Nobody come near me, I’m doing things like walking home at night. Not very Fresno but I do it anyway.
This is what I call “Palm Hill” – the section of Palm between Clinton and Shields. There are not many areas of town that have any kind of hill, but this one does.
I have read that this area and other areas of town like it have these “hilly” parts because of an ancient river bed. I will take their word for it.
-Mikey
Palmdon Drive? Palm. don. Can we agree it’s the worst street name in Fresno? I get it, I get it, it’s a blend of Palm & Herndon. Yeah well it’s terrible.
I don’t think it’s a legit street name. When you look it up in Google Maps, it will show where Palmdon Drive is but it won’t place the name on the street. I think the street sign holds as much validity as an “Only Bulldog Fans Can Park Here” novelty sign.
This block used to be a fig orchard. NW Fresno used to be filled with fig orchards. They are all but gone now. I lived in the neighborhood behind it when I was a kid and that fig orchard was our park.
I used to hit golf balls, play wiffleball, let my dogs run around and attempt to catch jack rabbits, and even hide from tween life. In later years it became a place to have “fig parties” but that’s a story for another time.
Now it’s just offices, car dealerships, Starbucks and of course, the Univison Tower:
Back in 2009 we dubbed it: “El Torre Chingon” (That Fucking Tower).
Not really sure why I feel like it would be better if there were still fig orchards around. It just feels wrong that they are all gone. Particularly this one.
Naming the street “Palmdon” doesn’t help.
Of course you know about Cedar Lanes being no more. All of Fresno misses Cedar Lanes already, even if you never bowled there. There is nothing left but a crappy-ass Wal Mart trying to be a Trader Joe’s.
But what happened to the classic signs Cedar Lanes signs? They found their way to the Commercial Neon sign graveyard:
You can check it out for yourself at 5547 North Golden State Blvd. All lanes are open.
Things are looking pretty damn cool at the Sea Lion Cove being constructed at Fresno Chaffee Zoo. The exhibit's viewing area is starting to come into focus (where the dudes are standing under the poles) and it's slightly exciting to us AND the zoo's sea lions. Go measure Z, ey!?
As with 99% of Fresno's great old pictures, this one is from Pop Laval. (Stolen from Pacific Southwest Building's Facebook page.)
We hear Fresnans still do stuff in the old gal.