The Ocean View Nickel Tour

Wards Corner "Times Square of the South"
A [much briefer] version of this appeared at gohamptonroads.com by R K Puma

Granby Street Bridge (wooden/early 1900's)
connecting Belvedere with Riverview

Nearby is the Lafayette River Bridge (1940's)
connecting Granby to Lakewood

Wards Corner was the shopping mecca for OV residents in the 50's & 60's; it began as a general store and Texaco, operated by Alfred C. Ward in 1910 (it moved a tad, becoming Edelblute's). The Suburban Shopping Center opened in Wards Corner in the early 1940s and was home to the Surburban Theater, Melvin's Deli, Suburban Newsstand, Gigi's (a pub & ristoranté run by beloved paisàn, Al Rago); 15 Barbers (the Perry Building & Center are still owned by the (Doug) Perry family, founders of Dollar Tree Stores nationwide). J. Douglas Perry (54) was Chairman since 1986 when he founded Dollar Tree with Macon Brock (CEO since 1993, formerly of K&K Toys) and Ray Compton (CFO, '86-'98). They, with Mr. Perry's father, built from the company's original single store to 136 stores; and today with over 1800 stores in 36 states.

NOTE: Thanks to Richard Barnett (Barnett's Hardware) the Tour now has some extraordinary
vintage images & memories, including aerials!

Burroughs' Drive-In
Curb Service 1940's, 4125 Granby Street, Norfolk, VA - postcard: "Drive in and eat in your car or in our beautiful dining room" .

Golden Arch's first area eatery on E Military Hwy

Hofheimer's Shoes in the 1950's
(Note: "OPEN SOON" window sign)

Lillian Vernon, same building, 1998
(now the site of a new building, Walgreen's)

Enlarge

Eckerd's
(The old People's Drug Store with sorely missed coffee & soda fountain, became Eckerd's--the Harvey Lindsay property is up for grabs, as is the site of old Regino's Pizzeria next door)

rk@rkpuma.com

1950's & more - Part XXI

Southern Shopping Center (due east of Ward's Corner, up Little Creek) wasn't built until after the construction of Tidewater Drive. The first 15¢ burger joint to hit Wards Corner was Burger Chef (where Wendy's is now) but in the 60's we had a Rich's burger place in Willoughby across the street from the Camel. There was also Carroll's (Corp) which T/A Burger King. Rich's was operated by the Newport News grocer Jimmy Rich, who later sold to Giant Open Air Markets (courtesy of an email correcting us). See more about "the Giant" below. Just south of this area, up Virginian Drive (which takes you to Thole & Tidewater) since 1956, is Parkdale Private School.

The Wards Corner Regino's served homemade sausage, legendary veal parmigiana & distinctive pizzas ( click image to enlarge ==> ). Gregory A. Mazarakis Sr. came to America from Greece and originally opened Regino's on Main St; his son, Gregory Mazarakis took over for him in the 70's at Wards Corner; which was originally a bar, called Johnson's. It became Yasou! --a Mediterranean Café, which Liz West opened in 2001, but soon closed. It reopened Nov '03, transformed as Aireana's (Pasta - Seafood). It then became Steckroth's but we don't give that long, either. Regino's opened in a new location Summer 2002 on Little Creek near Shore Drive-- Stephanie Mazarakis works for her father at this location illustrating a longevity not unlike the Loiercio families, still operating The Venice in Riverview. Mama Lina's (on Little Creek, is now El Azteca) --and there's no forgetting Mama's Italian Kitchen razed 2002, near the old amusement park site.

Hofheimer's Shoes first location in Norfolk was the downtown store but the first “strip or ‘burb” location was in Wards Corner, touted by reverent bus drivers of that era to passengers as “Times Square of the South” in passing. For many of us, our first shoes, Stride-Rites™ were purchased there when we were toddlers. Warehouse Manager, Ricky Beisner, an employee of 33 years reminisced with us about Lulu the monkey, darling of all children visiting that location. “They couldn't put her in a zoo, she was so at home there,” he recalled. Beisner began with Hofheimer's at Wards Corner in 1965, remembering how the advent of the Giant Open Air (now Farm Fresh, once Rosso & Mastracco) affected hours-- that area merchants began staying open evenings rather than closing at five. A KFC was recently built at the Ward's Corner Beauty Academy location.

Later, the Wards Corner location became a Lillian Vernon store, and prior, a Lá Vogue but in the earlier photo (page top) you can just make out that Rice's, an upscale retailer long since gone, was Hofheimer's next-door neighbor. Beyond, there's still Sai Gai's, but remember Jerry's (a tavern, then Bobbywood, now Gators Sports Bar), NAAS Bakery (there is still a location at Lakewood), High's Ice Cream, Eljo's, The Place.

Years back, Crossroads Restaurant was located (the structure gone by the 60's) where the large music store is --originally built in the 70's as Tracks which morphed to the Wherehouse of today. For many years in-between, it was simply parking across from Hofheimer's. In 1998, Hofheimer's joined Center Shops (a Paul H. Rose store in Wards Corner- the same original owner of Rose's Stores), Rice's, Miller & Rhode's, Smith & Welton's, Thalhimer's, Leggett's and other quality (but now defunct) Virginia retailers, including The Hub men's store, which was located near the Pancake House & Wachovia Bank.

Wards Corner Flyover, c.1969 Admiral Taussig At right: the flyover heading toward Wards Corner (Taussig) from Bayview on Granby, during its construction in the late 60's. You'll remember Olympic Skateway aka Mercury Roller Rink which closed in 1986. It is about the same area, where, decades back a few years prior, our Dad would point out "Myrtle" on (Admiral) Taussig Boulevard (diagonally from the Exxon today). The plane, parked there as long as we remember, with insignia on her side: was a US Navy Neptune patrol aircraft, made by Lockheed (correction courtesy of web visitor, Ken Wiley). The most famous "Neptune" was our own P2V-1, the "Truculent Turtle", which flew non-stop: Sep 29- Oct 1, 1947 --without refueling from Perth, Australia, to Columbus, OH --a world-record setting distance of 11,235 miles, a piston-engine record for nearly forty years. Needless to say, we kids pointed it out each time thereafter, until they moved it to make way for the flyover/overpass allowing a 'shortcut' from NOB to I-64 West.

~ Drug Store Wars ~
In 2000, the old Hofheimer's building was razed to make way for a Walgreen's and now, Eckerd's is the new store across the street (the old Edelblute's location) from it. They're both also, at Roosevelt Garden's dueling stores, we're sure they'll do the on the corner of Bayview & Tidewater, diagonally across from the Cottage Toll Exxon. In 2003, we feel for Skinnie's Records and Maizelle's Gallery in the old Ajax Tile & Marble building, which was home to Louis Bottino who came from NYC and married his wife Grace from Great Bridge. The 30's-style art deco building is still beautiful. Their shop did all the majestic marble work you see in the halls of Norfolk (General) Sentara Hospital.

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