Hi Kevin, as a person who grew up in the sfvalley in the 1930's thru 1950's, I've seen many changes. My dad worked for Lockheed in Burbank making 20-30 cents an hour. We lived in Roscoe off of Lankershim Blvd. San Fernando Road and Laurel Canyon were our main streets. I attended school at Roscoe Elementary in the 1940's. At that time the Japanese population mostly lived on the other side of the railroad tracks in trailers in Roscoe. We respected our teachers and didn't talk back and i think we were better off for it in the end. At least our teachers weren't afraid of us. I remember the air raids also. Usually we would have to turn our lights out for a certain amount of time at night. And Lockheed was covered in camouflauge also. I remember staying with my grandparents in Glendale and they used to let me take the streetcar (Red Car) from Glendale to Los Angeles along Riverside Drive. Probably cost a nickel or a dime...

Anyway, i just wanted to say i've enjoyed looking over your site as there are things there that I'd forgotten about. We lived in Sun Valley (Roscoe) until the 1950's, then moved to Granada Hills where there were still orange orchards and clean air. I lived in Sylmar most of my married life, not wanting to leave the SFValley. But after the kids left, we moved north and now live in Nevada City, about 70 miles east of Sacramento.

Thanks for the memories.

Cheryl Ginn

Kevin:
Congratulations on the new and improved America's Suburb.com. I'm interested in hearing from anyone who might remember a bar on Ventura Boulevard in Woodland Hills, c.1960-64, called "Dick Dale's" -- named not for the king of surf guitar but for the other Dick Dale, a musician and entertainer who was a regular on the Lawrence Welk show (and still performs with the surviving Welk cast members). Would it be possible to post a query on the blog portion of the website?
 
Thanks! Steve Clow

Hi,

My name is Gary Bedford and enjoy your website. I was born and raised in Van Nuys from 1953 to 1973. I am desperately looking for pictures of Van Nuys Blvd during the 60's, at Christmas time. Hopefully, you can help me
with some advise on how to come across some pictures during this era. Thanks very much for your help and website.

Gary

Lynn Long here, formally Schlegel. I grew up in the SFV, graduating from Cleveland High School in 1968. We had the Doors and the Turtles for a school concert one year, and boy were the teachers mad, they wrote a formal apology to the parents for the "suggestive nature" of the singers that day. I actually lived in Reseda, close to where the White Horse Inn used to be. I don't think it is there anymore. Add it to your list of lost but not forgotten. It was at the corner of White Oak and Roscoe.

I saw someone wrote about the slide at Topanga Plaza. I do remember that, and there was a trampoline place down on Ventura Blvd just west of Reseda. You could jump for an hour for a dollar seventy five if I remember right.
Let's not forget about Skateland! At Lindley and Parthenia. It's still there, and now I have taken my grandkids to skate there. There is also an ice skating rink in Van Nuys close to the police station. It is still there
after all these years...

One thing I wanted to ask is if anyone remembers where the Van Nuys Drive In Theater was. I remember where the Reseda was, and now it is business lots, and I remember where the Sepulveda was off of Roscoe, but I know I went to a Van Nuys drive Inn many many times and can't for the life of me remember just where it was. I love your blog. Keep it coming and thanks for the memories.

Does anyone remember a restaurant at the top of Reseda(?) Boulevard above Ventura Blvd. called the Essex House? It was there in the 50's and 60's because my dad used to work the valet parking there. I think it was part of the Smoke House restaurants but I am not sure. I grew up in Reseda and lived my entire life in the Valley but I have never been able to find any photos or anthing on the Essex House. Also, anyone remember Zody's up in Northridge? I used to love that place!