Once the weather turns cooler and the calendar flips to fall, I’m reminded of how much fun it was hanging out at our local mall as teenagers.
The mall closest to where we live is called Southern Park. Honestly, I haven’t set foot there in probably 4-5 years, and I heard it’s fairly desolate.
But back in the 70s-80s, it was hopping! We were always trying to con one of our moms into dropping us off and another to pick us up hours later. Our parents weren’t concerned about safety, how much money we didn’t have, and cell phones obviously didn’t exist—just the necessary quarter for the pay phone.
Unfortunately, so much has changed, including some of my favorite stores and ambiance that no longer exist. Here are some oldies but goodies that you may remember too…
–The fountains. As soon as you entered, you could hear and smell the dancing fountains of our mall. They were fabulous! The water spouts were color-morphing and moved from small to tall, then back down again within seconds.
We usually sat on the rim of the fountains to feel the gentle splashes of the water while we tossed a couple of pennies in the pool for good luck. When they were eventually drained, I wonder how many coins were collected?
And the heavy smell of chlorine. Need I say more? I miss those fountains!
–Hot Sam Pretzels and Woolworths. Of course, we didn’t go to the mall without eating snacks! My friend Suzy and I always chose pretzels.
Our choice between Hot Sam and Woolworths depended on how much money we had. Hot Sam’s pretzels were always better, fluffier, and bigger, but more expensive.
At the Woolworths counter, there were many food choices. From a grilled cheese to slices of pie. A hot pretzel and a Coke were practically half the price at Hot Sam, but even in the 70s, it was cool to be eating a name-brand snack and walk around with a Hot Sam cup..lol
I Googled Hot Sam and learned that the first store opened in Livonia, Michigan, the city where my Mom was born and raised! Maybe that’s why I liked it so much.
–Spencers Gifts. This was the sassy store..lol We liked the fun pens, jewelry, accessories, and incense. However, towards the back of the store, there were things that we didn’t quite understand as young teenage girls.
But we did know about the girly posters with big boobs and scant bikinis. Sometimes there was a line to flip through the sample posters, and we usually waited to see if there was a new Duran Duran or The Police poster. I remember kind of “sneaking in” the store because it wasn’t the place for us. I was more comfortable at B Dalton, the bookstore.
I could continue writing about my favorite mall stores that are closed, but my post would be way too long! This will let me revisit our ole mall another time. We spent a lot of time there, so we’ll have plenty of memories to conjure up. Happy mall shopping!
