My father managed Lou's Liquor house at 54th and Redwood in the '50s until the late '60s. Do you have any pictures of the area from back then? There was a gas station, owned by Frank Monetta, a small grocery store, cafe, maybe a bar and more in that little shopping area. I think it was called Dennstedt Village. I have been enjoying all the history you have provided. I went to Horace Mann and  Crawford but moved to Oceanside for 11th and 12th grade. We then moved back to our house in 1971 ( we rented  our home while in north county). I wasn't very happy with my folks for moving while I was in high school.-- Peggy Wortman Welch '70

Here’s what Dennstedt Village looks like now.  Tradewinds Liquor was Lou’s Liquor House, Nu-Auto Body was Frank’s Texaco and Louie’s Market place was the Village Market, Bob Iverson, (the name came to me) and Noble -- Richard Cone '69

Peggy Workman Welch is absolutely correct, Dennstedt Village, and Frank’s Texaco, owned by Frank Monetta and his right hand man was Ronnie Burchell. Right around the corner was the Village Market, owned by Bob _____ and Noble_____, can’t recall their last names, we used to say the one after the other, like one name… BobandNoble. The market itself is still there…. the Texaco long gone but it’s an independent now, maybe a smog certificate place. Lou’s Liquors became Kentucky Fried Chicken when they came on the scene.  There was an Art Leitch Real Estate Office and the barber who cut my hair, Sam Di Blasi, his daughter Toni was in our class of 1969 I believe.    There was a bar there, right next to Lou’s, there was a dry cleaners and a shoe repair as well, and there was Kipp’s Variety Store, run by Mrs. Kipp.   I wrote about her and her store in detail in “The Old Man’s Kite” which you posted years and years ago and still live on there.  They also referred to it as Redwood Village, as the Village Market was on Redwood Street -- Richard Cone '69

I grew up in the area and I lived behind the Shopping center on Winlow St. All the houses  in the area were build by Ken Dennstedt back then and the shopping area was  called, I thought,  Redwood Village.??? All we guys went to Sam's barber shop  in the village. The gas station was a Texaco owned  by Frank Moetta and later by his son Gary Monetta. Gary married Susie Buckallew ....He passed away some time ago. Rollie Buckallew,  myself, John Blackwood, Frank Crail Virginia Sanderson and many more Colts grew up around Redwood Village. There was also a drug store next to the grocery store Village Drug store?There was a bar next to the Liquor store.and beauty saloon next to Sam's barber shop. Great time growing up in the  old Redwood Village. What a HOOT!! Many found memories of the god old days -- John Blackwood '59


In Redwood Village (Dennstedt Village) there was Lou’s Liquor, Kip’s Variety, Johnny’s TV repair, a barber shop, real estate office and a couple of other stores. Across the street was the grocery store, texaco gas station, Ortwine’s hardware store and, next to the grocery, a small shop that had many different uses -- Gary Schulte '62


I am still in touch with Frank Monetta's daughter in law. (Texaco station at 54th and Redwood.) My mom still lives up the street. I'll see if Susie Buckallew Monetta '66 might have some photos. Her brother Rollie '59 worked at the liquor store. I'll see what he comes up with as well --Susan Marshall Gordon ’64


How well I remember Dennstedt Village.  Became lifelong friends with Rick Dennstedt until his passing a couple of years ago. His sister Sherri class of '60, still lives in San Diego.   I lived across 54th St. on Easy Street.  The bar was the Amity Club.  There was Kip's Variety Store, Hoffman's Hardware, a beauty salon, cleaners, soda fountain, etc -- Virginia Sanderson Dahlen ’60


We lived up the hill from Dennstedt Village 1958-1963.  Lou's Liquor was there along with a grocery store (The Village Market), a coffee shop to the left of the market, a drug store to the right, and a 5 & 10-cent store (Mrs. Kipp's) across the street on the NE corner. Next door to Mrs. Kipp's was a bar, the Amity Club, and behind it were a children's clothing store (I forget the name) and a hair salon which my mother used. It was here that I met my best friend, Jeanie Schweikhard. We started Kindergarten together at Carver Elementary, and went on to Horace Mann; Jeanie moved to North County after 8th grade. She now lives in Los Angeles and we are still in contact. It is worth noting that the space occupied by the Amity Club is now a barber shop where a recent shooting took place. The neighborhood has changed a lot in 50 years -- Mary Ellen Whelan Clark '71


The Testa twins lived on the corner across from the gas station and should have pictures, the twins went to Horace Mann and Crawford good luck -- Linda Goldschneider Dooman ’67


Yes, the little shopping area at 54th and Redwood was owned by my father. It was called Dennstedt Village -- Sherry Dennstedt-Zullo ’61


Just for history’s sake. The Tradewinds Liquor Store was a Kentucky Fried Chicken at one point, but Lou's Liquor House was never at that location. It was next door -- Peggy Wortman Welch ’70


I grew up two blocks from the Village market and Lou's Liquor. I still live in the neighborhood, now known as part of Oak Park. We are the most diverse community in the United States, really. What used to be the Kipps Five and Dime, then KFC, is now the Tradewinds Liquor. Lou's Liquor sat behind the Tradewinds and faced 54th St. and the parking lot. It was a very small liquor store. I remember it well, as I bought my chewing gum in there. I'm sure I had no business in a liquor store buying chewing gum, but my dad knew Lou so they allowed it. The Amity Club was next to Kipps, across the street was a Texaco gas station that is now Nu Auto Repair. Nu is the owner, and he and his family run a very successful business. They have the original photo of the Texaco gas station hanging in their office, which is a nice reminder of the old neighborhood. There was a hardware store, a drug store with soda counter, the Village Market, and the café. My mom was the waitress at the café, and then when KFC moved in she worked there. Lots of the neighborhood kids had their first jobs at KFC 54th Street, including me and my husband. There was a watch shop, a dry cleaner, Devon's clothing for kids and teens, a beauty shop, a barber shop, and Art Leitch realty. Also, next to the gas station facing 54th Street, we had a Doctor Dingman, MD, and a Dr. Bremner, DDS. I saw both of them as a child. It was an excellent community to grow up in, and we still have many original owners from 1949 living here in the neighborhood. There were many builders at the time developing the community. Our house was a Jackson and Scott, down near the Village they are Dennstedt, and up the hill Hubner. I'm sure there are many more. Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures, just a lot of good memories -- Roberta Goss Marino '70


The Dennstedt-Redwood Village stories and pictures were great.  Being able to relive memories like this are what make your work so worthwhile.  The small "strip mall" was a neighborhood landmark.  And it was called both Redwood Village and Dennstedt Village.  They sponsored a team in the Oak Park Little League -- Donn Dufford, '63


The building on the corner where the Liquor House is now was a 5 & dime store.  In 5th or 6th grade, I remember buying my girlfriend a gift there.  Then it became a KFC, where I worked for a few years, starting when I was about 16.5 years old.  The portion of the building on the east end, where there is now a barber shop, was a bar.  I remember when I was working late cleaning up at KFC that I went and got my boss in the bar to tell him I was done.  The liquor store back then was on the north part of the building and was just a little store.  I also got my hair cut by Sam Di Blasi who was in back parking lot building portion.  And of course I remember the store (went there many times to buy junk food) and the gas station (went there to put air in my bike tires) -- Guy Casciola '69