Hangin Out at The Mall.....

The birdcages at Christown Mall circa 1960

There is nothing I found more entertaining at the age of 12 besides making the 20 min walk up to Paradise Valley Mall for an afternoon of soaking up cold A/C, sneaking into R rated movies, hanging out at the arcade, boy watching, window shopping,eating Pizza D Amore, driving security guards crazy..eating Pizza De Amore. As I got older the mall was THE PLACE  to go for lunch during high school... to go on a Friday night ..to go with your mother in search of a prom dress or to blow your birthday money.. Call me crazy but I have long been fascinated by Malls but mainly now because they have, in large part, become a thing of the past. A piece of nostalgia came my way yesterday while on Facebook I came across the site dedicated to the long gone Los Arcos Mall in Scottsdale,AZ. Although I did not grow up around the area, our business thrives right down the street and when it was torn down I couldn't help but think what a shame.. after all with strip malls aplenty many malls are occupying a huge chunk of land. Many stores do not renew their lease and stay vacant with the tenants not being able to afford the renewal. Anyone remember The Scottsdale Galleria disaster perfect example.... Back in the day my favorite stores for clothes were Foxmoor...Judys...Contempo Casuals ( except they had this strange dressing room with no doors & a huge mirror that everyone just changed in front of one another in) I liked The Hobby Bench and oogled over doll house furniture..Spencers gifts was always good for lots of giggles over the adult novelty items, the edible underpants in particular ( I have yet to buy a pair and see what the hype was all about) Frisco Deli had french fries just like the state fair did.. Kellys was a coffee house way before it's time serving up fancy lattes and big cookies..Diamonds had a fancy restaurant up above it that overlooked the mall I had always fantasized about what it might be like to eat up there..ladies in fancy dresses eating things like finger sandwiches and pastel mints. and of course the pet store. In my late teens the mall was home to no less than 4 jobs for me...folding sweaters at my beloved Foxmoor..working at the uber chic Limited store..Japanese takout place..& Surf City Squeeze which was really no fun at all. I actually took my first college classes at the college upstairs Rio Salado. Befriended a few Mall Cops who became best buds and reveled with laughter in their day to day stories..... I don't get out to the mall very often anymore, once in a blue moon you may find me there on a Black Friday with all the other loonies but I am not and haven't been living near one for quite some time. Paradise Valley Mall got a facelift a few years back with that came the teardown of Dennys, one of my first jobs waiting tables, in the bar (yes a full bar in Dennys) which was always packed at 6 am... as well as Swensens ice cream parlor ( the after the dance speech debate place). I wish I had taken more pictures back in the day.. I love that my 14 yr old has followed in my footsteps and likes to spend the day at the mall with his buddies cruising The Apple Store, going to movies, and eating Panda Express. I am glad I am not the only one with this sort of obsession as seen in these sites I came across, I love the old photos..especially of Town & Country Mall (Jutenhoops) & The ever popular Metro Center...Even back in Nebraska it was Crossroads (Bishops) & Westroads...You wouldn't want to step foot in Crossroads nowadays, it is pretty rundown but these memories forever have a place in my early life and if they do in yours too here are some places worth a look...They don't even require your coolest outfit to hang out in for an afternoon in Cyberland... I can almost smell the Pizza now...

Malls of AmericaVintage photos of lost Shopping Malls of the '50s, '60s & '70s ...This guy really loves Malls as showcased through hundreds if not thousands of the neatest pics, stats & postcards ever!
Dead Malls This site also lists dead merchandise & dead stores awesome!
Discount Stores of The 60's Need I Say More??
Christown Mall A Retrospective Very neat & nostalgic I love this site!