Wanamaker's - Cross County Shopping Center
Yonkers, New York - 1960's
Paul, in New york City, submitted this great postcard! Here's his included note:
"Here is a companion to your terrific Gimbel’s photo from Yonkers. It’s the Wanamaker’s store across the parking lot. Judging from the cars, the photo would look to be from the mid 60’s. I love the way each store plastered the word ‘WESTCHESTER’ prominently on each of their buildings, ‘Yonkers’ being presumably too déclassé. I remember both stores fondly. The Wanamaker store was way more fun than Gimbel’s as they seemed not to have changed anything from the day they opened until they closed down.
Love your website. Keep up the good work!"
Thanks, Paul, and I really appreciate the wonderful submission! :)
posted by Keith @ 3/14/2006
78 Comments:
This wanamaker's store is now occupied by Sear's. The old Gimbel's store across the way is now a Macy's. It has been speculated that another anchor store will soon join the mall (possibly J.C. Penney or Kohl's), but the owners of the mall have yet to confirm this.
I love the swanky JOHN WANNAMAKER signature ...looks so elegant and trendy for that day
Wow, the things you learn on the internet. I came across this site quie by accident.
I was born in the late 60's and do remember Wanamakers, but I don't remember the Cross County Hospital. It's just an office building now, and a sorry one at that. A new indoor mall (well it's not all that new anymore) was built just to the south of the CCM and it's called the Cross County Center. It's anchors are Sports Authority, Circuit City and National Wholesale Liquidators.
...Correction, that's Cross County Square and I failed to also mention that it is an enclosed mall (for all you rainy day shoppers ;-)
I use to live across the street (down the hill) from Wanamakers during the early 70's. I remember that mall so well. The dirrerent stores and the record store where I would by the latest hot 45 record. There was also a grocery store that was in the development that had a conveyer belt so after paying you put it on the rollers and it went outside. You then drove up and they put the groceries in your car.
I was just there today. A lot of the stores are out of business, including Sam Goody's, the party store Party Bazaar, CVS and of course, Woolworths. Now it seems like a ghost town, very sad. They are supposed to update the mall. It used to be a great local place. Now it is just depressing. The stores are not kept up nicely at all--merchandise all over the floor at old navy. I wanted to buy my son shoes at footlocker but couldn't due to there not being a mate. I hope it gets better.
Anyone remember the lions in front of Wanamaker's?? I used to climb all over them. Are they still there?
Does anyone remember a small children's area in the back of the parking lot? I remember there was a giant whale with an open mouth you could walk in to and see an aquarium. Used to love that!!
Born in 1965 and I used to live on Winfred Ave and spend my entire Saturday hanging out there. First stop was Adventures. It used to have rides and everything. We used to play pinball ( then video games in the late 70s). Then we went through Woolworth's. It had a pet shop downstairs and toy section upstairs. You could also buy snow cones and they had a small luncheonete. Then we'd hit AC gifts to look at naked women on posters (cool pastime when you're a kid ). Then Hermans sporting goods to check out the fishing section. I remember Party Bazzar, Thom Mcann, Eds Aquarium, Singer Sewing, a bank, a shoe store, and a jewelry store in that section. Then off to Walgreens ( later CVS ). I remember another woolworths, hammond organs ( I used to play them all the time ), Paperback Booksmith, Toy World, Horn and Harardt's ( later Burger King ). Then Gimbels, great place, used to work there in high school.
Wannamakers was usually the last stop. It had a restaurant on the top floor.
Btw, that supermarket was Finast. I used to ride on that conveyor belt!
Great site!!!
those lions are still there because wanamaker's is now where sear's is and whenever i go there they are there.
Thank you for settling a discussion that Walgreens did occupy space in the mall. My brother was born at the hospital. Adventures Inn ( outdoor rides, indoor video games)and Finast were entertaining. Wanamakers also had a Christmas shop just for kids to buy little presents for family members ( no adults allowed inside) you met your parent at the end. There was Lubin's mens store and player pianos outside. To work at Woolworth's you had to pass a simple math exam...that should be reinstated for most of the youth today. Apparently the mall is undergoing redevelopment - meantime many stores are empty, messy and evenings and nighttimes can be dangerous.
Wow what a snapshot. I spent many Saturday's shopping in Wanamakers with my mom. I can remember the perfume ladies when you walked in then up to the escalator to the childrens dept. and some days we would eat in the store. But most days we would head on over to Wilskers for pastrami sandwiches. Moved out of Yonkers 22 years ago but visit often my brothers both still live their. Thanks for the nice memory
There was also Wilskers Restaurant and Walgreens had a counter and a few booths for eating, as well as Woolworths having counters for eating. Lubins was originally called Lubins Youth Center. There were two Thom McAns. One in the middle of the center and one next to the original Sterling Optical (near Old Navy). New York and Company was Lerners. And the rest of the stores were completely different then they are now. I miss the old Cross County.
It was great reading through everyone's comments...I was botn in 1946 and had my two sons in the mid 70"s...I used to walk to the 'Center" from Belmont Avenue with both my kids in the stroller and walk back home at the end of the day. Life seemed so simple then! PS...almost forgot about the conveyor belt at Finast!
BTW, Does anyone remember the name of the restaurant behind Wanamaker that faced Kimball Avenue before it became one of the Sizzler chain which is no longer??
Take care. A.
I too, stumbled across this looking to see what stores are in CC. I was born in 1966, grew up in the Lockwood/Palmer Rd. area and my Mother would drive to CC on weekends. You guys brought back some memories, like adventures, the hospital, Woolworths and the christmas shop for kids. If I remember correctly, they would put up a huge castle where we could take pictures with Santa Clause. Does anyone remember what movie was filmed in CC? I believe it starred Leif Garret and featured the song, "you take my breath away" performed by Rex Smith. My memory fails me.
Born in 1965, just a few miles from the center. My grandmother worked in Wanamakers from the 50's to the 70's. Some of my fondest Christmas and Halloween memories, were shopping at Woolworths for decorations and Ben Cooper costumes. I remember the place had a Rockwellian aura. Those days are long gone, so is innocence.
The restaurant behind Wanamakers was te Red Coach Inn.
I grew up on Stillwell Avenue and the kid all use to play on the hillside just south of Wanamakers. We watched the stores being built and wandered in the truck tunnels and played on the second floor. As a teenager I worked in Gimbels men's department and later in Lerners and then Walgreens. My sister worked in Wanamakers for years.
In 1964-65 I was a candy striped at Cross County hospital, which was a doctor owned facility.
Oppenheim Collins, Sam Goodys, Popular Fashion were there. The bank had a system of pneumatic tubes inside the bank so the tellers didnt have to leave the window. There was a luggage store, a liquor store and Parkland Hosiery store in addition to an ice cream kiosk.
what was the name of the ski/sports goods store on the ground of the cross county shopping center circa 1982? I remember a red building.....
I grew up in the North Bronx, not far from Cross County. It was always a treat to shop there as a kid with my mom. Wanamaker's was my favorite store by far. It was an almost magical place, especially at Christmas. It would be wonderfully decorated and had the most adorable, classic Santas every year. They had high-class merchandise and great service.
When I was old enough to ride the bus there with my friends, Cross County was a great place to hang out. Wilsker's was a favorite place to go (thanks to fellow bloggers for reminding me of the name of the restaurant), because it had free Kosher pickles that we would gorge on while buying the cheapest things on the menu.
One of the first times I actually drove my mother's car after getting my permit was to Cross County. I managed to get us there and back home to the Bronx without killing us both!
I married a year after graduating from college in 1976 and moved with my husband to Germany, where he was assigned by the Army. My mom subsequently moved away too, so I was not a witness to the closing of Gimbels and Wanamakers, nor to the decline of Cross County. I have fond memories of shopping there, especially at this time of year. Thanks for sharing!
I tried in vain to get the Hudson River Museum in Yonkers, to try to aquire the chinese lions, before they disappeared. Well, what with all the renovations, they have sadly disappeared. I figure, they are either in someone's backyard, or on e bay. What is remarkable, is that the roadways leading into and out of the shopping center, have not changed since the fifties, which makes for absurd traffic jams.
Where did everyone go? Now cross county is the smutt and garbage from the Bronx. They are currently doing magor construction, seems like they are polishing a turd. That place needs a bomb, a buldozer, and a carting company to haul it away with the garbage it brings in. Those developers don't care how pleasant it was or about our bright memories. They care only about the money the center will bring in making Yonkers a darker place to live. Thanks Mayor Amaconi
"what was the name of the ski/sports goods store on the ground of the cross county shopping center circa 1982? I remember a red building.....
"
It was an A frame building just south of Wananmakers, on the hill.... I think it was called the Alpine shop?
It was Michel's ski shop.
Also - after reading all the posts - the restaurant next to Wanamaker's was the Red Coach Grill - not Inn. Remember there was the "old" Woolworth's and the "new" Woolworths. I have very fond memories of "the Center", but I am waiting to see what happens with the redevelopment. They are adding buildings and stores, revamping the look of the old ones and definitely trying to improve the shopping experience. The lions are not gone - just relocated temporarily.
Remember the rams right outside Wanamakers?
Anyone still in the area probably shops at the Super Stop N Shop, which now occupies the area where we all learned to drive - the old parking area south of the top floor of Wanamakers and where there was a road which ran out to Vredenburgh. That whole area was blasted out when they built the new grocery store.
As a kid, I remember Cross County has several small stores that sold ice cream and other refreshments. The one outside Macy's sells jewelry.
I remember Herman's, Sam Goody, Tom McAnn's, and Toy World. A few times, I got new glasses at Shapiro Optical, which is still there. I also visited Walden Books, which I believe is still there.
In early 1991, we got our beloved samoyed puppy at the pet store. I often frequented Software Etc.
Does anyone remember the poster for the Keanu Reeves film, Johnny Memonic (1995), being up (near the corner shoe store) for several years or longer? Someone forgot to take it down.
Found this site by accident...was born in 1967 at Cross County Hospital (we lived in Hartsdale). When I was little, I always asked mom to take me to see the hospital. She said it burned down (probably because she didn't want to go). Thank you for finally letting me see the place after 42 years!
Newly married, I moved to the neighborhood in 1976. We have not moved since. We were at the mall nearly every day. My wife enjoyed working at Wanamakers.
About the lions, I recently spotted them in a fenced off construction area on the north lot. They look undamaged, possibly waiting to be reinstalled.
I firmly believe the mall has lost it's identity because it was sold to a out-of-state mall operator that is bent on turning the place into just another cookie cutter property. The original owner, Leonard Marx, was a retail genius. Unfortunately, his skills were not passed onto his kids whom cashed out to the highest bidder. The current owners, Macerich in CA, had some grandiose ideas on how to expand the mall but ended up picking pieces off their scale model until it became just a messy and slow remake of the original mall.
The original family stores are nearly all gone, except for a few, like Shapiro Optical and Suzettes. The new owners are going with bland national brand stores like Old Navy and Aeropostale. Really, who needs a new high-end pet fashion boutique? No joke.
The Super Stop and Shop is an exception, it's not as quirky as the old Finast and many of the same familiar people are there and know how to run a store.
I haven't been there in a few years. I drove up from the Bronx and made a quick walk around.
It's really sad what's happened to Cross County. Nearly all of the stores I remember are gone. I knew a few chains such as Herman's and Sam Goody went out of business. But Walden Books is gone. So is the picture frame store. The stand-alone trinket store outside of Macy's, which used to sell refreshments until the 1980s, has been demolished.
Only Radio Shack, the Chinese restaurant, Shapiro Optical (which has been forced to relocate due to construction), Macy's, and Burger King are still there.
No more second level. Even the green areas--which had patches of grass--are gone. Those block-shaped garbage cans, which posted Cross County safety rules, are history as well.
Wow, I was born in 1958 and we lived on Bronx River Rd...my Mom used to work part-time at Gimbels. I always remember that erie-looking blue CCH sign on the Hospital Building. We used to shop there at Christmas and the lights would be up, snowing, people shopping....wow, what a fond memory of a better time past. Does anyone know any other info on the Hospital? Any other pictures of it? My Dad was there for something and I remember it wansn't a good experience for some reason. Thanks for the site and pics. I live in Albany NY now, but would love to drive there again to see what's left of it. Talk about not appreciating what you have when you have it....
I remember that the parking lot-when the mall was closed on Sundays-was where you went in the winter to learn to drive on ice and snow, because you could put the car into a skid and not hit anything for acres! This was late 60s early 70s. We went there from Riverdale. My first "driving" dates were there too!
So delighted to find this photo. I was born at Cross County Hospital in 1962. I always tell people I was born in a shopping mall. Now I can show them.
Living in the Woodlawn section of the Bronx, the big thing was to ride the 25 or 26 bus to Cross County.
My friends and I would hit the Paperback Booksmith (to see the Playboys), Herman's Sporting Goods (to pick up hockey equipment and sneakers)and Sam Goody's (to check out the latest music) before heading to Burger King.
Plus the annual family trip in September to Thom McAnn's for the shoes for school. Anyone remember the Exersole??
As a teenager, I would visit friends working at Finast Supermarket. The store had a pickup service around the back using a conveyor belt system. My friends made alot of money on tips. I always remember someone wrote some of the lines to the Springsteen song "Darkness on the Edge of Town" on the inside walls.
What great memories! Thank you!
I remember when the CCC opened in the mid 50's. They had small boxy fountains for dogs to drinl out of! The supermarket was called First National, until they changed the name to Finast (guess it sounded too much like a bank). Does anyone remember a small store that sold beautiful crystal nicknacks?
Hello, I have lived at the corner of Midland Ave and Kimball Ave for the past 29 years. I remember a lot of the stores mentioned. Don't forget about William Tell Hardware, Pickwick Village, Zarro's, Carmine's hair salon upstairs and the Remington Knife shop. Each year that cheesy Christmas puppet show near the security booth.The mall actually looks pretty nice these days, but the update is a little too late. The customer and employee base is questionable. I went to buy a pair of sneakers there the other day and a clerk would only give me one sneaker in fear that I was going to run out of the store. Even the shirts were chained to the rack. Its sad to see a place with such a fun history have such a grim future. Does anyone know what that old house in the middle of the parking lot was, the one near Adventures and the old Finest Supermarket used to be?
i was born in 1951 living very close to the shopping center. I believe the first anchor store near the hospital was E J Korvets. There were two Woolworts. One free standing and one part of the semi-enclosed mall. Later the was a pool hall, you had to be 16. It was the first time I used phony proof.
I used to go to Cross County all the time as a teen ager in the late seventies. I worked at Tano's, the shoe Store, and there was an art store but I don't remember the name. They sold posters and nick naks. I also remember El Toritos which came some time after the Red Coach Grill. Fun memories!
I was born in the CCHospital in 1959. We moved to CT whenI was two yrs old, but used to come down to visit realatives still living inthe area. I remember walking around the open mall and bits and pieces of the small amusement park which had a large green whale surrounded by water and a pink ferris wheel.
Ahhh... thanks for posting the picture. I was born in Cross County hospital, which is the building in the background! It was 1969. I heard that it was a mall now. I shopped at that wanamaker store in the 80's sometime too bad it closed.
wow talk about memories....friends an i used to be up at adventures in the 80's every day....played ringoleevio in old gimbels,lol....lets see what about teepeedashery?if i spelled it right,lol it used to be next to waldens books store closer to kimballs...wilsons suede/leather next to teepee....u had chess king,jeans west,jean country(these 3 were right across from each other),toy world,eds aquarium,party bazaar were all next to each other,hermans right across from them next to sam goody,puppy palace,2 woolworths,used to have 2 gaps(still 1),2 thom mcans,sam goody...what was the name of the sports store that sold team pennants,team t-shirts and sweatshirts...all pro and college sports teams...anyone know the name of that sports store?....it was between sam goody and puppy palace on that side..directly across from ed aquarium and toy world...if anyone knows the name please help me out,lol
I lived near Cross County for a few years after college in the mid-80s. I used to go to a mexican-style restaurant in/near the mall (amazing chimimichangas!) -- can anyone remember what it was called?
Does anyone remember which year El Torito turned into Chi Chi's?
While doing a bit of research on Yonkers I came across this question: What was the name of the ski store. I believe it was called Sig Buchmeyer's or Sig Buchmeier's, if that's of help to anyone!
some stores I remember from 80s to mid 00s:
Kay bees, woolworths, a bookstore, lingerie, jewelry kiosk, pretzel kiosk, suit store, lane bryants, music store, photo store, dragons den (my favorite), video game store, eyeglasses, uniform store, burger king (was a test restaurant for waiter service at one point), cookie store, haagen das, pizza, a close out store.
thats sports store you were asking about was sports barn...awesome stuff for every college and pro teams
@water Yes, that old house was a tool shed for McSan Enterprises, which used to do maintenance at CCC. I worked for McSan back in the 70s during summer vacation...
@water Yes, that old house was a tool shed for McSan Enterprises, which used to do maintenance at CCC. I worked for McSan back in the 70s during summer vacation...
Anybody remember Puppy Palace? I bought an Irish Setter there for my girlfriend back in '73
@Kathleen. It was "Michel's Ski Shop" just south of Wanamaker's next to that steep hill
The one woman I remember working at Wanamaker's in the 60s was Mrs Sweeney
I'm sure my mothers car is in that picture somewhere! She loved Wanamaker's and Gimbels. They were nice stores. Sad they are gone. Loved Adventureland, I think it was called. Great hot dogs. My brother learned to drive in that parking lot.
Absolutely
I was born in 1947 and loved going shopping to Wanamakers with my mom.
I also remember getting my first communion and confirmations dresses at Lubin's. When I was older I could ride my bike to Cross County..Good memories.
Ski Chalet was the name I think
I used to work in the pretzel stand in 1978-79. Loved hanging out there (The Center) with my friends from Huntsbridge Rd. AC gifs and Pickwick Village were my faves + Hermans and both Woolworths'. Lunch at Woolworths was $2 with a drink. Top shelf lunch with Mom at Wanamakers (all the old ladies got dressed up), $5. Pretzel stand was great for meeting the hotties from the stores. I fondly Remember the "Dog Bar", there were 2, one in the covered walkway into Gimbels and The other on the other end of the mall next to the Pretzel Stand (at floor level for wateing the Poochie). We used to ride the store skateboards in Gimbels for fun. Once we got thrown out and rode two brand new skateboards out the door!
The movie filmed there with Leif Garret was 20th century Foxes. I saw them film part of it. Great old days, Uttall's was the luggage store (I worked for them, nice family). Those were better days for retail, better quality products and sellers who too pride in and understood what they were selling.
This is a good common sense blog. I am very glad to read this.
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Thanks everybody for your great comments on Cross County. Brought back a lot of fond memories. I was born in Yonkers in 1965. Moved "upstate" to Putnam County in 1972 but continued to visit relatives in Yonkers throughout the 70s and 80s, including trips to Cross County. I remember having ice cream sodas with my grandfather at the Woolworth's lunch counter. Most of my Matchbox car collection came from Woolworth's (I still have most of them). I remember going to lunch at Wilsker's Deli, getting Italian ices at the snack bars at either end of the mall, and buying records not only at Sam Goody but at the record department in Wanamaker's. Going to dinner at The Red Coach Grill and getting an "ice cream clown" for dessert (which was a scoop of ice cream with a smiley face and an upside down cone for a hat). As a small kid, the only store in Cross County I never wanted to go into with my mother was Lerner's clothing store because it didn't have a toy department and I thought it was boring! Thanks again everybody for the long lost memories that, after reading these posts, seem like they happened only yesterday.
Moved To Yonkers In April Of '54. The Exact Week The CCSC Opened !! Many Great Memories Of Going To Wonderland
Restaurant With My Mother For Those Large Malted Milk Shakes. Then To The Kiddie Land Amusement Park In The Late 50's.
Saw Many Celebrities There Too Like ''Cousin'' Bruce Morrow,Tug Mcgraw, Even H. Humphrey When He Was Running For
Pres. In 1968.
Bought All. My Toys At Either Toy World Or Woolworths. Sam Goody Was THEE Place To Go For All The New Records.
And Like So Many Of Us Who Lived In The Area [I'm A Block And A Half Away],I Got My First Job Here At The Old Miles Shoe
Store.
I Could Go On Forever. Like Does Any One Remember The Small ''Vic Tanny's'' Next To Lerners Or That Nun Who Would Sit
In Front Of Horn And Hardant's With The Tin Cup. They Still Have Some Good Free Concerts Here In Summer, But It's Just Not The Same.I Actually Liked It Better BEFORE The Upgrade
the name of the restaurant behind Wanamakers and facing Kimball ave. was " Red Coach Grill"
does anyone remember Wonderland, or ice skating in the swamp area that used to be there opposite Wonderland?
Worked at the Sam Goody's in the early 70s great time and great memories.
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This is wonderful. I am not quite much with the internet, but I believe that what I just read is some good material. Thanks for writing such wonderful article. God bless.legal spice
"Sooner or Later" was filmed in Gimbels' parking lot. Rex Smith
Performed a concert in that scene. The female kead was Denise Miller
Who played Jilly on "Fish". They also filmed at John Burroghs
Junior High School on Palmer Road. I got her autograph!
Also, Woolworth's had glass cylinders of pretzels at the cash registers. My mother would always let me get one. When I was a teen, I used to love shopping in Pickwick Village. I loved the smell of the incense when you walked in. I enjoyed looking at the black light posters that were so popular in the late 70's and the black rock concert t-shirts. Glad I found this site!
Red Coach Grill
What was the name of the Bar/Restaurant we (Sam Goody employees), would frequent across from Wanamakers at the Bus Stop?
Before the Cross County Shopping Center was built, us old timers used to ice skate on the property it was built on. It was swampland. I remember going home with wet feet many times.
What was the kids clothing store name ? That was by Burger King?
C.C.Pub?
How bad was it?
What was the name of the Chinese restaurant in the 50s at the shopping center ?
Cross County Hospital then became offices and had a few classrooms for Mercy college!! I attended some winter classes there!! Now it’s a Hyatt Place hotel! When I visit my family that’s where I stay!! Crazy!!!
Go back!! It’s a nice mall now!
Also The Red Coach Grill was the restaurant next to Wanamakers! The old Bronxville people would dine there!! Then it became a TGIFridays & now I think it’s Applebees!!! Lots of changes from the 70’s!!!
I moved 40 years ago and go back to visit family and stay at the Hyatt there. The mall came back to a decent place to shop! I used to work at Wanamakers!! Housewares Dept!! Made Many good memories & best friends there!!
Mary
Michele’s Ski Shop
I worked at Wanamakers too!! Housewares in 1978 -1981
Approximately???
They took away the lions a long time ago. No one seems to know where they were taken to. Probably destroyed.
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