My usual store on Syracuses east side before being done up |
Friday, March 15, 2024
Former Price Chopper locations
Thursday, February 15, 2024
Fingerlakes Mall
Bass Pro Shops, the last thing going at Fingerlakes Mall |
Fingerlakes Mall on NY 5 & US 20 in Auburn is a classic textbook example of a small town dead mall. The easternmost city of a wine-growing region which the city itself is best known for a prison, Harriet Tubman and John Walsh. The mall opened in 1980 and once had JCPenney, kmart, Sears, Radio Shack (one of the very last was across town, but that's for another day), CVS/pharmacy, Rex, Friendlys, Great Outdoors RV, FYE, TCBY and Chappells. Bass Pro Shops came in 2003 and was thought to be the catch of the day, but it is the one holdout as one of the few in Upstate NY; the one other in CNY being in Utica around the former Montgomery Ward in Riverside Mall in Deerfield off NY 8 & 12 in proximity to the Mohawk Valley, Adirondacks and Catskills. I used to go to the Auburn one now and again, but not in a few years since they had less of what I needed and is less convenient for me today.
In recent years, local events are held at the mall, but being the de facto event center for Cayuga County is not enough. It could be a real mall again. It could have Target, Ross Dress for Less, Barnes & Noble and Hobby Lobby. FYE could come back, and there could be a combination of local and national smaller stores in the hallway. Not everyone can go all the way to Syracuse or Rochester. The potential is right there in front of them, even with inflation and online shopping looming over all of us. Auburn isn't as tight a squeeze as other smaller communities. The sister plaza across the street could also have spots left. Auburn is not just another Rust Belt former factory town. Fingerlakes Mall is ready for a renaissance like their competitors in the next county.
Friday, February 2, 2024
BiLo Foods
Former Butler County store; was also kmart (montage) |
The Pennsylvania BiLo are chiefly in small towns and are affiliated with Best Yet/C&S. I know I saw one off I-81 in Susquehanna Valley around Hallstead like the one I had a photo of in Canton with the '50s/'60s architecture. Maybe it was the one I saw. Anyway, BiLo and P&C are the last surviving remnants of Penn Traffic (not counting the Atlanta Big Bear or Krogers QFC for Quality). It's also another case of two or more things having the same name before the Internet was around to check (I just learned that bilo is a type of Filipino dish, and no I won't use that stupid catchphrase).
Wednesday, January 17, 2024
Charney's
The only remaining store in deWitt |
Charney's Menswear & Tuxedos in Syracuse is not just another mens big and tall store. They've been in business for over 70 years time. They have had several locations around town (a total of fourteen, according to co-founder Phyllis Charneys obituary in 2016). I haven't been in a couple years myself, since I can't afford much there anymore and it's not as convenient, yet like any local and/or small business, they would offer service and selection that few large stores ever would.
Syracuse (Eastwood) - NY 290, original store and flagship; demolished by 2006 for Walgreens
Syracuse (SU Hill) - 149 Marshall St; now Shirt World
deWitt (1) - NY 5, Shoppingtown Mall; closed by 2010s and moved to current location
deWitt (2) - NY 5, Empire Plaza, former Wheels Auto Supply?; present-day store (pictured)
Clay - NY 31 & 481 - Great Northern Mall; closed by 2009 and moved up the road
Syracuse (Fairmount) - Fairmount Fair; closed by 1980s and moved back to Camillus Mall
Camillus - Camillus Plaza/Mall; first store moved to Fairmount; second one closed by 2003
Cicero - Penn Can Mall; closed by 1994 and moved to Great Northern Mall
Syracuse (north side) - Carousel Center (later Destiny USA); now Green Mountain Sports
Liverpool - NY 31, COR Center; closed in 2017 and became a Spectrum store in 2021
Syracuse (Westvale) - NY 5, Westvale Plaza (you can get good tips on Facebook)
Tuesday, January 16, 2024
Dollar stores
Another Flickr grab. |
One Dollar Zone!
Fantasy location in Cortlandville |
While looking up information on a store closing in Berks County, PA on Philadelphia indie station WFMZ 69, I found another in Easton of a chain called The Dollar Zone! (it's spelled that way). It seems like three chains (two co-owned) have a monopoly across the country, and I had to create a new tag since I have enough posts of this sort now. The real dollar store I grew up with is not dead and gone. It's the modern version of the five and dime of the early twentieth century like McCrorys and Ben Franklins. The closest one to me is downstate since the chain started in the Tri-State and is likely still based there and have stores across the Northeast. For this post, I simply copied the list from 99 Cents Only Store from the West Coast to save time, yet One Dollar Zone! from the East Coast is remotely more likely to expand inland.
Utica - Genesee St, former Eckerd/Rite Aid
Canastota - NY 5 & CR 25, former Family Dollar
Syracuse - NY 80 & 175, former Walgreens/Rite Aid
Auburn - NY 5, former Real Deals
Baldwinsville - Downer St, former Real Deals
Mattydale - US 11, former Fays/Dollar Tree
Cortlandville - NY 281, next to Grand Union (pictured) to extreme right
New Hartford - New Hartford Shopping Center, former Tuesday Morning
Albany - Wolf Rd, former Barnes & Noble
Liverpool - Electronics Pkwy & Old Liverpool Rd, former Carls/Fays/Thrifty Shopper
Cicero - NY 31, former Green Planet Grocery
Chittenango - Tuscarora Rd, former Dollar General (later in 2024)
Various - Closing Dollar Tree or Family Dollar stores
Friday, January 12, 2024
99 Cents Only Store
MacArthur Park store in LA before dark, sweet green savings, prices going down! |
With the dollar store market dominated by three chains, there is another primarily in the Southwest based in LA County called 99 Cents Only Store. With inflation, you'd think it'd be impossible for everything there to be that anymore, let alone from pricey California, when Dollar Tree has their base price at $1.25 (apart from select locations with Dollar Tree Plus or Family Dollar combos). Back on this end of the country, regional chain Real Deals Dollar Store just went out of business as a result, so some of those could be available now (North Syracuse became Dollar General, however).
Canastota - NY 5 & CR 25, former Family Dollar
Syracuse - NY 80 & 175, former Walgreens/Rite Aid
Auburn - NY 5, former Real Deals
Baldwinsville - Downer St, former Real Deals
Mattydale - US 11, former Fays/Dollar Tree
Cortlandville - NY 281, next to Grand Union
New Hartford - New Hartford Shopping Center, former Tuesday Morning
Albany - Wolf Rd, former Barnes & Noble
Liverpool - Electronics Pkwy & Old Liverpool Rd, former Carls/Fays/Thrifty Shopper
Cicero - NY 31, former Green Planet Grocery
Chittenango - Tuscarora Rd, former Dollar General
Palmer Township, PA (Easton) - 785 S 25th St; former One Dollar Zone! (only non-NY one I can think of, and the next post sorted)