Nov. 17, 2007
Shopping Downtown First
Remember Glories Past, Discover Glamour New
By Tony Rutherford
Huntington News Network Writer
Huntington, WV (HNN) - No longer the premiere destination for gift shopping, most older downtowns have seen their vast array of department stores, clothing shops, shoe fitters, furniture displays, music stores and record album (remember those?) retailers, as well as their soda fountains, movie theatres, and entertainment venues go the way of the dodo bird in recent times.
As the shopping season begins, you are warmly invited to let curiosity get the best of you by wandering Third, Fourth and Fifth Avenues and 9th Street in Downtown Huntington. True, names such as J.C. Penney, Montgomery Ward, Bradshaw Diehl, Anderson Newcomb, Stone and Thomas, McCroys, H.L. Green, S.S. Kresgee, O.J. Morrison, Star Furniture, Capitol Furniture, Nassar's, and Kurzmann’s will be missing. Davidson's Records, Opus One, Sights and Sounds, National Record Mart, Nick's News, The Pied Piper, Kenney Music, Marie's Dress Shop, The Smart Shop, Dunhill’s, Foard and Harwood and Amsbury’s also will not be found, but bring along one of the older, (older than 30-something,) folks you know and let them give you a verbal tour of Huntington’s Yesteryear.
Meantime, the nostalgic reflection and visitation of the site of the "We Are Marshall" movie set will place you at or near both new and old merchants, including Bliss, George H. Wright, Wender’s and the Village Collection, as well as George’s Tailoring, Diane’s Merle Norman (and wigs) inside the historic Galleria (a.k.a. Huntington Arcade), and T.K. Dodrill jewelers.
(You will find a list of some of these stores on the left side of your HNN page.)
As you near Pullman Square, you’ll pass Funky Friends, Le Cooke Store, (where Smart Shop used to live,) the newly opened Pet Palace, the unique Downtown Depot, and C.H. Reushlein's next to its historic clock. Nearby Mack and Dave’s offers jewelry, musical instruments, music lessons, hunting gear, electronics, and appliances.
Then, in Pullman Square, you’ll find Edible Arrangements, Empire Books, Inspired, Heels, Runway Couture, and Chico’s (opening Monday, November 19th,) along the square, as well as restaurants from Max and Erma’s to Nicky D's Italian Chophouse, (also opening soon,) on the second level, and Five Guys Burgers and Fries, Uno Chicago Grill, Philly Cheesesteak, and this month Moe’s Southwest Grill returns to the down low,(seven former employees have been rehired.)
Nearby, the Marshall Hall of Fame Café, Rio Grande, Woody's Surfside Cafe, Arthur’s, Rocco’s, Quizno’s, Jim’s Spaghetti House, and another old favorite, Chili Willis, beckon.
Your final ‘destination’ could be the only theatre in 50 miles with digital projection and a 3-D showing of the updating and re-inventing of the epic English middle-ages poem, “Beowulf,” which tells of heroes, demons and dragons. The 16-screen Marquee Cinema Pullman will digitally show all of the season’s first run gifts from Hollywood, like “Fred Claus,” “Enchanted,” the “National Treasure” sequel, “The Last Man on Earth” and “The Golden Compass”, among others.
However, no one should forget the old gal on Fourth Avenue. The Keith Albee closed as a movie theatre, but reopened as a performing arts center with the partitions removed from the auditorium in time to host the “We Are Marshall” premiere.
Home now to the Huntington Symphony, Appalachian Film Festival, and Marshall Artists Series, the Artists Series has a melodious musical line up for 2008. And tickets to a live Broadway show on stage at the Keith would be cool stocking stuffers. The MAS line up includes “Movin Out,” “The Producers,” and “Hairspray,” as well as the classic “Little Women.”
Visit: http://www.marshall.edu/muartser/
Remember Glories Past, Discover Glamour New
By Tony Rutherford
Huntington News Network Writer
Huntington, WV (HNN) - No longer the premiere destination for gift shopping, most older downtowns have seen their vast array of department stores, clothing shops, shoe fitters, furniture displays, music stores and record album (remember those?) retailers, as well as their soda fountains, movie theatres, and entertainment venues go the way of the dodo bird in recent times.
As the shopping season begins, you are warmly invited to let curiosity get the best of you by wandering Third, Fourth and Fifth Avenues and 9th Street in Downtown Huntington. True, names such as J.C. Penney, Montgomery Ward, Bradshaw Diehl, Anderson Newcomb, Stone and Thomas, McCroys, H.L. Green, S.S. Kresgee, O.J. Morrison, Star Furniture, Capitol Furniture, Nassar's, and Kurzmann’s will be missing. Davidson's Records, Opus One, Sights and Sounds, National Record Mart, Nick's News, The Pied Piper, Kenney Music, Marie's Dress Shop, The Smart Shop, Dunhill’s, Foard and Harwood and Amsbury’s also will not be found, but bring along one of the older, (older than 30-something,) folks you know and let them give you a verbal tour of Huntington’s Yesteryear.
Meantime, the nostalgic reflection and visitation of the site of the "We Are Marshall" movie set will place you at or near both new and old merchants, including Bliss, George H. Wright, Wender’s and the Village Collection, as well as George’s Tailoring, Diane’s Merle Norman (and wigs) inside the historic Galleria (a.k.a. Huntington Arcade), and T.K. Dodrill jewelers.
(You will find a list of some of these stores on the left side of your HNN page.)
As you near Pullman Square, you’ll pass Funky Friends, Le Cooke Store, (where Smart Shop used to live,) the newly opened Pet Palace, the unique Downtown Depot, and C.H. Reushlein's next to its historic clock. Nearby Mack and Dave’s offers jewelry, musical instruments, music lessons, hunting gear, electronics, and appliances.
Then, in Pullman Square, you’ll find Edible Arrangements, Empire Books, Inspired, Heels, Runway Couture, and Chico’s (opening Monday, November 19th,) along the square, as well as restaurants from Max and Erma’s to Nicky D's Italian Chophouse, (also opening soon,) on the second level, and Five Guys Burgers and Fries, Uno Chicago Grill, Philly Cheesesteak, and this month Moe’s Southwest Grill returns to the down low,(seven former employees have been rehired.)
Nearby, the Marshall Hall of Fame Café, Rio Grande, Woody's Surfside Cafe, Arthur’s, Rocco’s, Quizno’s, Jim’s Spaghetti House, and another old favorite, Chili Willis, beckon.
Your final ‘destination’ could be the only theatre in 50 miles with digital projection and a 3-D showing of the updating and re-inventing of the epic English middle-ages poem, “Beowulf,” which tells of heroes, demons and dragons. The 16-screen Marquee Cinema Pullman will digitally show all of the season’s first run gifts from Hollywood, like “Fred Claus,” “Enchanted,” the “National Treasure” sequel, “The Last Man on Earth” and “The Golden Compass”, among others.
However, no one should forget the old gal on Fourth Avenue. The Keith Albee closed as a movie theatre, but reopened as a performing arts center with the partitions removed from the auditorium in time to host the “We Are Marshall” premiere.
Home now to the Huntington Symphony, Appalachian Film Festival, and Marshall Artists Series, the Artists Series has a melodious musical line up for 2008. And tickets to a live Broadway show on stage at the Keith would be cool stocking stuffers. The MAS line up includes “Movin Out,” “The Producers,” and “Hairspray,” as well as the classic “Little Women.”
Visit: http://www.marshall.edu/muartser/
