When the park first opened, West Center Street didn’t have much going on there. This 1956 photo shows an adorable mom and son combo, most likely either about to use the restroom or already finished doing their biz. Photo #2 is from October 1959 and shows the same area, filled with artificial flowers, fruit, and vegetables. Need a centerpiece for you big Thanksgiving dinner? Step on over to West Center Street, Ladies, and find everything that you need at the Main Street Flower Market.
This November 1960 shows the same area:
I believe the Flower Market was removed in 1977; this shot shows it from March 1975, 2 years before the change.
Flash-forward to now, and the flowers have been replaced by The Carnatian Cafe, a very popular spot to eat breakfast or grab lunch/dinner while watching the parades go by.
See more vintage Disneyland West Center Street photos on my West Center Street/Flower Market web page.
In the scene in the first photo, the Guests could actually find the restrooms! The Flower Market did move across the street in 1977 as the Carnation seating expanded, and Disneyland rather abruptly laid off the portrait artists who worked on the other side of the street. I'll have a post on this--sometime!
ReplyDeleteWest Center Street was definitely photographed a lot more than the East version. In your first photo you can see that one of the upstairs windows is for a gym... I believe that the name on the sign was Christopher D. Miller, Walt's grandson.
ReplyDeleteI liked Center St. when it was actually a street with a curb...before it was filled in and leveled off. I guess it needed to be done considering the amount of people walking up and down those sidewalks every day. Didn't WDW actually eliminate one entire side of their Center St. by extending the buildings on either side into that space? In Tokyo, Center St. is not a dead end. If you go down West Center St., it will take you into Adventureland and East Center St. will take you into Tomorrowland. I've posted a photo of it in the past at:
ReplyDeletehttp://tinyurl.com/CenterSt
Tokyomagic - thanks for the pics of Tokyo. Having Main Street open up like that really breaks the wall for me.
ReplyDeleteMajor: Although the windows have been switched, there is still a window for Christopher Miller on West Center Street:
http://davelandweb.com/mainstreet/images/westside/DSC_5237.jpg
Progressland - good to hear from you. Where the heck have you been?
So why did they switch the men's and ladies' rooms?
ReplyDeleteScott - That seems like a question for Jason @ Progressland!
ReplyDeleteWorst move ever was to kick out the original Carnation Ice Cream Parlor which had expanded out into the street in the mid 70's...
ReplyDeleteOur family used to share a Matterhorn Sundae while we watched the Light Parade pass by...
And I can remember sitting at the counter and having a real hot fudge sundae served in a silver(?) cup that tasted as good as it looked!
Walter - Something about the Gibson Girl Ice Cream Parlour just doesn't work for me as far as being "Main Street"; part of it is the menu and the other part is because I think they should have a Soda Fountain style setup. On the plus side, I do enjoy the Carnation Cafe Chicken Pot Pie!
ReplyDeleteThere is what looks like a Bell Telephone sign in the right rear corner of West Center Street in the pics from the 50's and 60's. It is missing in the 70's. Was there a pay phone back there and if so, does anyone know when/why it was removed? Great pics as always, thanks.
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