Park City Center Mall Kiosk

Lancaster, Pennsylvania - circa 1970s

Here's a fun postcard shot taken inside the ever-moody Park City Center Mall in the 1970s (back when it was still dark and moody). In this photo we see a small kiosk store in the middle of the mall proper, but I need a little help with this one's name.

It obviously sells nuts, but it's a store I'm not familiar with at all, and the back of the postcard is no help. It appears the name is "Ah! Nuts", but I'm not positive (maybe that's reversed?). Any fellow mallrats (particularly those familiar with either Park City Center back in the day or this shop itself) know for sure what this store was called?

Either way, it's a neat shot, where you can also see the very colorful Fifth Avenue Card Shop as well in the background.

Mall history: 1972 - present
Current website: here
Info from Wikipedia
Current aerial view
Previous entries: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Northway Mall: Mountain of Merchandise Auto Show

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania - circa 1960s

Vintage photo of an auto show underway at Northway Mall in the 1960s (most likely around 1964, I believe). Judging by the pic's label, I'm guessing this was taken during a "Mountain of Merchandise" promotional sales event at the mall. And in fact, if you look real close, you can actually make out what appears to be a literal mountain of merchandise in the middle of the cars.

Either way, guesses aside, what I do know is that this is a cool image showing some of Northway Mall 's interior decor in this spacious court area, as well as a Woolworth store and National Record Mart shop, in the background.

Mall history: 1962 - present
Current website: here
Info from Wikipedia
Current aerial view
Previous entries: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

(Study image courtesy The Shoppes at Northway)

Oxford Valley Mall 1973

Langhorne, Pennsylvania - circa 1973

Oxford Valley Mall interior circa 1973, around the time it first opened. Man, every time I feature this mall I fall in love with it all over again! Its vintage self looked so beautiful and sexy! Well maybe you should marry it, Keith?

Maybe I will...

"(via Wikipedia) The Oxford Valley Mall is a two-story Simon Properties shopping mall located next to the popular amusement park Sesame Place in Langhorne, Middletown Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Its department stores are Sears, Boscov's, J.C. Penney, and Macy's. There is a food court on the second floor. The food court was originally the second floor of a Woolworth store.

The mall itself acts as an anchor for the huge local conglomeration of shopping centers, such as Target Center, Lincoln Plaza and The Court at Oxford Valley."

Mall history: 1973 - present
Current website: here
Current aerial view
Info from Wikipedia
Previous entries: 1, 2, 3

Miracle Mile Shopping Center (Monroeville, PA)

Monroeville, Pennsylvania - circa 1950s

Vintage postcard view of the bustling Miracle Mile Shopping Center in Monroeville, PA, which opened in November of 1954, and was originally officially named Pittsburgh Miracle Mile Town & Country Shopping Center Inc.--thank the Shopping Gods it got shortened! Cool shot here of the mall's S. S. Kresge and Sun Drugs stores

Mall history: 1954 - present
Current website: here
Current aerial view
Previous entries: 1

The Daily Mall Reader: Monroeville's Miracle Mile

A daily dose of mall-related reading...

"Still going strong at 50: Location, adaptation aid Miracle Mile's success"

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - Wednesday, December 01, 2004

(Excerpt) Monroeville's Miracle Mile wasn't the first or the biggest or most innovative shopping center, but it has thrived.

In a business that favors the new and the trendy, Miracle Mile is observing its 50th year.

Now the Casto-Silken Group is investing in improvements to enhance the curb appeal and maintain its popularity.

"Miracle Mile is one of the pre-eminent power strip centers in the Pittsburgh region," said broker Herky Pollock, of CB Richard Ellis/Pittsburgh, a commercial real estate brokerage. "Historically, it's been one of the entry points for national retailers in the Pittsburgh market."

Read the full article here.

King of Prussia Plaza (aka King of Prussia Mall) Harvest House

King of Prussia, Pennsylvania - circa 1960s

The Harvest House restaurant & coffee shop at King of Prussia Plaza (now King of Prussia Mall). I believe at the time, this was one of the very first Harvest House establishments, which soon became such a familiar fixture at many malls and shopping centers throughout the '60s and '70s (Cherry Hill Mall had one). This is a neat vintage postcard view of Harvest House's groovy-but-gaudy (a good thing in my book) interior and exterior at King of Prussia Plaza.

Mall history: 1963 - present
Developer: Kravco Co. (now Kravco Simon)
Current website: here
Current aerial view
Info from Wikipedia
Previous entries: 1, 2, 3, 4

Vintage Park City Center Mall

Lancaster, Pennsylvania - circa 1970s

The Park City Center back in the 1970s, as seen from the mall's parking lot (where's there's some pretty groovy cars, too). Among the mall's current anchor/major store lineup are: JCPenney, Sears, H&M, The Bon-Ton, Boscov's, and Kohl's. Check the "previous entries" below for a lot of other great Park City Center photos as well as more historical background info and great reader memories.

Mall history: 1972 - present
Current website: here
Info from Wikipedia
Current aerial view
Previous entries: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

MOA Galleria - Northway Mall Ball

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania - 1964

Vintage photo of folks dancing inside Northway Mall during some special event in 1964. I couldn't resist also including the still below, from one of my favorite weird movies, Carnival of Souls (1962). When I saw the Northway Mall picture, I instantly thought of this scene from the movie (yes, I'm strange like that)...

Carnival of Souls - 1962

But mainly I just dug the idea that these people (in the first pic) were actually ballroom dancing inside Northway Mall! Something kind of odd looking (and spooky) about that scene. I doubt the mall does this anymore, though, heh.

Mall history: 1962 - present
Current website: here
Info from Wikipedia
Current aerial view
Previous entries: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

(Study image courtesy The Shoppes at Northway)

Levittown Shop-a-Rama Shopping Center

Levittown, Pennsylvania - photos circa 1950s

Aerial views of the Levittown "Shop-a-Rama", a shopping center conceived and developed by famed urban planner/developer, William Levitt. Some Shop-a-Rama notes via this great online exhibit:

"By building a few large, centralized shopping centers, Levitt hoped to avoid the problems associated with haphazardly placed and often unsightly commercial strips. Levittown's main shopping center was not only large—at the time, the biggest shopping center east of the Mississippi—but also meticulously landscaped.

During the 1950s, Levittown's commercial hub was the Shop-a-Rama, a 60-acre pedestrian mall featuring over 65 retailers and a variety of special events. For many residents, the shopping center was Main Street. When completed in 1955, it was the largest pedestrian shopping mall east of the Mississippi. Levitt favored chain retailers such as Food Fair, Pomeroys, Woolworths, Kresges and Sears. The center’s parking lot could accommodate 6,000 cars."

History: 1953 - present (re-developed)
Developer: William Levitt
Current aerial view
Info from Wikipedia
Previous entries: 1, 2

(Study images courtesy The State Museum of Pennsylvania)

MOA Galleria - 1968 Northway Mall Art Show

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania - 1968

Two little shoppers-in-training contemplate an abstract piece at a 1968 Northway Mall art show.

"Hmm, where are the bird and monkey cages again?..."

More Northway Mall: 1, 2, 3, 4

(Study image courtesy The Shoppes at Northway)

Miracle Mile Shopping Center (Monroeville, PA)

Monroeville, Pennsylvania - circa late '50s

The Monroeville Shopping Center (not to be confused with the later Monroeville Mall), is featured in this vintage postcard I purchased last year. Stores visible are J.C. Penney, W.T. Grant, and Thom McCann Shoes, among others I can't quite make out.

I don't know much about this shopping center, other than the fact that it appears to be an open-air strip mall, and was located in Monroeville, PA, dating back to the 1950s. I have no idea whether it's still around anymore, and if so, what the name of the center is now. Was this the basis site for Monroeville Mall years later in 1969? Not really sure. The back of this card simply says: "The beautiful Monroeville Shopping Center". Guess I'll just leave it at that, too.

Edit: Updated post title to reflect that this is the Miracle Mile Shopping Center.