Spirited Savannah Throwbacks

Honor the old and make way for the new.

Alex Raskin Antiques, corner of Bull and Gordon Streets, Savannah

Once temperatures rise and the daffodils bloom my thoughts turn to Savannah. I loved grabbing a friend, heading out of Beaufort first thing in the morning, and driving down Hwy—17 into the city.

It was decades ago when we proudly dressed up for downtown shopping. Broughton Street! Fine’s Department store, Tanner’s Hamburgers, J.C. Penney.

Every Saturday our first stop would be Fine’s Department Store. Mr. Fine was always at the store, helped us find what we wanted, and even operated the elevator when we were ready to go to the second floor.

Crowds at Leopold’s Ice Cream

The next stop was Leopold’s Ice Cream. It was originally located on Gwinnett before moving downtown to Broughton Street. The three Leopold brothers, immigrants from Greece, started the vintage parlor in 1919, and today, it remains one of the most popular destinations in Savannah. The brothers have kept their formulas secret, but don’t mind letting you know they use only real, natural ingredients. Each batch is made on-site with the very best. We loved how the ice cream servers cheerfully helped us taste the many flavors.

From there we’d go to Alex Raskin Antiques, at the corner of Bull and Gordon Streets - an extraordinary place jam-packed with porcelains, nineteenth-century mahogany furniture, and lots of artwork for browsing. Part of its charm was the bits of plaster that crumbled from the ceiling and the creak of the floors as we walked through the mansion’s four levels.

On one of our visits, owner and Savannah native Alex Raskin approached us to ask if he could assist us.

“How many years have you been here,” I asked. “Long enough to remember when Abercorn Street was a dirt road; and when dialing Tybee Island, fifteen miles away, was a long-distance call,” replied Alex. “ Back in the early 70s when I came here I paid about the same price for this entire building as someone might now pay for that table over there.” He pointed to an early nineteenth-century coffee table in the corner of the room.

“Levy Jewelers over on Broughton St. has been here since 1900; Russo’s Seafood since 1946 and the Crystal Beer Parlor. That place is now eighty-nine years old.”

I always enjoyed lunch at the legendary Crystal Beer Parlor. The Mountain Jam Burger served on a Pretzel bun is a sure thing.

Alex retired a few years ago and we were sad to see him go.