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Greater Cleveland Memories


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I'm desperate to discuss something... anything other than the draft at this point so....

 

Anyone remember Bearden's Drive-Ins?

 

Beardens.jpg

 

For the youngsters out there Gene Bearden pitched for the Indians from 1947 - 1950, played a non-trivial role in the Tribe's '48 World Championship (winning Game Three and saving Game 6) and was named as one of the Indians Top 100 players of all-time.

 

After he retired, "He opened a few hamburger joints where his specialty was the large Bearden Burger, with sweet relish and a sesame seed bun, which came delivered by car hops on roller skates."

 

The Bearden Burger was damn good and fairly big in diameter, but thin. Edges were raggedy suggesting a meat ball was pressed on the griddle rather that a patty formed... and they were 100% pink slime free :blink: possibly even antibiotic free :o ...but I digress. B)

 

There was one on Pearl Road in Parma. This location sponsored one of my early Little League teams... Tee-ball level IIRC. The property has gone through several name changes since it was a Bearden's and was empty last time I was by it last Fall.

 

The original was in Rocky River and apparently reopened late 2011 after being closed awhile.

 

http://clevelandcentennial.blogspot.com/2011/05/beardens.html

 

 

C'mon 26 April...

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As a non-Clevelander, my biggest thrill when visiting was coming down Lakeshore Boulevard from my aunt's house in Euclid and seeing this:

 

Cleveland_Chief_Wahoo_c224_large.jpg

 

 

I knew I was about to visit the greatest place on earth: Munincipal Stadium.

 

Zombo

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yeah...that was when going downtown meant something...today...it just seems like a formality.

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One year back in the early 70's for a Indians home opener a friend and I snuck into the stairwell leading to the roof of the stadium and watched several inning from the pressbox that sat on the roof. If I recall that pressbox was only used for Browns game in the early days. I remeber all the players looked like ants.

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I'm desperate to discuss something... anything other than the draft at this point so....

 

Anyone remember Bearden's Drive-Ins?

 

Beardens.jpg

 

For the youngsters out there Gene Bearden pitched for the Indians from 1947 - 1950, played a non-trivial role in the Tribe's '48 World Championship (winning Game Three and saving Game 6) and was named as one of the Indians Top 100 players of all-time.

 

After he retired, "He opened a few hamburger joints where his specialty was the large Bearden Burger, with sweet relish and a sesame seed bun, which came delivered by car hops on roller skates."

 

The Bearden Burger was damn good and fairly big in diameter, but thin. Edges were raggedy suggesting a meat ball was pressed on the griddle rather that a patty formed... and they were 100% pink slime free :blink: possibly even antibiotic free :o ...but I digress. B)

 

There was one on Pearl Road in Parma. This location sponsored one of my early Little League teams... Tee-ball level IIRC. The property has gone through several name changes since it was a Bearden's and was empty last time I was by it last Fall.

 

The original was in Rocky River and apparently reopened late 2011 after being closed awhile.

 

http://clevelandcentennial.blogspot.com/2011/05/beardens.html

 

 

C'mon 26 April...

 

 

 

I ate at Beardens in Rocky River all the time.....inside they had a train set that ran along the ceiling.....big greasy hand pressed burgers.....I loved them.

 

 

I wonder who has the Chief Wahoo sign today?? A collectors item no doubt.

 

 

When I was a kid, you could take a electric trolley train from the Rocky River bridge to downtown along Clifton Blvd., but they tore out the tracks around 1963 or so. I wonder how much they wish they had those tracks backs??? At one time the tracks ran out to Avon Lake. You can still find tressels in Bay Village from the old electric line. One of the streets that runs through town is called Electric as that was where the train ran.

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As a non-Clevelander, my biggest thrill when visiting was coming down Lakeshore Boulevard from my aunt's house in Euclid and seeing this:

 

Cleveland_Chief_Wahoo_c224_large.jpg

 

 

I knew I was about to visit the greatest place on earth: Munincipal Stadium.

 

Zombo

an icon for the ages

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I'm desperate to discuss something... anything other than the draft at this point so....

 

Anyone remember Bearden's Drive-Ins?

 

Beardens.jpg

 

For the youngsters out there Gene Bearden pitched for the Indians from 1947 - 1950, played a non-trivial role in the Tribe's '48 World Championship (winning Game Three and saving Game 6) and was named as one of the Indians Top 100 players of all-time.

 

After he retired, "He opened a few hamburger joints where his specialty was the large Bearden Burger, with sweet relish and a sesame seed bun, which came delivered by car hops on roller skates."

 

The Bearden Burger was damn good and fairly big in diameter, but thin. Edges were raggedy suggesting a meat ball was pressed on the griddle rather that a patty formed... and they were 100% pink slime free :blink: possibly even antibiotic free :o ...but I digress. B)

 

There was one on Pearl Road in Parma. This location sponsored one of my early Little League teams... Tee-ball level IIRC. The property has gone through several name changes since it was a Bearden's and was empty last time I was by it last Fall.

 

The original was in Rocky River and apparently reopened late 2011 after being closed awhile.

 

http://clevelandcentennial.blogspot.com/2011/05/beardens.html

 

 

C'mon 26 April...

 

I remember my Dad taking us to watch planes land at Hopkins from Brookpark Rd. There used to be dozens of cars pulled off the road (Brookpark aw only one lane each way) and we'd stand outside of the car and watch the planes fly right overhead. It was a thrill and cheap entertainment for a young family.

 

Years later McDonalds came to Brook Park on Snow Rd. It is still there. We used to love eating hamburgers and fries in our car. That was quite a thrill even though the McDonalds was only two minutes away from home.

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I remember my Dad taking us to watch planes land at Hopkins from Brookpark Rd. There used to be dozens of cars pulled off the road (Brookpark aw only one lane each way) and we'd stand outside of the car and watch the planes fly right overhead. It was a thrill and cheap entertainment for a young family.

 

Years later McDonalds came to Brook Park on Snow Rd. It is still there. We used to love eating hamburgers and fries in our car. That was quite a thrill even though the McDonalds was only two minutes away from home.

 

 

Ah, those were the days. 15 cent burgers @ McDonald's.

 

We had a blast from the past here in Dayton this week. In honor of the 5 surviving Doolittle Raiders being in town (70th anniversary), the greatest conflagration of flyable (20) B-25s assembled in recent history buzzing the city. Way cool seeing them doing circles in formation over the house. Doolittle Raiders

 

As is said, "Those who forget the past are condemned to repeat it."

 

 

NexB25Mitchell.jpg

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I remember my Dad taking us to watch planes land at Hopkins from Brookpark Rd. There used to be dozens of cars pulled off the road (Brookpark aw only one lane each way) and we'd stand outside of the car and watch the planes fly right overhead. It was a thrill and cheap entertainment for a young family.

 

Years later McDonalds came to Brook Park on Snow Rd. It is still there. We used to love eating hamburgers and fries in our car. That was quite a thrill even though the McDonalds was only two minutes away from home.

 

 

 

We did that as well.

 

As for other burgers, I liked the Big Barney from Red Barn.

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Also did the Brookpark Road airplane watch as well as a kid... but there were a lot of couples there who were not watching planes.

 

I also remember Hopkins' "Observation Deck". It had boxes on its railing where for a dime, or so, you could listen to a couple minutes of control tower chatter. All I ever remember hearing was static and some communications garbled to the point of being unintelligible...

 

Royal Castle... There was one at Brookpark and Pearl that I remember. Downed a few Birch Beers at 5 cents a piece. The burgers didn't cost (nor were they worth) much more than that.

 

There was also a place called The Dog House at Broadview and Brookpark. It had big, old, Hush-Puppy-Shoes-looking, Basset Hound cut-outs atop and around it. My favorite was "The Poodle"... a dog smothered with chopped onions.

 

As much as I loved the old, spinning Chief Wahoo sign, for me it paled compared to the defiant Brownie fixed to the side of the stadium standing there fists on hips ala Errol Flynn in The Adventures of Robin Hood. Try as I might I've been unable to find a photo of the fella. Plenty of Brownie images, but not one photo of the one stuck on the side of old Muni. If anyone finds one please post it or a link.

 

nickers mentioned how special it was "going downtown" once upon a time. Started me thinking about the various reasons I went there as a kid (always on the bus). I came up with 4:

  • to go to "The Stadium", be it for the Indians or the Browns.
  • to see a "first run" movie at Loew's State or The Hippodrome or The Allen or The Palace or...
  • to look at the Christmas displays at The May Co., Higbee's, Sterling Linders,...
  • and finally... to see my Dentist...

So they weren't all "fun" trips...

 

 

Anyone up for a Euclid Beach-a-thon?

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How about Royal Castle Hamburgers? Same size as white castle, but much better. And there frosted mug Birch Beer. Also the Red Barn on Pearl and Snow, with the famous "Big Barney".

 

 

My Brother and I used to clean up the parking lot at Royal Castle. They use to give us a six pack of burgers...a drink and fries...I always thought they tasted better too!

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cleveland food memories are one thing, but if you're from Cleveland in the 70's, its all about the music

every night someone to see at a great club

Not to mention Buzzy Linhart... The Smiling Dog Saloon, The Viking Saloon and The Agora Ballroom... all early 70's...

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cleveland food memories are one thing, but if you're from Cleveland in the 70's, its all about the music

 

MSB

Flatbush

James Gang

Molkie Cole

Alex Bevan

Fayrewether

Rainbow Canyon

Wild Horses

 

every night someone to see at a great club

 

The Joker

Pirates Cove

Cyrus Erie

Peabodys

The Music Machine

 

 

Joe Walsh played here at Riverbend with Glen Frye several years back. I saw him entering a boat to go out on the river(had backstage passes)....I yelled out "Cyrus Erie" at the top of my lungs. He turned to look back up at the stage. I yelled it again. He eyeballed me, and gave me a thumbs up! The people around me looked at me like I was a rock star.

 

I just shrugged and played it for all it was worth. It wasn't worth much, but I did coax a few woman hugs out of it....so it was worth it, at least to me.

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I remember my Dad taking us to watch planes land at Hopkins from Brookpark Rd. There used to be dozens of cars pulled off the road (Brookpark aw only one lane each way) and we'd stand outside of the car and watch the planes fly right overhead. It was a thrill and cheap entertainment for a young family.

 

Years later McDonalds came to Brook Park on Snow Rd. It is still there. We used to love eating hamburgers and fries in our car. That was quite a thrill even though the McDonalds was only two minutes away from home.

 

I worked at NASA as a landscaper after high school and before I went in the Army. Did you look around on the ground while watching those planes? If you did you would have notice that the ground was littered with used condoms! I know because had to go out there and pick them up. Another fond memory of Cleveland.

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How about Royal Castle Hamburgers? Same size as white castle, but much better. And there frosted mug Birch Beer. Also the Red Barn on Pearl and Snow, with the famous "Big Barney".

 

The Red Barn was a national chain HQed in Fort Lauderdale Fla. In my summer between my freshman and sophomore year in college I went to Ft. Lauderdale to live. I worked at the Red Barn which was just down the street from Red Barn HQ.

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cleveland food memories are one thing, but if you're from Cleveland in the 70's, its all about the music

 

MSB

Flatbush

James Gang

Molkie Cole

Alex Bevan

Fayrewether

Rainbow Canyon

Wild Horses

 

every night someone to see at a great club

 

The Joker

Pirates Cove

Cyrus Erie

Peabodys

The Music Machine

 

You surely must not have been around Cleveland's music scene that much...you didn't mention Easy Street who were headliners at The Agora, Filthy McNasty's in Kent. The Akron Agora, the Flying Machine. The Corral in Olmsted. ...the place in N. Ridgeville that used to be Cyrus Erie West...or maybe it was still called that. The Chesterland Hullabaloo. (James Gang was a national act by 1970)

 

http://www.easystreetband.com/

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So? We are going for memories of Cleveland in the 70s?

Well, the biggest one for me is the edifice at the corner of 18th and Euclid known as Cleveland-Marshall College of Law. Most of my time between between September 1977 and June 1980 was spent there.....but I didn't live or sleep there so here are a few other memories:

Parties in the Park on Chester

Flanagan's

The Harbor Inn

John Qs

Shaker Square...and the diner at the rapid station there.

The Colony Theater...which played Star Wars for a full straight year.

The North Union Grist Mill

The Academy Tavern

Corky and Lenny's

Smokey Pig

Hot Sauce Williams

Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority offices on w 25th (worked as law clerk)

Little Italy, especially the Feast of the Assumption

The Cleveland Trust

The Bleachers at Muni stadium...cost to see a Tribe game: $1.00

The Old Arcade

The Terminal Tower

The Loop bus

D'Poo's

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70's... 60's... 50's... whatever floats your boat, Gip...

 

If you knew Little Italy in the 70's, then you should know Mama Santa's and Presti's Bakery. I used to pick up a loaves of Italian twist at the latter... fresh out of the oven around 02:30... great cure for the munchies...

 

While you're correct about the Joe Walsh Gang going national in '69/'70 with Yer Album and the classic Rides Again, there were a few, post-Joe Gang line-ups in quick succession, the best of which featured doomed guitarist Tommy Bollin (on LP's Bang and Miami). Anyway point is James Gang fell back into the "local scene" in the mid-70's. They were even recorded in a highly sought after, rare, live "bootleg" at the Agora Ballroom in 12/76...

 

j6.jpg

 

It is rumored that Walsh, Fox, and Peters are back in the studio recording their classics and some new material.

 

 

No mention yet of Coventry and "the coolest place to buy records in Ohio", Record Revolution. I spent many hours in their bargain basement.

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Making trips up there to see the Indians.

Vic Davalillo

Daddy Wags

Larry Brown

Max Alvis

Duke Sims

Steve Hargin

Sam McDowell

Luis Tiant

Vern Fuller

Chico Salmon

Sonny Seibert

Mudcat Grant

 

Stale cigar and spilled beer smell......

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