Nashville of the past, 90's and before (Chattanooga, Murfreesboro: how much, home)

[Antioch]

Originally Posted by Workinghard

I grew up in Nashville in the late 70's and 80's.

I remember going "skatin" Friday night or Saturday at Brentwood Skate Center. I think the rink is still there.
Buying all my school clothes at Castners in Harding Mall. Now we have to travel to Cool Springs. The smell of carmel popcorn walking into HM.
Getting dropped off at HH Mall on Saturdays. Playing pacman in the arcade.
Working at Opryland in the summer as a sweeper. I had to sweep cigarette butts and clean bathrooms but I was a "greeter".
Brentwood was a small town with some wealthy people but Nashville had everything.
The polyester watch on the radio during Country music week.

Does anyone remember the Donelson Skating Rink? I grew up in Donelson untill my family moved to Antioch when I was 8, but the Donelson Skating Rink was the first experience of a skating rink I had. It was in a little white building. Also anyone remember the Hickory Hollow Skating and Harding Place Skate? What about the old Ice Skating Rink, before Centinnel Sportsplex, near the park? Used to go there too as a child.

[Ratdude]

Originally Posted by Antioch

Does anyone remember the Donelson Skating Rink? I grew up in Donelson untill my family moved to Antioch when I was 8, but the Donelson Skating Rink was the first experience of a skating rink I had. It was in a little white building. Also anyone remember the Hickory Hollow Skating and Harding Place Skate? What about the old Ice Skating Rink, before Centinnel Sportsplex, near the park? Used to go there too as a child.

I remember going skating at Hickory Hollow! I may have been to the Donelson Skate Center, was it near where Lebanon Rd and Donelson Pk intersection? Never went ice skating until Centennial Plex opned. My family also moved from Donelson to Antioch when I was 9. I was in Donelson a few weeks ago when I was in town visiting, that area has really grown. My family lived in the Reelfoot Subdivision, I remember the only store that was near our house was the Bread Box and maybe the Cracker Barrel and one hotel was at the Stewarts Ferry exit, now that area appears to be very congested and built up. I kind of preferred Antioch over Donelson, to me it just had that more homelike feeling to it.

[KimmieP]

Enjoying this thread. I grew up in Lawrenceburg, but my father grew up in Nashville. I remember my grandfather being excited about 440 being built. And I remember driving to Nashville and feeling like we were finally there when we past the skating rink in Brentwood (that was the first sign of civilization). Even though I don't remember some of memories posted here, I've heard about them from my parents. Interesting to read.

I lived in Franklin for 3 years after finishing college. It has grown so much over the past 10 years!!

[Antioch]

Originally Posted by KimmieP

Enjoying this thread. I grew up in Lawrenceburg, but my father grew up in Nashville. I remember my grandfather being excited about 440 being built. And I remember driving to Nashville and feeling like we were finally there when we past the skating rink in Brentwood (that was the first sign of civilization). Even though I don't remember some of memories posted here, I've heard about them from my parents. Interesting to read.

I lived in Franklin for 3 years after finishing college. It has grown so much over the past 10 years!!

LOL@ fist signs of civilization once you reached the Brentwood Skating Rink, LOL, how things have changed. I was told that the interstates used to end at Old Hickory Blvd, at least I know on the southeast side of I-24 in Antioch. You had to get off of it and go to Murfreesboro rd to go further southeast.

[sliverbox]

Well, as for me it was all about the 80's and early 90's. My parents and I drove to Nashville every month to sell stuff at this huge outdoor antiques market. Being from much smaller Knoxville 3 hours east Nashville seemed like this HUGE city. I remember we would pass by the "batman" building and the lights were sometimes turned out to spell different things. Nashville was sort of a dump back then. When I visited more recently I was surprised at how cleaned up it was compared to what it was like as a kid.

[JMT]

Originally Posted by sliverbox

Well, as for me it was all about the 80's and early 90's. My parents and I drove to Nashville every month to sell stuff at this huge outdoor antiques market. Being from much smaller Knoxville 3 hours east Nashville seemed like this HUGE city. I remember we would pass by the "batman" building and the lights were sometimes turned out to spell different things. Nashville was sort of a dump back then. When I visited more recently I was surprised at how cleaned up it was compared to what it was like as a kid.

That was the old American General Center (now called the Tennessee Tower) which used to spell different things, NOT the Batman building (now the AT&T Tower).

[Ratdude]

I know it has been a while since anyone has posted on this topic, but I wanted to share something with those of you who may find it interesting. I was on YouTube and found some videos of old Christmas Parades in Nashville from the 50's and 60's and I also came across some clips from a show called Memories of Nashville, which has postings that talk about Fair Park and Harvey's Dep't Store and maybe a couple of other places.

[groovamos]

Originally Posted by sliverbox

Nashville was sort of a dump back then. When I visited more recently I was surprised at how cleaned up it was compared to what it was like as a kid.

I think a lot of cities go through a stage when they are a few hundred thousand metro population, where they no longer have the charm of a small town, the older buildings and infrastructure get a sooty, streaked look, and the wealth generated by the local economy just doesn't quite add up to any significant renovation of the area's structures, even if most of them mainly cry out for a pressure washer treatment. Nashville began to pull out of this stage in the 70's. Now I'm referring not to Nashville's residential areas, which have always been lovely, thanks to the terrain, and nice older structures closer in.

When I was at VU in 1969, I was hitchhiking to Atlanta to my grandmother's for Thanksgiving. I was picked up by an Atlanta married couple, also VU students who made clear their opinion of Nashville. The wife even cooed to her dog that they were taking him away from that lousy city for a few days. Atlanta at that time was about the size of present day Nashville, and had benefited from an explosion of innovative architecture, and looked gleaming compared to Nashville. Nowadays you can hear and read what Atlanta area folks say, and it is uniformly positive regarding Nashville.

From what I've seen of Knoxville lately, it is pulling ahead in this regard, and my brother may move there. We in Nashville in the mid '70's considered Knoxville a dump, which was the exact word we used.

[DonCorleone]

Originally Posted by Ratdude

I know it has been a while since anyone has posted on this topic, but I wanted to share something with those of you who may find it interesting. I was on YouTube and found some videos of old Christmas Parades in Nashville from the 50's and 60's and I also came across some clips from a show called Memories of Nashville, which has postings that talk about Fair Park and Harvey's Dep't Store and maybe a couple of other places.

The Memories of Nashville program was produced by WNPT here in Nashville (Public Broadcasting). They also did a good one about Opryland Theme Park too.

[Geauxgold]

I grew up here in Nashville and went to Rainbow Skating Rink in Tusculum, off Nolensville Rd. When I was a around 13, my sister and I started going to Nashville Skate Center on Harding Pl., it burned down in the early 80's and was rebuilt as Music City Skate Center...Anyone remember any of those skating rinks and did you ever go there?