Rap...... uh, buddy ........ you are looking pretty foolish thinking that was Horton Center,buddy. You are on the wrong side of the Coronado Bridge, which in another life I rappelled.... no need for war stories here ..... and you folks that only know the place as Horton Center are obviously one off visitors or newbies. Folks that really remember the glory that is San Diego will remember when it was called Horton Plaza, home of Bradley's on the south, the Hob Knob Restaraunt on the west, and the US Grant Hotel on the north. Once upon a time there was a song written about the Plaza that had a chorus that was something like:
A-L-O-N-Z-A-F-H-O-R-T-O-N, Alonzo F. Horton, you're my friend
This, of course, was during another time, when the Street known as Broadway had one character during the day, and another at night. During the day it was the business heart of the city, at night the day businesses disappeared and the street seemed to be taken over by "locker clubs" (military folks couldn't have civvies on base in those days, so there were clubs where one could rent a locker, take a shower, etc), tatto parlors, bars and arcades. This was also during the era of that defender of the peculiar lifestyle that one could find only in the wonderful environs of Ocean Beach (known as OB), was known as "The OB Ranger". He would arrive with a cry of "Far out, groovy, and outasite.....I AM THE OB RANGER", and leave with the cry of "Hi Yo Sylvia, away". With his faithful sidekick Indian, they would defend Miss Melons from the ravages of the evil Panama Red, Lave Sus Manos, and other shady sorts. His boss in the rangers, btw, was Chief Gus Stoppo.