I love Erie. I love it because it’s so different now compared to when I grew up, and yet a lot of it is the same. I suppose its like that anywhere.
I was reading through old posts and found a long thread of comments where we were all talking about Loblaws grocery stores. It got me thinking about how much has changed in the last, I don’t know, 15 to 20 years, and yet how much is still the same.
So my question is this: what’s gone that you wish was still here. Here are a few of mine: pepperoni balls and those cool plastic bin tags at Super Duper. The Mill Run at Waldameer. The water park where the St. Jude Church parking lot is now (we weren’t allowed to go there. The water park, not church.) When the humanity on Peach Street ended at Busy Beaver and didn’t carry on all the way to I-90.
What about you?
I miss the way the Dock used to be where you could park anywhere and watch everyone “cruising” with thumping stereos, people hanging out on motorcycles and souped up pick up trucks and seeing people from all the different high schools grouped together up and down the street. Great memories!
I agree completely with the Mill Run at Waldameer. At least they still have the Wacky Shack though. (How many of us had our first kisses in there? Warned just in time by that buzzer to STOP before you come out on the balcony up top for everyone to see!)
I loved the Super Duper on W.26th where that car dealership is now. They had that conveyor belt thing where you put your groceries into a bin and then went outside and your groceries came out while you pulled your car up. I was fascinated by that as a kid.
I miss the OLD look of the Millcreek Mall — the sunken “pits” in the middle of the hallways where the pay phones were and where you could go smoke (if I remember correctly). Oh! And the York Steakhouse that used to be at the mall! I used to love that place too.
I miss when the Liberty Plaza was a nice place to go walk around and shop. I used to go there all the time with my grandma and great grandma. Not many stores there anymore besides Peebles and the liquor store…
Dahlkemper’s Department Store in the Eastway Plaza
Presque Isle Drive-In / Lawrence Park Drive-In
Downtown Library’s old location
Chuck & Ginny’s Restaurant
Fuhrman’s Cider Mill
Erie Zoo’s Elephant
And…
The Harborcreek Mall (just kidding! I’m so glad that is finally gone.)
Oh wow the water park! I remember kids got hurt left and right at that place. Did they take the Mill Run out? I haven’t been there in over 15 years.
I loved the Loblaws. Hills Dept. Store had the worst tasting yet most addicting popcorn. I miss the Super Duper that used to be on 26th and Elm. There was a diner in it I used to go to with my mom and when I was in 1st grade I won a trip to Hawaii from them :)
I miss when the ST. James festival was 5 days long and had rides. That was always the best summer festival to go to plus old people hated it when kids would win at Bingo. Heck the whole summer would be spent going to church festivals but from what I hear there aren’t many left.
Eastway Plaza will always have a soft spot for me with Dahlkempers, Arthur Treatures and Mace Electronics. I can still tell you the layout of Dahlkempers and that was what, 20-25 years ago. When I was in high school I frequented the billiards hall that moved in for a short amount of time.
It would be cool to see a documentary like the one Rick Sebak did in Pittsburgh called “Stuff That’s Gone” http://www.shopwqed.org/prod-Stuff_That_s_Gone_DVD-38.aspx
PoFolks, Hooters and Rax
There are so many places and events that “used to be”. Some of my favorites were the Glenwood Diner on Peach St., the Home Drive-in out on Peninsula Drive, Dipson Plaza theater, the Greyhound Bus Terminal,Star Drive-in theater, “buggin State” from the stadium to the dock and back all night. Late night runs to Kelly’s or the Ripley Inn for some forbidden liquid refreshments, the White Dinor and Texas Lunch in North East~The early McDonald’s when they were just a walk-up hamburger joint. Just noticed that most of my fav places had something to do with food. I guess that might explain my ample girth many years later!!
Penninsula Drive-in
Skyway Drive-in
Star Drive-in
Plaza Theaters
Cinema World
The Strand
Sportland
Coopers Go-Karts
Putt-Putt Golf and Games
Red Barron
The Tilt
Red Barn
Char House/Fun Town
Lower State Street before the parkway
The Dock
I miss the old Dahlkemper’s Catalog Showroom on Peach Street. I specifically remember my dad shopping for camera’s and camera equipment while I walked up and down the toy aisles. The best part of it all, however, was placing your clipboard (with your order attached) on the vertical conveyor and then anxiously awaiting the arrival of your package down the chute and onto the long conveyor belt on the ground floor. Afterwards, if we were lucky – we’d stop by DeDads for some DooDads! Good times.
Actually, the water park next to St. Jude’s was owned by Nick Scott and was more than a water park. It was called Fun Town.
Anyone remember Mason’s Department Stores? My late Grandfather was the very first manager at the 12th and Pittsburgh Ave store.
How about when the West Erie Plaza was always busy with every storefront occupied.
I remember between the Liberty and West Erie Plazas, Dahlkemper’s and the big Sears catalog my parents would get all their Christmas shopping done. It was great when W.E. had Horne’s for an anchor, not that I cared as long as that rock still moved, the balls went around the maze and we were having dinner at Hyatt’s.
One thing I remember that I’m glad is gone is never going dowtown for anything. I recall when Carlise’s on Peach closed, taking Christmastown with it.
I miss Planet Radio 93.9
I hadn’t thought about the OLD downtown library in a long time. I LOVED that place.
What about Christmas Express that used to be on the left-hand side of the road going out Peach St/Route 19 toward Waterford??
I LOVED the old downtown library. I’m still mourning it’s demise. I can remember the smell of the fiction room and the way hushed sound bounced around the huge reference room. I loved the iron railings around the upper level of the nonfiction stacks. And the walls of card catalogs! And the main staircase, and the children’s room, and I could go on and on…
I also miss the old zoo office building. It was funky inside and I loved working in there. The basement was scary and the floors were all crooked.
And Record Den!
Imagimaze, Jiggles, Kandy’s, the train in the McDonalds in the Mall, Cuppuccino’s, Beaners
I recall a department store like Big Lots that had a huge wooden boat out front when I was a wee lad. I don’t remember what it was called to save my life. I remember that inside, towards the back, they sometimes had actual arcade games for sale. I still remember to this day some TMNT video game there and playing on the big wooden boat.
Was it the west erie plaza that had little fenced in play areas every few stores? I remember them being chain link fenced maybe and each one having different stuff, like the horses attached to giant springs or something to climb on.
Others mentioned I miss as well… Sportland, Evan’s Skate Land, Hills, etc.
Nick — I don’t remember what that place was CALLED but I believe it was located in a building adjacent to where Hills was on 38th Street (now West Corp.) They had a boat and a train for a while too! I remember that store having lots of stationary in it, for some reason.
I remember those fenced play areas too!!
Amy! When did you work at the zoo? I worked there during the summer of 1998 (gift shop/front gate). That original zoo building was amazing! I remember the warped floors and the basement that had a dirt floor…
The place with the boat was called insurance liquidators. They dealt in closeouts and fire damaged goods. Used to sell landscaping materials out by that boat in the summer, pretty good deals.
They had another location on peach street in the “Erie Outlet Mall” right near the community blood bank I believe.
Really miss Dahlkemper’s and what about PharMor??
What? There are no more pepperoni balls in Erie??? I’ve been promising to get some for Ron next time I’m in Erie! There are NONE??
And, what happened to Chuck & Ginny’s??? Holy cow, the best spaghetti in town!
Wow. I’ve been gone way too long.
I remember walking with my sister Cathie over to Mason’s. That would be an all day activity walking over there, shopping and coming home.
Thanks for the memories! But for real . . . no more pepperoni balls?
I miss the conveyor belt at the McDonald’s by the beach. The one that delivered the food from the kitchen to the drive-thru. And Westlake Pizza. And Fun Town, definitely. The Mill Run for sure. The Bumper Boats, and I think the Ball Crawl is missing too. Must be all those heroin and AIDS filled needles we always heard about.
The new Asbury Woods is amazing, but I spent so much time at the old one that I can’t get used to it now.
That Gumdrop Mountain at the zoo!
And the pits at the mall for sure. I’m not a fan of the neon lights. Are the “umbrellas” still on the ceiling? I’ll have to look next time I’m there.
I talk about the Super Duper grocery conveyor at least once a week.
When we were kids, we could get down to the little beaches without having to buy a house on them. Baer Beach was the hotspot. And that one down the cliff from the old Sportsman club.
This is becoming a nostalgic trip down memory lane, and is basically just me getting all choked up about things I’ll never be able to do with my son.
Stopping now…
I’d like to remind everyone that the old downtown library building is inhabitable and needs to be torn down. Right? No, wait…
Oh wow I can’t believe I forgot about Cuppuccino’s. I spent a lot of time there in highschool/college.
The old library always reminded me of the one in the first scene of Ghostbusters. Never did see a ghost.
I tell my wife stories whenever we venture north of the old Erie County Farms on 26th St. There was some crazy fish monger who would scare kids with a whole octopus. My brother tells me he heard the Immaculate Reception in dad’s LTD while sitting in the parking lot waiting for our mom to come out.
I wasted most of my allowance on Red Barron and at the movie theater that used to be inside the mall (saw Gremlins and TMNT there)
I can’t believe there are no more Putt-Putts. that’s tragic.
Ah Record Den. Wasn’t it over in McCrorys before it moved down by McDonalds? Ah the mall. How about Friendlys?
I bought a giant Rage Against the Machine poster at Record Den once. I remember there were a few of those stall type things that used to sell music t-shirts. I bought a Def Leppard one there once. Now those booths sell cell phone cases, and that abomination of a vending machine that sells acne medication.
We you allowed in Orange Julius? Because I dont think we were.
Putt Putt is gone?? You would think I would have noticed that by now. And Fun Town had the most awesome and terrifying slide ever. Not a water slide, you went down on it with burlap sacks.
And you can’t cruise on the Dock anymore? What’s up with that?
sigh.
I was thinking about the Gumdrop Mountain at the Erie Zoo too. I am a former zoo employee — from the ’80s, kids — and while I love the new improved zoo (and going with my parents and my kids when we visit) I miss what we used to call Candy Mountain. Now my kids love the bluegrass song “Big Rock Candy Mountain” and that mound of concrete with multi-colored bumps is what I think of when we sing it.
As of 2010, I will have lived in Pittsburgh longer than I did in Erie. I love to visit, but the ‘burgh’s my home now!
At least there are still Perkins. The one on Peach was our old hangout: coffee at midnight, cigarettes, and french fries with cheese, ranch dressing, and ketchup.
Of course I miss all that stuff at the mall. World Bazaar, that bakery I can never remember the name of, the pits, Pizza Boy, World of Science, Babbages, McCrory’s, Record Den.
I miss being able to go in the creek at the park behind the zoo. And of course the whale you could walk inside, and that big gumdrop mountain, though now that I have my own kids I should be kind of glad that’s not there anymore.
Waldameer has made a lot of great improvements, but I do miss the Mill Run too. And the Bump. And the Ball Crawl.
I miss the Elephant Bar! I went to one in Sacramento this fall, but it’s not the same place–just happens to have the same name. We asked.
The old library downtown smelled so good! I’ll never forget that. And the Erie Outlet Mall! That was such a weird place. I remember shopping there and at the Harborcreek Mall as a kid. And when my dad used to need to go to Grossman’s on upper Peach, and it seemed to take forever to drive all the way up there!
We were just talking about Christmas Express on 19. That place was the best. Our Christmas tree is from there (I inherited it from my parents). It must be over 20 years old and it’s still going strong.
And there are still pepperoni balls, but not the ones we used to get from Super Duper. They had the best antipasto too.
Dudley’s Restaurant.
Murphy’s, Halle’s, Carlisle’s, Horne’s all at the West Erie Plaza. There was a real neat store on Eighth St. across from the West Erie Plaza, can’t remember the name of it but I bought a pet rock there! Also what was the name of the store next to Taki’s on West 12th? I bought my first pair of Lee Jeans there. The P.I., Hojo’s, Holiday Inn Downtown, Erie Blades!
I miss 20-20 news on Jet Radio 1400…make that any real live, local news on the radio.
Mill Run, one of the ist jobs i had was the summer vacation at Waldameer and pushing the COMET up the tracks to get it going in the morning.
Coopers Cart and the Batting cages, used to have a crush on his daughter.
Lunch in the Boston Store dining room
The store next to Taki’s? I am embarassed to say I know what this was and it was called “The Bargain Barn”. Wow, I retained way too much of this crap and not enough of the stuff that should be in my head.
Taggert’s, Planet 93.9, Movie Stop, the Waterfront Restaurant.
I saw the photo of the old Commodore Perry Lounge – I have added to my postcard file of Erie cards if you would like to take a look.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ed_kindle/sets/72157603530617623/
Thanks!
I believe that the bakery in the Millcreek Mall was Tiffany’s (same name as the jewelry store.) I LOVED walking by there because of the good smell. Loved the old downtown. I think I got my first boke from Grant’s Department Store on State Street. My dad worked at the Record Bar across the street. I got mice and other pets from Erie Pets and Supplies near 11th and State. I recall bringing them home in containers that looked like Chinese takeout boxes.
Remember the secret spiral staircase at the downtown library? Was it Markham’s Music downtown? I seem to recall taking piano lessons there.
Anyone remember the Saturday Night horror flicks hosted by Jim Cook from JET radio; it was around 1981.
And I miss Shirley Ramsey with the weather on WICU; horned rimmed glasses……..mmmmmm.
Well, some of stuff I’m listing I can’t say I miss because those years are long gone, but I feel sorry those that will never enyoy:
Hamburger Heaven, W. 26th just about across from Browns Ave. The best Greek sauce in town, hands down.
The Sugar Bowl, a hangout for Millcreek kids in the 60s. Mrs. P, et al.
The Home Drive In, a hangout for everyone.
Dahlkempers — all the locations over the years, from downtown to Peach St.
The Restaurant/Bar at the neck of the Peninsula. I can’t recall the name at this moment.
Cars and bikes, guys and gals on State Street late on a hot August night. It was a never-ending loop from the dock to 26th and back down.
The scary old waterfront. It’s much nicer now, and much more enjoyable, but you would appreciate it more if you knew what it was like in the 60s.
All the good paying jobs.
The old downtown library, the wading pool at Glenwood playground, the ability to walk in the creek at Glenwood playground, the ape at the zoo that used to pound on the plexi-glass and scare the bejesus out of everyone, Bubbles the elephant, cruising the dock, the ice cream shop at 24th and Parade, Meister’s Five and Dime, Stover’s Ceramics, that club at the beginning of Presque Isle…and so much more!
Wow! a lot of this brings back some fond memories! I still live in Erie and there are a number of things I miss. I used to love Dudley’s which had the Superbowl Sundae to share with at least four friends! Also Elby’s Big Boy on Peach was fun when they had the drive-in area where you could eat in your car. I never got to enjoy the PI at the penninsula because they closed when I was “of age” to drink. I used to love hopping from Sportland to Coopers to ride the go carts and blow my money in the arcade. Another place was the place where you could rent a movie and watch it in a tiny room that had a couch. That was fun to cram a lot of friends into or just go to “make-out” with your date. I can’t forget all the Marx toys I got growing up! What a walk down memory lane!
O forgot one more. . . .The K-104 Haunted House every Halloween run by the Presque Isle Jaycees!!!
DiSil’s Pizza at East 21st & Parade
Pratola Peligna Club Pizza Kitchen at West 18th & Cascade
Mister Donut at Peach & Liberty
Dunkin Donuts Behind E. 12th near French
Haft’s Bakery near E. 10th & East Avenue next to St.Ann’s
I added eleven new cards to the set on Erie Postcards – lots of vintage goodness..
Take a look and leave me a comment if you like what you see.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ed_kindle/
Martucci’s
Dairy-A
I miss Jet Radio
McBeth’s, Kenny Roger’s Roasters, Boston Market, the bridge from the eastside to the peninsula, tires to energy plant, State Street Tavern, the homemade blue cheese dressing at Barbato’s (they use Ken’s or something now, terrible!), Porreco Motors, Ground Round, Halle’s Department Store, Lazarus, Lou Tulio (kept people in line, or else), K104, The Jet Millionaire, Jeff Johns on AM 1400, Natalie Massing hosting the Classic Cafe on Rocket 101, KKK rallies at the courthouse, meth labs on E. 5th St.,
SPORTLAND!!!!!!!!!!, Kaufmann’s, Ground Round, Brown Derby, Arthur Treacher’s, Marucci’s, Hector’s, Inn of Double Happiness, Commerce Building, grain elevators, Calypso, DeDad’s, Chuck&Ginny’s (when it was good – 1980s), Mike’s Motors at 13th & Sassafras, old library, The Buoy, Busy Bee Tavern, Oscar’s Pub & Station Restaurant on Peach, Dahlkemper’s, Fun Town & Wild Waters Waterpark (with the Rampage and Raging Rapids! deathtraps), K104 – You Got it!, Jim Cook on JetFM, Vance McBryde, Rea & Derrick, Cinema World, PI, Lee Konti’s Charcoal Pit, Super Sport, Erie Central Mall, Carlisle’s downtown, Liberty Plaza Restaurant, Dairy A, Weiner King, Hills, Manendo’s Meat Market, Sontheimer’s on 31st St, Halle’s, Erie Blades, Busy Beaver and Grossman’s…
Ree…Arnone’s had the best pep balls in the city, I know b/c my husband works there…stop in the next time your in Erie!
- Grossman’s on Upper Peach
- Toy World on 38th and Greengarden
- AM/PM’s, Arco’s and Boron’s
- Marine Bank with their Mascot U.B. Banker
- The old Skipperino’s and their table top Pac Man Game
- Jim Cooke’s “Late Great Horror Show” and his rubber chicken “Cluck Rogers”
- The Moon Walk at Waldammer
Montclair Elementary School, The Flying Scooter at Waldameer (I was the reason it was removed, I actually hit a tree while riding it!), the restaurant called The Mark on the peninsula, Vance McBryde, Shirley Ramsey, and Hyle Richmond every night, and who remembers Maxwell’s in the same plaza as Ferrier’s Hardware store on 26th street where you could rent a movie and watch it right there in a booth. “When the hungries hit, when the hungries hit, Hit the Red Barn.” Playing Birdie King II at the Stadium Lounge. Erie Air Show with the Blue Angels. Sled-riding at Erie Golf Course. The Penn Station hobby shop on west 8th. And lastly, before Rocket 101 was on the air, 100.9 FM was just a little old man who sometimes fell asleep while reading the sports scores!
Is Stovers Ceramics closed down?
The Home Drive-in
Jethro and Lee’s Steakhouse
Hill Mill ice cream
Boston Store cafeteria
18th Street Pick-O-Pictures
DiMichael’s Pizza
Mozdy’s
Regent Theater
Shug’s
Eagles Club (old location on West 8th)
Don’t miss dr jeremy brown of edinboro U. I hear he already has new banner’s posted on the dowling college campus. like a bandaid on a hemorage. i hear he’s livin large also and all his friends are working at dowling. way to go brownie