Jordan Marsh Store
Miami, Florida - circa 1956
No shopping mall here at the time of this photo, but this store eventually became a part of the surrounding Omni International Mall megastructure, which was built around it years later in 1977. In 1991 it became a Burdines store, which closed up shop only a year later in '92. The original Jordan Marsh building above, still sits there today, mainly vacant (save for an art school that occupies the first floor), awaiting possible future redevelopment.
But anyway, I dig this classy shot of the original Jordan Marsh there, on Biscayne Blvd., at Venetian Causeway, on the waterfront in Miami. This was one big department store! From back of postcard:
"Five wonderful floors of exciting shopping in Miami's newest complete department store. Free Parking for 3,000 cars daily and Private Yacht Landing."Mall history: 1956 - 1991 (absorbed by Burdines)
Current website: n/a
Current aerial view
Info from Wikipedia
Previous entries: none
posted by Keith @ 9/05/2006
22 Comments:
If anyone wants to see some current Omni mall (current as in a few years ago):
http://spork.no-ip.com/~uef/gallery/omni
Shame.
Yeah, that was known as "Galleria Miami" due to it's urban style. But since it was in the inner city, it didn't last long.
Burdine's main store (not flagship at the Dadeland Mall) was nearby by in downtown Miami. That's why it only existed for one year there.
Jordan Marsh had a similarly large store at the Sunrise Shopping Center (now the Galleria)in Fort Lauderdale. I went to the movies at that shopping center, and when I had the money, went to lunch in the restaurant that Jordan Marsh had.
I also went to the Omni once. I thought that it was enormous, but interesting.
Park your yacht and go buy some shoes or maybe a leisure suit!
I remember when all these big department stores had there own restaurants, the Burdines in Orlando had one where you could look out over the mall as you ate. When I was really young I remember Jordan Marsh even had there own candy department. With all the discount stores like Marshalls and TJ Max I don't see how any department store survives.
Nice! I have that same image as well as a rendering of another Jordan Marsh on my design blog. I used to love that store, it was the classier alternative to JC Penney's for me.
http://clistcelebrity.blogspot.com/2006/09/jordan-marsh.html
This picture brings back some really nice memories. I remember the Jordan Marsh in Orlando, when I was very young my mother used to take my brother and I there for lunch while she would shop.
Definitely from a nicer period in time. I grew up north of Boston; we had a Jordan Marsh in nearly every major city. Gone the way of Filene's and others, it's a sad day when our cities loose their local stores, institutions and traditions, only to be replaced by the same cookie-cutter and lackluster Macy's, Home depot, CVS, Starbucks which all lack personality, tradition and class.
I used to work in the receiving department at Jordan Marsh in Boca Raton's Town Center mall from 1988 until 1991. It was truly sad to see the place close because a lot of the employees had been working there since the store had opened and it was like a big family. I have a great job now and love what I do, but it's nowhere near as much fun as it was working at JM.
The Miami Jordan Marsh was NOT part of the Boston based chain.
How do I know that for a fact?
I used to work for JM in Miami in the late 1960s. It was a beautiful store and great place to work. We sold fine merchandise including clothing, jewelry, linens, housewares and so much more. You could have furnished an entire house, right down to the wastebaskets. I still have items I bought while I worked there. Additionally, there was even a cafeteria for the employees and at Christmas, Santa was there for the children.
Our main competition was Burdines, which if I recall correctly, was right across Biscayne Boulevard.
After reading the other comments, I looked at one of the visual maps and barely recognized anything except the Miami Herald building, so much has changed since I lived there.
Thanks for the trip down memory lane...
My mother was the manager of the Children's Shoe Department of Jordan Marsh Boston for many years. I remember quite well the Enchanted Village every year and the Lional Train layout that covered a whole floor.
Jim P.
For the first few years this store had its own swimming pool, open to any customer!
Burdines across the street? I don't think so... the nearest Burdines was downtown-- on Biscayne there was a Sears, and a Richards, later replaced by Jefferson's up through the mid-70's
Let's get real folks, not get carried away with nostalgia --
- When this photo was taken, this was likely a segregated store. Blacks could not try on clothes, eat in the restaurant, etc.
- Items were over-priced, manufacturers could dictate retail prices, there was no import competition.
- Very little credit was available.
- Women had relatively little independent, disposable income, marketing was skewed heavily towards the husband-financed "matronly" market.
- This kind of store survived because consumers had fewer choices- no "big box" stores, less suburban competition, availability of an inexpensive female workforce that was denied opportunities elsewhere, see other factors above.
I spent the first 30 years of my 40 years in retailing at Jordan Marsh in Miami. First at Dadeland while in college and later as the General Manger of the Jordan Marsh Omni store.I was the last GM of the store and had the sad duty of shutting it down in June of 1992. At the time we closed it, it had been converted to a Burdine's store a year earlier. i can tell you that JM was a great store and a great place to work. We will never see that kind of store again! the store sat vacant until 2005 when renovation began to turn it into and office complex. There is a Fine Arts college located on the first floor.The surounding area is coming back due in no small part to the Metro Mover which ties into the Oni and the new multi million dollar performing art center located about a block away.
Joe
I used to sell the major stores in that market and Jordan Marsh and Burdines were excellent stores. I became friends with many of the people who worked there. They were great folks and those days were really great. Later there was a hotel near by with a open aire top with a nice bar where people could stop and have a cool drink after work. This is a terrific photo. Frank Simmons, Delray Beach, Fl (fosimmons@aol.com)
Jordan Marsh. What happened to J. Byron's? I did a lot of business there. I recall Beverly and Gary in the women's division, buyer and merchandise manager. Wish I could still contact them. They were really terrific folks. Frank Simmons (fosimmons@aol.com)
Hey , no, I have not forgotten Mary Turner and Kay MacElvoy who used to be buyers at Jordan Marsh. They were also terrific people. Both were buyers there. I hope whereever they are they are doing great and maybe remember me. Here I am in Delray Beach, a long throw from Miami, but not that far. Frank Simmons (fosimmons@aol.com)
rucI started my career at jordan marsh ommi in 1973 ladies shoes
I managed the salon in the Miami store for over 10 years. What a great store! The salon had 30 employees and included a "private" room for celebrity clients .....with posh chairs private,sinks and separate entrance. Of course it worked beautifully for the manager trying to escape the stress of the job too! It was one big family and it is missed. Facebook has helped me find many lost coworkers and now a big hello to " Joe' THE BEST MANAGER WE EVER HAD!XXOO LAUREN
I miss this store. I bought my wedding dress there.
I worked as a dept. manager and then a buyer at j byrons, central office on 163rd st. 1976-77, women's tops. I worked with dottie shutter, Ken Berry. anyone remember them? Ken was buyer for small electronics. Iost track of them a long time ago. Great company. Sally Lott Requate was my name. (now Sally lott Hanson).
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