Cruiser Boom of the 1980's...

[Danny the schwinn freak]

Yea, it was a sad day for me when I heard the shop closed for good last year. I worked there from 77 to June of 82

Was it in the same location all those years?

 

[Xlobsterman]

Was it in the same location all those years?

Yep, it was opened in 1962 as a franchised Schwinn dealer, and was in the same location until it closed on Oct 31st last year.

I worked for the original owner who was a family friend who lived across the street from us in Lawndale. He sold the shop late 81, or early 82. and I worked for the new owners for a few months until June of 82.

Here is a more recent pic of the shop I found on the web, but I am not sure the exact date it was taken?

 

[TRUEBLUE1981]

Wow great story..sad ending.

 

[Danny the schwinn freak]

Yep, it was opened in 1962 as a franchised Schwinn dealer, and was in the same location until it closed on Oct 31st last year.

I worked for the original owner who was a family friend who lived across the street from us in Lawndale. He sold the shop late 81, or early 82. and I worked for the new owners for a few months until June of 82.

Here is a more recent pic of the shop I found on the web, but I am not sure the exact date it was taken?

View attachment 745738

That’s a good run. Not many businesses can say they stayed open that long. And to that recent of times. With all of the Walmart bikes and others like that, it must have been hard for small family owned bike shops to stay open. It is truly sad to see the little independents going away. My favorite local bike shop here has been open for nearly 20 years and there is talj of him closing his doors soon too. It bums me out.

 

[Xlobsterman]

That’s a good run. Not many businesses can say they stayed open that long. And to that recent of times. With all of the Walmart bikes and others like that, it must have been hard for small family owned bike shops to stay open. It is truly sad to see the little independents going away. My favorite local bike shop here has been open for nearly 20 years and there is talj of him closing his doors soon too. It bums me out.

Yea, the bike market has sure changed in all those years. The rumor I heard was the rent for the building was about to double, and that was the final nail in the coffin for this local business.

I have been out of the South Bay area for the past 15 years. The rising property values in the area, has chased out lots of people and business that can no longer afford to live, or do business there.

For example, the house my parents purchased in Hawthorne (after we moved from Lawndale) in the early 70's for $32,000 is now valued at close to $900,000

 

[Danny the schwinn freak]

Yea, the bike market has sure changed in all those years. The rumor I heard was the rent for the building was about to double, and that was the final nail in the coffin for this local business.

I have been out of the South Bay area for the past 15 years. The rising property values in the area, has chased out lots of people and business that can no longer afford to live, or do business there.

For example, the house my parents purchased in Hawthorne (after we moved from Lawndale) in the early 70's for $32,000 is now valued at close to $900,000

That’s insane! Times change and everything changes with it. It’s just sad to see the little businesses that were started and sustained by hard working Americans trying to provide a good life for their families going by the wayside. I’m not trying to rant, just rambling on about the things I don’t like to see. Anyway, those are great pics and great stories about that shop. It must have been a real thrill working there in the heyday of bmx’d Schwinn cruisers. What a time it was back then. I’d love to be able to go back and see it.