Wow that's really sad. I remember when I was about 10 I was on a few episodes of kid's news show on Channel 2. One of the episodes was filmed at Sea Arama. It was really cool as my whole class got to go to Sea Arama while me and another classmate filmed our segment. The Astroworld map is pretty sad too as I worked at Astroworld for awhile in highschool. I used to sell foot long chilli dogs and after that I couldn't eat a hot dog for years.
I remember that place. My mom in her office still has a picture of me about 5 years old riding a pony at that place.
This thread is making me all misty eyed. So many memories y'all are bringing up. I'm glad somebody mentioned Alfred's Deli. My dad being Cantonese is a food snob and doesn't like to eat much of anything outside of Chinese food but he loved the po'boys from Alfred's. I don't if there are more than one but we used to always go to the one on Stella Link. I'm surprised so many people remember the Kiddie Land on South Main. I haven't thought about that place in at least 30 years. Here's a question for anyone who wen to Lamar in the 80's there used to be empty parking lot and cul de sac off of Edloe that we used to drink at. Anybody remember that? A lot of good memories and I'm sad to think that when and if I get around to having kids they will likely grow up with memories of Minnesota..
That was the one and only Alfred's. His son opened his own shop (Kahn's) in Rice Village...but he recently sold out. There was a thread on it... Kahn's Deli Sold
I worked there for half a summer, also. I worked in the Enchanted Kingdom. I finally got fired because I would turn on the airplane kiddy ride, move the switch to where they were in the "up" position the whole time (rather than toggle the switch so they would be up and down), and leave to grab a smoke. I think I got away with that a dozen times. I'd always come back to mortified faces of parents. Good times...
The original Alfred's was in the Village on Rice Blvd, actually pretty much across the street from Kahn's. It opened in the '50s and closed in 1981 (i think), when Alfred retired. At that point, there were three Alfred's. Alfred offered the Village one to Mike, but Mike figured that was a loaded offer, because he'd basically hang out there and boss everyone around as usual. He gave the Stella Link location to his daughter, and started hanging out there and running the sandwich board. The 3rd Alfreds was out west of town, and he gave that to his new wife's family. The Village one was definitely the best, because it was there before supermarkets so it had a very busy grocery, meat and cheese market component going. During the jewish holiday's, Chicago meat companies (Kelly Corned Beef, being one) would park a refrigerated, full trailer truck outside. That must have been sweet.
How about the old Weatherby Arms Museum that was located in a castle-replica off 610 just west of the Dome? It had all kinds of torture equipment, medieval swords, and armor on display. Cool place. Is the building even there anymore?
I only knew the one on Stella. I had heard about the one on Rice but never knew about the one out west.
Alfred's had great matzo ball soup. I used to love 3 Brothers Bakery too, especially their Challah bread.
lol....climbing on top of the skate rink to see over the tall fence they built tryin to keep us from seeing the screen. About killed ourselves many a time getting up there. but what is even better.....Im old enough to remember that the Red Bluff theater used to show normal movies before then. Our parents used to take us there in the early 70s. too many things to remember, some of them I didnt remember till I read in this thread. The old Sea World...wow that brings back some memories. Im torn on this thread....Ive been feeling rather sad about the passing of things long gone lately, this has just made it worse. On the other hand....I had some great times at alot of the entertainment complexes mentioned here. oh...and btw..There was also a Farrell's at Almeda Mall, I used to hate it when I got dragged there for my birthday cause I knew that I was gonna get embarrassed when the employees did the whole birthday thing. for the east siders....what was the name of the hangout over near the almeda area...I think we just called it the Sandpit. Cruising on Center in Deer Park and on Texas Ave in Baytown....not early memories but things we did quite often as teens.
Crusing on Center? I only remember cruising up and down Spencer on Xmas Eve, it was a hoot. A lot like cruising down Westheimer later ... Do they still do that these days?
Yeah, Santa Rosa theatre. I remember it fondly... I remember living off Bellfort and the burger shop OS'S where there was a juke box with The Beatles' Revolution and Glen Cambell's Galveston playing. Does anyone remember the big digital 'Popopulation of Houston' billboard North bound on the Gulf Freeway? That's my first memory. Wow 2 MILLION + people! Gulfgate Mall and the walking bridge over the freeway to the cinema. Joskes was there as well.
The Smurf blue ice cream that made your poop a lime green color. 3 Brothers was a special treat for us when we'd go into town from Spring. That was some good eats...
There was one in the NW area (no idea exactly where... had to be around 290). I remember going there with my soccer team when I was in 4th grade.
Google now has all Life Magazine pictures... here are some of the test track for monorail that they set up here to try to convince city council to build monorail here. Can you imagine how different the city would be today if they had done that??
