The southeast corner of Ridge Road and Noel Drive in North Arlington has long been a commercial site, occupied now by a brand-new 7-Eleven. But back in the 1970s, when the ‘Then’ photo was taken, it featured a Dairy Queen, which apparently had a restaurant attached to it. What do you serve in a Dairy Queen restaurant? Cheeseburger a la mode? Later, the property was the longtime home of Jim Dandy’s restaurant, which operated until fairly recently. Locals will recognize that Jim Dandy’s had used the cozy-looking barnlike structure built by DQ, but it was, alas, demolished by 7-Eleven. We don’t know the make and model of that block-long sedan parked at the DQ, but it calls to mind the days when members of a classic car club would gather in Jim Dandy’s parking lot for an impromptu auto show. And, of course, ever present then and now: those electrical power lines.
– Karen Zautyk
