Saturday, June 25, 2005
Mayo Meadow Shopping
21st and South Yale
Update: December 20th, 2005. KOTV's Steve Berg just called to get permission to use some of the nightshots of the Mayo Meadow Shopping center. He says that demolition is already underway this week.
__________________________________________
Mayo Meadows was constructed on the SW corner of 21st and S. Yale in 1955. It is now very close to being razed for a new Walmart Neighborhood Market. I'm sure that many living nearby are happy to hear they will have a grocery store on that corner again. Michael D. Bates of Batesline makes some very interesting comments about the new store and how it could help that area pass the Popsicle test.
Update: June 28, 2005 11:15pm
There is a cool little neighborhood diagonal across Yale from Mayo Meadow. It's called Lortondale. The architectural style of the subdivision is mirrored in the design of Mayo Meadow, which was build a year later. They have a very nice web site for Lortondale with some great history on the subdivision and its builders' vision. The Historic Overview and Gallery should be checked out.
From their web page: "The 1950’s was a time of the space-age, when everyone was looking to the future and all the wonders it may contain. Howard C. Grubb and Donald H. Honn wanted to bring a part of that future vision to the average American of moderate means, and gave us Lortondale. We Lortondale residents are grateful for their efforts and hope all visitors to our website are too."
21st and South Yale
Update: December 20th, 2005. KOTV's Steve Berg just called to get permission to use some of the nightshots of the Mayo Meadow Shopping center. He says that demolition is already underway this week.
__________________________________________
Mayo Meadows was constructed on the SW corner of 21st and S. Yale in 1955. It is now very close to being razed for a new Walmart Neighborhood Market. I'm sure that many living nearby are happy to hear they will have a grocery store on that corner again. Michael D. Bates of Batesline makes some very interesting comments about the new store and how it could help that area pass the Popsicle test.
Update: June 28, 2005 11:15pm
There is a cool little neighborhood diagonal across Yale from Mayo Meadow. It's called Lortondale. The architectural style of the subdivision is mirrored in the design of Mayo Meadow, which was build a year later. They have a very nice web site for Lortondale with some great history on the subdivision and its builders' vision. The Historic Overview and Gallery should be checked out.
From their web page: "The 1950’s was a time of the space-age, when everyone was looking to the future and all the wonders it may contain. Howard C. Grubb and Donald H. Honn wanted to bring a part of that future vision to the average American of moderate means, and gave us Lortondale. We Lortondale residents are grateful for their efforts and hope all visitors to our website are too."
Comments:
<< Home
Mayo Meadow Shopping Center was built by Otis Nidiffer (pronounced with a long "i" and a stress on the first syllable), who also developed the Mayo Meadow subdivision -- Pittsburg to Yale, 21st to 23rd. The shopping center was built in 1955 and was designed by John Duncan Forsythe. It's still in the Nidiffer family -- Otis's son John owns it, and I'm told he has a scrapbook of the construction and history of the center.
You realize of course, this means you must seek out Otis Nidiffer, explain what a architecture and history nerd you are, and then with his permission post pictures from his scrapbook here. Michael has handed you the football. Now run! Don't you love encouragement from the guy who doesn't have to do the work?
Not everyone living nearby is happy to see Mayo Meadow being razed for a(nother) Wal mart behemoth. Because I already boycott Wal Mart, I won't be shopping there. I will continue to support local and regional businesses like Reasonr's.
Over Labor Day weekend, I took my kids down the street to Mayo Meadow for a last bike ride down the sidewalk. All the businesses are closed now, most of the spaces are vacant, and people were carting out what's left in the old Better Price Store and the carpet store. The moving vans were still out front on Wednesday the 7th. I expect demolition will begin any day now.
My grandfather owned and operated Mayo Meadow Cafeteria. For a while, my family lived in the subdivision across the street. Our cat, named Cement, knew to go to the back door of the cafeteria, where my grandfather would feed him chicken livers. In 1960 we moved to Nashville but would return several times a year. Although I was probably around 10 or 11 when my grandparents retired, I can still remember the food, especially the Swiss Steak! I am saddened to see it go. Thank goodness the memories never will.
Looks like Mayo Meadow will be history as of this weekend. The demolision has dragged out but this week they are taking the last of the buildings down. It's a sad day as I grew up in the neighborhood and then moved back to raise my family. By tomorrow evening the only remnant will be the funky light poles with their spaceship looking lights on the top.
It was tragic to see how John Nidiffer let the shopping center decay. He was not the businessman his father was...
My husband and I have wished someone would have restored and revived the center.
I still remember walking to the center to go to TG&Y to buy candy and visiting Prier Price when his store was located on the corner where the bank was. Many of the shop owners lived in the neighborhood including Mr. Huey and the woman who owned the Jack n Jill shop.
We are all waiting to see who the other tenants in the new center will be. Yale Cleaners was scheduled to build a new pad location but pulled out when Wal-Mart began dictating the "rules"
Has anyone heard?
It was tragic to see how John Nidiffer let the shopping center decay. He was not the businessman his father was...
My husband and I have wished someone would have restored and revived the center.
I still remember walking to the center to go to TG&Y to buy candy and visiting Prier Price when his store was located on the corner where the bank was. Many of the shop owners lived in the neighborhood including Mr. Huey and the woman who owned the Jack n Jill shop.
We are all waiting to see who the other tenants in the new center will be. Yale Cleaners was scheduled to build a new pad location but pulled out when Wal-Mart began dictating the "rules"
Has anyone heard?
Sad to see another place that is unique to Tulsa being destroyed. My great aunt used to live down the street from the center, and I remember visiting her as a child. I also remember eating at Steven's Hamburgers next to the BA Expressway, another Tulsa landmark long since gone. There are fewer and fewer businesses that are unique to Tulsa remaining thanks to the walmartization of America.
I am a Nidiffer and it wa sad to see it go. I also worked at Yale cleaners and I am glad to hear it wanted nothing to do with the Wal-Mart Tali-ban people.
Post a Comment
<< Home
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License
