patsy

Thanks for sharing aerial view.  Yes, that's Costen's circled.  We lived behind St. Anne's School just out of north photo range.  The Bible Cyclorama was another fixture on the east side of Shepherd.  We walked to the Alabama theater on the west side of the street to avoid passing too close to that strange wooden building that was supposedly run by "Baptists."  I believe it was a little further south than this photo shows.  There was a DiMaggio's spaghetti restaurant somewhere in there too and then a Chevy dealership.  On the west side was Parmesan's drive up grocery store where I begged my Mom to buy a bottle of "Stopette" deodorant, not having the faintest idea what deodorant was, only that it was advertised on "What's My Line" and it came in a neat squeeze bottle.  I sprayed it all over myself in the car and my arms were stuck like fly paper to my body!  Funny innocent childhood memory.

The era that I'm referring to is the late 1940's and early 1950's.

I have been trying for years to find someone who remembers Costen's Drugstore.  The location that I remember was at the corner of Shepherd and Westheimer, across from St. Anne's School and Church.  Students were forbidden to go there to buy cokes in the small bottles.  I went with my parents and was scared  to death of old Mr. Costen, a cranky old coot.  He had a neat soda fountain, a creeky screen door at the entrance and the only product I remember on the shelves was Jergen's lotion which is a hint as to why we were not allowed in the store by ourselves.

I do not remember what other stores were in that strip.  I'd love to find an aerial photo of all 4 corners.

Well... I walked and sometimes rode my bike to the Alabama Fun club on Saturday mornings. Only, I did that scene a few years before you, in the late 40's. Jimmie Green Chevrolet was not there yet. I don't remember when it was built (early-mid 50's maybe), but it was next to the Bible Cyclorama. Then there was a Gulf station just north of him on the southeast corner of Shepherd and Westheimer. Was Chris' Coney Island still on the southwest corner of Shepherd and W. Alabama? We would go there after the movie for Coneys and liquid refreshments. From what area did you walk to the movie? I'm familiar with the territory, since I knew a lot of kids who lived close to the Alabama.

I walked from Fairview street, one block North of Westheimer. Our family home was purchased by St. Anne's Church and torn down last year. The whole neighborhood including the church yard was our playground - home by the 6:00 church bells - pretty innocent times.

Chris Coney Island was an institution but my Dad preferred to take us downtown to James Coney Island - a unique concoction of a steamed bun, grilled weiner, and lots of chopped onions and chili - we all easily downed at least 2 as little kids.

I see the old Toddle House is closed again. I don't think the funny building will survive.

I also remember Carol's Kitchen and DiMaggio's spaghetti house on the east side of Shepherd where Jimmie Green was. There was no "fine dining" as I recall until you got to Lionel's Flame Room at the present location of 59 Diner at Greenbriar and SW Fwy (which did not exist until the 1960's).

If it hasn't been mentioned before, Roulande's photographic studio was also in the Delman strip. The terrazzo "R" remained on the sidewalk for years.

Too bad the "R" is gone. Thanks for letting me know where my childhood family portrait was taken. Its a great black and white photo.

The new Dist 7 is very good. I eat there once a week except last week when I ate at the east side location.

I talked with the owners and they are thinking of doing breakfast on weekends at the downtown location. I also think they might try and stay open late on certain nights.

Great! I'll have to try this place. Any place that offers weekend breakfast in mid-town should do well. Most folks don't want to cook on weekend mornings as is witnessed by lines at Buffalo Grille managed by my brothers. If you have good food, good help, fast service and decent prices you've got it made. No one seems to care if they wait in line in 100 degree weather or babies screaming - just bring on the cofeee and grits!

At Sakowitz, the 'dings' were ways of paging people without disturbing the shoppers. Each store manager had a page. Three dings were security. Five dings meant the store was opening or closing.

I thought the dings were the elevators dinging at each floor but it was a constant in all the downtown stores. I remember going to see grumpy old Santa at Sears and having our pics taken with him. All the kids were afraid of him.

Across the street on the west side of Main was the Delman Juvenile Shop which sold children's clothes and had one of those neat humongous x-ray machines where all us kids got bombarded countless times so that we could see our bones wiggle. The Delman Theater was next door. The lobby survived up until a few years ago. I saw Bob Dylan's "Don't Look Back" there in the 60's. I think there was a One's a Meal just south of the Delman.

I did a search years ago for Wattie Watkins, and you are right, it does seem to be common to use the nickname with that last name, just as many use

I vote that all girls wear thongs as a sorta "theme" for the HAIF meet. You dont have to show them to me, just as long as I know that they are there: it's all about leaving some for the imagination.

oh, did I say that out loud?

Is this gathering still on for 8/12 at Kelvin Arms?

This was in this weeks HBJ about the Diner

"Deco Diner squeezes onto downtown tract

Two veterans in the local restaurant industry are planning to open a diner on a 13,000-square-foot triangular tract of downtown land at Brazos and Pierce.

Because of the extremely small size of the parcel, Bill Loftus and Nancy French had the diner constructed off-site and then brought it in on two 18-wheeler trucks, putting the pieces together on the site.

"I've been driving by that piece of land for the past 20 years wondering why someone hasn't done anything with that neat piece of property," Loftus says. "We're not going to be your typical Mel's Diner -- we're looking to blow people away."

Deco Diner is scheduled to open in the next three to four weeks and will offer hamburgers, salads and sandwiches, as well as daily specials.

Loftus and French are looking to open four additional Deco Diners in the Midtown and downtown areas. They say the diners will focus on downtown workers during the day for breakfast and carry-out lunches and on the growing downtown residential population for dinner and late-night orders.

Holy Cow! Nancy French is my neighbor and I haven't heard a thing about the diners. I'm going to knock on her door get the straight skinny and report back if there is any update. The more breakfast places the better. Nobody wants to fix breakfast on the weekend. One's a Meal was the best 24 hour breakfast joint Houston has produced - its now J.Jill on West Gray - how sad.

So all I found was this bit:

Link

"The asylum was a large uninhabited home, a long dorm set up out back and a couple of other small houses. It was just down the street from the Church (walking distance). I believe it became a police dog training spot in the past 20 years, but is probably high end condos now. Sort of the Webster, Gray, Bagby area."

Also

Link 2

"Clinic is now St. Thomas University main building."

But the St. Thomas website says the main building (Link-Lee Manison) has a different history, and the AIA guide confirms this.

Link-Lee Mansion was built by J. W. Link, founder of Montrose. It was the largest house in Houston at the time and was meant to be a proud entrance to the boulevarded Montrose addition. The Link family sold the home to T.P. (?) Lee, a Houston oilman and in 1947 it became the administration building for the University of St. Thomas. Visitors can still marvel at the stained glass and heavy beamed ceilings. Thank God the wrecking ball bypassed this jewel. They removed the palm tree lined boulevards that I remember from the 1950's.

I know that it was converted from a mansion and was in Montrose. My Aunt was a visitor there many times. I absolutely LOVED the antebellum stair case. Surely someone else remembers this. IF not, I will feel older than my 50 years! Lifetime Houstonian!

Yes, I remember Hedgecroft Hospital on Montrose. My grandmother was given shock treatments there. It was kinda spooky. You could keep an eye on the place while enjoying a burger at the Dobbs House across the street. I think there is a wine bar in the Dobbs House location now. Also lifetime Houstonian and just a bit older than you! Lots of good memories of this sleepy little town.

Looks like a gas station maybe.

I remember from the 1950's that two gas stations were at these locations, then a bank on the south side of West Gray and I can't remember what was on the north side until Starbuck's appeared. I remember Mading's Drugstore was in Black Eyed Pea location.

This Weingarten's proposal is the most depressing bit of news I can imagine. I think the River Oaks Theater is the only original tenant left. The Center is fast becoming a cookie cutter collection of clothing franchises. Let's preserve the original character of at least one neighborhood for our children.

Sevfiv, sometimes I think you and I are sitting on the same collections of old pictures.

Wow! What a trip down memory lane. I remember the Tidelands from the 1950's, orange being the dominant exterior color. I saw the comedian, Jonathan Winters, perform there and I salsad the night away in the 1980's at the Tides II. I've got to go through my post card collection and see what I can come up with.

The shopping center just south of this now vacant lot had an Eckerd's, a bookstore, an all u can eat Chinese buffet and in the 1950's, a seafood restaurant where the children could pick an item out of the "treasure chest" in the lobby. Anybody remember the name of this place? Was it Ship Ahoy? This center sat vacant for years. I don't drive by enough to know what's there now.

I guess we have as many votes as we're going to get.

Unfortunately, need to figure out what a "weekend" is, and if that includes a friday night dinner. so that's also on the table.

I can attend either, so I will assue a saturday Dinner or Linner would do?

Also, is everyone kosher with the eating locations named so far?

I would veto Niko Niko's since its always jammed and loud and only has booths. Other places sounded OK. I'll add Buffalo Grille at Buffalo Speedway and Bissonet.

The Beatles-I was snuck in because I was only 12-and the Moody Blues; all in the Coliseum and Harry Connick.

So? Am I old or what?

I'm older! Rolling Stones - Summit - 1989. Ry Cooder 1975 (?) - former Weingarten's Grocery on Richmond Ave. in Montrose - about 20 people attended - best venue for this innovative musician.

in reply to your question.. its a sign on superior authority towards god, therefore it is VERY disrespectfull to get to church wearing a cap .. it's not like ur going to the park or some other place.. remember.. it a holy place dedicated to worship god.

Try walking into St. Anne's Catholic Church at the corner of Westheimer and Shepherd. Its cool, peaceful and the architecture is quite stunning - opposite end of the spectrum from Lakewood experience. Built in the late 20-s or early 30's in the Spanish Romanesque style. You don't need to know anything about Catholicism but you will probably have many questions about the symbols depicted in the architectural details. Pray, meditate, or admire. Its up to you.

does anyone know what the restaurant was that is to the right (in the aerial shot). just south of the holcombe intersection - across the street

That may be Valian's Pizza - pretty exotic fare for the 1960's. The large building across Holcombe is the Towers Motel with adjoining club and parking garage. It became a retirement home, then a medical supply facility, then was finally torn down last year after years of neglect

Actually the Railhead turned into Club 6400 and has been about 10 clubs since.

The Boston Tea Party was on Westheimer I think where Molinas now sits.

Is Michealangelos closed. I ate there a couple of years ago?

Michelangelos is still in business and has pretty good food. It was a very swanky date place in the '70's.

Found a picture and caption about it:

]

The color code went along with a jingle that had a catchy tune:

Red light, warmer weather

Blue light, cooler weather

Green light, no change in view

Blinking light, rain is due!

The Alray Theater was located at 5006 Fulton, about a block or two north of Cavalcade.

On the day JFK died, the theater was showing the Oscar award-winning "Divorce Italian Style."

How did you know that? Were you at the movie November 22? I was at Luby's Cafeteria on West Gray - just finished my college finals - heard the news in my parents '59 Thunderbird at Shepherd and Fairview

Thanks for Alray info. I'll have to drive by there a

gain 40 years later.

Are you talking about films with subtitles?

Yes, but I didn't want to get "technical." I first saw "La Dolce Vita" there and "Wild Strawberries." There was no other venue in Houston to show these films

To get on the Larry Kane Show, I had to take dancing from a guy named Jerry Roe (I think) at Bill Mraz Ballroom on W 34th. Well, that's the way it was supposed to work. I quit taking the lessons before I got to go on the show.

I took lessons from Jerry Roe when he was on Westheimer near Kirby. He had two sons, one was hoody looking with slicked back hair and a surly expression, the other was a little nerdy but sweet. I sure learned to jitterbug good. Mr. Roe was a nice man.

Does anybody remember the location of the Alray Theater where they showed "art films" in the 1960's, meaning any film that was not in English?