Vintage roadside

[Ghostsoldier]

That's the best looking WalMart I've ever seen!
Rob

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

It was originally built in 1947 as The Broadway Department Store in L.A.'s Crenshaw Plaza, America's first shopping mall.

 

[Nobert]

View attachment 10991

View attachment 10992

Rob

So that's what happened to the Hall of Justice. So civic-minded, those Superfriends.

 

[Zombie_61]

That's the best looking WalMart I've ever seen!
Rob

Based on these Yelp reviews of that particular store, it appears that's the only thing it has going for it.

 

[dh66]

Man...I'd like to watch the late night freak show in that walmart sometime.

Sent from my SGH-T959V using Tapatalk 2

 

[Ghostsoldier]

Here's the Southgate Mall in Lakeland; it was seen in the Depp movie Edward Scissorhands...











Rob

 

[Ghostsoldier]

Some more vintage buildings...







Rob

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

Based on these Yelp reviews of that particular store, it appears that's the only thing it has going for it.

:rofl:

No doubt you remember the area back in the '70s. I used to call the place Fort Crenshaw.

 

[Ghostsoldier]

Awesome "atomic starburst" thingy in parking lot of Pontiac dealership...



I think this was an old station, but I'm not sure...





And the downtown theater...





Rob

 

[Ghostsoldier]

Speaking of theaters, here's a cool old drive-in, that's still in use....it has dual screens:

















It has it's own website, with an interesting history: http://www.silvermoondrivein.com/

Rob

 

[Ghostsoldier]

A few more motels...


And two old houses for sale, one complete with vintage Ford in the carport, and ready to move in...


Rob

 

[Ghostsoldier]

Here's an old converted drive-in carhop restaurant, which still serves food, but now indoors....







Rob

 

[Ghostsoldier]

Couple more...





Rob

 

[Ghostsoldier]

Speaking of motels, here's some images of a few vintage details you normally see in these old beauties...

Room rules...Tile windowsills...Tile floors...and a bottle opener in bathroom...


Rob

 

[Ghostsoldier]

The Mel-O-Dee restaurant in Sarasota, as it was then...



And the way it is now, closed and abandoned...









I had read somewhere that it was featured as a location in some well-known novels back in the day, but can't find the reference now...

EDIT: Fixed the links...

Rob

 

[Fading Fast]

Ghostsoldier. Those are some fantastic shots. The State Theatre is iconic Florida deco - I love Florida's take on deco. And the interior shots are awesome. Thank you for posting.

 

[Zombie_61]

I passed by this place this morning.

My wife and I had dinner there last night. We both ordered the broiled chicken; not quite the best we've had, but certainly a contender. My wife is what most people would call a "fussy eater" but said she'd like to eat there again, so that's a "win"!

 

[Ghostsoldier]

I just saw one of those in the junkyard 2 weeks ago..."Unsafe as any speed" my eye....

Rob

 

[Ghostsoldier]

This will be gone soon...they are revamping the old Woolworth's in St. Augustine, Florida....



Hopefully someone will salvage it...

Rob

 

[Fading Fast]

This gem of a bakery is celebrating its 112 birthday tomorrow (I thought it was today, so I made the trek up from my apartment to congratulate them, but it turns out it is tomorrow). As a regular, I just wanted to say hi on their 112 (so back up tomorrow - what a shame, I'll have to buy more baked goods).

It is located on 87th and 1st Avenue on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. This used to be called "Germantown" for the obvious reason that it was heavily populated with German immigrants in the first half of the 20th Century. Now, this and a few other stores are all that remain of the German heritage in the neighborhood. But what a gem. The woodwork inside is incredible. And the bakery kitchen is fully visible with 100 year old marble pastry tables and mixing machines that to my eye look 75+ years old. While they have some modern baked goods, a lot of their item come from the founder's recipes which came over from Germany.

And the staff matches the store - solid, classic, old-values, great people. The baker is easy to chat with and passionate about keeping the tradition alive. The counter help is friendly and efficient and quirky (in a good way). And they will give you a sample without you having to ask (I never would) because that is how they've always done it. My favorites are their chocolate chip cookie (from a relatively modern 1950s recipe), apple strudel (no surprise there) and a killer eclair (I have no idea how that made it to a German bakery, but I'll put it up against any French bakery's eclair). And most items are not cloying - the flavors come from great recipes, quality ingredients and skilled baking - not just putting a bunch of sugar in.

If the photos didn't come up, please click on the links (and even if they did, click anyway as the links are different and better pictures) - because you want to see this place. New York City does two things to old places - it knocks them down or it "discovers" them and ruins them with attention that, most of the time, forces them upscale and fancy. But tucked away here and there are the legitimate old time stores, bars, restaurants that haven't been "discovered" and that are in normal people neighborhoods so that they can survive without charging an arm and a leg (as long as the owners two to five generations back made the wise decision to buy the building, if not, the rents even in these neighborhoods pushes these stores out of business).

If you ever get to NYC, it's worth checking this place out.

https://www.google.com/maps/@40.778...!3m3!1smIoOe3KR-xuHAOY7_r1GFA!2e0!3e2!6m1!1e1

https://www.google.com/maps/@40.778...!3m5!1e1!3m3!1sEju6DmaNaWdeJJKRz3UnRA!2e0!3e2