Historic Houston Shopping Places

[rps324]

I grew up on 1960 and while I consider it a "newer" part of town (relatively speaking), when I start to tally up all the stores that are no longer there, damn it makes me feel old!

Louis Shanks at 45 & 1960 was a Suniland (originally Randalls had that location)

Kuykendahl and 1960 was home to a variety of now de-funked places, Woolco, Safeway, K-mart, Weiners, and a politically incorrect coffee shop named "Sambo's."

North Oaks was an actual mall, only the portion with the movie theatre in it remains, if even that is still there. There was a home improvement store across Breck street on the west end of the center called Handy-Andy.

Champions Village 3 had a Sakowitz & Wilson's. Storehouse was across the street (later became a Rice Epicurean, and now I think a container store) and an unfinished furniture store called Furniture in the raw was next to Pier 1.

When you went past Champions there was an 84 Lumber by the tracks, no Willowbrook Mall back then.

[mkultra25]

North Oaks was an actual mall, only the portion with the movie theatre in it remains, if even that is still there.

It is, and I believe the movie theater actually reopened recently. It was showing movies the last time I was over there several months ago, at any rate. I was pretty surprised to see that, as it had been closed for a long time. It used to be an AMC 6-screener; I can clearly remember seeing ALIEN there in first run in 1979 with my dad. I don't think I've ever seen another movie audience react as strongly as when the creature burst out of John Hurt's chest.

[readam]

As you can see by my posts I have not been very active. I have enjoyed immensely the threads especially dealing with theatres, Bellaire, West University, Stores etc. Kudos to Alpha and WestUNative, your posts bring back many,many memories of those areas in the 50s, 60s and early 70s. My Oh My how those areas have changed. Unfortunately as they say "you can't go back home again". But it sure is fun remembering those times. My first years were on Swarthmore in WUP and later on Pin Oak in Bellaire behind Marian HS

on Gulfton before it was known as Fournace. Both houses are now MacMansions

Yea I remember going to the JMH near Auden and University,that and other stores used to have folks in the produce section weigh your goods and then put them in paperbags and mark the price with a black or green crayon...personal service indeed.

Evans Music in the village in a small wooden building on Kelvin (I think ) before they moved across the street to the strip center that now has 1/2 Price books and other shops, Jack Roach Ford on Bissonet and Buffalo Speedway with the huge stuffed animals inside, Fed Mart in the Bellaire theatre center, Meyer Bros in Bellaire(center on Rice and Bellaire Blvd) and Kirby & University, Bert Wheeler's, Kelley's Hardware, George's Barber Shop, Frenchy's is still around.

Near downtown on Elgin and Main there was a strip center that had a Woolworths and Wonder Fabric and closer to town was (in)famous Simpson's Diner.

Thanks HAIF for the chance to relive some great times

[Pasadeniac]

Texas Tapes and Records in Pasadena (close to the intersection of Spencer & Shaver).

[eileen]

Does anyone recall if there was a Joske's store at Meyerland shopping plaza? I think there was, but the Wikipedia article on Meyerland doesn't list it.

[Anjie0301]

This is my first post.....um let's see...

I grew up in the 70's and 80's.....Price Buster foods (ew) and Lucky 7 supermarket at the intersection of OST and Griggs. I also remember McFrugals from a few years ago.

[silverartfox]

Does anyone recall if there was a Joske's store at Meyerland shopping plaza? I think there was, but the Wikipedia article on Meyerland doesn't list it.

I have shopped at Meyerland from the mid-1950's to the present. The "anchor" department stores were Meyer Bros. and JC Penney's. but I don't remember Joske's being there. Joske's was the original tenant of the large, freestanding department store on Post Oak across from the Galleria. I believe it was built for them in the 1960's. Currently, it is Dillard's.

[WestUNative]

Silverartfox you are correct. In fact, you may have passed by me hard at work. From late fall of 1957 to summer of 1958, I worked at Meyer Bros. Terrible job, I was suffering the kicks and tantrums in the Children's Shoe Department, just at the top of the up escalator on the 2nd floor. The one compensation, besides the 50 cents an hour with no overtime paid, was the record deprtment next to us always playing music. I was in 10th grade, working after school every day and Saturdays, plus 10 hour shifts on holidays.

Joske's Post Oak was a very nice store, shopped there until 1981, when we moved out of town. When I returned in 1993, everything had changed.

Historical note: Meyer Bros. started out in The Village, corner of University Blvd. and Kirby as The White House. Currently Half-Price Books occupies that spot. They changed the name to reflect the owners' when Meyerland opened.

[silverartfox]

Silverartfox you are correct. In fact, you may have passed by me hard at work. From late fall of 1957 to summer of 1958, I worked at Meyer Bros. Terrible job, I was suffering the kicks and tantrums in the Children's Shoe Department, just at the top of the up escalator on the 2nd floor. The one compensation, besides the 50 cents an hour with no overtime paid, was the record deprtment next to us always playing music. I was in 10th grade, working after school every day and Saturdays, plus 10 hour shifts on holidays.

Joske's Post Oak was a very nice store, shopped there until 1981, when we moved out of town. When I returned in 1993, everything had changed.

Historical note: Meyer Bros. started out in The Village, corner of University Blvd. and Kirby as The White House. Currently Half-Price Books occupies that spot. They changed the name to reflect the owners' when Meyerland opened.

WestUNative, thanks for verifying my story! I remember the White House in The Village, too. It's my belief that everyone at some point in their lives should have to work in retail sales or as restaurant waitstaff - the experience develops positive personal qualities in an individual as nothing else can. Even though Meyer Bros. wasn't my favorite store back then, our paths probably did cross. As a side note, my mother lived in Houston for nearly 80 years and was a childhood friend of Leopold Meyer, one of the company's founders.

The old Joske's Post Oak had a wonderful assortment of merchandise in all price ranges. Their going-out-of-business sale went on for a couple of months, and I recall with great fondness the classic denim skirt I bought then. It was a wardrobe mainstay for years.

[Shamrock1949]

<br />Here's hoping these stir up some fond memories, even if somewhat off topic:<br /><br />Joske's, Palais Royal, & Nieman-Marcus, before there was a "Galleria Area" [and their competitor with the advertising jingle, "By Golly .. Go to Leopold Price & Rolle!"]<br /><br />Alabama Theater complex - Walgreen's Drugs, A&P, Suzanne's Cafeteria, Wackers (or maybe TG&Y), & Western Auto, in addition to the Theater ... the "Valet" (?) dry cleaners just across the street, with the signage of an English butler holding up a freshly-pressed men's suit .... and the Preston Villa apartments just down the street, with the prominent signage of the 1950ish young lady diving head-first and feet-up into the pool ... <br /><br />Eagle supermarkets<br /><br />Houston Jewelry & Distributing<br /><br />Jetton's cafeteria, when Greenway Plaza was going up<br /><br />Plaid trading stamps, and the redemption center in University Village .. (used to get Top Value stamps at "Enco" stations, up through about 1973 I think)<br /><br />Madding-Dugan drustores .. Became Rexall, then Eckerd<br /><br />...when Bland Cadillac used to be Bland-Willis, off 610 I think<br /><br /><br />And for some really old memories:<br /><br />Shoppers' Special downtown buses with the white flags on top<br /><br />Kayo gasoline - the really cheap stuff!<br /><br />Conoco gasoline, with about 8 different grades, according to the selector lever on the pump<br /><br />"Buy your Chevrolet from Persia .. Mike Persia Chevrolet!"<br /><br />The downtown Weingarten's, between the Chronicle building and the hippie dive known as "The Cellar", that used to always have a hearse parked out front<br /><br />Dobbs House and Toddle House short-order eateries<br />

<br /><br /><br />

Houston Jewelry is still there, they just moved closer in about 15 years ago....they have a nice display of old Houston historical items....they just got rid of the electronics....its like the stores they had downtown in the 60's & 70's before they opened the big multi department store out on westhiemer & gessner....they sometimes run their old jingle on their tv ads....

[Shamrock1949]

Houston Jewelry is the same as it was downtown in the 50's & 60's....jewelry & gifts....before they built the big store out at the end of town at westheimer and gessner when it was just ranch land in the early 70's

Bain & Co....Romney's company was involved in the purchase of United Jewelers from Gordon's Jewelers in the mid 1980's after it was spun off by Bain it failed a few years later and Service took a few of their locations

not a weird name when your last name is Weiner.....they were/are super super nice people...

Joske's did not have a Meyerland location. The large stores there were Meyer Bros, Walter Pyes [which is now Pinto Ranch....] Palais Royal and JC Penny's. Woolworths and a grocery store....

[HarrisCountyEx]

I saw a few pages back someone mentioned Neisner's (sp.?). Does anyone remember if there were others besides the one I knew in North Shore? The center also had a Grant's Dept. Store and a drug store. Either Neisner's or Grants had a soda fountain and we would get malts and burgers there. The drug store (can't remember the name) also had a fountain. I think there was a Buster Brown shoe store or a shoe store that sold Buster Brown shoes.

[NenaE]

There was a TG & Y in that shopping center on Lawndale at 75th

I remember that store, my grandmother went there alot. Wasn't there a red looking "Wahoo" bar across the street? the bldgs on the diagonal corner are/were the oldest. By the "used to be" donut store "winchells". I like the barber shop strip the best,to the side of TG&Y.

Texas Tapes and Records in Pasadena (close to the intersection of Spencer & Shaver).

Speaking of special smoking items, in the 70's Vertigo, they had it too, so did Soundwaves on Bellfort & Broadway. I only went for albums & cassettes!

That was by the Pasadena Plaza. It was a nicely designed small, very long, spread-out, half-octagon shaped mall. Had a covered circle drive to let passengers out. Was never very busy.

Edited April 18, 2008 by NenaE

[marketingwiz]

Who remember the "Tiddy's" store in Pasadena?

It was 'Tiddies,' Mid, and I still have Tiddies' koozies with big breasts silk-screened on them in white. There was nothing like Tiddies, and I also made a pilgrimage to the Tiddies' factory, such that it was.........

[Whitesman]

Past Shopping Places in Houston That Are No Longer Here.

Name places you can remember.

Anyone remember Robert Hall Clothiers??

My parents took me to one of these to get a suit way back in the early 1960's.

How about Thom McAn Shoes?????

I used to like this store.

[silverartfox]

Anyone remember Robert Hall Clothiers??

My parents took me to one of these to get a suit way back in the early 1960's.

How about Thom McAn Shoes?????

I used to like this store.

Yes, I remember them! Moderate price range clothes and shoes for men.

[Whitesman]

How about Robert Hall Clothiers???

My parents bought me a suit from here in the early 1960's.

Or Thom McAn Shoe stores??

I used to like this shoe store.

[RPB]

Henke and Pilot

Don's Record store

Remember Handy Dan home improvement centers?

I worked at Handy Dan off Gessner, and later at one in Dallas

[RPB]

Past Shopping Places in Houston That Are No Longer Here.

Name places you can remember.

I'm up by Austin now, is Zindlers still there?

Mr. B's in Bellaire

Korner Pantry

Jepco Electronics and Teleradio are gone (Near Bellaire Post office)

Custom HIFI on the strip center inside the loop just before the gas station, after the apartments, near Meyerland plaza

Picadilly cafeteria

Lew's record shop

and I cry missing Westbury Square, what a wonderful place it was.

[houstonmacbro]

Henke and Pilot

Don's Record store

I worked at Handy Dan off Gessner, and later at one in Dallas

On that same tip ... Builders Square. Did they eventually become Home Depot? I remember the colors (orange?) being similar...?

[Rdaniel]

How about Robert Hall Clothiers???

My parents bought me a suit from here in the early 1960's.

Or Thom McAn Shoe stores??

I used to like this shoe store.

There was a Robert Hall Store in Pasadena on Shaver Street. Right next to my elementary school, South Shaver Elementary.

It was a small bldg which still stands. There was a Shipleys right there also. Right at the end of the shell path which

led into my neighborhood east of Shaver. And across the street was "The Grove", a great place to get a Burger and Root Beer.

Actually the Grove was slightly down from there. There was a drive-in theatre right across from the Shipleys and Robert Hall Store.

We didn't go there much, but I can still remember the inside of the store. Had to be 44 years ago or so. Shortly after that,

they built the first Foleys outside of Houston (I think). It was on Southmore and that's where we did most of our clothes shopping.

How about Robert Hall Clothiers???

My parents bought me a suit from here in the early 1960's.

Or Thom McAn Shoe stores??

I used to like this shoe store.

There was a Thom Mcann Store in Pasadena at the corner of Southmore and Tatar. I saw this shopping center being discussed earlier.

In that L shaped center was a Western Auto, Wyatt's Cafeteria, TSO, Weingartens, Thom McCann, and Oshmans. Probably others I can't

remember. The Sears and Weiners were acorss the street.

[rsb320]

On that same tip ... Builders Square. Did they eventually become Home Depot? I remember the colors (orange?) being similar...?

Builder's Square was/is owned by K-Mart. It and Home Depot are not related.

[NenaE]

The Sears and Weiners were acorss the street.

The Sears was by itself, I went there many times growing up. It was built in the 1950's, actually has an architectural mention in the first Houston Architectural Guide - Papademetriou, Author. The Weiners store was in the same center the other stores you mentioned were.(to the west side of Sears).

Do you remember "Ray's Dime Store"? I believe it was on Richey, in a long strip mall. Had neat toys.

[Rdaniel]

The Sears was by itself, I went there many times growing up. It was built in the 1950's, actually has an architectural mention in the first Houston Architectural Guide - Papademetriou, Author. The Weiners store was in the same center the other stores you mentioned were.(to the west side of Sears).

Do you remember "Ray's Dime Store"? I believe it was on Richey, in a long strip mall. Had neat toys.

Yes, I remember the Rays on Richey. There was also a discount store in there called Moore's, if I am not mistaken. And then there was Mr. Hamburger a little ways down the street. We ate there frequently.

You jarred my memory on the Weiners. I am now thinking it was between the TSO and Weingartens--in the other shopping center as you pointed out.

[Rdaniel]

I remember that store, my grandmother went there alot. Wasn't there a red looking "Wahoo" bar across the street? the bldgs on the diagonal corner are/were the oldest. By the "used to be" donut store "winchells". I like the barber shop strip the best,to the side of TG&Y.

Speaking of special smoking items, in the 70's Vertigo, they had it too, so did Soundwaves on Bellfort & Broadway. I only went for albums & cassettes!

That was by the Pasadena Plaza. It was a nicely designed small, very long, spread-out, half-octagon shaped mall. Had a covered circle drive to let passengers out. Was never very busy.

The Texas Tapes & Records in Pasadena was indeed one great record store. I think it was there even up until 1981 or so--maybe a little later.

They had all kinds of rare stuff in there that you couldn't find anywhere else. So did the Soundwaves on Belfort & Broadway. I remember being

blown away by the fact that they had the Beatles LP's on Parlaphone--imported from England. First place I ever saw those for sale in Houston.

And I bought them all of course. Another record store I frequented in those days was Disc Records. There was one at Almeda Mall and probably some others elsewhere.

[Libbie]

Houston Jewelry is the same as it was downtown in the 50's & 60's....jewelry & gifts....before they built the big store out at the end of town at westheimer and gessner when it was just ranch land in the early 70's

Bain & Co....Romney's company was involved in the purchase of United Jewelers from Gordon's Jewelers in the mid 1980's after it was spun off by Bain it failed a few years later and Service took a few of their locations

not a weird name when your last name is Weiner.....they were/are super super nice people...

Joske's did not have a Meyerland location. The large stores there were Meyer Bros, Walter Pyes [which is now Pinto Ranch....] Palais Royal and JC Penny's. Woolworths and a grocery store....

The last time I went to Dillard's I dated myself and mystified my 19-year-old daughter by phoning her to meet me at Joske's.

[pdmalek]

The only one I can remember that hasn't been metioned is:

Rice Food Mart it was at the north end of the Globe store across woodridge from Gulfgate. Back then the grocery store had two long metal wheel tracks that when you bought your groceries they would paper bag them stick them in a plastic crate and give them a push and they would roll outside and the attendent would put them in your car when you pulled up to the building. When I was 10 or 11 my friends and I would cross the parking lot, find a wooden board and ride the tracks on sundays when they were closed.

I remember seeing this at Gulfgate. I always thought this was weird.

[IronTiger]

Which spot was Marshall Field's in in the Galleria?

Saks Fifth Avenue!

OK, next question: When I was in Houston last, I tried to snap a picture of the former Foley's HQ. Is that it, next to the Mega Millions sign? (apology for the terrible photo)

[Ptarmigan]

Mall

Town and Country Mall

Stores

Auchan Hypermarket

BEST

Mervyn's

Service Merchandise

Edited June 8, 2008 by Ptarmigan

[readam]

So sorry for the screwup in the previous posts...it's late

Here are some; if there are repeats then I am sorry. This has been a long posting -some I've left out like Weingartens, Henke/Pilot, Thom MsCan, Robert Hall...

RETAIL--in Bellaire at the corner of Rice Ave. and Bissonett was a strip center that had George's Barber shop, next to Don's Record shop, next to Betty's Laundramat ( I think that Betty and Don were huisband and wife) This was before Don moved his store...

In Bellaire and other areas around town--Chapman's Young World, T G and Y, Fed Mart stores, JMH grocers, Food Giant grocers, Eagle grocers, Sacco Bros grocers, Handy Andy grocers, Lewis and Coker grocers, Jamail's grocers, Madding's Drugs, Globe stores, Gordon's Jewelers, Battlestein's, Sakowitz, Kress variety stores, Kresge's variety stores, Weiner's clothing stores, Sage stores, W. Bell Discount catalog stores, Wonder Fabric, Woolco stores, Woolworth's variety, Playhouse Toys, World Toys and Gifts in the Village, Bert Lynn Music, Jones Apothecaries, Levitt's Furniture, Crossroads Furniture, Eckerd's Drugs... that should do for a while...old age you know!!

AIRLINES-- National, Eastern, Muse, Braniff, TWA, TTA ( Trans Texas or aka Tree Top Airlines) they had a horrible crash near Centerville, if I remember, in the late 50s or early 60s. A classmate's father was killed in that crash.

RESTAURANTS are a separate post...

Edited June 8, 2008 by readam