Lubbock, I Miss The Weird Little Things We Used To Have

I've lived in Lubbock for most of my life, and I've finally reached the dangerous age where I occasionally hear myself saying, "Back when ____ was here..." and immediately want to make fun of myself.

But I'm just going to say it anyway:

I miss some of the weird little things we used to have in Lubbock.

Not necessarily the big stuff. I'm talking about the places we all loved to go when we were bored.

Hastings. Blockbuster. Showplace 7. Pistol Pete's. The old arcade in the mall. Places where you could just walk in with a few bucks and no real plan and somehow kill several hours.

Blockbuster was an entire experience. Reading the boxes. Arguing with your friends over the best movie for your slumber party. Buying impulse candy at the register. Scrolling Netflix will never compare.

Hastings is probably the one I miss the most. I used to go every single morning when I finished off my night shift. I'd rent a few movies to watch before going to bed. They had such a great selection of videos and music. There was something for everybody in that store, and I'll never really understand why it's gone.

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Showplace 6 was cheap, grimy, and perfect. I've missed it tremendously since it closed in 2016. I saw a movie or two there every week with my grandma when I was a kid. It's one of my favorite memories. It's really a shame we don't have a dollar theater around here anymore. A lot of people can't really afford to go to the movies in 2026.

Maybe I just miss having places where you could go to just be somewhere other than home.

I wouldn't mind if we got a few of those little weird places back. What about you? Email me at Chrissy.Covington@townsquaremedia.com and tell me about the Lubbock hangout you miss the most.