"Gone but not Forgotten in W.Palm Beach-Boca Raton-Boynton Beach" (West Palm Beach: appointed, spring break)

[SATX56]

Lots of people have great memories of times gone by. Places no longer here only in our memories. This is a thread for reminiscing.

[PBCboy]

I miss when the Palm Beach Mall wasn't half closed.

[Tungsten_Udder]

Originally Posted by PBCboy

I miss when the Palm Beach Mall wasn't half closed.

When I get back down there next time I need to visit the Palm Beach Mall. I haven't been there in many years. I actually used to work there--at Camelot, and when I was a kid, that was the only mall around. I met Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons there at a signing at Spec's, and met other musicians, including Angus and Malcolm Young, when they were just hanging around before gigs they had at the Auditorium.

I heard it's getting to be like the Twin City Mall was before it closed . . . which was pretty depressing, or a bit like Cross County Mall was before that was converted into its present incarnation.

[PBCboy]

Originally Posted by Tungsten_Udder

When I get back down there next time I need to visit the Palm Beach Mall. I haven't been there in many years. I actually used to work there--at Camelot, and when I was a kid, that was the only mall around. I met Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons there at a signing at Spec's, and met other musicians, including Angus and Malcolm Young, when they were just hanging around before gigs they had at the Auditorium.

I heard it's getting to be like the Twin City Mall was before it closed . . . which was pretty depressing, or a bit like Cross County Mall was before that was converted into its present incarnation.

They had a nice Spec's there (which later became FYE) at one point. It was pretty large, but even that closed down unfortunately.

I have lots of great memories growing up and hanging out there, and I'm a little disappointed to see it go so far downhill.

I'd like to see it make a come back, which is what some folks are banking on, but others are predicting that they're just going to demolish it completely. That would sadden me to see it gone for good

[TriMT7]

Originally Posted by PBCboy

They had a nice Spec's there (which later became FYE) at one point. It was pretty large, but even that closed down unfortunately.

I have lots of great memories growing up and hanging out there, and I'm a little disappointed to see it go so far downhill.

I'd like to see it make a come back, which is what some folks are banking on, but others are predicting that they're just going to demolish it completely. That would sadden me to see it gone for good

I'd actually like to see the whole mall just razed to the ground.

It's a perfect locale for a nice arena and/or stadium. I also heard rumors of an eventual Ikea, which would bring jobs and retail traffic that could help spur satellite businesses around (restaurants, etc.)

[TiredOfSFL]

Originally Posted by TriMT7

I'd actually like to see the whole mall just razed to the ground.

It's a perfect locale for a nice arena and/or stadium. I also heard rumors of an eventual Ikea, which would bring jobs and retail traffic that could help spur satellite businesses around (restaurants, etc.)

Well, I hope that doesn't happen while I'm still here, I liked the convenience of that mall, especially when I lived a short distance from it. Here's the latest news about the mall (http://www.palmbeachpost.com/business/content/business/epaper/2008/08/24/a1f_cloughcol_0825.html - broken link).

What I miss is:

1) Affordable rental apartments and homes, prices skyrocketed only in the last few years, in part thanks to hurricanes and rising cost of insurance.

2) Jobs, when I came in '97 there seemed to be plenty, now...

3) I miss the "99 Cent Stuff" store, the biggest dollar store part of a new chain in S. FL which even sold produce, it was very prosperous until increasing gas prices ruined everything last year.

[Bette]

There was a restaurant in Boca called The Cork & Cleaver. Very popular - now Seasons 52 is in its place.

Why am I always thinking of food??

[Tungsten_Udder]

A few music-related ones:

How about The Bowery? I played there many times and saw many other bands play there. Not sure what's there now instead.

Another was The Rock 'n' Roll Cafe.

I always loved going to Peaches on Okeechobee . . . it was hard to walk out of there without spending WAY too much money.

Music Mart in Lake Park was a great store. I worked there for awhile, too, and actually befriended Jaco Pastorius while working there.

Of course, the West Palm Beach Auditorium (the Leaky Teepee) is not the same place any longer. For awhile when I was a kid I think I saw EVERY concert that came through there. Those were the general admission seating days, so we'd go right after school and be first in line so we could run down the stairs, grab a chair, and throw ourselves right at the stage. Most artists I saw from the front row while actually resting my arms on the stage--no pits between the audience and the performers in those days either.

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And right next door was the baseball stadium--another place I worked for awhile while I was in high school, and a great opportunity to meet a bunch of baseball players. I worked concessions. I remember that I could take home pretzels that didn't sell--I'd sometimes have 15-20 in my freezer at home at a time, lol.

Anyone else remember driving out towards Royal Palm Beach on Okeechobee and Southern when they were only two-lane roads? A friend of mine used to get a kick out of annoying people by driving fast until heavy traffic was coming eastward. Then he'd slow WAY down, lol. Wonder what happened to that guy--someone probably killed him in a road rage incident later on.

[Sharkey514]

Yes - Royal Palm Beach was way out in the "country" back then - 2 land roads...anyone else remember when Lion Country Safari opened? Anyone else went there as kids?

[TriMT7]

Originally Posted by Sharkey514

Yes - Royal Palm Beach was way out in the "country" back then - 2 land roads...anyone else remember when Lion Country Safari opened? Anyone else went there as kids?

I used to go every summer during Spring Break. It's still there, however (and expanded), so luckily it doesn't qualify for "gone but not forgotten"!