Woolworth memories

[Judge Smails]

I miss Woolworth's. My mom would take me on the #44 bus to the big one on Bergenline Avenue in Union City. We'd sit at the lunch counter and she would get me a grilled cheese sandwich and a Coke. Then I'd go over to the Pet Dept. and stare at the gold fish and parakeets while my mom did her shopping. Not a care in the world. Life was good. I remember holding my mom's hand and helping her carry the shopping bags to the bus stop where we waited for the bus to take us home. I loved her so much for taking care of me. Later, I would realize what a manipulative psycho bitch she really is. I haven't said "I love you" to her in at least 20 years.

I have no fucking idea why or how that memory just popped into my head, but stuff like that has been happening to me a lot lately. I've been very introspective and retrospective for no apparent reason. Also, I've been really emotional lately and have swung from periods of giddyness to depression at the drop of a hat. Just now, I almost cried remembering that stupid Woolworth's sandwich. It's 2:30 in the morning and I should be asleep. I think I'm having a midlife crisis, or a nervous breakdown, or maybe I'm turning gay (which is the worst thing that could ever happen to a man.)

Not sure why I posted this other than it felt a little better to get it off my chest. I realize what forum I put this in but please feel free to break my balls anyway. It'll cheer me up.

[TooLowBrow]

It'll cheer me up.

not about being cheered up. but remember to post when you get back from the hospital for the stroke you're obviously having.

and fuck you for making me want grilled cheese and coke

[jennysmurf]

I loved Woolworth's, and I'm totally jealous of you getting to eat there. My mean Mom wouldn't ever let us! Maybe the winter weather is getting to you. Seasonal Affect Disorder--it's real for true! You'll be okay.

[PapaBear]

The last few posts in Aggies onion thread had me thinking about memories like that, too. I think we're dealing with our 40's, Judge.

[tele7]

Woolworth pizza and a frozen coke. Say what you will, but it beats the shit out of any sbarro mall pizza today. Never had the courage to try a Woolworth hot dog though. This was back when the Menlo Park mall in Edison was only one level and part of it was outdoors.

[Rob roccoli]

I remember going to Ben Franklin (I imagine it to be the same kind of general store) with my Mom and hiding in-between all the bolts of cloth and reaching out to scare random passersby. Sometimes I'd get a new cap gun to destroy through out the course of an afternoon and sometimes not. We would go over to my grandma's house and I would drink a ton of DR. Pepper from the old glass bottles that somehow make soda taste better. I miss that shit too. Fucker, thanks a lot. Now I'm all misty. :sad:

[jonyrotn]

I remember sitting at the lunch counter and chosing a single balloon of the seemingly millions hanging from a wire that ran over head the length of the counter..
Once you picked your balloon the waitress would let you pop it with her hairpin and whichever price was written down on the little piece of paper secreted within your balloon would be what my mom had to pay for my Banana split..

If I remember correctly my mom would be rooting real hard for a dime but the worst you could do was like thirtyfive cents..

Circa 1974 prices..

[Lawson]

Holy crap! I have the same exact memory. Grilled cheese or a hot dog, taking the bus with my mother, the pet department, and the store seemed huge. The whole thing! just at Westchester Square in the Bronx.

I haven't thought of that in years. Thanks... no really, thanks A LOT, now I'm gonna be weepy all day and realize that that was probably the best time of my life and that the last 40 years have been a gradual slide bringing me to my current miserable existence. yeah, thanks a lot.

Hey I'm starvin' we got any grilled cheese back there?

[Jughead]

Wow this really took me back...They had great coney dogs and a cool record dept...Woolworth....On the square Frankfort Indiana....Neat...Right next door was a Murphys store....Old wood floors and a cool candy and peanut counter But no lunch area...I hate getting old......:sad:

[razorboy]

What? Are you just going to leave Kress and McCrory's out in the cold like orphans?

[FUNKMAN]

there was one on Newark Ave in downtown Jersey City. what I remember most is enjoying the luncheonette and going down the toy aisles... There was a Diskay store too, it was more like a "One And Nickel" but they had Matchbox and HotWheels...

[reillyluck]

the one you are talking about snails was actually located in West New york. My grandmother used to take me there all the time!! it was a huge treat because we would over to the lunch counter and get Milk Shake, fries and a grilled cheese sammich. once we had our lunch, she would do her shopping and i would wander over to the toys & pets section, check out the birds & fish. it was one of the greatest memories i had with her. she would spoil me rotten in there and have an awesome lunch at the same time!!! we lived in Jersey City, so it was a full day experience.


My mom never took me there because she was an idiot.

[reillyluck]

there was one on Newark Ave in downtown Jersey City. what I remember most is enjoying the luncheonette and going down the toy aisles... There was a Diskay store too, it was more like a "One And Nickel" but they had Matchbox and HotWheels...

i went in there with my best friend when i was a teenager and took the security sticker labels off of some merchandise and put them in my friends jacket. they tackled her when she tried to walk out. :lol: ahhhhhh memories. Miss Woolworth.

[FUNKMAN]

i went in there with my best friend when i was a teenager and took the security sticker labels off of some merchandise and put them in my friends jacket. they tackled her when she tried to walk out. :lol: ahhhhhh memories. Miss Woolworth.

what an instigator! :smile:

do you also remember a Mickey Finn's at all?

[GvacMobile]

I've told the story before but it's worth repeating - the Duncan Yo-Yo World Champion visited our local Woolworth's to judge a yo-yo competition . We had to do the sleeper, walk the dog, and rock the cradle.

I came in 3rd and won a shitty iron-on t-shirt.

The 70's ruled.

[razorboy]

do you also remember a Mickey Finn's at all?

I thought the point of a mickey finn is that they don't remember.

[Bossanova]

My friends and I would mock Woolworths as we walked passed it on the way to the more hip Laneco

[reillyluck]

what an instigator! :smile:

do you also remember a Mickey Finn's at all?

who am i kidding....i still do that shit!

but, i cant say that i remember Mickey Finn's. where was that?

My friends and I would mock Woolworths as we walked passed it on the way to the more hip Laneco

we would do the same thing to Kmart shoppers. :laugh:

[FUNKMAN]

who am i kidding....i still do that shit!

but, i cant say that i remember Mickey Finn's. where was that?



we would do the same thing to Kmart shoppers. :laugh:

Mickey Finn's was a clothing/dept store I believe either on Central Ave/Union City/or North Bergen, really can't remember. They had a couple of them kiddie rides outside for a quarter. The rocking horse or the little 'one-seat' merry go round...

[reillyluck]

Mickey Finn's was a clothing/dept store I believe either on Central Ave/Union City/or North Bergen, really can't remember. They had a couple of them kiddie rides outside for a quarter. The rocking horse or the little 'one-seat' merry go round...

there was a store on bergenline called Kids world. my grandmother would trick me during the summer saying we were going to Toys r us but we always ended up there followed by her line "oh, the bus got us here again?" she did this to me more than a handful of times and i fell for it each time! she would make it up to me by giving me a bunch of quarters for the horsey ride.

I could use a horsey ride right about now.

[Gvac]

I could use a horsey ride right about now.

Call me.

[Judge Smails]

I remember Mickey Finn but I must say that of all the places mentioned nothing compares to Two Guys - FTW!!!!

[Gvac]

Korvettes, baby!

<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/u7i5KdtfJM8&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/u7i5KdtfJM8&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>

[reillyluck]

Valley Fair motha fuckers!!!!

i got lost in there as a kid. Twice!!!

[reillyluck]

Call me.

bad boy.

[midwestjeff]

This thread smells like mothballs and ben-gay.

[cps]

I liked those big ceiling fans.

[RoseBlood]

I could use a horsey ride right about now.

Call me.

bad boy.

Jennifer Connelly = reilly
Dermot Mulroney = Gvac

*edit* corndog doofus = Boss

<a href="http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=6835097">Jennifer Connelly riding a Electric Horse</a><br/><object width="425px" height="360px" ><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"/><param name="movie" value="http://mediaservices.myspace.com/services/media/embed.aspx/m=6835097,t=1,mt=video"/><embed src="http://mediaservices.myspace.com/services/media/embed.aspx/m=6835097,t=1,mt=video" width="425" height="360" allowFullScreen="true" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed></object>
This thread smells like mothballs and ben-gay.

Hahaha! Shouldn't this be in "Old School"? :unsure:

[Puggle_kicker]

My grandfather used to work at Woolworths for a long period of time, up until they closed down.

[goreds2]

A lot of my 1970's baseball cards came from Woolworths.

It is funny as I saw this thread because I just spoke to my mother in England this morning and she said the Woolworths there are now closing down.

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/4/20081211/tuk-woolworths-starts-closing-down-sale-dba1618.html

[sr71blackbird]

Call your mom and get this straightened out before she is gone. Youll feel better. You should also see a psychiatrist and or a therapist, because it sounds like you have a slight bi-polar touch. I was having similar problems and I feel a lot better now. Seriously.

[goreds2]

Did anyone ever eat at the Woolworths Cafe? Food not too good.

[Gwen]

Did anyone ever eat at the Woolworths Cafe? Food not too good.

Uh, did you even read this thread?

There used to be a Woolworth's on Greenwich Avenue in Greenwich, forever, even into the mid-nineties. I used to also go there, with my grandmother, and we'd get milk shakes or root beer floats and grilled cheese, I remember sitting there at the counter watching them cook hot dogs in like a sandwich press thing. Then we'd go to the pet department and look at the hamsters and flutter around the toy section, also while she shopped. I got my first cassette ever there (that I chose and purchased for myself): New Kids on the block, the first album. Ours had an upstairs and a downstairs and one time my grandma thought I was lost 'cause I was on a different floor than her and she made me put back the wet & wild lipstick and eye shadows I'd chosen 'cause I'd misbehaved.

Our Woolworth's has since become a Sak's Fifth Avenue, an homage to the over-wealthy douchiness that is my former home town.

My mom and all her sisters used to work there as cashiers when they were in high school. It is so funny how common of a memory that is given the range of ages and locales here.

[MacVittie]

When did Woolworth go out of business? I seem to remember the Woolworth in Ithaca closing about 1994, then it was an abandoned building for a while, then it was demolished and an awesome new public library was built. Now the old public library is an empty building. Anyway, I remember buying bubble gum and packs of baseball cards there when I was a kid, and looking at all the cool fishing polls and nets and camping equipment in the sporting goods section.

Someone PM me if a thread starts about Zayres, Jamesway, Hills, or McCurdy's, I've got a lot of stories there too.

[King Hippos Bandaid]

I was more a fan of

http://sydlexia.com/imagesandstuff/heathcliff/wordsworth.png