love the eames chairs. wow. it's called investment houstonians-> you invest in the future. my guess is that as successful a city as houston is, it would be ten-fold if we had an efficient public transportation infrastructure. it still must be done, but look at the cost now
Pretty cool tribute on the last days. To all the folks who recall this park, at least skip to the 7 minute mark. <iframe title="YouTube video player" width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/0wYODF__fMg" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Age: 30 Moved to SW Houston when I was 11. One of my earliest memory was the game center in Memorial City Mall. It was split into 2 sections, separated by the food court in the middle. If my memory serves me correct, 1 of the sections was hazy because smoking was still allowed back then. It was later turned into a Jungle Jim's, which then became Exhilarama(?). I also remember getting Drexler's signature at the Rockets shop in Memorial City Mall.
25 Rockets winning back to back Championships. Astroworld Going to Astros games in the Astrodome. Houston Comets three-peat. Houston gets their pro soccer team, 1836, later renamed Houson Dynamo! We also get our own football team in 2002, I remember watchig the unveiling of team name and logo on TV. The Houston Texans! Camping for a PS3 at now defunct Circuit City.
I knew the mall well back then...i'm 6 years older than you, and was working cash control for Memorial City Mall one summer. Essentialy I distributed and accounted for tills that were given to the employees who handled the kids' sections of the mall. Made "token runs" with security to collect the money out of the change machines. Had to balance out receipts from tills with what was returned each night...and set up deposits for security to make in the morning with the bank. Sat in a room with a safe that had a key code to get in and cameras on all the doors. Looking back on it, I can't believe they trusted that job to a kid. Weirdest part was leaving the mall late at night after everything had closed down....I was always waiting for the chainsaw to start up and the maniac to start chasing me through the darkened, empty mall. It was Kids' Kingdom that was right above the food court...on the other side of the hall was.....crap, i'm blanking on what it was called. You're right that it became Exhiliarama....I remember my manager was super excited about that. Then there was Outer Limits which was down by where the ice rink is. I worked at the batting cages there the summer before I left for college. It had a roller rink as well. It's ridiculous how much of my life was spent at that mall. I can't even remember how, but somehow in high school I got asked to write advertising copy directed to teenagers for the Mall. But I can remember it before then, too...my grandparents lived in the apartments across the street from the mall for a few years when I was about 3. I have memories of going to that mall with them as a very young child. Eating at York Steak House. Piccadilly Cafeteria. There are some great OLD pictures of Memorial City Mall in the Houston Architecture Info Forum in their Houston History sub-forum. Good stuff.
Great stuff, MadMax! Thanks for the heads up about the HAIF site. I found the thread for Memorial City Mall, but I couldn't see any of the posted pictures of the old mall. Nonetheless, reading all the posts brought back lots of great memories! I used to enjoy dining at the Piccadilly's too. Totally forgot about the Wal-Mart near the fountain. And there was a comic book shop next to KB Toy Store that I used to go to buy Marvel comics and Basketball cards. There were also neon lights across the ceiling. I'm guessing you were a mustang as well?
My earliest memory of the City of Houston is stepping out of IAH in August of 1995 and feeling like I had just walked into a sauna. I had never experienced such heat and humidity before in my life. At first, I just wanted to turn around. But I learned to love it, and now I miss it.
This is what Houston looked like when I was a kid. Notice the sign on the top of the Gulf building, I remember that well. Do you see Jones hall?
It was Walgreens. Been away from Texas for far too long now. Stratford was a great school. I always wanted to go there.
That is awesome. I remember every turn on that bamboo shoot ride. Good find. that isn't you sidelining at the end there, is it?
I had that poster on my wall, signed by every doll. The one on the bottom left went to my mom's church with us.
You're talking about East Side. We used to go there all the time, if there wasn't a keg party that night. There's a facebook group on it started by one of my friends. http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/group.php?gid=54792417752&v=wall A lot of people posting their memories there. I'm really surprised we didn't know each other Sishir. I think you were just a year behind me at Lamar.
I dunno. I'm 40. I remember, it's sad but one of the few things my father connected on, was wrestling. So I remember going to the Sam Houston Coliseum in the 70s. I rememeber Northshore Elementary school, and obviously luv ya blue, who doesn't remember that? I remember going to this breakdancing club in the 80s called Breakers. And Games People Play.
