69th street terminal

NJTKid01

There is nothing wrong with 69th Street, it is a safe station, better then South Ferry

Yes the 69th Street Terminal is not like it was years ago, but I think it is one of the safest stations on the SEPTA system, even in the latter hours. Also, just passing through for a transfer raises the safety level as you will be pretty much in the areas that have good volume and in fact, 69th Street is one of the few places on the system that I always see a transit cop.

When boarding the MFSE at 30th Street, the third car from the front should put you right by the stairs for an easy egress to the stairs. Exiting the middle door of the subway car should put you right at the stairs. Only bad part with this is you will miss the opportunity to ride in the rail fan seat up front for that perfect view of the line and West Philly. Although, by the time you board, the seat would most likely be taken –it is a popular seat for all walks of life who ride the line, not just railfans.

Sarge and Matt Mitchell, I would like to thank you for responding. This question goes for "sarge",

I'm a 17-year old High School coming from NY during a week where High School students get the week off because some of our chums are taking tests but I don't have to take them. Long story short, I know the PPD and SEPTA PD try to deter kids from cutting school. But would you think that me being out pose any problems?

Not really, I have only seen bus/trolley operators enforce the “School is in; I can’t pick you up, rule”, and this usually only happens at a stop near the school around 8 to 10 AM. Till 10 AM, is also the time transit cops usually stop looking for truant kids at the major stations If you have an ID that shows your residence is out of state, you should fine if you happen to be stopped and questioned.

Many students, especially the ones on the five year program, only attend school half the day, so after 1130 AM; most cops are relaxed at enforcing. Also, most students in Philly have to wear a quasi uniform and they are easy to spot. Yes, many try to cut while still in uniform.

Franklin Gowen wrote:
Hey Walt --- I'll bet you remember Hanscom's Bakery, too. The terminal location was a "satellite" store as opposed to their "central" store, at the northeast corner of 69th and Chestnut atop the hill. Last I saw, a jeweler's store is in their old spot atop the hill. I always preferred their store inside of the terminal...hearing the rumble of the trolleys passing above us on the loop track!

I remember it well----- you could go to a movie at the Terminal Theater and smell the baked goods AND hear the rumble of the trolleys as they passed over the loop track. I also remember that the Red Arrow had a uniformed employee on the bus platforms who would stand at the back door of the buses and announce each bus's destination as it was about to depart ( "Lansdowne-Darby" M !!----- "Chester-O")

Things I remember about "The Terminal":

• *The other coffee shop directly across from Nedicks
  *The Horn & Hardart store, the best baked beans in the world!
  *The Sun Ray Drug Store with a street entrance & terminal entrance
  *Terminal Market, I used to buy stuff there; wood floors if I remember correctly
  *Terminal Tavern, I eventually got served there, (under aged of course )!
  *The super spooky air raid shelter. Did you ever go down there?
  *The card/gift shop I seem to remember across from Sun Ray
  *The shoe repair shop between the bus platforms, it was shoe repair, yes?

Unfortunately my memory has faded but it would be so cool to get a tenant list if SEPTA still has that info.

Some of the happiest days of my youth were spent "hanging out" in 69th Street and the Terminal environs. It really breaks my heart to see things the way they are today but at least I have my memories of Gimbel's, Lit's, the Santa Claus booth on the street at Christmas and the Easter Bunny in April, Todd's, Krill's & Metronome Music, Orlando's Cafe, Jonas Stationary, the Farmers Market, Terminal Pizza, (hmmmm, what a bad name), Herman Brooks Sporting Goods, the Balcony & the Habiliment, (sp?), movies at the Terminal Theater, and double digit trolley fares!

I remember being VERY upset during the middle 1960's when the Red Arrow re-located the 69th Street route of bus Route M ( 69th Street-Darby via Lansdowne) and moved its loading position out onto WC Pike ( along with the 69th Street- Elmwood Route J) from inside the Terminal. Since the "Darby-M" was my Route into 69th Street, this meant that I could no longer watch the trolleys while waiting for the "M" to depart.

Where was the air raid shelter and terminal theater located?

Thank you.

lefty wrote:Where was the air raid shelter and terminal theater located?

Thank you.

I never saw the air raid shelter, though I heard about it in the 1960's--- the Terminal Theater was located in the concourse between the PTC ( original) portion of the terminal ( the MFSE section) and the Red Arrow portion, next to the drug store. Since it has been more than 20 years since I've been inside the Terminal, I don't know what is in that location today, but the Theater and the drug store were just inside the concourse as you walked TOWARD the Red Arrow section.-- Walking in that direction, they would have been on your left.

Almost directly opposite from the Terminal entrance to the Sun Ray Drugstore there was a staircase that went down and underneath the concourse. That was where the Air Raid shelter was. I seem to remember that there was another use for that underground area but I forget what else was going on down there.

It may have been another driver hangout. I'll ask my friend's father who used to be a Red Arrow bus driver back in the 60's-70's.

Was the movie theater ground level or was it down a flight of stairs?

There is a section of the basement that has a gentle slope to the floor not unlike you would find at a movie theater.

The entrance to the movie theater was at street level, Market Street to be exact; across from the McClatchy Building; but like all theaters it sloped downward. I have a funny feeling that the rear exit of the theater went right into the air raid shelter area I remember. It would make sense since the way the theater is situated it would make a dandy exit out and up the staircase I remember; and right into the terminal.

I only saw one movie at that theater when I was very young so I never had an opportunity to do any exploring. I think a field trip is in order.