Originally Posted by
dvs
This is the city; Indianapolis , Indiana . The year is 1963.
-McDonalds hamburger, fries, and large Coke: 45 cents.
-Burger Chef; cheeseburger, fries, and a large Coke; 50 cents. (The Big Chef would not appear until 1966.)
-A Big Chief, onion rings, and a Chocolate Coke at the TeePee drive-in; $1.20. (Frisch's Big Boy platter and a drink were $1.35.)
-A gallon of City Service Ethyl was 26 cents.
-Pack of Lucky Strikes cost 20 cents. (25 cents out of a cigarette machine).
-Movies at a downtown theater (Circle, Lyric, Lowes , Indiana , or Keith) 50 cents (before 6 PM ).
-City bus fare was 20 cents. (2 cents more for a transfer).
-Monthly phone bill: $4.95 (average). "Information" was free.
-P. O. P. (Pay One Price) all day rides at Riverside Amusement Park ; $1.00.
-A day of swimming at Longacre Pool; 35 cents. (But you could go to the Garfield Park pool for 15 cents.)
-Pay telephones( Indiana Bell ) were black and "boxey" in brown booths(ashtray equipped) with cushioned seats and sliding glass doors.
-A call would cost you 10 cents, but a call to the operator or Information would send your dime clanging back into the coin return.
-Copy of The Indianapolis Times newspaper; 7 cents.
-Half gallon of milk; 25 cents.
-Bouncin' Bill Baker was spinning the platters on WIBC. The "Emperor" and Jackson "Q" Sundae and Jay Reynolds were three of the WIFE Good Guys.
-Selwin was hosting the Saturday afternoon Tarzan mo vies on WISH-TV Ch. 8
-Sammy Terry was giving us all "pleasant nightmares" on WTTV, Channel 4.
-Wilhelmina followed Sammy with an even worse movie!
-Happy Herb brought us Popeye cartoons from the "poop deck" studio prop at Ch. 4. (Cowboy Bob was still in college; Janie was a Ch . 4 "intern.")
-David Letterman was a student at Broad Ripple High School .
-Jane Pauley was a student at Warren Central.
-Harlow Hickenlooper and Curley Meyers kept us laughing with the 3 Stooges on Saturday mornings ( Ch. 6, at 9:00)
-Dick Summers hosted the Teen Dance Party on Ch. 8.
-You could do the twist at Fox's Skating Rink, or at The Whiteland Barn.
-Herman Hoglebogle was fixing problems for readers of The Indianapolis News. (Herman was created by Tom Johnson, a graduate of Broad Ripple High School, 1951)
-The Hinkle Fieldhouse, the State Fair Coliseum, and Clowes Hall were the Biggest, the best, and considered "state of the art".
-Debbie Drake was leading the morning exercises on Ch. 8. Jack Lalane was doing the same on Ch. 6.
-Frances Farmer hosted the Channel 6 late afternoon movie on WFBM TV (6)
-Ruth Lyons 50 / 50 Club took up 2 hours from 12 Noon to 2:00 pm on WLW-I Ch. 13.
-There were no Country music radio stations in town. There were many German language radio programs but no Spanish language stations.
-FM was strictly for classical or "show tunes."
-WGEE, 1590 AM played music for "Colored" listeners.
-You could live in Marion County but not be a resident of the city of Indianapolis .
- 38th Street was the line between the "haves" (North) and the "have nots" (South).
- Greenwood was considered to be a "hick" town.
-Castleton was a gas station.
-Fishers was a train depot.
- Carmel was a truck stop on Rt. 31.
- Avon was a red flashing stop signal along Rt. 36.
-Eagle Creek was just THAT!
-The "max" was dinner at the King Cole Restaurant , and a show at the Embers on the North Meridian "strip" of upscale night life.
-"Dream proms" were held at the Indiana Roof, and dinner at the Key West Shrimp House or at Brody's".(21st & Arlington )
Greyhound and Trailways buses came and went from the Traction Terminal (old Interurban) shed on W. Market St ..
-You could catch a train to Chicago about once every hour at Union Station. ($12.00 round trip)
-You could fly out on a TWA "jet" airliner at " Weir Cook Municipal Airport ."
-You got your prescriptions filled at Hooks, Haags, or Rexall drug stores.
-You got groceries at Kroger, Standard, or Marsh supermarkets. (or at Porky Lane ).
-Interstate 465 was a short 4 lane "highway" that served only to connect you to the "big" State and National Routes.
-No cable; No Internet; No wireless; No self-serve; No drive-thrus; No ATM's.
-and there was a Novi on the front row...........
Times sure have changed in forty four short years!
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