Let’s Try Some More Park Cities Trivia

Anyone game for a little more brain scratching on Park Cities minutiae?

  1. Was there ever an ice skating rink on Mockingbird?
  2. What was the name of the dime store in HP Village and where was it located?
  3. What was Toy World?
  4. Who were the Kingsbury sisters?
  5. Where were there Kip’s located?

Bonus Non-Parkie question: Where was Rudy Gernreich’s infamous “topless swimsuit” put on display and sold?

Sorry, once again no prizes, but you’ll be proud to say that you remember.

By Jeanne Prejean Mar. 2, 2011 | 11:28 am | 22 Comments | Comments RSS
22 comments to "Let's Try Some More Park Cities Trivia"
  1. hpparent @ March 2, 2011 at 11:36 am
    2. Skillerns was where Stephanie Anne’s is now – is that the dime store?
    3. The greatest toy store ever! On Preston – maybe where DeBoulle is?
    5. Northwest Hwy/Hillcrest – my parents told me I had to sit in Big Boy’s lap and give him a kiss before I could be served. I believed it until I was 10.

  2. preston hollow mom @ March 2, 2011 at 1:17 pm
    1. Love Field had an ice rink at one time
    2. M.E. Moses….where learning express, cvs, etc. are today

  3. expat @ March 2, 2011 at 1:46 pm
    Toy World was where DeBoulle is now. Loved that place!!
    Kips was at corner of NWHwy/Hillcrest. Great breakfast back in the day….
    Can’t recall a dime store in HPV, only the great M E Moses in Snider Plaza!

  4. mako @ March 2, 2011 at 2:23 pm
    1. Love Field. During a cub scout outing, got ambushed by an older teenager. Fell head first into boards. Still got the bump on my head.
    2. Called 5 & 10 (Five and Dime, located either the bookstore or a jeweler is now. Close Cafe Pacific.
    3. DeBoulle
    4. Zilch
    5. NW corner of Hillcrest and NW Hwy. Later became EZ something another restaurant.

  5. XT @ March 2, 2011 at 4:16 pm
    4. Kingsbury Sisters ran Highland Park Dance/ Ballet. One of them was a “victim” of Pat(?) Russell, who leached off of older women

  6. nostalgic parkie @ March 2, 2011 at 4:39 pm
    2. The dime store was called Motts Five and Dime They had everything you could ever need!
    3. Toy World had the greatest birthday presents! They always did gift wrap and put a ribbon on the package with “Toy World’ embossed on it.

    Also, there was a good drugstore that used to be across the street from the Park Cities YMCA – they sold the Mad Comics cards that kids collected back in the day.

    And how about a shoutout for the late, great Las Vaqueros, which used to be where Mi Cocina is now. Local kids could sit for hours and drink bottomless glasses of Dr. Pepper and eat bowls of chips & salsa before riding their bikes back home. Aashh, those were the days!

  7. ramsey @ March 2, 2011 at 4:48 pm
    There was also a Kip’s at the corner of Mockingbird and Greenville. it was THE place to go eat with your date after seeing a movie (usually downtown) for those of us who lived on the poor side of town, i.e. Pleasant Grove.

  8. Jeanne Prejean @ March 2, 2011 at 5:50 pm
    Oh, you’re all so close. Try these answers:
    1. Believe it or not there was a little ice rink in the strip center at Mockingbird and Central where the bookstore is now.
    2.Back in the 50′s, the dime store was called Worthington’s and owned by a local family. It was where today stands Harry Winston, Noble Boutique and Tory Burch.
    3. Toy World was located where deBoulle is today. It was every kid’s idea of paradise.
    4.Gladys and Helen Kingsbury were two sisters who ran the ballet/tap dance studio that was where Carolina Herrera is today.
    5.There were three Kip’s. One at Northwest Hwy. and Hillcrest; another at Mockingbird and Greenville; and one in NorthPark where Corner Bakery is now.
    Bonus: It was the Orchid Shop on Oak Lawn across from the Melrose Hotel. Many a car wreck nearly took place when the mannequin in a topless black swimsuit was displayed.

  9. Topham Beauclerk @ March 2, 2011 at 7:10 pm
    That great drug store across Preston from the Y was Fry’s. Like Skillern’s in HPV, it had a lunch/soda counter with stools. HP Pharmacy still has what was once a common feature in drug stores (but I guess it’s no longer really a drug store).

  10. Jenni @ March 2, 2011 at 9:32 pm
    So it looks like all the answers have been covered. Except in my mind I thought the dime store in the Village (where Tory Burch is now) was called Hall’s. Anyone have thoughts on that? Would have been in the late 70′s….

  11. Jeanne Prejean @ March 3, 2011 at 12:38 am
    @Jenni: I’ve just posted answers that I know. There may be some additional information that others have.

    The dime store seems to be the biggest question. Anyone remember if it was Halls, Motts and/or Worthington’s?

    Does anyone remember the hot fudge sundaes at Kip’s?

  12. Crayola @ March 3, 2011 at 7:56 am
    There was also a Kip’s at Lemmon and Inwood — my husband went to TJ and that was where those north dallasites went.

  13. Crayola @ March 3, 2011 at 7:57 am
    Don’t remember Kip’s hot fudge sundaes but sure do remember their french toast — it was DEEP FRIED.

  14. mrsz1ppy @ March 3, 2011 at 8:39 am
    My memory of the HPV dime store is Hall’s Variety. That was in the 70′s. We lived in Greenway Parks until 1970, and would walk to Davenport’s on the backside of Inwood Village. It also was a 5 & Dime store.

  15. mrsz1ppy @ March 3, 2011 at 8:42 am
    And the rumor was that the Orchid Shop was where mistresses shopped! It was right around the corner from the best Mexican food in town, Spanish Village! Wayne, the owner, would paint the last name of the regulars on the chairs.

  16. HPMom @ March 3, 2011 at 9:04 am
    Hall’s Variety in HPV.

  17. joeat @ March 3, 2011 at 10:46 am
    Before Fry’s, that drugstore at Preston and Normandy was Country Club Pharmacy owned by irascible Mr. Hudgins. The dime store in HPV was Worthington’s before it was Hall’s. (I don’t think it was ever Moses, that was Snyder Plaza). I think the Kip’s at Lemmon and Inwood was the first in Dallas.

  18. Julie Ann O'Connell @ March 3, 2011 at 6:01 pm
    The dime store in the Village in the 1940′s was
    Cowan’s ( or Cowans)

  19. Jeanne Prejean @ March 3, 2011 at 7:15 pm
    Yipes! Between joeat and Julie Ann O’Connell, this is becoming an educational post.

    Keep the info coming. We’re better for knowing our community.

    Cowan’s . . . really? Wow! You’re really good.

  20. joeat @ March 4, 2011 at 10:02 am
    @Julie Ann, You are correct, I had totally forgotten but well remember now. Thanks!

  21. Martha @ March 4, 2011 at 2:27 pm
    The Dime Store was Hall’s Variety Store, and I worked there from age 15 – 17

  22. Mitch Stokely @ February 1, 2012 at 12:22 am
    We lived on Potomac Street in the 1960′s and 70′s and as a kid I spent a lot of days in the old Highland park Village before Miller took it over. Lots of old shops that are long gone, including Skillerns and “Halls 5 and 10 cent” store. Thats what the sign said. I have fond memories of the Dime Store and then it was called Halls. By the late 70′s it and many of the old stores were forced out I read. It was fun because when you walked in they had this elevator music playing, and these little old ladies behind the counter. Lots of little toys and spools of thread and cheap stuff on metal shelves. On halloween we used to go buy all our halloween masks there after school at Bradfield. Great memories….so sad its all long gone

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