Hello, Grisinger’s Drive In Coffee Shop, a classic of the "Googie Style" designed circa 1952 by the architect, Wayne McAllister. It was a popular stop on the teenage automotive cruising circuit of its day. For the Halloween night, it was a little crazy with everyone arriving for a good time and a large teenage gathering. But from the early days in 1953, the Bixby Knolls Grissinger’s Drive-In has served as a central meeting place for all local families. Especially, as the “3 year hangout” for the current teenagers going to the local high school, Long Beach Poly HS. There were other teenagers from other high schools at times, but each Long Beach high school (5) had their own drive-in hangout for exclusivity. (High school rivalry was big time back then.) After the requisite three year span, it was time to move on to the next level and the new crop of teenagers took over as the “big guns” in the drive-in parking lot. Although the Halloween festivities were great, it wasn’t the same after 1963, as it changed hands. “In 1963, the Grissinger’s sold the drive-in to new owners who expanded and remodeled the place and dubbed it Lyman’s Coffee Shop. Shortly thereafter it was purchased by a woman named Terry, who re-named it Terry’s Coffee Shop and in 1974 made the fortuitous decision to hire as a chef a young man named George Alvarez.” An old employee’s family decided to purchase the business. They renamed it and today it is called George’s 50s Diner. There have been plenty of hot rod/custom car activity culminating with the Long Beach Historical Society’s “CHROME” event back in 2019. They even tied in a tribute to “Legends of Lion’s Dragstrip” event to commemorate the contribution of the generations of teenagers that went to Grissinger’s and Lion’s Dragstrip several miles to the West. @LBCD photos Jnaki But, for the countless hours during high school that we “lived” at Grissinger’s Drive-In after school and definitely, on the weekends, like the old saying rings true: “You can’t go home again.” It just was not the same feeling or atmosphere. So, the craving for "French Fries and Gravy" menu item will just have to be a home concoction with current flavors. It is a fun experience to drive by the current 2022 location, although for most of us old guys, the whole area has changed and the landmarks are missing, with the exception of George’s Diner. So, for the thousands of teenagers that frequented the place during high school, this memory lane is still alive. The Long Beach Historic Society’s storefront, down the block, has some displays left from their “CHROME” event several years ago. George’s 50’s Diner is located at 4390 Atlantic Avenue in Long Beach. The restaurant is one of the last remaining diners of its kind in all of California. It is still active, but the atmosphere is definitely changed. While going by at night for most of us old folks is not the primary thing as it was 60 years ago, it still is a local attraction. Filling up a “Hole in Time…”
This building was a toll booth on Plank Road (the road was originally "planks" made of logs), it was built during the mid 1800's. It is on a famous Catskill trout creek and it eventually became a early fly fishing lodge that Babe Ruth fished from.
This took me a second to register. I work about 25 miles west of the Hamlet of Trout Creek, my first thought was Catskills and Trout Creek are almost 100 miles apart, how can that cabin be in Trout Creek in Catskills? When a reread it on a trout creek in Catskill made a lot more sense!
Seen in Door County, Wisconsin last Summer. Hunting shack, or maybe a hermit’s cabin? There was a chair and bedding inside.
The Jalopy Journal
