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Wonderful memories! I visited this mall multiple times in the 1970s and early 80s. The JC Penny was branded "Penny's" on its signage for some time. IIRC, around 1979/1980 there was a small video arcade/game room that opened up on the far side of the eastern hallway in front of Penny's, and just before this was an ice cream shop. Early on, there was a "Round Table" knight themed restaurant in the parking lot.
I do want to point out that the main building never had a movie theater inside. The first theater near the mall was the Crossroads 8 to the southeast of the mall that opened in 1988. That theater became a discount theater when the Crossroads 16 opened south of the mall in 1998. The old theater closed in 2005, was briefly re-opened, and finally closed in 2015. The Crossroads 16 managed to hang on until January 2024 despite very little in the way of updates over the years.
Nicely done-and it’s a great mall. I could be wrong, but I believe that the first enclosed mall in Nebraska was The Center Mall in Omaha, which opened in the mid-50s. It still exists (not sure if there is any retail left), but it did include Omaha-based Kilpatricks, which became Younkers.
Having lived in Cleveland Heights, it was very nostalgic. Your site settled a dispute about the stores that used to be @ the Nashua Mall in NH! Lot of fun ..thanks again😊
Plaza is an outdoor shopping district that spans multiple square miles. that was the first of its kind in America. All zoned buildings within the plaza "bowl" are 2 stories or less. so I wouldnt consider the Plaza in a shopping mall category 🫡🙂👍🏻
I used to skateboard there as a kid before it was enclosed. Also spent a lot of quarters in the arcade after it was enclosed. Bought several vinyl albums from the record store. The public restrooms were kind of hidden down a business hallway. Good memories!
I used to live by this mall. It is doing really well now except for the hall where the Sears used to be. I have many memories of shopping here with my husband and 2 sons as well as taking them to the kids play area.
I remember that Zeppelin style food court. It was such a pain in the butt. You couldn't see wear all of the seats were. So, on a really busy day, if you are with a large group, you can easily lose them as you decide which place that you want to eat at, and then when you were finished, now you have to find everyone. Plus, this was before cellphones, so you weren't sure if you should try and grab a seat or try to see if your friends already have a seat. Now, its a wide open space with all of the restaurants around the sides. It's super easy to figure out if your friends are still ordering food or have a place to sit.
I'm still going there on and off the past few years. It's still a good mall, the only issue these days is some of the riffraff that shows up there. They've had a lot of crime and gang issues and fights etc. which they never had much of years ago. I grew up going to R. Field, but my main mall was really Mid Island Plaza (now Broadway Commons) in Hicksville, since I grew up in Levittown. But Roosevelt Field Mall was always larger and had more stores. Although Mid Island Plaza was much better years ago, as well. I loved R. Field Mall in the 70s and 80s for the several bookstores, record store, and some of the food there, and the movie theater (the old Loews Quad). Hermans Sporting Goods was a mainstay there in the 70s and 80s, until they got decimated by competition including Modells, and I used to buy tons of concert tickets at the old Ticketron outlet that was once at the very rear of the Petit Mall. (pre-Ticketmaster) The food court they have now is a lot better than what was there in the 80s. They did once have a good Sbarros there, and even a Houlihans, but both are now long gone. I saw both DIE HARD and Pulp Fiction there when they both first came out at Loews. Both times the theaters were packed.
@@rangers94ism Really? Interesting. That was after I'd last been there. I moved to NYC in 1995 and was mainly going to the movies there for years. The old R. Field theater was great in 70s 80s, and 90s.
Yeah it is massive kept getting bigger and bigger for a time when malls were in still going strong though. Wasnt my mall as a kid but was one of big spots on Long Island still is to this day. Didnt know was oldest mall in state though. I learned alot about mall from this video didnt realize was open air mall originally
I grew up going to this mall. I got my first Jordans there. But Showbiz was the main thing in the 80s, it was creepy, I loved it. I live right down the street actually, lol. I go to that Walmart Neighborhood Market and Burlington Coat Factory.
I lived in Tucson for a few years, and at one point I needed a new suit. Someone told me the mall had a store where I could get a good price on one. The store had very cheap, shiny suits with huge shoulder pads. 😂 Went elsewhere. Was hoping to see the Florence, Ky mall on your channel. I basically lived there as a teenager.
I haven't lived here long but have visited this mall quite a bit. I appreciate this history... I am sorry I missed its heyday. I think I heard just recently the the Buccaneers plan has been scrapped.
Yes!.My home turf!.Used to frequent this mall in my youth and still do to this day.And the surrounding malls as well.I was just in this mall yesterday and it is a very busy and bustling one,because it is located by several major highways.This is also one of New Jersey’s busiest and biggest malls.Paramus New Jersey is locally known as the retail mecca of the NJ,NY Metro area and a fun place to shop.Thank you Eric for this upload.This is one i have been waiting for!.😎😊
