there? I rode by there not too long ago and it made me sad; the store front was empty.
Thanks for bringing back such fond memories!
I remember Polly's. I loved the smell when you walked in the door. Probably not the healthiest place to eat. I also remember Frank's. I used to get vanilla waterice. I also remember walking to the Italian Takeout every Saturday. They always had the best meatball sandwiches!
Thanks for doing this! It's been fun!
so many great memories....all three movie theaters ( 35 cents!)....they would give out colored "handbills" , and if your color was posted in the box office the following week- free admission!....what was the name of the steak shop next to Triangle realty , on that little sliver of stores between Magee and Everett ( across from Food Fair- or Vic Tanny's.....I recall the first Lenny's hot dog cart at Magee and Castor...I shogveled ICE and got paid in fishcakes ( what a rip off)....and I HATED pepper hash.....nice they still serve Lenny's in Southampton..on street rd....and getting red Zenobia pistachios in the shell...in a green and white box.....reading comic books at Segals ( castor and levick)...or at Manis ( unruh).....buying delish sloppy water ice at Richie's ( castor and kerper).....or from Marone's truck...oh those great trucks comin' down...fat daddys pizza....mr softee....the little "whip" ride.....jack and jill...ROCKETS - yummmm...good
humor...my paper routes for the bulletin...and graduated to branch mgr at horrocks and unruh- under the wirball "court"....we had a cool boxball court and bottle cap court in the drivewy ( 6600 soufder/horrocks)......the many days and nights at max meyers....talent night....sat soft pretzel delivery in the white station wagon......up the ramp and over to Mary the snack shack lady...I think she was german.....great cherry water ice...but chocolate was my fave.....fleets for cool clothes.....men and boys.....johns bargain store....the carnival at s. klein, featuring the cycle guys in the barrel. ( terror somethin....)....i recll when cottman was the frontier...nothing but woods beyond that, until the "great NE" was built....USY group at Temple Shalom- awesome dances and road trips.....noveks for bbq chicken- my dad would stock up onfri nite - then 'fridge them for our saturday brigantine fishing trips....ok- mor elater...great blog!!!
Lintons was the restaurant - castor and hellerman - with the conveyor that transported food and direty dishes...Brown Betty dessert ( #35).....
Lee's was the chinese rest. near Tyson....we were in there once when a gas tanker exploded across the street!! The foam they sprayed hardened...like 3-feet thick....and yeah, Ott Cameras is still there!!
@Dennydew: Vic Tanny's... wow, I do remember that now. I hadn't heard that in 40+ years. Thanks for your comments.
This is the best! So many great memories....I remember, I'm buying men's clothing, the Whip ride,Fat Daddy pizza and so much more. Who remembers Franks soda and seltzer delivery to the door. And of course the milkman and bread guy.You never had to leave your house. I lived near Food Fair and the Oscar Mayer mobile came around and gave out whistles.We were so lucky to have grown up in a wonderful neighborhood like the Oxford Circle!Summer days and nights were spent playing outside endlessly. Thanks for the trip down memory lane.
I totaly recall the weiner mob ile when it arrived at Max myers one day...and this teeny midget guy emerged! And yeah- Irwins delivered theFranks Beverages..our guy had one of those Jughead hats with the pins all over it...we used to het the black cherry wishniak....and the seltzer siphons in either a clear or cobalt blue glass....my sis had a part once with the "little H" gang....the guys from Cottman Lanes and Horn and Hrdart ( there was also "big H - the older brothers).....they found the liquour AND the seltzer bottles....a big water fight erupted in the middele of souder st....which of course was reported to my parents, who were away.....I recall the little blue truck from Souderton that sold eggs and chickens...I think the trucl lettering was either gold or black....
Vic Tannys- yeah- my grandmom had a lifetime membership in Brooklyn...had it transferred to Castor....I remember her sitting on this funny machine with wooden rollers that was supposed to reduce fatty buttocks...
great memories. class of '65 at nehs. the first year they switched from 'a' and 'b' graduating classes. i've been out of philly for over 35 years. don't care to return. fun to remember it as it was.
in addition to other comments, i remember:
-cuker's, a small fountain store like punzie's, on summerdale at fanshawe
-the toddle house, at castor and unruh(?)
-parking at '90 foot' or 'little city' (close enough to oc)
-new england pizza/grinders. spent many evenings in there stoned and enjoying a hot grinder or 'za'.
-extracting chocolate glacees from the h&h automat.
-cruising castor avenue in buddies' cars since i didn't have one. everyone chipped in gas money (nickle, dime, quarter). gas was 27.9 cents a gallon then. and fun to help take those primered '50 chevys and '53 fords to an all new level (nosed, decked, baby moons, plaster 'em with automotive decals, etc.)
-drooling over jimmy w's '63(?) corvair monza spyder. cool as a moose.
-getting a booth in the front at country club diner to see and be seen. benny was always there.
-standing at various street corners on castor listening to eddie b., moose, and others singing 'gloria' in acapella (poorly, i might add).
i could go on, and i might, later on. especially if transporting the crew from oc to the boards at atlantic city and margate counts!
anyone remember this phrase
As a Punsie Boy (once a Punsie Boy always a Punsie Boy, NEHS Class of 65), many of these memories are nice to recall. I do remember Michael Callan whose father owned Dante's.
Playing ball at Tarken, buying hotdogs at Lenny's on opening day for a nickel each. The line down the street.
The Benner Movies during the summer with the Saturday Matinee, and them giving away a new bike once a month for the contest. 25 cents to get in.
Hanging at Punsies every night summer and winter (should have been home studying), but the thrill of an adventure yet to happen always overruled the "smart thing". Besides the adventures were more fun. The "kraut" trying to chase us away.
Castor avenue isn't even a shell of what it was, it's said to see the loss of all those neat times.
How about Luigi's on Bustleton and Robbins, the Pool Room above the Food Fair on the Blvd. and a H&H in the same Parking lot.
High Holiday at Temple Shalom on Large Street, when the kids would be so plentiful that they would block the street.
The land beyond Cottman Avenue was totally undeveloped until about 1960 61. They used to have the Circus there, Where S. Kleins was. Striaght Shows also.
I think the soda guy was named Harry Podel. He would stop at our house with Frank's Soda. Ginger Ale and Black Cherry Wisniak. Whatever that was.
Herb Aurit's at Cottman and Castor. A fruit market now. The neatest clothes. Way ahead of his time. Herb's dead RIP.
Jack Kennedy in a motorcade to give a speech at Cottman and Castor in 1960.
My father worked late some nights so my mother took my brothers and me to Linton's for dinner. I always got the Chicken Croquets with mashed potatoes and gravy with cranberry sauce.
This blog is hysterical! My mom STILL lives in OC (age 96!!)and refuses to move! LOL. Here's some memories --NEHS class of 1970 -- prom at the old Sheraton on JFK blvd -- got my prom dress at Kleins...Spruance School, Mr Catalano (6th grade) and learning how to play the flute...Hebrew School at Temple Sholom (which is now a Fundamentalist church!) and eating potato chips on Yom Kipper in the USY office...oh, and Fels!! TONS of memories from there...Lintons was near our house and one of my forever memories is eating at Lintons on Nov.22, 1963 -- everyone just gathered there after the JFK assassination -- my family sat with Dr. Fishbein ( I think that was his name -- vice principal at Fels...)Betty the waitress with the hairbun.. Bushrod Library...People's Drug Store (which then became John's Bargain Store)...Dee's Apparal down the street from Sun Ray Drugs... oh, I can go on and on!!! Thanks for this blog-- I love it! Anyone remember Mr. Hochberg, principal at Spruance? He always smelled delicious -- Aqua Velva! And Mr. Gordon (gym) and swimming lessons at the 'new' Max Myers pool?? If you saw the old neighborhood now, you'd be sick.
Mr. Catalano at Spruance and Mr. Popper. Probably both long gone.
Although I grew up in the 60s in Bell's Corner on Benson Street at the other end of Castor Avenue, I do remember many of the landmarks you all mention. My mom had to buy my "husky" size (LOL) suits at Fleets. I was surprised that no one mentioned MAYER'S BAKERY, which had the all-time best cream doughnuts coated w/granulated cinnamon sugar. MMM! Bauer's Bakery (RIP) on Bustleton Avenue became an acceptable substitue. Mayer's plum cakes and peach cakes were also second to none. I remember going there early on Sunday mornings after Mass at Resurrection and we would buy everything going. Others preferred Hesh's; not me-I was always loyal to Mayer's!
Shooting - CASTOR AVE AND HIGBEE ST., PHILADELPHIA, PA - 10/31/2009 01:57 AM
Click Here:
http://spotcrime.com/crime/7366705-eaa12e9f6a0f3d94e21750c6a21c5070
Notice the former Benner Theatre on the left.
My folks had a small bakery wedged in between the Castor Movie and Freundlich shoe store, across from the Toddle House and gas station. Closed in '76.
This site is really great, bringing back lots of old memories I had growing up with my brother, who died last year. I came across this site the other day trying to find out what happened to pimple balls. Remember going to Franks and buying snow cones, comic books (12 cents, with the big edition 25 cents), and model kits. Across the street was Burt's pharmacy, where there was this one worker (believe his name was Ed-not Burt the pharmacist), who would always be looking over your shoulder and making sure you buy and don't steal the candy (5 cents for candy except for cracker jack at 10 cents-but it had a prize). How about the water ice trucks that would come along at night? Anybody remember Bob's. Steak sandwiches at Polly's, movies at the Benner theater, and bowling at the alley at the Oxford Circle. Those were the days.
Bogoslavsky was my great uncle and my father worked for him during the Depression before opening his own bakery, first at Race St. downtown and later on at Castor Ave. Bogoslavsky was reputed to be quite the slave driver.
Doesn't anyone remember Herb Aurett's Men's Store at Cottman & Castor?? Best men's store in the northeast!!
I think Bogoslavsky operated until the late 40s, my late grandfather ran Lipton's bakery after working for Bogoslavsky.
barsons was a place my gang went to -- yjey served a giant sundal called 'the shissel.' a yiddish term. many scoops of ice cream. we jewish guys would pickup hot shikas around k and a and introduce them to nw/oc jewish culture -- and lots more, lol. i went to lincoln hs, lotsa of bandstand regulars went there. fleets was the store to go to look conservative/ivy. there was a great mens store on south street, too, this is a fun site!! havent seen the ne/oc for probably 40 years. is it decrepit now?
I grew up in OXC in the mid-60s to late 70s. I remember Woolworth's near Castor & Hellerman, Starrs clothing store across the street, Rubin's fine furniture at Castor and Comly, Thriftway supermarket a few doors down, Steer In above Cottman (sold burgers, fries, etc), Orlean's movie theater (sadly, closed now) and yes, I went to the Castor, Benner and Tyson theaters too!
There was 'the Tunnel' (a dance hall) for teenagers that I went to EVERy weekend (where Boulevard Pools stood) Lots of good memories growing up there!
@libertybellpa: I remember the Steer Inn! Haven't thought about that place in years. Never heard of the 'the Tunnel' however.
While reminiscing with friends on New Year's Eve, I brought up a restaurant in OC called "Knockbockle". I thought it was around Tyson and Bustleton Avenues. Noone seems to remember this place and they think I dreamt IT UP.(LOL). Does anyone remember this place? Also remeber Polar Cub on Cottman Avenue. They had the best soft serve ice cream. Also Vitale's restaurant. Their pizzas were called "tomato pies" and they were soooo good.I used to go in the summer to "teen tours" through the JCC on Bustleton Ave. If we went on a day trip, my friends and I would go across the street to some deli and buy fresh pickles out of the barrel. Those were amazing days.
@exphillyguy ... it might depend on how old you are (or how young you were then lol) I was born in 59, and went to the tunnel probably from 73 to 77 or so .. I graduated in 1977.
Do you remember Boulevard Pools? And they had an "amusement park" of sorts next to it? (I used to LOVE the giant slide back then) This was situated where the KMart now stands.
We would go to the dance, take the 59b home (now called the 58, and it no longer cuts down benner street and over large), get off at the blvd and bustleton and grab something to eat at Roy Rogers! Ahh, to be young and innocent again.
Does anyone remember what the place next to the Bowling Alley @ Cottman and Horrocks was called? I think it was like a western family restaurant? You know, burgers and stuff?? Directly next door to the Bowling Alley.
Does anyone remember a donut shop at Algon and Cottman across from Northeast High? Possibly called Ginos?
remember....flipping baseball cards? ....leaners against steps? chips on pimple balls ?
Since yesterday was Father's Day, just a couple of notes. I remember growing up in Oxford Circle and my dad making time to always have a catch with me during the week after work. Thoughts about O.C. Friday nights at the Benner movies where guys were wearing peg pants and flag flyers. Third grade with Miss Koche showing us ceramics. Guys having an on-going argument who was the better center fielder, Mickey Mantle or Willie Mays?
I went to Spruance Elementary. I had Mrs. Freeman for first grade and Mrs. Webber for second grade. For fourth grade, I had Mrs. Bullock, who would come around and thump you on the head if you were talking. For fifth grade, I had Mrs. Meyers and sixth grade, Mr. Catalina. I remember Halloween parades in the big school yard with old school plastic masks. Do you remember then nuclear disaster drills in the hallways and bringing milk money to school? I lived in the 6600 block of Kindred Street. Anyone else live around there or have any memories of it?
I remember going to clover when I was very young and then beggin to go to the Toys R Us next to it. When did Toys R Us get converted from the food fair form to a regular Toys R Us? Idk if it was just me or did it used to have a drop ceiling?
I remember Fisher Farms across the street from my Algon Ave home. Then came more home and the farm was developed in a Food Fair. Hanging at Punzies was the earliest fraternatity. Its over 40 years ago but great memories of a simpler time.
Imagine if just half of the people who are posting on this wonderful blog would have stayed in the neighborhood to live, work, run a business, shop, ect. Then, perhaps, it would more as you all remember. But, alas, you moved on to bigger and better things. I suppose that is what is supposd to happen. Guess what? That is just what the current residents of the neighborhood have done. To them, this is bigger, better, and newer...Think about it...
Great blog - I just found it today.
I grew up on Shisler St (near Comly and and Frontenac). Carnell, Fels, and NEHS Class of 69.
Does anyone remember Rae's store - corner of Shisler and Van Kirk? Fountain soda (small) for 7 cents - large for 12 cents. Milkshake for 25 cents. Pink balls (for wireball or wallball) were 10 cents.
I have not seen this mentioned. Anyone remember the "fruit and veggie" guy? He parked on the street and would YELL OUT "I've got fresh produce" (something like that). What recall for sure was "STRAW BEAR EEES" and "JERSEY TOMATOES - 4 pounds for half a dollar".
On Saturday afternoons, one of the dads (cause many moms didn't drive) took us to the Merben Tyson, Castor, or Brenner theatres so we could see a double feature monster picture (like The Blob) and 2 cartoons. The Merben cost 26 cents and my dad would give me 15 cents for popcorn. Oh man, I couldn't sleep for a week after The Blob!
One of my Father's favorite places was Lit Brothers and the Bridge Mix, this was a once a month purchase.
Pappygil
Ming Palace.
Wasn't that the Chinese restaurant across from the Tyson Theatre on Castor Avenue?
reb2002etc@yahoo.com
I lived in the 1300 block of Stirling St. from 1942 to 1946, north of Castor. My family was the first to live in the brand-new row house; the houses on the other side of the street were still being constructed. Loretto Ave. was a dirt road. At approximately Loretto and Robbins was the Lutheran church, which had been a farm house. Behind the church stood two barns and a windmill which to me seemed to be at least a half-mile high (I was 10 years old in 1942), and what thrill it was to climb to the top! All the local kids played in those buildings. There was nothing but open fields north of that. To the right of the church there were 'Victory Garden' plots where the locals could grow vegetables to help the war effort. There were three (gas) street lights on my street, and they were fitted with wire pulls to turn them off when we had practice air-raids, and of course we had to turn off all the houselights then too. I attended Carnell elementary school and after graduating went to W. Wilson junior high for 9th grade since Frankford high was so crowded there was no freshman class. The 59 trolley became one-tracked after Cottman Ave. with turn-outs for trolleys coming the other way. If you stood at Cottman and looked down the track there was one building which seemed to be about a half mile away in the middle of open fields; that building is the reason for my story. On the web I found a picture of that building, housing a deli, and with a 59 trolley stopped there. The cross street is Bleigh Ave., and there is nothing else to be seen. It is not a trackless trolley, and alas and alack (like a stab in the back) I did not Bookmark the photo and I have spent an awful lot of time searching for it. Please help. Thank you.
Does anyone remember Connie's corner candy/pinball/ ice cream store? It was off Cottman Ave. by Wilson Jr. High? I am having so many great flashbacks. Thanks to whoever started this site.
I remember Connie's at Englewood and Loretto. It then became Bill's. I also remember Silverman's Grocery Store across the street from Connie's.
Good memories. I definitely remember Polly's, Benner Movies, Kessler's Bakery, along with most others mentioned. If my old memory serves me correctly, the Chinese restaurant was named "Ming Palace"; absolutely the best Chinese food I ever ate. Poor Castor Ave. is a shadow of its former self. There was always so much to do on the Ave., from the Circle all the way up to Cottman. Remember the Minit-Man car wash;loved walking through on way home from school. Woolworth's is now "Deals". The neighborhood has definitely changed; miss the good old days!
Lit Brothers never became Gimbel's. I believe it was a Clover then it became a J.C. Penney. It's vacant now.
So many great memories on this blog, when Oxford Circle was still Oxford Circle...I moved there when I was 11 years old and we lived at 1320 Levick street, sure has changed over the years. Some of my neighbors were the Banks and Beckett families. I went to Carnell and then off to Wilson, it was called a junior high back then. OMG....Connies, loved hanging out there, guess I should have spent more time in school instead of Connies. Lintons, Castor Avenue, Fleets....so many fond memories.
Sonny Smith
I grew up on Levick & Castor Aves., across the street from Astor's Pharmacy (where I got caught pilfering comic books) and a few doors down from Nate's Deli (where my friends and I sat in a back booth and ate penny pretzel rods, listening to Nate bitch about us using too much mustard on the pretzels...and drinking Franks sodas).
We'd play many games in the street and back alleys, like wire ball, box ball, half ball, step ball and my favorite...hose ball. We'd use cut up rubber hoses in 6 or 7" lengths and a cut off broomstick as a bat, aiming for the rear of stores or a church roof for a homerun. When we ran out of those hose "balls" after losing them on the surrounding roofs I'd go out after dark and steal a neighbor's garden hose to cut up to resume the games the next day.
Great memories. The 59B up Castor avenue to Frankford. Remember Bucky's stickybuns at the Margaret/Orthodox EL stop? Those 25 cent Saturday matinees at the Benner, Regal, Castor Movies where the big decision was which candy bar to buy...Juicy Fruits, Raisinettes, Goobers, Necco Wafers, Good N Plenty, Hershey Bar????...and I'd often sit in the front row and would enter the theater at any time, not necessarily at the beginning of the film. It didn't seem to matter. Or how about buying comics at Frank's on Castor...the smell of those comics and magazines was intoxicating.
The area isn't what it used to be but those memories can't be erased.
Does anyone remember the name of the restaurant that was on Cottman and Bustleton ave and closed in the mid 80's. It was across from the Roosevelt mall and there was a gas station on the corner and Faulkner used car lot was in the same parking lot. Faulkner's lot started at St. Vincent and went almost to cottman on Bustleton.
bennigans?
This is amazing. From Sailors Butter and Egg store to Lit Brothers/Gimbels/Kleins/ and the Marlo book store. Does anyone remember all those casino bus trips from Gene's Pharacy on castor & Cotman? I graduated NEHS in 1975 and remember it like yesteday. Had a teacher in Wilson; Hope Welsh - hers parents had a luncheonette on castor a few stores S of Tyson. Wonder what happened to her. GREAT teacher.
What happened to Castor, Cottman, Bustleton, etc. I know that people get old and stores close. Moving to the suburbs or away occurs but look at Oxford Circle - it's become a ghetto. A dirty ghetto with schools that look like prisons.
It's not a matter of race or religion or a a degree of wealth because we had parents that worked in stores, factories, post offices, etc.
It's a matter of acting like a human and not an animal - hell animals won't defecate where they sleep. However look at Oxford Circle. Sorry it turned into a ghetto.
Drive down Kensington Avenue, Torresdale, Rising Sun and shed a tear. Not because of what it was but because of the sewer it is.
I was a Rhawnhurst kid. Graduated from NEHS 1970. Not mentioned yet..Burger Chef, The Nosherie, Jardel Playground, Solly Playgrond, It was Lee and Mel's before it was Bea and Mel's, Cavalier in Roosevelt Mall, Roz Goldman's dress shop, Jules Frankel Men's store. I was a Fleet's kid. still remember our charge account # 4615. Chum Gum at Connie's, Pat's Barber shop on Castor between Napfle and Hartel. How was Napfle pronounced? Was it "NAYFUL" or "NAPFLEE"?, On Busleon Ave..Abe's Deli, Aunt Jemima Pancake House, Levis Hot Dogs (short lived), What was the name of the catering hall across from the Orleans Theater?, The Tyson Grill, Hesh;s chocolate chip cake, Flo's at Rhawn and Loretta (It's now a Rita'sWater Ice, their first location), EJ Korvette, Frank's Italian Restaurant on Castor Ave...still there!, Smylies at Rhawn and the Blvd. I remember Liz Taylor and Eddie Fisher being there. Boulevard Lanes.. Out of places for now.
A few more on Castor Ave...Kutner Buick, Ben Weiner Studios, Tony's Barber Shop and Welsh's luncheonette next to the Tyson Theater.
Grahams variety at castor and elbridge for school supplies - they gave out free cigar boxes for our desks.. the restaurant on cottman and b ustleton across from the mall was Jim Bradleys in the 60's and then Pavios. Anyone remember the Cavaliere cafeteria-really huge for a mall store-in the Roosevelt Mall.Also Polar Cub the custard stand at. Large and Cotttman by the Cottman Lanes. Could go on and on......
Pavio's - I remember that!!! Spitzer's gas station at Cottman and the Boulevard too. The cavilier too!. Great memory. Genes Pharmacy with all those bus trips to AC when they opened up. Where Lit Brothers and Food Fair was there used to be a little shed kind of thing with pretzels - kind of in the back. Brings back memories and great sadness too.
BTW/ The catering hall at Bustleton and Cottman - tucked in the west end of the shopping center was the Doral I believe. Right near the old First Pennsylvania bank.
The best is still S&H hardware!!! Kind of wacky people but very good.
I graduated NEHS in 1975, went to Wilson (terrible) and Farrell in Bells Corner.
Burt's Pharmacy, Benner movies, Friday nights. Philly squad cars, painted red.Franks acrossthe street.Angelos barber shop. Kesslers ,pollys,5&dime.Harvicks,
deli.
Flag FLYERS, Peg PANTS.
I remember the Tyson Grill on Bustleon and Tyson. Also Lit Brothers, Gimbels, Kleins!!! Too bad those old days are gone.
Trebgerb- it's pronounced "Nay-full". I grew up there. I moved to Harrisburg 30 years ago. Have not been back since my Mom moved out in 2003. I want to remember it the way it was. There were 3 pharmacies within blocks of my house : Nisenholtz's at Napfle and Castor (I worked there going through high school), Moses, next to Rhawnhurst Elementary, and Zeft's at Rhawn street.
I remember Flo's at Loretto and Rhawn - we used to call it "the little store". Also all the bakeries, Hesh's is still there. On Castor there was Jack Simpson's photography, Gene's deli and Life market. There was a coke machine outside where we used to get bottle coke for 10 cents before going over to play baseball at Rhawnhurst. All the movie theatres: Orleans, Castor, Benner (I worked there while going through college), and the Tyson, where I saw my first movie : 101 Dalmatians/ The Snow Queen double feature. There was Belkin's pharmacy across the street.
All great memories. A magical time to grow up.
Some other memories:
Going to Kresge's for chocolate sodas and "burger in a basket". Remember the parakeets and fish section? People's drug store and Horn & Hardardt's? Playtown and Cortman Lanes? Remember the little pretzel stand outside Lit Bros. and the Penn Fruit? I can still smell that area.
There was a general store between Afton and Napfle called Marlow's. They had great penny candy.
Jardel dances on Friday nights. Fall "Lawn Fetes" for Resurrection church in the lot at Shelmire and Castor, and at the Luthern church at Frontenac and Rhawn ?
Hi. I'll have to come back here for memories & comments at a better time...or maybe if someone sends me an email at nowurtalkin222(at)yahoo(dotcom), as no pc, using a phone, prolly wont remember this site (but i'll try to bookmark it) anyway i lived a block away from nafle st (anita dr. = end of whitaker ave) & myself & everyone i knew or ever heard...definitely pronounced it "NAF-LEE". i never heard anyone say "NAFEL"...so that's interesting that the poster mentioned that. Grew up there from age 8 til 18, 1959-69 (plus a couple yrs came back in early 70's). OMG...CAVALIER'S...WOW! Class of 69 ne high. I gotta go...somebody email me.
Cheers
jeff
Ok...i managed to get a post thru. Gave me fits. Handset not "playin well" AT ALL! w/this site, but got it in & got it bookmarked (hopefully) so i came come back when more time. Perused a bunch of comments. My, my, my....what killer great memories! To the guy who mentioned....oh darn, 4got already...but i go back over it next time....OH YEAH.... the little candy store (4got the name u said..) by wilson jr high. Omg... Wilson: '64-'66.... Immed when school day over, straight to that store for pinball...place was literally packed to gills w/kids every day after school & was just a tiny place!
Jeff S
I cant get this handset to work right w/this site so far, but trying to make this "a reply" to Zekeman (if your still out there..?)...nehs class69....dont recall any donut shop there during my time (67-69) there tho it mayve been...but only thing i def remember, directly across from school was that fantastic burger chef..15 cent burgers! & the place was so cool & modern lookin, u could easily have exactly same thing today w/o a 2nd thought! I have a fantastic pictute of it. The pic may or may not be the same 1 from across the school but looks exactly the same (i found it online yrs ago). So for those (if any) who never saw or would care to see again, the great burger chef, lemme know. My pc is broken & i dont think i currently have access to the pic from that drive, but prolly can get it from elsewhere. But not sure if i can post pics on here w/phone. If not, i'll leave a link.
While im at it.. across st from side of school (twds blvd) was orig "7-11" w/the 1st slurpee's (i dont think the owner was indian tho..haha). I believe same slurpee "formulation" for 45 yrs (recently saw a report they were finally changing it..)....oh man!...i cant stop now!....and a few more steps up the street to the diner (name slips mind only for the moment) home of THE BEST CHEESECAKE IN THE GALAXY!....(beyond any doubt) & i remember the big "rebuild" in the mid to late 60's to what i saw a couple yrs ago, while playin w/google street view, is exactly the same as it was then, near 45 yrs later...unbelieveable! In fact i have a little video (on the broken computer..) i made from 'streetview" "zooming along" of the hs, wilson jr hi, & the diner, plus i could not believe it but the "pre-fab" building (my 1st hearing/learning of term, back then) of what made up the "S.P.A.R.C." (or was it sparp?) space/astronautics building....is also still there!
Phwew..sorry
jeff
Remember?? ... Are u kidding me?... It was a major pastime (course no one knew the damage & value for later..) & i dont know what u mean by "chipping" on pimpleballs, but i can right now remember that smell...from the "gas"? Inside, when cutting them up for halfball!
Jeff
Hey bob!.... Another phoenix via philly transplant here....haha....nehs class of 69 as well! (didnt graduate but was "there"...uh...part of...once in a while...??...s'all kinda blurry...)....tryin 2 figure ur "hood"...i know frontenac but tryin 2 place comly (tho i remember that st name) .... summerdale?....prolly the other way right? ....hmmm....prolly south from wilson?
All i know is... while the only things goin on to my awarenes were pinball, candy & baseball cards... there musta been some kinda hidden activities happening, as that tiny place was literally packed to u couldnt even move... seemingly every single day b4 & after school...or is my memory off? ('64-'66). By the way does anyone who went there at that same time remember there were seperate boys & girls lunchrooms & the girls had a record player or something & the beatles & british invasion was happening & i remember snneaking as far close up the hall towards the girls to hear the beatles playing...or did i just dream that scenario up?
I saw the question about the name of the catering place & i couldnt remember the name but maybe im confused as i seem to remember it as more than just catering & now that i see you correctly give name "the doral"... it bolsters the memory i have that it was also a banquet hall or something to that effect cuz i didnt make it to graduate (69) thus no prom....but....went instead to an alternate "formal prom type dance" & i think it was at the doral, so they had affairs as well....or not?
"Going to Kresge's"
*I've been gone from area 4 more than 40 yrs. when i heard name "kresge's" its very familiar but 4 some strange reason there's a "disconnect" in my mind & i cant remembr where it was, looked like or what kind of store. Ironically, after philly, moved to central ny to a small city just b4 the start of its urban renewal & for a short while there was a kresge's there, which i DO remenber & wonder if it is same type of store referred to here. It was very cool. It was like a "five & dime" place. It had a litlle of everything incl a lunchonette, plus some larger items too like i got a stereo from there. And my memory says it was like 2 initialed letters, b4 kresge's, followed by: "& co. ??? Is there any connection between that & the place in OC area? Where was it? I'm rackin my brain..
"People's drug store"
*wait a min, not sure which "people's drug store ur referencing but a small strip mall was built in the mid 60's, on napfle (i think) just b4 rhawn (which was like 2 blocks from my house) & that had a people's drug store + a lunchonette that had the "remote" jukebox's at the booths & i remember how cool it was that the stones "10,000 light yrs from home" & "ruby tuesday" was on it. At the corner, at rhawn, was a family gas station & mechanics. Spinelli's or perelli's or somethng close to that. I think the owners lived on whitaker ave & had a built-in swimming pool, right out in the open, right next to the road, strangely, for yrs but eventually filled it in & cemented it over. They had some pretty ruff & tuff sons who eventuall took over the station. I remembr 1 of them gettin in troubl for shootin off a "zip-gun".
"Horn & Hardardts"
*omg! i remembr my parents takin me there & i kept a spoon that was engraved w/horn & hardarts & i was amazed at the cafateria/trays & automat style eatery, which is the only place i ever saw such a thing. Oh yeah..BAKED BEANS!! the "famous"(?) baked beans. it was great!
(end of pt 1 of 2)
(pt 2)
"Playtown"
*playtown!?. I havent thought of that in over 40 yrs. Wasnt that a toy store right about same locale as horn & hardarts? i seem to remembr colorful painted clowns & toys (like blocks & jack-in-the-box) motif painted along the wall high up kind of? was it next 2 or part of f/fair building? & i remembr a wooden (blue?) newstand 4 many yrs was there nearby. cant remembr, @ castor or tyson? This is blowin my mind.
"and Cortman Lanes?"
*i did moocho bowling at cottman lanes (altho im havin troubl rememberin exact locale. seems like it was close 2 but not quite as far up as roosv mall & on opposite side of st.? I remembr a $3 all nite bowl special i took advan of a few times. oh man!
"Remember the little pretzel stand outside Lit
Bros."
*super vague, but i think i almost remem that.
heres a good 1 for u. i once (via my friend & his fathers biz) actually sold pretzels @ connie mack stadium! How's THAT 4 a memory?
"There was a general store between Afton and
Napfle called Marlow's. They had great penny
candy."
*tryin so hard 2 place that, where was afton? seems like it was close to me?
"Jardel dances on Friday nights."
*i dont recall doin any dances but i sure played alot of basketb & tennis (was so hard to get a court) & swam in the pools. Mayb ping pong inside? I know its still there, a coupl yrs ago when i was playin w/googl & st. view i got a good shot of the glass plaque out front near the cor, but i had alot troubl gettin the building cuz a stupid bus passed the googl van just as it was passin jardel's.
"Fall "Lawn Fetes" for Resurrection church in the lot at
Shelmire & Castor"
*oh wow, i think i remem that cuz i think possib that was along the shorcut route i took (mayb im off a littl?) from where i lived at end of whitaker av (anita dr) when headin up 2 roos mall. 1 of those churches, seems 2 my memory was fairly lg & modern & impressive lookin.. so vague now.. wasnt 1 very modrnstic & A-framey shaped?
Hey jeff (if u get back 2 this blog, or if not, maybe someone else can ans..), i feel a strong memory of that name..barsons..but i cant place it. I saw it was ice cream & that sounds familiar also..i MUSTVE been, but cant remember where or the look of. Also, tryin 2 remember castor & tyson..thought they both ran same direction?...but did they meet at an angle at cottman maybe?...is that where you (he) means?
Jeff (nehs class69)
* correction:
i found my mistake above... where i spoke little stripmall on napfle b4 rhawn...i meant dungan, not napfle. (the lunchonette, people's drug store [later], the big gas station & garage/mechanics at corner..)
*Correction: i used google maps (very diffic on this handset) & see my mistake... that castor & tyson do not run same way nor meet at cottman... but i distictly remember walking shortcut around backside of nehs headin up to roosv mall & winding up on a diagonal st at cottman. Well, it appears to be elgin, tho i dont remember that name.
"My brother and I used to like to watch the
goldfish in Kresge's (Woolworth's?) "
* im so confused by this "kresge's" thing. I remember the fish, the parakeets (someone else mentioned), the kresge name & the woolworths name... but cant remember where (my neigborrhood closer to jardel & most of my hangouts were between there & everything away from direction of oxc)?
"Remember the Hush Puppies shoe store? They
had two bassett hounds that you could pet."
*sorta remember that altho i thought hush puppies were just a brand sold in various other shoe stores rather than its own but vaguely remeber sign. What i DO remember was goin to "father & son's" (prolly in same area..?) & while im not sure if they were part of the hush puppies line, fondly remember the ectremely popular "desert boots" (ankle high, suede & plain & comfortable. Had many pairs of those. If i recall, they had almost every kind of style shoe u can imagine there & way back in the day, they were only about $7 or $8 a pr. Wingtips, desert boots, penny loafers, converse....and haha...if u ever wore white socks (outside of gym) u would be "shot at dawn"!
Wasn't there an "A&P" supermarkt somewhere in general area also?
I really hope someone can help me validate, if not possib even document a memory. In fact, 1 of, if not the earliest memory i have. I was brought to ne philly as a baby. As far as i know, my 1st abode there was on ogontz ave at a place that i believe was called either ogontz arms or ogontz manor. Many yrs later, before my mom died i asked her about this memory & she said the place we lived was not what i mention above, but next door to it. I think she was wrong & the name was indeed what i note above. I didnt get the chance to explore the question any further w/her, nor have i ever been able to find anything on this. Anyway, it had to be mid to late 50's cuz i then moved to overbrook park (brockton rd) for approx a yr & then to anita dr at end of whittaker ave in fox chase or rhawnhurst or oxc or whatever it was ?? (i would like help on that question as well...). The development on anita dr & lorna dr were new when we moved in & were duplexes called "spacesetters" & we moved in, i believe in 1959, when i was about 8. Thus ogontz ave dwelling musta been mid to later 50's. If i had to guess, the incident im harkening back to was likely between '56 & '58. I went to Pennell elementary at that point. My mother & father & self were awakened in the middle of night as the place was on fire, a bad fire. We got out just in the nick of time, running out in our underwear & pajamas, is my recollection. I was pretty freaked out, i imagine, being around 5-7 yrs old & after we made our way out to the sidewalk/street, we looked back at the terrible blaze & i will never 4get what i saw then happen as it is both literally & figureatively "burned" into my brain. The entire front wall of the apt building we just escaped from, collapsed in flames! I believe the place was all brick. I seem to have a very clear memory of seeing (most likely the next day) a front page (?) picture in the paper (inquirer, bulletin, daily news, local ogontz ???) of that place in flames & the collapsing or already collapsed wall. I dont believe my memory could be wrong of such a catastrophic event but while i never have 4gotten it, i never heard or saw it mentioned again anywhere (even tho i have tried w/extremely limited resources & googled, to find this occurance or even simply a pic & name of those apts). It was due to that fire that we wound up moving to brockton rd in overbrook pk, for approx a yr, before moving to anita dr new house (where i stayed til 1969 & came back in 73 for a little while & parents lived until both passing (2007 & 2011), so 50 yrs +).
I hope that somebody has a memory of those apts & maybe the fire & possibly a link to any pics of. If so, i will try to keeep in touch w/this blog, but it is hard to deal w/this site using this handset as it doesnt play well w/this site & i have no other pc or internet currently, so maybe better to contact me at "nowurtalkin222(at yahoo dot com).
Thanks
jeff
To Nowurtalkin (your comment to Bob)
This is Bob.
Comly was the cross street.
One block North is Benner. Then Deveraux. I think vanKirk is one street south. Shisler was 4 streets west of Castot... Alma, Lorreto?, Belden, Shisler, Frontenac, Algon, Sommerdale.
wow, I remember a lot of the castor av places fondly. i remember my father working 2nd shift and my mother dragging us out shopping while he was at work. if it wasn't up castor it was over to the penn fruit at frankford and pratt which was a little closer than cottman. i also remember being just at the edge of the catholic hood before it turned to the jewish hood. roughly around comly i would say the delineation was. i grew up at van kirk and lorreto and went to st martins then frankford
great mems all, god bless!
Lest we forget: I think first 3D movie "Bwana Devil" at the Castor - spear goes right from screen into the audience! And surprised I didn't see mention of The Toddle House - Castor Ave and Unruh. Great burger, terrific pickles, and best hash browns on planet earth.
I believe the restaurant was Ming Palace
I was 13 in 1960 and remember going Jim Bradley's on Sundays. My Mom let me smoke rather than get into the habit of sneaking things I guess. I forget whether I smoked in the restaurant. I probably did. I think the bowling alley I went to was on Longshore in Tacony. When I was 16 I hung around with HS seniors, We went to a Sunday dance at the Boulevard Pools. It had an odd name. My fav dance was a slight Sunday night road trip to St. Joes at 16th and Allegheny.
i was nehs class of 76.i grew up around frontenac and gilham. i remember ritchies at the corner of greeby and frontenac.this blog makes me feel so good because of all the great memories i had as a kid, i wish would not have changed but life goes on.so i would love to thank the person who started this blog
I just found this site! I lived on Oxford ave and went to St Martin's, Fels and NEHS for 2 yrs before we moved out of the area. The Chinese place across from teh Tyson was called China House for many years before it was sold and became Ming Palace. China house was owned by a man named Jimmy and Ming was owned by a lady named May. My Mom worked there as a cashier on Sundays and when I got older I ran take out orders back to the kitchen. late 60's -70's circ!
I lived in O.C. from 1966 until 1999. I attended Fels Junior High School and I graduated N.E H.S in 1972. Some of the best years of my life were spent in this area. I remember the Neighborhood Center on Bustleton Avenue where our youth group (BBG) attended dances on Saturday nights. On Friday nights we had parties (called socials) in someone's basement. My girlfriends and I would often walk to Cottman (Roosevelt Mall) to shop or hang out. I remember the Hot Shops on Levick and Bustleton, Continental Pizza (on Castor Ave) where I had my first job, Knorr Street Pharmacy where I ordered medicine to be delivered to my house, even though I wasn't sick just because the guy I had a crush on worked there. I remember our super close group of girlfriends who always walked to school together. We did everything together. Even all our neighbors were like family.
After I got married, my parents moved to Pine Valley and wanted my husband and I to move in to the same O.C. home on Levick Street (by the Tarken playground) where I grew up. I raised my three sons there until 1999. I was glad that they got to spend much of their childhood in the same home and the same neighborhood as I did for all those years. Those precious memories will be part of us forever.
Rina Kohn-Yaary
It brings tears to my eyes. My dad at 95 still lives on souder street. Dantes pizza,stumpos pizza,continental pizza, new England pizza all there before gearos. The hoary winter of age as Thomas Jefferson averred. It is indeed true that we love the most whom we had loved first. Jack in the box on bustleton, now a Dunkin donuts. Are you kidding me. I would go back in a minute.
Mhelzner
Those who have reminesce about the Bogoslavsky Bakery I'm sad to say My Aunt Arlene Bogoslavsky just past today.
she was the last child of Harry who was the chief baker.
My Aunt was a regular on Band Stand and and grew up in Strawberry mansion.
im the grandson of Harry sure do missed those salt sticks
Very proud to be a descent of that famous landmark and Today I honnor the last OF Harry s children
We moved from Poplar Street to 6059 Frontenac Street (corner of Benner) in 1949 and moved to Baltimore in 1959. Those were some of the best years of my life.
Went to Carnell from 1950 to '57, then Fels Jr. High. Left Philly after graduation from Fels, so I never got a chance to go to the 'new' Northeast High.
Carnell was right across the street and I remember playing ball on its baseball diamond, now covered by portable classrooms.
Great memories of Saturday matinees at the Benner, from the special '21 Cartoon' shows to westerns. My brother and I would get 25 cents for admission and a dime each for candy. It always went for a 15-cent box of popcorn and a box of Good'n'Plenty. I also remember the ice cream bonbons there.
The interior of the Benner was all Art Deco with classical themes and drawings would be held on stage for various products; I once won a Hebrew National salami and bologna :-) Also yo-yo contests on stage with representatives of the two big yo-yo manufacturers, Duncan and Cheerio.
I remember Burt's pharmacy on the corner, with a big 'Come on in - it's COOL inside!' sign on the door, advertising its air conditioning, still a rarity in the early '50s. I'd buy Nik-L-Nips there - wax bottles filled with flavored syrups.
On the other side of the Benner was Polly's (I remember when it opened); I remember good burgers, hoagies and milk shakes.
Across the street from the theater was Frank's, a combination hobby shop-soda fountain-newsstand. Frank's son worked the counter when his dad, who had diabetes, got older. I bought dozens of Revell model kits there, mostly planes and ships.
Around the corner was Angelo's barber shop. We'd get a dollar from our mom to get flattops; best part was waiting in the shop - he had a great selection of comic books to read while waiting out turn. There were 3 barbers there, but I'd always waitfor Angelo because it meant I could keep the dime we'd ordinarily give to his barbers, since you didn't have to tip the owner.
On the same side of the street as Frank's was a realty office and a hardware store. On the opposite side of the street was the A&P food market and a furniture store at Comly.
The Chinese restaurant on Castor towards Cottman was called Lee's; we'd eat there a few times a month.
I remember weekly dances at Temple Sholom, where I was Bar Mitzvah in 1958 under Rabbi Pinchus Chaisen.
BTW, the Vice Principal at Fels at that time was named Berkowitz; the Principal was Mr. Ginsberg.
My father was partners with his niece's husband in Squire's Men's Shops; the one on Castor Avenue was run by Sam Rashow and my dad's store was at 7318 Frankford Avenue in Mayfair. My mom managed a ladies' millinery and handbag shop off the Boulevard called Luria's.
When I wasn't playing ball at Tarken playground in the summer, I went to day camp at Somerton Swim Club, still there in Feasterville.
I remember going to Burholme Park on many Sundays during the summer with my parents and grandparents, who would paly cards at tables set under the trees while we kids would play ball.
I also remember, in those days without air conditioning, taking rides in the early evening in my dad's '53 Buick through Pennypack Park with the windows down to cool off or driving all the way out Bustleton Avenue to the Dairy Queen custard stand, the first one in the area.
Spent a lot of time at the Bushrod library reading and checking out books. In the next block was a sporting goods place where I'd buy fishing tackle and take the 59B to Pennypack to fish in the creek or on Saturdays take the Frankford el downtown to Gimbel's, Wanamaker's and Strawbridge's. Lunch at the H&H Automat was always a treat
I remember my dad having his car serviced at the Gulf station in the little triangle formed by Frontenac, Van Kirk and Oxford Avenue.
Many more great memories, but I'll tackle those another time. Thanks for the blog site!
These memories are all great. I grew up on Hellerman St., went to Carnell, Wilson, then Fels, Olney, and graduated from Northeast. Growing up in the NE was the best. Looking forward to visiting this site.
I remember going to Polar Club at Cottman and Large for Custards, and then going across the street to H&H for their creamed vegetables, fishcakes, and rice puddings. Also Kresge's, sitting at the counter for a cherry or vanilla coke, and grilled cheese sandwich---Those were the days, wish they were still here, so I could start over again.
I remember that guy yelling "Im buying men's clothing" in a sing-song voice! He scared me to death as a small child.
Wasn't the place at tyson and castor corner called tyson grill? It was a silver diner type place (later became a cheesy shoe store) that specialized in waffles and ice cream. It was very 50's and i think became novick in the early 60's.
I remember many holocaust survivors on castor between knorr and unruh.: the shoe repair, beauty parlor and a religious store selling jewish things and jewelry-Rosenbergs maybe? At NE in the 70's there were some students whose parents were also
Yes, the family-style restaurant at Castor & Tyson was called Tyson Grill, where I'd order the '21 shrimp' platter in the 1950's. It's now (or was at my last visit a few years ago) a discount shoe store.
I do remember the Western Savings Bank on Castor. The neon sign out front was a cowboy riding a bucking bronco.
Anyone remember crossing the Tacony-Palmyra bridge (cost a nickel) to go to the Palmyra Drive-In theater during summers? We'd bring a big styrofoam tank of Kool-Ade and stick those metal speakers on the side window.
Or driving by the big Roger Wilco liquor store on the way to Atlantic City? The Steel Pier GM car exhibit in the 1950's? The Diving Horse and the Diving Bell? Dancing waters in the theater? Dinner at Shumsky's or the Nosherei? Hackney's or Capt. Starn's? Zaberer's? Great days. :-)
ok I'm looking a place my mom says was on the corner of castor and levick .she would take us there to get tacos.it would be on the side of the bank.plz help.
patricia
The Chinese Restaurant was called, "The China House".
Also, Gilbert Lee laundry between Cottman and St Vincent and let's not forget Kutner Buick on the corner of St. Vincent and Castor
I am really enjoying all of these memories of the Oxford Circle. I grew up on the 5100 block of Oxford Ave. My favorite memory was playing bottle caps every night after dinner on Kenwyn Street with all of my friends.
We eventually moved up to Somerton in 1967, and it took me a long time to get over missing the OC. For those of you who remember the Tyson Grill, it has been a great restaurant for a number of years called "The Rib Rack". It makes Philadelphia Magazine's top rib joint year after year.
My memories are going to the Regal movies and then right next door to the Regal Drug store for an ice cream cone or shake. You could walk the streets at any time at night without a worry. I also remember going down to the "Avenue" to do some shopping with my mom and grandmother. I always had to have my Sunday best clothes on because you always had to look your best to be seen on the "Avenue". You cannot even believe what that "Avenue" is now. It would break your heart!
I now live in Bucks County and every now and then we take a ride back to the old neighbor to see some of my old stomping grounds. Most of the stores and places from my childhood are gone, but at least I have the great memories of them.
Mhelzner, I think I know you. We lived a few houses apart on souder st. Your dad was a band leader and your brother tunes our piano. He played sax on summer nights that filled the air with song. Solis Cohen school was right around the corner and dozens of kids walked on souder street to go there. It was a wonderful neighborhood. Marcykr
The Chinese restaurant on Castor between Tyson and Princeton was called the China House. It was our family's Chinese restaurant of choice. Grew up in 50's and 60's on Kerper off of Castor. We used to frequent Richard's 5 and 10 on Castor between Kerper and Knorr. It later became Joe's when Joe Rappaport owned it. Every summer Joe would sell water ice out front. It was Anush(sp?) and for a quarter, we would get a huge cone. Chocolate was my favorite..
Thanks for the memories - I lived on the 1100 block of Fanshawe and went to Moore Elementary, Fels and Northeast, class of 1974. I am now living in Baltimore - lots of Northeast Philly people here. I found out about the blog from one of them today. I don't think anyone mentioned Cuker's Candy Store at Magee and Summerdale. We used to stop there on our way to Fels in the morning or on our way home. Those were the days!
I lived on the 1300 blk of Fanshawe Class '74
growing up in O.C. better site you can post pix
Thanks for the memories... My brother sent this to me (he's in Connecticut, I'm in Florida). We lived at 6702 Souder St., Next block was Horrocks, and then the potato farm, no kiddin'. As they built new homes and new schools I kept transferring to the next (and closer) one. So I went to Carnell, Solis-Cohen, Spruance, then Moore, Wilson, Lincoln, and NEHS (June '59). Our father had a victory garden before they built Max Meyers Playground and Spruance school. We walked to Castor Avenue for our recreation. Going to the Sat. matinee at the Castor movie (25 cents), or getting an ice cream soda at the soda fountain in Manis Pharmacy were big events.
If you like or are following this blog, you might like the Facebook Group "People from Oxford Circle" https://www.facebook.com/groups/OxfordCirclePhillyNeiborhood2.0/
To the person who mentioned Kutner Buick which was on Castor at St. Vincent. One memory I have is that Kutner opened its showroom to Mambo (or was it Cha-Cha) dancing when that was all the rage.
Bernie in CT
I believe the restaurant was called san remo and the car dealer you speak was originally called Block Pontiac
I don't think Lits ever became a Gimbels. It was Clover after Lits and then a JC Penney store. I believe its vacant currently.
Next to Penn Fruit and Saylor's Cheese and Dairy Shop was Loray's Gift Shop...art supplies and stationary.
Penn Fruit had those neat curved roofs. I remember Saylors and Loray. I went to Wilson and NE and graduated NE in 1975. Both Castor/Cottman/Bustleton had vibrant shopping areas and the neighborhoods were clean and nice. Today Castor and Bustleton are run down, extremely dirty and depressing. Here goes...the older people moved out and what moved in turned the area into a crap hole. It's not about income or dollars. It's about living like a slob and a pig and not caring about the area. I KNOW this is a generalization and does NOT apply to everyone. However take a look around and I defy anyone to tell me what caused the decay of the area.
The China House was on Castor near st vincent
Western Savings Bank was across the street from Lychee Garden. While at Wilson Jr. High, we were given the opportunity to open a student passbook savings account there.
At some point in the future, I received a letter informing me that my interest would be forfeited if not claimed. It could not have been more than $5
You know you're form Oxford circle when...
Is a Facebook page where you can reminence about the good old days
Come join us!
Any oldtimers remember the Wheatsheaf Tavern at Bustleton & Cottman around 1950 or before? Was it on the North side of Cottman or the South side? My email is pa.realtor@comcast.net
Lived in Oxford Circle for most of my life and remember all these great places. I think there was a catering hall around Castor & Benner
Does anyone remember what it was called?
My grandmother lived on the corner of Passmore in a duplex. I used to go visit her many times and we would walk to Caster Avenue and shop. We would also walk over to the playground not too far away from her house int he summer, I think they had some kind of sprinkler that we would play under. Those days were so simple and innocent.
Frank's Soda Shop and variety store at Caster and Benner was my hang out. He never used a cash register, just a cigar box!
The smell of the fresh comic books and newspapers and magazines in Frank's soda shop still haunts me. I'd stop there for 5 or 10 cents worth of penny candy whenever I had 5 or 10 cents.
The corset shop was called Castor Corset Shop I worked there when I was 14
What a great site to remember a happy place for most of us.Graduated in 1965'.One of four brothers the "Nathansons
1208 Hale
St.what a great street,played every ball game there was,worked on fat daddy's pizza,worked at Hertz Furriers,used to cut school and go to New Hope,eating bologney sandwiches and Franks cherry sodaWho remembers Martins gas station on the blvd,where used,recycled oil was 15cents a quart,gas 25cents a gallon.Great stuff Nate
Nate, I remember a Mark Nathanson, who was a friend of my buddy Alan Young. Any relation?
Can't believe no one mentioned BIG BOYS drive in on Roosevelt Blvd & Cottman Av. where K-Mart is now. Hung out there thru the 60's. Greatest place to meet guys. Boulevard Pools, in late 50's early 60's was an amusement park and later became the pool, was closer to Tyson and the Blvd. not where K-Mart is. Also the Regal theatre where I saw the original "Ocean's Eleven".
Great site, many memories. Thanks.
Anyone remember Rachmel's Pharmacy at Oxford & Loretto Aves., Baltimore Market, and hung out at the Thunderbird Lanes when I was 15 (1962). A little safer on the streets back then. Been here 66 years right at the circle don't think I am going anywhere soon. Anyone remember drivers trying to merge into traffic and go around the circle? If you were a new driver once you got in you couldn't get out!
I remember Sam and Ben's deli next to Bogoslavsky's
And all the stores on Castor Av . Besides the man buying men' s clothing does anyone remember a guy who said "we buy all kind of furniture, any old kind of furniture?
The farmhouse and windmill at Robbins and Loretto became a church where me and my 2 brothers were confirmed. Sadly, the church, Holy Spirit Luthern after 70 years closed its doors in the spring of 2013.
Gene's pharmacy at Castor & Cottman ... and the guy who sold pretzels near there out of a push cart.
I worked at Gene's Deli on Castor Ave, I was 14-15 at the time. I would go in once a week after he closed and clean the meat coolers, sweep up. He paid me cash. He was pretty mean but I guess I did a good job since he didn't fire me! I still remember him cursing in polish!
I just read of the passing of Margaret Hahn who, with her husband, operated Hahn's Pastry Shop on the 7000 block of Castor Ave. a few stores removed from the Tyson Theater. I very well remember the outstanding butter cake and the kindness of Mrs. Hahn.
longshore man said: the rest. on cottman was orig. san remo, then pinnochio's?? anybody recall the savarin in the roos. mall which then became herman brooks sporting goods..we used to hang at the Galaxy for fuseball on weekend nites...n.e.high class 82..brooklyn bagels..harry's luncheonette across from the tyson grille..ben's fish market in between glenview & longshore on bustleton down a few doors from the orig. Famous deli.. playland amusement park..our lady of ransom had lawn festivals on summer nites in the early 70s..
Here's something guaranteed to stir memories & I've never seen it mentioned b4. Not sure how far back you have to go (for me it was mid 60's) but THE SMELL OF THE NABISCO PLANT as you drove by on the Blvd. Yes! You remember & can never forget that pervasive & enticing sweet smell!
Does anyone remember driving down to South Philly, to South St., to a place called "the candyman" or later it was "the bagelry"? (it was in between 2nd & 3rd sts).
Ok, let's talk about a "layline", or a "vortex"...NEHS/BURGER CHEF/7-11/JARDEL/COUNTRY CLUB DINER... all within a couple of blocks. Whew!
Drove down from Rhawnhurst to the Electric Factory, the original, down on arch St around 68 or 69 & saw Janis Joplin for $3 !
While in high school (nehs) my band was on the Ed Hurst show!
Does anyone from there in the early to mid 60's remember driving the turnpike to a place called the Downingtown Farmers Market? (a very cool but little known place). How about going to the original unbelievable cherry Hill mall, one of the 1st major indoor malls? They had trees & an aviary there.
You mentioned original famous deli.. I don't remember that one per se, but I used to work in an optical repair shop at 703 s. 3rd St down in South Philly & straight down the street, 1 block, at Bainbridge, was one of the true joys of my life then...and I thought it was the one & only, (but maybe not..), "FAMOUS" delicatessen. Rubens to die for & the best roast beef I ever had! I'm not positive but a couple yrs ago I tried to use Google maps to see if it was still there & oddly, I can't remember what I found. I did however, find nehs, Wilson, and the country club diner & using Street view I actually made a little movie of those 3 places, travelling up & down the street. I was amazed to find the diner looking much the same as it did, nearly 50 yrs ago after what I think I remember as the big rebuild, from the old real diner into the prefab looking diner it is today & when I went to high school (aftern1st going to the diner haha). What a time that was!!
Thanks for the wonderful memories. Will have to jog my memory and come up with some good thought. It was such a smiler time.
I found some old photos I took of Tony the barber at Tony's Barber Shop on Castor Avenue. Does anyone know how I can post the photos here?
I grew up on the 1200 block of Magee Avenue. Castor Avenue was a wonderful place to wander and shop. There used to be some great Jewish delis along the avenue but I imagine they are all gone now. Castor Deli near Gilham Street had great corned beef sandwiches. Continental Pizza on Magee and Castor had great food as well!
Does anyone remember the little corner stores in the neighborhood? Cukers on Magee and Summerdale, there was another little store at Greeby and Summerdale I think was Freda & Al's. Cukers had a great soda fountain, made good pizzas and had a huge candy selection behind a huge, glass and wood display case.
We moved to Oxford Circle in 1952, where my brother and I enrolled in a brand new elementary school: J.H. Moore. I graduated from there in ‘56, Fels in ‘59 and NE in ’62. Florida resident since the early 70s, but have returned on occasion. While Oxford Circle may not be today what it was during the 50s and 60s, it would be hard to find a better time and place to have grown up. We were truly fortunate to have been in the cross-hairs of that place and time.
Where do I start? Guess the best start is with food: I do recall The Nosherei, Knockbuckle, and Tyson Grill, but no one mentioned The TyCast Manor which had been located until about 1956 on the NW corner of Tyson and Castor (not far from the China House restaurant).
Then there was McKee’s Candy store (which eventually became Cuker’s?) run by 3 very friendly elderly sisters on the NE corner of Summerdale and Magee. They made great 5 cent fountain sodas, and a super good chocolate soda with milk for 6 cents. SW corner was Dr. Alvin Berger (chiropodist) and on the NW corner was Dr. Meshkov (oral surgeon).
There was mention of H&H (Horn & Hardart), but we had two of them: a cafeteria and retail shop on the NE corner of Cottman and Large, and a sit-down restaurant just off Roosevelt Blvd. near Levick. On the NW corner of Large and Cottman right across from H&H was the Kresge mentioned earlier by another contributor.
Before Woolworth’s moved to Castor near Hellerman St., it used to be located close to the Benner Movie theater. Someone needed help with the name of the catering place near Castor and Benner; I believe it was called The Northwood.
If you go to intersection of Algon and Levick: SW corner was the Algon Market (small grocery store) and Saltzmann’s Pharmacy. Across the street (SE corner) was a tiny basement barber shop; with the sweetest older gent, Sam Kotolnick. Dear Sam was a great “old-school” barber, who suffered from a heart condition; it was a very sad day (@ 1964) when he told me he had to close up shop. Since his shop was so close to Fels, here are the names of its principal and v. principal when the school first opened: Morris B. Ginsburg and Meyer Berkowitz; by the time I graduated in 1959, the names were: Harry A.Warshaw and Doris M. Press.
Back to Castor Ave.: Someone referred to the corset shop at 6614 as “Mi-Lady Corset Shoppes,” and another referred to the name as “Castor Corset Shop.” These may have been the names at some time or another, but during the early 60s, it was called “Oak Lane Corset Shop;” owner/manager was a big, friendly, and generous man named Sam Siegel, who passed away all too suddenly in March, 1964. With the exception of John’s Bargain Stores, what a great array of stores on that same side of the block: Klein’s Curtain Mart, Sobel’s Records/Hobby, Castor Deli; before John’s Bargain Store arrived, I believe it was a Rexall Drug store, which had a great soda-fountain/lunch counter. Just across the street from all of this was the little old Food Fair which became Vic Tanny’s. The public schools agreed to allow Western Savings Fund to encourage students to open up savings accounts. I recall opening mine in 1953, and believe it or not, the passbook interest rate was 3%; that’s a lot better than what they offer today!
How well I remember reaching out from the rear driver’s side window and putting a nickel in the toll collector’s hand-held coin “gun” at the toll plaza on the Tacony-Palmyra Bridge. Years later driving my own car across the bridge (toll up to 10 cents) we used to hand the collector 20 cents and pay for the car behind us; won’t be doing that across the George Washington Bridge!
……and then there was Sun-Ray Drug Store making way to The Gingham House. More on that next-time, perhaps?
I lived on the 1500 block of Rosalie St. Venturing across the Blvd never happened till HS if at all. It seems the Ex-Phily-Guy shared my blvd limit since he didn't mention the Regal theater. Cheltenham Ave. by Wissinoming park was a dirt road and a major bike riding accomplishment. I remember seeing the Ellis theater in "line wrapped around the block mode" the "Jailhouse Rock" movie starring guess who?
On May 20, 2013 at 11:01 PM Stoshman said...
Anyone remember crossing the Tacony-Palmyra bridge (cost a nickel) to go to the Palmyra Drive-In theater during summers?
I remember crossing it when we would visit our cousins.
how about harry sobels Loretta and bridge pinball costing a quarter used to play at a store called genes across from fels also a chick named Debbie sadikoff lived on large near magee
Does anyone ember The Mardi Gras bar on Castor ave
From an old Olney ite
Oh all those weekends at the Tunnel from 6th and Grange and Germantown crowd
Harry's in the 60s. Brian, Denny, Fanger, Casey, Eddie, Dennis, Bob
I believe the correct spelling is Bogoslovski's Bakery. I don't remember one at Greeby, but I visited the bakery on Wyoming ave. in the 60's many times. I still remenber their Russian Pumpernickel and it was great. Nothing like it anywhere now a days.
Not from Castor Ave area but am trying to find information about my husband's grandfather's bakery on Castor Ave (probably late 1940s thru 1950s). Don't know the name of it, so I know it's a stab in the dark...my husband's grandfather's name was Francis Ostrelich. We have a picture of a building that at sometime after the bakery was "Dapper Dan's" Bar (if I can make out the details on the picture correctly!)Any recollections would be appreciated!
Thanks! Teri Ostrelich
terio109@aol.com
Not sure if anyone mentioned the Toddle House, between Unruh and Magee, I believe. Cheeseburgers to die for There was a kosher butcher shop, Silver's, I believe it was called, closer to Benner owned by "Duddle", my best friend's dad growing up. And, how 'bout the great basketball pick-up games at Tarken and Max Meyers?
I am surprised that nobody metioned "Arnold's". This was considered a candy store, but they sold everthing from candy to the worst Pizza in town.
Arnold's was located on the corner of Augusta and Comly streets.
They had 2 pinball machines in the back room that probably generated most of their revenue.
I am young, 47 years old, but somehow have many of the same memories as you. My father just passed away, he had a few businesses and I wanted to know if you know of any of them. He was born on 5th and Lindley Ave, owned a diner on Olney and Ogontz ave. in the 50's-60's I believe. I don't know if it was called the Olney diner or Ogontz diner? That's where he met my mom who was a nurse at Albert Einstein. He liked the way her legs looked in her nursing uniform. He then got into the service station business and owned the Shell gas station and garage, which turned to Gulf later, next to the Nabisco factory on Roosevelt Blvd. His name was Sol Fineman, and he was a "fine man". He had 6 sisters and 1 brother all in NE philly. So I share all of your memories and then some. Who remembers Moishes bakery down off of Bustleton and Red lion road. I too remember Fischers, the Lychee Garden where I always went to lunch with Aunt Sylvie God rest her soul. I graduated from Holy Family college as an RN, BSN. Ended up working at Albert Einstein like my mom. I know live in Maryland, but I so enjoyed reading all of your posts and reliving my childhood. If anyone remembers my fathers businesses, please let me know. I'm writing his Eulogy and Obituary, it would help me. Thank you all!!!
Does anyone remember the Franklin institute ,was it free back then TO go in, My grandfather insists that he used to play in the big model heart there.
I don't know if anybody will remember, but in the mid-60's, Pat's Steaks (THE Pat's Steaks) opened a shop on Cottman, somewhere between Large St. and Horrocks St. It was on the same side of Cottman as the Nick's Roast Beef that opened there some time later. As a promotion when they opened, Pat's had a contest. The winning ticket got one free cheesesteak a week for a year...and my family won! Unfortunately, the shop didn't stay open long, maybe a year or two. As an aside, I went to the Nick's on Cottman recently and it was terrible. Nowhere near as good as in its eaarlier years, let alone the 20th and Jackson original in South Philly.
Rowans "Variety" store on the corner of Sanger Street & Loretta Avenue up through the early 70's. Mom and pop store with wooden floors. A little bit of everything on the walls. Some were up there where they had to use that claw stick to grab something. There was a cash register but the old man would always jot everything on the side of the paper bag he was going to use for your stuff and quickly tally up what you owed. Summertime you would smell sweet water ice in the air. All year long was the glass counter with all sorts of penny candy displayed for sale. On top were the baseball cards, Wacky Packages, and all the other card/flat gum packs. Saw my first $100 bill at Rowans.
Where's all the guys who hung at Harry's and Summerdale Playground in the middle 60s?
Franklin Institute:
The Franklin Institute did charge admission. Back in the mid-1950s it may have been 50 cents. This general admission price included a visit to the Fels Planetarium. In 1958 on any given Saturday morning, you'd find me somewhere with the facility. Back then for $3.00 one could obtain an annual pass with unlimited access to the museum/planetarium. This annual pass also provided members with access to the museum's vast science library. We were decades away from Internet access and Google searches, but between this science library and the main branch of the Philadelphia Public Library just across the Parkway, research for school projects was a wonderful adventure. I cannot count the number of times I observed the liquid oxygen demonstrations executed by Institute staffers Vivian Di Venti and Roy Satori. Also, big that year (1958) was the demo of the Atomic Energy Commission by George Vahger (spelling?) from Oak Ridge, TN. No trip to the Institute would be complete without a walk through the giant heart, which was, for the younger kids and the young at heart, more an educational "funhouse" experience. The Bell Telephone exhibit was reasonably high-tech and quite interesting -particularly the lesson on microwave energy (as applied to communications), which was expertly presented by the wonderful Mrs. Watkins. Also,one could go into a soundproof booth and take a hearing test. What a treasure ~ the Franklin Institute!
Regarding Pat's Steaks:
In the early 1950s, in addition to its S. Philly location, there was a Pat's Steak in Strawberry Mansion right near Cherry's (Ice Cream Parlor) at 33rd and York Sts. For a very short time sometime around 1953-54, there was a Pat's Steak on Martin's Mill Rd. near that triangular island where Magee, Gilham and Bingham Sts. intersect. After a Saturday matinee at the Lawndale Movie Theatre (that was ten years before it became the Abbey Stage Door in 1964), we'd pick up a couple of steak subs and bring them home for our dinner. If I recall correctly a whole steak sub cost 49 cents - cheesesteak went for 59 cents! Fifteen years later, a whole cheesesteak at Dante's Inferno @ 6400 block of Castor Ave. sold for 69 cents. Inflation was not too much of an issue. As for health care, back in the mid-fifties, there where family physicians who made house-calls (which included a shot of penicillin in the gluteous maximus) for a grand total of $5.00. I'd prefer a cheesesteak to a doctor's visit. Try to purchase a decent cheesesteak sub today for five bucks!
In mentioning the Lawndale movie theatre, it brought to mind 2 great movies I enjoyed at the Oxford Theatre in 1953: "Titanic" starring Clifton Webb, Barbara Stanwyck, and Robert Wagner, and in 3-D "House of Wax" with Vincent Price. Now we can sit comfortably in our own homes and watch movies in High Definition, 3-D, and/or Ultra-HD.
Anonymous, I remember that before it was Arnold's, it was Jack's, run by a crotchety old man who didn't care much for kids. I remember that around 1954 he brought in a pizza oven. My mother used to send me there (I lived on Frontenac) to get her Pall Mall cigarettes at 25 cents a pack. Back then they'd sell them to kids.
Too bad this site has become stagnant; so many memories to share!
Patricia Phy asked about the tacos at the corner of Levick and Castor. That was at JACK IN THE BOX!!
The Chinese Restaurant on Castor Ave between Brighton St and Princeton Ave was The China House.
Ronnie's at Castor and Longshore came on the scene about the same time as Burger Chef on Cottman Ave across from Northeast High School. Ronnie's, just like Burger Chef was hamburgers, NOT hot dogs....15 cent hamburgers, I might add.
Lit Brothers DID NOT become Gimbels. Gimbels was on Cottman Ave, just East of the Cottman-Bustleton Center. Once Gimbels went out of business, that building became Sears and remains so today. The Lit Brothers store, at Castor & Cottman, became a Clover, then J.C. Penney and now it's a Burlington Coat Factory.
Does anyone remember the Italian Restaurant, La Strada, at Castor Ave & Knorr on the East side of the street. It was sort of built into a row of homes on Castor Ave; a zoning nightmare of residential/commercial in the same block courtesy of The City of Philadelphia.
We must have been in Spruence at the same time, grad 1976
I am happy to see a reference to Pat's (its neon sign said "Tomato Pies")on Martin's Mill Road, near Magee and Rising Sun Ave. Before Dante's, Jummies (near Spruance) or any of the later-opening places, if you wanted a steak sandwich near Oxford Circle, you essentially had only 2 choices: Pat's Tomato Pies or the JC Ranch in Juniata (old Castor Ave.). BTW-This is a very informative blog. There are numerous nostalgic Facebook pages dealing with the Northeast in the 50's - 70's but the people posting here have much more accurate memories. Of course, this site will dwindle since almost everything that is worthy of being remembered, has been recorded here. FOr anyone who is interested: Born 1947. Spruance,Fels, & NE (Jan 1965). Lived on 6500 Souder.
In my memory the tacos that Patricia Phy asked about at the corner of Levick and Castor was actually Taco Bell! Pretty unbelievable, it was in the 60's (maybe early 70's and did become a Dunkin Donuts)-considering Mexican food wasn't even on the Philly radar until decades later. Always thought it was weird that a high end unique Mexican restaurant opened in the 90s where Lenny's hot dog place had been.
I think in the 50's and 60's there was still the influence of Old World life and traditions in the neighborhood. I remember the businesses like the shoe repair, beauty salon and Rosenbergs (known as "The Religious Store") owned by Holocaust survivors (I went to school with some of their children). Also the vendors that used to walk down the driveways. The one yelling "I'm buying men's clothing," in that creepy sing songy voice was particularly scary.
I'm NEH '74 and I remember the Burger Chef was replaced by McDonald's and it was a huge deal to go over there (next to a dry cleaner). They also put a Coke machine in the lunchroom and there was always a huge line to buy one. A few years ago I was watching the Tony Danza reality show where he teaches English there for a year and so many things appeared unchanged. The auditorium seemed to have the same hard wooden seats and the discipline office looked the same as when the super intimidating Dean Allen was there.
I moved away around 1980 and when I would come back to visit I would walk on Castor to Cottman and it was obvious it was over when the delis went from homemade corn beef to Boar's Head. And the Tyson Movies because Mirro's Fur. The Orleans, which was a new Twin theatre where I saw the Beatles in "Help" kept multiplying and got more and more rundown. Finally it closed and now there's not even a movie theatre in the area at all. My elderly parents sold their rowhouse on Kerper St. in 2005 for $90K. Last time I was there a few years ago I saw Castor was full of storefront churches with hand lettered signs. I read that in the high school that used to be Fels, only about 12% of the students can read at grade level, drug dealers are the only ones hanging out at Tarken and the unfortunate elderly still left are victimized in home robberies. Sad but time does move on and things don't always get better.
im trying to find out more on bogoslavsky family, which one are you talking about. i know there were alot of brothers. thanks any help on family stuff is appreciated
Your grandfather is correct. The Franklin Institute in the 1960s had a giant plaster heart you could walk through. Maybe it still does. I would guess it was probably one of the first interactive museums, with displays allowing kids to do science experiments.
If I remember the story correctly, the giant locomotive in the basement was rolled in on the tracks and the building put up around it. I remember actually riding on it. They started it a few times a day and rolled it back and forth. I seem to recall a P-51 MUSTANG fighter plane in there as well that kids could sit in.
I think Dante's offspring was named "Callan" not "Kellin". He used the name "Mickey" and then "Micheal." I remember they had autographed publicity photos of him on the wall.
He was in a network sut-Com called "Occasional Wife" about a bachelor who hired a woman to pretend to be his bride so his boss would think he was a settled married guy.
Today, that series would be called "Craigslist Escort ".
The chinese restaurant on castor near tyson was called The Ming Palace.
I was raised in oc 6003 summerdale ave across from har nebo cemetery went to carnell fels & ne high thank you all for the memories sure brought them out in ca now jacks then arnolds pin ball champ got my name on the back of many machines again thank you for the memories if I could do it again I most surely would later
The Northwood
I remember Knockbucklers. They had a sandwich by the same name . It had a special sauce Can you tell me about it? Please reply to joelspivak@comcast. Net
I love that place . Welsh's . They had Cheeseburger hoagies . Yum yum
Hey Joel - their daughter Hope Welsh was my Jr HS teacher at Wilson. Very good teacher.
Ott's Cameras just recently closed maybe like a month ago
I loved dantes pizza and remember the mural clear as a bell. The devil was smiling watching people stuck to the cheese on the pizza. Also worked at the regal and castor theaters 66 to 67, I remember Myer Goldman was the doorman at the castor, always trying to see something, this was during the 67 arab war and they were showing israeli propaganda films such as "guns over israel", but nobody bought tickets. The refal burned in 67 from a suspicious fire in the roof.
does anyone remember the restaurant at blvd and red lion rd in the 60's later became ye olde ale house. Thought is was leon and eddy's
Grew up in Frankford '75. I would visit my brother on Belden st. near Castor and Benner. Took my girlfriend to all the movie theaters on Castor ave. There was a Chinese restaurant next to the Benner theater. I think the name was Hong kong Express. It was the first Chinese food I ever had. Wonton soup and Shrimp fried rice with hot Chinese tea. I loved it and still remember it to this day. I had a chance to leave Frankford and moved to California in 86 and took it. it. I can still also remember the Jack-in-the-box about Cottman ave. as being the first drive-thur I ever did and would go a lot after playing at the pool room in the mall near there. I also loved Arthur Treahers fish and chips back then. The OC I remember was a nice safe clean middle class rowhouses jewish neighborhood. About 11 years ago I was talking to my father about some of the old areas in philly and he mention that some of the old areas were not the same and that OC was the new North Philly. I almost fainted. I didn't believe him. He also me that my old street in a war zone and not to come back. I was really sadden to hear this to say the least. Take care.........
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