This vintage gem just arrived and is it grand! In the foreground are late Forties and early Fifties cars and abundant palm trees, always favored by the Stoneson brothers (the developers of the neighborhood and mall).
In the background is the famed "E" of the Emporium department store, which opened July 16, 1952. The rest of the mall had an official opening date of November 6, 1952. Other original tenants included Walgreens, F.W. Woolworth's, and the Red Chimney restaurant.
Don't forget, plenty of free parking!
The back of the postcard reads: "Stonestown, California. One of San Francisco's newest residential sections. It is served by a complete shopping district where many downtown stores and institutions have established branches."
In the late Eighties, the outdoor mall was enclosed, a second story added, and renamed "Stonestown Galleria."
Read my Guide to Stonestown Mall
Visit the current Website.
Visit an interesting Stonestown history site.
3 comments:
I did some research on Stonestown for my undergrad thesis back in the day. Good to hear it's still alive and well.
I still remember a little of the old days of Stonestown, when it was not a in door mall, when I was little. Once in a while it would have a sidewalk sale. There was a B Dalton book store by the back side. It was when I was in high school, that it became what it is today. Recently stores are closing, I wonder why, in 2006 Copeland, Tower Records and CompUSA and the place are still left empty today. Now the Disney store there is planing to close with a sale. I know that the Disney company said that after they take back control of all 220 stores they'll close up 98 of them. Is the one at Stonestown really doing that bad, or it been in the works to close befoe the take back. Now the closes Disney store for the people living in the Sunset area is the one in Serramonte Center, Downtown on Post and the one at the Hillsdale mall. Last of all Pottery Barn there is also closing and the last day is May 26 2008. What is going on at Stonestown, is there a little business problems or there are new plans for the mall from managment.
As Of May 2013
Since there have been no new news on this blog on Stonestown. Here it goes.
Since the Willie Brown was mayor and maybe during Newsomes early year, there was a some what major idea to the Stonestown mall, on what to do to it. Well that idea have been long gone and scraped.
Since then minor stuff have been done to the mall. Also tenants have come and go. What is happening now is that the Gap will be moving to another part on the upstair of the mall from it old spot. The new spot will be next to Banana Republic is. That is two spots that use to Blcak and white and American Eagle's. Who and what will take the Gap spot, when it is empty. The Giant Dugout use to be outside of Nordstorm on the upstairs, it has move next door to See's Candy. The expanive Chinese Jewely shop, that use to be at Chinatown on the corner of Washington and Stockton for a very long time, has moved to bottom floor outside of Nordstorm for four or five years now. The stuff they sell are more expanive then mall jewely shops like Zales. Also next door to it, that use be Chico's, that will become a desert shop with the kind one would get at Hungry Hunter, Outback Statehouse and the Cheese Cake Factory. Where Tablot was that spot is close up and being fixed up for whoever might want to come in. The Olive Garden has gotten a minor face lift on the outside. don't know has anything been done on the inside. Stonestown has now put up a mall sign on 19th Ave, by where 29 and 17 muni buses turns. The chvery near the mall entrance have been gone for a while, part of it is being used for Pete's Coffee. The rest is just being fixed up with no tenant yet.The old Copeland spot by Mcdonalds has become Chase and Trader Joe's. Next to it the old Border spot is now Sports Authority. But it didn't right away become Sports Authority. It was empty for a time being then a mom and pop old and bargain books came in for a like four or five months. then they left saying the rent was just too high. what I heard they went over to the TriValley. Finally the former Tower Records spot will be a fitness club, called City Sports Club which belongs to LA Fitness. I would say don't know is that a good or bad idea,the kind of people that live in the Sunset, Parkside and Ocean View. Would they get the kind of business they want. Should the Tower Record CompUSA spot haven more shop and more places to eat or something big coming in like Frys or Half Price Books.
Well that how is Stonestown now.
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