\My son's birthday was coming up, so I headed to one of my old stomping grounds, Homewood IL, to buy and have shipped some pizza's to him in Arizona from Aurelio's.
I lived in that neck of the wood for over 35 years, give or take. My bank was downtown Homewood. Marlin Camera was downtown. I lived for a short period in the Gottschalk House on Martin Avenue, went to Homewood-Flossmoor High School, my sisters had their dance lessons in Homewood, and the family while I grew up lived in Glenwood Manor.
When young, I remember going to the Bank of Homewood during my sisters dance lessons, to buy rolls of pennies to check for my coin collection (which was later stolen in 8th grade from my locker). When I could afford it I would buy nickels, and sometimes a roll of dimes. Of course I would turn in the rolls of coins, replacing the ones I took for my collection, for more rolls or my cash back.
At the time Aurelio's was not where it is today. The original store was on Ridge Road, and my recollection, between Dixie and Martin Avenue somewhere South side of the road. I would by photography stuff at Marlin Camera on Ridge too.
Where Aurelio's is now, I believe started as a lumber yard, perhaps Hine's Lumber. When they moved out it changed hands several times. One being a bicycle shop that I went to sometimes, and now the Aurelio's that we know today. When it moved to the new location we always asked for pizza's to be cooked in the original oven. Sort of like comparing a current frying pan to a trust worthy older iron skillet. Pizza's came out cooked very tasty from that older oven. That oven has been decommissioned and is on display. Aurelio's replaced it with the same "type" oven to maintain that quality us old time people remember.
The time I lived in Homewood, I lived on the second floor of the 1891 built Gottschalk House, located on Martin Avenue. It was great there being able to walk across the street for some really good take out Chinese food. It was great to walk across the street to Homewood Florist to buy flowers from my high school friends family business. And what was really cool, was being able to walk out the front door right onto the downtown Homewood Fest. The band stage was right at the corner of the bank on Martin. The year I lived there I walked about 200 feet and stood right in front of Koko Taylor who was the guest singer for that evening.
So, yes lots of fond memories and I was glad to be back in Homewood to buy birthday pizzas for my son to have boxed and shipped out. When I arrived in Homewood, the market was still open, though near closing. Here are some photographs from the time there.
