Broadway Stroll the Summer of ‘69

by Mary Flanagan, Associate Real Estate Broker & lifelong Saratogian

2019 marks Roohan Realty’s 50th year in business! We would like to take you back to 1969 and share what downtown Saratoga Springs, NY looked like 50 years ago. We’ve been having a great time reading old newspapers and hope you enjoy seeing the historic Roohan Realty connections as much as we do. Community involvement and public service have been ingrained in our business from the very beginning – a commitment that continues today. 

We will take a walk down the west side of Broadway:

• starting at the Community Theater (Roohan Realty Office) at 519 Browadway
• making our way down to Washington Street (Starbuck’s), and crossing there
• and returning down the east side of Broadway

Major fires have destroyed some of the buildings, and the rise in vibrant investments to our Broadway landscape have brought new buildings where it was not fiscally prudent to repair. Others were marvelously refurbished and renovated to current building codes. Today, we have a bustling downtown with shops, restaurants, hotels and lots of people.

In 1969, doctors, dentists, attorneys, were all in practice along Broadway, and although the latter some remain, all the doctors and dentists have moved off Broadway. The magnificent Grand Union and the United States Hotels were long gone, leaving blocks of Broadway open for new businesses. A scattered few remain in town, although their location may have changed; they are noted with *.

Cross Walton Street

Cross Church Street

Pedestrian Mall

Cross Division Street

At Washington Street – Cross Broadway
To our right towards Spring Street is:

Cross Phila Street

Cross Caroline Street

Cross Lake Avenue

Corner of Grove Street
Across the street from the Community Theater. But to continue across Grove Street in 1969, there was no City Center or Hotel:

Now at the corner of East Van Dam Street, because the Arterial (Route 50) had not been built.

To those who remember, I hope you enjoyed memory lane.

For those who do not remember, let me add a few highlights, most of the drug stores had soda fountains and there was nothing like an ice cream soda.

On Thursday nights, the stores stayed open until 9:00 PM and it was a great spot to shop or people watch (the mall had not been built yet.)

The arterial highway (Route 50) being built in 1969

The Adelphi Grill was open all night for people to grab a sandwich, and they had the best pastrami sandwiches.

Lou’s Luncheonette (Compton’s) would be open for you to grab breakfast at any time.

Glickman’s Men and Boys Shop eventually sold girl’s clothes, as did Saratoga Men’s Shop.

McGirr’s sold all the Catholic School uniforms.

Starbuck’s Department Store carried everything and had a money slide (like the ones at the drive through windows at the bank – long before the banks did).

N. Fox sold more than jewelry – they had small appliances. But more importantly, they sold records, which gave us the opportunity to have quite a collection.

The Community Theater was always a fun treat and had the best candy selection. (Side note: Roohan Realty has a good candy selection too but we’ve added a large fruit bowl for those who are more health conscious.)

Enjoy your summer!

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