50th anniversary – My View from The Balcony

April 2019 The Balcony would have celebrated it’s 50th anniversary. My family and I are at my daughter’s home in Douglassville celebrating, sharing stories of our time in The Balcony, growing up with The Balcony, being married to The Balcony.
From left to right: my grandson Nick, my favorite son in law Nate, daughters Nikki + Renee, best friend and mother to our children Claudia, me, and my husband Rick. Claudia’s husband Steve Atkins is taking the photo, if you haven’t guessed by now We are an American Family.
On Facebook back in 2019 I invited everyone who either worked at The Balcony or shopped there to take a picture of themselves posting it with their memories of The Balcony. The invitation is still open if you would like to send me photos and memories please do. Email address is MyviewfromTheBalcony@gmail.com. I will be glad to add them to this page. Peace and love everyone.

50 years, two generations ago. We were so young, Mike was still in high school working at the Bazaar shoe store, Jimmy was working in a machine shop, Buzzy and I were married with our baby Brian. The Habiliment was opened by Johnny Nangle on Terminal Square. He said sure, I'll rent you the tiny space on the second floor. Thus The Balcony was born.. None of us had much money then, each of the three contributed $300.00. The first drive to New York we returned with flop hats, posters, a few pipes and papers. A small used case and we were in business. Time went on, we expanded, Jimmy left, Mike got married to Claudia, had two children Buzzy and I had Michelle, eventually all four of our children worked in The Balcony. Like all good things, The Balcony came to an end but all the memories remain. Thanks to my forever friend Mike for the shirts and the idea behind these tributes.

Ginny McFadden Smith Fox : 50 years, two generations ago. We were so young, Mike was still in high school working at the Bazaar shoe store, Jimmy was working in a machine shop, Buzzy and I were married with our baby Brian. The Habiliment was opened by Johnny Nangle on Terminal Square. He said sure, I’ll rent you the tiny space on the second floor. Thus The Balcony was born.. None of us had much money then, each of the three contributed $300.00. The first drive to New York we returned with flop hats, posters, a few pipes and papers. A small used case and we were in business. Time went on, we expanded, Jimmy left, Mike got married to Claudia, had two children Buzzy and I had Michelle, eventually all four of our children worked in The Balcony. Like all good things, The Balcony came to an end but all the memories remain. Thanks to my forever friend Mike for the shirts and the idea behind these tributes.

Claudia Smith Atkins: So, my favorite ex-husband and forever friend Mike Smith sent me this shirt to mark the 50th Anniversary of “The Balcony”- the store that he started with his (late) brother Buzzy and friend Jimmy Goodyear. The Balcony was our livelihood for 19 years but even more, it was a mainstay in Upper Darby, the go-to place for jeans, records, incense, paraphernalia, posters and the coolest, most customized t-shirts anywhere around. I will never forget the weekend when the store moved from it’s original location at Terminal Square to the final, bigger location a block away, across from 69th St. Terminal. All weekend we worked into the wee-hours of the night demolishing the shelves of a 2-level shoe store and transforming it into something new – knocking down walls, painting, moving the inventory from the old store to the new in my sister-in-law Ginny’s VW bus. I’m pretty sure we got it all done in one weekend with the help of lots of friends and family. It was an exciting time full of hope and challenge. That store was where our children first learned the value of working for a dollar , where they sat outside the door and sold Girl Scout cookies, where they filmed a video that ran on cable TV. It was a special place to our family and to many of the patrons of the store who still remember it today. I wore my shirt today when I went to vote and someone came up to me and said “Hey – I remember that store! I loved it, that’s where I got all my jeans and records”. It was great hearing that and knowing what a lasting impression it had for so many people. It really was a cool place. Thanks for the shirt and all the memories Mike!

Brian Smith with his wife Shawn and sons Logan and Brian Jr.
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Today we are celebrating the 50th year of my family’s store called The Balcony. Thank you to my Uncle Mike Smith for the T-shirts and the idea for sharing our memories. When people find that I was associated with the store they always have nice things to say, which always makes me smile. However, The Balcony was more than just a cool place to buy records or jeans for me. It was home. It was my first job, where I got my clothes for school, learned a special appreciation for music, and met so many amazing people. I have so many memories over all the years that I spent being a part of something that was truly special to me. I could probably write a book about growing up Balcony with all the memories I have. Most were good, some not so great. At the end of the stores existence, I rarely went there due to some unfortunate family dynamics, in fact, I didn’t visit once during the final year, missing the closing of the store, something that I regret to this day. My favorite memory of The Balcony came years after it had closed. I was waiting for a friend in front of the Tower theater to see a show and I walked up Ludlow street to the back door of the store. Amazingly, it looked exactly the same the last time I walked through it. A felt banner still hung at the top of the window with the stores symbol. I felt a feeling of sadness, as if I was standing in front of a friend that had passed away with my not being able to say goodbye. It was at this moment that a girl and her friends approached me asking if I was going to the show as they were looking for tickets. It was sold out. I didnt know it at the time, but The Balcony gave me its final gift that night, because that girl I met later became my best friend, my partner in life, my beautiful wife Shawn. Thank you Balcony. I don’t know what life would have been like without you.

and

Michelle Smith Baer: My Balcony Memories (sorry its so long)
It’s impossible to come up with just one memory to share from The Balcony. It was a huge part of the 1st 17.5 years of my life. I was born in 1970 and the store closed in the beginning of the Summer 1988, the year I graduated high school.
When I was really little and I would be home from school sick I would get to bring a sleeping bag and go with my dad to hang out with him at the original store.
I can remember I couldn’t wait till Saturdays to go with my mom to drop off the paychecks for everyone.
I was so excited when I was in around 6th grade or so I could actually fit into the clothes that we sold there!!
Freshman year I started working there every day after school and weekends and I did this all through High school. I can still almost feel how heavy those front doors were and the smells are all too familiar when I go into some of the shops down the shore.
One of the best parts were all the amazing employees I met and am still friends with few today and if it somehow comes up in a conversation there are not many people who don’t remember it!
You name it we sold it! Jordache jeans, Michael Jackson jackets, Iron on shirts, jewelry, posters and everything in between!
As an adult I realize now the gift that my uncle and my dad had to just know what items customers would want and to be so young and have the courage to take the steps they did to create such an amazing successful business. There’s not many people who would be brave enough to do the things they did back then!
I can remember when they built the walkway bridge from the terminal to the corner and how stressed my dad was about this b/c it dropped people further away from our door, he was afraid of losing customers b/c of it ( I don’t think that happened) but I’m sure any small business owner can understand the worry he must have felt.
My dad was amazing at hemming customers pants and he always tried to keep up with the times offering to sew patches onto denim jackets and even creating custom pants for our customers by combining the colored LEE pants and making them 2 toned.
My uncle would often travel to New York’s China Town and bring back all kinds of cool stuff to sell. Uncle Mike always had a knack for music and was our official in house DJ always playing the best music for us and our customers. I could be wrong but I feel like I remember Bob Marley being played after we closed on a lot of days!
Being across the street from the Tower was awesome! Name an 80’s band and there’s a pretty good chance I saw them at the tower. I would get off work and go over and score awesome seats on the spot.
I could go on and on as this was my life for 17 years. It was so sad when we closed, I remember it happened so fast we really didn’t have time to think about it. I came home from senior week and it was all done. I wish I had more (or any lol) pictures from the days I worked there to show my kids.
I am who I am today because of this store. The things I learned here aren’t in any books and can’t be learned in school and have helped me in every aspect of my life! I feel bad for kids these days b/c they don’t have anything that anywhere near compares to 69th street!

Renee Smith: My Dad requested on this 50th anniversary of the start of his first business that he began while in high school with my uncle and their friend, that all involved make a post about their memories there. – With pictures in the throwback shirts he made for everyone.
So I got to work at the Balcony as a kid, barely as tall as the counter. I bagged things for customers and eventually dragged my stool around the store to cut gold chains, press custom shirts, sell music and more. I wanted to learn and do any of it, and probably wanted to be just like my Dad. Everyone said I look so much like him, it’s like he just spit me out. (Gross!) But then then they always followed that with how much they loved him. (Ok, good.) I had a blast going to work with my Dad, and all of you. I was lucky to be near my big cousins that I looked up to. I remember once in while grabbing lunch with Heather. I remember the exact smell of incense and hot irons, the giant star at the bottom of the steps between floors, and music- always good music. It was fun to be working across from a landmark like the Tower. I was lucky to get to see so many concerts before most kids my age did. I will neer forget the very last day. As we finished packing it all up, I think it may have been Mike Green (?) banging on the door. “I know you’re in there…..” Pretty sure we laughed until we cried.
Years later as we were introducing Dad to facebook, I saw that this page had been started and told him about it. At the time he hadn’t embraced social media the way he does now, and he kind of looked at it like why… As you can see he has come to REALLY appreciate this space, that someone not even related to us, created for sharing the memories. To know that so many others appreciated what was more than just a store to us is pretty amazing. I am very thankful for this experience that shaped me to have integrity towards work and to be able to get along with all kinds of people.
Just some of my Dad’s memories-
The Balcony was the first Head Shop in Delaware County and for the first few years our incense sales paid the rent.
Bob Marley and his band came to shop before his show at the Tower, and yes, the smell lasted
for days. (but it was fun).
We were sued by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards for selling unauthorized tee shirts.
David Bowie wore a shirt we gave him on his second tour.
We were the first store to have our own silk screen company in the basement. We made and gave away thousands of Balcony tee shirts.

Nikki Smith Dougherty: The Balcony! I was really young when my dad owned this store so I don’t remember much. What I do remember is how much I loved all the clothes. I used to love to play dress up and pretend I was Madonna. I will never ever 4get the red ipper Michael Jacket and glove. My sister Renee and I were one of the first kids to have them. We were so cool, LOL.

Billy Stewart: What a great place to work. Absolutely received a PhD in people during my approx. 5yr tenure. Thank you Mike Smith and all my past cohorts for the smiles and laughs we shared!

Susan Gorman: It was a very special time THE BALCONY was The Place for fashion and paraphernalia. Such great memories. I am so glad to have been a part of it.

Eddie Baker: Working at both Balcony’s was a wonderful e xperience I will never forget.Mike and Buzzy were lifelong friends.It was a great pleasure to work with all.Mike, Buzzy, Jimmy,Ginny, Rick,George,Christine, Lorraine and of course Susan. I loved you all.
I especially liked going to New York with Mike picking out new merchandise for the store.We had great customers too.
Eddie

Joe Gallagher: The Balcony. My first and favorite job, filled with a sense of friendship, fun and family. It instilled a strong work ethic but always made room for laughs. It also gave me an undying love of music. Thank you Michael and Buzzy.

Cousin Marianne DiNardo Bier: I was listening to “DejaVu” by CSNY today and remembering some great days and times spent at “The Balcony” with my cousins, Buzzy and Mike Smith

… I was the one who paraded up and down “The Hill” in 69th Street, dressed in an array of Balcony attire, chosen by Buzzy, many times with finishing touches by Susan Gorman (the most beautiful auburn hair I had ever seen!); all kinds of jeans, extra wide bell-bottoms (I rivaled Cher Bono, who was a huge mentor at the time.. the biggest attention getter was the “Granny dress” with the floppy hat and big round sunglasses! Most people would stop and ask me where I got my clothes from and I would direct them to “The Balcony”…the rest will live forever in posterity… love to cousin Ginny and her great kids, Brian and Michelle. Special love to cousin Claudia and her terrific daughters, Renee and Nikki. With the loss of Cousin Buzzy on 4/15/19, my beloved Mike remains as the sole surviving Smith brother left to carry on… I always considered Mike to be the “creative genius “ in the Balcony scene, making t-shirts in the basement, handmaking pocketbooks and many other “talents” he possessed… Much love

to you, always, Mike … give my love to Eddie Baker and Jimmy Goodyear (wherever he is these days) and to one of my favorite Balcony people, Susan Gorman

. Cousin Marianne

Heather I remember walking in the last day of work and everything was on the floor and we were trying to sell what we could. It was the most gut wrenching, awful feeling because that store had meant everything to me. I worked there about two years I was 16 when the store closed. That place was a second home for me long before working there. Truly saved me from getting in trouble and it was a refuge from my house. I remember after the store closed you had us all come over for a get together and it wasn’t till that day that I realized it was actually over. I was always hoping you would find a way to reopen the store.
I treasured being upstairs and hated when I was called upon to help downstairs. You were like a father to those of us upstairs and tried your best to protect us from any shenanigans happening downstairs. I was young and I am sure lots happened there that I had no idea about.

I do have one specific memory of two gentlemen coming in wanting to see a scale and when I pulled the scale out for them to see they dropped a bag a large bag of what was likely cocaine and I immediately said you can’t have that in here and they tried to give me a hard time and questioned my age and we’re getting aggressive. When I yelled for you at the register you came over and tried to diffuse the situation. I remember that there was an argument and the two men left and you followed them out of the store. That evening you were worried about me and If I recall you stood outside watching me walk up Hampton Rd till I turned on my street.

There was another event that had taken place when I was showing some sunglasses to a couple and unfortunately was playing with a wall stapler (stupid) when I pierced my index and middle fingers together lol! I remember that you tried to come into the bathroom and I would not let you come in and you ran to Rite Aid and got a septic pen to help the bleeding! Some of my best memories were working with you behind the irons on a busy Saturday afternoon
and I loved being there when there was a concert at The Tower & having people come in before the show.

I’m excited for your book and look forward to hearing more ❤️

Can’t seem to find Katy at all either. Sorry!

John Daly, use to come into our store and buy lots of smoking supplies. I was called to interview for a new listing in Media two years ago and when I went into the house I see John and he says I know you-you ran the Balcony! Got his home sold then he and his wonderful wife Cathy moved to Florida – Rick and I traveled in March to Clearwater and spent the day with them. Great friends-thanks John and Cathy

Trish O’Donnell: Today would’ve been 50 years the balcony in 69th St.
opened! Thanks Mike for the shirt lots of memories bought many pairs of Wrangler jeans there!!