What Hasn’t Changed in Burbank
By Pam Zipfel Kirkwood
(From the July 2007 Senior Bulldogs News)
Last month
we reminisced about some of the things that are no longer in Burbank. Thanks to
Pam Zipfel Kirkwood '64 here are a lot of things that are still here.
All of the
Elementary Schools still remain on their original sites, except for Franklin
Elementary and Lincoln Elementary (they are gone).
On the old
Lincoln School site, is the New Buena Vista Branch Library. The Elementary Schools
are from K-5th grades. Mingay is now the Adult Ed. Center, Monterey is a
Continuation High School, Horace Mann is a Child Care Center. Luther Burbank,
Jordan and John Muir are still there, but are now "Middle Schools"
with grades 6-8, instead of Junior Highs with grades 7-9.
John
Burroughs and Burbank High now have grades 9-12. All the campuses have been
remodeled and updated. St. Roberts, Bellermine Jefferson, St. Finbar's and
Providence High School still remain as well. Providence is now co-ed and Villa
Cabrini, once a Catholic boarding school is now Woodbury College, and they are
adding a large addition.
All of the
main parks you remember still exist... Olive Park and Recreation Center,
Verdugo Park and Pool, McCambridge Park and Pool, Brace Park, Buena Vista Park (now
Johnny Carson Park), Vickroy Park, Mountain View and many more including Stough
Park.
You will
still see the same old "Spanish Style" Post Office on Olive Ave, the
main Burbank Water and Power Building, the fountain in front of the Water and
Power satellite building on Hollywood Way, The Central Library on Olive and
Glenoaks, St. Joseph's Hospital (now Providence/St. Joseph's Medical Center) on
Buena Vista and Alameda, The Burbank Airport on Hollywood Way (now Bob Hope
Airport) and the Aviator’s Dome at Valhalla Cemetery.
You will
still find that many of the churches that were scattered around Burbank
continue to welcome congregations... Emmanuel on Fifth and Harvard, First
United Methodist on Glenoaks and Harvard, First Presbyterian on Olive, the
Mormon Church on Sunset Canyon, St. Robert Bellermine on Olive, St. Francis on
Scott Rd., St. Finbar on Olive, Village Christian on Victory and California
St., Little White Chapel on Avon and Jeffries, Valley Baptist on Alameda and
Westminister Presbyterian on Buena Vista (to name a few).
You can
still get a great Big Boy Burger and fries at Bob's Big Boy on Riverside Dr.,
or if you prefer a hot dog, The Hot Dog Show is still on the corner, across
from Bob's on Riverside. The Smoke House (established in 1946) is still serving
up that yummy garlic cheese bread, and visiting Frank's Steakhouse and Coffee
Shop on Olive Ave. is like stepping back into the 50's and 60's.
Santoro's
Subs on Burbank Blvd., is celebrating their 50th Anniversary this year and
darned, if you can't still get a yummy chocolate "soft serve" at the
virtually "unchanged" Foster Freeze on Angeleno and Glenoaks.
Right across
the street from Foster Freeze is Donna's florist. There is Burbank Florist,
still on Olive Ave. for 54 years, now.
The Hobby
Lobby remains on Victory and Hollywood Way, Boormann Steel is still on Olive
and Lake and there is J. Scott Drugs and Cricket West on Irving and Glenoaks. You
can still find Gilbert's Cleaners on Glenoaks, Handy Mart on Magnolia, Otto's
Neighborhood Meat Market and Deli on Clark St., Tony's Meat Market on Glenoaks,
the little neighborhood Hillside Deli on the corner of Sixth St. and San Jose
and you can stop by and get a tea cake at Martino's Bakery, now located in he
old Pepo's Florist Shop location on Victory Blvd. and Magnolia Blvd.
For fun, you
can bowl at Pickwick Bowl or ice skate at the Pickwick Ice Rink. There are
several of the "riding stables" still operating on or just off of
Riverside Drive, too.
Mickey Mouse
is still alive and well at Disney Studios on Alameda and Buena Vista, as are
all the "Looney Tune" characters who continue to reside at the Warner
Brothers Studios on Olive Ave. We have probably left out dozens of our
"OLD HAUNTS" from yesteryear that are still a big part of Burbank
today... but at least you have an idea of what part of the BURBANK you used to
know that is still here, should you ever want to come home again to visit.