East along the north side of 63rd was the wonderful Vonnegut's Hardware Store, again where Daddy and I went on errands. The men were always so nice and funny, and I remember someone gave me my first bag of nails there. For my birthday for several years, my parents rented a turntable at Vonnegut's which held my birthday cake and played Happy Birthday at the same time. That was very special to me. Farther east on the same side was a fashion shop called Vivian's where Mother and I went so Mother could try on the dresses. So often I got bored and played with displays and, again, my fun was over and it was Mother and me packed into one little dressing room. When you think about it, Vivian's was a whole store full of brand new "vintage" clothes! [Zivien's Dept. Store]

Down Carrollton Avenue is the post office, where I loved to go with a parent - if only to see the huge mural on the south wall. But that was not the only draw - a spurt of yelling echoed gloriously from one end to the other (I couldn't do THAT at home)! And the huge space was begging for a little healthy girl to run from one side to the other until - right, I had to stand still - again. The post office and the bank were very serious places.

I was introduced to groceries at Atlas, but I remember riding in a cart at the old A&P on the south side of 63rd Street, east of the railroad tracks. The Gazette showed a picture recently of the A&P sign on the building's facade being revealed again after many years. How many other reminders of Broad Ripple's history are hidden, waiting to be revealed and jog some of our "vintage" memories?

Who remembers the little gas station on the southwest corner of Guilford and 63rd, or Borky's, or the bowling alley by the railroad tracks? The gas station across the alley from where Vonnegut's used to be or Chicken Delight east of Lobraico's or the original frame building of the high school where a northern addition now stands? Who remembers Kroger's being built, or the old Methodist church building? Who remembers the beautiful green tunnel that elms made as they grew over the stretch of College north of the bridge - until they all died, so very sad. Who remembers the old bridge?! Who remembers the overpass that was like a carnival ride as it rose so high or dropped you so suddenly, depending on your direction, when you went over the levee north on College? Wow, I do.