Memorial City Mall History

[IronTiger]

The ice rink used to be a parking lot. Somebody forgot to mention Mars music went in when Monkey Ward's left. The whole MW side was razed to build the ice rink and Target.

Apparently not. According to aerial photos, only Wards was razed. Was it multiple stories?

[RhinoVP]

Apparently not. According to aerial photos, only Wards was razed. Was it multiple stories?

Yes, Wards was a two story building.

[qkslvr]

I worked at Memorial City Sears from 72-76, and worked weekends at the gameroom between Arbys and the recruiting office. It was called Let's Play Games. The gameroom had several pinball machines, pong, foosball, a juke box, etc. Kids were always breaking into the machines to steal quarters. We hooked an alarm up to one machine and caught our thief! Once the new food court was built, the gameroom moved there and added a brunswick pool table dealership.

[hellbilly]

Memorial City Mall also had Exilarama (spell?). It was located i think where the arcade is now. The food court was alot smaller then. It seemed like Exilarama went on forever inthe back. It had lazer tag, carnival rides, and games galore. I also remember way back by the entrence to where target is now, that there was some sort of poster store that sold all kinds of band merchendise. I remember buying some kind of black light poster and some t-shirts. This would have been around '96 or '97. I would drive to the mall when i had my own car. I also remember the wing with the Hot Topic now used to seem alot smaller and more narrow. I also remember the '80s neon that was everywhere in the mall including the designs that hung from the ceiling.

[NenaE]

Even earlier before the bazaar it was Sage. Sage was like Target or Walmart. There was an ice skating rink where the T&C post office is now. That was in the early 70's. T&C was the upscale area with individual stores. At one time Sakowitz had a freestanding store and then there was Neiman Marcus and the mall was added to Neimans. The mall went down when MC renovated. I am so happy to see T&C coming back strong. This area of town needs more unique shopping, dining and entertainment not another boring cookie cutter mall like MC.

That Neiman Marcus at Town & Country Mall is supposedly haunted. It was the only building not razed for new construction.

link: http://www.lonestarspirits.org/haunthouston.html

[templehouston]

Foley's opened in 1973. I remember when Ward's opened up, probably in the late 60s. I got my first credit card from there in 1972 when I bought my first color TV.

We moved out to that area in 1966 and I believe the mall was new then. I didn't know that Sears had opened in 1962.

The store across the street from Town & Country was Sage. It was similar to Globe.

We moved to Memorial Forest (the subdivision along Plantation Road south of the mall) in December 1961. At the time, the only access from Plantation Road to the Katy Freeway was by way of Taylorcrest to Benignus Road. The site of Memorial City Mall was a turkey shoot (a shooting range). There was a tall earthwork (to stop bullets I assume) in the middle of what is now the mall. I understand there was also a small pond near the mound where people would go skinny dipping (or so I heard while riding the school bus to Spring Branch Junior High). Anyway, the Sears could not have opened in 1962. I think it opened in 1964. I remember attending the opening of the Memorial Theater. They had a bagpipe player and some Hollywood starlet made an appearance. The movie was "Nevada Smith." Oh, yeah, I saw "La Dolce Vita" there in 1967, give or take a year.

[sheeats]

That Neiman Marcus at Town & Country Mall is supposedly haunted. It was the only building not razed for new construction.

link: http://www.lonestarspirits.org/haunthouston.html

Except that it was razed for new construction. Only a few parking garages remain from the old T&C Mall, which have been incorporated into the new City Centre, which is the thread where this particular discussion really belongs.

[NenaE]

Except that it was razed for new construction. Only a few parking garages remain from the old T&C Mall, which have been incorporated into the new City Centre, which is the thread where this particular discussion really belongs.

Wow, when did that happen? I know it was there after the other bldgs. went bye-bye in the beginning. Maybe I'n thinking of the other clothing store, it sat to the north. It had signs saying "we are still open". That hotel on the northwest corner is in a very hard-to-get-to spot, but it's still there. Thought it would go a long time ago. That whole area is changing so fast - bldg. construction-wise. Memorial Bend makes me sad now, saw a McMansion. Freeway construction/interchange has been going on for years. Faultline runs through it. As for Memorial City, I won't be going near it after the last fiasco, until construction is done. Can someone please let me know the year of completion.

[Trae]

Speaking of Neimans, it's weird that Houston only has one Neimans and one Nordstrom. For comparison on Neimans, DFW has four I believe, and it has five Nordstroms. I think a Nordstrom would have worked best at Memorial City instead of JCPenney. I wish Neimans had stayed at CityCentre.

[musicman]

neiman marcus started in dallas

[Trae]

I know.

[Disastro]

Wasn't EJ's the place that had the HO train models set up in the windows and inside the store? I think that's where my model railroading hobby started as a kid.

Yep! That's the place!

Oh and I bought plent a sci-fi model kit at that shop...good times circa 1974-76...

Picadilly Cafeteria and Emilianos used to be good places to eat there at the MCM as well!

Whoa, I forgot about EJ's! My dad bought me an AMT Klingon D-7 Battle Cruiser kit there when I was young. That was a great store.

I got several sci-fi kits there. The Seaview from "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea" and many others...bought some Trek kits there as well...

I think that place really got me into models.

[IronTiger]

Speaking of Neimans, it's weird that Houston only has one Neimans and one Nordstrom. For comparison on Neimans, DFW has four I believe, and it has five Nordstroms. I think a Nordstrom would have worked best at Memorial City instead of JCPenney. I wish Neimans had stayed at CityCentre.

Isn't it also embarrassing that Texas has no more Lord & Taylors, very few Mervyn's, AND no Bloomingdale's?

[sheeats]

Isn't it also embarrassing that Texas has no more Lord & Taylors, very few Mervyn's, AND no Bloomingdale's?

I don't miss Mervyn's at all. Their clothing always seemed rather low quality. But I never really cared one way or another about them until they rebranded themselves as "Mervyn's California." That was a ridiculous move, IMO, especially in Texas. I actually started to actively dislike them that day.

[crunchtastic]

DFW has four I believe, and it has five Nordstroms. I think a Nordstrom would have worked best at Memorial City instead of JCPenney. I wish Neimans had stayed at CityCentre.

Santa, I want a Nordstrom in Downtown Houston. With doormen. Please? Not 'Lids'. Not a pretentious martini bar with a couple of bowling lanes. Nor a tapas bar. Just a Nordstrom. Please, Santa?

Thanks,

crunch

[Trae]

Santa, I want a Nordstrom in Downtown Houston. With doormen. Please? Not 'Lids'. Not a pretentious martini bar with a couple of bowling lanes. Nor a tapas bar. Just a Nordstrom. Please, Santa?

Thanks,

crunch

k.

[memebag]

Isn't it also embarrassing that Texas has no more Lord & Taylors, very few Mervyn's, AND no Bloomingdale's?

I can honestly say I've never been embarrassed by the absence of those stores.

[sttombiz]

Memorial City Mall also had Exilarama (spell?). It was located i think where the arcade is now. The food court was alot smaller then. It seemed like Exilarama went on forever inthe back. It had lazer tag, carnival rides, and games galore. I also remember way back by the entrence to where target is now, that there was some sort of poster store that sold all kinds of band merchendise. I remember buying some kind of black light poster and some t-shirts. This would have been around '96 or '97. I would drive to the mall when i had my own car. I also remember the wing with the Hot Topic now used to seem alot smaller and more narrow. I also remember the '80s neon that was everywhere in the mall including the designs that hung from the ceiling.

I believe the store that sold posters was Rock n Roll Plus. Amazing store.

I remember when Media Play and Mars. At either of those you could try out any guitar you wanted. Sweet.

[sheeats]

I remember when Media Play and Mars. At either of those you could try out any guitar you wanted. Sweet.

I remember Mars, but I'd forgotten about Media Play! That place was awesome -- books, CDs, tapes (!!!), laserdiscs (!!!!!), sheet music and musical instruments all under one roof. It was like a Barnes & Noble mixed with H&H Music.

I also remember that there was a Walgreen's (or some other pharmacy) attached to the mall that my mom would always duck into to grab little things. I remember it being very dark and closed in, with very low ceilings.

[Disastro]

I can honestly say I've never been embarrassed by the absence of those stores.

Nor I. I am more embarrassed Houston doesn't have an amusement park anymore...

[MadMax]

My grandfather was a movie projector operator (back then, a union job) when I was growing up. That was the ollllldd theater (the 1st of 3 that have been in there) that was located toward the center of the mall. I remember seeing Mary Poppins in that theater, specifically, on a rainy afternoon. He and my grandmother lived in the apartments directly across the street. I remember going there and eating at York Steak House. This would have been in the late 70's. I remember the ad jingle...."Memorial City....it's the place to be!"

Oddly enough...and I still don't recall how...I ended up writing advertising copy for the mall directed at high school kids when I was in high school. Later I worked at the batting cages and worked in cash control for the mall, generally....all as summer jobs while home from college. As I walk through that mall I can tell you what was at almost each location going back 3 decades. I think way too much of my life has happened in that mall, for better or worse!

I really like the improvements they've made...and the face of the area has changed so much in general as this side of town has repopulated itself, and then some. That mall's ups and downs have nearly mirrored this side of town.

Made another great memory with my wife and oldest son when we went to see Dark Knight there at the Cinemark this weekend!

[Trae]

Made another great memory with my wife and oldest son when we went to see Dark Knight there at the Cinemark this weekend!

I heard it was sold out all day at Cinemark Memorial City for that movie (talking about Friday).

[MadMax]

I heard it was sold out all day at Cinemark Memorial City for that movie (talking about Friday).

It was ultimately. I picked up tickets in the afternoon for an evening show.

[Texas Wahoo]

I don't miss Mervyn's at all. Their clothing always seemed rather low quality. But I never really cared one way or another about them until they rebranded themselves as "Mervyn's California." That was a ridiculous move, IMO, especially in Texas. I actually started to actively dislike them that day.

They used to be okay. When I was a kid I bought most of my clothes there. They seemed to be going downhill before the rebranding, but I agree, what a strange move in other states.

[IronTiger]

I can honestly say I've never been embarrassed by the absence of those stores.

Well, I'm talking about a strictly economic standpoint. As for Mervyn's, they're going to file for Chapter 11 soon.

[memebag]

Well, I'm talking about a strictly economic standpoint. As for Mervyn's, they're going to file for Chapter 11 soon.

I've never been economically embarassed that Texas has no Lord & Taylor's or Bloomingdales. Why would I be?

[Trae]

Texas still has plenty of Mervyns though. They are all in the Panhandle and West Texas.

[sabasushi]

Isn't it also embarrassing that Texas has no more Lord & Taylors, very few Mervyn's, AND no Bloomingdale's?

Blame it on that "Wal-Mart" of department stores -- Macy's. Its parent corporation bought out Lord and Taylor circa 2003 (and MANY other department stores all over the country, including Foley's) and closed many Lord and Taylor stores in order to remove competition for Macy's stores. (A sidenote: it turns out that one company bought Lord and Taylor chain from the parent comapny in 2006, and kept or opened many stores in the northeastern US. It'd be nice if one opens up again somewhere in Houston -- it's really annoying that the only department stores these days, not counting upscale ones like Neiman Marcus, are Macy's, Dillard's, JC Penney and Sears.)

Texas still has plenty of Mervyns though. They are all in the Panhandle and West Texas.

I used to think that all the Meryn's were gone -- until I saw one in Phoenix, AZ a month ago. That really surprised me. I also found many chains there that I thought were gone, like Marie Callendar's

[LionelFan]

But now there ARE trains back at MCM. The Houston Tinplate Operaters Soc. have several operating layouts at MCM. We are near Target, behind Radio Shack. We run 3 rail O guage trains. Lionel and the like. Mainly Postwar, and modern. Have one layout llike the one you would see at downtown Foley's at Christmas. Others are for morse scale equipemt. Also have wooden Brio and Thomas type trains.

Timetable:

Tuesdays: 7:30-9:00 PM

Saturdays: 1:00-5:00 PM

Membership is NOT needed to come!

Also, you can bring your Lionels and Marx trains to run. Or see if they CAN run.

Also Sears: Somebody told me they actually had a hitching post because in the early days, people would ride horses there to go shopping!

The Galleria has Sacks (sp?) 5th Ave!

[LionelFan]

Other history: At one time, there were two different companies which owned T&C and MCM. Then Metero National owned both (Not the transit authority). Then all the stores seemed to jump to MCM after the rebuild. MN then sold T&C. T&C flatlined.