Chris-Town Mall
Phoenix, Arizona - 1963
"Court of fountains - High, wide and handsome, with graceful slipper-arch stairways and multi-colored cieling panels. The magnificent waterfall fountain is a principal conversation piece among Chris-town's shoppers. "
posted by Keith @ 10/29/2005
14 Comments:
Seeing something like that makes you think retail architects and designers just don't give a flip anymore.
Alas, the mall today is a mere shadow of its former self...the name is now Phoenix Spectrum Mall, the center court pictured here is now quite bland, and the Penney's is now a Costco. While it is kind of cool that Costco's main entrance opens up onto the mall, with its hot dog stand similar to a "sidewalk cafe," the noise of the shopping carts removes any sense of retail romance.
I remember Chris-Town from my childood. Wow, what a fond memory seeing the picture. -Bryan
Chris-Town was THE place to go in the late 60's. There was always an Italian man with a tiny monkey dressed in red who would take pennies offered from the hands of children (like me) and then tip his hat. Huge bird cages graced the mall with loads of exotic birds. And a place I never got to go (but always wanted to) was The Janitors Closet, a bar whose entrance was in the middle of the walkway and was a set of stairs that led to the bar downstairs. Great place then, scary nasty place now.
They certainly don't make 'em like that anymore.
Miles
Chris: I totally agree!
Mitch: Well said.
Bryan: Glad you liked the shot! Thanks for the comment.
Miles: Great memories there, thanks for sharing 'em! Little obscure things like that monkey man, are the stories I love hearing about! Things like that gave malls and shopping centers their unique characters back in the day.
I grew up about a mile away from Chris-Town Mall, and let me tell you, it was the place for us junior high kids to hang out in the mid-seventies.
I have many great memories of that mall, from the late 60's to the late 80's.
I'm now in my forties and still live in Phoenix, so I was saddened when I heard that they were changing the name to "Spectrum Mall".
Although everyone that I know who has lived here since the eighties or before, still calls it "Chris-Town".
BTW, I recently stumbled across a website that is entirely devoted to Chris-Town Mall:
http://www.barbarastew-art.com/christown.html
It tells the complete history of the mall and includes lots of great photos from it's heyday.
Definitely worth checking out....
Paul
pdmc@cox.net
I sure miss Chris-Town...Pizza D'Amore (still my favorite pizza, and the last one in Phoenix, at PV Mall, closed about a year ago), Pon's Chinese Food with their famous "Egg Roll on a Stick," the Red Baron Arcade...It'll always be a place of fond memories.
You can also access the Chris-Town site by simply going to www.chris-town.com
John
I just moved back to Phx after a 20+ year stint in California, and the first place I wanted to eat was Pizza D'Amore in the Christown Mall. What a dissapointment to have it gone. I grew up on with Christown Mall and Farrell's Ice Cream Parlor. What is this world coming too?
Does anyone rememeber the bar/resturant at Tower Plaza that had the truck sticking out of the front of it? Maybe something with "club" in it? Love the Chris Town, not so nice today.
Anonymous - the restaurant at tower plaza with the chevy truck - Acapulco Beach Club or something very close to that...
Oops. Acapulco BAY Beach Club...
I remember the organ-grinder with his monkey. Does anyone remember the name of a delicatessen that was located in the mall? My mother used to buy rye bread there and they would slice it for her with a machine they had there. I remember rows of (white?)fish laying eyeless behind the glass of the counter as well as hot dogs (or some such) turning in a case toward the front of the store.
The name of the deli was "Miracle Mile Deli". In the late 80's I worked at the Hickory Farms there
when I was in collage and spent many an evening or afternoon being dragged around by my parents there in the 70's.
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