GLORY DAYS

Hi again!

I haven't blogged in a couple weeks. Twyla noticed! xoxo

I've just been busy with life and stuff!

I got caught up in my sister Deb's Facebook group that she started, about our old neighborhood.

I became addicted to finding old photos. My sisters and I, even went through the area last week, when we were out for Susan's birthday/sister day.

It was so sad! The neighborhood is just rundown and pathetic.

I grew up in a blue collar area, and lived within a 5 mile radius, my whole life.

We moved quite a few times, but always in the same general area. So I went to school, got married, had my kids all in this area.

It was a neat, well kept little area. Predominately a Polish neighborhood in it's day.

All my friends were close by, as well as everything we needed. Donut shops, pizza shops, shoe repair, dry cleaners and on most corners the local neighborhood store.

We shopped "on Broadway"... our "Main Street" and there was St. Alexis hospital, where several of my nephews and nieces as well as 2 of my own kids were born and where my father died. the grocery store, drug store, "Dime Stores" Shoe stores. Soda shops Candy shops and Barber. No need for Malls.

There was even a Bowling alley and neighborhood swimming pool, where I got my very first job when I was 14. Regent Pool, was directly across the street from my house! how lucky was I???. To get up every morning, and put on a bathing suit and go to work! Sitting in the sun, seeing all my friends and swimming all by my self during the 15 minute rest periods!

It's all gone now. The pool, donut shops. Olympia, St. Alexis Hospital... all of it.

The neighborhood is practically abandoned, although some brave have stayed.

The area (zip code 44105) has the sad title of most foreclosed houses in the entire country!

Houses are boarded up, and stripped of their Aluminum siding. I was brought to tears seeing the devastation. I don't know how, or if, this neighborhood I love so much will ever recover.

Several houses have been torn down, shops closed up.

So I just want to remember the "glory days"

The photos above are from days even before I was born!

1ST photo: "Broadway Bank" (then and now)

Now "Hubcap Heaven"... and is still in pretty good shape. I walked passed that building on my way to Jr. High school every day. At one time it was "Fishers" department store. I remember going there just to see Ricky's mom.. I had a massive crush on Ricky, and it was like getting close to a celebrity.. just to see his mom.. omg.. lol next to this building, was our local Library, where I spent many a Saturday afternoon with my sisters.

2ND. photo: "Olympia Theater" (then and now)

Many, many Saturday Matinee's! You could see 2 movies for $1.50. They attempted to restore the theater about 25 years ago... and I went to see "Halloween" there. It was very musty smelling, but still so exciting to be there again. Back in it's day, it had deep Red swirly carpeting, and matching Red Velvet drapes! It was also touted as one of the largest theaters in the country, when it first opened.

3RD. photo: "Daily Donut" (now Broadway Diner)... ahhhhh! I can still smell the donuts! They were 5 cents for regular and 6 cents for cream filled. It was right across the street from South high school... and the place we "ran" when we'd "cut" lunch! See that street? It's Marble avenue... I road my bike down that "hill" hundreds of times... I thought it was sooooo steep!... and I would get an Adrenalin rush just getting up my nerve to ride down!


4th. photo: "Our Lady of Lourdes" Catholic Church built in 1883

An absolutely gorgeous church. It had a verrrrrry long Isle.. I know because I made my first communion there.. and got married there too.

5th. photo: South High School

The oldest contiguous High school in Cleveland. built in 1893.

this is the original South High. (there have been 3) when we lived behind this school, it had already become Albert Bushnell Hart, (a Jr. High) and South #2 was a few streets away. We had to move because the building was being razed to build South #3.. confused?.... everyone is. I graduated from #3... that was built on this same spot.

I remember playing in the playground there all Summer, and it was there that my sister helped me learn how to ride my Blue "Huffy" bike. Also next to the play ground was some kind of print shop... yes!.. I had an endless supply of newsprint draw on!

6th. Photo: "Grablers" the big ugly factory on the left, was torn down to make way for "Uncle Bills" department store (where I also worked) and "Pick n Pay" grocery store!.. cool! across the street was McDonald's (another Summer job)...It was complete with the Giant Golden arches.. and back then, was only a walk up. They were just in the process of adding the dining room when I started working there. On the corner where this way cool car lot sits, is now the new home of McDonalds.. they tore the "old" one down... : (

Some places looked so different, I had to stop and figure out where we were!

There are lots more photos of the old neighborhood at: http://www.slavicvillagehistory.org/, if you're interested.

To some it might just look like an old dusty place, but to me it was home.

I'll miss it FOREVER.