Driving by the old commercial locations I used to frequent as a child, I stopped at the McDonald's that I first remember; right next to a car wash that must have been there since 1972 or before- that's my guess.
The car wash is being closed temporarily, and unlike restaurants who do that and might not reopen- it does seem like they're keeping the old "charm" but updating the facilities. I remember that location well; with those two businesses in front of the Super Slide, which in my memory was stories high. Behind all that was Pantry Pride, which was probably my first or second aware-of grocery. Winn-Dixie has always been there- and maybe Publix- in the recesses of my memory- but maybe not Publix- not sure.
And wasn't there a K Mart before it became a K Mart? Was it a Fields or a Kresgee or something like that?
I wish I could just ask someone who knows that neighborhood instead of googling it.
And then of course there is the neighborhood itself.
It is called Westgate. And for some reason that didn't used to be a nice name. But I have nothing but good memories there- except the one time somebody tripped me on purpose- and maybe two or three times someone was mean, and quickly corrected: there wasn't anything protracted like I remember in 7th grade or later.
Lots of the streets are Indian names and I remember playing Tonto on the Florida Holly tree in the front yard where today there doesn't seem room for all that imagination.
I was right next to Seminole and Osceola and other similarly named streets- but didn't make the connection, having moved away by that time- to my FSU application and matriculation.
But there I was, seminoling it up at age 8 and again at 17.
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