Heatherdowns and Reynolds

Just remembered "Kip's Southside" was one. I think.

Do you mean the building that was Nashville's about 20 years ago? Then was like 15 other things, it seems the names changed weekly. At one point, it was called the Meet Market. All owned by Kip (not sure of last name, same guy who owns the Six Packs).

Or maybe I'm thinking of the wrong building...

It was Nashville's for years.

I think it was Boot Leggers in it's final life...

Yep Nashville's. I thought it was "Dallas" once too. Also, wasn't it a new wave place in the 80's?

good topic....this has me thinking......man, did the Jed's on the other side of Reynolds do the business. Place used to be packed and was a lot of fun, at the time. Things went downhill drastically after they had to put in a "non smoking partition/wall". That place used to have thee best looking wait staff. Hooters be damned.

Bulldog - We would hit Jeds then the Bait Shop to see The Menus. There would be about 20 of us that would do that every time they were in town.

I am trying to figure out the italian restaurant in the 70's. Crap. It is driving me crazy!!!!

6 is a little high for me. Thanks for the faith, though...

I've always known it as a country bar for the most part. "Nashvilles" or "Bootleggers". Sorry I can't help on the Italian restaurant...only place we went in the general neighborhood was Little Caesars across the street.

I do miss Frank's nursery. Every time I pass Crazy Prices, I think about it.

Almost every business on that stretch of road between the Turnpike and Glendale that was in existence in the late 80's, with the exception of JoAnn Fabrics, Radio Shack, Tandoor, the diner, and Toys R Us, has shut down or relocated. Eh, I'm probably forgetting a couple of warriors, but you get the point. Time marches on:

Peaches
Little Caesars (restaurant)
Nashvilles/Bootleggers
Frank's
K-Mart
Holiday Inn
Ramada Inn
Budget Inn (well...thank God for small favors on this one...)
Bob Evans (relocated from original site where Steak & Shake is now)
New York Carpet World
Tony Romas
Super America (gas station)
Centre Supermarket
K-Mart
China Buffet (thank God for small favors #2)
Arbys
Southwyck Mall

Yay Toledo...

It was called The Spaghetti Factory. In the mid 80's it was VIP's (owned by Kip).

It had a lot more to do with Ken Pompora blowing money like it was cocaine, and using cocaine like it was...well...

I agree with Slowsol. Didn't help he is a major douche and treated his employee's like crap. I hung out there with my dad and his buddies all the time after I got off work.

I also spent quite a bit of time at Nashville in my early early 20's. That was pretty much where you could find me Thurs, Fri, and Sat nights.

There was also a Steak n' Ale that became a rib joint and finally closed out. There was also an Italian place whose name escapes me that I used to enjoy.

Those two hotels both had clubs in them, and the clubs were hot on the weekends.

I really miss Peaches records. I must have a crate of vinyl I bought at that place.

Dominic's was the Italian.

A thumbs up to OHT digging deep for Peaches. :)

we used to collect the peaches crates. Love to have one of those.

By the way there was another Italian place called "It's Italian" that was behind the hotel on Toys R Us side.

Where was the Tony Roma's? I was probably too young to remember it. Add Sourdough Charlies and China Gate.

Personal biases aside, it's only fair to point out that Mr. Pompora spent over $100,000 on his state-of-the-art smoking wall and ventilation system, only to have the city declare a total ban on smoking in bars about 10 months later. I don't think that helped the business.

During Nashville's/Bootlegger's revolving door name game, it was Kipp's (with two P's) and Embers for a few weeks. I kept thinking Mr. Diacou must have owned a sign company as often as they changed names. I was in there one night with a buddy, and some lady who was probably pushing 60 was exceedingly drunk and being a little too friendly. She was saying she went there when the club was new in the 70s and back then it was a disco.

All about Pompora, his smoke room and his money troubles...
http://www.toledoblade.com/local/2005/08/23/Legal-problems-join-menu-for-2-local-bars-their-owner.html

It was also briefly called Prime Time South (or was it Prime Time II)?

The other Prime Time, of course, was on Alexis. (Isn't that what's called Six Pack now?)

Well then, we must have crossed paths several times.

Going from Jed's to the Bait Shop was my winter routine, almost every weekend for quite awhile.

(Summers were for festivals then the Lighthouse, Durty Bird, or other bar with a patio.)

I was with you all as well. My buddies had a band called "Creamy Goodness" and we lived at the Distillery, Light House, Havey's and the Bait Shop...

Add Miller's Turnpike Motel/Restaurant to establishments along that general stretch.

Nashville's was meat market personified during that whole 'Urban Cowboy' era---early 80's.

I wonder if Millers was as physically large as it is in my memory. One of my first jobs was washing dishes after school and on weekends. Mr. Miller would give us advances on our paychecks if we made a good enough case. Old school place. Old school people. I hope that none of you were victims of the Great Rooftop Snowball Scandal of 1982. Of course, it was hard to dent a 1975 Buick.

I hope that we do Glendale/Reynolds. I want to play the Bombay Bicycle Club card. Unless I just did.

Still have two of those Peach's Crates....can;t let them go......good memories

SensorG - What ever happened to Suzanne Harvey from (you guessed it) Harveys?

Funny how all of us have probably crossed paths back in the day. I, too, was a Jed's/Bait Shop/Distillery hopper.

And Sensor G - Creamy Goodness was one of my favorite bands!

Molsonator - not sure. I think they just knocked down the old Harvey's as well. My memories of those times are a bit fuzzy. Probably for the best...

They knocked down the car dealer place. Harveys is Anne Grady.

Diva - I still see some of the guys from the band now and then. They also still play the bars sometimes - somethings never change.

I saw her at Docs a while back.

Bonus points: How many of us bought drinks from her at the Coach House while listening to Dave Browning sing "Taxi" by Harry Chapin?
My hand is up.

I have known Suzanne since kindergarten. OLD Glendale School. There is only a few of us out there. Its a cult! Ha!

Coach House? Can't place it.

llz - The Spaghetti Factory - thanks

" I was in there one night with a buddy, and some lady who was probably pushing 60 was exceedingly drunk and being a little too friendly. She was saying she went there when the club was new in the 70s and back then it was a disco."

Her name was Lola. She was a show girl. Faded feathers in her hair, with her dress cut down to there.....just sayin'

Didn't Kip tack the Armadillos name on that place for awhile? I could be wrong.

What about the Peddler Inn? That was at Glendale & Reynolds before it became the Bombay Bicycle Club. It was where I always picked to go for my birthday lunch when I was a kid (after The Top Of The Tower in the Fiberglass building closed).
Prime Time (or Prime Slime as we called it) used to be on Sylvania between Monroe and Secor (it is now the entrance to St. Anne's hospital).

I'm glad y'all have fond memories of the Bombay Bicycle Club. The decor was interesting. The 6 hours of... ahem "food poisoning"...I had after eating there my one (and only) time was not...

llz - Top of the tower - ah yes. Lobster tank.

@Foodie... funny stuff. I guess there is a little Barry Manilow in that story.

My earliest memories of the place, aside from when I was a kid driving past in my parents' car, was around 2006/7. I forget what it was called back then, maybe Prime Time. My buddy DJ Rana would spin tunes in between sets from live bands. It was never very busy - the most people I saw in there was probably 30-40 on the weekend. I remember an article in the Blade saying it was Mr. Diacou's only club that wasn't making money. I thought it had a decent layout, two bars and large dancefloor, and it was one of the last true nightclubs in town - there are still a few. It might've been something if Kip had spent money on updating the 1970s era tables, chairs, and fixtures and hired a decent promoter.

A couple years after it closed, there was a suspicious fire that was quickly put out and caused some smoke damage.

Last thing... what is up with the giant billboard pole you have to avoid when turning into that parking lot?

I used to have to pick my brother up at the Distillery and Jed's all the time. I worked at the old Rosie's across from Stranahan and lived behind it (this was when I was in college).

He'd get to the bar first and start drinking so I'd end up the DD by default. I never really liked Jed's or the Bait Shop. I was more partial to the Distillery, Shawn's Back Door, South End Grill, and the Lighthouse.

Remember when Peaches became Coconuts? My Grandparents used to celebrate their anniversary at Dominic's every year. I loved looking at the autographed celebrity pics on the wall.

I used to go to Bombay Bicycle Club sometimes. I liked the decor and the food was pretty good.

...some lady who was probably pushing 60 was exceedingly drunk and being a little too friendly.

There's no Lola to it. That was either Judy Weatherald or someone else.

I remember begging my parents to take me to Peaches because Alan Hunter (VJ from MTV-when it was really MUSIC television- was going to be there with one of the other VJ's-maybe Martha Quinn? Don't remember the reason they were there though...While I visited VIP's, our main hangouts were Glass City Boardwalk and before that Buttons. Anyone ever go there?

I got to know quite a few of the barmaids at Jed's. We would sit/stand at the main bar and it was usually my dad and a bunch of his construction buddies. I got to the point that they would see me coming and have my drink ready before I even sat down. Now I'm craving some fungus balls, might have to hit up the p-burg location tomorrow for lunch.

"What about the Peddler Inn? That was at Glendale & Reynolds before it became the Bombay Bicycle"---

Believe you're referring to 'Smuggler's Inn', easy enough mistake, so long ago...

Smuggler's Inn - forgot that place. Wasn't there a place similar in the mall itself?

I do remember the Bombay Bicycle and like other good Toledo restaurants, it too has become a Wal-Greens Pharmacy in the name of progress…

Bombay had the backgammon boards as I recall. Fun pickup place in the mid 80's.

Thanks McCaskey, I knew even as I as typing it that "Peddler" didn't sound right...
Molsonater-I don't think there was ever a Smuggler Inn in the mall. I know there was a Cassano's Pizza (used to cut the pizza pieces into tiny squares, kind of like J&G), and a cafeteria I want to say maybe Harvest House? I know Woodville mall had the same one.

Dominick's was one of our favorite places, until they stopped making the pasta themselves. Big diff to us, never went back after maybe 30 dinners there.

Had Cassano's http://www.cassanos.com/ when i was down in Dayton for a soccer tournament 3 years ago. Tasted the exact same as childhood. Awesome.

I swear there was a place next to diamond's that was a bar/restaurant that was dark...but that wouldn't make sense cause they closed the mall at 10pm.

Wait - what was the cigar place named??? There were two and one was port royal.

yay, the one at Woodville was the Harvest House, attached to the Woolworths. My sis in law and her whole family worked there at one time. lol.

I used to frequent Harvey's back in the early 2000's...my husband bartended there part time, which is where we met...and my brother-in-law was (and still is) a member of Creamy Goodness! Small world. I miss Harvey's!

We still see Suzanne every now and then too.

Coach House was a bar/restaurant in Cricket West. It was in the middle of the Central Ave. side. Did lunches and bar food dinners. I remember nachos on styrofoam. They had a stage before the coffee shop thing was cool and smaller sized acts like Dan and Don, Dave Browning, folks like that played there. Suzanne bartended for a while. Maybe around 1986 or 87.

I used to go to Harvey's after softball at the Rec Center; they actually were our sponsor. 1998 or so. Dan and Don on stage. Good times.

I worked at VIP's in the late '80s. The place you to be standing room only on the weekends. Cool place..great job. Met one of my best friends there.

It was called Studebaker's for a short while after it was no longer VIP's.

Does Six Pack or Club Soda do a decent business? Makes me wonder if Kip lost his touch.

Bombay Bicycle Club was cool too. I also used to do the Jed's to Bait Shop thing. I probably saw many of you as well.

The whole southside is going to sh*t. Where do people hang out now?

Smokers Inn?

Wow! Thanks to you guys, I'm finally getting all those flashbacks I was promised in the 70's. LOL!

Buttons! Hadn't thought about that place in forever.

And the Dave Browning/Coach House mention was cool, too. He's a Social Work instructor at UT, or at least he was when I went there.

Actually Smuggler's and Bombay Bicycle Club were at Brownstone and Reynolds.

My wife (when we were dating) used to go to the Bungalow's downstairs bar (coincidentally called "The Bicycle Club") and have drinks before setting up to "club".

The comedy club used to be "Streamers" when I was in college. It was slightly "New Wave".

I'm pretty sure that Bombay Bicycle Club was on the northwest corner of Glendale and Reynolds. Maybe it would be Southwyck Blvd. on the west side or Reynolds.

I second what justread said. Bombay was at the corner where Walgreens now is.

Wasn't there a Mexican restaurant that was kind of in the parking lot of Southwyck? Behind that bank. I'm sure it's gone now.

There was a Bill Knapp's at Brownstone and Reynolds. The Mexican place was in Sour Dough Charlies? Was that the name originally?

Also - What was the Distillery when it was first built? Was that a Ground Round or Brown Derby?

Yes, there was a Mexican restaurant there. It was really good. They had a fire and never re-opened. Before that I think it was a Bill Knapps or Sourdough Charlie’s perhaps.

"Does Six Pack or Club Soda do a decent business? Makes me wonder if Kip lost his touch"

If I'm not mistaken, while Kip still owns the physical buildings, he actually sold the bar businesses (some, not all) to others.

That building was built as a Rax Roast Beef, then when Rax left it became a mexican restaurant of some kind. It was behind Key Bank, which was probably Trustcorp or Society at the time. You had to turn down Southwyck to get there.

In 2000 the building was Sourdougn Charlies -
http://dine.com/restaurants/Sourdough-Charlie-s-Toledo-Ohio-79262.html

Mexican place must have been in the 90s. Sourdough Charlies must have been the final incarnation?

It was Mexican in 2004, that I'm sure of...that was it's final incarnation.

It was Mexican in 2004, that I'm sure of...that was it's final incarnation.

I can remember going to The Distillery before it was The Distillery for brunch, probably late '70's early '80's. For some reason "cottage" pops into my mind, but I don't think that's right. I can remember going to the Mexican rest. before it was Sourdough Charlies and none of the workers could speak English. You had to point to the item you wanted. Remember Chi Chi's? Loved that place. Driving through Kentucky last year, did a search (they were based out of Louisville) but there are none left in the US. Closest one now I think is in Canada. Shakee's at Monroe/Sylvania is another lost love. They are still around though. In the South and West, I believe.

The building behind the bank started out as a Frisch's Big Boy.

Ok, wasn't there a restaurant on Reynolds called Carl Mazzurco's, or something like that? I remember my parents taking me there and you had to dress up. We're talking a loooong time ago..70's maybe?

Never was there but I believe his restaurant (wasn't it a banquet hall too?) was down towards Hill Ave., kind of across from where Mango Tree and City Hall is now (I think it's Ryewick, but I'm a West End Girl, so I'm not for certain).
Molsonater-Hadad's Bungalow, forgot about that place-great steaks!

The building behind Keybank on Southwyck Circle was a Rax, then Sourdough Charlies, then Big Boy, then El Reparo. It may have been one more thing in between or before it closed.

I drove by Club Soda around 11:30 last night and it didn't look like it was open. I saw two or three cars and zero people. It seems like people don't go out to nightclubs like they used to - of the ones that are left. It could be the economy or a change in culture or just Toledo. These days people seem to frequent regular, Joe Average bars if they go out at all.

I was always under the impression that Club Soda was geared toward the 40+ crowd. So maybe 11:30 was a little too late for them? Or the clientele's assisted living facilities have a curfew?

Lol... good point!

15 years ago I probably would have chuckled at that. Now that I'm 38, I probably shouldn't laugh at the demographic I'm close to joining. LOL

Diva-watch who you're calling old! I'm midway through my 40's and I'm up almost every night past 11:30 (barely-haha). When I was of age to "club", the groups that I hung out with frequented big places like Buttons, Glass City B/W, Henry J's (formerly Renee's), Roxanne's, Kips West, etc. We never went, or even thought of going to smaller places like Chuck's (on Monroe), Jed's, etc. I think it's just like Mixman said; a change in culture. When I was a kid, there were tons of neighborhood places (we called 'em Beer Joints) around-Skippy's Showbar, Subway Cafe, Falcons/Lagrange...maybe things are evolving back? Or people don't want to drive across the city, which means driving back home after drinking....instead stay close to home....? Anyway, Club Soda didn't always cater to 40+; I met my husband there in '88 and we were in our early 20's....

I definitely made my comment in jest :) I'm not exactly a youngin' either. That's just the stigma that Club Soda has had among my age group - if you're looking to meet a cougar that's the place to go.

"The comedy club used to be "Streamers" when I was in college. It was slightly "New Wave""---

I was there opening night of 'Streamers', must have been about '84. For Toledo, it was pretty unique; the decor, music and crowd had a very hip, East-Coast feel. Remember thinking every gorgeous girl in NW Ohio had to be there. They had swimsuit 'competitions' there that were rather steamy and often simply hilarious, depending who was on stage. Was great place to hang for a couple years and then like everything else it died off...

Shawn's Back Door! I'd forgotten that old place. I used to work for the Fred Astaire Dance Studio that was on the other side of the shopping center, and most days I'd have dinner at Shawn's. That was a good place.

We used to go to Kip's quite a bit, but the shows tended to get old.

Oh, that's OK. Though I loved going to clubs when I was in my 20s, it's not something I'm particularly interested in now.

Heaven help me if I ever find myself single and needing to mingle again...I'm not sure I'd want to venture back into the club-hopping days. Even if it was an old folks club scene. ;)

I've actually never set foot in Club Soda...almost feel like I should go at least once just to say I've been there. LOL

Club Soda and VIP's both had a house band called "Touched." Played a lot of top 40/dance stuff. Pretty good times. You had to dress up to go there...collared shirts at least.

The Distillery became the "Distillery" in about '88 or so. It is going to bug me trying to remember the old name. The Distillery used to be standing room only (and they had a basement bar too) when we went there in the early 90's.

My buddy swore that the Dugout was the best place to meet women.

I miss places like the Bombay Bicycle Club. It catered to a demographic (YUPPIE) that is probably more the Levis Commons crowd now.

Crap. Now i am hooked on what the bar was before the Distillery. Like around 85ish.

Someone mentioned the Mexican restaurant that used to be in the Southwyck parking lot. It was El Reparo. In addition to that location, they had a place near Major Magic's in Sylvania.

Molsonator, wasn't it Chasers before it was The Distillery?

I can't figure out how to edit my comment, but it wasn't Chasers. I think it was Gatsby I and Barkley House, but there was another one in there that I just can't recall.

Schafer's Family Smorgasbord! That's what it was before Gatsby I.

With the talk of Dave Browning, I started thinking about another guy who sang there: Ray Peterson. Anyone know whatever happened to him?

J. Paul Quigby's? Mr. Avolt, former owner of Distillery, posted the whole history of the place in another thread a while back.

The place that's now The Distillery opened as the Barkley House, a fancy restaurant. After a few years it closed and reopened as the Gatsby Eye, which I imagine was run by Nickolitis, and was very similar to the Hungry I. After that run, it re-opened as the Market which ran as a restaurant & nice bar for multiple years. After the Market ran it's course, it operated as J. P. Quigby's for a few years. Quigly's was a college (or younger) bar. After they closed, the doors were locked for a couple of years before we opened as The Distillery on 11/7/1988.

My wife and I sold it on it's 21st birthday in 2009. It's still our favorite watering hole.

Interestingly, since 11/7/88, the place has been opened every single day, and the new owners are keeping that tradition going.

The Dugout! Alternatively called "The Slugout" and "The Drugout" for obvious reasons.

Thanks for providing me a living while I finished college running sound for The Kensingtons, Alter Ego, Skoobie Snaks, Groove Bone, and many more between 1995 and 2000.

Lived at Heather Hills apt. complex from 1980-87, off Heatherdowns. Spent those 7 years knocking around all the southwest end bars, eateries, shops, etc. and when I drive through there now, it's still shocking that so much has changed. Miss Rusty's Jazz place the most, also Surf restaurant. Not sure any part of Toledo has transformed over the years---and not for the better---than the south/southwest end.

I would always order take out at the Surf for my wife and I - then go to pick it up right after I ordered so I could have a drink with the regulars at the bar while i waited. Love that place.

I agree McCaskey...as 6th Floor pointed out, Toledo's population is not growing. Therefore, when places like Levis Commons and Fallen Timbers open up, it drains the life out of areas like southwest Toledo.

As a resident of the Glendale area (and one who is way underwater on his house), I am stuck here. I am troubled by the downhill slide of the area. It's depressing. Check out the Clarion...2' high grass and broken windows...kind of ironic in regards to the article in the Blade about the City cracking down on unmowed lawns.

I think enough population has shifted - and will continue to shift - out towards Perrysburg and Monclova that multiple shopping centers on the South/SW side can be viable. That side of town may even help the region grow a little in population once the new Route 24 opens and residual development occurs.

I worked at Dominic's for a while back in the 90s, and the people who had worked there 15-20 years said that business in the 80s was absolute gangbusters, then the opening of the Dussel exit at 475 and changing traffic patterns contributed to a major drop for Reynolds corridor restaurants. Now many of them (Steak & Ale, Max & Erma's, Smuggler Inn, Perkins, etc.) folded before that happened so maybe the area was just over-saturated?

The SW side of Toledo can continue to stay strong. It has stable neighborhoods, high traffic counts, and just needs some proper reinvestment. Besides the old mall site, only 5 or 6 properties along Reynolds really need cleaning up. The whole area could look a lot different for the better in a short time.

Has anybody heard anything about a potential buyer for the Southwyck site? There was an article in the Blade about a month ago.

They are probably keeping it hush hush until it's a done deal. All I gotta say is... please no Wal-Mart. Please no mega church.

"I would always order take out at the Surf for my wife and I - then go to pick it up right after I ordered so I could have a drink with the regulars at the bar while i waited. Love that place."

I used to do the same thing,but I would order at the bar when I arrived so I didn't have to rush my drink.

Isn't there a new-ish Walmart that's already fairly close to Southwyck?

(I don't get over there very often, but I thought there was one on Glendale.)

yeah there is

Putting a Wal-Mart at SW, would be about equal distance between the Spring Meadows and Southland Wal-Marts; can’t see it happening. Still hoping for IKEA…I can dream can’t I…

Obviously, the Heatherdowns & Reynolds area is nowhere near where it was in the 80's, which was probably it's height. Ragan Woods appears to be holding on, but who knows how much longer. The apartments along Heatherdowns that used to be pretty nice are not so nice anymore. That Hidden Cedars complex (aka the Tinderbox) is especially crappy, all slumlord rentals.

I live in the Beverly area, which is doing pretty good. Still lots of families and people who care for their homes. But the Byrne/Heatherdowns intersection is turning into a ghost town and I can see the creep of the old South End past the Zoo into the Harvard Terrace area. At the OLPH festival, there were an awful lot of neck tattoos and that isn't a good sign. I don't want to move out to the suburbs and hasten the demise of Toledo. But I also don't want to be the last one to go. Anyone else struggling with the same dilemna?

I don't want to move out to the suburbs and hasten the demise of Toledo. But I also don't want to be the last one to go. Anyone else struggling with the same dilemna?

Beverly seems fine to me, although I'm not there every or every month even. But I'm positive I've not seen neck tattoos over there!

Agreed about Harvard Terrace. The closing and destruction of the YMCA building in that neighborhood was not a good sign (of a healthy, young, growing neighborhood). I hope those homes are not given up to bums and slumlords, but sadly I have very little hope.

Ace_Face...I feel your pain. I love (love!) my house in the Eastgate/Glendale area. I agree though that it is turning into a ghost town. Lots of empty retail, etc. The whole Southwyck area is depressing. The Ryewyck/Staghorn area used to be nice..mostly owner occupied. Now it is Section 8 filled. There was even a shooting there last year.

My wife and I are struggling with moving to Perrysburg or another suburb as we worry about crime and decreasing property values.

This is straying from south Toledo, but has anyone noticed how much empty retail there is in the Hill/Reynolds area? There is a whole shopping center that is basically deserted.

Dappling: my mother's house is in your general neck of the woods and I am deeply familiar with the problems that have come up. I grew up in that neighborhood.

Bright spots are Monettes, good neighbors (still), and easy access to things she needs (although Kroger's moving out of their location will be another blow if it happens). What distresses me are the same things you see--the continued encroachment of Section 8 slumlords/tenants (who are not all the Ozzie 'n' Harriet "just need a helping hand up" folks the idealists would have you believe) and the formerly bustling Reynolds Road which--now that I think of it--reminds me a lot of "Radiator Springs" in the movie Cars (a whole lot of empty buildings and former glories with a couple of stalwarts hanging on).

My mom has had things stolen from the patio or near the garage (stupid shit like garden shovels and a weed wacker---???); car has been broken into as well in the driveway (now it's garaged). Shit that never happened when I was growing up. Little punk bitches who feel they can just wander through people's property because generally in that neighborhood there are no yard fences. At night.

I feel like the border between safe and crappy is being held back by Swan Creek Metropark...and sooner or later, the infestation will cross and we'll see more of the crap that happens near Byrne/Airport (shootings, stabbings, robberies, etc.) make it's way to Eastgate/Airport, then down the stretch they come towards Cass/Eastgate/Glendale. Maybe I'm just fatalistic.

I feel safe, but I worry about my mom. I still feel like it's still a nice neighborhood, but I do share Ace's...what can you call it...claustrophobia? The feeling like the criminal crap that was contained in certain places is encroaching on my neighborhood. The one my mother and father worked so hard to make safe for their kids and neighbors. And it's not a good feeling.

I have a double lot on a corner in what used to be dam near the estate section of the Heatherdowns area. Like Oldhometown said: no fences. A few foreclosures have opened the door to rentals for the first time. On a street that had an average home value of $150,000 before the crash, one near me sold for $15,000 to a guy who came for the giant Oak tree first (urban logging paid for the house) and now rents it to a guy with a with a large cadre of random people stopping by at all hours. I have discovered Arbor Vitae and sadly... will be adding a fence. I had never even considered the possibility of people looking for foreclosures with valuable, old-growth, enormous tree stock. But when an actual logging crew came and cut the tree into extremely long lengths and piled the wood neatly on trucks for the mill... I recognized it for what it was. Urban Logging. When the hundred-plus year old tree is worth more than the house? Harvest it.

Thankfully, the old mall site is too close to the other Walmarts to build another. They usually allow at least 4-5 miles between stores. Allow me to rephrase what I was attempting to convey... please do not give us a crappy, generic big box development. Or yet another mega church. Give us something cool and modern, and perferably light on bix box stores (1 or 2 is okay, as long as they don't take up half the parcel like a Walmart, Costco, or Ikea would).

It’s not so much that the Southwyck area isn’t viable, most of the places that folded weren’t due to the area : k-mart is poorly run, Franks went out of business nationally, restaurants come and go, the mall was as much a victim of the previous owners wanting a tax write off as anything…

New well run business should do fine in the area. The 43614 area code is still one of Toledo’s best.

Well, I gotta tell ya. I'm one of those South Toledoans who moved to Perrysburg. In all honesty, it was mostly driven by the fact that I work in Wood County and wanted to lessen both the drive times and the fuel costs. But I admit there was a crime factor issue. My last stay was at my Mother's house while she had it up for sale. She'd moved to her current residence and didn't want it sitting unoccupied. While staying there someone kicked in the back garage door, must have seen my car in there and left. I was in the house when it happened. Where did this happen? Byrne/Heatherdowns area. That pretty much sealed it for me.

My move has resulted in a $150.00/ yr reduction in my car insurance and a biweekly increase in my take home pay of about $6.00. My fuel cost has been reduced as expected. I do pay more in real estate taxes, but not much more than at my Mom's old home and the peace of mind is priceless.

Crime happens everywhere. My mom lives in Sylvania Township and had her neighbor’s back door kicked in. Hell she even had a grow house in a house less than a mile away.

Oldhometown..great points. SensorG...you also bring up good points about Kmart and Frank's.

I had both of my weed whackers stolen out of the back of my pickup truck. A lady I work with lives on Fallbrook. Here husband looked out their window and saw a guy breaking into their car and chased him away.

I have an alarm and a rottweiler. Hopefully these will help.

Oldhometown, the best point you make is about the Section 8. There is a strip of apartments at Eastgate and Heatherdowns that now takes Section 8. Section 8 (IMO) brings crime and hangers on with it. Look at the Byrneport Apartments on Airport. They seem to be in the news quite a bit. They have a sign out front that says "Section 8 Welcome." When Section 8ters are fed up with areas like Byrneport, they will not move into the city, but will instead fan out towards Maumee.

Another issue is demographics. My neighborhood has a majority of retired and older people. I wonder if/when there will be a turnover as people die and retire and the houses come up for sale.

Conspiracy Theory of the Day...the City is redoing Southwyck Blvd. Is that because they have a tenant/buyer for Southwyck and the redoing of the road is part of the deal?

My guess is no - dappling2. That road has been barely drivable for several years. Knowing that buckeye has two offices/buildings there, a better thought was someone from Block Inc called the city and said "fix the damn road".

If road condition was really the driver in road repair, Commonwealth would have been fixed twenty years ago rather than sitting "at the top of the list."

Meadow Rue is South Toledo is a great area..however, the road is so bad that I feel like I am driving offroad!

This one, maybe? Sylvania man guilty of growing marijuana and Man says intruder tried to charge him before he fired shot.

The owner of the grow house is out and running around, but I think he's given up horticulture.

Knowing that buckeye has two offices/buildings there, a better thought was someone from Block Inc called the city and said "fix the damn road".

Ah-HA! Thanks Molsonator. I never could figure out just why that section of road would get repaired.