Who Remembers These Car Dealerships in Arlington, Mass.?

Does anyone remember these car dealerships in Arlington, Mass.?

Arrow Pontiac (East Arlington)
Arlington Ford (Arlington center)
LeBert Bros. Lincoln Mercury (between Arlington High School and Brattle St.)
Hodgdon-Noyes Buick Pontiac GMC (near Arlington High School)
Time Oldsmobile (at the corner of Mass. Ave and Mill St.)

It seemed like Arlington had quite a few car dealerships back in the day. I remember that most of them hired good people that were part of the community -- not the cliched, aggressive hard-sell types.

As a member of the Arlington High School newspaper and yearbook, I remember the majority of these dealerships were quite supportive of s sponsoring those publications. My memory is a little foggy but I seem to recall my dad buying the phony wood paneled Mercury Marquis and Ford LTD station wagsons from LeBert Brothers and Arlington Ford, respectively. Ahh, the new car smell, the emerging presence of FM radio on the car stereo, the mystery drives to nowhere -- but somehow always involving Bates Farm ice cream in Carlisle (now Kimball Farm) -- when gas was 28 cents a gallon.

Mirak Chevrolet and Hyundai still remain and seem to be thriving, a real testimony to their long-time success.

Do you have any memories of these car dealerships in Arlington? Please commnet in the box below.

The 8-Sided Star Market Building in Woburn, Mass.

The former Star Market in Woburn, Mass. always caught my attention. I mean, where could you find another octagon-shaped market in New England?

I always thought the eye-catching shape of this building allowed more merchandise to fill the interior. It sure seemed that way. This Star Market had everything and outperformed local markets like Purity Supreme, A&P, First National and Stop & Shop, in my humble childhood opinion.

Not that all Star Markets were this good, mind you. I generally found the others to be just Ok. Not the Woburn location, though, this was definitely the star destination of the chain.

Whole Foods eventually replaced this Star Market. I don't see the octagon shape anymore but I guess that's what happens when you cut corners. Sorry for that bad pun.

Bickford's Pancake House: Why Did It Go Away?

Bickford's Pancake House never should have gone away.

For a chain, Bickford's felt more like a standalone locally-owned restaurant. I certainly liked Bickford's a lot better than Denny's in Lexington and the International House of Pancakes in Cambridge and Watertown. Bickford's served big breakfasts, huge and cheap, and rarely screwed up the orders. The carpeting was nice, the lighting just right and the space between tables and booths not too cramped. The Woburn location was usually the go-to Bickford's for me.

Bickford's had a great run in New England from the 1970s to, I think, the early 2000s. It was one of the few chain restaurants I actually liked. The whole experience always seemed like a big family outing. Bickford's wasn't one of those places where those going out to eat seemed miserable in a down-and-out kind of way and uncommunicative with loved ones.

A few weeks ago, I drove past Bickford's Grille in Woburn. I'm curious to try it out although I know the vibe won't be the same as Bickford's Pancake House.

Has anyone been to Bickford's Grille? Do you have any special memories of Bickford's Pancake House? Please comment in the box below!