Many, many memories here.
In the dark ages, before cell phones, the interwebs and all--1978 it was a different place.
The Plitt family had a two-screen movie theater in the Skaggs center; this is now Harry's (wonder if they ever knocked back through to the smaller screen are where the laser-tag used to be.
The Schulmann's had a three screen operation in Manor East Mall, but that was a couple miles' walk from campus.
The Campus theater was right across from the Northside dorms in those days. I saw Animal House, Deer Hunter, and Alien, all in first-release over there. Pr0n was a Dead Week/Finals Week thing. RHPS kept the place going a bit until it moved to the Plitt.
The Onion Ring (aka "the sl*t hut"
was at the west end of University, the only thing west of that was the Vet school; kountry inn was half-way to Snook (or seemed that way). Was Highway 60 in those days, too.
Across from the Campus Theater was a defunct Conoco station. It later became 12th Man Drinking Association before becoming Thirsty Turtle (before being torn down and made into a 7-11, which put the U-Tote-M on Patricia out of business).
Then the stucco building which stopped being a fiveplex to become Alamo, then Didkie's, then Uncle Charlie's (half-donkey BBQ out back). Which lasted until it became Dos Pesos before becoming Flying Tomato. To later become Fitzwillie's. Dixie Chicken (still had a barber chair in back), then Miranda's (which was a townie joint, and charged a dollar to 'keep the college kids out'--a move so successful Don was able to buy them cheap in '79). Then Dudley's. The old alley-turned arcade (now 315). The venerable Cow Hop was next--now Hatter's. Then, the Back Stage; now part of Wells Fargo, with Charlie's grocery with "hand dipped Bluebell ice cream."
Past the Bookstore was Wes Gideon's Farmer's Market Po'Boy's Sandwich shop. Now Basil's. The upstairs of Basil's was a copy center which used typewriters to turn out printed items like term papers. The skeevy 'adult' arcade was upstairs over Loupot's until the Sheriff raided into bankruptcy.
Where Gatsby's is now was the other drycleaner; across the way where V/Lounge is now was the other. That one burned down, and was a number of things, including a hard-luck music store.
Where the Corner now is was the Campus Photo Center--a wonderland of photographic equipment, if well beyond the means of poor college kids.
