BIGMallrat

Sunrise Mall in Citrus Heights, just outside Sacramento, California, opened April 19, 1972. The mall was developed by Ernest W. Hahn and Cordano Associates. It was the area's premier shopping destination with Weinstocks anchoring the north mall, JC Penney and Liberty House to the east, and Sears occupying the south mall. Macy's acquired the Liberty House location in 1984 and Weinstocks in 1996. Inside Sunrise Mall. The back of the postcard reads: "Ultra modern, enclosed air conditioned complex affords shopping in comfort. Citrus Heights, California." It is postmarked 1987 and most likely was taken from the Macy's court, looking northward towards Weinstocks. The geometric patterns on the ceiling and lighting reminds me of Krypton in the movie Superman. The ceiling was heavily remodeled in 1999 and the only reminder of these patterns is the tiled floor, which was barely touched by the 1999 remodel. Macy's at Sunrise Mall The Macy's at Sunrise Mall in Cit...

Set on a portion of the historic Rancho San Pablo, El Cerrito Plaza and Capwell's department store opened on July 9, 1958. The Plaza was developed by the Albert-Lovett Company and the Emporiun-Capwell Company.  This advertisement from the Oakland Tribune invites the public to come shop the largest store in Contra Costa County. The 2-level Capwell's store cost $6,000,000 and was 232,000 square feet of spacious aisles and modernistic fixtures. The exterior of the store was equally modern with its blue and brown tile. At the time, Capwell's El Cerrito was the fourth store in the chain, with other locations in Oakland (downtown), Walnut Creek (Broadway Plaza), and Hayward (downtown). De-malling After Capwell''s closed in 1996, the mall went into serious decline. In 2002, Capwell's was demolished and the shopping center de-malled. Although the renovation was described by urban designers as "dysfunctional and dull," today it operates as a thrivin...

Once a vibrant shopping hub in the heart of downtown Sacramento, Downtown Plaza began its heyday in 1993. With a goal of duplicating the success of San Diego's Horton Plaza, developer Ernest Hahn breathed new life into the struggling K Street corridor, transforming it into a 1.2 million square foot retail destination. A signature steel-framed rotunda anchored the design, once hosting dazzling nighttime laser shows that lit up the city skyline. At its peak, the mall housed major flagship stores, including the region's largest Macy's, complete with separate Men's and Furniture locations. Yet over time, cracks began to show. Retail giants such as Banana Republic pulled out, and the eastern wing fell into near-total vacancy, even as the western side maintained a degree of foot traffic. The mall’s architecture, while ambitious, worked against it. The interplay between bright sunlight and shaded overhangs created visibility issues for storefronts, discouraging window shopp...

Serving the San Jose area since 1961, Westgate Mall in San Jose is a small mall that seems to defy the odds. Believe it or not, it was once the second-largest shopping center in San Jose. Malls this size around the country are either failing or struggling. However, Westgate Mall seems to be thriving. View inside Westgate Mall San Jose. Another view inside Westgate Mall. Unusual for malls these days, but common yesteryear, is the connection this mall has to the community. You can still get your hair done at Annette's Silhouettes, get your teeth cleaned at Westgate Dental, then head to Razzberry Lips for a makeover party. Local independent stores, once a thing of the past in a mall, perhaps a trend for the future? As a regional draw, Nordstrom Rack, Burlington Coat Factory, Ross Dress for Less, and Barnes and Noble Bookstore. A little something for everyone. Saving the best for last... this mall is rarely crowded. One can walk around without being molested by Dead Sea Salt hawker...

Capitola Mall opened in April 1977 with Sears and Mervyn's. In late 1988, the mall nearly doubled in a size and added JC Penney and a food court. Gottschalks was the last department store addition in 1990, replacing a store in downtown Santa Cruz, and closed in July 2009. After a long respite, I finally enjoyed a trip to Capitola Mall in the seaside community of Capitola, near Santa Cruz. It's been nearly a decade since my last visit and the mall hadn't changed much, except for the infusion of new stores and fading of old ones. The mall was just about the right size for a short outing and had a nice selection of stores. Some upscale, some moderate, and plenty in between. I managed to pick up a few bargains along the way. As expected, the corridor heading to the now-defunct Mervyn's was loosing stores. However the newly "dead" corridor ought to turn around when Kohl's opens later this year. The first photo is of the old Mervyn's and one for the scrapb...

Gottschalks always felt like a retail mystery to me—one of those strange blips on the department store timeline. Though the name had long been known in the Central Valley since 1904, it didn’t make its curious debut in the Bay Area until 1989. And when it did, it raised a few questions: What is a Gottschalks? How do you even say it? And why does their logo have a daisy on it? Was this a store or a gardening catalog? Naturally, I had to investigate. Their first Bay Area store bloomed quietly at Antioch’s Somersville Towne Center—though back then, it was still clinging to the name County East Mall. Freshly remodeled with enough mirrored ceilings to make Narcissus himself swoon, the mall looked ready for a new era. As for the new anchor? Well… meh. It was fine. It had clothes, cosmetics, cookware—but this was 1989, and department stores were already starting to either evolve or unravel. Gottschalks didn’t quite scream “future.” It barely whispered “present.” Still, I was told ...

You didn’t   shop   at Mervyn’s. You   lived   at Mervyn’s. Okay, maybe not literally—but if you grew up anywhere in the Bay Area from the ’70s to the early 2000s, there’s a good chance your socks, school clothes, and maybe even your prom dress came from that magical beige-toned land of affordable clothes and lite music. It's also pretty likely your first charge card came from Mervyn's, too. It’s hard to explain Mervyn’s to someone who didn’t grow up with it. It wasn’t fancy like Macy’s, but it wasn’t all polyester chaos like Kmart either. Mervyn’s was solid. Sensible. Slightly carpet-scented. It was the go-to department store for families who didn’t need glitz—they just needed Levi's, bath towels, and a three-pack of Mervyn's brand underwear. The entrance: doors to another dimension I remember those tinted glass doors so vividly. You’d walk in, and the air would change. Cooler. Buzzier. Fluorescent and filled with the faint smell of perfume and cotton blends. Rig...