Mid Century Montgomery Road (Cincinnati, Wyoming: house, movie theater, school)

[jazzman]

This info will be of use to a very few individuals but is of keen interest to me.
If anyone can help with the memories of Montgomery road in the 50,s and sixties. Below the intersection of Plainfield Road and Montgomery Rd recollections are very foggy and I need help. Does anyone remember the Trolley buses from Silverton area?. The intersection of these two roads forms Silverton as I remember it. I remember there being a bank there on the corner that my folks used. About a half block down from the corner on Plainfield was an Albers store. Also within that block was the Diamond cafe with a fun puck bowling machine. Heading north on Montgomery Road very near the corner of Plainfield on the right was a locally famous restaurant that escapes my memory. I remember a Candy shop on the left in what looked like a private brick residence. Across the road from there was a funeral home? Heading northward below Kenwood road on the left was a drug store that had a fountain deli where my Dad would take me after church to have a bite to eat. On up was Kenwood road where on the left was Kenwood Plaza which at that time was a long strip mall which was anchored by Reinhardt on the south side and McAlpins on the North. If I am wrong please correct me. I remember watching the first color tv in that store. I remember it being a special event. You had to look over peoples shoulders to see it. More south toward Reinhardts was a grocery store I think called Colonial down toward the middle was a wing that had Fanny Farmer candies a record store and a camera shop. Across the street was the first McDonalds that I can remember. I will continue the journey later in another posting Thanks jazzman

[MiddleCincinnati]

Yes, Kenwood Mall was just a little strip of stores until the late
1960's, when they cloned TriCounty. There was a music shop
nearby - either Howard Early's or Buddy Roger's.

A few blocks north of Section, on the west side of Montgomery, was a
sandwich place, the Marathon. They offered a large selection of
double- and triple-decker sandwiches. They were there in the 1960's
and may have survived until around 1980, after which a Chinese
place took the site.

I think that Meier's wine cellar was on Plainfield, on the west side of
the street. They may have operated a restaurant, as well, which could
have been the famous restaurant you remember.

I seem to remember a pancake place on Plainfield, somewhere between
Galbraith and Montgomery.

Daily (formerly Daisy) Doughnuts had a branch on the norttheast corner
of Galbraith and Plainfield.

There was also a restaurant called Grafton's on the east side of
Montgomery, somewhere near Plainfield.

In the early 1960's there was a 15-cent hamburger place near Ridge, on
on the west side of Montgomery street. This was before McDonald's big
expansion, so it wasn't one of theirs - probably a small local chain or
one-off.

There was a movie theater on the east side of Montgomery, near Ridge.
Pleasant Ridge Chili was somewhere nearby, I think.

[franke01]

Originally Posted by MiddleCincinnati

Yes, Kenwood Mall was just a little strip of stores until the late
1960's, when they cloned TriCounty. There was a music shop
nearby - either Howard Early's or Buddy Roger's.

A few blocks north of Section, on the west side of Montgomery, was a
sandwich place, the Marathon. They offered a large selection of
double- and triple-decker sandwiches. They were there in the 1960's
and may have survived until around 1980, after which a Chinese
place took the site.

I think that Meier's wine cellar was on Plainfield, on the west side of
the street. They may have operated a restaurant, as well, which could
have been the famous restaurant you remember.

I seem to remember a pancake place on Plainfield, somewhere between
Galbraith and Montgomery.

Daily (formerly Daisy) Doughnuts had a branch on the norttheast corner
of Galbraith and Plainfield.

There was also a restaurant called Grafton's on the east side of
Montgomery, somewhere near Plainfield.

In the early 1960's there was a 15-cent hamburger place near Ridge, on
on the west side of Montgomery street. This was before McDonald's big
expansion, so it wasn't one of theirs - probably a small local chain or
one-off.

There was a movie theater on the east side of Montgomery, near Ridge.
Pleasant Ridge Chili was somewhere nearby, I think.

I think the music shop was Howard Early's at the South East corner of Kenwood and Montgomery. The Pancake place on Plainfield was Perkins (predecessor of the chain?). There was a theater on the corner of either Woodmont or GrandVista and Montgomery just East of the Albers and just West of the Marathon(?) station owned my Mel Klein.

Going North East on Montgomery from Plainfield there was a Sixty Second Shop on the right (near Graftons, I think).

Between Silvercrest and Garden Lane on the left was a little strip mall with the drug store you mentioned at one end and Westendorf's Foods at the other end. Across Garden was a gas station (Mobil or Marathon?) and across Montgomery from Westendorf's was a Vet's office (late 60's).

Kenwood Shopping center (starting at the Kenwood Rd end) had a clothing store, Albers, Kenwood Hobby Shop, Carlson's Hardware, Kresge's, Fannie Farmer, Grants, Gray Drugs, Kroger and McAlpins. Back in the little area between Fannie Farmer and Grants was a record store and a barber shop (featuring Charlie the Barber).

I've left out a lot - it'll come to me (maybe).

Directly across Montgomery Rd from the shopping center where I71 is now was a vacant field that we called "the desert".

Going toward Galbraith on Montgomery there was a Natorp's on the left and a Pontiac Dealer on the right (at the corner of Hosbrook).

[BJLundy]

My aunt moved out to Blue Ask in the late 40s. I often visited there and remember the drive along Ridge Road near the country club - the way was lined with roses that perfumed the air, so sweet. Sometimes we drove up Section Road and sometimes Amity, which later became Galbraith.
Along Montgomery there was (and may still be) a candy shop in a house. There was a lighting store at the corner of Plainfield and Montgomery. Meier's Wine place was along Plainfield. The first Perkins Pancake restaurant I knew of was on Plainfield. The Marathon Restaurant was the best sandwich shop around. The bus line turnaround was south of that area. There was a funeral home a few blocks north of Plainfield; my mother's funeral was held there.

The Kenwood Shopping Center evolved from a strip mall to the behemoth place it is now. Pugue's was at one end and McAlpin's was premo!! Too bad all of the privately owned department stores got gobbled up by one solitary group - known by several names, I am just certain it is all under one family's control. I might be paranoid about this.

Originally Posted by jazzman

This info will be of use to a very few individuals but is of keen interest to me.
If anyone can help with the memories of Montgomery road in the 50,s and sixties. Below the intersection of Plainfield Road and Montgomery Rd recollections are very foggy and I need help. Does anyone remember the Trolley buses from Silverton area?. The intersection of these two roads forms Silverton as I remember it. I remember there being a bank there on the corner that my folks used. About a half block down from the corner on Plainfield was an Albers store. Also within that block was the Diamond cafe with a fun puck bowling machine. Heading north on Montgomery Road very near the corner of Plainfield on the right was a locally famous restaurant that escapes my memory. I remember a Candy shop on the left in what looked like a private brick residence. Across the road from there was a funeral home? Heading northward below Kenwood road on the left was a drug store that had a fountain deli where my Dad would take me after church to have a bite to eat. On up was Kenwood road where on the left was Kenwood Plaza which at that time was a long strip mall which was anchored by Reinhardt on the south side and McAlpins on the North. If I am wrong please correct me. I remember watching the first color tv in that store. I remember it being a special event. You had to look over peoples shoulders to see it. More south toward Reinhardts was a grocery store I think called Colonial down toward the middle was a wing that had Fanny Farmer candies a record store and a camera shop. Across the street was the first McDonalds that I can remember. I will continue the journey later in another posting Thanks jazzman

[tntnb]

Originally Posted by BJLundy

Along Montgomery there was (and may still be) a candy shop in a house. There was a lighting store at the corner of Plainfield and Montgomery.

The candy shop you're speaking of is Esther Price, I believe. The lighting store was called The Light House. The business has been out of there a few years and the building was just recently demolished.

[RSTIENS]

We were sitting around at our family reunion and got to talking about our early days 1949-1961 in Kenwood. No one remembers the name of the Drug Store at the little strip mall at Silvercrest Dr. Any help. We went to St. Vincent Ferrer school and church which only was in the Quanset hut bldg. with 4 classrooms so we doubled up; and would stop in the store all the time. They also had a doughnut shop, Bob Rule's meat market, a candy store, dry cleaners, and Westendorf's grocery.
They delivered! We used to hunt where the big mall is now. Lot's of memories in Silverton too. Perkins pancake house, Yum. Playing ball at the ball fields, even played with Roger Staubach who lived in Deer Park.
Mom, age 91, thinks the Drug store's name was Streen's or something like that. Help!

[blockhead]

Yes, Esther Price was the candy shop. Used to love their Opera Cremes. And the Light House was the lighting store. I remember that across the street from the Esther Price was the S & H green stamp redemption center. Got my first transistor radio there, a huge, leather-covered thing, that was eventually stolen from my car when parked at school. Went on many a date to the Marathon.

I was in Junior Achievement, also. We met in some fairly large space near the Marathon restaurant. May even have been the Marathon, but I don't think so. Anybody remember such as space, there.

Also I recall there was a Gulf Gas station just below Plainfield Rd.

Don't remember the trolley cars, however

[blockhead]

Travelling down to Ridge Road there were a number of places I remember. I took dance lessons on the second floor of a building at Ridge and Montgomery (I believe it was an Arthur Murray Dance Studio). There was a movie theater near Ridge and Montgomery, where I went on my first official date. I am sure lots of other places will come to mind, eventually...

[goyguy]

I have painful memories of Silverton...b/c my orthodontists' office was in a '70s "contemporary" building on the east side of Montgomery Rd not far north of Plainfield.
Speaking of dance studios, WASP east-siders (is that redundant?) learned their foxtrots and cha-cha's from Dorothy Potts for years n' years. She had her own instruction/performance space on Ohio Ave (Silverton, not Clifton) and took her show on the road to Wyoming among other places.
The first Baskin-Robbins ice cream parlor I remember in Cincinnati was in a small older strip mall on the west side of Montgomery Rd as you headed into Kenwood.
P-Ridge Chili is still there, still open until 4 in the morning!

[MiddleCincinnati]

Originally Posted by goyguy

Speaking of dance studios, WASP east-siders (is that redundant?) learned their foxtrots and cha-cha's from Dorothy Potts for years n' years. She had her own instruction/performance space on Ohio Ave (Silverton, not Clifton) and took her show on the road to Wyoming among other places.

Not sure whether you knew this, GG, but Mrs. [Miss?] Potts
was immortalized in a Look (or maybe Life) magazine
spread in late 1966 / early 1967 on suburbia. There was a
photo of her instructing a class, with the caption:
"Mrs. Potts and her dancing tots".