Things you don't see in Huntsville anymore (Decatur, Piedmont: home, buying)

[Charles]

Dead Malls dot Com: Feature: Mall, The: Huntsville, Alabama

[deesonic]

This is one of the most fascinating threads I've seen on here in a long time. I just discovered it today. I'll post a few random observations and memories...

"THE Mall" - I remember being dragged here by my mom and her spending what seemed like hours in Loveman's and Lerner. Out of boredom, I would go to the front desk and report myself lost so they would page my mom to the front. I loved the fountain, always a highlight. I also loved the fresh squeeze lemonade stand. I took some classes at the old Calhoun campus there as well.

Dunavant's Mall - Another store my mom would drag me to, Dunavant's. My mom likes to retell a story to friends about the time I loaded my pockets with a bunch of the security tags that make the alarm go off. Needless to say the alarm went off and embarrassed my mom while a coworker of her's at NASA was walking in.

Whitesburg Drive-In - My dad hated to go indoor theaters because he always fell asleep and snored. This was the only way my mom could get him out for a movie.

Lyric Theater - My mom took me to see Jaws there when it came out. It closed not long after that.

University Six - That was one of the first multiplex theaters in Huntsville. I remember when it was brand new. Hard to believe it's vacant now. Also, the Mike's Merchandise on S Parkway used to be a multiplex of 8 tiny theaters. The screens were horrible.

Britling's Buffet - Tommy Battle's family owned this place. It was a favorite of my dad's. I remember our future mayor sitting out front working the register many times.
Here's some things not listed by any previous posters...

McCormick YMCA - It was located on Triana Blvd across from West Huntsville Baptist Church. I played football, baseball, and basketball in the Y leagues and our teams were usually sponsored by Huntsville Manufacturing (formerly Merrimack). Anyway, the old McCormick building is still there and houses a restaurant supply company. The field out front was the baseball field and our football practice field.

Mr. Steak - Once Huntsville's best steak restaurant located on S Parkway near Airport. Used to love their rolls with honey.

A&W on Drake - The place felt like a dungeon and I loved it, lots of character. Had many of my little league peewee football team pics on the walls.

National Guard Armory on S Parkway used to host lots of local band concerts throughout the 80s. I was there nearly every weekend checking out local punk and metal bands like Skeletal Earth and Random Conflict. These shows were always organized by kids themselves. Kids had much more gumption 20 years ago.

High school football - When I was a kid in the late 70s and early 80s, high school football was KING! I can remember going to Milton Frank Stadium on a Friday night and watching Butler games. There were rarely vacant seats. Many would bring folding chairs and sit around the track area. I grew up within earshot of the stadium and when I couldn't go to games, I'd sit in my backyard and listen to the announcer, the bands, the cheers while tossing a football to myself and dreaming of the day I would star for Butler High.

I have many more nostalgic memories to share if I think of any more.

[Charles]

Originally Posted by deesonic

This is one of the most fascinating threads I've seen on here in a long time. I just discovered it today. I'll post a few random observations and memories...

"THE Mall" - I remember being dragged here by my mom and her spending what seemed like hours in Loveman's and Lerner. Out of boredom, I would go to the front desk and report myself lost so they would page my mom to the front. I loved the fountain, always a highlight. I also loved the fresh squeeze lemonade stand. I took some classes at the old Calhoun campus there as well.

Dunavant's Mall - Another store my mom would drag me to, Dunavant's. My mom likes to retell a story to friends about the time I loaded my pockets with a bunch of the security tags that make the alarm go off. Needless to say the alarm went off and embarrassed my mom while a coworker of her's at NASA was walking in.

Whitesburg Drive-In - My dad hated to go indoor theaters because he always fell asleep and snored. This was the only way my mom could get him out for a movie.

Lyric Theater - My mom took me to see Jaws there when it came out. It closed not long after that.

University Six - That was one of the first multiplex theaters in Huntsville. I remember when it was brand new. Hard to believe it's vacant now. Also, the Mike's Merchandise on S Parkway used to be a multiplex of 8 tiny theaters. The screens were horrible.

Britling's Buffet - Tommy Battle's family owned this place. It was a favorite of my dad's. I remember our future mayor sitting out front working the register many times.
Here's some things not listed by any previous posters...

McCormick YMCA - It was located on Triana Blvd across from West Huntsville Baptist Church. I played football, baseball, and basketball in the Y leagues and our teams were usually sponsored by Huntsville Manufacturing (formerly Merrimack). Anyway, the old McCormick building is still there and houses a restaurant supply company. The field out front was the baseball field and our football practice field.

Mr. Steak - Once Huntsville's best steak restaurant located on S Parkway near Airport. Used to love their rolls with honey.

A&W on Drake - The place felt like a dungeon and I loved it, lots of character. Had many of my little league peewee football team pics on the walls.

National Guard Armory on S Parkway used to host lots of local band concerts throughout the 80s. I was there nearly every weekend checking out local punk and metal bands like Skeletal Earth and Random Conflict. These shows were always organized by kids themselves. Kids had much more gumption 20 years ago.

High school football - When I was a kid in the late 70s and early 80s, high school football was KING! I can remember going to Milton Frank Stadium on a Friday night and watching Butler games. There were rarely vacant seats. Many would bring folding chairs and sit around the track area. I grew up within earshot of the stadium and when I couldn't go to games, I'd sit in my backyard and listen to the announcer, the bands, the cheers while tossing a football to myself and dreaming of the day I would star for Butler High.

I have many more nostalgic memories to share if I think of any more.

Another neat post. Even though I've only lived in Huntsville for a year, I really enjoy reading these hometown, local stories.

[padmaster]

I remember the GEX store on North Parkway at Max Luther. It was like a K-mart. It later became a Builders Square, which didn't last long. I'm not sure what it is now.

There used to ba an ice cream shop at the corner of Mastin Lake and Pulaski, Rocket City Ice Cream I believe. My Mom used to grocery shop at the Luckys in the opposite corner and she would stop and let us kids get an ice cream cone on the way home.

There used to be an abundance of U-Totem stores in the area. The U-Totem nearest where I lived had a Duncan yo-yo representative hold a contest there and I won a butterfly yo-yo and a patch.....still have the patch. Most U-Totem stores were taken over by Circle C.

[cornutt]

Originally Posted by deesonic

"THE Mall" - I remember being dragged here by my mom and her spending what seemed like hours in Loveman's and Lerner. Out of boredom, I would go to the front desk and report myself lost so they would page my mom to the front. I loved the fountain, always a highlight. I also loved the fresh squeeze lemonade stand. I took some classes at the old Calhoun campus there as well.

A couple of more memories about The Mall. One of my favorite things as a kid was the koi pond inside the Bill's men's clothing store. It had a stacked stone waterfall that went up into the ceiling.

The big fountain in the cente of the mall was also used for stage shows. There was a crane in the ceiling that they used to get the centerpiece out of the way; they'd unbolt it and the crane would lift it up to the ceiling. Then there was a stage platform that fit over the pool (with the water still in it). You'd stand on stage and look up at the big heavy fountain centerpiece hanging over your head.

The Hickory Farms store always had samples out. Every time we were in there, I had to go through and get some banana chips and sesame sticks.

The JC Penny shoe department had a foot measuring machine. You took off your shoe and stepped into a rectangular slot in the machine. Metal bars came out and pressed (gently) against the sides of your feet and the tips of your toes. It was pretty accurate. It had a big sign on it saying "THIS IS NOT AN X-RAY."

Mr. Steak - Once Huntsville's best steak restaurant located on S Parkway near Airport. Used to love their rolls with honey.

My parents didn't like to go there because they didn't serve alcohol.

[deesonic]

I didn't realize Mr. Steak didn't serve alcohol. Of course I was a kid then. That would certainly be unacceptable most of the time now for me...haha. What's a good steak without a nice stout to go with it? I think Pepito's Mexican Restaurant is in the old Mr. Steak location now.

Anyone remember the old Dawg House on Bob Wallace? Burger Chef? Roy Gonzalez' El Mexicano?

Actually, I just remembered this thread regarding older Huntsville restaurants... https://www.city-data.com/forum/hunts...ate-80s-2.html

[mm42]

The ice cream cones at City Drug Co. are probably the #1 thing I miss from Old Huntsville.

[cornutt]

Originally Posted by Charles

Dead Malls dot Com: Feature: Mall, The: Huntsville, Alabama

That's a pretty good writeup. One thing the author mentioned was the interior being dark. Originally, it was pretty light; it had skylights in the roof, and most of the interior was painted in light colors. The skylights were covered over in the 1981 remodel, which is what made it dark.

One other thing: Back in the '60s, The Mall was open until 9:00 PM every night, including Sundays. The sign out front proudly said so.

[skinem]

Originally Posted by padmaster

I remember the GEX store on North Parkway at Max Luther. It was like a K-mart. It later became a Builders Square, which didn't last long. I'm not sure what it is now.

It's empty now. You can still see where it said "Builder's Square".

I miss the ice cream at City Drug. Forgot all about the koi pond.

[cornutt]

Originally Posted by skinem

It's empty now. You can still see where it said "Builder's Square".

I was trying to remember... it seems to me that GEX was in the part of that strip mall over on the left, the part that later became Food World. The part over on the right that became Builders' Square, IIRC, was added on later.

One other bit about The Mall. There were two more outbuildings that weren't mentioned in the Dead Malls writeup. They were both auto service centers associated with the anchor stores. The JC Penny one was at the front of the property; as you face it from the Parkway, it was just to the left of the Colonial Bank building. Back in the '60s, it sold Sunoco gasoline and it had those dial-an-octane-rating pumps. The Lovemans center was on the back corner of the lot, near Pulaski Pike.