Phoenix, Arizona - circa 1961
Maryvale Shopping City aerial postcard view. OK, I'm not quite finished culling all the pertinent details together for this post yet, but heck, I like the photo and figured I'd throw it up anyway, even though all the details aren't quite ready to add at the moment (like to make sure my data and links are as correct as possible before actually committing them to an entry).
So anyway, all the proper details will follow later when I update this post. But go ahead and enjoy the photo right now. :)
Edit: Property details added below. Also be sure to read Mitch Glaser's excellent notes on Maryvale Mall in this post's comments section.
Mall history: 1957 - 1990s
Developer: John F. Long
Current aerial view
Current website: n/a
Resource links: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Previous entries: none
Maryvale Shopping City opened in 1957 as part of Maryvale, a master-planned community in west Phoenix developed by John F. Long.
ReplyDeleteJohn F. Long owned the shopping center for decades, along with one of its anchors, Malcom's department store. It was enclosed and expanded in the late 1970's to include Mervyn's and Zody's (later Target). Malcom's moved to the vacated Wards space, later to be replaced by Boston Store, and LaBelle's (later BEST) occupied the original Malcom's.
In the 1980's, the "Maryvale Pride Pavilion," an indoor soccer arena, was added to the mall. Alas, it began to lose prominence to the new Westridge Mall and was completely shuttered by 1995.
John F. Long sold the mall to the Cartwright School District and an elementary school and middle school now operate within its confines. Cartwright also sold a big chunk of the property to Wal-Mart for a Supercenter that helped revitalize the area.
My mother grew up in Maryvale and I also spent a few years there as a child. I fondly remember shopping at Maryvale Mall and getting ICEE drinks at Kresge in the early 1980's.
For my 7th birthday, my mother arranged a meeting with John F. Long. It was an honor to meet the man who built Maryvale.
Wow... that's the Phoenix area? Looks like it was nice back then.
ReplyDeleteScott
I've heard of Zody's, they bought out the Yankee stores in Michigan in the 1970s.
ReplyDeleteMaryvale Shopping City was for those of us on the Westside of PHX the only "Mall" - although it had shaded walkways (until the 80s)instead of A/C splendor. It was unique in that it had 2 supermarkets and 2 drug stores - El Rancho and Ryan-Evans Drug (later Revco) on one end and Fry's and Walgreens on the other (who shared a central enclosed walkway). In addition to Wards and Malcolm's, there was Kresge's, a Sears catalog store, and the Bowlero bowling alley. In the 70s the Bowlero was turned into the lone Phoenix outpost for Capin's, a Southern Arizona dept store chain. In the early 80s Maryvale was finally enclosed and was renamed Maryvale Mall. This was when the mall had its greatest number of tenants, including Mervyn's, Zody's (Target), Capin's, Best, and Federated Group (remember Fred Rated?). In the 90s Maryvale started its decline. Mervyn's and Target moved to Westridge/Desert Sky Mall, Capin's was closed, Kresge's closed, and Best and Federated died with their bankruptcies.
ReplyDeleteToday the north part of the mall has been converted to a school, Wal-Mart has built on the south part, and the Target site is still empty.
I lived in Phoenix from 71-76, and Maryvale Shopping Center was one of my favorite places to go. I loved stepping on the mat at Wal-greens and having the gate swing open. Loved going to Kresge, because I usually could pick something out there. Hated being dragged in the catalog/Appliance store.Loved going school clothes shopping at Montgomery Wards. I saw Wallace and Ladmo and of course Gerald one time here I think.
ReplyDeleteAn elderly Buster Keaton starred in a fairly watchable 1961 industrial film extolling the virtues of John F. Long housing models and the Maryvale shopping city.
ReplyDeleteI am so glad someone else knew this & thought to bring it up. I just found some of those videos with Buster Keaton on YouTube & found this blog while trying to learn more about what Maryvale used to be like.
DeleteI grew up in Maryvale and remember the mall well. Kresges sold baby alligators and had a great ice cream counter. I modeled once for Malcolm's (just for fun) and I was allowed to keep my dress. I wore the dress to school and my teacher, Coach Hicks said I looked like I had raided the attic (the dress was long and old-fashioned looking) and I walked out of his class (also just for fun). Thank you for showing the post card.
ReplyDeleteI worked at Kresge's from 74 to 78 during high school & college. Great soda fountain.
ReplyDeletewas kresge's on the 51st ave side of the mall? and could you enter it without going into the mall. and was k-mart also in the valley at the same time. i was born in 73so i was young but do remember going into what i think was kresge's.
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone remember a small fitness center/ gym that was across the street from Maryvale Mall? In 1990 I worked at the mall and then would go workout at the gym after work. Just trying to remember the name of it.
ReplyDeleteNautilus.
DeleteLater sold to Adam and Eves gym
DeleteI grew up in Maryvale in the late 1960s, early 1970s. Maryvale Mall holds lots of great memories for me. The "Pop a balloon sundaes" at the Kresges counter, lots of great car model kits at Wallgreens, the bowling alley and running barefoot from Maryvale Pool across a scorching parking lot to a cool sidewalk waiting for me in the shade! Phil
ReplyDeleteChokes me up looking at that postcard, and reading the other comments. I'm a "Native" Maryvaler. I was born at Maryvale Hospital in 1963 when Maryvale was at it's Zenith. It was SO BEAUTIFUL!! All the well kept homes with their manicured lawns, the trees, parks, pool, Macayo's Maryvale on 51st and Indian School, DerWienerschnitzel on 59th, which was an "A" frame you drove through. The Beautiful new Golf Corse, and High School, the Drive In Movie Theater's, and at the heart of EVERYTHING was Maryvale Shopping City! I remember my dad, and mom taking me there for shopping, bowling, dining, and antique car shows. ANYONE who lived in Maryvale during that period, has to feel the same sadness I do to see how our beautiful area has declined. Breaks My Heart!
ReplyDeleteBill said
ReplyDeleteWe as a family moved here from Cleveland,Oh in the late 50's and my dad worked
for John F.Long in construction.I remember Maryvale Shopping Center well.One of
my favorite hangouts with my highschool friends was Bowlero where I also worked
as a busboy,at the restaurant located in the bowling alley,at night on the
weekends.My sister worked in Kresges at the soda fountain and would stop off
there for an ice cream soda - those were grand old days - miss 'em! I graduated
from Carl Hayden HS in 1961 and joined the US Navy. Worked for Sperry Flight Systems in Deer Valley for a few years as a class'A' tech on the SPZ1 autopilot
system for Boeing 747 pitch,roll and yaw computer channels - was very challenging
and informative! Moved back to Ohio in 1969 and retired as an indus. electrician
a few years later.I do miss those days in Maryvale and the old Vale drive-in on
Indian School Rd near N43rd Ave. There was a Mexican restaurant(can't remember the name - Woody's maybe?)in the old shopping center on the corner of Ind.School Rd
and 51st Ave.it and it was there before Maryvale SC. We also hung out there and
years later in the mid 80's,on a visit to my sister,i was surprised to see Woody's
still in business,and to top it off,there was a server who waited on me as a teen
and 30yrs later waited on me again! I believe it was demolished in the early 90's,
that's a shame - ate a lot of burritos and tacos there! Old memories never die,but
would like to see more photos of the area. The aerial shot is a good one,but close
ups of the area would be nice.Adios amigo!!
Answer to T blog above,yes you could enter Kresge's from that side and if i remember correctly,that's where the boys bikes were.I also worked there for a short time after school
ReplyDeletesweeping the floors.Also went swimming at Maryvale pool and the fri. night dances at the rec
center by the pool area.There was also a ball diamond in that area by W.Campbell.My mom worked
at the Maryvale Hosp. lunch counter in the 60's.Back then,it was asmall single story community
hosp. It's good to have your memory jogged by so many other responses from individuals growing
up in that era!Thanks for the memories! Bill
Thanks Greg M for clearing up the mystery name of the mexican restaurant(Macayo's) for me.I'm not sure why i thought the name was Woody's unless it was Woody's Macayo Rest.Too many years have passed,but the memory is still there.As a newcomer(snowbird) to the area,one of my new found highschool friends introduced me to the local cuisine at Macayo's and that became one of my regular haunts.I enjoy being able to recall and share some of my memories and read the stories of former Maryvalers - thanks for sharing! God bless you all and keep sharing your stories.
ReplyDeleteThe restaurant was called Woody'so. Later changed to Woody's Macayo'so. My favorite restaurant. You could get a ground beef taco, cheese enchilada with refried beans for a $1.00 and I think a small Coke was .25. That was late 60s early 70s.
DeleteBill S- Yes, it was Woody's Macayo in what is now the Maryvale Terrace shopping center on the NEC of Indian School and 51st Ave. The server you refer to is probably Lillian; she worked there from the beginning then transferred to the Thunderbird and 19th Ave store where she worked until retirement. Sadly she passed away a couple of years ago; what a nice lady.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite part of the mall was the Wards garden center where they had the pools in the summer. As soon as you walked in you were hit with the smell of chlorine. Nothing said summer like going to Wards and the catalog center.
We moved to Maryvale in June 1970, and my parents lived in the same house until the both passed. We used to go to MSC all the time as that's where my dad did all of our food shopping. Do any of you remember the name of the record store that was there? I remember that store fondly, but I just can't remember its name.
ReplyDeleteThanks Phyllis for the update on Lillian,she was special.When in AZ visiting my sister,back in
ReplyDeletethe late 80's,i paid a visit to Woodys for some good ol' Mexican food and that's when i remembered
her from way back as a young teen!We had a short conversation about the early days and that was the last time i saw her - RIP Lillian. Thanks again,Bill S
Maryvale Hospital is supposed to be closing down permanently. Very sad. I remember when the hospital was in the tiny building next door. They converted it to Dr offices and a pharmacy.
ReplyDeleteI remember when Maryvale Mall was an open air mall. There was a great deli on one end. I wish I remembered the name of it. We would get lunch there some days. Bills Shoe Hut Capins Malcolms and the grocery store and drug store separated by indoor breezeway. Kreskes had the balloons you could pick and waitress would pop to reveal price for a sundae.
Kreskes had a lady named Vi that worked there forever. And Kreskes paid employees in cash.
Oh the memories!
@John Graeff I believe the record store you may be referring to was The Wherehouse? It was outside of the mall, right on 51st ave and faced east if I remember correctly. I believe it was close to where the little movie theater used to be that was outside of the mall. So by 51st ave and Campbell I think.
ReplyDeleteMy memory is a little foggy as it was years ago but I believe I'm correct on this.
I've got to correct my previous post above, I believe it would have been more like 51st and Glenrosa where The Wherehouse record store was and the movie theater, not 51st and Campbell. It was on the north end of the mall, north east side.
ReplyDeleteThe record store was called Music Tree.
ReplyDelete