re: Happy 2023 to OT - "Mecca" AKA Monroe the GOAT CITY to grow up in LA (PIC heavy)

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Sparky and I might have crossed paths?

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Sparky is a softy. Deep down. If you knew him then you had to know Bruce. That guy is worthy of his own thread.

You’re much older than me but I got to enjoy a few of these originals.

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Someone told me the ice cream place downtown( forgetting the name) made them

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Seale-Lily?

You and I probably know each other. Glenn and I were the same age and played baseball together. He did die a few years ago from heart failure.

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Know/knew McD, Matt, Sam, Buck, the whole crew, very well.

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Buck would pick me and my brother up from grade school since dad was always away on pipelines and mom worked. Buck had the pecan orchard on 165 that is now whatever CenturyTel is and would get us on the way to the gym to go train the guys. Free daycare I guess. Man we had some talent in the gym. I was awe struck either by the fighters or really how bad that gym smelled. A good Summer day could kill a buzzard. I really didn't get into boxing seriously until the end of high school and before I was going into the Marines though.

This is fantastic, I remember them all. On the bar scene, do you remember the Red Dog Saloon?

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rang in Y2K in Sal’s.

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Difficult to explain how awesome Sal’s was Thursday-Sunday. Especially during the holidays, when everyone was back in town. During the ‘90’s, the sheer number of unbelievably attractive girls would make your head spin.

Sixth street deserves a mention too. Saw BTE play there several times, electric atmosphere, there would be so many people jammed in that you literally would be unable to move. Some neighbors sued due to noise violations, got it shut down. They leveled the place a few years ago, which was so sad.

For such a small town, Monroe had a great bar scene and nightlife, then it was like they all closed down at once. Sal’s is still open but I never see anyone there, and I don’t get the idea college kids go there anymore.

Great photos, thank you so much for posting.

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was that your kin?

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I don't think. My dad was from West Monroe. My granddad worked for FB&D. He was the General Supt when he retired. His last big job before he pulled the plug was building the plant in Sterlington.

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I was going to mention 6th Street, also The Mirage. I saw this chick at a mud ride in the middle of nowhere and then saw her dancing at the mirage a week or so later. she was pretty hot and very flexible.

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The Mirage . Wide disparity in talent level. I remember it being one of the places I was always a little nervous to go into. In the ‘90’s, was a mix of bikers and college kids. Fights between the two were common.

I’ve never lived in Monroe and enjoyed this post. Cool old photos. How did you find them all? Seems like things in Monroe have gotten a lot darker since the “good old days.”