Palm Center Shopping Center On Griggs Rd. At MLK Blvd.

[musicman]

Anyone remember Palm Center, the FIRST mall in Houston? It was at South Park (now MLK) and Griggs. I remember there was a Penney's there as the main anchor. A grocery store was the other main anchor. This was built in the early 50's.

Across the street was Loma Linda Mexican Restaurant which was basically the only Mexican Restaurant in the area. Hard to believe but i didn't like Mexican food back then and i always ate the children's plate, which was turkey and french fries. I think they "sold" it to the current owners on Telephone.

[MidtownCoog]

Yep, sure do. Now THAT is a flashback.

But the buildings are still there, I think, and occupied.

That's an odd part of town.

[musicman]

Yep, sure do.  Now THAT is a flashback. 

But the buildings are still there, I think, and occupied. 

That's an odd part of town.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Just some of the buildings are standing. the JC Penney's was razed years ago. Perhaps the Montgomery ward across the street is standing? not sure though but know it is abandoned. The City/county has taken over what remains of the mall for satellite offices.

[MidtownCoog]

What was the giant odd building across the street.

It is still there, too.

[musicman]

Voila: http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Houston,+TX+...09805&t=h&hl=en

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

thanks for that. YES the old Montgomery Wards is standing but the JC Penney's has been razed.

Great google shot, even captured an airliner going into Hobby two blocks south of Palm Center.

[musicman]

What was the giant odd building across the street.

It is still there, too.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Across MLK was the old Montgomery Wards. That same corner also had a Kip's Big Boy

[gnu]

I never saw the original Palm Center (at least that I was old enough to remember ) but I have been intrigued by the pic in the 1972 architecture guide. Two story open air retail. looks similar to a 50's-60's motel - sort of.

Can anyone describe this part of Palm Center and what stores were in there?

[musicman]

I never saw the original Palm Center (at least that I was old enough to remember    ) but I have been intrigued by the pic in the 1972 architecture guide.  Two story open air retail.  looks similar to a 50's-60's motel - sort of.

Can anyone describe this part of Palm Center and what stores were in there?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I was 10 or 11 when the very first shopping center in Houston opened less

than a mile from our house. It was called Palm Center. It wasn

[gnu]

So are the current buildings used by the HCC, etc the same that were there but remodelled. I have had a hard seeing how the pic in the arch guide can become what is there now.

[RedScare]

thanks for that.  YES the old Montgomery Wards is standing but the JC Penney's has been razed.

Great google shot, even captured an airliner going into Hobby two blocks south of Palm Center.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Either that or it's parked in someone's back yard.

[Subdude]

This is that restaurant that was across the street at 5111 Griggs:

Gnu your description from the 1972 AIA guide is exactly right.

[musicman]

This is that restaurant that was across the street at 5111 Griggs:

Gnu your description from the 1972 AIA guide is exactly right.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

if i remember correctly much of this drive in was standing in the early 80's. but i think it had already closed at that time.

[gnu]

Gnu your description from the 1972 AIA guide is exactly right.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thanks, I still cannot picture how the existing buildings could have looked like that. From driving by on Griggs it just looks like a run of the mill converted strip center.

[Guest Plastic]

I always was told Northline and Gulfgae were the first malls.

[Heights2Bastrop]

I, too think Gulfgate was the first. Maybe there is a distinction between a shopping center and a mall? If they are the same, then I think Gulfgate was the first.

The last time I was by Palm Center was well over 20 years ago. It was all boarded up and resembled a war zone.

[houstonsemipro]

I thought the first mall in Houston was Northline Mall?

[Heights2Bastrop]

I am positive that Gulfgate was before Northline, maybe by some 5-10 years.

[stolitx]

I am positive that Gulfgate was before Northline, maybe by some 5-10 years.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Found this online -

"In 1956, Gulfgate Mall opened to great fanfare as the first enclosed mall in Texas."

First in Texas, not just Houston.

[gnu]

"In 1956, Gulfgate Mall opened to great fanfare as the first enclosed mall in Texas."

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Palm Center is/was not an enclosed mall.

I found this description in chron:

Palm Center , built in 1955, is the city's oldest suburban mall shopping center

While on the topic of first malls...

River Oaks Shopping Center (1937) is the oldest shopping center in Texas and the second oldest shopping center in the nation (Country Club Plaza (1922) in Kansas City, Missouri is the nation's oldest).

I have always heard that about River Oak Center

But 15 years before another center was built in the nation???

I have also heard that Highland Park Village (1931) in Dallas was the first shopping center in America .

Highland Park Village was the first development built on a single lot surrounded by parking areas with stores facing away from access streets. Uninterrupted by public streets, the Village hosts individual stores unified under one image, built and managed as a unit under single ownership.

So i guess the key is to define a category so you can be "first" in something!

[Watchful]

Anyone remember Palm Center, the FIRST mall in Houston?  It was at South Park (now MLK) and Griggs. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

If I recall correctly, the original name was the (hard to pronounce differently) PALMS CENTER. Later after it was snatched up for offices, community center, etc., the new signs read PALM CENTER.

[djrage]

If I recall correctly, the original name was the (hard to pronounce differently) PALMS CENTER.  Later after it was snatched up for offices, community center, etc., the new signs read PALM CENTER.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

There is an old neon sign on MLK south of 610 that says Palm Center on it. Was it for the "mall"? Always been curious to why it was placed so far from the shopping center.

[Watchful]

This historical account uses the name "Palms Center."

http://www.houstonhistory.com/decades/history5n.htm

[sevfiv]

today...

[Ashikaga]

if i remember correctly much of this drive in was standing in the early 80's.  but i think it had already closed at that time.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Probably the only curb service restaurants that are still around are Sonic Drive-Ins, which are a chain. There are several of them over here 100 miles east of Houston. Are there a lot of them over there?

[TJones]

thanks for that. YES the old Montgomery Wards is standing but the JC Penney's has been razed.

Great google shot, even captured an airliner going into Hobby two blocks south of Palm Center.

Good 'ol Southwest Airlines buzzin' the rooftops.

[Subdude]

today...

I love the googie font on the second sign.

[sevfiv]

I love the googie font on the second sign.

yeah! i am so disappointed by the cheapie crap that we know of now - uncreative polycarbonate backlit signboxes, and so forth

Edited July 22, 2006 by sevfiv

[gnu]

yesterday...

today:

Residents of an apartment complex jumped off their balconies and threw their children to safety to escape an apartment fire Thursday, KPRC Local 2 reported.

The blaze broke out at the Royal Palms Apartments in the 5600 block of Royal Palms Street near Griggs Road at about 1:30 a.m. Fire officials said the fire started in a unit on the ground floor. Officials said unattended candles may have started the fire. Flames blocked the stairway from the second floor. Residents tossed their children down to other residents, who caught them. Several residents jumped off the balconies to escape the fire. Officials said seven residents suffered minor injuries, including smoke inhalation. Four people were transported to the hospital.

[jtmbin]

Yep, sure do. Now THAT is a flashback.

But the buildings are still there, I think, and occupied.

That's an odd part of town.

The Houston Public Library's Young Branch has been located in the Palm Center for several years. It's smaller than most HPL libraries but it has free wi-fi (like every HPL facility) and you can check out a laptop for use in the building. Palm Center is alive and well.

http://www.hpl.lib.tx.us/branches/you_home.html

[musicman]

Palm Center is alive and well.

Palm Center is alive because most of the tenants are government entities. Harris County Annex, City of Houston, HCC, etc. I believe there is a small cafe that you can see from Griggs. But that's about it. No stores.

Edited July 28, 2006 by musicman