I may have been the only one still conscious during my History of San Mateo County class when the teacher briefly touched on the Hillsdale development in the 50s. While everyone else nodded off, I perked up the moment he mentioned the mall. That little fact stuck with me far more than anything about land grants or local agriculture. To me, the mall started in 1981.
This postcard shows Hillsdale at the beginning. No telling the year, but there is a "60" on the back of the card and the parking lot shows a car from the mid-to-late Fifties.
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| The heart of the Peninsula, Hillsdale Mall. |
The back of the card reads "Hillsdale, California. Heart of the San Francisco Peninsula. Located on the famous 'El Camino Real,' just 20 miles from San Francisco. This beautiful shopping center offers the newest and most modern shops and stores."
Fast forward to when time began, the 1980s. I luckily came across an old ad for the expansion—the very same one I’d once carefully cut out and tacked to my wall, though that original is long gone. What made it special? This was pre-drone era, back when an overhead shot of a mall felt downright cinematic. Seeing the rooftops and parking lots from above gave the whole place a kind of grandeur. For a mall kid like me, it was practically frame-worthy.
I finally made my pilgrimage in 1982. That day, I picked up this very directory—my souvenir from the moment I summoned all my pre-teen courage (and my carefully hoarded allowance) to splurge on something wildly indulgent: a 45 single. "Puttin’ on the Ritz" by Taco. I’m pretty sure it was already in the sale bin by then, but no matter—I was smitten. One spin and I was hooked on electro-swing for life.
I had no idea what Nordstrom even was, and my grandparents gave its entrance a wide berth like it was some kind of fancy boutique for Martians. And that smell—what was that? Not the familiar tang of department store perfume or mall popcorn, but something richer, darker. Espresso, as it turns out. I was only familiar with the scent of Sanka drifting from a chipped mug at breakfast, so this was like sniffing sophistication itself.
It was also the first time I really noticed the mall art. Turns out, the place is full of it—tucked in corners, standing proud in open spaces. And the best part? You could actually touch it without getting scolded by a security guard or chased off by velvet ropes.
One of my favorite destinations was that weird portal to a new dimension—Cost Plus Imports, tucked below the mall, down that circular staircase that always made me feel like I was stepping into some hidden realm of exotic treasures. Not exactly ADA-compliant, but I needed those bags of candy with edible paper wrappers.
Later that decade, I borrowed my dad’s car and did what any self-respecting teenager in need of freedom and a soft pretzel would do—I headed straight to the mall. Hillsdale, naturally. It was all going great until I tried backing out in the parking lot and had my very first fender bender. A gentle thunk, the kind that makes your stomach drop faster than the escalator to the lower level. Miraculously, no dent—just a little mark and bruised ego. So, no need to tell dad. But let the record show: Hillsdale, that one’s on you and that danged parking garage.
As I look back, Hillsdale Mall was more than just a place to shop—it was a backdrop to some of my most memorable moments growing up. Just like the radio-jingle suggested, Hillsdale was exciting. Each trip was an adventure, a rite of passage, a chance to make memories that still linger. Hillsdale, in its various incarnations, will always be a part of the Peninsula’s heartbeat, and I’m lucky to have shared in its story. So, what are your memories? I'd love to hear your take on this place that shaped so many of our suburban tales.
Scott Parsons
Comments
Was Hillsdale once considered and marketed as a separate community from San Mateo? I've seen old maps that treated it as such. Was it always in San Mateo city limits or later annexed?
BTW, until the 1970's I think all Macys in the Bay Area had the 3333 ending on their phone numbers.
My memories of my History of San Mateo County class was that Hillsdale was marketed much like other large-scale developments of the time. For example, Westlake Village. Westlake, like Hillsdale, was ultimately annexed by the neighboring town (Daly City in the case of Westlake). If I'm right, Broadmoor Village was NOT annexed by Daly City and still remains unincorporated. Much like San Lorenzo in the East Bay and so on.
Scott
I recently found a great movie on the internet archive that is all about the Hillsdale Mall. The movie is called, "Shopping Can Be Fun: A New Concept in Merchansiding" and was filmed around 1957 - the time of this postcard.
http://www.archive.org/details/Shopping1957
I'd love to see more snapshots from the pre-enclosed era. I remember the Cost-Plus used to have a glass atrium over it's curved underground staircase, and there was a huge "Rainbow Records" across from what is now Good Guys.
Enjoy the flick!
For years I've searched for info on the wonderful old animatronic Christmas displays they would set up in down the middle of the mall... moving reindeer, waving dolls, sleeping santas, etc. They were in little building that kind of looked like glass gazebos.
They did away with them when the mall was modernized. Anyone know where they went? Who they were sold to?
When we first shopped at Hillsdale Mall:
1) The parking lots all were ground level.
2) The stores on the East end between Macys & Farmers market were not built yet. There was a walkway, but the construction site was boarded off, with small holes to watch the construction.
3) The old Sears store was not remodeled till the 60's, so looked older than the rest of the mall. The auto center was part of the main building.
4) The "farmers market" building was smaller. The grocery had seperate greengrocers, dry goods store, bakery & meat dept. The restaurant area doubled in size when the Emporium was built. On Sundays all the restaurants offered Sunday dinner for $1.
Does anyone know what was on the mall property BEFORE Hillsdale?
At Christmas I remember Sears had Winnie The Pooh stuff EVERYWHERE, but more so had out front a large Donald Duck playing a song that I believe was "Barnacle Duck The Sailor".
Was Melarts an "upscale" toy shop? My parents used to get my sister Madame Alexander dolls there. I would love to have one of those Corgi Batmobiles they sold.
Does anyone remember a store that you would enter through a curved or spiral staircase going underground and it seemed to sell a lot of 70s maybe early 80s crafty things, like burl wood clocks, macrame, etc.?
This was before the mall was enclosed, and before Cost Plus?
And I LOVED going down the slide at Melarts!
Thanks!
I would have been a kid at that mall from 1967 on.