Growing up in Del Ray (Alex, VA)

I grew up in the Del Ray neighborhood of Alexandria, VA during the 1960s until 1971. Went to Mt. Vernon Elementary, Jefferson Middle School graduated from GWHS and loved every year I lived in Del Ray. I have recommend if you live in Del Ray or just passing through a must stop is Al's Steak House on Mount Vernon Ave (John still owns Al's and been the owner since the original Al. However, I heard that John maybe selling out and that would be the end of Al's famous Philly Cheese Steak subs. Del Ray has always been diverse neighborhood of working class people and still is. Many of the old houses are being torn down and large houses being built on the small lots. I loved the small bungalow homes with the big front porches.

Some of the places along Mount Vernon Ave that I have fond memories are the Mount Vernon Phamacy with the old wooden phone booths with seats, pink lemonade in frosted glasses next to Pep Boys. We use to use the back doors in the drug store and Pep Boys. Sometimes I would stop at the G.W. Sugarbowl a bakery at Mount Vernon Ave & E. Luray Ave and get a brownie. There was Barney O’Dwyer’s Delicatessen. My dad worked part-time at Barney's during the mid to late 1960s. I remember the old wood floors and being able to go in the get anything we wanted when dad was working. Barney's had lots of penny candy, the deli meats were cut fresh too. I remember going downstairs in the basement one time and it was scary. I also remember the old Safeway on the corner or Monroe Ave & Mount Vernon Ave, the Miggett Kitchen, Scott Shop, Brownie's Jewerly Store (where my sister and I got our ears pierced) the Mount Vernon Theatre, Ed's Speed Shop, Dime Store next to the Post Office corner of E. Howell and Mt. Vernon Ave, Thompson's across from Mount Vernon Elementary School where we'd buy candy before and after school.

We moved to Alexandria when dad retired from the USMC at Quantico, VA in 1963. I was in the 6th grade and went to Mount Vernon Elementary School. My teacher's name was Miss Johnson. She was a very nice lady who was in her 20's. I remember it like yesterday on November 22, 1963 when someone came to our classroom door and called Miss Johnson out into the hallway. About 5 minutes later Miss Johnson came back into the room and she was crying and said that our president been shot. President John F. Kennedy was shot and killed in Dallas, Texas. No one then alive can forget where they were when they heard the news. The shock and sorrow of that event and for 3 days images of the funeral, JFK Jr's salute, the Jackie's composure, these images will never be forgotten. I was really too young to realize how this would effect out country at the time. What will never change is how his violent death impacted a nation. Many people feel that the Fifties actually ended on November 22, 1963. No more feel good days. I remember watching the funeral with my mom. Life in America during those four days came to a virtual halt as a nation sat, immobilized, glued to the TV. A collective sense of disbelief was made worse by the shooting of Lee Harvey Oswald.

Okay, then came the Beatles in 1964 to America. I was 12 years old when they came to our country and by then they took the U.S. by storm. All young girls were crazy for the Beatles. There was John, Paul, George and Ringo and I always liked Paul the best. I remember I had lots of Beatles stuff, buttons, magazines, Beatles sweatshirt, Beatle looking shoes, ring, medallion, lost of Beatles trading cards, dolls, posters, 45 records and albums. I even took my Beatles maginzes to school with me in Miss Johnson's class and one day she took it from me. I was so upset and I didn't get it back until the end of the school year. During free time in the classroom I remember playing the Beatles Flip Your Wig board game. Years later I would be very mad because my Beatles stuff was left in our house in the basement on Leslie Avenue. So what did I do about 10 years ago? I went onto ebay and bought some of the stuff I had when I was a kid. I think when I retire next year I might sell it on ebay. One thing I did keep was my records and albums from the Beatles and from all of the groups in the 1960's and 1970's. I was quite a nice collection.

Okay back to Del Ray there were lots of bars back then too that our parents use to go to and sometimes we would go with them. We would play pin ball games and have cokes and peanuts, chips or pretzels. Some of the bars we went to were; the Blue Fox, Donahue's, Fireside Inn, Monticello Deli & Bar and the Lynhaven Grill. There were a lot more but I can't think of the names right now. I think my folks went to all of them! My little sister Patti had a friend she met named Tammy Collier and was they were inseparable. Tammy's parents were Bob & Louise and they had another daughter name Donna. Dad and Mom played cards with Bob & Louise and I remember one time I caught Dad cheating! He got so mad at me and embarrassed. I remember the first large grocery store built in Del Ray was the Giant Food Store on Monroe Ave and a People's Drug Store (now CVS). When I was going to GW I would stop by the People's Drug store after school and we would get soda's and french fries. Just a few of the many wonderful memories of growing up in Del Ray.