Filene's and Filene's Basement

Manchester, NH store at Pondview Terrace. Courtesy John Blower. CC by NC ND 2.0.

 Boston-based Filene's were another chain I got to know in Albany County. Trailblazing subsidiary Filene's Basement were their closeout chain (then-rival Macys had Macys Closeout), but like Sears Outlet from the parent chain, it would be spun off into a separate company before going out of business themselves. Because Kaufmanns were already west of the Capital Region, Filenes proper were never in CNY, WNY, or Twin Tiers. The bulk of the main chain became Macys, although there is an exception or two, while the other one is more ambiguous since I only knew the one in my area down cellar from the onetime sister chain. Filenes Basement survives today as an e-tailer, but it's just not the same, of course. As for the original Filenes, I just have Upstate, a few downstate and one non-NY store to save time.

Albany (Guilderland) - Crossgates Mall, US 20; now Macys

Kingston - Hudson Valley Mall, US 9W; later Macys; now vacant

Manchester, NH - Pondview Terrace (pictured)

Poughkeepsie - Poughkeepsie Galleria, US 9; first store became Steinbach; later DSW and Dicks; now Best Buy and Target. Second store previously G. Fox; now Macys

Queens (Fresh Meadows) - Filenes Basement; TBD

Rotterdam - Rotterdam Square Mall (now Viaport), NY 337; previously Hess's; later Macys; now NYS Taxation call center

Syracuse - Carousel Center (now Destiny USA); Filenes Basement; now Finish Line?

Walkill - Galleria at Crystal Run; now Macys

West Nyack - Palisades Center, NY 303 & 59; now Macys