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Edgewater residents of the past had one pastime that seems to have disappeared. If you are over 60 years old you may remember many wonderful hours idling over an ice cream sundae or a phosphate in a sweet shop or at a soda fountain. What ever happened to indulging that sweet tooth?

Once at the southeast corner of Broadway and Bryn Mawr stood a deluxe ice cream parlor. In those days deluxe meant heautiful interior appointments. In this case it was an ornate mahogany buffet fountain along one side and the classical marble table tops and wire back fountain chairs. Just like a movie set! When this busincss closed, the site was taken over by Ahlborn Drugs who continued to have fountain service. Later came Stoyas Pharmacy who also had a soda fountain.

Now, a couple of blocks further north on Broadway at the southeast corner of Ardinore and Broadway was the Sullivan's Drug Store. According to Marion Lettner, this was a popular place both for the atmosphere and the handpacked ice cream. In this store the fountain counter was white marble. In the case of the drug store fountains, the seating area was much smaller.

Another family owned store that had a small ice cream parlor was Kitzendorf's at Ridge and Wayne "A lady named Mrs. Brown ran the store It was fun to sip a chocolate soda at her tiny place" according to Marion.

For many in Andersonville the favorite place was Bergh's Cat and Fiddle Ice Cream Parlor. Located on Clark Street near Berwyn it was well known for its treats and its decor. The booths were black and orange in a lacquered finish. Black cats adorned the walls. It made a strong impression on many people because several oral histories mention it.

This is only a partial list of the many placcs Edgewater residents had to stop and chat and indulge their sweet tooth. In recent times the ice cream parlor and drug store fountain have been replaced by the drop by Baskin Robbins. In the late 1970's the old Swanson's Drug Store at the corner of Berwyn and Clark was remodeled to make way for a Baskin and Robbins that is now gone. Another Baskin and Robbins, opened on Granville during the 1960's.

And last but not least, many remember the drugstore at the Edgewater Beach Apartments with its cream colored wooden booths and black marble tabletops. Now the store is called the Anna Held Florist and Soda Fountain, and it serves light snacks, sweets and ice cream.

So what has changed...? Ice cream is still a favorite treat for many but our supermarkets offer an incredible array of choices from ice cream to frozen yogurt. Maybe we eat more of it because we can have it at home. And of course, leisure time has changed. There are more choices of things to do with our time. Just look at the increase in the number of coffee shops. And let's face it, sugar and ice cream have gotten a bad name. So for an answer to the question about that sweet tooth... it's been replaced.