Old School Boston Businesses That Still Exist Today

Many traditional, old-fashioned Boston area businesses that we loved in the 60s and 70s still exist today without much of a change in the way they do business. Here are some that come to mind...

Walpole Woodworkers in Walpole still sells those expertly crafted swing sets we bought in the 60s. Balich 5&10 in Arlington remains one of the last five and dimes in the area. Playtime in Arlington is no longer a toy store but the old school arts and crafts element is well intact and as impressive as ever. Sports Etc. in Arlington, still excels in the sporting goods category and with that superb customer service that has been a prioritization for all these years. The Old Mill restaurant in Westminster continues it magical Sunday morning brunch. The lovely pond, covered bridge, waterfall and the chance to feed the ducks bread are joyously timeless. Prince Pizzeria in Saugus still has that "Leaning Tower of Pizza" structure outside and delicious Italian-style pizza inside. Steve Castraberti has done a great job maintaining the excellence that his late, great father, Arthur, created through the years. Durgin Park restaurant keeps on going strong in Boston, although the waitresses are not nearly as rude as in the past. The Union Oyster House and Javeli's still thrive in Boston with, respectively, their seafood and old school Italian business specialties. The Maynard Outdoor Store in Maynard was a favorite back in the day and still is today with its fantastic mix of clothing, footwear, camping and sporting goods in a very old-fashioned, neighborhood store setting.

We'd love to hear from you on old school Boston area businesses that still remain today. What are some of your favorites?

Boston Area Steak Houses of Yesteryear

Valle's Steak House. Photo credit: Pat Boni - http://saxtonsign.com/, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=24950959

The trend today is the upscale steak house, but back in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, the family-friendly steak house reigned in our Boston area neighborhoods.

Most were chains, but were so integrated with the feel of our towns and cities that people didn't put on their snob hats and put down the corporate presence. Heck, we just wanted a good steak!

Some of those steak houses were:
Newbury Steak House, Boston, Mass.
Rib Room, Hotel Sonesta, Cambridge, Mass.
Valle's Steak House in Chestnut Hill and Saugus, Mass.
JBs Steak House, Newton, Mass.
Colorado Public Library, Brookline, Mass.
Buddy's Sirloin Pit, Harvard Square, Cambridge

Hilltop Steak House, Saugus, Mass.
Bonanza Steak House, Burlington, Mass.

Vincent's Steak House, West Springfield, Mass.
Green Ridge Steak House, Nashua, N.H. (right next to the landmark Green Ridge Turkey Farm, this expansion didn't last too long at all!)
York Steak House, various mall locations

By the way, nice to see locally-owned steak houses like Frank's Steak House in Cambridge, Jimmy's Steer House in Arlington and the Wildwood Steakhouse in Marlboro still thriving!