A beautiful new way to shop, Eastridge Mall in San Jose opened in 1971. It was the largest and most beautiful mall in the entire state.
When the mall first opened, everyone came to see it. Even the City of Fremont sponsored bus trips to the mall, which created quite a controversy (funneling tax dollars out of Fremont, you know).
A postcard of the grand Eastridge Mall in San Jose. You can see the massiveness of this mall. The center court was (and still is) enormous. A lot of floor space with wide-open spaces. In those days, they filled open spaces with gracious fountains and elegant sculptures. Or, in the case of Eastridge, sculptures IN fountains.
The back of the card reads: "Eastridge Shopping Center, the largest in the West, is a shopper's paradise, comprising over 160 shops and four major department stores under one roof. The three climate controlled levels are unique in their bold design. Capitol Expressway, Tully and Quimby Roads, San Jose, California."
Perhaps a more pleasing picture came soon after. The same view, but centered on Jarman, includes the information booth.
The back of the postcard reads "The "Grand Court" area of the Eastridge regional shopping center in San Jose, California, features modern shaped plexiglass information booth and a spectacular sculpture in steel by the world famous sculptress, Stephanie Scuris. The center, which is constructed on three levels, boasts four major department stores and 146 other stores."
Some of the stores featured in this next postcard are The Clothes Barn and Singer just below. You can see Jarman way back there.
The back of the postcard reads: "Eastridge Shopping Center, the largest in the West, is a shopper's paradise comprising over 160 shops and four major department stores under one roof. The three climate controlled levels are unique in their bold design. Capitol Expressway, Tully, and Quimby Roads, San Jose, California."
We are treated to a vintage "The Gap" logo in the far left top. Who could forget the Arts International on the top right? In the center court is the beautiful sculpture that was later moved to downtown San Jose. With the remodel in 2005, the entire center court was reconfigured. The fountain demolished, and the mystery level removed.
The back of the postcard reads "Eastridge Shopping Center, the largest in the West, is a shopper's paradise comprising over 160 shops and four major department stores under one roof. The three climate controlled levels are unique in their bold design. Capitol Expressway, Tully, and Quimby Roads, San Jose, California."
Remember Liberty House and Joseph Magnin?
The back of the card reads "Stores on all three levels can be seen at the same time at the handsome 150-store shopping complex in San Jose. Carpeted ramps and rest areas, escalators, natural light, modern sculpturing, enhance the West Coast's largest and finest regional shopping center."
What about the mannequins riding up and down in "elevators" in the center of Liberty House? Children would be mesmerized by their graceful movement in an endless loop of up, down, up, down, with no means of escape.
Liberty House closed its Eastridge store in 1978 without ever making a profit. It was replaced by Emporium-Capwell. Once they closed, the pad remained vacant for some time. Eventually, anchor building was knocked down in 2005 to make room for a remodel.
Later remodel
From the files of "what's your next idea?" these photographs show the dividing of Eastridge Mall by two-story skybridges around 2008.
This was the mall's idea to improve circulation and flow. The next renovation took care of those skybridges once and for all. The mysterious middle level made elevator-placement tricky. Now I understand why they wanted to remove the mystery level altogether. These photos are courtesy of Dean Lundstrom.
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Eastridge was also the place where one could get up close and personal with contemporary art. The "seating pit", that popular icon of the 70's, was not only a cozy place to share with complete strangers, it also usually included a 30 ft high mass of crafted steel to get acquainted with. Somehow this became a signature of Taubman's malls and although I cannot say the seating pits were successful from a sociological, or even practical point of view, they were very cool nonetheless, and later included planters to soften them. The seating pits at Eastridge are long gone, and now Stoneridge is tearing theirs out for new "upscale seating". I haven't been to Hilltop in a while, but that might be the only hope for contemporaty 70's mall seating in the San Francisco region.
The randomness of all the steps looks very cool, but it was probably an insurance nightmare. I wouldn't be surprised if there were a lot of falls. I believe that today, handrails may be required for all steps like that.
The changes in elevation of the mall's levels had nothing to do with the topography of the building site. These were created deliberately as part of the formula for inserting the middle level along two sides of the grand court. The upper and lower levels at the Sears end were intentionally set higher than the upper and lower levels at the JCPenney end. At the grand court, the middle level was inserted on two sides and it played a role in the transition of the upper and lower levels between Sears and JCPenney. It was done in a similar manner at Woodfield, too. Only in that case, the JCPenney wing was higher and the Sears wing was lower.
With all that said - take a second look at the photo. There was a lot of care put in to using different colored tile to make the steps very distinguishable so that patrons would not fall on them. I don't ever remember the steps being problematic for any reason other than they could tire out shoppers and distract them from looking into the stores.
One of these days I'll have to get to Woodfield.
Eastridge did put in a series of ramps to comply with the ADA. However, the stairs are still there! In fact, there is a set of stairs on the second level from the center court towards Penney's. Those are new because of the removal of the mysterious middle level.
Scott
We were referring to the steps that are all over the floor of the lower level, particularly as seen in the photo going from the fountain sculpture back to Liberty House. While lovely to look at, those steps occur at random intervals and angles and surely were problematic to one degree or another. If you look closely near the Liberty House, you'll even see a set of steps with a small ramp through the middle -- all with no handrails. Although I haven't been to Eastridge in over a year, I'm fairly certain that these steps have all been taken out. That's not to say that all stairs are gone. Obviously, there are still stairs at Eastridge, but not the sea of random steps that are seen in this photo.
On another topic, does anyone have old Eastridge directories from the original Taubman era? I don't recall if I've ever seen the original Eastridge logo or not. It would also be interesting to see the list of tenants. Does anyone know what that store is on the lower level, two floors below Jarman and directly below what appears to be Eastpoint Imports? What is the tenant to the right of Eastpoint Imports on the middle level?
Compared to what it used to be like, it's a lot flatter... the stairs are grouped together now. But, they still have them in unusual places and a number of sets that makes it weird. I couldn't imagine it any worse!
The store two down from Jarman? I blew up the picture and could make out "The V--- Two"
Sound familiar?
Scott
Scott
Good work. Thanks. I wonder if The Wax Tree might have been a candle shop, something like Wicks 'n' Sticks. Okay, so what's the tenant to the right of the Eastpoint Imports on the middle level? My guess is that it's some kind of restaurant.
I talked it over with a friend and we think the restaurant on the mid level with the striped awnings was a Farrell's Ice Cream Parlour. Above that on the top level is the World's Fare Restaurant which was like a food court. Bottom level with the white windows is See's Candies.
Here I was trying to figure out the store between Farrell's and Eastpointe. Petite Sophistocate? :)
Scott
Between The Wax Tree and See's Candies is Albert's Hosiery. Never had reason to go inside one, but I know that at one time they had three locations in Woodfield. Hot Sam pretzels also had three locations in Woodfield. Did any stores have multiple locations in Eastridge? I don't mean relocating from one space to another, but rather multiple locations that coexisted.
So, you got me!
It looked like a Farrell's to me... or TGIFriday's.
Scott
She thinks it was a burger place or Swenson's Ice Creamery.
Scott
But if it was a restaurant, it wouldn't surprise me. My parents and I drove all the way down from Richmond many times to visit Eastridge in the early 70's, and I remember seeing a lot of things that I'd never seen before.
Taubman obviously opted for a lot of experimentation at Eastridge, which was consistent with the fact that the San Jose area was often the "launching point" for many new retail concepts, largely becuase of available land. In fact, I remember a small shop(I think on the middle level) that was a combination Far east gift shop with a small tea and sandwich shop attached. That was wild, though it didn't last long. Anyone remember that?
BTW, what did they do with the middle level in the renovation? Did they knock it out and combine it either the upper or lower levels, or does it still exist and just hidden and closed off?
If I recall, the Eastridge JC Penney was the last Bay Area store that opened with the 60's era "Penneys" logo. J.C. Penney himself died not too long after that and I think that's when they switched back to using the "JC", possibly as a tribute.
The mystery goes on.
Scott
I looked up the location of Todai and now realize that's where Farrell's was located. I think we even ate there once at my insistence -- upper level, near Penney's, on the south entrance to the mall. Too bad they are not still around. It's interesting how Friday's is doing so well on a similar concept.
I only remember the Bumbleberry's that was located in Fremont...lots of purple decor to say the least. Not sure there was one in Eastridge.
I noticed in the pics at Steve's site that there was also a Tiffany's at Eastridge which I absolutely have no recollection of. I noticed there was one in the old pics of Northridge Mall as well. Anyone have any insight into what Tiffany's was??
Alas, I'll have to take a drive down to Eastridge sometime soon to figure out what they have turned the place into. The last time I was there was just before the remodeling. Judging by the lease plan, the upper level has a strange dead end on the south side that used to be the Liberty House wing. Doesn't look like good mall design, but I'll have to see what it's like in person.
I also read that the AMC theaters (that were supposed to go in the demolished Liberty House spot) were built instead over by Sears because the approach to the Reid-Hillview airport imposed restrictions. I assume these are the same restrictions that caused Taubman to throw up their hands on the property.
@Dean: Tiffany's was a chain of bakeries that were found in malls nationwide. They seemed to be everywhere and suddenly they were nowhere. I don't know if any remain, but I haven't seen one in more than ten years.
I'd take a fresh loaf of french bread over to trade for some summer sausage. I was sitting on the roof of sears eating my summer sausage lunch when a small plane comming in for a landing at Ried hill view airport wheel clipped the top of the building flipped and skidded upside down on the roof
noone was hurt and I was outa there in a hurry.
Thank you,
Desperately Seeking Tonia
the department store that was close to Judy's. Does anyone else remember if Express was there around 1984-87?
Seems to me..Farrell's was on the side of the mall. See's candies are still a household favorite..we have that in kiosks in the malls here in Minnesota. Yes..we have the Mall of American and yes it's HUGE...but when you are small child that was wowed by the biggest mall in the West, the MOA wasn't so big...though I know it is...very impressive. My childhood memories are always with Eastridge and Woolworth's MALTS!!!! yum...great, fun memories with my brothers...btw I had a no boys 5th birthday...they were aloud though cuz they didn't count. Thanks for reading my memories of ERM...