More Ads from 1975 and... Boston Shopping Memories from the 70's sent by Henry

Hello, My Retro Boston Lovers!!
Thanks to Ron I present more ads from the Boston Bicentennial guide published in 1975.
These ads focus on Copley Square and the New York based stores that were clustered there for many years in and around the Prudential Center.
I tossed in the Boston Half Shell as just a great place to eat at on Boylston Street at that time and was very much part of the landscape of the Prudential Center area.


I was very excited to read some very vivid and warm memories sent to me by Henry of Vancouver. Henry grew up in Boston and shared his very fond memories of shopping in downtown in the 1970's before his family moved away when he was 10 years old. These memories are extra special because this was a routine he shared with his grandad...and he will always treasure those days out with him!

He wrote:

I remember going into Kresge’s with my grandpa. As you walk upstairs, to the second floor, you would see all the various knitting yarns on the right side with women's pattern designs and of course...the big toy section. It was 1977 or 1978 and this was where I got my first Luke Skywalker toy. As we head down onto the main floor, you could see the dining area on the right side of the store, I still remember looking at the yummy honey glazed ham! Grandpa bought some and that was the best ham I ever had to this day!!!
Across the street or near it was Jordan Marsh. My favorite was Jordan Marsh because of the bakery inside that sold blueberry muffins on the street floor of the old annex building. The best blueberry muffins!! These muffins had a big top, they were fresh, moist and delicious. If I remember correctly, there was a toy department(upstairs) and in that toy department they would have a section featuring toy trains. It was a fun time with my grandpa.
On the same side as Jordan Marsh on Washington St. we would head further down and we would shop at Woolworth’s for more Star Wars toys and Micronauts. After that we would head onto Tremont St. for a bite to eat at McDonald’s and later buy peanuts to feed the pigeons on Boston Common.
Then we would go to Brigham’s Ice cream for vanilla ice cream and head back home.
I saw the picture of the Paramount Theater that was near the stores…not my favorite part of town down there but that was the theatre I saw the movie, Jaws when I was 7 or 8. I can't believe to this day they allowed the kids in!
We moved from Boston in 1979 to Nova Scotia, Canada. When I came back to visit Boston in the early 90s, Jordan Marsh had changed and got a "new" modern look and Washington Street was free from cars.

Thanks so much to Henry!!!

Henry recalls so many things that I also have such clear visions of in my own memories.
The Kresge's ham did look and smell amazing and you really could not help but enjoy it as you came down from upstairs on the escalator.
I include a Nick Dewolf shot of Kresge's and Jordan Marsh for Henry to enjoy from 1969. He can see from this shot that the Annex Building(a whole city block of buildings) on Avon Street was right on the other side of Washington Street just before you came to the old Main Store of Jordan Marsh. Jordan Marsh confused many of us in our childhood because it had so many buildings and had so many ways to get inside....doors and more doors...floors and more floors. Just plain HUGE!! But wonderful....oh, YES!!!!!

Thanks to all and please keep sharing your memories!!!!

Enjoy.....Charles:-)

charles65ofboston@yahoo.com