Goin’ downtown

The Downtown Redlands Station is a beauty.

By John Murphy

Friday morning I grabbed our dog, Mia, and headed out for a walk. Destination uncertain.

Soon I found myself headed for downtown Redlands, always a worthy destination. We parked on Orange Avenue behind a small restaurant and started out.

First up on the right is the Downtown Redlands Station train depot. The station was built in 1910 for the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. It was preserved and reopened on Oct. 24, 2022 as part of the Arrow commuter rail service. The depot is a beauty and I took photos. Click-click-click.

These old mosaic murals by Millard Sheets brighten Orange Avenue.

Trudging ahead we came upon Finney’s Crafthouse, one of many craft beer joints in town. On the side of Finney’s is a mosaic mural by artist and architectural designer Millard Sheets.

According to a column by my friend David Allen in the Press-Enterprise, Sheets did these works of art – about 150 of them — for financier Howard Ahmanson from 1956 through the 1980s. Many of them were on Home Savings banks, a business that preceded Finney’s on this corner in downtown Redlands.

Ahead we plodded, up State Street. Mia was mostly cooperative but had to stop and sniff or pee every so often.

Mia was nice enough to pose in front of this vintage advertisement.

We stopped at the plaza one-third of the way up State and Mia wandered around in front of the old Western Star Soap advertisement. The restored sign is cool and makes for good photos. I took some.

Next was Citograph Printing which is the oldest business in Redlands (circa 1887) and site of the old Citograph Newspaper. Inside the front door is an ancient printing press that’s beyond cool. Nostalgia enveloped me.

Pro baseball player Robert Anthony Cruz frequented Lappert’s when he lived here and it really should have a treat in his name.

Farther up the street on the right is Lappert’s Ice Cream, a fine dispenser of frozen treats. I smiled, recalling that pro baseball player Robert Anthony Cruz is a big fan of Lappert’s. Cruz is an Arrowhead Christian Academy grad who now plays for the popular Savannah Bananas professional baseball team.

When Cruz lived in Redlands after getting cut by the Washington Nationals, he’d walk to State Street and go to Lappert’s each day. How the guy is so trim and rocked up, I’m not sure.

Something about this establishment says Jon Flick spent time here, downing a few brews and listening to some Whitesnake.

Onward we trekked, past Yum Yum Donuts (“Always Open!”) and Cuca’s Mexican food as we returned on Redlands Boulevard. Cuca’s is next to the Thrif-T-Lodge and I always imagine my writing buddy Jon Flick spending a night or two at Thrif-T partying. I don’t know for sure that it happened, but I’m not betting against it.

Redlands Boulevard has some interesting businesses such as Landmark Coffee where I have not yet been. But just the fact that it’s not Starbucks is good.

Then there’s an old standard, Indian Motorcycle, and across the street Parliament Chocolate. Parliament made some righteous chocolate in its day but did not survive COVID and is now shuttered. Too bad.

Speaking of closed, time to shut this entry down. Downtown Redlands is interesting and worth a visit no matter what your purpose. I know I enjoyed it, and Mia didn’t complain either.