Specifically, the old Schaefer's occupied the space on the southwest corner of 13th and F, which would be the northeast corner of today's Community Center building. Interestingly, a little further to the west, an historic Fire Station is also incorporated into the building. The fire station pre-dates Schaefer's by a couple decades, and my guess is that the commercial building on the corner was built to reflect the design of it's neighbor down the block to the west.
There's a nice little Lincoln Police Department substation in the southeast corning of the Community Center, which gets a lot of use. That's why you'll often see police patrol cars in the curb cut on 13th Street.
7 comments:
Director,
Was there a HiWay Diner just across the street also? I remember having some really great breakfasts there.
Gun Nut
Gun Nut,
I think there's always been a diner on the SE corner of 13th and F, at least as far back as I can go--I just can't come up with the name. Sunshine Cafe ring a bell? Bluebird Cafe? I'm pulling names out of the memory bank...
Prior to the rennovation the hayloft hatch could still be found in the old fire station.
I don't know about HiWay diner; I thought that was a relatively new venture (last 20 years or less). The Bluebird Cafe that I remember was right across the street from the train station if I recall correctly (rumored to have a house of prostitution upstairs). This brings back memories of winning a lot of Ron Romero's money at our poker games when we were still in high school.
Steve,
I'm pretty certain that was the Russian Inn across 7th Street from the depot--at least in the winter of 1974-75. There was a cafe at 14th and South Street (NW), and one where DaVinci's is now located at 11th and G. Might have been one of those. I think you're right about the current incarnation of the HiWay Diner: it's a relative newcomer from the 1980s or thereabouts. There was a place on the SE corner of 48th and Cornhusker with that name in 1975, but I don't think it is connected to the current Lincoln business. I can also recall George & Pat's on N. 48th in University Place, Cooper's Cafe in the 2400 block of O, Neilson's on the NW corner of 24th and O, Klatie's on 27th between Q and R, Alice's in College View, Don & Millie's at about 18th and O, and of course the Greenwich, HobNob, Kuhl's, and Marie's Oasis downtown. These were among the places that cops on the night shifts could find a home-cooked meal or a bowl of soup. Probably the grandmother of them all, Virginia's Travelers Cafe, is still in business in the 3800 block of Cornhusker Highway. The location was typically--though somewhat incorrectly--reported to dispatchers as "812 at 40 - 40", another story of its own.
At one time I believe there were five Hi-Way Dinners scattered around town. The diner at 13th & F streets was one of them. It is now a Mexican Restaurant. All of the Hi Way Diners have now closed with the exception of the on located about 24th Street and Highway 2.
11th & G was the Sunnybrook Café.
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