Thursday, March 09, 2006

Winrock Center


Albuquerque, New Mexico - 1960's

Hey gang! I apologize for disappearing for a bit of late (long story), but hey, let's get right back into it, shall we? Got lots of stuff to start catching up on. :)

This beautiful vintage aerial postcard of the Winrock Center mall is just the ticket to get those retro shopping mall juices flowing again, don't you think? Stunning. I'd like to be in a helicopter in this scene, and land that bird right down there on the mall's rooftop when it's closed (yes, ala DAWN OF THE DEAD, hehe), and drop down into it and have the place all to myself! One-stop-shopping...everything you need right at your fingertips!

Their old website address seems to be dead, so I'll update this entry later with a new one, assuming they have one and I can find it.



27 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Great to see you back at it again. You and the great pix were missed. :)

Thu Mar 09, 10:52:00 PM  
Blogger Keith said...

Thanks! I missed you guys, too!! :) Nice to be getting back in the groove here.

Thu Mar 09, 11:14:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Yeah, welcome back Keith! :)

Nice aerial to get the ball rolling again, showing the classic 'straight' design many malls took on in the day. No winding corridors, no 'maze' one had to go through to get from end to end...just one long wide concourse.

Like you, i'd just love to have the place all to myself for one night.

Fri Mar 10, 12:55:00 AM  
Blogger Simon Templar said...

Good to have you back Mr. Milford!

Fri Mar 10, 06:48:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

So glad you're back Keith! I've really missed my daily "mall crawl!"

Fri Mar 10, 09:54:00 AM  
Blogger Phil said...

what they all said

Fri Mar 10, 03:37:00 PM  
Blogger Keith said...

Thanks for the welcomes and the great comments, everyone! Makes coming back here all the more pleasant. :)

You guys rock!

Matt: Good point on the modern "maze" observation. So true!

Fri Mar 10, 04:33:00 PM  
Blogger Chris said...

Hey!!!

Sat Mar 11, 09:30:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

It's good to see you back. I find your blog very interesting. I like the pictures.

Sat Mar 11, 07:35:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

A belated welcome back.

Mon Mar 13, 11:00:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Well, I am from Guadalajara Mexico and i took a 3 months vacations in ABQ. The winrock mall is a really nice place with a beatiful bookstore (Borders). I had the opportunity to visited a lot of times.

Wed Mar 29, 05:54:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Do you know when the will provide more information on the redevelopment plans for Winrock? Right next door they are nearing completion of the ABQ Uptown Lifestyle Center. This is going to put a wrench in Winrock's plans as they have already landed several new retailers to the Albuquerque Market. Pottery Barn, Williams Sonoma, Chico's, White House Black Market, Sunset Canyon (Desinger Denim store), Sharper Image, Apple, BCBG Max Azaria, Coldwater Creek, Jos A. Bank, J. Jill, Soma, Bravo Cucina Italiano, Marcello's Steaks, Elephant Bar, and many more upscale retailers yet to be announced. Bottom line is all this development is great for the Albuquerque MSA which just surpassed 800,000. And with over 8,000 new homes last year and the redevelopment of Downtown I only expect things to get better.

Fri May 19, 08:53:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

There has to be hope for Winrock Center becuase if they were to just pull out completely some other commerical developer would just pull right in. That is definatley a hot spot for retail development being located near the exit of the Interstate 40.

Wed Jan 10, 02:34:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Great to see this picture of Winrock Center. My father is a CPA, who used to do the Cutty Sark audit every summer (headquarters outside Albuquerque) and we always stayed in the White Winrock Hotel. This place was so special because the hotel was attached to a shopping mall, which was unheard of at that time! Does anyone remember Diamond Jim's Restaurant that was in Winrock Center? Great memories of a wonderful place for this Texas girl born in 1954!

Tue Sep 18, 02:37:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Does anyone know what the website address is / was for Winrock? I am from ABQ but left in 1988. I was planning a trip back there for my highschool renunion, and was looking for places to re-visit.

thanks

Mon Dec 17, 07:49:00 AM  
Blogger Unknown said...

Sadly the Uptown shows put the final nail in Winrock's coffin. The mall is all but dead now. Currently the only stores still active are Bed, Bath and Beyond and Dillard's.
On the plus side it has been reborn as a location to film movies...look for Winrock in Observe and Report a film due out sometime in 2009.

Sat May 31, 01:25:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Sorry to say but Winrock is dead. There are a few anchors that are hanging on like Bed Bath and Beyond and Dillards but all the stores on the inside are gone. It is at the moment being used as a movie set for "Observe and Report."
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1197628

Sat May 31, 01:48:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

it is amazing to find a blogging site on Malls in America. I just visited the Winrock Mall with the new developer and have seen the plans. They are spectecular!!! The developer expects to open the renewed mall by 2012 or so.

Thu Oct 30, 09:12:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I'm very sad to see this mall die. I worked there for awhile in the late 90's. It was a nice place, with a "small town" feel. Makes me sad..........

Wed Jan 14, 08:18:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hello all

I grew up a couple of miles from Winrock, some of my best times were spent there. I can still remember when Santa flew in on a helicopter in the early 60's. Does any body remember when ther was a slide on the NE corner of Winrock?

Fri Feb 06, 03:03:00 PM  
Anonymous Jerry Hamilton said...

I had the opportunity to visit
Albuquerque in the summer of 1963
to attend the National Science Fair. I stayed with a nice family
on Rhode Island, NE and they took
me to Winrock Center. Being from
Kentucky -- going to a mall was a
real treat! I've often wondered
whatever came of this great mall!

Sat Jul 25, 02:54:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

(Winrock) Diamond Jim's featured a "girl in a red velvet swing," if memory serves; believe this place was similar in interior design to the Barbary Coast in LV, now Bill's Gambling Hall.

Tue Aug 11, 10:52:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I remember
diamond Jims. I went to the University of NM in 1961. I lived on campus in Onate Hall. (There should be a squigly over the 'n')

Sun Dec 27, 05:17:00 PM  
Anonymous Robbie said...

Wow, memories. I went to Monroe Junior High in the late 60's and fondly remember Winrock. Oh, the trouble we got into there. My grandmom use to work in a jewerly store back then.

Fri Jan 29, 08:23:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Yes, "Diamond Jims" just off to to the left upon entry... circa 1971... And where a girl had her friend come up and "ask me" to her table! Quite a bit different from Leo's LeRoq or even the still ongoing Caravan East.

Tue Dec 06, 06:28:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

@Dosmijos
It was the Astro Slide, just to the East of the Fox Movie Theater which had a huge curved screen - Cinerama? Also grew up close by, had to cross the overpass to get to Monroe Jr High. Tons of fun at Winrock after school and on the weekends! Beach Boys albums at Record Rendevous!

Tue Oct 02, 01:38:00 AM  
Blogger Unknown said...

Great Picture of Winrock! No website yet but you can find us at Winrock Town Center on facebook. We are open for business and construction is on schedule.

Tue Jul 12, 12:52:00 PM  

Post a Comment

<< Home

To see more posts, click on the monthly links
in the "Archives" section of the sidebar.