Shopping centers

[fan-of-fans]

I heard a local shopping center referred to as a "power center". I hadn't heard that term before. It is seemingly a shopping center with several anchors or "big box" stores.

Do you prefer shopping at a mall or a "power center"?

Are there any shopping centers around that have come back to life?

 

[tolivac]

No,never heard of a shopping center called a "power center".Think with the recession-still with us,and folks doing online shopping and lastly--WalMart-the shopping center as we know it is dying.Look up a website called "Deadmalls.com" and see what I mean.I remember a few shopping centers I used to use-----now have been bulldozed.Were in the Wash DC Area -Landover Mall and White Flint Mall.Used to take the bus and subway to those.It now is looking like WalMart "Supercenters" are todays malls!also another thing that shows dead malls in Dan Bells YouTube videos-these are very good as he explores dead and dying shopping malls.Ironically malls are going back to the open versions-less expensive to build and maintain,and no enclosed spaces to light,heat,cool,or maintain.

 

[jamiel]

Power Centers are those shopping centers with several Big Box stores...and only enough small stores to fill in between. A strip center usually has only a single bigger store...a supermarket, Marshalls, TJMaxx, etc with more smaller stores.

 

[perc-o-prince]

I thought there were malls (indoor walking between stores) and strip malls (outside walking and stores in a line or strip) no matter the size. We have what we call strip malls here that have one anchor, but some that have 2-3. I suppose the latter is what they're calling power centers now?

We have a couple of examples of this that have opened in the last few ears. In Northborough, we have Northborough Commons with BJ's, Wegman's, Dicks Sporting Goods, Kohl's, TJ Maxx, Eastern Mountain Sports, Petsmart and lots of smaller stores. They bill themselves as "an exceptional open-air shopping center situated atop a scenic hilltop." In Hudson, we have Highland Commons with Market Basket, Cabela's, Lowes, BJ's, Petsmart, TJ Maxx, Dress Barn and more.

One of our more famous was Shopper's World. It was basically a mall with no roof. It had elevated walkways for the 2nd floor, a central grassy area, Sears and Jordan Marsh for anchors... Now it's a large parking lot on the inside with large stores like Best Buy, Toys R Us, Marshalls, and smaller ones around the periphery.

Chuck

 

[alr2903]

Creepy parking lots and the inability of rent a cops to get a "situation" under control  in the vast spaces of an enclosed mall are probably the main reasons these places are not as popular as they once were.  I go to Macy's.  I can not recall the last time I wandered around in one of these facilities. -A

 

[rp2813]

I'm in for it now (sorry, it's an inside joke).

The term is not bulldozed.  Those centers have been de-mall-ished.

 

[fan-of-fans]

Rich, that sounds similar to the one here. It has a Bed Bath Beyond, Michaels, Ross, Marshalls, a Books A Million as well as a Gold's Gym. It used to have a Circuit City and a dollar store as well. There is a separate building in front with a Starbucks and Panera Bread. There's also an Olive Garden in front and a Lowe's next door.

It's really popular with the college age crowd especially with the gym and Starbucks, and seems to stay busier than the mall. It was a big deal when it first opened.

I have also seen (but not around here) what are called Lifestyle Centers. More like a mall without a roof that has rows of stores facing each other with sidewalks and benches. Usually has a street going through the middle but no parking. High end stores and restaurants with outside tables and some big box stores.

Alr, I agree that those may be issues with typical malls. Haven't had any problem at the mall here but they do seem to be strict about kids being left unsupervised. I do go to the mall fairly often as it's a good place to go walk when there's nothing to do, but I rarely go there at night. I miss the A&W in the food court.

 

[twintubdexter]

Ralph,

...you've been drinking that San Jose tap water again haven't you?

 

[rp2813]

Actually, it was Reno tap water.  It caused permanent damage.

 

[imperial70]

Rich,

I go to the Higland Commons. It is sooooo spread out that it can be tiring if you need to go to different stores on the same day.  The shopping mall was so much more convenient.  But times are changing and oh well...

 

sidenote: I have a fear of malls because of terrorism.

 

[rp2813]

The Valley Fair Tragedy

Opened in 1956, Valley Fair started the the giant sucking sound of retailers fleeing the downtown core to suburban malls over the next dozen or so years.

 

By 1986, Valley Fair was languishing even though it had anchors like Macy's, Woolworths, Bond's, Grodins, Joseph Magnin, a high end supermarket, a big Post Office substation, a wide range of restaurants and lounges, and other specialty stores including the entirely glass walled island in the center of the mall known as the Celebrity House, which was crammed full of asian imports.

 

It was enclosed and joined together with a lesser mall nearby with only the original Macy's surviving, and in so doing was stripped of any charm or appeal.  It has gone through a couple more remodels and expansions since.  Yet another is planned even though most people think it's too huge already.   I won't go near the place.

 

Before and after photos attached.  Joe -- get a load of the beloved old Cable Car hofbrau.   The giant mosaic stack on the right in first photo remains, but shoots up through an expanded Macy's, hidden behind four floor-to-ceiling walls.  It serves as a vent for the underground shipping and receiving area from the original mall.  I think Macy's would be the only store that can access it anymore.

 

[tolivac]

Like that term for "Demallished" as applied to demolished shopping centers and malls.One my way got "Demallished" to become Dicks Sport goods,Kohls,and a farmers market like food place.The shopping area is all open.--BUT most of the store spaces are EMPTY!!!NO ONE WANTS TO PAY THE OWNERS HIGH RENT!!!So the places remain empty.Eventually---Is this going to be "Demallished"?Already back store-matteress place has their "closing" signs hung out.The Sears is the only shop left of the old Carolina East Mall.How long will they last-The buzzards may be circling soon since the KMart here closed.

 

[tolivac]

Guess we have a "Power Center" out my way-the new WalMart Super Center and other small places around it-all open and lit by creepy color GE "Evolve" parking lot lights.The neighboring Food Lion Metal Halide parking lot lights look MUCH better-and throw more light!

 

[twintubdexter]

"Tragedy" expertly describes Valley Fair

Remember that although it may have not changed things in the long run, Macy's and The Emporium originally wanted to locate their new stores in the Downtown area. Don Goldeen (head of the Downtown Businessmen's Association and owner of Goldeen's Furniture on First Street) put a stop to that. Both companies purchased property west of Downtown and Valley Fair was born.

 

The vintage photos are wonderful. I'd forgotten all about the Cable Car Restuarant. What a great hot pastrami sandwich they had. Nicki's Coffee Shop was directly across from them. I got poisoned by their chicken croquets. The Celebrity House was my favorite store in the entire mall. They had such cool things at low prices. It always smelled of burning incense in there. Never a big fan of it, the Karmel Korn place around the corner always smelled good too.

 

My Aunt and Uncle lived within walking distance of Valley Fair. One year my Uncle bought my Aunt Dorothy a Renault Dauphine as a birthday gift. Confused by the manual transmission, she drove the car right over the sidewalk and into one of the huge glass windows of the Valley Fair Market. It was front-page news although no one was hurt.

 

The last time I was in San Jose I stayed at one on my late uncle's homes on Shasta Ave. Since Valley Fair was close by I ventured over to have a look/see. It was awful. Huge beyond belief and wall to wall people. Going from one store to the other seemed all the same. I would't go back. I understand the traffic around there along with the ever-expanding Santana Row is worse than anything in LA. Town & Country Village with it's eateries and specialty shops was so very nice, but that's another story.

 

The Dauphine had 2 horns, 1 for town and 1 for country. French enginering wasn't too bright designing a transmission that had nylon gears turning against metal ones. That lady in the photo could pass for Aunt Dorothy...provided she she gained 300 pounds...think Devine.

 

[davey7]

This mall has everything...

That was a cool looking mall. A lot of our older malls around Chicago have died or been "lifestyled" lately.

Dexter, I thought Divine preferred Corvettes, especially when driven by former teen heartthrobs?

 

[rp2813]

The Devine Dauphine!

 

I remember those being the grand prize on "Concentration," which had the early spot after "Today" to get the game show party started on daytime TV.  I can still hear those panels ka-chunking back and forth as people attempted to reveal the puzzle.  Not exactly the fastest-paced game show in history.

 

Oh, and sorry -- the mosaic stack is on the left in the photo I posted further up, not the right.

 

[wayupnorth]

My cousin had a Dauphine similar to that one. Could park in the tightest spots but didnt have enough power to get out of its own way, rusted as you watched and refused to start in cold weather.

 

[twintubdexter]

gettin off track again...

The high point of "Concentration" was when the panels got stuck and wouldn't rotate completely around. I liked that game show because it was simple, sort of the adult version of the board game "Candy Land," although the puzzle was sometimes difficult.

 

ka-chunk

[this post was last edited: 9/8/2015-22:45]

 

[warmsecondrinse]

Growing up there was South Shore Plaza in Braintree, Mass. The anchor stores were Jordan Marsh at one end and Filene's at the other. Lord & Taylor was immediately adjacent. Smaller stores lined the walkway between the 2 anchors. Being a "plaza" there was a roof around the perimeter so you could go from store to store without getting wet if it was raining/snowing. The roof was open, however.

My dad waxed poetic about the Renault Dauphines he encountered while stationed in Verdun in the 1950's.... never got details, though. He bought 2 16's and probably would have kept buying them or their successors (R20?) had they still been imported. They had plenty of quirks, but nothing interfering with basic functioning. Pics below: