CNY Hall of Fame

Tom Cruise on the red carpet last year

 Now for something different. Destiny USA are close to entering administration due to a default and getting anchors as well as smaller stores to fill in vacancies is not uncommon across the country these days, so for one anchor that's single level on the first floor, let's get creative and put a museum in there! At least a hundred people who are household names around the world have personal ties to CNY. Some of them are listed on our sister blogs (only SU girl Vanessa Williams appears on both). Celebrities who went to uni, were born, lived, and/or grew up within a 75 mile radius of Syracuse will qualify for the gallery. Since A-lister Tom Cruise has been strictly films for over forty years time, yet left town when he was very young, I could only have him here. When I was the one who was away, I would sometimes tell others that he was born here. Rosie O'Donnell knew just as well (you had to have been around in the mid-to-late '90s). Richard Gere moved to North Syracuse when he was a little older, even though he did some TV in recent memory. We would showcase dozens of notables. Grace Jones's hula hoop can be an exhibit. There's a Walk of Fame downtown in front of the Landmark Theatre, but it's not enough and focuses more on the immediate area, and isn't like the ones back in Hollywood. We don't want it to be another Studio 54 of halls of fame like the one in Cuyahoga County or even Otsego County, so we'd get as many people profiled as possible.

There's a small Sports Hall of Fame inside Drivers Village (former Penn Can Mall) in Cicero, even though many athletes like Breanna Stewart and Dorsey Levens also got their start in our backyard. SU has a NYS Broadcasters Hall of Fame at Dick Clark Studios inside SI Newhouse School of Public Communications (which includes alums Ted Koppel, Marv Albert, Bob Costas and Jeff Glor along with the late Rod Wood and Ron Curtis to name a few). Having this new museum at Destiny brings something original and unique and may be less expensive than trying to convince another chain to come when the economy is up and down.

Orange Julius

Allegany County location with Dairy Queen, other takeaways and Dollar General

Jim.Henderson, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

 Orange Julius is a one-of-a-kind drink no one has ever copied. They used to be in Shoppingtown Mall in deWitt, where I've heard of them in the old days, but I don't think I ever had one. Dairy Queen, who now own Orange Julius through Warren Buffets Berkshire Hathaway, now only have a franchise in my area in Cicero, which is too far for me and does not carry Orange Julius (same with many DQs, since some don't even have Brazier for hot foods). The closest area to have it is WNY with fourteen locations. Some people may assume it doesn't exist anymore since so many have closed over the past few decades as standalones. Because corporate only offer the two chains as a package deal today, we'll have to put the pair of them together and come up with food courts, vacant competitors or even college neighborhoods to satisfy our sweet tooth (don't tell my doctor or dentist, mind!).

Syracuse (east side) - former Hungry Chucks et al; Marshall St (other chains past present have been on SU Hill)

Syracuse (north side) - former Dunkin'; Regional Transportation Center (Destiny USA around the corner has no room right now and have other things to deal with)

Cortland - former Naples Pizza; Riverside Plaza, NY 13

Liverpool - former Arbys; CR 57

Oneida - former KFC?; NY 5

Fairmount - former TJs Big Boy/Good Buddys Pub; W Genesee St

Albany (Delaware Area) former Friendlys; US 9W & NY 443

Binghamton - Broome County Transportation Center; Chenango St

Ithaca - former Starbucks; Collegetown

New Hartford - former Boil Shack; NY 5

Albany (Central Ave) - former Grandmas; NY 5

Auburn - Fingerlakes Mall; NY 5 & US 20

Rochester - former Calios; NY 252

Quality Markets

Flagship Jamestown/Celeron store near Lucys old house

 Quality Markets were P&Cs sister chain in WNY and NW PA. They were originally from Jamestown, so the legendary Lucille Ball would have remembered them from growing up (although she also lived in Montana for a period). Quality were founded in 1913 and sold to Penn Traffic in 1979. They reached Buffalo when they acquired Bells in 1993, a onetime IGA franchise (some Bells became other things, and none in Niagara County became Quality). Most of the Quality chain however went to Tops in 2010, but like P&C, some fell through the cracks, mostly because of overlap with existing stores which was inevitable in the region. There was once a row in Cattaraugus County when Tops wanted to come in on their own, but if you can't beat 'em, join 'em! (Tops won out, but read on).

Now Tops unless indicated

Sheffield, PA - US 6 (borough [PA term] recently profiled in the Washington Post)

Celeron/Jamestown - now construction company near Lucille Balls childhood home (original Tops around the corner; closed store pictured)

Buffalo (Lackawanna) - 1234 Abbott Rd; previously Loblaws and Bells; now Save-a-Lot

Buffalo (Bryant) - 250 Lakewood Ave; previously Loblaws and Bells; later Latinas; now PriceRite

Buffalo (1) - 257 W Ferry St; previously Star Discount Foods, Loblaws and Bells; now Bartons Home Outlet

Buffalo (2) - 499 W Klein Rd; previously Bells, now Dash's (last local only non-regional indie chain)

Cheektowaga - 540 Dick Rd; now Crunch Fitness

Williamsville - NY 5

Erie, PA (1) - 838 E 6th St; previously Loblaws; now closed

Erie, PA (2) - 3712 W 12th St; same as above

Erie, PA (3) - US 20; previously Rudys Super Duper; now Champion Ford

Erie, PA (4) - 712 W 38th St; now Tops

Erie, PA (5) - US 20; now Giant Eagle and Valu King

Erie, PA (6) - PA 8; now vacant

Erie, PA (7) - US 20 & 2708 Legion Rd; now vacant

Erie, PA (8) - US 20; now Walmart

Erie, PA (9) - US 20; Harborcreek; now Pet Supplies Plus

Dunkirk (1) - 3955 Vineyard Dr & NY 60

Dunkirk (2) - 166 E 4th St & NY 60; now Save-a-Lot

Ellicottville - US 219

Lockport - NY 31 & 77; previously Bells (IGA and indie); now Tops

Falconer (1) - NY 394

Falconer (2) - 10 S Work St (NY 394); now CVS

Frewsburg - 20 Center St & US 62

Attica - NY 98 & Prospect St (one of the last new stores opened)

Mayville - NY 394

Olean - NY 417

Silver Creek - NY 5

Tonawanda (Kenmore NW) - NY 324 & 384; closed 2003 (Tops now around the corner, although this was several years before the sale)

Williamsville - NY 5

Cambridge Springs, PA - US 19 & PA 409; TBD

Corry, PA (1) - PA 426; now Sanders Markets

Corry, PA (2) - 100 W South St; now vacant

Corry, PA (3) - 124 W Smith St; now Snap Fitness

Kane, PA - US 6

Lakewood - NY 394; now Michaels

Warren, PA - Business US 6

Union City, PA - US 6

Westfield, PA - PA 49

Youngsville, PA - US 6

Titusville, PA - 110 S Martin St; now Giant Eagle

Waterford, PA - US 19

Meadville, PA (1) - US 6 & 19

Meadville, PA (2) - PA 27; now Walgreens

Jamestown (1) - NY 394; now Salvation Army Family Store

Jamestown (2) - NY 394; now Geer-Dunn (around the corner from Lucys museums)

Jamestown (3) - NY 430; now New Flyer of America

Jamestown (4) - NY 60; previously Loblaws; now Tops

Jamestown (5) - 214 E 3rd St; demolished decades ago; one of the earliest

Jamestown (6) - 703 W 3rd St; previously Nu-Way; now Farm Fresh

Jamestown (7) - 18 S Main St; opened 1942; long gone

Sherman - Church St; now Macks Markets

Randolph - NY 394

Hazeltine - TBD (may just be Jamestown)

Stores dating back from before WWI to the Depression may require some additional research. The WWII-era one is the oldest I could dig up. Since Lucy and I have the same birthday, I dedicate this post to her memory.

You can't spell Quality without AI!

AI image courtesy Meta Platforms, Inc.