Jermaine

Yes, I remember the GEMCO near Northline Mall on Airline. It was really a forerunner to what would become the 'superstore' model...we'd grocery shop there, there was an auto department and everything in between. My mother did a lot of sewing, and there was a huge fabric department there. And the toy section...'sigh'. You know, I got chills when I think of the massive amount of Mego superheroes and Shogun Warriors that were at that Gemco. Later, Star Wars...tons of Star Wars toys. I got my Kiss dolls from there.And another overpowering memory...popcorn and cherry ICEE's. There was a Sambo's in the parking lot...which later became a Sizzler. And to seal the deal on pop-culture merchandise perfection, there was a Toys R Us across the freeway. Northline Mall, A General Cinema, a Shakey's Pizza...all to the south. The Super GoKart track and arcade was directly behind the GEMCO. And then, there was Astroworld.... and the Houston Oilers.

OAK TREE 'nuff said.

hi... my name is Jermaine Rogers...Im a poster artist. I lived in the Montrose from the early 90's until about a year ago (I moved to Colorado 9 months ago). If you've been around the Montrose anytime in the last 15 years, you probably saw my work. I created all of those weird, screenprinted rock and roll concert posters and several other posters for dozens of Montrose shops, papers, Houston Press, Public News, etc. I miss the Montrose. Badly. Im in Manitou Springs, Co. which is lovely...a Rivendell kinda place...but something about the Montrose on a Saturday afternoon....it just cant be replaced. i was one of the last artists in our 'circle' who actually remained int he Montrose: I was blessed enough to actually, like...make money doing art. Most of them were forced out...the great big mansions-cum-duplexes that they lived in were torn down. In their place, big condo boxes. ugly. so were a lot of the new 'neighbors'. i knew bad things were on the horizon when a bunch of the suburban yuppie transplants were involved in getting the Street Festival moved (i.e.) shut down. its very cyclical in society: the eccentrics come and 'develop' the cultural aesthetics of a neighborhood...and then the 'degreed' suburbanite, desperate for a good dose of real-life artistic 'zeitgeist', move in and quickly begin building their better beast. montrose aint what it once was. i remember the distinctly dangerous air about the place in the mid-late 80's/early 90's. I for one LOVED it. artists, musicians, pushers and junkies...it's always quite a mix for new ideas. i can distinctly remember running back and forth between Emo's, Goat's Head Soup, Hoi Polloi in the Heights and The Vatican on Washington. They were headytimes...but you felt alive...and the neighborhood was YOURS. ive got to get back and visit the place. i miss it. all of you there, dont take it for granted. Its a wonderful slice of Houston...unlike anything else there. I miss the ghetto Kroger on Montrose...hadn't been there in years, as me and the wife opted for the nicer one on Gray. Yea, I guess we sold out in a way too. I lived in a house on Hazard with a 10 foot fence all the way around. To keep the stinking teenagers out. jr

Kuppenheimer spokesman: Gene Peterson...the voice of the Houston Rockets on the radio. Here's one for you guys: BRITT'S in Northline Mall.

Anyone rememebr a pie place that was just outside of the heights? I think it was across 45N from the Heights...on the east side...it was right on the freeway. The sign could be seen from the freeway...it was an image of a man dressed in a little babie's clothing (it mightve been 3 men) and they were holding a big pie. The actual big sign is still up...at least it was 6 months ago when i was in houston...but it's painted over with something else. ????

MOUNTAIN PARK was a place for kids...built on an artificial hill. It was right on the corner of 1-10 and 610...just about a mile south of Northwest Mall. In the ealy 80's, the place would be FULL on weekends...it had that whole hippie-'Big Blue Marble type feel. I remember they had the first 'ball room' (a pit full of colored plastic balls for kids to drown in) that I'd ever seen. We went there on a field trip once: I went to Oak Forest Elementary. The field trip was in 81 or 82, I think. Anyone else remember?

Wonder what became of that cutie on the right?

I grew up in the 70's directly across the street from Palm Center. We lived for a few years in a trailer park...right next to the Midas. I remember going over to the Penny's and buying clothes with my mom out of the SESAME STREET section. There was also a big Montgomery Wards about a block north of Palm Center. I think it's a flea market now. But that Ward's sold the best Mego Superhero figures in town. I found CONAN there...and yyou couldnt find CONAN anywhere. I remember a car dealership being across the street from Palm Center...with this cool lighted sign with palm trees on it. There was also a Big Boy's restaurant on the opposite corner from the Montgomery Wards. That area was really nice during the mid-70's. I have wonderful memories of it...I drove over there 6 months ago...about 2 months before I moved out of Houston...man, its all ghettoed out now. jr

The coolest GLOBE was on North Shepherd...about a mile south of Tidwell. It stood on the current site of the City Of Houston 911 Emergency Center...across the street from St. Pius High School. As a kid, I got lost in that store one day...I was terrified.

The NW Mall location ruled. They had double-paned clear plexi walls dividing the booths and certain sections of the restaurant....with candy inside the walls.

Saw U2 at the Music Hall on the WAR tour. Rememebr going to the Colieseum for wrestling...parking in the lot under 45, and crossing the tunnel bridge that crossed over Buffalo bayou...over to the entrance of the Coliseum. I still remember that red tile on the floors of the corridors...