Author: The Fresnan

Local nerd. Longtime blogger and podcaster. I love talking local, Star Wars, beer and other junk. Find me on Facebook, Instagram CHEERS!

Memory Map: Palm & Bullard

The Fresnan 2 Comments
img_3453 Memory Map: Palm & Bullard
Palm & Bullard nerdy ‘memory map’

As I have noted in the past we have some good groups in town keeping old Fresno pictures and memories alive. I would like to add a nerdass entry with my memory maps – hand drawn maps of an area of Fresno with memories of things that once were.

Today we are at Palm & Bullard.

NW Corner

cc4e53b4-3772-4ea2-a2d0-c6798f36e178 Memory Map: Palm & Bullard
Opus 1 hasn’t changed a bunch
  • Home of the Opus 1 shopping center. It’s always been there since I have been alive.
  • Outside of a few shops changing to something else, it’s the same.
  • There used to be a cool little record shop. It was around at the tail-end of the 80s and maybe at the beginning of the 90s. Now would be a great time for it it be there again. I believe it was in the spot that the Grape Tray is in.

SW Corner

img_3459 Memory Map: Palm & Bullard
This in not the actual one but it’s damn close
  • At one time a nice little Foodland Market. Then a Walgreens. Now a yarn place of some kind. Has a neat little green space next to it where Bullard kids would go have their fights after school.
  • Foster’s is still there and thankfully hasn’t changed… like, AT ALL.
  • There once was one of the Fotomat places that looked like the one pictured above.

NE Corner

4f9756b2-03de-4201-b9db-778647a194ca Memory Map: Palm & Bullard
As it is today and stuff
  • Old Save Mart location. Still empty. Seems like it will be empty forever. My Grandmother lived in the apartments behind the shopping center and we got to bring the carts home when shopping – for some reason I thought that was cool.
  • There used to be a Sierra Nut House. Now there is a car wash.
  • Bullard Village Drugs was the jam before all the Walgreens and CVS style places took over. Good magazine section and a good Pharmacist.
  • Bullard Liquor is now nothing.
  • The dry cleaner is still there and hasn’t changed. ?
  • Mama Mia’s is thankfully still there – home of my favorite gnocchi in town.

SE Corner

d79250bf-6b43-44d7-9405-310165614fbb Memory Map: Palm & Bullard
  • 7-11 has always been there. Not a whole lot has changed. Although when I was a kid there was a little video game room where the Slurpee machince is now. I dropped many quarters into those.
  • There was a little one of those Fresno PD phones on the side of 7-11 (maybe it is still there). Ironically, the parking lot is where Bullard kids would go to find out where the “illegal” parties were at.
  • The 76 station is now one of those dinosaur gas stations.??

Feel free to share any history or stories you have about the area, in the comments.

I have another memory map post about Blackstone & Shaw too.

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Waking Up My Day With…

The Fresnan
img_3125 Waking Up My Day With...
Caroline can’t believe how INSANE these dudes are.

What kind of WILD, crazy-ass shit is KSEE 24’s Brody Logan and Reuben Contreras talking about to make Caroline Collins give them the “Oh you guys are too much” head turn & shake?!?

I bet they are talking about how rad Me & Ed’s pizza is and it is just too ridiculous for Caroline to take.

PS: If you watched the video I am sorry for the earworm.

PSS: Yes I know it’s just a silly commercial, I am just having some fun.

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Where Is The Fig Garden Area Of Fresno?

The Fresnan 3 Comments
img_2857 Where Is The Fig Garden Area Of Fresno?
Fig Garden is where exactly?

I have been wanting to do a series of posts about the areas and districts of Fresno for probably 14 years now. It’s about time I get started.

I’ll start with my area: Fig Garden/Bullard/NW Fresno.

I live near Bullard High so I often refer to it (to those that ask) as the “Bullard Area.”

Am I in Fig Garden? Yes. Am I in NW Fresno? Yes. But within those two, I am in Bullard. Hey, Instagram recognizes it in their location option, so why not?

7648f4b6-d0a4-4c66-bc78-872467ba0c6b Where Is The Fig Garden Area Of Fresno?

But who the hell am I to say? So I put it out there to Fresno Twitter:

Obviously in NW Fresno. Maybe in Bullard. Definitely in (with Fresno Twitter’s backing) Fig Garden.

img_2867 Where Is The Fig Garden Area Of Fresno?

Me too. I never say Fig Garden either, as accurate as it may be.

Where Does Fig Garden End?

Well, to the East is easy: Blackstone. To the South: Shaw. To the North: the SJR. But where is the Western border?

Ok so things start becoming just NW Fresno at some point. But the border is?

My first thought is Marks. But I have seen some maps that have Fig Garden centered at Bullard and Valentine. So we should pick something different.

The Loop. The FIG GARDEN loop. You live East of The Loop (Fig Garden Drive to Shaw), you are Fig Garden. West? You are another thing. Then use Brawley up to Locust as a border to the North.

There we are. Fig Garden broadly defined. Maybe I will start saying I live in Fig Garden now?

I still want to work on the little districts within NW Fresno and then build out the rest of Fresno. But we have a start here.

Don’t Sleep On: Kills Birds

The Fresnan
img_2747 Don’t Sleep On: Kills Birds

Thursday night is the big Foo Fighters return to Save Mart Center. If it comes close to their last/first ever Fresno show, it should be epic.

Opening for them is an L.A. band called Kills Birds. Maybe you have not heard of them yet so here are…

Things To Know:

  • They have a new Sophomore album out now called Married. It was recorded at Dave Grohl’s own Studio 606 (per Dave’s request) through the same Nerve console Nevermind was recorded on.
  • The Chicago Tribune calls their music “confrontational rock”.
  • Voice: Nina Ljetis. Guitar: Jacob Loeb. Bassist: Fielder Thomas.
  • They have been considered THE band to see at SXSW.
  • They are not scheduled to play live again until February so they might be giving us a little more than usual.

The current single is “Cough Up Cherries” and can be enjoyed below:

also this:

and this:

Check Kills Birds on their site.

I know the typical Fresno concert move is to drink outside the venue as late as you can while still making the main act. But maybe get in the Save Mart a little early and see Kills Birds this time?…

img_2751 Don’t Sleep On: Kills Birds
Foo Fighters with Kills Birds Fresno concert poster

Memory Map: Shaw & Blackstone

The Fresnan 2 Comments
img_2684 Memory Map: Shaw & Blackstone
Badly drawn map of Shaw & Blackstone

A new blog series where, in a crudely drawn map format, I write down memories and random thoughts about a Fresno intersection.

I am trying to keep a record for myself and maybe jog a memory or two for you.

Good luck trying to read my sloppy and quickly drawn map of the intersection of Shaw & Blackstone (Or do you say Blackstone & Shaw?).

Anyway, with the exception of the current Heroes Comics, Rocket Dog, Electronic Billboard and Vineyard Farmers Market, the map is all old references.

  • The old convenience store at the Vineyard was a great place to get baseball cards that weren’t Topps.
  • Nothing compares to the old conversation pit in the Peppermill bar.
  • I can’t remember the name of the sporting goods store my old step-grandad worked at.
  • I miss both locations of Plaza Ventana.
  • I miss all the Wavelengths too.
  • When that Electronic Billboard went in it was like “Oh we’re big-time now?”
  • Bring back Circuit City please.
  • That video store is gone now, right? It’s the only store in town I ever noticed having a “red door” for the adult section.
  • How and why is there still an empty lot right next to a freeway and on a major street!? One of those kind of property owners that just sits on it forever, hoping to make some huge payday, I assume.

There you have it. My first Memory Map post. I would like to think I’ll get better at the map part, just wanted to get this up before I talked myself out of it.

Feel free to share your memories or home made maps in the comments or on Twitter.

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COVID Is Not The First Thing That Scares Me About Thanksgiving Eve At Livingstone’s

The Fresnan
img_2657 COVID Is Not The First Thing That Scares Me About Thanksgiving Eve At Livingstone’s
Classic Livingstone’s

For the sake of this post, I will put aside the debate about if it is safe enough to go to a packed bar in the final (we hope) throws of a pandemic.

That said…

Tonight is Thanksgiving Eve. Traditionally a big night in the Tower District, where Fresno Natives (now living out-of-town) come back and mix with current Fresnans.

Those current ones have to listen to old friends pump up their post-Fresno lives, like they’re trying to sell us on bitcoin.

Livingstone’s traditionally has been the epicenter for these meetups. At this point, I am afraid to go.

Not because I am worried I’ll run into some weird person from my past. It’s because I likely would not run into anybody.

Like, not one person I know.

Been away from the Tower scene too long. And any old friends I might see hardly go out anymore either.

I might be too old for Livingstone’s. (ouch that stings)

Enjoy yourselves, younger Tower people. Enjoy Livingstone’s and Strummers and Goldstein’s and Vini’s and Fresbrew and Spokeasy’s and whatever.

Enjoy it while it lasts, kids.