In 1982, Hillsdale Mall in San Mateo unveiled a sleek new identity. What was once a postwar, open-air shopping center had just completed a massive 1981 transformation—fully enclosed and remodeled to compete with the newly opened San Mateo Fashion Island mall just down the road.
This wasn’t just cosmetic. The remodel signaled Hillsdale’s evolution from a neighborhood mall to a full-fledged suburban shopping destination.
And central to this new era? The 1982 Hillsdale Mall directory—a compact, graphic time capsule that captured the mall’s modern two-level layout, new design, and most importantly, the retail names that shaped its golden age.
A new Hillsdale for a new decade
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| Scan of Hillsdale Mall’s 1982 directory, showing major stores like Nordstrom, Sears, and the newly enclosed layout. |
The 1982 directory featured anchor stores that reflected Hillsdale’s upgraded ambitions:
Mall enclosure and expanded with a new second-level
Nordstrom, which had opened just a year earlier in 1981 as part of the remodel
Macy’s, a longtime draw that helped cement the mall’s upscale direction
Emporium-Capwell, serving both tradition and Bay Area loyalty
Sears, still a cornerstone for appliances, tools, and more
Mervyn’s, a value-focused favorite for families
The updated layout also included a new food court, winding walkways, and a more intuitive map—replacing the boxy outdoor promenades of the 1950s with the sleek, climate-controlled concourses of the 1980s.
A personal artifact: my first mall visit
For me, this directory wasn’t just a folded piece of paper—it was part of a memory. I picked it up on my very first trip to Hillsdale Mall in 1982, proudly clutching a few dollars of allowance and heading straight to the music store after watching a segment on Evening Magazine.
I walked out with a 45 single of “Puttin’ on the Ritz” by Taco—yes, it might have already been in the sale bin, but to me, it was absolute treasure.
Design and detail: why the 1982 directory still matters
The cover of the 1982 Hillsdale Mall directory proudly displayed the mall’s main anchors and new internal layout. Its design was clean, colorful, and modern for the time—echoing the bold transitions happening throughout suburban retail in the early ’80s.
Today, it serves as both a collector’s item and a visual reminder of a moment when malls were more than shopping centers—they were places of discovery, independence, and cultural pulse.
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