I agree.  As I suggested to Carol, this entire dialog belongs on the Uni web site, perhaps on a separate side bar along with pertinent photos.  There is no better resource for recollections and facts regarding the time and area where we grew up.

Guy Webb

Actually Jurgenson's was the first market in the "Center" of the Palisades.  Norris Hardware was next door.  Both were wedged between the Palisades Pharmacy and the Bank of America on Sunset and Swarthmore.  Starbucks is now on that corner.  Across the street was Norma Reno's "Flying A" station, adjacent to Roco Ross's Mobil  gas station. At the corner of Via de la Paz and Sunset Blvd. Was "Cheto" Chukovich's Standard Oil station where Ron and Freddy Chuckovich and Merit Daley worked.  Merit had a way cool long forked chopper way before Dennis Hopper, Peter Fonda and "Easy Rider" were even thought about...

Diane Johnson  Nov 1 at 10:49 PM

 Mike,   Mayfair was the first Supermarket at Via de la Paz and Sunset.   Before that the first grocery store was near the "Old Drug Store" as we called it, but I don't think it was called Jurgenson's back then, not sure.  Is it still called Jurgensen's?   Remember Batson's Restaurant that was there too, it was just north of Jurgensen's before the bank…Bobbi Barton and I use to go eat there about once a month at lunchtime from Pali Elem….we thought we were soooo grown up.  Remember the  Trampoline place on the "Dirt Road" across from the car wash?  

Hugs, Diane

Judi Welch Nov 2

Who remembers the tune that the Good Humor Man Truck played.....da da da da da da da da ? Remember those great vanilla ice cream sundaes with the chocolate on top that came with the top you pulled off and the little flat wooden spoon ? I also loved our Edgemar Milk Man....he left milk in the cool bottles in a little place that opened in our kitchen wall !!  The milk had cream on top.

Who remembers that white margarine that had a yellow pill in it ?  You had to squeeze and squeeze to get the color into the margarine! Gross. My sister and I sat on the porch and squeezed and squeezed until it turned yellow.

This is a fun thread but some people want to be taken off the thread !!  Thanks !!

Judi

Nancy Backus Horton  Nov 2

Same with me. I had to sit on a stool in the kitchen with a very big spoon. Stirring this stuff until that red yellow made it all turn yellow. My mother always told me it was part of her magic, and she would turn me yellow if I screwed it up. You just gotta love Charlotte. She never missed a trick! Xon

Geri Jacobson  Nov 2

 I worked at that Newberry's at age 16.  It was my first job that was not under the table.  I worked at a restaurant across from POP before that and I was under age and paid cash. I also worked at Lerners on Third.

Michael R. Smith  Nov 2

 

Nov 3, 2015,  G M K G

Pacific Palisades: What it is. What it was. Why it’s special.

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The historic Palisades Barber Shop sometimes displays a t-shirt that reads: “If you’re rich, you live in Beverly Hills. If you’re famous, you live in Malibu. If you’re lucky, you live in Pacific Palisades.”
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Mayberry by the Sea

Most Palisadians would rather live here than anywhere else on the planet. They often greet each other with a knowing smile and the phrase “Another day in paradise.” They believe that the greatest country in the world is America, the greatest state is California, the greatest city is Los Angeles, and the absolute best place to live in LA is Pacific Palisades. The Palisades is such a wholesome haven that it’s known as “Mayberry by the Sea,” and like Mayberry, it even has such village regulars as Friendly-Pipe-Guy, who likes to wave to everyone as he smokes his pipe.
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According to Urban Dictionary, Pacific Palisades is, in their words, “The best neighborhood, free from the gridlock traffic that plagues the rest of Los Angeles. Many families, lots of the rich & famous and high performing business/community leaders. Not many apartments, and the entry-level house is $1.5 – $2.5 million. Although conservative in lifestyle, majority are rabid liberals. Strong community values with excellent participation at all age levels. Beaches are better than Santa Monica or Malibu, but there is no nightlife, town closes at 9pm sharp. Palisades Patrol is a professional, no nonsense security service that always seems to be aware of what is going on and is Johnny on the spot at any incident. Outstanding hiking and mountain biking routes.” [1]
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Name your Neighbors

Pacific Palisades gets its name from the ocean and the bluffs, and has absolutely no connection to Palisades Park in New Jersey or any other palisades-named locations. We are THE Palisades. The town is often referred to as “Pali” or “the Palisades,” and residents are known as “Palisadians.” However, they are also “Angelenos,” because the Palisades is actually a neighborhood in the city of Los Angeles, bordered on the north by Malibu, on the east by Brentwood, and on the southeast by The People’s Republic of Santa Monica.
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Religion and Politics

The Palisades has about 27,000 residents, and was once called a “Catholic ghetto” because of its vibrant Roman Catholic community, which is centered around Corpus Christi Church. Today about 36% of Palisadians are Catholics vs.19% of the entire country, according to “Best Places to Live.” [2] Other major religions are also represented, with such beautiful places of worship as Kehillat Israel Jewish Congregation, Saint Matthew’s Episcopal Church, and Self-Realization Fellowship Lake Shrine. For the non-religious, there are endless opportunities to attend “the church of the outdoors” at the beach or in the mountains, but unfortunately, there is no longer a sports bar or movie theater to feed one’s spirit. Since Steve’s/The Oak Room closed last year, the only Palisades hangouts are restaurants, and there hasn’t been a movie theater in town since the Bay Theater closed in 1978.
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As part of the city of Los Angeles, Pacific Palisades is under the jurisdiction of LA Mayor Eric Garcetti, and is represented by City Council Member Mike Bonin. (Pronounced “Bah’ nin.” Also, FYI, U.S. Speaker of the House John Boehner’s name is pronounced “Bay’ ner.”) Pacific Palisades is represented by Democratic Congressman Henry Waxman in Washington, while in Sacramento, Pali is represented by Democrat State Senator Ted Lieu and Democrat Assemblyman Richard Bloom. 51 percent of registered voters in the Palisades are Democrats, while 28 percent are Republicans, 3 percent are in other parties, and 16 percent declined to state. [3]
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The most famous politician to reside in the Palisades was Ronald Reagan, who lived with Nancy and the kids in a Palisades Riviera ranch house from the late 1950’s until he became President. He was given the home in 1957 as a thank you gift from General Electric for his success as the host of GE Theater. It was in this house that Reagan gradually changed from actor to politician, and ultimately fielded the congratulatory phone call in November 1980 from Jimmy Carter, who conceded defeat in the presidential election. The home just sold on Valentines Day of 2013 for $5.2 million to a Democrat… or maybe a Republican. The buyer chose to be anonymous.[3.5]
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The Mayor Business

Despite the fact that Pacific Palisades is part of the city of LA, the Palisades Chamber of Commerce decided six decades ago to convince different celebrities who are Pali residents to take turns as the “Honorary Mayor” of the Palisades. The first of these, in 1951, was actress Virginia Bruce. Other honorary mayors over the years have included Jerry Lewis, Walter Matthau, Adam West, Chevy Chase and Rita Moreno. The five most recent mayors have been Sugar Ray Leonard, Gavin MacLeod, Steve Guttenberg, Anthony Hopkins, and Martin Short. The newest honoree and 28th Mayor of Pacific Palisades is the Honorable Jake Steinfeld, [4] who is already being addressed on the street with “Mayor Jake!” “Hizzoner!” “Jake!” and “Can you fix this pothole?” He actually has no official authority to fix potholes, but he probably knows a guy who knows a guy who can help.
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The Village, located on both sides of Sunset Boulevard around Swarthmore, is the Palisades’ main business district. It features a farmers’ market every Sunday morning, and has an amazing selection of great restaurants, shops and realtors. Other wonderful eateries and stores can be discovered throughout the Palisades, from the beaches to the Highlands to the borders of each neighboring town. There is no reason to ever leave Pacific Palisades to shop or eat, and many local businesses are listed in the Chamber of Commerce directory. [5]
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Palisades neighborhoods include the Alphabet Streets, Huntington Palisades, the Riviera, Marquez Knolls, Palisades Highlands, Rustic Canyon, the El Medio Bluffs, and Castellammare. According to the LA Times, the median income in Pacific Palisades is $168,000, the median age is 43, and the population is 88% white. [6]
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In the Beginning

Long before the white man came to the west side to build McMansions, Native American Chumash and Gabrielino people occupied the southern California coast. [7] Explorers and Hispanic settlers moved in next, but Wikipedia’s short strange history of the Palisades begins in 1911, so that’s where we’ll focus. Their following entry cites references and is in sync with other online sources:

“In 1911, film director Thomas Ince created his Western film factory, ‘Inceville,’ which at its peak employed nearly 600 people. A decade later, the Rev. Charles H. Scott and the Southern California Methodist Episcopal Church bought the land; in 1922, Scott founded Pacific Palisades, envisioning an elaborate religious-intellectual commune. [8]  Believers snapped up choice lots and lived in tents during construction. By 1925, the Palisades had 100 homes. In one subdivision, streets were named for Methodist missionaries. The tents eventually were replaced by cabins, then by bungalows, and ultimately by multimillion-dollar homes.

During their exile from Nazi Germany in the 1930s and 40s, many German and Austrian intellectuals and artists settled in Pacific Palisades, including Thomas Mann, [9]  Lion Feuchtwanger, Vicki Baum, Oskar Homolka and Emil Ludwig.[10]
Villa Aurora on Paseo Miramar, the Spanish colonial home of Feuchtwanger and his wife, Marta, became the focal point of the expatriate community, which was nicknamed “Weimar by the Sea”. [11] For many decades there was a virtual ban on drinking alcohol in the district, and a Chinese restaurant, House of Lee, held the only liquor license. The Presbyterian Church originally owned a conference center in Temescal Canyon before it was sold to become Temescal Gateway Park.”
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Singing its Praises

Pacific Palisades has world-class hiking trails and spectacular beaches. Temescal Gateway Park merges into the 240 square mile Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, a National Park Service unit with over 500 miles of trails. [12]  Will Rogers Beach and Topanga Beach are the ideal California sun spots, part of the Palisades surf scene that gained global recognition through the Beach Boys’ hit song, Surfin’ USA. Here are that song’s best lyrics. Feel free to sing along:
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Haggerty’s and Swami’s
Pacific Palisades
San Onofre and Sunset
Redondo Beach L. A.
All over La Jolla
At Wa’imea Bay.
Everybody’s gone surfin’
Surfin’ U.S.A.
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Three legendary local institutions that spread Pali pride are Palisades Charter High School, a.k.a. “Pali High,” the Palisadian-Post, and Pacific Palisades Chamber of Commerce. The Post was launched in 1928, the Chamber started in 1949, and Pali High was built in 1961. All three organizations contribute to an extraordinary community spirit, which may be most evident in sporting events and holiday celebrations. Every 4th of July, the chamber sponsors events which include competitive running races, one of America’s best Independence Day parades, and a concert and fireworks show at Pali High’s football field. All the festivities are captured by the Post’s excellent writers and photographers.
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Pacific Palisades has been such a special place for so many people throughout its history that current residents are now coming together to protect its future. There are a variety of issues, but the biggest priorities are to support local businesses and preserve the small town atmosphere, as 2.7 acres of the Village around Swarthmore and Sunset are redeveloped. Together, Palisadians will exceed their goals. The Palisades abides.

Todd Turnham  Nov 3

 Guy great article, Mr. Swingler a science teacher at Revere said every time we hit the button to watch our toes wiggle in the Sears X-ray machine we got almost a one third of a lifetime of Rads or radiation in our gonads! It was very harmful! One correction Colvey's men's store was Don Colvey's uncle. Don's dad had Colvey's Mobil station at sunset and Marquez.

Todd.

Michael R. Smith  Nov 3

Good article. Does anyone besides me remember the Fiesta Days?

Todd Turnham  Nov 4

Diane Johnson – Nov 5

I worked at "The Teen Shop" on Swarthmore across from 31 flavors, Woodbury's Dime Store on Sunset ( I remember when it was Easter and time to put the Easter candy out they brought out the old candy from the year before and we had to put that out first and none of the new candy till the old was sold, I thought that was horrid), Neenie's at the Beach for many summers and the Criterion Theatre in Santa Monica in those God awful uniforms.  I would have loved to have worked at Knight and Wells Stationary, I loved that store.

Hugs, Diane

Nov 3  G M K G

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