Jackson Heights Life

I've been living in the neighborhood for a little over 30 years now, and have witnessed many interesting changes in Jackson Heights.  Just along the strip of 37th Avenue, along the 70s, there's been so much turnover in businesses and at the same time, we've also had a few that have held their ground.  Here are a few for those that may be curious:

Courtesy Drug Store then a Rockbottom Pharmacy where the now Commerce Bank is located at 74th Street

Key Food Supermarket where the now Duane Reade is located at 73rd Street

Pizza Boy pizzeria -- seems like they've been there for quite a while...at least since the mid-1970s

Large liquor store on the southwest corner of 37th and 75th Street

Decent fish market next door to Dunkin Donuts on 37th Ave

Lousy fish market on the northeast corner of 78th Street and 37th Ave

Used bookstore (very quaint) -- on 37th Ave., somewhere between 77th and 78th Street approx.

Fur coat storage and cleaning service, next door to bookstore mentioned above

Brandon's trinket shop on 37th near Baskin Robbins - also very quaint. 

Trade Fair was another supermarket in those days.  It seemed to cater more to the neighborhood elderly and always seemed to be poorly stocked.

Met was also a supermarket (Shop Wise).  If you think it's bad now, you should have seen it back then.

Social Security Office maintained a branch on Roosevelt Avenue where the large 99 cent store is now located

Mom and Pop butcher shop on 74th Street before Roosevelt Avenue

Lamston's shop (similar to Woolworth's) on 74th Street

Another Key Food supermarket on 74th Street

Stationery and school supplies store on 74th Street

Mature woman's garment shop on 74th Street

Photo developing shop on 74th Street

Hardware/Houseware shop on 74th Street

2 Floor Woolworth's on 82nd Street

WOW!  I think 74th Street has seen the biggest change.  Anyone out there want to add some more?  It would be interesting to know what existed even earlier.

Oops saw you mentioned Lamstons.  There used to be the Discount Books where the Realty store is on 77th Street and the old antique/thrift ship   that used to be next to the newspaper store on 75th street.

I'm born and raised in Jackson Heights.

I went to PS 69 and IS 145 when they were literally half the size they are now.

Across the St. from PS 69 there used to be a Sizzler where the Jewish Community Center now stands.

The liquor store mentioned above was actually on 73rd st. It was Sam's Liquor Store, Sam always  gave me pennies when I went in there with my father.

On the corner of 73rd St. and 37th road where Kabbab King is now, there used to be a place called Dumbarton Oaks, it was a stripper bar but prior to that it was actually a respectable restaurant (or so I've been told).

On the same block just past the Eagle (or Earle) theater there was a pizza shop, Benny and Tony were the father son team that ran the place. Sal's barber shop (now on 76th st.) was also there. Sal still cuts my hair some times. A tiny little deli that never seemed to do any business, and The Magic Touch an old style gay bar. Across the st. there was a type writer repair show. which lasted for the longest time and I believe was replaced by a travel agent.

Going west on Broadway where the Korean Market is now, there used to be an A&P.

One more block west at 72nd and Broadway there was Gibbons, an Irish bar & restaurant. 

Over to 37th ave. near 79th St. where Novo currently is was Barrs Toy store. Next to it where the Starbucks is allegedly going was a bridal shop.

On the South side of 37th ave between 74th and 75th there was a Carvel Ice Cream store.

The building that currently houses The Renaissance Charter School on 37th ave between 81st and 82nd used to be C&S a horrible department store that no one ever went to. 

There was a candy store on the South East corner of 82nd St.

The Woolworth's on 82nd st. was indeed 2 floors and had a diner in it.

On Northern Boulevard next to the Mark Twain Diner there used to be an Arby's.  Where Rite Aid is now there was a C-Town.

On 76th St. just behind a small car lot there used to be Northern Lanes. Our other bowling alley.

Natives on 83rd and Northern used to be a movie theatre.

That's all that comes to mind at the moment. 

My family moved to Jackson Heights from Woodside in 1962, but prior to that we visited Jackson Heights quite frequently to shop, dine out and go to the movies.  "The building that currently houses The Renaissance Charter School on 37th ave between 81st and 82nd used to be C&S a horrible department store that no one ever went to" was, for many years prior to that, a quite popular department store called Fields.  It gave out distinctive black and white shopping bags and was there for as long as I can remember (back through the early '50's.)  May its memory live on !!

 

I'm born and raised in Jackson Heights.

I went to PS 69 and IS 145 when they were literally half the size they are now.

Across the St. from PS 69 there used to be a Sizzler where the Jewish Community Center now stands.

The liquor store mentioned above was actually on 73rd st. It was Sam's Liquor Store, Sam always  gave me pennies when I went in there with my father.

On the corner of 73rd St. and 37th road where Kabbab King is now, there used to be a place called Dumbarton Oaks, it was a stripper bar but prior to that it was actually a respectable restaurant (or so I've been told).

On the same block just past the Eagle (or Earle) theater there was a pizza shop, Benny and Tony were the father son team that ran the place. Sal's barber shop (now on 76th st.) was also there. Sal still cuts my hair some times. A tiny little deli that never seemed to do any business, and The Magic Touch an old style gay bar. Across the st. there was a type writer repair show. which lasted for the longest time and I believe was replaced by a travel agent.

Going west on Broadway where the Korean Market is now, there used to be an A&P.

One more block west at 72nd and Broadway there was Gibbons, an Irish bar & restaurant. 

Over to 37th ave. near 79th St. where Novo currently is was Barrs Toy store. Next to it where the Starbucks is allegedly going was a bridal shop.

On the South side of 37th ave between 74th and 75th there was a Carvel Ice Cream store.

The building that currently houses The Renaissance Charter School on 37th ave between 81st and 82nd used to be C&S a horrible department store that no one ever went to. 

There was a candy store on the South East corner of 82nd St.

The Woolworth's on 82nd st. was indeed 2 floors and had a diner in it.

On Northern Boulevard next to the Mark Twain Diner there used to be an Arby's.  Where Rite Aid is now there was a C-Town.

On 76th St. just behind a small car lot there used to be Northern Lanes. Our other bowling alley.

Natives on 83rd and Northern used to be a movie theatre.

That's all that comes to mind at the moment. 

74 street, between 37th and Roosevelt ~ Jay Dee bakery

How I miss them. There used to be 4 bakeries in the local area that were the best in the City. Norgards, Avon, Steinway Bake Shop and Jay Dee. Those were the days that bakers used real butter, real eggs and fine chocolates instead of the crappy substitutes that most bake shops now use. One of my high school friends' Dad used to be a baker at Jay Dee. He used to take such pride in his work. Too bad we can't go back, huh!

Anybody here used to drink in The Golden Note? It was a classic bar on the corner of 75th Street and 37th Ave.

I had the luck to go to the hospital on 73 st. and 34 ave,(Jackson Heights hospital/Wyckoff) twice! Once I had x rays in the basement and it was like being in a bad sci/fi movie from the fifties.

I also remember eating at the Jackson Diner on 74st. near 37th ave. The menu was half American and half Indian. So, you could have an egg salad sandwich with a side of samosa's.
There was a German waitress who had a heavy accent, who once corrected the way I pronounced chole puri. That was pretty funny.

And there used to be a hospital on 34th Avenue between 73rd and 74th Street where the school is.  Luckily I never ended up there after any of my roller disco adventures!

That was Physician's Hospital.  It was quite small, and didn't seem like a hospital at all!