The Ultimate Balmer Hun List

This list came to us via email by our cousin LuAnn. Unknown source - (please let us hear from you if you are the source of this great list)

You are the ultimate Balti - moron if you remember:

You could only buy a Volvo from Michaelson Motors on Reisterstown Rd , the best place to become a Chevrolet ownah was at York and Bellona, Johnnys on Harford Rd was the"Walking Mans Friend", Granny Packer was on Blair Road in Oberlee, and"Hey, Hey Fox Chevrolet" was just as annoying then as the car ads these days. Don't forget Doug Griffith's Corvettes on Harford Road..

You rode on street cars and busses operated by BTC (Baltimore Transit Company), and remember when their color schemes went from yellow to green to blue, and you could pay with tokens.

You can sing the phone number for Hampden Moving and Storage. (Belmont 5 0600)

You remember Royal Parker yelling at kids jumping on furniture that was not covered in plastic..... "what're ya trying to ruin it?"

You think being called "hon" by waitresses, cashiers, bank tellers, and complete strangers is perfectly normal.


You remember the Bay Bellecruise that took you to Betterton and Tolchester beaches before the Bay Bridge was built.

You watched local TV shows:Duckpins for Dollars, The Collegians, Pinbusters, Buddy Deane Show, Romper Room, and Hutzler's Theatre. You also saw Stu Kerr star as Bozo the Clown and Professor Cool for the kids, then host "Dialing forDollars" for the stay-at-home moms, and later fill-in as the weather man (complete with cloud and sun magnets) on the 6 o'clock news. (Don't forget Rhea and JP, no Doppler then)!

Your mother always knew the daily "count and the amount" on dialing for dollars.

You know how to pronounce Towson and Ellicott City, and always notice ads where the announcers get it wrong.

We had milk home-delivered by Green Spring, Sealtest, and Cloverland ...... but somehow Cloverland was the only one who claimed to be "the dairy with cows". Oh yeah, you can probably sing their number too (NOrth 9-2222)

Going for a Sunday drive to get ice cream at Murrays, Sanders (The Dam Place ), or at Cloverland Dairy Farm on Dulaney Valley Rd. If you didn't have a car, there was always a walk to Arundel or High's. Or you could just stay home and wait for the bells of the Good Humor Man --------- Wait a minute!

When somebody gave their phone number prefix (such as IDlewood - 5 or DRexel - 7 or HAmilton – 6 or HOward -5), you knew right where they were from. (For all the newbies in Howard County with the prefix 465, that equates to HO5 which is HOward 5)

You've been on Sunday drives through "Droodle" park, and watched the submarine races at Loch Raven orLake Montebello . You still use the old "Poly" on North Ave as a reference for directions.

If you were interested in Motorcycles; You could buy Honda at Pete's in Hamilton, a Triumph at Boutwell's on Broadway, A Harley at Baltimore HD on Loch Raven Rd, a Beemer from Motor Sports Center on Pinckney Rd , or a Yamaha from Frankie & Johnnie's on North Point Blvd.

How about Baltimore 's own Ronnie Dove?

You remember when Baltimore had three passenger train stations; Penn Station, Camden Station, and theB&O Station on Mount Royal Avenue. It also had a functioning light rail system. The city and adjoining counties were linked by street cars, which plied the tracks for 104 years before the busses ultimately wonon November 3, 1963. One of the last survivors was the No. 8 line, which ran between Catonsville and Towson .. There are still a bunch of huge old car barns around: York Road in Govans, Harford Rd in Hamilton, Belair Rd in Overlea, Retreat Street , and the monster on Washington Blvd. .....to name a few.


Car drivers, bicycle riders, and pedestrians had to avoid street car tracks long after the street carswere out of business. It took years to dig up the tracks, and some are still evident on paved-over cobblestone streets. Now we are spending a gazillion dollars trying to re-create the original version of light rail.

You can remember what the harbor looked like before it was THE Inner Harbor, and that Connolly's Restaurant on Pier 5 was the last survivor of the old Pratt St.waterfront.

You know why Pigtown is called Pigtown.

You remember swimming and family picnics at Beaver Dam and Beaver Springs Swim Clubs in Cockeysville....... and no one knew of a place called Hunt Valley.

You remember when there was home delivery of the Morning Sun, The Evening Sun, The Sunday Sun, TheNews-Post, and The Sunday American. The last two were later the News-American.... and all long before the City Paper made its debut.

You know what/where the 9th Ward is?

You remember when White Marsh was just a marsh, Owings Mills was just a farm, and Columbia was autopian dream (and a farm)! You still don't get the whole " Town Center" thing, and maybe you shouldn't ....... it's just a mall!

Taking visitors downtown at night to see the Washington Monument .....and point out why (from a certain angle) George Washington is really the father of our country.

You looked forward to Earl Weaver antics over a bad call ...... okay, over any call.

You remember laughing at bawdy jokes and political comments scrawled in white shoe polish on the front window of Turkey Joe's Bar in Fells Point.

Eating at Pollack Johnnie's, Lexington Market, Attman's, Bel-Loc Diner, Ciminos, Little Tavern(buy'em by the bag!), White Castle , AJ's Dog House, Horn & Horn, OrioleCafeteria, White Coffee Pot, Hot Shoppes, Ameche's, Gino's, Read's, Hooper's, Silber's Bakery .

You've seen the governor (and other dignitaries) standing in line, in the rain, outside of Haussners, because they never took reservations.

You remember Friendship Airport (now BWI) and Harbor Field (now Dundalk Marine Terminal).

Friendship Airport (land donated by our Howard County neighbors, the Hawkins family)

You remember late night "Mister Ray's Hair Weave" commercials. (Let me put that hair on your head!)

You found yourself cheering for the guys who added "hon" to the Welcome to Baltimore sign on the BWParkway, especially after the Mayor got upset and staked out the sign to catch them.

You remember driving over the old Kent Narrows Draw-Bridge that snarled weekend traffic coming homefrom the Ocean. You remember 17-mile traffic backups coming back from Ocean City on holiday weekends.

You remember the nitwit who crashed the plane into the upper deck of Memorial Stadium.

You had plenty of friends who worked at Sparrows Point, and each had an ugly old "point car" to drive to work.

Everybody else (it seemed) worked for GM on Broening Hywy, Western Electric, or National Brewery.

You remember going to see the fabulous Fire Department Christmas Train Garden at the home of T-27 &E-45 on Glen Avenue . (by the way, it's still open)

Fort Holabird was alive and thriving. You remember when now trendy Canton was a true blue-collar neighborhood of small factories, a can company, waterfront oyster and vegetable packing houses, seed companies, tug boat piers, filthy harbor water, and a few greasy-spoon restaurants. In the early 70s the neighborhood had about eight square blocks of itshomes demolished to make way for an interstate to connect 9 5 and 83. The interstate never happened, but there are ramps for it on I-95 to this day.

You love to see the Domino Sugar sign reflecting across the harbor.

You'll always remember a cheer-leading fan Wild Bill Hagy, in Section 34, from the 70s.

You remember when Social Security moved out of the Candler Building to their new complex in Woodlawn.

You remember seeing the Four Seasons perform at Painters Mill or at Club Venus. You saw the Beatles,The Beach Boys, Dave Clark Five, The Rolling Stones, The Monkees, and Peter, Paul & Mary at the Civic Center . You saw Emerson, Lake , and Palmer at the Lyric. You saw Otis Reading, the Four Tops, and theTemptations at Calvert Hall. You didn't save a single program!

Or dance at the Club Venus, Hollywood Park, Teen Center, CYO or the Epithany

You remember the Towson State Teachers College in Towson , 4 Maryland

All the big downtown theaters were as cool as the Senator is now.

You know where High and Low streets meet.

You liked the orioles smiling cartoon bird face better than the ornithologically correct Oriole ontoday's ball cap.

More Parks sausages Mom, Please!

You remember the rotating restaurant on top of the Holiday Inn on Light Street . That's gone????

You've had the monster "Powerhouse" burger at one of four Ameche's Drive-ins ....and long before there was a McDonald's in sight. You could "Meetcha at Ameche's!" at Loch Raven & Taylor, 5800 Reisterstown Rd , 7700 Wise Ave, or Ritchie Hywy & 5th in Glen Burnie . All gone!

A few years later you could also have a 15-cent burger at Gino Marchetti's, or drive through the Circle for a Cheesy-Q. They're gone too!

You get a kick out of hearing Johns Hopkins or Pimlico named in movies or TV.

You know B&O is not body odor.

You remember when the Baltimore Civic Center was home to The Baltimore Bullets, The Baltimore Blast, TheBaltimore Clippers, rock concerts, car shows, horse shows, civil-service exams, circuses, ice shows, and graduations.

You remember the wonderful spicy cinnamon smell of McCormick's on Light Street, and all the big festivals at Rash Field.

You've marveled as the three-wheeled motor cops shifted both sides of 33rd Street to the"one-way" pattern to get all the traffic in and out of Orioles and Colts games in record time / every time. Try that one on Pratt St !

Every kitchen had a can of Old Bay and every Frigidaire a case of Natty Boh. Ain't the beer cold!

You remember when Baltimore rated a "Playboy Club", and no, it wasn't on the block.

You understand the difference between Hampden and Remington.

You instantly recognize your entrance into Dundalk , even if blindfolded. Better yet, Eastpoint!

You remember Ross Z Pierpont, candidate for governor - again!

You and your Mom shopped at Braeger-Gutman's, Hutzler's, Stewart's, Hochschild Kohn, Robert Hall,The May Company, Hecht's, Peck & Peck, Hamburgers, Epstein's, Woolworth's, SS Kresge, McCrorys, Ben Franklin, Dacks 5 &10, EJ Korvettes, Two Guys, Cooks, Kaldor, Hechingers, and of course . . .Shocketts on Broadway

Shopping on The Avenue meant Eastern Avenue in Highlandtown, unless of course you were from the otherside of town, then it was 36th St .

Shopping on The Boulevard meant Washington Boulevard in Pigtown.

You've cruised Ameche's, the Circle, Champs, The Thunderbird, and Topps Lot on a week-end evening tosee the muscle cars.

You know that an Arabber is really a guy who sells fruit and vegetables from a horse drawn cart.S.....O....F....T....C......R....A......B....S also....

You remember when the city po-leece cars went from black and white, to blue and white, then to allwhite with red and blue stripes.

You know live crabs are at their very meanest right before steaming, and that if one gets you .....he WILL NOT let go!

You helped paint a bi-centennial fire hydrant.

You know that the Colts Band does not need a football team to do their thing. They were formed in 1947and have spent 13 years of their existence without a team (51 to 53 & 84 to 95). Didn't slow 'em down at all!

You always knew where to find Blaze Starr. (2 O'Clock Club)

You remember the spectacular 13-alarm Schapiro's Rag-Factory fire that lit up the entire city sky. Hint: it's where the Pepsi sign on the JFX is now.

You remember cutting school to go to the Flower Mart and Opening Day.

You remember Greenmount Cemetery as a place you could actually visit, or drive past, without taking yourlife in your hands.

You know where ' Downey Ocean ' is, and remember where the "Irish House" was.

You remember the old rivalries of Poly vs. City and Loyola vs. Calvert Hall were played out every Thanksgiving Day at Memorial Stadium.

You remember when Belvedere Avenue was " Northern Parkway ", and the two-lane road up-the-hill from Falls Rd to Roland Ave was a steep, narrow, and treacherous path. They stopped traffic on Falls Road to allow the cars on Belvedere to travel one at a time on icy/snowy days. Cold Spring between Falls and Roland wasn't much better.

You know Frank Zappa was from Dundalk ...... and that somehow helps you to understand his lyrics.

You remember a very green, but not very Irish, Hyman Pressman marching in the St Patrick's Day parades, and Louis L Goldstien with his immortal "God bless you all real good" blessing.

You remember special deli shopping trips to Stone's Bakery, Jack's Corned Beef, Weiss Deli, and Attman's Deli on Lombard St , right in the heart of the high rise projects.

In those days ...... Sears was still called Sears, Roebuck, and Company..... and lived at Harford and North. Wards was a little more formal as Montgomery Ward ... and was at located at Monroe and Washington Blvd. Both stores carried their own brand of lawn mowers, tools, guns, motorcycles, clothes, shoes, tires,and appliances. A Sears Revolving Credit Card was tough to get!




You remember the Gwynn Oak, Carlin's, and Bay Shore Amusement Parks ..

You know where Engine 6 lives.

You remember all the ship repair drydocks that lined Key Highway . Now it costs a million-plus to call it home!

You wait every year to hear true Baltimore Christmas classics; "Oh, I want Crabs for Christmas" and"Walking in an Essex Wonderland".

You first heard of Spiro Agnew when he was the Baltimore County Executive.

You know where to park for the Preakness.

The cheapest guy in town had an ideal location to watch fireworks.

Mama Cass

You remember the old North Central Railroad that ran from downtown to Pennsylvania .. It ran onthe current light rail tracks along the JFX, through Mount Washington, crossed Lake Roland ( Robert E Lee Memorial Park ), out thru Ruxton and Lutherville, crossed York Rd at the Cockeysville Underpass, and thenheaded north to PA on what is now a great bicycle path. The transition from working railway to light rail and bicycle path was courtesy of a very determined Hurricane Agnes in 1972. David and Freddie killed offany chances of NCR recovery in '79.

You love to hear Artie Donovan explain anything.

You got a parking ticket (or towed away) while in court for a parking ticket in the old traffic court at 211 E Madison St .

You don't think that Assawoman Bay is a strange name.

You are an expert crab picker that always volunteers to teach visitors the only (and best) way to pick a steamed crab. Of course everyone else around you will interrupt the lesson to show your new student their best way, and confusion will reign. This will never change!

You had to be ready to yell out your order at Captain Harveys, or risk hearing jeers from all thelongshoremen in line.

You have no idea what an Auchentoroly is, but know where there is a street (a terrace actually)named after one.

You have great memories of Memorial Stadium, and the days when Brooks, Frank, Jim Palmer, GusTriandos, Mark Belanger, Luis Aparicio, Jim Gentile, Milt Pappas, Dave McNally, Andy Etchebarren, Eddie Murray, Hoyt Wilhelm, Dave Johnson, Rick Dempsey, Earl Weaver, and the Ripkens boys gave Baltimore plenty of seasons and reasons to be proud.

You had to pull out the BS sign when Robert Irsay declared that he had to move (steal) the Colts from Baltimore .... because the city would not support a team. We didn't get to be the world's largest outdoor insane asylum for nothing. The names of Johnny Unitas, Raymond Berry, Bill Pellington, Art Donovan, TomMatte, Alan Ameche, Gino Marchetti, Jim Mutscheler, Lenny Moore, John Mackey, Big Daddy, Jimmy Orr, Bert Jones, Lydell Mitchell, John Dutton, Mike Barnes, Joe Ehrman, Fred Cook, and many others are held in reverence to this day! Won't support a team ...... hmmm!!!!

You remember when Baltimore Street was a gaping cavern covered by wooden planks and steel platesduring years of subway construction.

You still cheer for the Orioles even when they aren't doing well, and root for anyone playing the Yankees or Colts. There'll never be even the slightest hint Bob Irsay, and Mayflower Movers might as well move themselves to Indiana for all the business I'll ever give them.

Everybody knows what a 'zink' and 'payment' are, and just how important it is to "warsh them marblestoops."

You yell out "O" during the Star Spangled Banner.

You remember urban renewal, the riots of 68, and burn-baby-burn.

And no matter where you are, you can only laugh when you see signs saying ' Maryland Crab Cakes!'

One of THE best crab houses!

Even during all the years of no pro football team in Baltimore , you couldn't bring yourself to be a Redskins Fan.

You say 'Blare Road ' for Belair Road.

You understand the inner and outer loops of the beltway, and don't understand why they need signs upto point out which is which.

You remember Rolf Hertzgaard, Frank Luber, Royal Parker, Jim Mustard, Mike Hambrick, Ron Smith, JerryTurner, and Al Sanders on the tube. How bout Rhea & JP and Miss Nancy...

There was Kirby Scott, Johnny Dark, Jack Edwards on WCAO, Jay Grason and Galen Fromm on WBAL, Lee Caseon WCBM, Mike March, Johnny Walker, and The Flying Dutchman on WFBR, and Joe Buccheri on a variety of Classic Rock (WKTK) stations ....to name but a few. Don't forget Chop Chop Fisher & Big Daddy on WWIN...

You remember the strange mixture of Oprah Winfrey and Richard Sher on WJZ's morning show.

You were confused for a few years after they swapped one-way directions on Lombard and PrattStreets.

You've been to a prom at the "Alcazar", and probably danced to the Admirals.

Vince Bagli was 'the' sports announcer on TV. Charlie Eckman was "the" coach. Chuck Thompson was'the' voice of the Orioles / after Bailey Goss.

You refer to Catonsville Community College as UCLA (University of Catonsville Left of Arbutus)

You remember Mayor Schaefer swimming with the seals at the National Aquarium, and whining about itever since.

How about laughing to the Johnny Walker morning show on WFBR, and his risque? shows at the Barge?

You marvel at all the city bumper stickers; Baltimore 's Best / Baltimore is Best, Charm City , TheCity That Reads, and Believe!

You remember Marty Bass with hair, and a leisure suit, trying to explain his way out of soliciting anundercover cop. (" I was just trying to get into her head")

You know when to stay off the JFX.

You still refer to the Mount Washington Tavern as Sparwassers.

You miss the RCA dog.

You swore Frank Perdue kinda looked like one of his tender chickens.

The new candelabra TV tower on television hill was the tallest thing on the planet .... at the time.

You know which bridge they're talking about when someone says, 'The bridge traffic is backed up.'

You actually admire someone named "Boog"

To browse photos or order prints go to Baltimore County Public Library Legacy Site