Burbank, California - circa 1970s
Field trip time outside! Here's the famous Golden Mall, an outdoor pedestrian shopping mall district that was located in downtown Burbank, and looking ever the place to be, here in this nifty early '70s vintage postcard I just couldn't resist posting. That's the Bur-Cal clothing store you see on the end with the cool script logo above the entrance.
Alas, the beautiful mall was completely removed and the area reopened to traffic in 1989 (the mall having originally opened in 1967). But if you're interested in learning more about The Golden Mall and would dig seeing lots more great pictures of it, be sure and visit the nice photo essay at Burbankia, by Wes Clark, of the fabulous Avocado Memories website (which I've loved for years), and Mike McDaniel. Tell 'em Malls of America sent ya! ;)
"Beautiful Downtown Burbank"? Perhaps where Laugh-In got it??
ReplyDeleteScott
Odd that Californians did not take to pedestrian shopping precincts.
ReplyDeleteAt least in Northwestern Europe, pedestrian shopping precincts continue to be very popular.
The lamps and hexgonal planters in the Burbank pictures remind me of the pedestrian shopping precinct in my hometown. Except that we don't have any palms.
This is a very pretty place.
ReplyDeleteThe only two pedestrian malls left in California that I know of are K Street in Sacramento and Fulton Mall in Fresno. Both are really sad places. Both are considering opening up to traffic again. There were a number of people who complained about being faced with the decay of civilization every time they visited (aka, the homeless population). The funny thing about the new lifestyle centers, they often close their streets for weekend shopping to great success. The big difference? It's private property and they throw the homesless out.
ReplyDeleteScott
Here in Europe, people love pedestrian shopping precincts. Store rents are usually higher in pedestrian precincts. And at least once a year, you get the call to turn this or that street into a pedestrian area and retailers generally support this. And certain towns, who have closed their entire downtown to traffic, draw lots of shoppers from out of town.
ReplyDeleteOf course, we do get homeless people, too, (and occasional attempts to make them go away to where consumers can't see them) but so far they don't seem to deter anybody from shopping.
Of course, Europe generally has better public transport, while the US is very car-centric, which may be the reason why Americans don't like pedestrian shopping precincts.
I was in Vienna over the summer and I was so amazed at how awesome and reliable the public transit was and how easy it was to go from place to place to shop and browse in a matter of no time.
ReplyDeleteI live in Chicago and our transit system is no where near as complex and good.
Wow, the Burbankia Web site you’ve cited has some great photos and info of this pedestrian mall. In fact, some of the landscaping elements of it look similar to those at the still existing pedestrian mall in downtown Riverside (about 50 miles east of Burbank). The one in Riverside, designed by architect Herman O. Ruhnau, opened in 1966 (one year prior to the one in Burbank), which likely explains the similarities.
ReplyDeleteThough it has had its ups and downs, the Riverside mall is currently experiencing a rebirth of sorts as folks are beginning to rediscover its unique qualities in what is otherwise auto-centric Southern California. As such, new restaurants have opened and cultural facilities are beginning to take shape. Plans also include new mixed-use developments nearby that will include multi-story residential buildings.
Hey, Gedward, you big dummy!*
ReplyDeleteThe Riverside Mall link doesn't show.
(I used to read a 1968 Sunset Magazine book on said mall and
it had beautiful (Black and white!!) pics of it.
*Just kidding about Big Dummy. "Sanford and Son" quote.:)
Steve, here's a more recent link regarding Riverside's pedestrian mall:
ReplyDeletePedestrian mall renovation begins