Sure, a library isn’t as convenient as Google. And the whole stay-in-and-watch-Friends-reruns thing doesn’t quite work at a drive-in. But plenty of long-forgotten classics are still dope, and we genuinely believe every town needs a record store and a roller rink. So here’s our purely nostalgic list of just some of the stuff from our our childhoods that we totally want to enjoy again.
Drive-ins
So we have Netflix, but there’s no doubt that the pull of the drive-in lingers. It’s the stuff of pure nostalgia – those burgers perched on a tray on the cranked-down window, the crackly audio from that little speaker, the feelgood memory of a family in a car… Either way, a drive-in experience is something our kids deserve to enjoy too.
Neighborhood libraries
Yes, Google feeds our need for instant gratification and is hard to beat for when you want to know why men have nipples or where all the unicorns went. But we recently moved to a town with a great local library, and our Generation Alpha kids were immediately enchanted by the whole experience, including the incredibly helpful librarian and being issued their own cards. Libraries remain an economical way to foster a love of reading in your child, and that’s pretty much one of the greatest gifts you can give them.
Record stores
Back in the day, there was only one part-time job worth having, and it was at the record store (well the bookstore and video store too of course, #80sforever). Vinyl is resurging and there are plenty of big-city record stores around the world, but we’d really love to see the return of the independent local record store as the place to hang out on a Saturday morning in small towns too.
Roller rinks
If you grew up in 70s and 80s, chances are you spent many a Saturday at the local skate rink. While most of them have disappeared, it seems New York and surrounds still have a pretty thriving skate scene. Pity, as a local roller rink would be a fantastic way to spend a few hours with the kids – loads of fun, some cardio exercise, and if the deejay is any good, it would be like a throwback party for parents. (pic by Chad Kainz via flickr)
Mix tapes
A mix tape was the 80s (and early 90s) version of a love letter. When you made one, you focused solely on the person it was intended for; you thought about what they liked and what you thought they would like, and maybe you even recorded the songs off that week’s Top 40 show, which meant having to sit there for hours and make sure you hit the buttons at exactly the right moment. It’s the sheer personal effort that makes a mix tape worth hanging on to if anyone ever made one for you. We say, bring them back – let analog-style romance live again!
