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
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
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
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
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.
What Was That Bigass Plane!?
On Monday you may have seen this quite large Boeing 747SP-21 fly into Fresno and wonder “What the hell was that!?”
It was a NASA plane. The moble observatory called SOFIA - Stratopheric Observator For Infared Astronomy. Yep, a flying observatory.
What it was doing in Fresno, I don’t know. Maybe just looking for a chill spot to stop and have lunch.
Fresno Is A Threat To All Of California
You probably saw that LA Times article about Fresno band, Fatty Cakes and the Puff Pastries. I just wanted to make sure because, again, it contains the greatest of Fresnan descriptions:
Fresno breeds a very special kind of person,” they said. “Saying we’re from Fresno is both a bond — and a threat.
I could never have thought of a better way to say it. I will forever use it going forward.
Anyway, I am going to head out. Thank you for reading. Hope you have a great time Fresno-ing. ✌️
-Mikey
What I enjoy most about the newsletter is that for me not being from Fresno, this gives me the history I want to know. Thanks Mikey!
I think Michelle Asadoorian-Arax worked at the photo place there at Palm and Bullard or at the Bullard - Marks location.