That Macy's is classic 60's midcentury design!

@fuckyomamafuckyosisterfuck6136

3 жыл бұрын

It was originally, a BROADWAY store. I rember showing there often.. as Macy's, not much changed.

3:38 - That Reading Cinema is part of a company called Reading International which is the last legacy of the once-mighty Reading Company, owner of the Reading Railroad (immortalized on the Monopoly game board). It was once the largest corporation on earth when it moved enormous amounts of coal that came from Pennsylvania's coal regions.

@LiamP-597

3 жыл бұрын

Plus, Reading Cinemas is a company found all around the globe. They're very popular in New Zealand (where the only real rival is Australian-owned Hoyts). There's one in the center of town where I live. Nice place. Does great popcorn combos.

Having a Target as an anchor is smart. They're doing great right now. A lot of people point to Target as a contrast to K-Mart or Sears to show that department stores aren't necessarily "dying" if you adapt well (which Target did).

@Retail Archaeology *Thanks for the focus on fountains!* I'll never understand why malls have moved away from them, they create so much of the welcoming atmosphere!

The Target/Bullock's building site originally was a Ponderosa steakhouse, record store and card shop--long before the parking structure was built.

@fuckyomamafuckyosisterfuck6136

3 жыл бұрын

I remeber that

@zubileegluckgluck

3 жыл бұрын

National Record Mart?

I grew up going to this mall. I remember when Macy’s was the Broadway. Seeing the original facade of Broadway brings it all back. The fountains you showed were always in that location, too. I believe See’s Candies is the only original shop still located in its same spot. Though Hallmark has been there since I was young and in a similar place. Woolworths wasn’t were Barnes and Noble was though at least for all the 60s-80s times I went …it was across from where Barnes and Noble was. Thank you for sharing this… brought all the feels back. When I am in the area I still love to visit it. I have fond childhood memories of shopping with my mom and aunt in Saturdays…we’d go to The Broadway’s cafe for lunch… I got my wedding dress at a shop in that mall in 1983! Also I’m my youth, there was a teaching store … I loved going in there and dreaming of being a teacher …I bought a couple of my first supplies there and became a teacher for 20 years.

So heartbroken they remodeled the food court. The old one looked like a smaller version of the old UTC food court (90's era). UTC's food court was epic, especially with the Yellow Brick Road arcade above the skating rink. Companies like SEGA used to test market games there that usually didn't get a wide release in the USA. I was lucky enough to play Spikeout there, kickass game.

This was probably the mall that we went to as kids in the mid-90s before we moved away from the area in 2000. "Grossmont Center" rang a very vivid bell in my memory, and Grossmont itself is such a memorable name that I've never forgotten that was just part of the "zeitgeist" of the area I grew up in, even though I didn't go to a Grossmont school or anything. I also remember Grossmont Hospital, which is possibly where I was born.

Such a gorgeous mall. We don’t have anywhere as nice in Scotland

@williamharris8367

3 жыл бұрын

Nor here in Canada; snow is probably the culprit...

@ladytron1724

3 жыл бұрын

Some of the malls in Glasgow are beginning to look a bit shabby.

@BustedJunkStudio

3 жыл бұрын

I live just down the street from this mall. I was surprised to hear that it was 60 years old, I thought it was a more recently built place... yeah, it's pretty nice.

@TheBlashMusic

2 жыл бұрын

This mall is basically my second home, I go there every day lol......it really is an amazing place to be. Sadly it's going to be demolished in a few years (along with the memories many people have here).........

It’s fun to see the fountains are still there and some of the stores are still there too. I hung out with friends in the 70’s and 80’s.

Hey you were in my hood again! Glad to have you back!

Ah wish I could have seen what an American Woolworths looked like, there's a photo online of a outdoor mall woolworths at christmas in the '50s and I'd love to know where it originally was. I did hear the later years the designs of them were heavily influenced by their UK division's stores, like adding canteens Etc. But just a pice of retail history that has sadly gone, probably never to return now the world has moved on :(

@presidentkiller

2 жыл бұрын

I can tell you about the Mexican Woolworth, it's just a discount department store, not exactly an outlet but they sell low-end and cheap stuff. They still have around 40 stores open in the country and seem to be doing fine, not great, but fine. They had restaurants at some point but they were closed down a while ago.

@MauriceMossisitnot

2 жыл бұрын

Meanwhile Woolworths in Australia is a grocery store lol

@gregorylunsford3991

11 ай бұрын

Woolworth's was where Barn's & Noble's is. When I worked at the Mall in High School & College ( 1963 to 1967) I would eat lunch there on Saturday.

This is our favorite mall in San Diego. The Barnes & Noble has a pretty substantial magazine section. Also, have been there countless times and had never seen that plaque. Going to look for it on our next visit. Thanks for highlighting it.

I wish there were photos of the exterior and interiors of stores from the 90s. One of my favorite memories was when my mom took my sister and I to look at Halloween decorations in a store that had a downstairs basement that was located close to the now Macy’s. What I wouldn’t give to get a picture of that

Longtime Grossmont Hills resident with many memories made at Grossmont Center! Love the coverage! Miss those food court signs too ❤️

Kevin Perjurer is on that nonstandard McDonald's team? Sold!

@Habu12

3 жыл бұрын

What you did there, I sees it!

@sirekumasutra7022

3 жыл бұрын

As in Kevin from Defunctland? Nice

A mall with a working payphone AND it's not vandalized??? Wow!!

That fountain is something else! Really works with the surrounding landscape. Thanks for literal in depth view 😂

Family, friends, and those visiting us enjoy the unique aspects of this historic Grossmont Mall. We enjoyed deciding what to order in Starbucks. We would head into Barnes and Noble (hoping to acquire one of the few tables with 2 or 3 chairs) when we received our delicious drinks. We shared many conversations covering every topic under the sun. We would enjoy choosing books that each were interested in. Finally, purchasing a book or two that piqued interest. Upon leaving Barnes and Noble, I, alone or with others, would enjoy a walk outside of the mall. The sight of plants with a breath of fresh air. Admiring the water fountains while appreciating the individual differences beholding to each unique one. Stopping in the unique and well-known shops. Ending the day at Grossmont Mall with a purchase or more from the shops. Memories made. Thank you for sharing your memories. Your video reminded me that it is the simple and free moments in life that make beautiful memories. Have a beautiful Holiday Season if you celebrate or not. Most of all I hope you are surrounded by love, inner peace, good health, and joy through life's journey.

Growing up in San Diego, the malls I went to as a kid were: UTC (University Towne Center), Fashion Valley Mall, Mission Valley Mall and North County Faire. Malls that are former shades of themselves are Mira Mesa Mall, Escondido Village Mall (which I think was the first enclosed A/C'd mall in California) and next door to it I think it was called the Grapevine, it was torn down years ago. Love the videos!

*Another mystery as to why these management companies remove any traces of character from their properties, it is bizarre!*

Damn, that food court is a huge downgrade! I went there a few times when I lived in San Diego just to enjoy that ambience. I really don't like the Walmart here because of the low ceilings, but the Target beats out Mission Valley by a mile because the parking spaces are actually big enough for a car...

Interesting that you haven’t found many malls with Targets as anchors. I can think of four in the San Diego area. Besides Grossmont, Mission Valley Center, Plaza Bonita and North County Fair have them

@gmcnewlook

3 жыл бұрын

I live in Canada…. They were anchors for a very short time in malls (although did build independent locations to their spec as well) they “took over” zellers (bought them for the leases only , started from scratch for logistics very bad idea…)

@raymondruiz

3 жыл бұрын

The one at Westfield North County is huge!! It’s 3 levels!

@elguero117

3 жыл бұрын

Wbt utc la jolla?

@nytrodioxide

3 жыл бұрын

Fashion valley

@brightbetween

3 жыл бұрын

@@nytrodioxide fashion valley doesn’t have a Target, but Mission Valley Center does

The Savannah Mall in Savannah, GA has a Target as one of its anchors, and it indeed does have an entrance from inside the mall. Aside from Target, Dillards, and Bass Pro Shops, the Savannah Mall is essentially a dead mall, especially compared to Savannah's other mall, the Oglethorpe Mall.

The only memorial plaque I have _ever_ seen in a mall -- and I do actively look for such things -- is in the Maine Mall in South Portland.

@williamharris8367

3 жыл бұрын

@Felix McWick The plaque is for Bernal B. Allen, Mall Manager 1971-1975 As to where in the Mall it is located, I have long forgotten. It was in an obvious place, not hidden down a staff hallway.

I love this mall. I haven't been there for about 2 years now. But there's something so "untouched" about it. Reminds me of malls as a kid. Thank you for this. :)

This mall is as old as Mexico's oldest mall, which is Plaza Universidad in Mexico City. It also began as an outdoor mall but was completely enclosed in the 1980's I think. It was completely remodelled and modernized in the early 2000's. It's pretty small compared to modern malls that have been built everywhere in the country during the last 10 years or so, but it's still pretty busy.

Nice video, one of the benefits of this type of mall in that climate. I remember Del Webb's name from Sun City when I lived in Phoenix in 1976.

I’ve always found the Grossmont Center mall to be one of my favorites aesthetics wise. I always make sure to visit it just to hang around in for a bit whenever I’m in the San Diego area.

This is magnificent, it is a really excellent mall, it looks really good. I totally concur with you regarding the blandisation of the food court, it certainly looked far better with some colour about it! These videos are such a breath of fresh air and you are blessed with a great broadcasting voice too.

A Walmart at one end and a Target at the other end may be what is keeping traffic at that mall. I did like that first fountain, it looked so refreshing.

I thought I remember there being a Woolworth story there. My father worked at Woolworths when I was growing up and in fact, retired from them and when I was out of school I would go with him to the stores he working on and hang around the area for the day. When I was a teenager I remember him working the store at Grossmont while I walked around the mall and checked out girls.

I love this place, relatively local to me. Feels very vintage without feeling run down.

Nice! I used to work at the Macy’s in this mall from 03-05. Me and my coworkers used to take our breaks near that water wall. That Macy’s used to be Broadway and even had a restaurant at one point. Supposedly it’s haunted by an old manager.

@serenawedeking5601

3 жыл бұрын

Also, that mall has always been super quiet.

I go to Grossmont center specifically to go to engraving pros. They've been there over 30 years and are down that first" lonely corridor" by the model train display. Incredible engraving and gifts, and the family that runs it is fantastic.

I like that this is an actual walkable mall, as opposed to the blocks of drive up strips that are popular for some reason now.

wow, my mall is going to be 50 years old next month, too bad it doesn't look as nice as this one

So glad you returned to grossmont. I live just ten minutes from this mall. It's a great mall and lots of memories for me. The food court has changed a lot in terms of the food offered. The asthetics of the food court changed about two years ago. Right before the pandemic. While I prefer the old look too, they added a bunch of new vegan restaurants and even a vegan bakery which has really helped bring in more foot traffic. I highly recommend eating at Vegan Out next time you visit.

@PinkAgaricus

3 жыл бұрын

So it changed 1 year after he visited Grossmont the first time. That's good to know.

@amirmoradi9595

3 жыл бұрын

@@PinkAgaricus roughly

@Sharheart2heart

2 жыл бұрын

@Amir Moradi, I am grateful that Grossmont Mall is still thriving after so many businesses and other malls did not make it during the hardships of 2020-2021. There are always moments to be ever so grateful for. Have a wonderful Monday evening.

I remember when themed McDonald's were a thing in Tucson. There was a "Wild West" one with saddles for seats!

@UndeadEggmiester

3 жыл бұрын

I am not sure if it's still around but we also have or had a dinosaur themed one in tucson. That had giant models of dinosaurs even had a big t rex on the outside.

@DavidLLambertmobile

3 жыл бұрын

Orlando, Orlando.gov had a Safari theme McDs. 🍔🍟🍦🥤 I only went by it 1 time so I'm not sure if they kept it that way. It was I drive, Sand Lake Rd area.

That is a nice looking fountain. I really like the blue. And it always puts a smile on my face when I see a payphone. I miss the days when they were everywhere. And I love baseball, too. Trains, also. I wish I lived in the area to check out the model train place.

Always love the fountain cam my man haha

My mall from the 70 s still has its fountain

always love the fountain dive shots! also that train setup was super cool! I'm not into model trains but neat to see how detailed they all are. always fun to see these videos!!

That child statue reminded me of “The Good Son” with Macaulay Culkin. 😅😂😂

@paradisehotel5005

2 жыл бұрын

At least it's a little more dignified then the "peeing boy" statue in Belgium.

SD native since 59; Grossmont Center has always been more a family oriented mall (during Christmas they used to really decorate the fountains with soap for snow and fiberglass snowmen, College Grove Shopping Center was the happening place back in the day, now it really feels like a dead mall. In the 70's the next big happening mall was Parkway Plaza, it's still there but feels like it's struggling.

@spiritualsandy

Жыл бұрын

Omg college grove yes with the lady with the headdress and the botton. Little known fact.. the college grove mall and the campus plaza shopping center down the street are connected. That’s why they both have the majorette sign and they also have a neon sign of SDSU and the mountains in the campus plaza shopping center.

Very cool. Great video, content, and always entertaining. Retail Archeology, highly recommended. Thanks!

Such vibrant colors

I went to that Nonstandard McDonald's Kickstarter page and one of the 4 stores pictured is the one in my hometown of Independence, Ohio. My mom worked there for many years. The only way the city would let McDonald's build was if they complied with a strict building code, which is how it ended up being a 2 story brick colonial looking building

Geeze I didn't know you were friends with grumpy ole Ian. My worlds continue to collide on KZread.

@CommodoreFan64

3 жыл бұрын

Grumpy is a massive understatement, and he's part of the reason I just stopped watching Pat's channel years ago!!

I was stationed at the pt Loma subbase back in the 80's and used to love to go there walk around. . enjoy the weather and just people watch.. always a good time 😊

Woolworths, was where the TOUCHtell phone stores were.. it had opening to the parking lot, and you could walk through to the mall side.

these videos always brighten my mood :) definitely one of my fav channels!

I just so happened to visit Grossmont Center Mall during our visit to San Diego last month. My daughter needed to use the restroom and I took the chance to check out the food court here. It was completely devoid of people. Most of the food vendors weren't even open, only the Mexican place and the Burger shop with the Mustang grill sticking out of the counter I noticed were open. This was a Monday around 5PM so you'd think there'd be some people grabbing an early dinner after work but it was a total ghost town in there. Especially after the bland makeover this food court got, now it just looks eerie, desolate and solemn. I asked my wife and daughter if the bathroom in the food court was okay and they said it was actually really clean, most likely due to not getting much customer traffic in there.

As a few others have mentioned, the Barnes and Noble used to be across from where it is now, and that old location was where the Woolworth's was. The old food court was where Barnes and Noble is now. I remember it, (barely, I was a kid), it looked like the style of the first fountains you showed.

This is the only mall that I visit the most. The design is unique as well as all the venders.

GROSSMONT!!!!! This js my favorite mall! So glad to see how a mall expert agrees about it being a good one. Makes me so happy to see how it’s one of your favorite socal mall 😭 fountains are my favorite to sit by and people watch after food court. The 80s food court was the best part and the seating and the huge ceiling 😢 so sad. So glad you took video of the way it use to be! I agree it totally was a bad business move to change it because it lost its charm. 😢 lost the main reason people even still visit.

I used to live about a mile north of Grossmont Center, up Jackson Dr. My mom used to shop at Montgomery Wards and Food Basket back in the seventies. My girlfriend, now wife of thirty years used to walk there and shop back in the eighties. I remember Millers Outpost, Bill Gambels, and Univeral Boot Shop. We still shop there, just not as often now that I live in the far East County.

Always enjoyed Grossmont Mall - My First job at 16 when it was new in 1963 to 67 at Harris & Frank( up scale Men's & Women's Store).

I have a picture of myself sitting at that fountain at 00:46 from April 1985, I just looked at it to compare, that fountain has not changed one bit

Guys thats Ian from the CU podcast!!!!! Hes mega famous

Wooo San Diego!

Bought one of my first TVs after I was out on my own at the Circuit City that used to be in that mall. Or at least I think it was a Circuit City - could have been Ultimate Electronics; it was the early 90's and a bit hard to remember :) Nice video!

@david40k

3 жыл бұрын

circuit city wasnt attached to the mall. it was across the street

I live about ten minutes away from this mall and The mall still looks the exact same (the 100% Fresh sign is gone) …the mall is doing basically okay and we’re there about once a week because it’s REALLY helpful to have a Walmart and a Target in the same place!

This into never gets old

Amazing way of experiencing the world and the different sites. Thanks! Super love your channel!

Keep up the great content!

Great great great video. Love the fountain shots.

What a fun look at this old mall, and greetings to the awesome RA entourage! Great fountain cam shots. That’s too bad about the food court, though. Those old signs were so full of character, and I think they would still have looked neat even with an “updated” paint color behind them!

I went to that mall a few years ago to see an Anime film due to it being a limited release , used to live near Mission Valley and the contrast between that mall and that mall definitely felt like a step back in time when you got into that food court.

I lived 2 miles from this mall from 1988 to 2007 it was and is my favorite mall.

5:43 Doom teleporter sound? Also these videos make me nostalgic and sad at the same time.

You should come to Plaza Bonita in the South Bay of San Diego!

Classics never die.

I love those fountains. I need to go to Grossmont center more but it's far. Going there makes me feel like I'm living in the 90s. What's good about the mall is that it's got a fair amount of traffic.

If you ever want to be transported to 1989 checkout Easton Town Center in Columbus Ohio. Huge bustling Mall Campus that is actually still expanding. Usually full of people on any weekend day.

Here in Madison WI we have a McDonalds that looks like a old 1950s drive thru completed with the big arches, but was built in the early 90s

@DavidLLambertmobile

3 жыл бұрын

Orlando, Orlando.gov had a location use a 1950s trendy decor in late 2009, 2010. They did a update, remodel & went against the bland dull square bldg choices. 2020s era.

We used to live near there several years ago.

That walmart is pretty sketch… going upto the second floor feels uneasy at times. The weird thing about the mall, is all the busy stuff not is not attached to it. BJ’s and Casa de Pico are always busy.

@drewdalzell6924

3 жыл бұрын

If my memory is correct the BJ's was once Carlos Murphy's back in the 80s.

@realboltfan

3 жыл бұрын

It got heavily vandalized in the BLM riots last year.

@skeletankmcgraw7343

2 жыл бұрын

@@realboltfan Dude, they were PROTESTS...get it right...lol

@realboltfan

2 жыл бұрын

@@skeletankmcgraw7343 ahh thats right

@L.Spencer

Жыл бұрын

La Mesa Walmart is sketch? I've never felt that, and I go there all the time.

Target was usually a mall anchor during its brief run in Canada

@williamharris8367

3 жыл бұрын

Of the approximately four Target stores in this city, only one was freestanding -- the rest were all part of Malls (i.e. former Zellers stores). Back home, the only Target store in the area anchored the Mall too.

Woolworths was across from Barnes and Nobel. The Gap was where Payless shoes are and the B&N was the old food court (with pretty Spanish saltillo tile floors). I worked at the Potato Patch in 1980. There was a Can-U-Antique-Us photography place in there too and you could exit out to the north parking lot where Rubios/Starbucks currently is. (I'm "Claire's" mom btw). I miss that food court.

@L.Spencer

Жыл бұрын

You remember the old food court and the tile, that's so neat! I was too little to remember well, but I do recall the feeling. I think it was white walls, lots of plants and tile. Wish I could see a photo.

@L.Spencer

Жыл бұрын

I think they're in the food court at Grossmont Center, so neat to see footage, even if it's hard to see much kzread.info/dash/bejne/kXyKstWYeta5XaQ.html

I worked there in 1989 -1993 at Mrs. Fields cookies and warehouse record store, Where I always got in trouble for wearing earrings. Presently the mall is almost unrecognizable.

@PinkAgaricus

3 жыл бұрын

I feel like the mall becoming unrecognizable is exactly what happens to a lot of the older malls and shopping centers. Since between the time they opened and current times whomever owns/owned the mall probably renovated it.

We had a couple of outdoor malls in my home town, in the midwest. Weather was the biggest limiting factor. Growing up, I remember a model train store, a record store, a couple of cafe restaurants, a camera store, a shoe store, a bridal store, etc.... Today most of that is gone.

Used to be a sports store here that had a batting cage, driving range net, basketball hoop

@realboltfan

3 жыл бұрын

yup... southeast corner.

I love the line of little stores. They remind me of my towns classic downtown area. It was filled with stores like that on every sidewalk. The last time I remember them being stores and not all lawyers offices was the 1970s when I was a kid. Gradma took me to Aplers Shoe Store to get Buster Browns. Id get a comic book with them.

I used to go to this mall as a child and teenager. We lived I'm ElCajon and then Harbison canyon which is near Alpine. I went to high school at Granite Hills High...this brought back memories

Payphones going upto 25 cents when i was a kid... we just called our parents Collect, "ItsMeComePickMeUpBye!".

I still am of the opinion that the best way to make malls relevant in current times/again is to mostly replace the department stores with these big box stores (Target, Walmart, Best Buy) as anchors, especially now that department stores are dying for the most part. I could see each mall having maybe ONE department store though, such as Macy's or Dillard's. I can sort of understand why the mall in this particular video is not that bustling since it seems to be located in a very populated southern California area with tons of other options; however, I think this mall setup idea would be huge in smaller towns across America.

@Sharheart2heart

2 жыл бұрын

@skeletank mcgraw: I see your point. San Diego residents have suffered financially since 2020. Many people are trying to get back on their feet. At this time, Walmart has been supplying food at a more affordable rate than local grocery stores. I hope everyone can overcome all that has taken place since 2020. Have a wonderful evening.

I love the panning technique you use. It's perfect. I will send some channel KZreadrs to you so they can see just how to pan.

Great vid! Let's get that Nonstandard McDonalds documentary funded!

Grossmont center was my hangout in highschool in the 80s, always went to Warehouse records, T.R. Watley, the Starcade arcade and the triplex theater.

@L.Spencer

Жыл бұрын

I remember a music store, Warehouse or Sam Goody, near a KB Toy Store and the Radio Shack, nearish where World Market is now.

@kattegatcitychamberofcomme311

Жыл бұрын

@L.Spencer Warehouse was next to K B toys and a chain book store, forgot which one.

Always up for an Ian visitation in the videos!

I moved from San Diego to Southern Arizona about 20 years ago. This is way different than I remember.

I vaguely recall a mall plaque at Fashion Valley Mall but that was ages ago. It used to be by the J.C. Penney.

I remember going to this mall a lot during the late 00’s and early 10’s and it was a little more busy back then. I got my quincenera and prom dresses at the Prevue. The food court used to been my favorite thing, but I haven’t been there in years. Sad to see that they really downgraded it. There’s this suite near the spa that’s been through a lot of restaurants in the past decade from what I remember (including a Shakey’s) and near that used to be a hair salon and a pet store. I still go by to the Barnes and Nobles and Casa de Pico’s nearby but I haven’t been inside it for a while.

I was playing the original Doom on silent so I could listen to the video, and I went through a teleporter at the same exact moment the teleporter sound played on the video.

ty for showing tmall look like still doing good :)

It looks like a nice place. I like the gardens.

If you are ever in Nor California, you should check out Coddingtown Mall in Santa Rosa. It was built in 1962 and the mall sign from that year is still standing. Mall is sort of dead.

If you ever come to New York you should go to the Arnot Mall. It has a really cool center area where the food court is and the movie theatre.

Great video