August 6, 2008

Memories of Uptown in the Fifties

Editor's Note: A reader left a comment on an older post that is worth sharing. Do you have a memory of growing up in Uptown? Write me at blog(a)compassrose.com and I will post it here.

We grew up in the 50's on Lakeside Pl. right off Sheridan Rd., attended Stewart, and went to the Lakeside theater (it was only 50 yds. away from our bldg and we could see the marquee from our window.) Also went to the Pantheon, the filthy Deluxe, the Riviera, and of course the Uptown.

Our mother was a waitress at the Aragon Ballroom as well as a part-time counter clerk at Gary's drug store on Lawrence & Kenmore. We went to Montrose beach a lot, the Clarendon field house, the Margate field house, and played arcade games at the Uptown Bowl (where they still used real pinboys).

I wonder if R.C. remembers the teachers at Stewart: Ms Zeitler, Mrs. McCracken, Mrs. Flanagan, Miss Schlimmer, our gym teacher Mr. Conway, the prune-faced principal Sigrid C. Nelson, or that horrible Mrs. Fournier. There was that retarded guy named Ritchie who hung around near the school pushing a cart full of junk, spitting at people and babbling incoherently.

Me and my brother Tom swam at the McCormick boys club once in a while, ate at Johnnie's Hot Dogs and the Kresge's on Broadway, played a lot of baseball at Margate Park, and got most of our clothes from Goldblatts. I remember so many days in class staring out the window at a big white building with the name "McJunkin Building" carved in black letters on the front, all the time thinking what a strange name McJunkin was. I guess I could go on indefinitely, but I have to go.

G. Larner
G.L.

2 comments:

Anders said...

WOW! I love reading about my new neighborhood's past. I've lived on Lakeside Place for about 3 1/2 years now and find the history of Uptown so fascinating.

G.L., where did you live on Lakeside? I love the (few) vintage 3-flats that are still standing. I bet it even more beautiful when you lived here!

adgorn said...

I think Mrs. McCracken ended up as my assistant principal at Brennemann on Clarendon, which opened in the 60s.

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