I grew up on the southwest side of Milwaukee, where there were numerous small businesses along Forest Home Avenue. Most of them have been long gone... Among them all along Forest Home:
1. Tom's Hobby Shop at about 63rd St., where you could race slot cars, buy cool models, etc. A real hobby shop.
2. The "Grove" strip mall at 60th St., where there was a Kroger, the Chi Am Chinese restaurant, a five and dime, and the Badger Paint hardware store.
3. Willy's White Rock tavern, at 60th. The only time I got to go inside was for Trick or Treat.
4. Ted's store, between 58th and 60th streets- a real neighborhood store, and quite a good meat cutter.
5. Larry's Shoe Shop, at about 51st street, in a little curved building with a couple of other tenants.
6. McCarthy American Motors dealership, at 51st.
7. Boy Blue ice cream, at about 49th.
8. Chappie's Sporting Goods, at around 47th st. A real sporting goods store that had everything.
9. Dutchland Dairy, at around 46th; the cheapest fish fry around.
10. Wally's gas station, across the street from Dutchland Dairy. It was a DX, then a Sunoco.
I grew up near 60th St & Morgan Ave so familiar with those places. You may recall the 'Old Grove' Kroger location was later used as a Milway Department store. I remember Ted and the butcher well. Butcher / deli guy would always ask "Do you vont zum potato salad?". The store was an IGA, pretty dingy and old looking but convenient.
Another memory is of the very last of the iconic ultra modern Wisco 99 service stations being opened at 68th & Forest Home. The building is still standing, being used as an auto repair facility.