I have really enjoyed reading your memory walk down Lincoln Ave. I too, have many fold memories of ‘the Ave’ from my childhood. I grew up in Willow Glen. I remember Bergmans, all the smokey, musty antique stores, the theatre too. All good times. I remember when Starbucks first went in and that’s when we all thought that there were going to be big plans for Lincoln Avenue. It has taken longer than we anticipated, but looks like development will continue.

Thanks for sharing your story !!

Sara Greenwood

Walk down Lincoln Ave. today, notice the garden plaza office building. It hasn’t always looked like that. I can recall a warm Friday night in late summer when a bunch of college student piled in the back of a pick-up truch were headed for a night out in some obscure little area of San Jose many of us had never been before.

You see I saw the movie Romeo & Juliet in 1968, & immediately fell in love with Olivia Hussey (Juliet). You can imagine my joy when in my 2nd year at San Jose State University I met someone who looked exactly like Juliet to me, I had to know her. Unfortunately, I was in love with the character & not the person I dated for a few months so she lost interest.

My girlfriend (Juliet) lived within a few blocks of Linclon. And guess what, we were headed for the movie to see, you guessed it, Romeo & Juliet, she had never seen it. The movie was at the Garden Theatre right in downtown Willow Glen. A night cap of ice cream at Farrell’s & we were back in the dorm.

By the way, for those of you who are SJSU alums, please join the InCircle – https://www.sjsualumninetwork.com/sjsu/auth/login & perish the thought if you were on that trip you just had a great laugh!

Danno