High School Hang Out

Just next to Hamden High School was Hamden Plaza and the area's first Howard Johnson's Restaurant. Both the shopping center and the HoJo's opened in 1955 along a section of Dixwell, Avenue that came to be nicknamed "Magic Mile" for all of its retail establishments oriented for the convenience of motorists. The Plaza with its HoJo's out front was a typical mid 20th century setup--each complimented the other!

The Hamden Plaza Howard Johnson's lasted until about the middle 1970s. Walter Mann (www.hojoland.com) recalled that after the Restaurant closed it was converted into a seafood eatery called Jimmy's of Savin Rock which was popular and traced its roots to the Savin Rock Amusement Park in West Haven. The former HoJo's turned seafood restaurant closed in the early 1990s, and was then demolished to make way for a Chili's. Meanwhile the shopping plaza that the Restaurant had so ably served for nearly two decades went on to gain notoriety for being the site of The Ghost Parking Lot Project. By the early 2000s, the cars set in asphalt had been removed to provide additional parking for the revived center's expansion.

Opened in the early 1950s, the Manchester Restaurant was angled so that motorists exiting the Wilbur Cross Highway (later I-84) were deposited nearly at its front door! After the highway was upgraded, the HoJo's exit was realigned, but travellers could at least still see the site on there way to exit the Interstate.

A profitable location, the unit remained a Howard Johnson's until 1986. Upon the Company's sale to Marriott it was converted into their Roy Rogers concept, and continued to carry the Roy Rogers name through the middle 2000s.

Above: Mr. Sheppard's view of Manchester from I-84.

Below: Extensive renovations left only the Lamplighter Room mostly in place, and interestingly a couple of Landmark Supply booths and tables continued to be used.