In the early 70's the Gables Shopping Center was the primary spot for a multitude of stores in one place.
Note in the second photo above there wasn't anything across the street yet (right side of picture).
On the Gables side, you see a Texaco gas station, and to the left of that was a great eatery called Lendy's Family Restaurant. They had a "Big Boy" statue out front, and in the rear take-out area you could get Kentucky Fried Chicken. A personal favorite in the dining area for me was the hot fudge sundae.
The other stores that made up the row within Gables Shopping Center were two grocery stores (Mick-Or-Mack and the A & P), two department stores (Sidneys and Leggetts), a Sears Catalog store, the ABC store, a High's Ice Cream, Marguerites Beauty Rama, and a Firestone Tire store. In the top picture, if you click to enlarge it, you can see Sears, A & P, and Leggets most prominently.
Am I forgetting anything?
(July 2011 Update on this posting .... discovered more stores at Gables, namely, TG&Y , Crigler's Shoes, Ridingers Hardware, and Holdren's)
(July 2011 Update on this posting .... discovered more stores at Gables, namely, TG&Y , Crigler's Shoes, Ridingers Hardware, and Holdren's)
Also Gables Pharmacy, they had great hotdogs at the lunch counter.
ReplyDeleteAt some point, didn't they add a Bonanza restaurant next to the ABC store? And there was also a craft-and-framing store next to High's called The Gay Whirl, in the mid-to-late '70s.
ReplyDeleteI found a listing for the Gay Whirl in an old Blacksburg phone book. I didn't remember that place at all.
ReplyDeleteThis place is speacial to me for two reasons: 1. There was a place called the Inn of the Clock downstairs below Lindy's that had a all you can eat salad bar for $1.50. My wife and I ate there 3 or 4 times a week. 2. At the other end was a "Bonanza" Steak House that took personal checks and that was great if you were broke like we were by the end of every month.
ReplyDeleteFunny. I remember being that broke too. I wish I had a good photo of Lendy's (anyone?), I loved that place, and they sold KFC out of the back.
ReplyDeleteI remember visiting the TG&Y store with my mother whenever she needed to buy fabric to make our clothes! :)
ReplyDeleteMy sister, Linda "Sam" Dowdy was a waitress for Lendy's when they opened. Their Strawberry Pie was to die for! Gables was a one mile walk from my house, and it was a thrill to watch the shopping center being built. Mama loved the idea of Leggetts being there - she didn't have to go to Christiansburg or Roanoke anymore...and I was ecstatic over the ice cream at Highs. Worth walking 2 miles for any day!
ReplyDeleteI used to work at Lendy's (my first "Real" job"), started in the restaurant itself in 1971? The "take-home" shop was MURDER on football days, as the ABC store was right there in Gables Shopping Center and it seemed the WHOLE WORLD just HAD to have their KFC chicken. After working a night at the "Alamo"; it was not pretty!
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting, Cathy. You probably waited on me and my goofy friends when we had the munchies and just had to have the hot fudge cake.
ReplyDeleteProbably sold you, David and his girlfriend many Hot Fudge Cakes. Was happy to get out of the take home shop and
Deletemove on to the Copper Den.
Also, under what is now a Chinese Restaurant, was the Sound Cellar, my favorite disco bar in 1978. After Sundown was more for the high school honeys so the Sound Cellar was for us older folks, you know, 20 to 25.
ReplyDeleteI worked at the Sound Cellar in 1977/1978 as a cocktail waitress and bartender. Made great money for a college student!
DeleteOne more thing: my dance partner and I left the Sound Cellar and wound up at Mr. Fooz. OK for her since she was in a danceskin outfit that any guy would appreciate but I was in my disco gear. NOT a place for a skinny guy with a red afro to be without my denims on. She went to play foozball and I ducked out quick.
ReplyDeleteI think the Bonanza was out in the parking lot and later became an ABC store. I had a friend who worked at the Firestone and we'd all work on our cars after hours there.
ReplyDeletehttp://oldroanoke.net/lendys/
ReplyDeleteMy mom bought me a sweet suit at Legget's. And the girls at Sidney's had great style. On big needs we'd go to downtown Roanoke at hit Miller & Rhodes, have lunch in the Tea Room and watch the fashion shows. Heironimous was another hot spot - got my first Lacoste shirt there and thought I was da bomb!
ReplyDeleteBonanza was in the side parking lot love gables pharmacy. Oh across the road from the shopping center was dog and suds
ReplyDelete1966-1970. Lindy's will always be special for me: first family visit my Rat Year we went there to eat on a Sunday -- the "Half-Pound of Ground Round" was delish, but the good-byes were tough. Also bought my first LEGAL bottle from the ABC store there.
ReplyDeleteYes, there was something across the street! Cows! And a barn! That was a quintessential aspect of Blacksburg's character that should never be forgotten.
ReplyDelete