You've been here so long that you can remember that?

[KevinFromTexas]

Originally Posted by Mopacs

Best Products - a catalog showroom store chain...now defunct. Specialized in jewelry, electronics among others. There were at one time two in Austin... One on 290E at I-35 (now a Virginia College campus) and briefly one at the Gateway Shopping Center (now a BEST Buy)... Another location in Killeen Mall. Closed in the mid-90s.

Ha, Best Products. I was hit in the head as a baby there with a tripod at the 290 location. Yep, that's where I got my first "contact" with photography and I guess somehow it made me interested in it. I was sitting in the shopping cart, I guess I was about 3 or 4 when I grabbed a tripod that was sitting on the shelf above me. It fell over and hit me on the head. Their shelves were slanted so it came right down. I was alright, although, we should have sued! It was their fault since it wasn't secured to the shelf somehow.

My dad worked at both Safeway grocery store, and Handy Andy hardware. And our grocery store for nearly 10 years was Skaggs-Alpha-Beta at the Stassney location. That was before we made the switch to HEB (for good).

And oh yes, the snowstorms. My folks and I came out of the movie theatre iln 1985, (saw Dune 2?), and the ground was covered in snow. I also remember the snows of 1983 and 1989.

[arbeiter]

Does anyone remember Coco's on Anderson Lane?

[Mopacs]

Originally Posted by arbeiter

Does anyone remember Coco's on Anderson Lane?

Wow! thats a blast from the past. As I recall, Coco's was known as "JoJo's" before changing to CoCo's. There may have been additonal stores there prior to that. Currently, the old CoCo's is home to Suzi's China Grill.

For those long-long-time Austinites, there used to be a denny's-style restaurant called "Sambo's". This was on Anderson Lane just West of Lamar/183 (behind Hobby Lobby).

As I recall, the chain went bankrupt in the early 80s and closed this store, and many others. (also, the African-American community were none too happy about the name of the restaurant, though probably didnt have a direct result in the chain's fate). The former Sambo's later became a Petco (which in turn moved to the Arboretum area in the late 90s), and is now a Billiards supply store.

[Mopacs]

Originally Posted by Corinth940

Hey Mopacs..I remember many of those stores too as I've got about 10 years on you. One thing I've noticed is that Randall's in Austin and Houston and Tom Thumb up here in the DFW area are the same stores...just different names for each metro. Both are under the Safeway brand now, I believe. Woolco and TG&Y bring back lots of memories too.

Yep...you're absolutely right. The whole Safeway saga went full-circle when they acquired the Randall's/Tom Thumb chain (which had previously joined forces). While Safeway did not rebrand the stores under their name, you can still find their fingerprints all over, including their private label brands (Safeway Select, etc.).

As for the Westinghouse area in Round Rock and I-35 South near Slaughter and Onion Creek....... the development has literally occured overnight!

In Round Rock, the I-35/University Blvd (FM1431) interchange is undergoing a truly massive boom in development. The intersection is anchored by the Round Rock Premium Outlets mall, a 14-screen Cinemark theater, a brand new IKEA, and the Scott & White Hospital campus....all of which opened within the last 5 months. There's much more to come, with retailers like JC Penney and tons of restaurants on the way.

The huge shopping center you saw on I-35 South at Slaughter is called Southpark Meadows, named after the former concert venue that once graced this location. Southpark shut down in the late 90s, in part because of the competition from the Verizon Wireless Ampitheatre down the road in Selma. Southpark Meadows will be the largest shopping center in Austin when complete later this year (in terms of gross leasable square footage). Thats right, bigger than Barton Creek Mall and the huge Forum shopping center in NE San Antonio.

http://www.southpark-meadows.com

[KevinFromTexas]

There are still a few Safeway stores around, maybe not in Texas, though. My aunt and I shopped at one in Grand Junction, Colorado 2 years ago.

[arbeiter]

There are more than a few, they are one of the west coast's major grocery chains...

[Mopacs]

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

There are still a few Safeway stores around, maybe not in Texas, though. My aunt and I shopped at one in Grand Junction, Colorado 2 years ago.

Yeah, Safeway is based in the Bay Area I believe? They retreated from Texas in the late 80s, but continue in full force throughout the western US. I remember seeing a few safeways in New Mexico too (Gallup).

[LoneStarMike]

Two other restaurants on/near Anderson Lane that I (barely) remember were Peoples and Fandango's. Fandango's served Mexican Food.

Does anyone remember Austin's Third Coast Magazine?

[sananto]

Do you remember Sommers Drug Stores? Did they have those in Austin? How about Fox Photos? How about those little Kodak kiosks they would have at the mall parking lots where you would take your roll of films for next day developing?
Remember when Austin had one freeway running through the middle of the city and that was all the freeways that had?

[arbeiter]

I can think of a few more non-existent things...

Miller's Outpost on 183 and Lamar. was that a chain? I never saw them anywhere else.

There was a chain of grocery stores, really low-budget, called Foodland. They had one off of Cameron and one off of Anderson Mill which was abandoned for years then became a branch of the Austin Diagnostic Clinic.

What I remember more than what used to be there is what used to NOT be there. I remember when the shopping center at Lake Creek and 183 was being built - that used to be just a field. Next to it was an abandoned mall that was being built in the late 80's and, I guess the funding just collapsed after the S&L loan scandals or something. The foundation lay bare for years and then weeds grew over it finally - I think the name was going to be Copper Creek Mall. They ended up razing the Travis Square shopping center a mile north which is now part of the Lakeline Mall complex.

All of the construction along 620 is shocking, too. That was a rural road pretty much into my high school years.

[arbeiter]

The first grocery store I remember going to as a kid was an HEB, which are everywhere, but it was a really, really old one on Far West Blvd. Like, very old, I don't even know how to describe it - probably 1960's era. Now it's a post office, and the HEB moved to one of their "fiesta!" style stores a block away.

You can sometimes gauge a neighborhood's approximate age due to the nearby HEB's architectural design. Whoever designed the ones with separate entrances and exits should be shot. (Not to mention the ugly pink, yellow and blue color theme.) The newer ones are much more aesthetically pleasing.

[atx001]

Originally Posted by arbeiter

back when CBS and FOX affiliates flip flopped...

I also remember that, and can still remember the "Fox42" theme song/jingle.

I remember Westgate Mall and going to Service Merchandise, that little ice cream place next to the theatre, and the bookstore right across from it. In addition to attending many movies at the theatre.

Going to Aquafest with my parents and eating funnel cake for the first time.

Eating at the Uptown Enchilada Bar every other week, and going to the original Mangia Pizza.

Like Arbeiter, I also remember the obligatory field trip to Butter Krust bakery.

I remember going to the dollar theatre on westgate and the old Lakehills cinema (now Strait Music).

The Safeway/Apple Tree/Randalls at Manchaca and Ben White.

Eating at the Dunkin Donuts at Banister and Ben White before school.

Hmmm...these really do put 21 years into perspective.

[Mopacs]

Originally Posted by arbeiter

The first grocery store I remember going to as a kid was an HEB, which are everywhere, but it was a really, really old one on Far West Blvd. Like, very old, I don't even know how to describe it - probably 1960's era. Now it's a post office, and the HEB moved to one of their "fiesta!" style stores a block away.

You can sometimes gauge a neighborhood's approximate age due to the nearby HEB's architectural design. Whoever designed the ones with separate entrances and exits should be shot. (Not to mention the ugly pink, yellow and blue color theme.) The newer ones are much more aesthetically pleasing.

I remember the old HEB too... I used to get my haircut at an adjacent salon. And i concur about the horrid design of the replacement HEB next door. Horrible. The Anderson Mill HEB (183 @ Lake Creek Parkway) is eaqually bad, if not worse. At least the Far West HEB has a unique feature in a Kosher Deli within...unique for Austin anyway. The Far West/Northwest Hills neighborhood has always been the center of Austin's Jewish community.

While on the Topic of former HEB's... here are some former Locations:

- Anderson Mill Shopping Center - built in 1976, an HEB occupied the space of what is now a 24 Hour Fitness Center (formerly Beall's). In 1982 it moved to a new location in the Travis Square shopping center less than a mile north at 183 and 620. Then 12 years later, they moved back into the Anderson Mill center, which is still there.

-Anderson Square - an old school HEB used to occupy the southern end of this shopping center (up until the early early 80's), at 183 and Lamar @ Anderson Lane. A few years later it became a Millers Outpost clothing store, as mentioned by Arb (there was another location inside Barton Creek Mall). Following Millers, it became a Hobby Lobby (which just moved next door to the former Mervyn's space).

- Westgate Mall - there used to be an HEB in the space now occupied by Cadaver's Boot City (misspelling intended). Of course HEB now has a Central Market grocery in the same center.

- Hancock Center - there used to be an HEB at the western end of the shopping center, in space now occupied by 24 Hr Fitness (and before that MARS Music). The HEB moved a few doors down to a much larger location, following the redevelopment of Hancock in the late 90s. This location is always packed with UT Students.

There are several other former HEBs that I cant remember at this time (I think there used to be another HEB near Congress at Oltorf).

[Mopacs]

Originally Posted by atx001

I remember Westgate Mall and going to Service Merchandise, that little ice cream place next to the theatre, and the bookstore right across from it. In addition to attending many movies at the theatre.

I really liked Westgate Mall. It reminded me of Clearview Mall in the New Orleans area. I was there on its last day as an indoor mall, in the spring of 1998. By that time they had demolished most of the mall. Stores I remember also included a Bookstop (later moved to Sunset Valley Marketfair a mile west), Lack's Furniture, Westgate 8 Theater, HEB (as mentioned in previous post), Yarings, Bealls, Wyatts Cafeteria, Radio Shack, Waldenbooks, Solo Serve, Wilson's (which later became Service Merchandise). And now that I think of it, I think there was also a Woolco department store, in that Service Merchandise/Solo Serve building. In the later years, there was this pizza joint called the Flying Pizza Society.

[LoneStarMike]

Originally Posted by arbeiter

There was a chain of grocery stores, really low-budget, called Foodland. They had one off of Cameron and one off of Anderson Mill which was abandoned for years then became a branch of the Austin Diagnostic Clinic.

There was another Foodland at the Lamar Square Shopping Center that was later a Fiesta and now is Alamo Drafthouse, and a 4th Foodland on the south side of Ben White somewhere between S. First and I-35.

Originally Posted by Mopacs

(I think there used to be another HEB near Congress at Oltorf).

The HEB that's currently at Congress and Oltorf used to be smaller and was part of an "L" shaped strip mall. The shorter leg (perpendicular to Oltorf) had a Radio Shack, a TSO and some other small stores. That whole leg and some other small shops in the longer leg facing Oltorf were finally torn down to enlarge the current HEB and create more badly needed parking.

A couple of other old airport memories I have is American Airlines' DC-10 flights to DFW from Mueller and that funky little pink and white Austin-based commuter airline called Conquest.

[OfCourse]

Interesting stuff to read. I just moved here 2.5yrs ago for school, so I have no clue what you all are talking about half the time. Ha.

Anyway, speaking of airlines and in addition to a previous post about Mueller...United Airlines still lists the Austin airport as Mueller rather than Bergstrom. I wonder if that's a typo. Ha.

[KevinFromTexas]

You really came up with a bunch I remember atx001. My dad and his friend always went to the Dunkin Donuts at Ben White & Banister. I'd tag along and get a giant chocolate chip cookie and a glass of Pepsi while they drank their coffee and chatted. Now that location is some Mexican food restaurant. I miss Dunkin Donuts.

I also remember the Westgate Theatre, now an Asian food restaurant.

Anyone else here remember Panchos on South Congress at Oltorf? That used to be one of the restaurants we'd go to. I remember they had flags at each table that you'd raise to get your service. Today that location is Rosie's Tamale House I believe. There is still a Pancho's restaurant up in Waco.

[TXLove]

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

You really came up with a bunch I remember atx001. My dad and his friend always went to the Dunkin Donuts at Ben White & Banister. I'd tag along and get a giant chocolate chip cookie and a glass of Pepsi while they drank their coffee and chatted. Now that location is some Mexican food restaurant. I miss Dunkin Donuts.

I also remember the Westgate Theatre, now an Asian food restaurant.

Anyone else here remember Panchos on South Congress at Oltorf? That used to be one of the restaurants we'd go to. I remember they had flags at each table that you'd raise to get your service. Today that location is Rosie's Tamale House I believe. There is still a Pancho's restaurant up in Waco.

I remeber Panchos really well....they would serve those sopapillas with honey as appetizers....they used to have one on Burnet Rd close to 183 also!!!!

[arbeiter]

Does anyone remember these restaurants:

Chez Fred (was on Burnet and 183)
Pearl's Oyster Bar (burnt down, across the street)
Cafe Adobe, where La Madeleine is...
2-J's Hamburgers
god, there were so many more...

I think I already mentioned Spooner's at the Arboretum...
Little Italy on Mesa at Steck (for some reason we went to a lot of special occasion dinners there)
Mamma Mia's (really uncreative name) on Shoal Creek behind Northcross area...

And one that's still open and still one of my favorites, THE FRISCO SHOP!

[arbeiter]

also, anyone remember QUICKIE PICKIES?