Nostalgic Holiday Shopping Part 2

It's night Side with Dan Ray WBS Costin's new radio.

The temperature has gone down a degree. It's forty four degrees now. It started at forty five when we began Nightside. They say, we because I'm here with Jack Hart.

Hello Jackhart, Oh Hi, hello, oh Hi?

Tell people what we are doing.

What are we doing?

Oh?

Well, we're talking about downtown what we now call downtown crossing, the Downtown experience Downtown Boston in the in our in our youths of fifty sixties, seventies, and what it meant to so many.

And I know a lot of you have incorporated other areas like the South Shore Plaza. And my producer sitting next to me is from Minnesota, so her memories were of Minnesota stores and established. Sure, I think we want to keep downtown as our focus point. But if you want to mention that, you know, the Mammoth martin Brockton did this or that or something in Stoneham, the Stoneham Zoo decorated nicely for Christmas, you may incorporate that in

Good Morgan, how you doing. I'm doing fine, Tom, Hello Tom, and Hello Jack, Hello Jack. Good to hear you.

Hello.

I moved to Boston after high school in seventy eight and lived on Bowden Street, and well, my fond memories definitely yeah, yeah, Well I paid my dues in life my first night living in a rooming house on Bowden Street. That room was forty dollars a week. Then it consisted of a twin bed, a hot plate, a sink, one outlet in a cubicle refrigerator, small cubicle refrigerator. At about two o'clock in the morning, I felt something crawling across

But you know, it's funny you say, I've worked across the street from you at one hundred Cambridge Street.

Yes, where I worked at Cambridge Street.

Seventy five to eighty. I was a state employee.

That the installed building.

Okay, yes it was, yes, it was yeah, absolutely, absolutely, yeah, part of urban renewal when they yeah, yeah, they tore down the West End back in the early sixties and promised everybody in those three families. Oh, we're going to get your new housing, and it never happened.

They gave them back twelve apartments in the area two thousands.

Too late.

Yeah that's right.

Yeah, yeah.

But anyway, getting back to the downtown crossing, you had a caller earlier that was talking about a shoe place. I believe that was Floorsheim Shoes. I don't know if you mentioned that trying to call in then yeah, absolutely.

McCann, Yeah, Floorsheim.

Yeah, there was a Floorsheim sold some.

Very Florsheim and thom mc cann each had a downtown location.

Yeah, and you know they used to manufacture those shoes if you go back to the sixties in Brockton, where I still own a home, and uh, you know, that was the shoe capital of the world. And anyway, you know, the taft Hartley Act is basically what drove all those jobs from the New England States down to the Southern States. And then NAFTA drove those jobs from the Southern States down to Mexico. So yeah, some things, yeah, some things

Was never Washington.

Street, yeah, it never, it never ever broke down. And then they put in the up to date stuff. And I don't care what tea station you go into one thing. You know, the escalator ain't going to be working, yea. But yeah, I missed that Boston of my youth. It was affordable then. I mean I was making minimum wage. I worked at TGI Fridays on the corner of Exeter and Newbury Street, and that was the Fall of seventy nine.

I'm going to have Bradley Jr. Next week. I forget which day because I'm filling in for Dan all next week and I think he is going, oh you are. I think he's gonna be on with me Thursday or Friday, So.

I will make it a point to call in because he knew me as Tommy Toons back going like nineteen eighty because I used to roller skate and used to have those headphones on and literally skate backwards through downtown Boston traffic that if you were a good roller skater you could you could do stuff like that. And the moment part was one, go ahead.

I will mention that to him when I have him on Tarmy toone I will. Yeah.

Absolutely. But now, like I said, Boston was a livaboo city back then, and unfortunately I googled my old apartment in miss Hill off a Caliumet Street and what used to go for seven fifty and ninety two for a three bedroom now goes for thirty seven hundred dollars. It's just disgusting. I agree with Yeah, it is awful. All right, guys, thanks.

For the call, and happy holidays to you.

Mary Gris.

Yeah, and a merry Christmas of the both of you, and a happy New Year as well. But I'll make an appointment call on Thursday or Friday next week. Bye bye, guys, thank you, good night.

All right, one open line if you want to grab it six one, seven, four ten thirty or eight eight, eight nine to nine ten thirty. Jim in Boston, you were next on Night Side.

I'm a joint this show tonight. I've been listening to well for people that had shortly identifying and i was going to identify this one and that one, and people ahead of the already have done it. But well, I did say I used to go down there quite a bit. And uh, I don't know if you remember they had the record American was down there behind Kennedy's.

They had the street.

Yeah, and when I was a kid on a Saturday night, you could go down there. You hang around the dark, and the guys would You could work for the guys and be a runner from when they went around the city and dropped off, uh, the paper at all the locations, and you always see the guys on the car and are waiting for that paper because they had played the number that night. There was a big pile of the city back then. I don't know, I'm serious, I remember it.

Oh yeah, yeah I did.

I didn't hear that.

Washington and West Street, yeah.

And I think it was a store named Bonds near Kennedy's.

I don't know if anybody mentioned that.

Yeah, I remember they.

Were yeah, yeah, I remember that. And then I know, if you like watching movies or playing pinball, Washington Street was the place to go. They had more pinball machines and the movies were like, so we're triple headed, you know, and it's a wonderful experience. And anyway, I just started keep you a call, and they're enjoying the show tonight, and that's all I gotta say.

Thank you, Jim, thank you for your call. Merry Christmas to you. Get it right. And look at the time. I'm gonna take my break, Rob, I hope you're paying attention. Every break has been dead on on time. Okay, so uh you want that open line, it's already been taken. Time and temperature here on night Side nine fifteen forty four degrees.

Now back to Dan ray Mine from the Window World Night Sex Studios on WBZ News Radio.

Dan is off tonight. I get to say that every break because there are people who tune in in the middle of the show. At the end of the show, they've been with me all night. But I need to let everybody know that I am filling in for dam My name is Morgan. My buddy Jack Hart is here with me and we're reminiscing about the look of downtown back in the day, fifties, sixties, seventies. Let's go to Weston and speak to Joan. Joan. Good evening, Good.

Evening, gentlemen. I hope you don't mind. Someone who didn't see the Enchanted Village, Well saw it in the nineteen fifties, but my memories go back before that.

Okay.

Oh, so I can remember something magical for me at Jordan Marsh back in the nineteen thirties. And I don't know if you remember, but Nickey Mouse had made his debut in around nineteen thirty and by the middle of that decade or around that time, he was really big, and Minnie was introduced. So then was a thing, an entertainment or just something available at Jordan Marsh where people could buy a ticket and their child cougar in and

Head, you know.

I was maybe three and a half, four and a half, and I can remember that because it was so indelible in my mind, and that was my experience at Jordan's and then across in the nineteen fifties when I was out of college. I remember seeing the enchanted village. But

Wow, do Mini Mouse wear a red and white poka dot dressed?

Yes?

She did.

I was going to say she had a red dress with white polka dots on it. And I listened to the main Mickey Mouse program that occasionally came on the radio, because of course that's all you had, and I just thought, oh, I'm right here with the real people. It just was amazing and scary at the same time.

Now did many speak?

Oh?

Yes, she spoke very very carefully and nicely, and a little squeaky because of the head I think, you know, I'm not sure the mouth was where her mouth was, but you know, looking back, I didn't know that at the time. I just felt sorry for But it was really really kind of special and I'll never forget it, and.

I would imagine by it to all our family.

M I seek y, yes, I think later. Thank you so much. I remembered most all of those places along Washington Street in the nineteen fifties.

Thank you for your call.

Thank you you.

Going downtown was a full dress affair when I was a kid.

It was Jack, are you ready?

Am I?

Uh? Huh? Are you?

I could be?

Are you ready for the next call?

Who's that?

Florence, Florence, welcome tonight's side?

Name morning, good evening Florence.

Jack.

And did you notice how he knew it was He knew it was you.

I knew it was you.

Did you expect me to call the two of you?

Actually no, because this was an emergency. Normally I promote. I promoted that Jack, what's going to be on with me next Monday? I remembered that year, and I called them to say, can you come on tonight? I need you? And Jacket, you never ever told me no, never, That's right.

So now there's all kinds of people making, making cookies and things making getting a snack ready for Monday, and I won't even be there.

I had just turned to on a little while ago, and I thought, wait a minute, Morgan and Jack, what's going on? And so what you were talking about old times and post and I don't have a lot of memories, but I think I mentioned once on your show, Morgan, that years ago, when I was younger elementary school age, my mom and dad took me into this store called House of Nine if I got a now, and I

House of Nine were located at the corner of Washington Street and Winter Street.

It was, yeah, across from either of you have a memory of them.

I remember that, I remember the name. I remember the name. I don't I don't recall having having gone in there for for any particular reason.

And I remember, but I never I never went in it.

It was clothing, you know, they had a dull clothing and children clothing, and yeah, yeah, I don't know. I was modeling dresses and I bet you you were stunning, tell me you, I think I was. And then when I was five years old. I was in a beauty contest that myself and a little boy we both won. It was yeah, and it's funny. I can't recall him now, but you know, probably back at the time, I probably didn't get a big charge out of it. You know, when you're a kid.

You've got a lot of memorable history.

Wow, you grew up in Boston.

No One, Maldon. Oh okay, I was, you know, born in Marlton, grew up in Marldon, and you know, it was nice back then there. I liked it and moved a few times and then this is my last stop that my husband and I found this town just by accident driving through it, and you know, it appealed to us, and so we ended up, you know, by in a house here, and you know, it's been good. He's gone now, but I'll remain here. You know, I like it. I like it. It's very quiet that appeals to me.

I mean nice, I mean, it's so Sincerely, I hope twenty twenty five is your best year ever, and I hope you have a very I'll say again, very happy.

Holiday, and I wish the both of you a nice Christmas and New y It's okay.

Very thank you, good night.

Out about good night. Florence's line is open six one, five, four, ten thirty or eight eight, eight, nine to nineteen thirty. Dial it and cheer some of your memories with Jackhart and yeah me Morgan White Jr. Time and temperature nine thirty forty four degrees.

You're on night Side with Dan Ray on' WBZ, Boston's news radio.

Dan Ray is off to night. I think he has a hint of laryngitis that started to develop last night. And if you listen to him last night, you heard him refer to that. I listened partially to his show last night. I found it interesting that he spoke to a guy who does rodeo for a livingis no, no, no no, because Dan does the show from a remote location. I think his home. As I do listant filling in for Dan and your home, and you say on clear as the.

Bell, Jack, Yeah, yeah, yeah yeah. And I'm actually on my cell phone and I'm not even talking into a like a microphone or anything like that.

Let's go to gentlemen. Speak to Fred. Fred good evening, Welcome to night Side.

Thank you very much. It's fun listening to your show tonight. I got a cute little story. I'm eighty four years old, and I grew up. I grew up in Winthrop and I'll never forget back. Around nineteen fifty three, my buddy and I it was a Satdy afternoon and we heard on the radio the rodeo was at the Boston Gardens. Well, we didn't have much money, so each of us went home.

They took it and they say, have fun so anyway, we got in what was the big draw for us, gene Aufrey and Champion his horse Champion.

That was a big draw for us. And that's when I got shocked by Boston prices. I think an ice cream was like four times the price that I pay in Winthrop at a corner variety store. So needless to say, we didn't buy anything in the Boston Johnsons. We found a variety store towards the North End, and then we just to have something in Boston and then we went home.

Well it's a simple now with the devices that you can buy.

But oh yeah, much more. But it was really something. They had bells of all time. The original radio check was in Scarlish Square where it all started. Thank you for the memory, Thank you, Thank you Sank you did wonderful program. Thanks a lot.

Bye buys line. Whoops, Fred's line is open. And if you call in six one, seven, two, five, four ten thirty or eight eight, eight, nine, two nine ten thirty, I guarantee Jack and I will get to you. With the amount of time we have left. We have roughly fifteen sixteen minutes of show to go. Right now, Let's go to Winter and speak to Jerry. Jerry.

Yes, Hi, Morgan, I used to talk to you and to Jack. Thank you, Jerry. I Hi, Hi, you doing Jack? I have a question goes back into the fifties. I remember my mother would take me to what is now downtown Crossing. I don't know if this questions being as yeah, but there were four I don't know what's well, I know it's there now. But in the fifties there were four major stores, well, there were three that I remember.

One was.

Macy or Jordan mash Right across the street was Pileen's, and then across the street.

From there they were next to each other on the same side of the.

Street, which which ones Jordan's and Vilenes were.

Next to each other, yes, well, the same side of the street on Washington Street, but across the street from each other on the on the summer street.

Right, oh yeah, right, right, right, okay, But then there was another building which was Gilchrist's across right, but now on the other corner. For the life of me. I can't think of what that fourth store was if there was any there. There was Jordan's, Vileens, Gil Chris, and there was the.

Was just talking about House Nines, and then there was something on the first floor there as well, which was a hosiery store.

I think, yes, oh, House of Nines? What is what was House of Knines? Was that a clothing store too?

Or a clothing store?

I'm guessing nine mint size nine or less?

Oh? Oh oh, okay. I remember my hopping us through. I was only I think seven or eight years old at the time. It took the some kind of a subway to get there. But yeah, I remember going go Christian fy Wins and and Jordan's. But I didn't remember that fourth That's why it was the House of Nines. That wasn't it what you said? The name of the store was in the basement.

The first flow is that was a hosiery store.

Oh maybe ladies hose? Yeah they could get a hose. Okay, yeah, jeez, I wouldn't think. I've been working about that for years and I couldn't take that fourth store. But that's probably why it's not as famous, I suppose, as.

As the other Jack and I just helped you.

Yesppreciate it. Thanks so much, great show. I appreciate it.

Jerry, thank you all right, thank you to Boston and speak to John by the Jerry. Hello to John, John, Welcome to Well.

You got me to call because I wondering if you remember the joke shops in Boston.

They're long gone. Oh yeah, five of them.

Jack Shop, those two guys, little Corner Jack's.

Jack's Jokes Shop had a location on Tremont Street more towards.

Uh one or so. It was that Little Jack Horner.

Well they moved, those guys had Jack moved a few times before they gave up and retired.

They and then there was little Jack Horner.

Magic shop, remember them on South Street.

I remember tradicians boy, oh yeah, yeah, they were gone.

Yeah, there's really nothing like that to buy anything. You know, it's all online.

And it was gone. They would demonstrate any and all tricks.

And they were buying in the store. You got to see it how it worked.

And they knew how to do every trick, how to pull out handkerchiefs that were different colors from your mouth, how to make anything disappear and or reappear. They knew how to do all their tricks.

Well, it was gone as joke shopping Quincy. He's been gone a few years.

I think he passed.

And he was a dinosaur down there, and.

He was Jerry, the one right there was there just just just a handful of years ago down there on uh Hancock Street.

And he's gone. Unfortunately, you know, he was the last of them, I think, the last shop that had joke shop on it, not smoke shop, joke shop.

If you're young, if you're a young kid and you you were fascinated by magic. Unfortunately, there are no stores like that anywhere anymore. And that's a shame.

Well, I rememberly two years ago. That's about it.

Wow. I think that's a bit far to go to learn how to do the trick.

Then then how about Joe and Nemo's hot Dogs. They were around for years. You forgot that you were.

And as a matter of fact, earlier we had a caller who lived on Bowden Street and the last Joe and Nemos was on Bowden Street, right there at that little corner where the State House.

Yes, I think that they were the nephews. I think the original owners of that, you know, passed on and then nephews try to take it, but they weren't successful. They're keeping the business going. That was back in the nineties. They were around a short time and they were gone. There's nobody doing a.

Really good the resurrect they tried to resurrect the brand a little bit.

There's nobody doing a good hot dog that you could go in, you know, any place, really good tasty hunt, you know, satisfying her be a great.

Going, be a great place you can get a hot dog and buy jokes and buy joke stuff.

There was one at the corner downtown crossing. Well, let's not forget the combat zone either, you know, you gotta mention that. But yeah, you can go.

You used to get to the heavy Body.

There was a hot dogs stand there there too.

There was There wasn't Joe Neimos down in the combat zone.

No, but no. But there was a corner little stand where they used to grill the bread, put mayonnaise on the bread, and sell hot dogs. Only that was about it. You could wash them, make them up, I know. And there's nothing like that anymore a good hot dog stand in Boston that I know of.

Let's let's pull the money and make let's pull on money and make it happen.

The three of us. Steam didn't be a hot dogs. They had a great taste. You know. I wasn't a beer drinker by any means, but the steam would give the heart dog a great favor.

I agree, John. I gotta take a break, but thank you for Thank you John, the last break of the hour. Mary in Boston, be patient, you'll be first after we take this break. Time and temperature nine forty six forty four degrees.

Now back to Dan Ray live from the Window World night.

Side Studios on WBZ News Radio. No, Dan, tonight, you got Morgan, and you got Jack, and you got Mary in Boston. Mary, good evening to you. Yes, Hello.

One day, I have a two story was that I hadn't been mentioned so far. One is Grayson's that was on Tremont Street.

Okay, what did Grayson sell?

Grayson's was a lady's clothing store.

Okay.

It was also across College, which was a fancy women's clothing store.

I remember that, I call that and what what years?

What years are these?

And this would be in the fifties.

Okay.

I didn't shot. I think my sister did.

Well.

I was all I j Fox and R. H.

Stearns Sterns. They were located around Bailey's.

Yes, as a.

Matter of fact, they're they're they're some of their the facade work is I think there's a Lambert's in there now in the front of the store. And but they still some of them decorate some things of.

Just have everything in case in glass. Like if you wanted to look at gloves, they were under glass. You had to you had to ask to look at them, and they would show them to you. Did you know that?

Yes?

Okay? And another thing is did you notice that the lady who called who was talking about the nineteen thirties, Yes, and there was downtown. She's pronounced Piles is Follen's, which is what my mother used to.

Say, because the pronunciation affected by those who pronounced it or mispronounced it, and in Boston we were famous for mispronouncing things.

That's right.

Well, Fillen Lincoln Paullen was the one who started Williams and he was a big promoter for the Girl Scouts of America. Did you know that?

I didn't. I thought it was what I thought it was, William Filene's.

No, Lincoln Lincoln.

William was was was a sun. I think, oh, okay, the shopping bags the girl scouts.

I know that, okay, Mary, because the shopping on the shopping bags. A lot of them said William w M. Because I remember asking my mother what did w M stand for? Because I'm in kindergarten. How do I know how to spell William? You said, that's a short way of spelling William. I said, oh, okay, okay.

And the other thing I remember looking in the windows of Jordan's with the the Christmas Time show that they used to have with the with the Enchanted Village, but it wasn't called that then. It was just you just went to the window and there were people standing behind you, and everybody was ooing and iry about what they were seeing. It was. It was lovely, it was magical.

I think they had those windows settings going back to the fifties. And then somebody said, you know, we should take over our fifth floor and get people pay to see all these things interacting with each other.

Right, but this was in the fifties and I saw it.

Yeah, took over.

Yes, Yeah, it was very nice though. And also I had chicken pot pie at Leen's restaurant on the top floor of Leens.

And we had a wonderful restaurant up there and one day we have it.

We haven't mentioned yet in Jordan's those blueberry muffins. Oh my goodness, they were so delicious and.

You can you can still get them.

Yeah.

But also mentioned about filings is people don't remember the Red Land and Cafe in the basement.

The Red Lands and down off of.

Cambridge Street, red Lan, Well there was the red there was the Red Hat off off the off of Cambra Street. But the Red Land and Cafe was just a little segment, you little section and fine in Jordan's basement and it's well, you know, sort a little sort of a little raised platform there and they had you know'd be like tea in little sandwiches for ladies and things. And I think they might have had like an ice cream clown or

Asked question, are you from Boston originally of us? Because there were hearts that lived on uh a couple of doors down from from us on Blueville Avenue related to them.

May very well have been my my my father died when I was young and his family was, you know, so scattered about a little bit. So they may very well have.

Been, okay, because it was a frank heart that I knew name wart h A R T.

Okay. Yeah, no, they say I've got an E.

Oh maybe maybe.

It hadn't me. I don't really never send some carter.

Yeah, yeah, no, there there are, there are. There are a few different hearts. There are some hearts without the E, some with some with the E, and some of them are.

Related to us.

But we're you know, they they they kind of kind of driven. My father's father died in nineteen eighteen during the Spanish flewback then as they called it, the COVID of the time, and so the family kind of got his family kind of got dispersed a little bit, right, Okay, all.

Right, Mary, thank you for the call.

Thank you very much. Bye, Thanks Forky.

Jack. You know, I cannot thank you enough. Last minute. You have never told me no ever, and I've had you on a dozen or more times. I thank you for coming on tonight. You help me kick off the four hours of Dan Rays show night side superbly well, and I'm.

Happy to do it. It's my favorite thing to do.

You know, I was to say in front of thirty eight states and parts of Canada, thank you to you, sir, thank you.

It was thank you, thank you for having me.

What do you want to tell all of your fans about your upcoming holiday?

Let me see listen for me on traffic, doing traffic. I'll be working of the bulk of the holiday. So Merry Christmas to everybody. May your holiday be great and may and hopefully I can get you to where you need to go safely and avoiding traffic.

And I'm stealing a quote here, although it's been said many times many ways, Jack Hart, Merry Christmas to you, and thank you.

Merry Christmas to you.

You take care of Jack YouTube, good night, Next hour. Bill Friedman is my guest. I've had him before. He has written a number of books, but we're going to speak about a his book on the Las Vegas Strip, Thirty years of History on the Las Vegas Strip. And he's got another book coming up within a year and a half it should be finished about Las Vegas. Very intelligent man, very easy to talk to. So if you're of a mind, stay port. You've given me half of you,