Tobacco shop,silvermans clothing store,clock repair store in the lower floor and escalators going into Sears fron second floor into store. Fun times and great memories
I've visited Knotts berry farm countless times over the years but I've never even once visited this mall! Even with the old sears right across from the park staring me in the face, I never knew there was an entire indoor mall on the other side.
I also remember those baseball card signing shows! Also an old school California Angels fan! John's Incredible Pizza is a great idea that more malls should pick up on. A great way to use space that would otherwise be empty.
I took guitar lessons there at Kay Kaylie Music 1969. As mentioned Orange Julius (in the middle of the mall) and John Hardy shoes with their zip-up suede boots in black, brown, and green. Legend has it David Crosby bought a brown pair and can be seen wearing them on the cover of Crosby, Stills and Nash's first album.
I remember the Circuit City being across the street from the mall. It wasn't on the mall, so I wouldn't call it an anchor store really. Circuit City was a part of Downtown Buena Park across the street just not on the mall. However, 2009 does seem like the correct closing date to me. Since I remember visiting around then and it being a closing sale. I grew up in the area, but I don't remember visiting much as a child before the 2000s. So before the 2000s I don't remember much. I do remember there being a Christian book store that closed right before the new modern interior of the mall. I remember the more modern look of the mall coming around after 2002 or so. Before the remodel the interior was dark brown color. Then some years after that the food court was removed and John's Incredible was put in its place. Trouble is I don't remember the specific years. The Sears part of the mall is supposed to be constructed into apartments and condominiums called the Village at Buena Park. If you look up The Village at Buena Park you'll get more info about that. Construction still hasn't been started on it, but it was supposed to have started summer 2024. It seems like the problem with the mall is the fact that Buena Park has a lot of middle or lower class people. Anything that opens that has high prices seems to not be able to make it. Examples would be Game Stop and Smash Burger. I don't think residents in the area have much money to shop.
It's gonna take a miracle for the BP mall to shed it's image of being a ghost town with very little worth visiting for and it's gonna need something MAJOR to drive foot traffic - because even the last standing Krikorian over there is a ghost town of a theater as well 💀 Not sure how feasible it would be to add a Raising Canes but that actually could help, because for some reason people reallyyyy love that place LOL Also not a good sign of a mall's popularity if it doesn't have a Hot Topic or Box Lunch, like 'em or hate 'em they do tend to get customers when they have exclusives that people want.
Shoplifters used to steal anything not nailed down at May Co. And for many years their fine jewelry dept. was at the main mall entrance and an easy target for jewel thieves. And I correctly guessed how many anchor stores there were. Maybe it’s because I miss most of them especially Fedco.
I have so many memories of kb toys as a kid there. The lower level use to feel so creepy. It was really empty even I. That time other than the food court. When I was 14 I remember sneaking in 40z and would chill in the food court lol Did anyone else feel weird in the lower level of the mall and the lower level of sears?
I worked at the mall in the 80's at both JC Penney and Chess King. Back then, it was the place to hang out and always full of people. Sad to see it decline.
The Wiki page timeline is a little wonky. I don't have exact dates but this is my recollection. The mall was open air through the 70s then they closed it in and utilized the basement area in the very early 80s, I moved back to the area late 82 and that process was finished and booming, They had a knife shop down there that started a long and continuing problem for me ;)... The UA theatre date opening seems early but maybe it just got ground broken and operating super fast . We were out of there in Jan 84.
Fedco was pretty interesting place. I remember it had a grocery store, clothing store, and target like store+electronics and video games. Basically you can get a cart full of groceries, and take the elevator and go buy video games or something. Pretty crazy to think about.
I spent so many years as a child, then teen, then an adult in this mall!! I got a job at the Waldenbooks there on the upper floor in the early 80's as temporary help for Christmas. I ended up staying with the company for 21 years at many of the malls in the OC. I'll never forget helping John Stamos find a Marilyn Monroe book! Great memories!!
Hope someone can help me figure out what video game store I used to shop from. It was in the early 2000's. it wasn't eb games or gamestop because i remember it being in the mall itself. wasn't kb toys either
Tobacco shop,silvermans clothing store,clock repair store in the lower floor and escalators going into Sears fron second floor into store. Fun times and great memories
Newberrys, Copperpenny restaurant, Toy World, Babytown, Hardy shoes, International Gourmet, Wallachs Music City, Lane Bryant, Mode o Day, See's Candy
i miss the howie's game shack. RIP. good memories
I've visited Knotts berry farm countless times over the years but I've never even once visited this mall! Even with the old sears right across from the park staring me in the face, I never knew there was an entire indoor mall on the other side.
I also remember those baseball card signing shows! Also an old school California Angels fan! John's Incredible Pizza is a great idea that more malls should pick up on. A great way to use space that would otherwise be empty.
Nice, thanks for sharing
I went to a pog convention there
I took guitar lessons there at Kay Kaylie Music 1969. As mentioned Orange Julius (in the middle of the mall) and John Hardy shoes with their zip-up suede boots in black, brown, and green. Legend has it David Crosby bought a brown pair and can be seen wearing them on the cover of Crosby, Stills and Nash's first album.
I miss those cool fountains they used to have flowing down to the lower level
Thank you for posting!
Thank you for this upload Eric!.😎
I remember the Circuit City being across the street from the mall. It wasn't on the mall, so I wouldn't call it an anchor store really. Circuit City was a part of Downtown Buena Park across the street just not on the mall. However, 2009 does seem like the correct closing date to me. Since I remember visiting around then and it being a closing sale. I grew up in the area, but I don't remember visiting much as a child before the 2000s. So before the 2000s I don't remember much. I do remember there being a Christian book store that closed right before the new modern interior of the mall. I remember the more modern look of the mall coming around after 2002 or so. Before the remodel the interior was dark brown color. Then some years after that the food court was removed and John's Incredible was put in its place. Trouble is I don't remember the specific years.
The Sears part of the mall is supposed to be constructed into apartments and condominiums called the Village at Buena Park. If you look up The Village at Buena Park you'll get more info about that. Construction still hasn't been started on it, but it was supposed to have started summer 2024.
It seems like the problem with the mall is the fact that Buena Park has a lot of middle or lower class people. Anything that opens that has high prices seems to not be able to make it. Examples would be Game Stop and Smash Burger. I don't think residents in the area have much money to shop.
Saw MayCo. constructed and saw it demolished.
It's gonna take a miracle for the BP mall to shed it's image of being a ghost town with very little worth visiting for and it's gonna need something MAJOR to drive foot traffic - because even the last standing Krikorian over there is a ghost town of a theater as well 💀 Not sure how feasible it would be to add a Raising Canes but that actually could help, because for some reason people reallyyyy love that place LOL Also not a good sign of a mall's popularity if it doesn't have a Hot Topic or Box Lunch, like 'em or hate 'em they do tend to get customers when they have exclusives that people want.
I agree
Shoplifters used to steal anything not nailed down at May Co. And for many years their fine jewelry dept. was at the main mall entrance and an easy target for jewel thieves. And I correctly guessed how many anchor stores there were. Maybe it’s because I miss most of them especially Fedco.
Malls are closing Because amazon Online shopping
I have so many memories of kb toys as a kid there.
The lower level use to feel so creepy. It was really empty even I. That time other than the food court.
When I was 14 I remember sneaking in 40z and would chill in the food court lol
Did anyone else feel weird in the lower level of the mall and the lower level of sears?
I worked at the mall in the 80's at both JC Penney and Chess King. Back then, it was the place to hang out and always full of people. Sad to see it decline.
the smell of the cheddar/caramel popcorn still resonates with me 40 years later
The Wiki page timeline is a little wonky. I don't have exact dates but this is my recollection. The mall was open air through the 70s then they closed it in and utilized the basement area in the very early 80s, I moved back to the area late 82 and that process was finished and booming, They had a knife shop down there that started a long and continuing problem for me ;)... The UA theatre date opening seems early but maybe it just got ground broken and operating super fast . We were out of there in Jan 84.
Fedco was pretty interesting place. I remember it had a grocery store, clothing store, and target like store+electronics and video games. Basically you can get a cart full of groceries, and take the elevator and go buy video games or something. Pretty crazy to think about.
I spent so many years as a child, then teen, then an adult in this mall!! I got a job at the Waldenbooks there on the upper floor in the early 80's as temporary help for Christmas. I ended up staying with the company for 21 years at many of the malls in the OC.
I'll never forget helping John Stamos find a Marilyn Monroe book! Great memories!!
this place is a "ghost Town" now. surprised any stores are still open inside the place. Walmart does well, but really, that's about it
Hope someone can help me figure out what video game store I used to shop from. It was in the early 2000's. it wasn't eb games or gamestop because i remember it being in the mall itself. wasn't kb toys either
When it was a open mall me & my buddy would drive in the middle & do burnouts
It’s junk now and terrible but Walmart is cool and the other spots are coming up. This mall needs more popular spots.
Hi Eric how are you doing?
Good thank you. And you?
i find it weird burglington wanted to come back to the dying mall it has already decided. was un profitable