The Age of the Downtown Department Store

[Mike D]

Great article, and yes, I too fondly remember downtown when it was alive with people in the mid to late 1960s.  I remember going with my dad to buy my first suit...we went to Penney's.  Hey, that was high end as far as I was concerned.  In high school, you wanted to go to Levy's or Rosenblum's for weejuns, Gold Cup socks, Gant shirts, etc.  May-Cohens had a great book department along with everything else and I remember feeling like you could just keep going higher and higher on the escalators. It seemed like there were more floors than there really were if that makes sense! Everything downtown seemed big.  The Morrison's cafeteria had two serving lines, not a measly single line like their location at Southgate Plaza on Beach Boulevard...the counter at Woolworth's seemed to go on forever. And, as several people have already mentioned, walking into the "new" Sears was always a sensory experience as you were hit by the aromas from the candy/nuts/popcorn section that was right by the entrance.  Finally, at one point during that period they had the traffic lights next to Cohen's rigged so that there was a pedestrians-only crossing time...the signal would turn red for all drivers, and you were allowed to not only cross the street in the usual manner, but you could also walk cross-ways through the center of the interesection.  Think of an "X" pattern and you'll see what I'm trying to describe.  That's how busy the sidewalks were on a Saturday.  Does anyone else remember that?

[avonjax]

 OK here goes. First the disclaimer. This window was done before PC Correctness and I am not misogynistic.

It was in 1983 and animal print swimwear was the look for summer.
Downtown Ivey's was about a year from closing so I worked alone and had a small budget. All the stores in Florida and the Carolinas did animal print swimwear on their main display areas and in the windows of applicable store. As far as I can remember there were only 3 Downtown locations. Charlotte, Orlando and Jacksonville. (DT Orlando had already closed.)
Anyway, I was allowed to do whatever I wanted in the window as long as it was animal print swimwear.
I had about 5 female mannequins in swimwear in the window. I used rope and bamboo as props. The main attraction in the middle of the window was a bamboo and rope cage. In the cage was a male mannequin sitting on a rope wrapped stool. Since safari was a big look for men and women around this time I had him dressed in safari shorts and jacket. Epaulets, belted waist, lace up boots and pith helmet.
This is where it gets dicey. Balanced on his shoulder was a female mannequin. She was in a sitting pose. Her wrists were crossed and her feet were close together. In my display her wrists and ankles were wrapped and tied with rope. Of course in my mind this was innocent and fun. He was a big game hunter and she was his catch.
My peers and my boss thought it was clever and creative.
But the card cutter didn't agree. But instead of being offended by the demeaning treatment of a woman, she was upset at the image of sexual bondage.
Go figure.

[avonjax]

Great article, and yes, I too fondly remember downtown when it was alive with people in the mid to late 1960s.  I remember going with my dad to buy my first suit...we went to Penney's.  Hey, that was high end as far as I was concerned.  In high school, you wanted to go to Levy's or Rosenblum's for weejuns, Gold Cup socks, Gant shirts, etc.  May-Cohens had a great book department along with everything else and I remember feeling like you could just keep going higher and higher on the escalators. It seemed like there were more floors than there really were if that makes sense! Everything downtown seemed big.  The Morrison's cafeteria had two serving lines, not a measly single line like their location at Southgate Plaza on Beach Boulevard...the counter at Woolworth's seemed to go on forever. And, as several people have already mentioned, walking into the "new" Sears was always a sensory experience as you were hit by the aromas from the candy/nuts/popcorn section that was right by the entrance.  Finally, at one point during that period they had the traffic lights next to Cohen's rigged so that there was a pedestrians-only crossing time...the signal would turn red for all drivers, and you were allowed to not only cross the street in the usual manner, but you could also walk cross-ways through the center of the interesection.  Think of an "X" pattern and you'll see what I'm trying to describe.  That's how busy the sidewalks were on a Saturday.  Does anyone else remember that?

I remember crossing that way many times.

[Timkin]

OK here goes. First the disclaimer. This window was done before PC Correctness and I am not misogynistic.

It was in 1983 and animal print swimwear was the look for summer.
Downtown Ivey's was about a year from closing so I worked alone and had a small budget. All the stores in Florida and the Carolinas did animal print swimwear on their main display areas and in the windows of applicable store. As far as I can remember there were only 3 Downtown locations. Charlotte, Orlando and Jacksonville. (DT Orlando had already closed.)
Anyway, I was allowed to do whatever I wanted in the window as long as it was animal print swimwear.
I had about 5 female mannequins in swimwear in the window. I used rope and bamboo as props. The main attraction in the middle of the window was a bamboo and rope cage. In the cage was a male mannequin sitting on a rope wrapped stool. Since safari was a big look for men and women around this time I had him dressed in safari shorts and jacket. Epaulets, belted waist, lace up boots and pith helmet.
This is where it gets dicey. Balanced on his shoulder was a female mannequin. She was in a sitting pose. Her wrists were crossed and her feet were close together. In my display her wrists and ankles were wrapped and tied with rope. Of course in my mind this was innocent and fun. He was a big game hunter and she was his catch.
My peers and my boss thought it was clever and creative.
But the card cutter didn't agree. But instead of being offended by the demeaning treatment of a woman, she was upset at the image of sexual bondage.
Go figure.

You GO GIRL!! . Love the story... sorry the Starchy drawers lady got her panties in a wad over it.  O well.

[BackinJax05]

Thanks for posting, and thank GOD I was able to experience most of these stores before they closed.

SEARS: My sister & I went to see Santa Claus there when I was in 2nd grade. The "Santa" claimed to be the REAL Santa Claus!! (as opposed to his many helpers) We felt special he decided to visit Jacksonville that year.

A year or so later mom took me there to get my Cub Scout uniform.

MAY COHENS: Downtown store had the best mens department of all MC stores. Bought several shirts there, and a Members Only jacket there in 1986. (They were still cool then)

WOOLWORTHS: Not mentioned in the article, but bought lots of stuff there.

It was sad to see them all go. Equally sad is the picture of JCPenney and Woolworth with the Robert Meyer behind them. All gone. Sears closed in 81. The building was torn down in spring of 83. I remember because I was on Spring Break in 9th grade. I went downtown that week and watched the wrecking ball bring it down. It was sad to see, but there was a bit of happiness:

Ive always been terrified of escalators. During demolition the wrecking ball dropped, smashing one of Sears' old escalators in two! Standing on Bay Street I clapped and shouted YES!! (If they could have saved the building and only smashed the escalators)

[sandyshoes]

Yes!!!  Mom got my Girl Scout uniform from Sear's downtown, I think that was the only place that carried scout uniforms back then.    Thanks for bringing back that memory.  And they still make Annaclairs - I got them at a friend's gift shop a couple of years ago, so they must be online, too. 

[BackinJax05]

^^ I think you're right. Now that I think of it, mom got my sister's GS uniform there also. Dont know about Girl Scouts, but with Cub Scouts Sears sold the basic uniform only. (OFFICIAL SHIRT*, pants, cap, neck thing, and neck thing clip) All patches and other flair had to be earned or picked up at the North Florida Council office in Riverside. Living in Arlington, that was a pain in the butt.

Getting back on topic, the downtown May Cohens also had a very good restaurant on the 1st floor. Ate there several times while shopping.

*The tag on my Cub Scout shirt read: OFFICIAL SHIRT, in bold print, all caps. Guess they wanted it to be official.

[thelakelander]

And they still make Annaclairs - I got them at a friend's gift shop a couple of years ago, so they must be online, too. 

What do you remember about the Annaclairs and white chocolate-dipped strawberries made at May Cohens?

[vintagejax]

I'm not old enough to remember a lot of the big stores, but my mom worked at May Cohens, Iveys, and Levys.  I can remember going to Woolworths and poking the turtles.  I remember the huge sale when Woolworth closed, I think my parents bought half the store. 

The juice bar was always my favorite place in downtown.  My dad would stop three times a week and get me a jumbo coconut milk, and the nice old man that owned the place would give me a chunk of coconut to chew on.  I really miss that place. 

There's also Lu's Chinese Restaurant.  I have no clue what the real business name was, but we just called her Lu.  I had so many early birthday dinners in the back room of that place.  Walking through the kitchen to get to the big room in the back and Lu always sneaking my sister and I small boxes of rice candy on the way out. 

I have no clue where either of these places were located.  Lu gave her daughter the restaurant in the late 80's and it was turned into Chinese fast food.  The juice bar closed after the Landing opened.  I remember my dad was friends with the owner and they would talk about the pressure being put on businesses to relocate to the Landing. 

If anyone can remember names of these places or locations, so I feel less crazy when I talk about them, that would be fantastic.

[Debbie Thompson]

I think the juice bar was in several locations over the years, but I seem to recall it on Laura somewhere between Forsyth and Hemming Plaza in 1971.  That's a 40 year old memory, though.  The location could be faulty.  Not the yummy juice though.  LOL

Does anyone else remember that restaurant in the Shultz Building?  There were no signs on the street. You took the elevator up and opened a door that looked line any of the other offices on that floor, but there was a restaurant there. I don't even know what it was called. I just remember eating there. 

Oh, and the roast beef sandwiches with horseradish in the downstairs bar at the Robert Meyer?  Yummy.

Now I'm really going to date myself. I also remember the Roosevelt Hotel and/or George Washington Hotel had an elevator with a brass accordian door on each floor.  It was polished until it shone.  An elevator operator sat on a little stool.  I seem to recall several of the wonderful (now demolished) buildings/stores/hotels downtown still had elevator operators in the 1960's.

[BackinJax05]

^^ If I remember correctly, one of the locations for the juice bar was in the Heard National Bank building on the SW corner of Laura & Forsyth. It was demolished & Helmut's pencil is there now.

It was called Hawthorne's, I think.

As for elevator operators, there was also one at the Marshall Taylor Doctors Building in the Baptist Memorial Hospital complex. (Today its Baptist Medical Center. The Marshall Taylor building was razed in the early 80s to make way for the Baptist Pavilion)

Never ate at the Robert Meyer, but I still say that building would have been excellent for condominiums. It had everything!

[Timkin]

I'm not old enough to remember a lot of the big stores, but my mom worked at May Cohens\

My Grandmother , also worked at Cohens when it was still Cohen Brothers .   I have no memory of the Store but do remember Iveys, Woolworths, Penneys, and Sears very well. 

What Downtown would be like if only these places had survived.

[BackinJax05]

I'm not old enough to remember a lot of the big stores, but my mom worked at May Cohens\

My Grandmother , also worked at Cohens when it was still Cohen Brothers .   I have no memory of the Store but do remember Iveys, Woolworths, Penneys, and Sears very well. 

What Downtown would be like if only these places had survived.

Yes! And if the Robert Meyer had survived (either as a hotel or condominiums) guests/residents would be within walking distance of great shopping. Sears would be a bit of a walk, but it'd still be faster than driving.

[Garden guy]

I spent some of my younger years as a maycohen model and spent many a hot afternoon covered in make up standing in the window on the square...fun days and less crows feet...those were the days.

[Timkin]

I spent some of my younger years as a maycohen model and spent many a hot afternoon covered in make up standing in the window on the square...fun days and less crows feet...those were the days.

^ haha pretty cool, Garden Guy.