Crossroads Shopping Center
Omaha, Nebraska. 1960's
posted by Keith @ 7/07/2005
Vintage photos of lost Shopping Malls of the '50s, '60s & '70s
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Thursday, July 07, 2005
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25 Comments:
This mall is still there. They're currently demolishing the old Younkers, to make way for a Target.
Heh, of course they are. :(
Thanks for the update, Matt!
I stood in line at that Yonkers for an hour to get my Smashing Pumpkins tickets in '96
Crossroads isn't what it used to be, but it is still nice. Now it has "the big top" food court thing that pokes up like madonnas pointy bra!
-L
now living in Michigan, moving to Chicago
This reminds me of the Brickyard Shopping Center in Chicago. It had a mini strip-mall on the outside like this (there was an interior hallway, too so you can walk along the shops indoors) with a K-Mart, bank, and some other stores. This later connected to the indoor mall area at the end of the strip, and would lead you through a Montgomery Ward into the main mall. Was the Crossroads laid out the same way?
oooohhhhh! Ick! God, I rememeber that bad chevron edifice - and the nasty 70s puke-chunk mosaic surrounding the B for Brandeis. It was so 3rd rate compared to Westroads then. Well, still kind of is...
I instatnly got a whiff of the Sears Automotive center. Seriously, I started to whine, "Daaaaaa-aaaaad... can we GO NOW????"
Brandeis had this big red tile fountain in the middle of the store, between the elevators, when the mall was built until the late 70's. In the 60's there was a big cafeteria on the 3rd Floor, and there was a snack bar on the lower level. Brandeis was bought out by Younkers. An awful lot of my childhood took place in that mall.
They used to have amusement park rides in the center of this mall, and a very cool cocktail lounge.
The anchor stores, Brandeis and Sears were both cool in their own way. I used to love the doorbell department and Tent Department at Sears, and the atrium of Brandeis was really neat.
Have fond memories of Brandies. In particular the restaurant upstairs was strange as it had a 50 foot ceiling and these long lamps that hung way down. then when you were done you put your tray on the conveyer.
Downstairs the large snack bar sor of blocked the North door. I remember several meals at the Walgreens cafe and some dark lounge somewhere in the mall. We moved away long ago but reciently visited and seemed like the neighborhood had really gone down hill.
There was a great toy store there with a large window full of toys. When you pushed a button the toys came alive. Great memories.
Mike
I believe the toy store was called "Youngtown."
I currently work as a secruity guard at Crossroads (we call it Crossfire Mall now). Anyway its a fun place to work but almost 3/4 of the stores have left for bigger and newer malls in the area. We have found many old and interesting photos of the mall over the years. Now-a-days Crossroads donesnt get much attention and the people that shop here are not of the highest caliper. It is a shame thuogh case it is located at the perfect place for a shopping center with over 90,000 people crossing the intersection it is on every morning and every night.
Does anyone know where I can find interior/additional photos of Crossroads Mall?
It was a fun place back in the 60's... that & Peony Park. As was pointed out, it's a great place for a mall. Wish it could be revived.
Youngtown? I remember pushing the button and watching the toys come alive. I loved that. My grandparents lived in Omaha and I used to visit every summer from DC. The window at Youngtown (if that's what it was called) was a highlight. That and the cars at Peony Park.
I used to visit Omaha a lot in the summer to visit family there. Went to Crossroads quite a bit. I remember the Youngtown store and also Computerland in the lower level of Brandeis. World Radio was also a place I remember. Peony Park was also very close. All of these places are now gone, but the special times spent with family there will be with me forever. Thanks for the memories...
John in KC
My co-workers and I got on this weird thread about shopping malls, of all things, and one of the more industrious of us looked up this sight. What a gas!
It was indeed called Youngtown (the toy store). This Mall is not going to be around much longer, I don't think. Target opened a huge store there next to it, to supposedly stir growth, but the entire mall is just about devoid of stores now. It's going to be razed soon, I'm sure. Whatever replaces it will definitely get some traffic; 72nd & Dodge is still a very busy, high traffic area. Thanks for posting this, dude!
Scott in Omaha-July 2008
I hardly see how Sears stays alive. Its exterior, I think, is all original from 1960. Its sad to see Crossroads is dying
I grew up in Omaha in the 60s and 70s, and spent quite a bit of time at Crossroads. Sadly, it went downhill after Brandeis closed. As an architect, I think the original building was cool, kind of midwest Googie. The remodel that added the giant tent thing absolutely ruined the design.
The fountain between the escalators at Brandeis was always a highlight. Other things I recall are the kiddies rides in the center, the lunch counter at Woolworth's, the Starlight Lounge with the blue neon sign, and Buster Brown shoes with the live parrot.
I understand that the area around 72nd and Dodge has changed, but it seems that Omahans dont' value the buildings and places that made the city unique... Peony Park, Indian Hills Theater, those were demolished for parking lots and chain grocery stores.
At the Crossroads, I worked part time at Brandeis in the Young Men's Department in the late '70's as a teenager. I remember many lunches of a large popcorn and soda from a corner food stand located on the left just before getting to Sears for under a buck and smoking on my break in the back workroom of the Floral dept. across the aisle from Men's Accessories. Also had my first date with my current husband of 27 years at down the road at Peony Park. Sad that both Omaha Icons are long gone....
I worked security at this mall, found old and hidden places there. Sad to see this mall go.
I see a couple of comments about the big fountain of red and orange glass from Brandeis . Looking for photos of it .
My mom worked at the mall for years.I went to junior high at Lewis and Clark right across the street. I spent many days after school in that mall. I remember seeing the Beatles "White" album in a record store for the first time.....memories
I didn't join the world until 1980, but I can vaguely remember when Crossroads still had that zigzag roof as shown in the 50s postcard. My grandmother would pick up her prescriptions from the Walgreen's seen in the picture (long gone).
I remember going to the Mr. Bulky's inside to load up on candy before going to the drive-in movie theater (also long gone).
Wasn't there a cinema or theater in the lower level of the Crossroads? I remember seeing movies there, and perhaps a play. Anyone know?
Does anyone remember the name of the store that was at the top of the escalator to the right a little bit, I think it had a "Z" in the name
And now this mall is but a memory.
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