"From the Desert to the Sea, to All of Southern California." - Jerry Dunphy

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Friday, September 5, 2008

Hy-Lo Drug

I found this partial newspaper ad on the back of something my Dad had cut out of the paper. Hy-Lo Drug was located in the shopping center at the southeast corner of Sherman Way and Sepulveda Blvd. Hy-Lo Drug became our destination of choice when we moved to Haskell Ave. in 1965.

As I recall the shopping center included a Food Giant Market, a Thom McAnn shoe store, an Oscar's Restaurant and Alfie's (Spelling?), a small coffee shop in between Hy-Lo and Food Giant. You could walk into Alfie's from Hy-Lo Drug. I probably ate the majority of my life time intake of French Fries there, as well as chocolate Coke's.

When we wanted a change we went to Oscar's where my Dad almost always ordered their Chili Size. Years later Oscar's went out of business and was taken over by a restaurant that featured red hamburger buns. I wish I could recall the name. It didn't last very long.

Over the years I remember a barber shop where my Dad got his haircut, as well as a Bank of America, and I think there was a bar at the end of the back section. Later Food Giant turned into Food King and a Wherehouse Record Store was built where Thom McAnn and Oscar's used to be. As far as I know the small ice cream stand is still out front near the sidewalk, and again I forget the name.

We moved away from the area in 1973 but I would still drive by and watch the changes over the years. My Dad would still drive to the Mobil Station on the Northwest corner to buy his gas from the station owner he knew. Van Nuys Demolay once had a car wash at the Shell Station at that corner, a newspaper photo which is on the Van Nuys Boomers Flickr Photo Site.

3 comments:

Portland via Japan said...

The coffee shop was spelled "Alphy's" because it was run and owned by "Alpha Beta" supermarket which at one time had operated a store there. The ice cream store was Foster's Freeze. Do you remember "Kungsholm" smorgasbord restaurant on Van Nuys Bl. south of Vanowen? And up the block was Sir George's buffet. So many memories!

Carey A, Wilson said...

Thank you for the spelling correction, I wasn't sure. And for Fosters, I am whacking my head because I knew that.

I don't recall Kungsholm, but I do recall the Ontra which was further south on Van Nuys Blvd. I do remember Sir George's and I think I have a matchbook somewhere from there. What years was Kungsholm open?

Anonymous said...

I lived on Sherman way right in between a welding shop and some apts just down the road from the Mobile station. There was a Deli called Sallys Submerines and I think a place to cut hair and a dog Groomer where my mother worked at the owners last name was Carol Rose. If I remember correctly the little ice cream place was called Tasty Freeze or maybe Frosty Freeze. I got many ice creams dipped in chocolate from there. We always shopped at the Food Giant(Food King) and at Hi low drug. Our house was a big grey one that had totem poles around the front yard. My parents were into western and indian stuff and there was a small fake town set up in the back yard where they and some others put on shows for handicap kids. Does anyone remember the house? I moved away in 74. Our last name was Silva