Garden State Plaza
Paramus, New Jersey - late '60s or early '70s
Thanks a bunch to, William Berry, in New Jersey, for this beautiful and very colorful submission! The old opening from Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color comes to mind when I look at this photo! Remember the theme song? "The world is a wonderland of color...".
Anyway, Garden State Plaza's current Simon-owned website is right here.
posted by Keith @ 1/09/2006
29 Comments:
Does anyone have pictures of the King of Prussia Mall, from King of Prussia, PA. I know it's been around since at least the early 80s, probably longer. I'd love to see them.
Rachel: Dig through the archives here (or just do a search with the search window at the bottom of the main page). I've highlighted Prussia a couple times already. I'll try to get more up for you soon as well.
Wait, who are you again? I forget...
Absolutely love the flowers. What a beautiful display.
Cora, wie geht es Ihnen? You hail from the same town that my mother comes from.
While I cannot answer your question directly, I have seen pictures of Berlin during the 30's which shows a depertment store (rather large, as well) with the name Bamberger on it. I thought it was a coincidence, but I am beginning to believe otherwise.
If I find out anything of value about this I'll drop you a line.
William
Keith,
Thanks for putting the pic up. Happy New Year!
This shot reminds me of my visit to Oakbrook Center down in IL. Of course, the buildings there are modernized, but the large department stores, and landscaping are what I am hinting at. Just beautiful. Bamberger's isn't familiar to me...didn't have those in Wisconsin. I take they were just a regional name, like the equlvalents I'm familiar with, Prange's, Boston Store, or Gimbles' Milwaukee division.
Nice way to start off a year that I'm sure will have more memories bought up.
For Cora----
About Bamberger's Department Store--
There was one as an anchor at the Lehigh Valley Mall on US 22 in Allentown for many years. Same company as in Paramus. I have no idea if it was the same family here or not.
Peach in Easton, PA
There was a Bambergers in the Montgomeryville Mall in PA up till about '85 or so. I believe Macy's bought them out as that is what is there now.
Bambergers department store was a regional chain based in Newark, N.J. with stores in NJ, PA and Nanuet, N.Y.. They were taken over by Macy's in 1986.
Macy's and Bamberger's were the same company for many years befire the '80s. I. Bamberger & Co., was bought out by R.H. Macy back in the '20s.
Thanks for all the great comments and helpful info, guys! Lots of fun reading here. :)
William: Thanks again for the wonderful submission, and Happy New Year to you, too, and everyone else!
Tekkodbz: Thanks, and I'll see if I can dig up some shots of those malls for ya. I may have some already, just have to check.
And, Chris: Sometimes I'm not even sure, so I can't help ya there. Heh.
It's amazing how much that mall has changed, for better or for worse, in 45 years!
What was the name of the restaurant next to Bamberger's at the Garden State Plaza Mall?
Louis Bamberger, the son of German Jewish immigrants, founded the Bamberger's Department Store in Newark, NJ in the year 1892. At that time Newark was a thriving city, and Bamberger's store was an upscale retailer that competed with Macy's. In 1929, Louis Bamberger sold his store to Macy's. From 1929 until 1986 Macy's used the Bamberger's name for their suburban stores. After 1986 all the suburban stores were renamed Macy's.
I remember the open air Garden State Plaza very well. Mom brought us there to shop for school clothes once a year and we watched it grow. As young teens in the early 70's we often attended concerts by local bands, one I recall was named "Ezra". There was also a store there that we would go to buy incense and little brass do dads... was it an early Pier One?
Then, in the early 80's, I was looking for some extra money and took a temporary job with a balloon store. They ended up suppling the balloons for the celebration cermonies for the start of the upgrade (enclosure) of the Plaza. We each carried about 200 helium balloons and as many of you many remember, the wind would howl through those sidewalks... well, with all those helium balloons, it didn't take much for lift-off! We had a devil of a time staying on our feet while we waited for the signal to release the balloons... it was a fun time.
Cool site! Thanks for the work you've done!
giWas it Wolfie's?
I was searching for pictures of the Plaza to show my kids. They did not believe me when I told them it was outside. I remember as a child in the 60's we would go see santa who was in the middle and he had actual reindeer and told stories. I also remember that Santa who came out of the chimney in the front of the mall. Thanks for the memories. Are there any more pictures of the mall somewhere?
THE PLAZA WAS EXPANDED I THINK IN 1996 AND NOW THEY ARE ADDING A SIXTEEN SCREEN MOVIE THEATER TO THE MALL
I REMEBER WHEN THEY WERE BUILDING NORDSTROMS IN THIS MALL. I USED TO GO VISIT MY FATHER THERE BECAUSE HE PUT UP THE GRANITE WALLS OUT SIDE THE STORE. THE MALL WAS SO COOL BACK IN THE 80'S IT ALMOST LOOKED LIKE A JUNGLE. THE CEILING IN THE HALLWAYS WERE MADE OF WOOD IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY. THE BORDERS IN THIS MALL USED TO BE A CHILD WORLD AND NEXT TO THAT WAS A STORE THAT SOLD TROLLS. ALSO IN THAT CENTER SPOT THERE USED TO BE AN ESCALATOR THAT BROUGHT YOU DOWN TO THE FOOD COURT WHICH WAS SO COOL BECAUSE IT HAD A LOT FOUNTAINS AND PEOPLE USED TO THROW CHANGE IN THEM.
Julius Bamberger (Bremen Germany) is my great grandfather and no he did not open more branches in Berlin or anywhere else.
he is my great grand father 2. how do you know he didn't open one in berlin? who the hell did than?
Really, what side of the family?
Anonymous said...
What was the name of the restaurant next to Bamberger's at the Garden State Plaza Mall?
I believe it was called Lorry's.
Jerry G
Arcadian Gardens was one of my FAVORITE stores! I don't know HOW many forsythia bushes I bought there over the years. It was like the Home Depot of "back in the day" (minus the tool department!)
I spent most of my teenage years there as well as my adult years. At 13 I greeted "Cousin Brucie" and STILL have the signed sweatshirt he gave me! I used to work at Milmar's Hosiery right next to "Fanny Farmers" candies! My girlfriend and I used to "barter" pantyhose for almond crunch! ha ha ha
I still can remember ALL those things that everyone spoke about here including being on a bowling team well into my 20's. And yes, it was right where American Joes currently is. You had to walk to a flight of stairs to get to it.
I even went to REAL ESTATE school at Kovat's Real Estate school on the basement level!! And...... does anyone remember going to the "movies" downstairs in that same area? I clearly remember my mother leaving my friends and I while she went shopping (yeah THOSE were SAFE times for kids)! I remember seeing "Gullivers Travels". WOW, what a blast from the past.
It's been GREAT reminiscing. If anyone has any other pictures from back in the day, PLEASE post them. Someone on Myspace.com has a terrific blog with TONS of great pictures INCLUDING the one of Santa coming down the chimney that Bambergers or Gimbels used to have on their roof at Christmas time. And YES, I DO remember Santa arriving via helicopter. My friend owns Hannah Krauses candy and we used to hang out there and wait and then RUN to see him when we heard the helicopter. And finally, I vividly remember when they dug that huge hole for the Century Theater that they recently took down only to put up the new "16Plex" theater that's there. Ah....... such wonderful memories.
(paramuschick)........
WONDER IF ANYONE HAS A PICTURE OF THE SANTA ARCH THAT GRACED THE GARDEN STATE PLAZA AT CHRISTMASTIME IN THE EARLY 60'S I'D LOVE TO SEE ONE.
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Thanks for posting the photo. My first job was as a counter service waiter at Lorry's at the Garden State Plaza in August, 1977 after I'd just turned 18. For a couple of years I'd tried to remember the name of the place after my son had asked about my first summer job. I remember we had to make the salads ourselves. I recall telling the manager I'd be going to college in the Fall. I didn't volunteer it was Johns Hopkins. He assumed it was a local community college, and figured I could work part time during the school year. I worked there about 3 weeks before classes began in Baltimore. It gave me an appreciation for what it's like to work on your feet serving the public. I recall many of the regular customers were very nice, telling me "son, save that tip you'll need it for college". Since that time, I've always been a generous 20%+ tipper for good restaurant service.
Does anyone remember a lion exhibit in a store window?
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