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.

BiLo Foods/Riverside Markets

Former Butler County store; was also kmart (montage)

    
    BiLo Foods, no relation to BI-LO in the mid-Atlantic (Tops' former sister chain, which we covered already), an Australian chain or anything else with the same name, were P&Cs sister chain in Pennsylvania (except the Northwest in the Erie and Bradford areas where Penn Traffic had Quality from WNY, or P&C in Sayre). Some are closer to Pittsburgh, while others were across the Keystone State in the Northeast, mainly in Twin Tiers. Three former locations probably became Tops, the Renovo store is now Lingles (previously A&P, Super Duper and Weis), and Kens BiLo in Northern Cambria and Patton just retired their use of the BiLo name. A few other BiLos don't have their own sites, nor is their one for all of them. There is also a BiLo in Iberia Parish in Louisiana unrelated to either chain. One former store in Centre Country is now an Ollies Bargain Outlet. Numerous examples are scattered around and it can take all day to list them all since I'm not as familiar with this chain or state myself, and it's only because of the former parent company's ties to my area that this counts here, as well as the events of the 2010s tying the two BiLos together somewhat with the Tops purchase or the Ahold Delhaize merger in the Benelux and US East Coast (the Carolinas one survives through ALDI as BI-LOs later sister stores Winn-Dixie and Harveys merged with them). Riverside was founded in 1932 and by the '80s, the BiLo name outnumbered the other. Both survive today as independently owned and operated businesses.

    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 in 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/Riverside 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). I did manage to copy a dozen past locations from my previous post on P&C. Some operated as Riverside or other franchises (some are still with us today). I think I have half the Commonwealth listed! I had to dig deep, and like the chains back in New York, there's always more to add since there's no one site today.

Tyrone - now closed

Brockway - PA 28; now Martinos

Johnstown (1) - Riverside; previously Quaker Super Market; Osborne St Market and Gee Bee; now Randys BiLo (last one in area, which was originally home to Riverside apparently)

Johnstown (2) - Riverside; previously A&P, Thorofare, and Ideal

Johnstown (3) - previously Acme and Gee Bee; Riverside address changed

Johnstown (4) - Riverside; previously Thorofore; later Ideal

Johnstown (5) - Riverside (merged with Penn Traffic in 1962 and founded BiLo in 1974, which opened next door)

Johnstown (5) - Riverside; previously Thorofare and Shop 'n Save

Johnstown (6) - Riverside; previously Gee Bee; later Cloverleaf and Ideal

Johnstown (7) - Riverside; previously Quaker, Osborne, and Gee Bee; later Ideal

Muncy - now Big Lots

West Pittston - US 11; Insalacos Shopping Center; previously Insalacos; now Gerritys

Clarion - US 322; now KFC

Wyoming - US 11; Midway Shopping Center; previously Insalacos; now Price Chopper

North Apollo - now Shop 'n Save

Cadiz, OH - Coffys BiLo; now Sanders (one of at least two outside PA)

Claysburg - now Claysburg Hometown Market

Jefferson - Thornes BiLo; now Belko

Benton - now Country Fresh Market and Hardware

Duncansville - US 22; now Martins?

Vowinckel - PA 66; now closed

Dagus Mines - PA 255; now closed

Portage - TBD; now closed

Pittston - US 11; previously Insalacos; now Redners

Flourtown - CR 2018; now Acme (wild guess because the façade has been done up since, and Giant up the road seemed too big, and I just can't do every single city, borough [village] and township because it's too much, even small towns don't always have information available, and I just don't have time).

Commodore - TBD; now closed

East Brady - PA 38; now closed

Grove City - PA 58; now County Market

Huntingdon - US 22; US 22 Plaza

Sipesville - PA 985; now closed

Limestone - PA 66; now closed

Punxsutawney - later Mikes; now ALDI (first started writing this on Groundhog Day!)

Blairsville - now Bayada (health care non-profit)

Natrona Heights - Highlands Mall; now closed

McConnellsburg - PA 16; now Save-a-Lot

Morgantown, WV - now Crossfit Ridgeline

Greenville - Greenville Plaza; closed 2002

Mt Union - US 522; now closed

Lansford - US 209; now Boyers

Tannersville - PA 611; now Weis

Honesdale - US 6; now Weis

Shenandoah - PA 54; now Boyers

West Hazleton - PA 93; previously Insalacos; now Big Lots

Kingston Township - Back Mountain Shopping Center; now closed

East Stroudsburg - Eagle Valley Corners; TBD

Hollidaysburg - Riverside; previously A&P; now Hometown Market

Martinsburg, WV - now closed

duBois - Riverside; also where office and distribution center once was, so I based this post there

Brookville - Riverside; original store opened during the Depression

Altoona (1)  - PA 764; Riverside only; previously A&P; now Family Dollar

Altoona (2)  - Riverside and BiLo; previously A&P; now Rite Aid

Altoona (3)  - Riverside only; previously A&P; now Thompson Pharmacy

Altoona (4)  - Riverside only; now demolished

Altoona (5)  - PA 764; Toms Riverside only; previously A&P and Food Rite; now Fefis

Altoona (6)  - BiLo only; Orchard Plaza; now Big Lots

Altoona (7)  - Riverside only; Business US 220; now closed

East Comenaugh - Riverside; previously Food Rite; now closed

St Marys - PA 255; now closed

Sykesville - Riverside;now closed

Hallstead - US 11 & PA 171 (the borough at least was finally confirmed through archive.org) - previously Acme; now Robs Market (formerly ShurSave)

Montrose - later Big M; TBD

Renovo - previously Super Duper, A&P and Weis; now Lingles

Reynoldsville - US 322; BiLo and Riverside; now Mikes

Indiana - Riverside; now Valeskis 4th St BiLo

Harmony/Zelienople - now Northgate BiLo

Knox - PA 338; Riverside; now Toms Riverside Quality Foods

Northern Cambria - now Kens Foods

Patton - now just Kens (not that Ken!)

Canton - PA 50 & 414; now Tops (there should be a couple more)

Windber - now Randys BiLo

Hermitage - Shenango Valley Mall

Jersey Shore - previously Super Duper; now Lingles

Ridgway - Riverside; now Elk County Foods

State College - now Ollies Bargain Outlet

Somerset - now vacant

Troy - US 6; now Tops

Tunkhannock - PA 29; now Weis

Meadville - US 19; now Tops

Lock Haven - Clinton Plaza; now Save-a-Lot

Homer City - now Ideal

Scranton - previously Insalacos and Riccardos; now Schiffs

Berwick - previously Insalacos; now Boyers

Tamaqua - US 209; previously Insalacos; now Boyers

Jim Thorpe - previously Insalacos; now Jim Thorpe Market

Carbondale - now Weis

Mt Pocono - PA 940; now Weis

Peckville/Blakely - now Quinns

Clarks Summit - US 11; now Gerritys

Old Forge - previously Insalacos; later Rossis and Rays ShurSave; now closed

Edwardsville - now closed

Cranberry Township - PA 19; now closed

Johnsonburg - PA 219

Wellsboro - previously Acme; now closed

Wilkes-Barre (1) - S Main St; previously Acme and Insalacos; now Volunteers if America (went here a couple times)

Wilkes-Barre (2) - Stanton St; previously Insalacos; now demolished

Houtzdale - now Howards; PA 53

Hazleton/Mountain Top - PA 309; previously Insalacos; now Weis?

New Bethlehem - PA 28; Riverside; now Toms Riverside Quality Foods

New Bloomfield - now Karns

Oil City - US 62; now Giant Eagle

Mt Carmel - previously Acme; TJ Barts and Super Saver; now Boyers

Phillipsburg - Riverside; later Fezells County Market; now closed

Bellefonte - now Rite Aid

Ashland - PA 54; now Boyers

Brookville - PA 36; now Giant Eagle

Sandy Township - Riverside (office)

Mahanoy City - previously Acme; later P&R; now demolished

Butler - Friedmans; later kmart; now closed (pictured)

White - CR 1009; TBD

Seneca/Franklin? - US 62; now Giant Eagle

Pottsville - PA 61 & 183; previously Acme; now Giant

Williamsport - PA 2014; now IMC (business management)

Shermansdale - PA 34; now Dollar General

Mansfield - Business US 15; previously Super Duper; later Hurleys, IGA, and Sears Hometown Store; now closed

Petrolia - Taylors Riverside; now closed

Fisher - CR 1001

Milton - now closed

Venus - PA 157

Wellsboro - previously Super Duper

Dallas Township - Country Club Shopping Center; now Gerritys

Watsontown - Riverside; now Lingles

Ford City - now Hankeys Riverside

East Vandergrift - now closed

Seward - PA 711

Sligo - PA 58 & 68

Starford - CR 1012

Defiance - PA 1036

Coraopolis - TBD

Warrendale - now closed

Tylersburg - now closed

Titusville - PA 89 & 27; Riverside; now Titusville Market Square

Rimersburg - PA 68; Riverside; now Toms Riverside Quality Foods

Ebensburg - now ALDI?

Saxonsburg - Friedmans; now Sprankles

Montoursville -  - now closed

Renfrew - now closed

Homestead - now closed

Selinsgrove - later Weis; now Hobby Lobby

Russellton - now closed

Jerome - PA 56?; now closed

Glen Hope - now closed

Pitcairn - now closed

Clearfield - Riverside; Old Town Rd and Clearfield Mall; now closed

Lewisburg - US 15; previously Acme; later Save-a-Lot; now Big Lots