Nothing I can say about this 1980s (?)-era map of Westport — sent by Jill Turner Odice, and showing the stretch of the Post Road State Street East from Playhouse Square toward the Southport line — will be as good as what readers will write in the Comments.
From still-established businesses (Organic Market! Sakura! Fortuna’s!), to legendary spots (Big Top! Boat Locker! Arnie’s Place!), on to the all-but-forgotten (Everything Personalized! Beethoven’s! Video Source!), this map evokes memories.
Click below, and let’s hear yours! (PS: Hover over or click on, to enlarge.)
(Map courtesy of Sean Byrnes)
Those were the days !!!!
Sure would be nice to hold this up against the “River of Names” to cross reference the “development” of Westport. And where exactly is the “River of Names”? Anybody seen it recently? A local historical artifact that can’t seem to find a home in it’s own home town. Come on Westport, you can do better than to hide your heritage in a storage container if in fact it (the ceramic mural) is still in existence.
John The River of Names still exists on the wall it was mounted on.
It’s just not in Westport. It’s in a temperature controled storage room in Ridgefield. It would be nice to have it put back in someplace where the public can view it.
There were friends/classmates working at Dairy Queen (as well as at Carrols and World of Wieners further west on State Street). And I believe there were some Staples kids working at Big Top too.
Do current Staples students work at any of the fast food places in town or any of the other eating establishments? Or what kinds of jobs do the current students typically do during either the school year or the summer to earn some spending money?
I posted my photo of this map awhile ago on FB group Westport- Old Photos from the Westport of our Youth in May 🙂 I found my stash of them from 1983 …A few folks thought it would make a great puzzle or that I should get them printed up and sell them. As I am not the person who created it, that would not be legal as far as copyright go…I wish somebody could come up with a contact for the folks who made it… the copyright is for RanLee Publishing. I tried finding them but the only thing I could come up with was another poster they did on E Bay. Maybe Fred Cantor or somebody happens to know more?
One funny fact was that I was working at the Selective Eye when they came by to talk to Joyce Fox the owner and she gave them her business card, they used Joyco Ltd, instead of the store name…:-)
Boccanfusco Brothers the phones numbers still work. Christy’s sons transferred them to their Bridgeport shop on Dover St.
Flower Farm, Radio Shack, Lechter’s Kitchen and Bath next to Gold’s.
The hobby shop on the corner of Sylvan and US RT 1
Golden Crest Motel US RT 1
Saab dealership
Klein’s (where I used to work) and the
Hallmark card shop Main St along with a ton of other shops.
Food for Thought at Playhouse Square
Food for Thought was on the Post rd. I think. Organic Market is in Pkayhouse square. I worked there from 1982-1989.
A friend of ours, now deceased, loved going to the store in Playhouse Square. I remember her bringing me there back then. I remember she was pleased of the new location and larger offerings.
When I was working at the bank (then Norwalk Saving Society on US RT 1 Norwalk Westport line) Food for Thought moved from Westport to (then new ’98 ’99) strip mall on US RT 1 where Golden Crest Motel used to be. You used to see old man Renzulli with his Cadillac with horns on the front with his ten gallon hat inspecting the building project.
I met the original owner of Food for Thought when she would bring the deposits and change order to the bank.
I could have sworn it was the same store and owner from Playhouse Square.
Maybe their was two markets there back in the day?
Food For Thought was run by a local family who decided it was time to sell the business. Wild Oats took over and it was quite successful. Then Whole Foods bought ALL the Wild Oats and here we are today…. Now Whole Foods is Amazon.
Who would have thought that would happen?
Ok, not quite as exciting or nostalgic as other places but Quigley Electric still lives on. My great grandfather started it (not sure what year) as Charlie’s Electric. My grandfather, George, took it over and changed the name (the 50’s I think) then in the early 80’s my dad bought it and he and my mom continued the family legacy until their retirement 7 or 8 years ago. They sold it to a guy who worked for them for many years and last I heard, Quigley Electric is still serving Westport.