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Almeda Mall History


Randyt7801

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Am I the only one that remembers the blue awnings on the Foleys arches, and the aztez calendar logo on the mall doors and canvas coverings?

I remember, the Foley's arches had turquoise coverings. The picadilly cafeteria was gold and pink.

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Am I the only one that remembers the blue awnings on the Foleys arches, and the aztez calendar logo on the mall doors and canvas coverings?

The awnings were metal and removed years ago when they became unsafe. The bolts and brackets had rusted beyond repair and they were barely holding on. They were also removed from the Foley's at Norwest Mall.

I remember the door handles but I do not know why they were removed. The bronze door handles at the Macy's at El Con Mall in Tucson have a beautiful Aztec design with the Levy's logo; what I find funny is that hardly anyone even knows that Levy's ever existed. Since the 80's, the same store has remained open but went from Levy's to Sanger-Harris to Foley's to Macy's.. Gone are the days of personalized door handles..lol

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My memories of Almeda Mall are vague, but I do remember the awnings - wish I had a photo. I also remember:

At the Foley's, a small pirate ship or something similar in the kids' shoe department on which kids could climb. A separate room for girl-scout and boy-scout uniforms and equipment. An area close by that sold Hello-Kitty-type merchandise - little diaries and notepads and the like. In the girls' clothes area, I think there was a small raised pavilion or something. And I remember really well many trips to the store restaurant - up on the second floor, I think - that would give kids two or three crayolas and a page from a coloring book. The old Foley's shopping bags.

In the mall at large, the Farrell's that has been mentioned elsewhere, and lots of details about it and the candy shop at the entrance. The pet store, which I think was across from the Farrell's. The record store, though I forget what it was called in the 1970's/early 80's. The Spencer's, with the black-light-lit posters section at the back, and its 18+ section. The center fountain meeting point. The book store, which always had different color pens with big feathers attached to them. The movie theater, I think, too.

I'm sure I'm forgetting others - my early mall memories are from Almeda, the Galleria, Gulfgate, and Baybrook, and a lot of them mix together.

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Am I the only one that remembers the blue awnings on the Foleys arches, and the aztez calendar logo on the mall doors and canvas coverings?

I remember them also.

Northwest Mall and Almeda Mall were built by the same builders ( I believe) and had basicly the same stores in them when they first opened up. Both were built around the same time. The last time I walked around all of NW Mall the 2 fountains ( the center one and a smaller one in front of where J. C. Penny's was, were covered up.

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The movie theater at Almeda Mall was a free standing building if I remember right.

The movie theater at Baybrook Mall was inside the mall itself.

It is still there in the back behind former Penney's. Had been converted into several dance clubs over the last decades. It is talked about quite a bit in Movie Theaters of the past section on Haif.

Coincidence you mentioned, while hearing "Staying Alive" on the radio this morn it always reminds me of a goofy double date (high school) where we were forced to see Saturday Night Fever :wacko: at that very theater. Saw some of the best movies of the mid 70's there. It was very safe and family-oriented then.

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At the Foley's, a small pirate ship or something similar in the kids' shoe department on which kids could climb. A separate room for girl-scout and boy-scout uniforms and equipment. An area close by that sold Hello-Kitty-type merchandise - little diaries and notepads and the like. In the girls' clothes area, I think there was a small raised pavilion or something. And I remember really well many trips to the store restaurant - up on the second floor, I think - that would give kids two or three crayolas and a page from a coloring book. The old Foley's shopping bags.

The restaurant was called "The Terrace", and it had two rooms. One was a lunch counter, the other a dining room with a high ceiling. In the middle of the ceiling there was a large wooden board, hinged at the top, that swung back and forth to fan the room.

My favorite store at Almeda was Samperi's (not sure of the spelling) imported food store. They had meats, cheeses, beer, wine, chocolate, tea, cookies, etc., from all over the world. They made pizzas and sandwiches from the deli case that were some of the best mall food I've ever had. Oh, and they had Dr. Brown's sodas long before you could find them at grocery stores.

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My memories of Almeda Mall are vague, but I do remember the awnings - wish I had a photo. I also remember:

At the Foley's, a small pirate ship or something similar in the kids' shoe department on which kids could climb. A separate room for girl-scout and boy-scout uniforms and equipment. An area close by that sold Hello-Kitty-type merchandise - little diaries and notepads and the like. In the girls' clothes area, I think there was a small raised pavilion or something. And I remember really well many trips to the store restaurant - up on the second floor, I think - that would give kids two or three crayolas and a page from a coloring book. The old Foley's shopping bags.

That ship was a great idea, there was a train kids could climb on in the kids shoe dept. at Foley's - Pasadena (before the mall there was only the Foleys bldg.). Many yrs. ago I bought a life-size fiberglass carrousel horse from Foleys Warehouse. They were cleaning out their display warehs., had a big sale. I remember seeing one of the horses in the Foleys store-Almeda (there were about 4 of them at the sale). It had 4 or 5 layers of different colored paint on it. The logo on the sacks looked like a 4-leaf clover.

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There were 2 diffrent theatres at Almeda each in the same parking lot but on diffrent sides. One night I was there with some friends and we were waiting in line to see a movie. Soem kids came up in a fancy custom car did a few donuts and burn outs then shot across the parking lot towards the other. About half way across the car suddenly gave a lurch and there was a gring noise. Evidently they did not know or forgot about the big curb dividing the parking lot down the middle. Luckily no was hurt but I think they ended up ripping their under carriage out as well as a few other things. When we got out of our movie two hours later they were still out there with a tow truck and a few police.

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There were 2 diffrent theatres at Almeda each in the same parking lot but on diffrent sides. One night I was there with some friends and we were waiting in line to see a movie. Soem kids came up in a fancy custom car did a few donuts and burn outs then shot across the parking lot towards the other. About half way across the car suddenly gave a lurch and there was a gring noise. Evidently they did not know or forgot about the big curb dividing the parking lot down the middle. Luckily no was hurt but I think they ended up ripping their under carriage out as well as a few other things. When we got out of our movie two hours later they were still out there with a tow truck and a few police.

Thats right! Almost forgot about the one in front of Penney's. One of the last films we saw there was TRON so that dates it to what 1982? By that time the staff just slouched around & the floors were gross. Cable TV, MTV, VHS and Beta were just beginning to take over so these small theaters were pretty much doomed. and here we are today.

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Am I the only one that remembers the blue awnings on the Foleys arches, and the aztez calendar logo on the mall doors and canvas coverings?

I remember. They lasted until Hurricane Alicia is I remember correctly.

I also remember Samperi's. We'd buy pizza crust there to make our own.

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In the mall at large, the Farrell's that has been mentioned elsewhere, and lots of details about it and the candy shop at the entrance. The pet store, which I think was across from the Farrell's. The record store, though I forget what it was called in the 1970's/early 80's. The Spencer's, with the black-light-lit posters section at the back, and its 18+ section. The center fountain meeting point. The book store, which always had different color pens with big feathers attached to them. The movie theater, I think, too.

I'm sure I'm forgetting others - my early mall memories are from Almeda, the Galleria, Gulfgate, and Baybrook, and a lot of them mix together.

They had the 2 fountains the one near JC Pennies that you could step down into, and the center one that had a pineapple top to it.

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Am I the only one that remembers the blue awnings on the Foleys arches, and the aztez calendar logo on the mall doors and canvas coverings?

Are you kidding me? Growing up in Baytown in the 1960s and 70s, Almeda Mall (pronounced ALA-meda by my dad) was the only malll in the area. It was a treat to get to go there. My brothers and I thought those blue awnings looked like giant blue eye lids.

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Ah, memories. As a Child of the Sprawls (or at least, the ticky tacky tract homes built on 518 in the early/mid 60s, a trip to Almeda was a trip to civilization. We played on the pirate ship at Foleys, I got my girl scout uniforms there, and ate at the Picadilly. The first scary movie I saw was Jaws at the almeda twin. If we were really good and didn't act up during back-to-school clothes shopping, we got to eat at the Burger King behind the mall.

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I remember. They lasted until Hurricane Alicia is I remember correctly.

i was wondering what storm it was. i seem to remember one falling down during a storm and then they realized the others were safety issues so they removed em all.

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Those big blue awnings (I never thought of them as awnings) always looked like elephant toe nails to me. I saw my first scary movie there, too, but it was "Alien". I also got in trouble with mall security there and at Baybrook. Baybrook had a much better mall jail than Almeda.

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Those big blue awnings (I never thought of them as awnings) always looked like elephant toe nails to me. I saw my first scary movie there, too, but it was "Alien". I also got in trouble with mall security there and at Baybrook. Baybrook had a much better mall jail than Almeda.

looks like your time in the slammer really made you a changed person. :mellow:

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There isn't a mall jail on the Gulf Coast that can hold memebag.

OK, I just laughed out loud.

I will never again be able to listen to Bon Jovi's 'Wanted Dead or Alive' without thinking of meme in mall jail.

Actually my goal is to get through life never having to hear that song again, period, but if I do..........

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If we were really good and didn't act up during back-to-school clothes shopping, we got to eat at the Burger King behind the mall.

I remember that eating at that Burger King was quite a treat as a kid. That was before the Dairy Queen closed and C&D Burger Shoppe opened. After that, there was no reason to eat at the Burger King.

All I really remember of Almeda Mall is getting photos with Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny. We spent a lot more time shopping at the Sears Surplus down the street than at Almeda Mall. I hated the Sears Surplus...not much for a kid to enjoy there.

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Does anyone remember Officer Garnett? He was an HPD Sgt. who used to make appearences on Kitterick's Carosel TV show to talk to kids about safety and trusting the cops. My brother and I saw him in Almeda Mall one day while walking back from one of those restrooms that was located down a long, winding corridor. He was dressed in full HPD regalia, wearing mirrored aviator shades and smoking a big cigar. We stared at him, stunned that we were actually seeing a famous television star. As he walked by us he said, "hi boys."

I can never even walk near that spot with out thinking of the late Officer Garnett.

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  • 3 weeks later...
The restaurant was called "The Terrace", and it had two rooms. One was a lunch counter, the other a dining room with a high ceiling. In the middle of the ceiling there was a large wooden board, hinged at the top, that swung back and forth to fan the room.

My favorite store at Almeda was Samperi's (not sure of the spelling) imported food store. They had meats, cheeses, beer, wine, chocolate, tea, cookies, etc., from all over the world. They made pizzas and sandwiches from the deli case that were some of the best mall food I've ever had. Oh, and they had Dr. Brown's sodas long before you could find them at grocery stores.

Thanks for the additional info - the restaurant name definitely sounds right, and I can maybe remember the lunch counter and the board fan - they certainly don't sound wrong. I'll have to see if my parents can remember them. Wish I remembered Samperi's - it sounds great. I remember a store having lots of those gift packs containing little meats and cheeses, and giving out a lot of free samples, but can't remember which mall it was in.

And now that y'all are talking about it, I do remember the awning coming off in Alicia.

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I remember a store having lots of those gift packs containing little meats and cheeses, and giving out a lot of free samples, but can't remember which mall it was in.

I'm beating my head trying to remember what those stores were. Swiss Colony?

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Thanks for the additional info - the restaurant name definitely sounds right, and I can maybe remember the lunch counter and the board fan - they certainly don't sound wrong. I'll have to see if my parents can remember them. Wish I remembered Samperi's - it sounds great. I remember a store having lots of those gift packs containing little meats and cheeses, and giving out a lot of free samples, but can't remember which mall it was in.

And now that y'all are talking about it, I do remember the awning coming off in Alicia.

Was it Hickory Farms, the label now which was once a whole retail store? There used to be lots of 'em in malls back in the day.

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Was it Hickory Farms, the label now which was once a whole retail store? There used to be lots of 'em in malls back in the day.

I don't remember a Hickory Farms being there prior to 1981. I can remember a Swiss Colony being at Baybrook during that time.

This thread has brought back some memories for me. I'd forgotten about Samperi's until reading about it here. Same with the Terrace restaurant and the pirate ship in the shoe department at Foley's. That building will always be a Foley's to me, no matter what name it carries or may carry in the future.

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