Those of you who grew up in Hollywood Park during the fifties and sixties will understand how I feel about discovering this photograph of the storefront at 3346 Bryn Mawr. Without a doubt, it’s the prize jewel of my collection.
For the rest of you, I described my fond memories of buying penny candy at the Hollywood Bowl in an earlier post.
Before whirly’s hot dogs, it was Al’s Redhots from Lawrence and Lawndale in Albany park…..at the Hollywood Bowl Joe’s sister Rose also worked there…Hollywood card shop and Hamilton’s were across the Streey from each other… Paul was the man who owned the Hollywood Card shop … he was bald and wore a bow tie… Robert Kulinsky’s mother worked at Hamilton’s..You forgot Jewel and Ann’s Finer Foods between Christiana and Spaulding… and Harry Minkus owned Tonya’s…Abe Berkowitz and Sol Lizitza owned the deli after Tonya’s and before Weingarten…
About 12-13 years ago my son was a student at Miami of Ohio. I was introduced to his pledge son. His name was Jason Weingarten. His grandparents qwned the Hollywood Bowl I later met up withhis father Shelly and we reminised. Talk about a small world. Thanks for the memories. I lived directly across fromPeterson School on Kimball from 1955 until I got married in 1969.
Great picture Frances! It brings back many memories. In the early fifties there were gumball machines out front. This picture seems to be late fifties-early sixties– you can tell that the window decals are newer. One of my happiest Hollywood Bowl memories was hitting three of the “prize-gumballs” (striped like a baseball) within about ten pennies, each getting me a free candy bar of my choice. I remember that Helen was surprised as I kept coming in with a winning gumball.
Dave’s right, the greatest picture of all would be the interior of the Bowl showing Helen and Joe, the lifeblood of this Peterson School/Hollywood Park hangout. For the record, many kids attending Peterson ate lunch at the Bowl, which I suspect was the main source of revenue.
The Bowl also provided all of the necessary play things for the neighborhood, e.g., softballs (12 or 16 inchers) and bats; the pink Spalding balls used to play Pinners and other Peterson school pinner games such as points (throwing/hitting the pinner so the ball went into the air where it was caught for a point), and a lineball type game played with two team, and S.P.U.D.; black handballs for sidewalk handball playing, and the hard rubber baseballs used for playing fastball pitching against the brick walls outlined for the strikezone. Great memories, happy times.
Frances,
After looking at the picture, it’s interesting how its advertising lunch, school supplies, cigars and cigarettes, but no mention of candy. I do remember the lunch counter, but other than that, all I remember is the candy!
Hi, Chris. Thanks for stopping by. Hope all is well with you.
My thoughts exactly, Dave!
Frances, this is the holy grail! This is the picture we have been waiting for. Now all we need is a picture of Joe and Helen behind the counter.
Very nice Frances!
Gene,
Your comments are so correct.
Gene, well put!
Although I am from Albany Park; I spent many wonderful days in Hollywood Park playing baseball, football, just hanging out with my buds or having a hamberger at that new place, McDonald’s. It was a place where the well off and the middle class met and money nor ethnicity meant much. The characters of both areas enjoyed the freedom of communications without fighting or bragging much. The tough guys and the nerds stood side by side just enjoying their lives in the late 50’s and early sixty’s60’s. Unfortunately Viet Nam changed that for many of us who either served their country or demonstrated in protest of the horrors of the conflict; or participated in both endeavers as they returned from the military. The sanity of the 70’s was a welcome sight for most who made it through those years without mental or physical damage to their bodies and souls.
Thanks, Cynthia.
Very cute!