Gone but not forgotten: Knoxville area restaurants and retailers we miss.

[Thunder Good-Oil]

What was the name of the theater that was just west of West Town Mall (same side of K Pike) that was built around 1968 or 69 that later became a Bridal Shop and a Big and Tall Shop?

The Fox Theater

 

[Thunder Good-Oil]

Wasn't that record store location also where Ireland's Restaurant was located at one time....or somewhere close to there? I was at U'T. from 1967 until 1972, and I remember that building, but not a house next door. I thought that pictured was earlier, like in the early/mid 60's.

I'm starting to think that ACME came after Discount Records, which would make the pic 1984+/-. That house was probably built in the 1940s and was demolished around 1990... maybe a couple years prior (or later). It was absolutely there in the 1960s and 1970s. The lot was overgrown with English Ivy, so it was kind of hidden although directly on Cumberland Avenue. There were several other houses still on the Strip. The Cat's Meow and Ruby Tuesday's. The one in the pic was the last used as a home. The Ruby Tuesday house still stands, but it's not recognizable as the Stefano's building was added to the front along with the balcony by the time RT was Charlie Peppers. RT also enclosed the patio that was next to the ally. It used to be outside space with brick walls enclosing it. It's now part of the interior.

Ireland's was before that was my old stomping grounds. Bundulee's had really good bands. P-U-P had a video game that I could play for about half an hour on one quarter (Bandito). I bought several records at Discount Records and at another store across the street which the name escapes me right now. It was not School Kids. I also bought 33s at the Record Bar in West Town and Cat's across from the Gallery (Chili's). The Odyssey was a cool store on that block.

 

[1972 Grad]

The old lady that lived in the house next to the P-U-P drove a mid 1970s Ford 2-door (Elite? Green?). She used to pull into her lot from the ally running behind all of those buildings. Her driveway might have run the entire depth of her lot on the eastern edge.

Maybe I'm confusing that picture with another building. I was thinking of a building on the left side of Cumberland as you head west. It would probably be not far from maybe 18th-19th Street at a guess. I got on google map street view, and can't find much of anything that looks familiar from the way it was when I was there 50 years ago. I didn't know there is a median down the middle of the road now.

 

[1972 Grad]

The Fox Theater

I saw the movie Woodstock there in probably 1970.

 

[1972 Grad]

I'm starting to think that ACME came after Discount Records, which would make the pic 1984+/-. That house was probably built in the 1940s and was demolished around 1990... maybe a couple years prior (or later). It was absolutely there in the 1960s and 1970s. The lot was overgrown with English Ivy, so it was kind of hidden although directly on Cumberland Avenue. There were several other houses still on the Strip. The Cat's Meow and Ruby Tuesday's. The one in the pic was the last used as a home. The Ruby Tuesday house still stands, but it's not recognizable as the Stefano's building was added to the front along with the balcony by the time RT was Charlie Peppers. RT also enclosed the patio that was next to the ally. It used to be outside space with brick walls enclosing it. It's now part of the interior.

Ruby located there about the time I was graduating I think.

 

[Thunder Good-Oil]

Maybe I'm confusing that picture with another building. I was thinking of a building on the left side of Cumberland as you head west. It would probably be not far from maybe 18th-19th Street at a guess. I got on google map street view, and can't find much of anything that looks familiar from the way it was when I was there 50 years ago. I didn't know there is a median down the middle of the road now.

You can go to kgis.org and filter the aerial pics by year or decade.

 

[Thunder Good-Oil]

You might be thinking of the Last Lap building about a block west. England Sound was in the LL building. Jim England was the proprietor of those businesses (not Jimmy England, the UT basketball player that graduated from Holston HS around 1970 (maybe 1968 or 1969... he had to play on the freshman team in year #1. He was 2 years behind Billy Justus (from Fulton))).

 

[Thunder Good-Oil]

Ruby located there about the time I was graduating I think.

1972 sounds correct. Sandy Beale and a partner or two (might have been 3 frat brothers). Sandy's dad was a UT professor and helped fund the start iirc. It should be on Wikipedia.

 

[1972 Grad]

You might be thinking of the Last Lap building about a block west. England Sound was in the LL building. Jim England was the proprietor of those businesses (not Jimmy England, the UT basketball player that graduated from Holston HS around 1970 (maybe 1968 or 1969... he had to play on the freshman team in year #1. He was 2 years behind Billy Justus (from Fulton))).

I saw both Justus and England play. I think that was England Sound that I'm thinking about, and it was Ireland's at one time. About what block would the house pictured have been in?

 

[MAD]

Does anyone remember in the arcade at West Town a car racing game, it was a stand alone game in the center of the game room, I think it was for 6 players. This was in the 70’s?

 

[1972 Grad]

Does anyone remember in the arcade at West Town a car racing game, it was a stand alone game in the center of the game room, I think it was for 6 players. This was in the 70’s?

I do. Should have been the 70's. My ex-roommate was working at Baloff's Men's Clothing at the time.

 

[Thunder Good-Oil]

I saw both Justus and England play. I think that was England Sound that I'm thinking about, and it was Ireland's at one time. About what block would the house pictured have been in?

The house in the pic is about 2 blocks east of the Last Lap (technically one block since there's only one street between them). England Sound was at the west end, the LL in the middle, and what was the Library at the east end. The Library could have been Ireland's. Before my time. The old lady's house was immediately east of the First TN Bank parking lot, which would have been the Hamilton National Bank in 1972. It became United Smerican Bank (Jake Butcher) after Hamilton. There was a large billboard between the two properties. Her house was hidden from the bank parking lot.

The house in the pic is nearly across from what's now the a Regions Bank... on the corner. Regions Bank sits where the Quarterback Restaurant was iirc. The QB became the Long Branch. The Long Branch moved across Cumberland when Regions built their branch 10-20 years ago.

 

[MAD]

I do. Should have been the 70's. My ex-roommate was working at Baloff's Men's Clothing at the time.

I absolutely loved that game, it was so much fun.

 

[Thunder Good-Oil]

Does anyone remember in the arcade at West Town a car racing game, it was a stand alone game in the center of the game room, I think it was for 6 players. This was in the 70’s?

There was a slot car racing place in the basement of Western Plaza in the 1960s. Not far from the bowling ally, kind of below and over from the Rathskeller.

I don't remember much of the West Town arcade, but I certainly was a customer. My favorites in WT were the Orange Julius (or something similar, there were 2-the one that sold the pizza slices) and Spencer's Gifts. And the Record Bar. The Orsnge whatever menu might be a couple of pages back in this thread.

 

[MAD]

I do. Should have been the 70's. My ex-roommate was working at Baloff's Men's Clothing at the time.

I remember the owner of Baloff’s

 

[ArdentVol]

1972 sounds correct. Sandy Beale and a partner or two (might have been 3 frat brothers). Sandy's dad was a UT professor and helped fund the start iirc. It should be on Wikipedia.

pretty sure all were SAEs who began in class of 71

 

[MAD]

There was a slot car racing place in the basement of Western Plaza in the 1960s. Not far from the bowling ally, kind of below and over from the Rathskeller.

I don't remember much of the West Town arcade, but I certainly was a customer. My favorites in WT were the Orange Julius (or something similar, there were 2-the one that sold the pizza slices) and Spencer's Gifts. And the Record Bar. The Orsnge whatever menu might be a couple of pages back in this thread.

We probably ran into each other, those were my favorites too.

 

[ArdentVol]

I remember the owner of Baloff’s

shopped there but cant remember name

 

[MAD]

shopped there but cant remember name

His name was Mr. Baloff

 

[Vjcvette]

I was talking about that general area. I haven't been out there in years. Let me ask again in case you missed it. The black and white picture of the building on The Strip. Approx what year?

Yes that was on the strip, and years ago it was called Alice's restaurant

 

[ArdentVol]

pretty sure all were SAEs who began in class of 71

wasnt it Sandy Beall? dynamite at tennis

 

[1972 Grad]

His name was Mr. Baloff

There was Ed and Sam Baloff, I think. I can't remember the names of the 2 younger ones that are about my age (70).

 

[1972 Grad]

There was a slot car racing place in the basement of Western Plaza in the 1960s. Not far from the bowling ally, kind of below and over from the Rathskeller.

I don't remember much of the West Town arcade, but I certainly was a customer. My favorites in WT were the Orange Julius (or something similar, there were 2-the one that sold the pizza slices) and Spencer's Gifts. And the Record Bar. The Orsnge whatever menu might be a couple of pages back in this thread.

There was an Orange Julius in Knoxville. I remember another one somewhere, maybe on Gay Street???

 

[MAD]

There was Ed and Sam Baloff, I think. I can't remember the names of the 2 younger ones that are about my age (70).

I remember the owner, his son and his wife, the wife died.

 

[Vjcvette]

The house in the pic is about 2 blocks east of the Last Lap (technically one block since there's only one street between them). England Sound was at the west end, the LL in the middle, and what was the Library at the east end. The Library could have been Ireland's. Before my time. The old lady's house was immediately east of the First TN Bank parking lot, which would have been the Hamilton National Bank in 1972. It became United Smerican Bank (Jake Butcher) after Hamilton. There was a large billboard between the two properties. Her house was hidden from the bank parking lot.

The house in the pic is nearly across from what's now the a Regions Bank... on the corner. Regions Bank sits where the Quarterback Restaurant was iirc. The QB became the Long Branch. The Long Branch moved across Cumberland when Regions built their branch 10-20 years ago.

There was also a Yosemite Sam's across the street from Alice's Restaurant