New Englanders, Past & Present

[Trip]

Well, another New England Tradition will be biting the dust soon...All Filenes stores will become Macys...Jordan Marsh became Macys, several years back, and I still sometimes call it Jordans...In many malls, both are anchor stores, so there will be loads of empty stores soon...

Do you remember these long gone stores?
Raymonds [known for hosiery]

Ghilcrists [known for their Macaroon cookies]

City Mart [ the whole store used to have to sing the city mart song before the store opened each day]

R H Stearns [I used to work their, I could never do the knot to tie the boxes for the coats, so many opened as they walked away from the counter]...oy

Wilbars Shoe Store [My 1st job out of high school. This store was the first in Boston, to implement woman shoe salespeople. They fired ALL the men on the lower level to have women sell shoes. I was one of the first ever to put a shoe on a foot....oy could I tell you stories.!!! My shoe fetish came before this job!

C Crawford Hollidge, A vety vety Boston type store, keep your pinky up!

Bonwit Teller [another upper crust sanctuary]

So Have I walked you down memory lane?



Post Edited (07-29-05 12:33)

[KimJack]

I spent many a lunch hour roaming the aisles of Filene's basement when I worked in Beantown. Can't remember what street it was on, but it seems to me it was someplace near what was called the "zone" or something like that. Lots of bars and other temptations. As for me, however, Filene's was the biggest temptation by far.<BG> Do you get my drift, Trip? This was back in the late 60s, when I worked at the Kennedy Federal Bldg. in what had previously been called Copley Square. It wasn't too far from (sob!) the old Boston Garden!

Jack

[Trip]

Jack, I worked in Filenes Basememt ..I was the "Miss Gotham Goldstripe" lady, I sold hosiery before panthose existed..You used to buy, say. a..91/2 long, 39 inch length... You probably walked by my counter, while you roamed Filenes is located at Washington St, that area is now called Downtown Crossing. The Combat Zone to which you refer to, was further down, and long ago cleaned up. Copley, is still called Copley, tha bastion of the Boston Brahmen...Jack, you are making me misty too

[Gatormama]

Ok, enough guys, the homesickness is setting in. it's that time of year when we would make the trek into Boston to shop for school clothes. Filenes basement was a haven for us esp. as we got older. Would go with 25-50$ and see how much we could get. Used to go to the Pewter Pot for lunch. Jordan's has a special place for me as last name is Marsh and I wanted to name oldest Jordan but was told no way due to the store. Trip, ever been to the No Name fish restaurant on the pier? Jack, I too remember the "Zone" as a place not to be after dark. Really cleaned up the city. Usually take kids back there at least once a year. Have to go to the North End for Italian food. Can't find that here in Fl
Anne

[LisaK]

we don't have Macy's in Central & Western Mass we have Filene's and Lord & Taylor.
I heard this on the news this morining, i guess that L&T is going to stay as is, and all Filene's will become Macy's.
Filene's Basement is not a part of the Filene's chain, correct? they just bought the rights to the name.

[Trip]

Filenes Basement was sold years ago, to a company in Ohio, I think.Once on a pre cruise we met Kuki and his wife, among some other chatters, and we all traipsed off to Sawgrass Mills in Sunrise...we went to the Basment there..it felt so odd..It closed shortly thereafter, as did many others, including the one, closest to me in Dedham . Lord & Taylor has already had their own roind of closings. There is not even one left in So Florida..

[Sid1962]

In the Hartford CT area there used to be an old chain known as G. Fox. Then it was sold to someone and became Filenes. Now it will be come Macy's. Also remember Brown and Thompson in Hartford and the Edward Malley Company in New Haven. Our local (Meriden Square Mall) Lord and Taylor closed awhile ago. In it's place are a Best Buy and a Dick's Sporting Goods.....to try and find a decent store to shop (for say cruisewear) you need to go to West Farms Mall in West Hartford where theres a Nordstrom, a Lord and Taylor and a Filenes...but hey, I can get all the sporting stuff I want locally......

[Trip]

I remember G Fox, in Warwick R.I., and for a while they had 2 Filenes within spitting distance.I liked that store too....

[Cruznut2]

Cannot forget Touraines in this "Trip" down memory lane. One of my favorite places to shop. The Bell Shops also were a great place to shop. When you walked in the door of either of those stores someone would immediately offer assistance. Not any more, you are lucky to find someone to help you. Quite often when you do they are not too happy to do so. Those were "the good old days"!


Laura

[Trip]

Laura, i was crushed then Touraines went out. I had one near me..Do you remember it first being, Cherry Webb & Touraine? Also, The Bell Shop, was where I put my Dr. Zhivago coat on layaway.....Boy did I love that coat.

I work in a store in Wellesley that has been there of over 75 years...There is a high level of customer service there, which I do find in small boutiques, for the most part..Large dept. stores..fageddaboudit!

[Cruznut2]

I remember it being Touraines in the 60's. I was then working as a hostess/waitress at Valles Steak House on Rt 1 in Saugus. Many years later after I moved to NH one opened in the downtown mall in Laconia. It was then called Cherry, Webb & Touraine. I remember the Cherry Webb Stores vaguely and wondered when they merged. Another New England store just came to mind. I think this one is/was just in Massachusetts. Do you remember Brighams? I remember as a child my mother tying a quarter into the corner of my handkerchief and another quarter in another corner. One was for me to give to God. The other was for a sweet treat at Brighams after church. I used to love when my great uncles came to dinner on Sunday. They would always bring a huge box of chocolates for my Mother and a big bunch of lollipops from Brighams for us kids. I am loving this thread. Sweet memories.

Laura



Post Edited (07-29-05 17:39)

[Trip]

Ahhhh yes, Brighams.... Laura, that's a sweet memory. There are not too many around, but we can get the ice cream in the supermarkets..I grew up in Mattapan, and as a very young tot, I can remember
Kennedy's Butter & Egg store. That had vats of peanut butter, that had the oil floating on the top..You had to be carefull when you walked on the sidewalk there, because the sidewalk use to open, and a that's where they used to take in the produce, on a dolly kind of contraption.You sort of said a prayer as you walked over it

Anne, only once did I go to the No Name..[hated it] i didn't mind sitting at a picnic table, but at least give me good food



Post Edited (07-29-05 17:51)

[KimJack]

When I was a lot younger, there was a store in Providence called Cherry & Webb (with the ampersand). I guess that's the same company you're referring to here. I haven't heard of that place in years. Memories...!

Jack

[Cruznut2]

Does anyone remember Howdy Beef Burger? I remember one on Rt1 in Saugus Ma. It was next door to Valle's Steak House. I used to go there in the summer of '64. They sold hamburgers for .15 cents. this was before McDonalds became too popular. I have never seen another Howdy outside New England. the only other one I remember was on Rt1 in Ellsworth Maine. Speaking of Valle's that too is rooted in New England. Valle's started in Portland Maine and spread throughout New England. I am not sure but I believe all the Valle's are closed and gone now.

Laura

You have made me so nostalgic and sad..TRIP.. is SIMCO's still there and how about Brighams where I would get the best hot fudge sundae and the Embers for fried chicken .The Oriental theatre with the lights in the ceiling. In Boston...Filenes Basement..my mother bought my weddig gown for19.95..yes that';s true.. Don't bother with No Name...it's gone badly down hill. Also, the muffins at Jordan Marsh...the big blueberry and my favorite the Cranberry with the sugar on top.. Until recently there was a man in Brockton whose bakery was famous for the Jordan Marsh muffins.. Raymonds is where your mother bought an oriental rug and hats..I think somebody reminded me of Neisners.. Remember taking my boyfriend, now husband of fifty years to Ripleys to buy clothes...he is color blind.. How about the vaudeville shows at the RKO Keith...and then the Essex Deli for a real corned beef sandwich and sour tomato.. It's a shame that we are becoming so homogonized.. Macys, Lord and Taylor, Filenes and Bloomingdales are owned by the same company.. Does anybody remember Mortons at North Station famousfor their suits and furs...Mrs. Gondleman sold my my going away suit.. Somebody forgot Stearns..and Woolworths I think was the place to buy your candied fruit for fruit cakes.. Suddenly the smell of the old wooden floors comes back.. There was a Kennedys in Mattapan and one in South Boston. Oh by the way I refuse to go into Macys... TRIP maybe we know one another...If your from Mattapan there is a Dorchester Roxbury Mattapan site..

[zr2_Thunder]

I live in boston and can barely remeber any of those stores.... these stores are waaaay before my time i guess. haha

[Angela Z.]

Trip,
I learned alot about shopping in Filene's basement in the mid 60's with my mom's sister. We used to spend a couple weeks with her family in Brookline in the summer. There was a Brighams across from the trolley stop (green line?) Yum.
I also remember going to the Star Market and being fascinated by the lobsters in the tank. (guess we didn't have those in New Jersey)
I was saddened to hear that Filene's will become Macy's. Here in Florida we recently "lost" our Burdines to Macy's. I know they're all the same company but I hate the homogenization that's going on.
Angela Z.

[Trip]

Hi Parrot Mom,
Wouldn't it be funny if we were neighors! I grew up off River St, On Ridgview Ave, which was not far from the TB Hospital.Every kids Mom warned us about staying away from the grounds there.. I went to the Tileston School, and The Solomon Lewenberg Junior High, and the Jeremiah Burke High School...Simco's is STILL there, there was a writeup in the paper not long ago about it. Best fried clams and onion rings around!


The Embers, was right across the street from my Murrays Dept. Store, where my Mother worked. She wouldn;'t eat there, once she found feathers on the chicken!!!

Now the Oriental, was quite the place..the decor inside , including the rest room lounges.looked like they came straight from a movie set. I had my first date there, with Jack Gutterman we saw Blue Hawaii.

Mortons by the garden, was THE place during its heyday.I think a girl I grew up with married mrs Gondlemans son.

Check out this site, and see if you know anyone: let me know the site you were referring to.


http://www.ymhaalumni.org/

Angela, I think many of us learned to shop there, still a tourist attraction..!!















http://www.ymhaalumni.org/



Post Edited (07-30-05 16:46)