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I received this email from a friend. Thought it may be of interest to some of you:
Thought you might enjoy................
You could only buy a Volvo from Michaelson Motors on Reisterstown Rd, the best place to become a Chevrolet ownah was at York and Bellona, Johnnys on Harford Rd was the "Walking Mans Friend", Granny Packer was on Blair Road in Oberlee, and "Hey, Hey Fox Chevrolet" was just as annoying then as the car ads these days.
You rode on street cars and busses operated by BTC (Baltimore Transit Company), and remember when their color schemes went from yellow to green to blue, and you could pay with tokens.
You can sing the phone number for Hampden Moving and Storage.
You remember Royal Parker yelling at kids jumping on furniture that was not covered in plastic ..... "what're ya trying to ruin it?"
You think being called "hon" by waitresses, cashiers, bank tellers, and complete strangers is perfectly normal.
You remember the Bay Belle cruise that took you to Betterton and Tolchester beaches before the Bay Bridge was built.
You watched local TV shows: Duckpins for Dollars, The Collegians, Pinbusters, Buddy Deane Show, Romper Room, and Hutzler's Theatre.
You also saw Stu Kerr star as Bozo the Clown and Professor Cool for the kids, then host "Dialing for Dollars" for the stay-at-home moms, and later fill-in as the weather man (complete with cloud and sun magnets) on the 6 o'clock news.
Your mother always knew the daily "count and the amount" on dialing for dollars.
You know how to pronounce Towson and Ellicott City , and always notice ads where the announcers get it wrong.
You had milk home delivered by Green Spring, Sealtest, and Cloverland ...... but somehow Cloverland was the only one who claimed to be "the dairy with cows". Oh yeah, you can probably sing their number too (NOrth 9-2222)
You remember going for a Sunday drive to get ice cream at Murrays, Sanders (The Dam Place ), or at Cloverland Dairy Farm on Dulaney Valley Rd. If you didn't have a car, there was always a walk to Arundel or High's. Or you could just stay home and wait for the bells of the Good Humor Man ….. Wait a minute!
When somebody gave their phone number prefix (such as IDlewood - 5 or DRexel - 7 or HAmilton - 6), you knew right where they were from.
You've been on Sunday drives through "Droodle" park, and watched the submarine races at Loch Raven, Lake Montebello, or Harbor Field.
You still use the old "Poly" on North Ave as a reference for directions.
If you were interested in Motorcycles; You could buy Honda at Pete's in Hamilton, a Triumph at Boutwell's on Broadway, A Harley at Baltimore HD on Loch Raven Rd, a Beemer from Motor Sports Center on Pinckney Rd, or a Yamaha from Frankie & Ronnie's on Route 40.
Speaking of Ronnie, how about Baltimore 's own Ronnie Dove?
You remember when Baltimore had three passenger train stations; Penn Station, Camden Station, and the B&O Station on Mount Royal Avenue It also had a functioning light rail system. The city and adjoining counties were linked by street cars, which plied the tracks for 104 years before the busses ultimately won on November 3, 1963. One of the last survivors was the No. 8 line, which ran betwee n Catonsville and Towson. There are still a bunch of huge old car barns around: York Road in Govans, Harford Rd in Hamilton, Belair Rd in Overlea, Retreat Street, and the monster on Washington Blvd. to name a few.
Car drivers, bicycle riders, and pedestrians had to avoid street car tracks long after the street cars were out of business. It took years to dig up the tracks, and some are still evident on paved-over cobblestone streets. Now we are spending a gazillion dollars trying to re-create the original version of light rail.
You can remember what the harbor looked like before it was THE Inner Harbor , and that Connolly's Restaurant on Pier 5 was the last survivor of the old Pratt St. waterfront.
You know why Pigtown is called Pigtown.
You remember swimming and family picnics at Beaver Dam and Beaver Springs Swim Clubs in Cockeysville .... and no one knew of a place called Hunt Valley.
You remember when there was home delivery of the Morning Sun, The Evening Sun, The Sunday Sun, The News-Post, and The Sunday American. The last two were later the News-American.... and all long before the City Paper made its debut.
You know what/where the 9th Ward is?
You remember when White Marsh was just a marsh, Owings Mills was just a farm, and Columbia was a utopian dream (and a farm)! You still don't get the whole " Town Center " thing, and maybe you shouldn't ..... it's just a mall!
Taking visitors downtown at night to see the Washington Monument ... and point out why (from a certain angle) George Washington is really the father of our country.
You looked forward to Earl Weaver antics over a bad call ..... okay, over any call.
You remember laughing at bawdy jokes and political comments scrawled in white shoe polish on the front window of Turkey Joe's Bar in Fells Point.
Eating at Pollack Johnnie's, Lexington Market, Attman's, Bel-Loc Diner, Ciminos, Little Tavern (buy'em by the bag!), White Castle, AJ's Dog House, Horn & Horn, Oriole Cafeteria, White Coffee Pot, Hot Shoppes, Ameche's, Gino's, Read's, Hooper's, Silber's Bakery . . .
You've seen the governor (and other dignitaries) standing in line, in the rain, outside of Haussners, because they never took reservations.
You remember Friendship Airport (now BWI) and Harbor Field (now Dundalk Marine Terminal).
You remember late night "Mister Ray's Hair Weave" commercials.
You found yourself cheering for the guys who added "hon" to the Welcome to Baltimore sign on the BW Parkway, especially after the Mayor got upset and staked out the sign to catch them.
You remember driving over the old Kent Narrows Draw-Bridge that snarled weekend traffic coming home from the Ocean. You remember 17-mile traffic backups coming back from Ocean City on holiday weekends.
You remember the nitwit who crashed the plane into the upper deck of Memorial Stadium.
You had plenty of friends who worked at Sparrows Point, and each had an ugly old "point car" to drive to work.
Everybody else (it seemed) worked for GM on Broening Hywy, Western Electric, or National Brewery.
You remember going to see the fabulous Fire Department Christmas Train Garden at the home of T-27 & E-45 on Glen Avenue (by the way, it's still open).
Fort Holabird was alive and thriving.
You remember when now trendy Canton was a true blue-collar
neighborhood of small factories, a can company, waterfront oyster and vegetable packing houses, seed companies, tug boat piers, filthy harbor water, and a few greasy-spoon restaurants. In the early 70s the neighborhood had about eight square blocks of its homes demolished to make way for an interstate to connect 95 and 83. The interstate never happened, but there are ramps for it on I-95 to this day.
You love to see the Domino Sugar sign reflecting across the harbor.
You'll always remember a cheer-leading fan, in Section 34, from the 70s.
You remember when Social Security moved out of the Candler Building to their new complex in Woodlawn.
You remember seeing the Four Seasons perform at Painters Mill or at Club Venus. You saw the Beatles, The Beach Boys, Dave Clark Five, The Rolling Stones, The Monkees, and Peter, Paul & Mary at the Civic Center. You saw Emerson, Lake, and Palmer at the Lyric. You saw Otis Reading, the Four Tops, and the Temptations at Calvert Hall. You didn't save a single program!
You remember the Towson State Teachers College in Towson.
.
All the big downtown theaters were as cool as the Senator is now.
You know where High and Low Streets meet.
You liked the Orioles' smiling cartoon bird face better than the ornithologically correct Oriole on today's ball cap.
More Parks sausages Mom, Please!
You remember the rotating restaurant on top of the Holiday Inn on Light Street.
You've had the monster "Powerhouse" burger at one of four Ameche's Drive-ins .... and long before there was a McDonald's in sight. You could "Meetcha at Ameche's!" at Loch Raven & Taylor, 5800 Reisterstown Rd , 7700 Wise Ave , or Ritchie Hywy & 5th in Glen Burnie. All gone!
A few years later you could also have a 15-cent burger at Gino Marchetti's, or drive through the Circle for a Cheesy-Q. They're gone too!
You get a kick out of hearing Johns Hopkins or Pimlico named in movies or TV.
You know B&O is not body odor.
You remember when the Baltimore Civic Center was home to The Baltimore Bullets, The Baltimore Blast, The Baltimore Clippers, rock concerts, car shows, horse shows, civil-service exams, circuses, ice shows, and graduations.
You remember the wonderful spicy cinnamon smell of McCormick's on Light Street , and all the big festivals at Rash Field.
You've marveled as the three-wheeled motor cops shifted both sides of 33rd Street to the "one-way" pattern to get all the traffic in and out of Orioles and Colts games in record time / every time. Try that one on Pratt St !
Every kitchen had a can of Old Bay and every Frigidaire a case of Natty Boh. Ain't the beer cold!
You remember when Baltimore rated a "Playboy Club", and no, it
wasn't on the block.
You understand the difference between Hampden and Remington.
You remember Ross Z Pierpont, candidate for governor - again!
You and your Mom shopped at Braeger-Gutman's, Hutzler's,
Stewart's, Hochschild Kohn, Robert Hall, The May Company, Hecht's, Peck & Peck, Hamburgers, Epstein's, Youngs, Websters, Frank Leonards, Eddie Jacobs, The Sample Store, Woolworth's, SS Kresge, McCrorys, Ben Franklin, Dacks 5 &10, EJ Korvettes, Two Guys, Cooks, Caldor, Hechingers, and of course Shocketts on Broadway.
Shopping on The Avenue meant Eastern Avenue in Highlandtown, unless of course you were from the other side of town, then it was 36th St.
Shopping on The Boulevard meant Washington Boulevard in Pigtown.
You've cruised Ameche's, the Circle, Champs, and Topps Lot on a week-end evening to see the muscle cars.
You know that an Arabber is really a guy who sells fruit and vegetables from a horse drawn cart.
You remember when the city po-leece cars went from black and white, to blue and white, then to all white with red and blue stripes.
You know live crabs are at their very meanest right before steaming, and that if one gets you ..... he WILL NOT let go!
You helped paint a bi-centennial fire hydrant.
You know that the Colts Band does not need a football team to do their thing. They were formed in 1947 and have spent 13 years of their existence without a team (51 to 53 & 84 to 95). Didn't slow 'em down at all!
You always knew where to find Blaze Starr.
You remember the spectacular 13-alarm Schapiro's Rag-Factory fire that lit up the entire city sky. Hint: it's where the Pepsi sign on the JFX is now.
You remember cutting school to go to the Flower Mart and Opening Day.
You remember Greenmount Cemetery as a place you could actually visit, or drive past, without taking your life in your hands.
You know where 'Downey Ocean' is, and remember where the "Irish House" was.
You remember the old rivalries of Poly / City, Loyola / Calvert Hall were played out every Thanksgiving Day at Memorial Stadium. And the Steel Bowl.
You remember when Belvedere Avenue was "Northern Parkway", and the two-lane road up-the-hill from Falls Rd to Roland Ave was a steep, narrow, and treacherous path. They stopped traffic on Falls Road to allow the cars on Belvedere to travel one at a time on icy/snowy days. Cold Spring between Falls and Roland wasn't much better.
You know Frank Zappa was from Dundalk ...... and that somehow helps you to understand his lyrics.
You remember a very green, but not very Irish, Hyman Pressman marching in the St. Patrick's Day parades, and Louis L Goldstien with his immortal "God bless you all real good" blessing.
You've remember special deli shopping trips to Stone's Bakery, Jack's Corned Beef, Weiss Deli, and Attman's Deli on Lombard St, right in the heart of the high rise projects.
In those days Sears was still called Sears, Roebuck, and Company..... and lived at Harford and North. Wards was a little more formal as Montgomery Ward ... and was located at Monroe and Washington Blvd. Both stores carried their own brand of lawn mowers, tools, guns, motorcycles, clothes, shoes, tires, and appliances. A Sears Revolving Credit Card was tough to [SIZE=+0]get![/SIZE]
You remember the Gwynn Oak, Carlin's, and Bay Shore Amusement Parks .
You know where Engine 6 lives.
You remember all the ship repair drydocks that lined Key Highway. Now it costs a million-plus to call it home!
You wait every year to hear true Baltimore Christmas classics; "Oh, I want Crabs for Christmas" and "Walking in an Essex Wonderland".
You first heard of Spiro Agnew when he was the Baltimore
County Executive.
You know where to park for the Preakness. And still remember your parking spot for the Colts games.
The cheapest guy in town had an ideal location to watch fireworks.
Mama Cass
You remember the old North Central Railroad that ran from downtown to Pennsylvania. It ran on the current light rail tracks along the JFX, through Mount Washington, crossed Lake Roland (Robert E Lee Memorial Park), out thru Ruxton and Lutherville, crossed York Rd at the Cockeysville Underpass, an d then headed north to PA on what is now a great bicycle path. The transition from working railway to light rail and bicycle path was courtesy of a very determined Hurricane Agnes in 1972. David and Freddie killed off any chances of NCR recovery in '79.
You love to hear Arty Donovan explain anything.
Eating at The Golden Arm, Brasey's, and The Iron Horse. Or bowling at Colt Lanes.
You got a parking ticket (or towed away) while in court for a parking ticket in the old traffic court at 211 E Madison St.
You don't think that Assawoman Bay is a strange name.
You are an expert crab picker that always volunteers to teach visitors the only (and best) way to pick a steamed crab. Of course everyone else around you will interrupt the lesson to show your new student their best way, and confusion will reign. This will never change!
You had to be ready to yell out your order at Captain Harvey's, or risk hearing jeers from all the longshoremen in line.
You have no idea what an Auchentoroly is, but know where there is a street (a terrace actually) named after one.
You have great memories of Memorial Stadium, and the days when Brooks, Frank, Jim Palmer, Gus Triandos, Mark Belanger, Luis Aparicio, Jim Gentile, Milt Pappas, Dave McNally, Andy
Etchebarren, Eddie Murray, Hoyt Wilhelm, Dave Johnson, Rick Dempsey, Earl Weaver, and the Ripken boys gave Baltimore plenty of seasons and reasons to be proud.
You had to pull out the BS sign when Robert Irsay declared that he had to move (steal) the Colts from Baltimore .... because the city would not support a team. We didn't get to be the world's largest outdoor insane asylum for nothing. The names of Johnny Unitas, Raymond Berry, Bill Pellington, Art Donovan, Tom Matte, Alan Ameche, Gino Marchetti, Jim Mutscheler, Lenny Moore,
John Mackey, Big Daddy, Jimmy Orr, Bert Jones, Lydell Mitchell, John Dutton, Mike Barnes, Joe Ehrman, Fred Cook, and many others are held in reverence to this day! Won't support a team ....... hmmm!!!!
You remember when Baltimore Street was a gaping cavern
covered by wooden planks and steel plates during years of subway construction.
You still cheer for the Orioles even when they aren't doing well, and root for anyone playing the Yankees or Colts. There'll never be even the slightest hint of forgiveness for Bob Irsay, and Mayflower Movers might as well move themselves to Indiana for all the business I'll ever give them.
Everybody knows what a 'zink' and 'payment' are, and just how important it is to "warsh them marble stoops."
You remember urban renewal, the riots of 68, and burn-baby-burn.
And no matter where you are, you can only laugh when you see signs saying ' Maryland Crab Cakes!'
Even during all the years of no pro football team in Baltimore , you couldn't bring yourself to be a Redskins Fan.
You say ' Blare Road ' for Belair Road
You understand the inner and outer loops of the beltway, and don't understand why they need signs up to point out which is
which.
You remember Rolf Hertzgaard, Frank Luber, Royal Parker, Jim Mustard, Mike Hambrick, Ron Smith, Jerry Turner, and Al Sanders on the tube.
There was Kirby Scott, Johnny Dark, Jack Edwards on WCAO, Jay Grason and Galen Fromm on WBAL, Lee Case on WCBM, Mike March, Johnny Walker, and The Flying Dutchman on WFBR, and Joe Buccheri on a variety of Classic Rock stations ....to name but a few.
You remember the strange mixture of Oprah Winfrey and Richard Sher on WJZ's morning show.
You were confused for a few years after they swapped one-way directions on Lombard and Pratt Streets.
You've been to a prom at the "Alcazar", and probably danced to the Admirals.
Vince Bagli was 'the' sports announcer on TV. Charlie Eckman was "the" coach. Chuck Thompson was 'the' voice of the Orioles / after Bailey Goss.
You refer to <st1:PlaceName w
Nine years old but figured I would reply since I just came across this today. Interesting enough for memories.
* We bought cars from both Fox and R&R Motors. (Reisterstown Road and Rogers Avenue). Easy to remember since the commercial came on every five minutes.
* Don't forget the Pickle Factory Fire on Streeper Street and the Box Factory Fire. Engine House 22 on Potomac and O'Donnell Street had a brand new Truck (Truck 22) that pulled in too close to the Box Factory Fire and it got so hot the brand new fire engine melted. Everything on it was destroyed as well as the vehicle.
* Greenspring delivered our milk. Cloverland delivered our Juice. (The Juice Man).
* Royal Parker passed away last year, his family was friends and neighbors with some of my relatives family in Havre De Grace growing up.
* BTC/BTA. Bus number 13 and 7 went by my house. Used to catch the Number 10 down Eastern Avenue to my cousins house. Accepted tokens and during "Busing" (riots) everyone was issued Bus Ticket Books. Transfers were free for students during Bussing, otherwise a transfer was a nickel (1970's).
* My next door neighbor was on Duckpins for Dollars and rolled all gutter balls. My mother and some of her friends were members of "The Committee" on the Buddy Deane Show. I was actually on Romper Room for 20 minutes.
* Hutzler's was both a Theater and a Restaraunt.
* When I "copped out" of school I used to listen for Dialing For Dollars hoping they would call me at my house, even though at the time I didnt know you had to enter your number I knew the daily count and amount. I also knew what time of day to watch it on TV. At one period he would just pull numbers out of the book, but as I recall it came a time when you had to send in your number for it to be drawn.
* I first heard of Spiro Agnew when the Baltimore Riots were going on and he was caught up in a seven year Political scandal with Nancy Pelosi's father and brother, Baltimore Mayor(s) D'Alessandro and was on television everyday due to the scandal.
* The car ride down Dulaney Valley road wasn't just about getting ice cream. The road was hilly and driving over it made you feel like you were on a roller coaster. The ride alone was a treat for the kids.
* I lived at Captain Harvey's for the hamburger subs. Speaking of Longshoreman, my father was one. Local 333. And there was also George's Truck (Subs) down on Pier 11 and down at Dundalk Marine Terminal. Subs just as good if not better than Captain Harveys.
* Went to Lake Roland to feed the giant Carp. I worked for Brooks Robinson at his house doing yard work near the Alameda. Worked for Johnny Unitas company cleaning lanes at the Bowling Alley. When Gino Marchetti (Gino's) went bankrupt my grandfather was a manager, he ended up with a location on Dundalk Avenue, although everyone remembers it for the Gino's Giant, it was Gino's Kentucky Fried Chicken. Like a lot of places, Gino's sold the Colonels Recipe because there were no KFC's, Colonel Sanders licenced out his recipe to everyone, including gas stations. The first Kentucky Fried Chicken in our area was on Eastern Avenue near Conklin Street.
* As a news team I loved Jerry Turner and Al Sanders. Every year it was like a countdown for them to watch for the snow storms.
* Boutwells wasn't only on Broadway, they also had a shop on an Eastern Avenue corner in Highlandtown. I used to race Motocross and "Ole Man Boutwell" worked on everyone's Bikes. Street and Dirt.
I know every person on the list, met most of them. One of the biggest names in Baltimore in the 70's is missing. Alan Christian. To this day I am addicted to talk radio because of Alan Christian. I would go so far as to say he was one of the Founding Fathers of Contemporary Talk radio. He knew how to do it and be entertaining. He once spent the night and broadcast live in a supposed haunted house, Alan Christian was doing "Ghost Hunter"....40 years ago. He rowed out into the Bermuda Triangle, even though there is no such thing as a Bermuda Triangle it was (and still is) a popular notion. I was in contact with Alan Christian up until about 2 or 3 years ago. He told me he had cancer pretty bad but was making it.
Some other things missing but of course they can't put every single thing in one article.
Potato quarters and Ice Milk at Lexington Market.
Music at the Post Pavilion.
Crabbing at the foot of Hudson at "The Ark".
Oyster Roasts.
Bud Paolino (Knew personally) and his Normandy Room.
I Am an American Day Parades, especially the one when the cast of Happy Days was in it, in the 70's and another were "Grandpa" from The Waltons was in it.
I always enjoy seeing this thread pop up, and always wonder...
So what happened?
Was it all white flight?
The collapse of heavy industry (and its jobs)?
The influence of unions (pro and con)?
A majority poor black population surge?
Crime and drugs?
Many of these same things happened elsewhere, yet the cities didn't experience total collapse.
Why here?
I don't think it could just be corrupt politicians, that's been part of our town's history since well before Baltimore's decline.
I know that the past always looks rosy through the veil of years, but after 23 years in Baltimore, I know I won't have these sorts of fond memories. Except perhaps, "Call Mr. Ray's naow, for the best hair weave at the lowest prices in taown!"
Unless someone is going bald, a hair weave is
really not needed. I remember those commercials.
They only served to make some black women feel bad
about their natural hair and made them think they
needed hair from another race of people to be
accepted.
As far as rosy memories, everyone has them.
Despite how bleak the times, people will remember
the feel good moments. That is how the human
brain works. The truth, however, is, the further
back you go in time in the U.S., the less FGM
there are for black people.
I remember much of what the OP posted especially about Cockeysville since i have been here for 41 years. 4 year Mays Chapel detour.
I didn't read everything. Did anybody mention Highs. I remembered them because most of my Mother's Family worked for them. They weren't much of a company to work for, but it was neat when I was a kid. My Grandfather worked for them for 43 years.
I am on the cusp of much of what has been mentioned.
Unless someone is going bald, a hair weave is
really not needed. I remember those commercials.
They only served to make some black women feel bad
about their natural hair and made them think they
needed hair from another race of people to be
accepted.
As far as rosy memories, everyone has them.
Despite how bleak the times, people will remember
the feel good moments. That is how the human
brain works. The truth, however, is, the further
back you go in time in the U.S., the less FGM
there are for black people.
Black people had a harder go of things in the past, for sure, but there are definitely some good things from the past that we can highlight, too. I'm not from Baltimore, but I know that there was a strong sense of community amongst us. Elders tell me about times when almost the entire neighborhood would go out and clean their marble steps. Memories of Pennsylvania Avenue, Arch Social Club, etc. We had our fair share of struggles, but there was a sense of pride in ourselves that seems to be severely lacking if the elders' recollections are any indication. To quote Charles Dickens, "it was the best of times, it was the worst of times" - and so it goes.
Black people had a harder go of things in the past, for sure, but there are definitely some good things from the past that we can highlight, too. I'm not from Baltimore, but I know that there was a strong sense of community amongst us. Elders tell me about times when almost the entire neighborhood would go out and clean their marble steps. Memories of Pennsylvania Avenue, Arch Social Club, etc. We had our fair share of struggles, but there was a sense of pride in ourselves that seems to be severely lacking if the elders' recollections are any indication. To quote Charles Dickens, "it was the best of times, it was the worst of times" - and so it goes.
That is what Baltimore is today. A tale of two cities.
I was thinking about some old hangouts and nightclubs. The Club Venus, Latin Casino. Capricorn, Reflections. Also Perring Pkwy and Lillian Holt Dr was roads famous for drag racing. The drive-ins; Bengies, Timonium, Shore and North-Point.
Bengie's is still open in Middle River, Md, and claims to be the largest Drive-In theater in the USA.
Bengie's is still open in Middle River, Md, and claims to be the largest Drive-In theater in the USA.
There was the "Ghost of Bengies."
Teenagers -- some of whom were genuine knuckle dragging bad asses and even future USMC -- admitted to being frightened and SWORE that there were paranormal shenanigans going on the woods down there when they parked with their honeys.
Some sort of mass hysteria? Still strange given the nature of some of the guys who did the reporting.
I received this email from a friend. Thought it may be of interest to some of you:
Thought you might enjoy................
You could only buy a Volvo from Michaelson Motors on Reisterstown Rd, the best place to become a Chevrolet ownah was at York and Bellona, Johnnys on Harford Rd was the "Walking Mans Friend", Granny Packer was on Blair Road in Oberlee, and "Hey, Hey Fox Chevrolet" was just as annoying then as the car ads these days.
You rode on street cars and busses operated by BTC (Baltimore Transit Company), and remember when their color schemes went from yellow to green to blue, and you could pay with tokens.
You can sing the phone number for Hampden Moving and Storage.
You remember Royal Parker yelling at kids jumping on furniture that was not covered in plastic ..... "what're ya trying to ruin it?"
You think being called "hon" by waitresses, cashiers, bank tellers, and complete strangers is perfectly normal.
You remember the Bay Belle cruise that took you to Betterton and Tolchester beaches before the Bay Bridge was built.
You watched local TV shows: Duckpins for Dollars, The Collegians, Pinbusters, Buddy Deane Show, Romper Room, and Hutzler's Theatre.
You also saw Stu Kerr star as Bozo the Clown and Professor Cool for the kids, then host "Dialing for Dollars" for the stay-at-home moms, and later fill-in as the weather man (complete with cloud and sun magnets) on the 6 o'clock news.
Your mother always knew the daily "count and the amount" on dialing for dollars.
You know how to pronounce Towson and Ellicott City , and always notice ads where the announcers get it wrong.
You had milk home delivered by Green Spring, Sealtest, and Cloverland ...... but somehow Cloverland was the only one who claimed to be "the dairy with cows". Oh yeah, you can probably sing their number too (NOrth 9-2222)
You remember going for a Sunday drive to get ice cream at Murrays, Sanders (The Dam Place ), or at Cloverland Dairy Farm on Dulaney Valley Rd. If you didn't have a car, there was always a walk to Arundel or High's. Or you could just stay home and wait for the bells of the Good Humor Man ….. Wait a minute!
When somebody gave their phone number prefix (such as IDlewood - 5 or DRexel - 7 or HAmilton - 6), you knew right where they were from.
You've been on Sunday drives through "Droodle" park, and watched the submarine races at Loch Raven, Lake Montebello, or Harbor Field.
You still use the old "Poly" on North Ave as a reference for directions.
If you were interested in Motorcycles; You could buy Honda at Pete's in Hamilton, a Triumph at Boutwell's on Broadway, A Harley at Baltimore HD on Loch Raven Rd, a Beemer from Motor Sports Center on Pinckney Rd, or a Yamaha from Frankie & Ronnie's on Route 40.
Speaking of Ronnie, how about Baltimore 's own Ronnie Dove?
You remember when Baltimore had three passenger train stations; Penn Station, Camden Station, and the B&O Station on Mount Royal Avenue It also had a functioning light rail system. The city and adjoining counties were linked by street cars, which plied the tracks for 104 years before the busses ultimately won on November 3, 1963. One of the last survivors was the No. 8 line, which ran betwee n Catonsville and Towson. There are still a bunch of huge old car barns around: York Road in Govans, Harford Rd in Hamilton, Belair Rd in Overlea, Retreat Street, and the monster on Washington Blvd. to name a few.
Car drivers, bicycle riders, and pedestrians had to avoid street car tracks long after the street cars were out of business. It took years to dig up the tracks, and some are still evident on paved-over cobblestone streets. Now we are spending a gazillion dollars trying to re-create the original version of light rail.
You can remember what the harbor looked like before it was THE Inner Harbor , and that Connolly's Restaurant on Pier 5 was the last survivor of the old Pratt St. waterfront.
You know why Pigtown is called Pigtown.
You remember swimming and family picnics at Beaver Dam and Beaver Springs Swim Clubs in Cockeysville .... and no one knew of a place called Hunt Valley.
You remember when there was home delivery of the Morning Sun, The Evening Sun, The Sunday Sun, The News-Post, and The Sunday American. The last two were later the News-American.... and all long before the City Paper made its debut.
You know what/where the 9th Ward is?
You remember when White Marsh was just a marsh, Owings Mills was just a farm, and Columbia was a utopian dream (and a farm)! You still don't get the whole " Town Center " thing, and maybe you shouldn't ..... it's just a mall!
Taking visitors downtown at night to see the Washington Monument ... and point out why (from a certain angle) George Washington is really the father of our country.
You looked forward to Earl Weaver antics over a bad call ..... okay, over any call.
You remember laughing at bawdy jokes and political comments scrawled in white shoe polish on the front window of Turkey Joe's Bar in Fells Point.
Eating at Pollack Johnnie's, Lexington Market, Attman's, Bel-Loc Diner, Ciminos, Little Tavern (buy'em by the bag!), White Castle, AJ's Dog House, Horn & Horn, Oriole Cafeteria, White Coffee Pot, Hot Shoppes, Ameche's, Gino's, Read's, Hooper's, Silber's Bakery . . .
You've seen the governor (and other dignitaries) standing in line, in the rain, outside of Haussners, because they never took reservations.
You remember Friendship Airport (now BWI) and Harbor Field (now Dundalk Marine Terminal).
You remember late night "Mister Ray's Hair Weave" commercials.
You found yourself cheering for the guys who added "hon" to the Welcome to Baltimore sign on the BW Parkway, especially after the Mayor got upset and staked out the sign to catch them.
You remember driving over the old Kent Narrows Draw-Bridge that snarled weekend traffic coming home from the Ocean. You remember 17-mile traffic backups coming back from Ocean City on holiday weekends.
You remember the nitwit who crashed the plane into the upper deck of Memorial Stadium.
You had plenty of friends who worked at Sparrows Point, and each had an ugly old "point car" to drive to work.
Everybody else (it seemed) worked for GM on Broening Hywy, Western Electric, or National Brewery.
You remember going to see the fabulous Fire Department Christmas Train Garden at the home of T-27 & E-45 on Glen Avenue (by the way, it's still open).
Fort Holabird was alive and thriving.
You remember when now trendy Canton was a true blue-collar
neighborhood of small factories, a can company, waterfront oyster and vegetable packing houses, seed companies, tug boat piers, filthy harbor water, and a few greasy-spoon restaurants. In the early 70s the neighborhood had about eight square blocks of its homes demolished to make way for an interstate to connect 95 and 83. The interstate never happened, but there are ramps for it on I-95 to this day.
You love to see the Domino Sugar sign reflecting across the harbor.
You'll always remember a cheer-leading fan, in Section 34, from the 70s.
You remember when Social Security moved out of the Candler Building to their new complex in Woodlawn.
You remember seeing the Four Seasons perform at Painters Mill or at Club Venus. You saw the Beatles, The Beach Boys, Dave Clark Five, The Rolling Stones, The Monkees, and Peter, Paul & Mary at the Civic Center. You saw Emerson, Lake, and Palmer at the Lyric. You saw Otis Reading, the Four Tops, and the Temptations at Calvert Hall. You didn't save a single program!
You remember the Towson State Teachers College in Towson.
.
All the big downtown theaters were as cool as the Senator is now.
You know where High and Low Streets meet.
You liked the Orioles' smiling cartoon bird face better than the ornithologically correct Oriole on today's ball cap.
More Parks sausages Mom, Please!
You remember the rotating restaurant on top of the Holiday Inn on Light Street.
You've had the monster "Powerhouse" burger at one of four Ameche's Drive-ins .... and long before there was a McDonald's in sight. You could "Meetcha at Ameche's!" at Loch Raven & Taylor, 5800 Reisterstown Rd , 7700 Wise Ave , or Ritchie Hywy & 5th in Glen Burnie. All gone!
A few years later you could also have a 15-cent burger at Gino Marchetti's, or drive through the Circle for a Cheesy-Q. They're gone too!
You get a kick out of hearing Johns Hopkins or Pimlico named in movies or TV.
You know B&O is not body odor.
You remember when the Baltimore Civic Center was home to The Baltimore Bullets, The Baltimore Blast, The Baltimore Clippers, rock concerts, car shows, horse shows, civil-service exams, circuses, ice shows, and graduations.
You remember the wonderful spicy cinnamon smell of McCormick's on Light Street , and all the big festivals at Rash Field.
You've marveled as the three-wheeled motor cops shifted both sides of 33rd Street to the "one-way" pattern to get all the traffic in and out of Orioles and Colts games in record time / every time. Try that one on Pratt St !
Every kitchen had a can of Old Bay and every Frigidaire a case of Natty Boh. Ain't the beer cold!
You remember when Baltimore rated a "Playboy Club", and no, it
wasn't on the block.
You understand the difference between Hampden and Remington.
You remember Ross Z Pierpont, candidate for governor - again!
You and your Mom shopped at Braeger-Gutman's, Hutzler's,
Stewart's, Hochschild Kohn, Robert Hall, The May Company, Hecht's, Peck & Peck, Hamburgers, Epstein's, Youngs, Websters, Frank Leonards, Eddie Jacobs, The Sample Store, Woolworth's, SS Kresge, McCrorys, Ben Franklin, Dacks 5 &10, EJ Korvettes, Two Guys, Cooks, Caldor, Hechingers, and of course Shocketts on Broadway.
Shopping on The Avenue meant Eastern Avenue in Highlandtown, unless of course you were from the other side of town, then it was 36th St.
Shopping on The Boulevard meant Washington Boulevard in Pigtown.
You've cruised Ameche's, the Circle, Champs, and Topps Lot on a week-end evening to see the muscle cars.
You know that an Arabber is really a guy who sells fruit and vegetables from a horse drawn cart.
You remember when the city po-leece cars went from black and white, to blue and white, then to all white with red and blue stripes.
You know live crabs are at their very meanest right before steaming, and that if one gets you ..... he WILL NOT let go!
You helped paint a bi-centennial fire hydrant.
You know that the Colts Band does not need a football team to do their thing. They were formed in 1947 and have spent 13 years of their existence without a team (51 to 53 & 84 to 95). Didn't slow 'em down at all!
You always knew where to find Blaze Starr.
You remember the spectacular 13-alarm Schapiro's Rag-Factory fire that lit up the entire city sky. Hint: it's where the Pepsi sign on the JFX is now.
You remember cutting school to go to the Flower Mart and Opening Day.
You remember Greenmount Cemetery as a place you could actually visit, or drive past, without taking your life in your hands.
You know where 'Downey Ocean' is, and remember where the "Irish House" was.
You remember the old rivalries of Poly / City, Loyola / Calvert Hall were played out every Thanksgiving Day at Memorial Stadium. And the Steel Bowl.
You remember when Belvedere Avenue was "Northern Parkway", and the two-lane road up-the-hill from Falls Rd to Roland Ave was a steep, narrow, and treacherous path. They stopped traffic on Falls Road to allow the cars on Belvedere to travel one at a time on icy/snowy days. Cold Spring between Falls and Roland wasn't much better.
You know Frank Zappa was from Dundalk ...... and that somehow helps you to understand his lyrics.
You remember a very green, but not very Irish, Hyman Pressman marching in the St. Patrick's Day parades, and Louis L Goldstien with his immortal "God bless you all real good" blessing.
You've remember special deli shopping trips to Stone's Bakery, Jack's Corned Beef, Weiss Deli, and Attman's Deli on Lombard St, right in the heart of the high rise projects.
In those days Sears was still called Sears, Roebuck, and Company..... and lived at Harford and North. Wards was a little more formal as Montgomery Ward ... and was located at Monroe and Washington Blvd. Both stores carried their own brand of lawn mowers, tools, guns, motorcycles, clothes, shoes, tires, and appliances. A Sears Revolving Credit Card was tough to [SIZE=+0]get![/SIZE]
You remember the Gwynn Oak, Carlin's, and Bay Shore Amusement Parks .
You know where Engine 6 lives.
You remember all the ship repair drydocks that lined Key Highway. Now it costs a million-plus to call it home!
You wait every year to hear true Baltimore Christmas classics; "Oh, I want Crabs for Christmas" and "Walking in an Essex Wonderland".
You first heard of Spiro Agnew when he was the Baltimore
County Executive.
You know where to park for the Preakness. And still remember your parking spot for the Colts games.
The cheapest guy in town had an ideal location to watch fireworks.
Mama Cass
You remember the old North Central Railroad that ran from downtown to Pennsylvania. It ran on the current light rail tracks along the JFX, through Mount Washington, crossed Lake Roland (Robert E Lee Memorial Park), out thru Ruxton and Lutherville, crossed York Rd at the Cockeysville Underpass, an d then headed north to PA on what is now a great bicycle path. The transition from working railway to light rail and bicycle path was courtesy of a very determined Hurricane Agnes in 1972. David and Freddie killed off any chances of NCR recovery in '79.
You love to hear Arty Donovan explain anything.
Eating at The Golden Arm, Brasey's, and The Iron Horse. Or bowling at Colt Lanes.
You got a parking ticket (or towed away) while in court for a parking ticket in the old traffic court at 211 E Madison St.
You don't think that Assawoman Bay is a strange name.
You are an expert crab picker that always volunteers to teach visitors the only (and best) way to pick a steamed crab. Of course everyone else around you will interrupt the lesson to show your new student their best way, and confusion will reign. This will never change!
You had to be ready to yell out your order at Captain Harvey's, or risk hearing jeers from all the longshoremen in line.
You have no idea what an Auchentoroly is, but know where there is a street (a terrace actually) named after one.
You have great memories of Memorial Stadium, and the days when Brooks, Frank, Jim Palmer, Gus Triandos, Mark Belanger, Luis Aparicio, Jim Gentile, Milt Pappas, Dave McNally, Andy
Etchebarren, Eddie Murray, Hoyt Wilhelm, Dave Johnson, Rick Dempsey, Earl Weaver, and the Ripken boys gave Baltimore plenty of seasons and reasons to be proud.
You had to pull out the BS sign when Robert Irsay declared that he had to move (steal) the Colts from Baltimore .... because the city would not support a team. We didn't get to be the world's largest outdoor insane asylum for nothing. The names of Johnny Unitas, Raymond Berry, Bill Pellington, Art Donovan, Tom Matte, Alan Ameche, Gino Marchetti, Jim Mutscheler, Lenny Moore,
John Mackey, Big Daddy, Jimmy Orr, Bert Jones, Lydell Mitchell, John Dutton, Mike Barnes, Joe Ehrman, Fred Cook, and many others are held in reverence to this day! Won't support a team ....... hmmm!!!!
You remember when Baltimore Street was a gaping cavern
covered by wooden planks and steel plates during years of subway construction.
You still cheer for the Orioles even when they aren't doing well, and root for anyone playing the Yankees or Colts. There'll never be even the slightest hint of forgiveness for Bob Irsay, and Mayflower Movers might as well move themselves to Indiana for all the business I'll ever give them.
Everybody knows what a 'zink' and 'payment' are, and just how important it is to "warsh them marble stoops."
You remember urban renewal, the riots of 68, and burn-baby-burn.
And no matter where you are, you can only laugh when you see signs saying ' Maryland Crab Cakes!'
Even during all the years of no pro football team in Baltimore , you couldn't bring yourself to be a Redskins Fan.
You say ' Blare Road ' for Belair Road
You understand the inner and outer loops of the beltway, and don't understand why they need signs up to point out which is
which.
You remember Rolf Hertzgaard, Frank Luber, Royal Parker, Jim Mustard, Mike Hambrick, Ron Smith, Jerry Turner, and Al Sanders on the tube.
There was Kirby Scott, Johnny Dark, Jack Edwards on WCAO, Jay Grason and Galen Fromm on WBAL, Lee Case on WCBM, Mike March, Johnny Walker, and The Flying Dutchman on WFBR, and Joe Buccheri on a variety of Classic Rock stations ....to name but a few.
You remember the strange mixture of Oprah Winfrey and Richard Sher on WJZ's morning show.
You were confused for a few years after they swapped one-way directions on Lombard and Pratt Streets.
You've been to a prom at the "Alcazar", and probably danced to the Admirals.
Vince Bagli was 'the' sports announcer on TV. Charlie Eckman was "the" coach. Chuck Thompson was 'the' voice of the Orioles / after Bailey Goss.
You refer to <st1:PlaceName w
Pink Floyd also played the Lyric on April 21st 1972, and I have the generic Capitol tri fold out with their tour dates. Eclipse (A Piece For Assorted Lunatics) By Pink Floyd.
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