Memorial City Mall History

[Purpledevil]

Yes, most definitely Memorial City Mall. No wonder SpaceGhost had to ask, it barely resembles itself anymore. That old, old Sears sign gave it away to me. Wish they'd have gone around the front to see the dooky brown Montgomery Wards store and the Whataburger we used to go to before hitting the movies.

Thanks for posting this Ghost, it really takes you back about 30 years.

[IronTiger]

I'm thinking Memorial City too. For further reference: they're driving on one of the divided four lane roads (looks like Gessner) and upon actually reaching Sears, look what we have here:

Does this look familiar?

I'm sure that the Garden Center was converted into additional retail later, which is what we're seeing.

[IronTiger]

Also, since the Edit time is elapsed...Sears did dry cleaning?

[Montrose1100]

Memorial City. Pausing it on 6:15 gives it away, as it shows the blue glass office buildings that are still there south of the mall today.

[serrana]

Everyone else has already identified the mall, so I'll just add that the car is an '82 or '83 Honda Civic. My family still has one of those!

[brhaltx]

I say Memorial City too.  Even before I read the other messages.

[sevfiv]

Wow very cool - I love mini time travels like that!

 

And yeah, at the beginning (about :17) you can see them passing by Atchafalaya River Cafe which back then was at 8816 Westheimer (currently Landry's, originally Night Hawk) and then at 4:02 they go through Barryknoll St. on the south side of the mall - so it looks like the route was Westheimer to Gessner straight north to the mall.

 

Oh, and it was posted on the 25th anniversary of the video! (July 20, 1989/2014)

 

 

[Jessica1985]

My parents moved to Houston when I was as in the 4th grade. Memorial City mall was the place to go on Saturdays from 1979-1981 in Junior High. HISTORY LESSON FOR THE YOUNGER FOLKS; stores were closed on Sundays until 1985. M/C mall was safe, and a totally < COOL > place to be seen shopping at any store in the mall or hanging out in the food court socializing. First, we had chain stores at M/C mall that no-one else had in Texas other than the Galleria. These stores were from NY and California. I read a few people stated the mall was out dated, I disagree!!! It may have been outdated to the 20 and 30 year olds of today, but it had well made, quality clothing that is the thing of the past. Everything from then is gone; silk dresses, virgin wool lined pants,100% an g o r a sweaters. POLO SHIRTS you could wash 200 times that would never fade. I wish I would have kept my clothes from back in the day.

FROST BROTHERS, I loved that store, was in the mall next to F o l e y s. I'm writting on a tablet, which did not exist when this thread was started.

[nerevar59]

I remember "Let's Play Games", the day Pong showed up. "Dales Celebrity Cafe", "York Steakhouse". I worked at Foley's in 1979-80, and Montgomery Ward, 1982-84. The old Theater was one big screen with balcony seats, and a dollar bought you a popcorn, soda and candy!

I remember "Let's Play Games", the day Pong showed up. "Dales Celebrity Cafe", "York Steakhouse". I worked at Foley's in 1979-80, and Montgomery Ward, 1982-84. The old Theater was one big screen with balcony seats, and a dollar bought you a popcorn, soda and candy!

[Subdude]

This was probably early 1990s, but America Online had a sales kiosk at Memorial City, left of the main entrance towards Foley's.  A friend of mine was a very early subscriber, but at that point it was so basic I was definitely underwhelmed.  

[rallycat]

Shame they missed capturing the little locksmith building in the Sears parking lot. Was looking for the old Allied Bank building too. Why do I think that arcade had doors inside and outside of the mall?

[TheBezOne]

This just makes me miss the Picadilly    and the smelly fountains they used to have there.

[NenaE]

This just makes me miss the Picadilly    and the smelly fountains they used to have there.

 

Do you mean the actual mall fountains? Can you describe them? What materials were they made of, the colors, and what were the dates of construction? (Sixties, seventies?)... Also, where were they placed? 

 

[Mayorb]

I was looking for old photos also. The place has really evolved over the years, as has the hospital across the street. When I first went in about '73 Sears and Ward's were at the south and north end . There was a fountain in between, by Walgreen's, which had a small restaurant at the time. So did Sears.

 

Just across from Walgreen's was Weingarten's, a grocery store. There was also THE GAP which sold nothing but Levi's brand clothing at the time. Parker Music, Spencer's, 5-7-9, County Seat (for wrangler's), Lee Ward (think Hobby Lobby), Firestone (I think) which had service bays that opened to the west parking lot, Hickory Farms, Oshman's, Pipe Pub, Wicks and Sticks, Pipe Organ Pizza, Military Recruitment Office, The bible store, Craig's,  Battlestein's, Orange Julius, Celebrity Cafe, Waldenbooks, Piccadilly cafeteria, York steakhouse, Kinney shoes, the model shop, the record shop, and of course that wonderful LARGE screen movie theater with the balcony. In today's theaters I feel like I'm just watching a big screen TV.

 

The first Pong game I saw was in Sears near their package pick-up. There were two people playing and about 15 people watching. Later, Celebrity Cafe evolved into a game room, and Quiptar's moved in about 200 feet east of them. Green's was a game room that was built on the real estate previously occupied by Sears restaurant.

 

[Mayorb]

Just a quick memory of the original theater...

At some point they turned the movie theater into a two screen venue. They did this by simply building a wall straight down the middle of the theater. They didn't change the orientation of the seats though. They were placed in a pronounced arc, probably due to the size of the original screen. This resulted in all the seats being aimed at the center of the old screen. But the new setup had people facing the far right of the left screen, and the far left of the right screen. You literally had to turn your head to watch the movie!

[nerevar59]

Does anyone remember Brooke Street Pub that was in Memorial City Mall? Many fond memories. Our after work group from Montgomery Ward used to hang out there many a night. Lunch was usually at Dale's Celebrity café.

[nerevar59]

I remember the pinball arcade called "Let's Play Games". I used to go play pool, Pachinko and pinball. Then, one day, there was a huge line, and I asked a guy why. He said it was for something called a "video game", and it was called Pong! So, I was intrigued and spent a few bucks playing. Good times.

[Rustin]

I'm glad this thread is still somewhat alive. Does anyone have any photos of the mall before the 2003 remodel? Besides the one posted earlier from the 70s, I haven't been able to find a single one! I remember in the early 2000s there used to be a water fountain display in one of the mall's rotundas. Does anyone remember where it was located? I want to say it's where Starbucks is now.

[TwainMark]

I was actually looking for photos of the Ice Haus tornado in 1974 and got sidetracked by this thread.  I know there is an old thread on that, so I will go there to further inquire.

 

For now I thought I would kick in some memories of Memorial City.

 

Got to Houston in 1971 and we would spend a lot of time riding bikes on the trails on the east side of the mall, which I imagine is the horse riding area that was mentioned.   This was a pretty special place as it probably had the largest elevation changes in Houston that didn't involve a freeway overpass.   

 

On Sundays, when the mall would close, there would be car races in the parking lot.  Not kids and go-karts, but real racing with real cars.  I can't remember what they call this, but it seemed like it was some kind of car club or something.  They'd mark a course with orange traffic cones, run one car at a time.  Was pretty cool stuff for 13 yr old. .  

 

First time I saw Gone With the Wind was at that glorious movie theater, I'm guessing this was 1971.  Nothing like that movie on that big screen.

 

Somewhere in the area of the big theater was either a head shop or record store that sold concert tickets, and I recall getting there early and lining up for tickets to Jethro Tull; probably 1973, maybe 72.

 

Worked at Whataburger in the mall probably 1975.   Before that worked Jack in the Box on Kingsride.  Also worked off and on at the Ice Haus.

 

After I turned 16 I didn't spend much time there, other than to work at Whataburger.  One of my fond memories of that time was taking my grandmother, who lived in the apartments across... is that Barryknoll...,  to do a little shopping and then having lunch or dinner at what I guess was a precursor to Pappadeaux.  Can't recall the name, but it was a Pappas Bros. seafood restaurant on the east side of the mall.

 

 

 

 

[Tumbleweed_Tx]

Autocross!

 

 

 

On Sundays, when the mall would close, there would be car races in the parking lot.  Not kids and go-karts, but real racing with real cars.  I can't remember what they call this, but it seemed like it was some kind of car club or something.  They'd mark a course with orange traffic cones, run one car at a time.  Was pretty cool stuff for 13 yr old. .  

 

 

 

[Earlydays]

Autocross!

 

That's right. I used to run there in the early 70's.....even designed some of the courses. They were put on by the SCCA (Sports Car Club of America). It's still a big motorsports today (all around the country) and now put on by many different car clubs in addition to the SCCA.

[soifan]

Wow, I can't believe this thread is still going.  I haven't been on here in a long time.  I saw the Chronicle story about the Savoy being rehabbed and decided to come back here to catch up. Anyway, I was curious about pics too.  I found a few pics/ videos online and I thought I'd share the links.

 

http://www.thedepartmentstoremuseum.org/2010/05/foley-brothers-dry-goods-co-houston.html

 

 

A TV commercial for MCM from 1993

 

Another TV commercial.  This one from 1989 with Fame City highlighted. 

 

 

 

[Karistx]

finally found it!!

 

Bob's Old Fashioned Ice Cream kiosk

http://www.roadfood.com/Forums/Ice-Cream-Kiosk-in-Altamonte-Springs-Mall-Fla-m242492.aspx

 

 

[Wildcat51]

In the early 70's the mall had an H&H music. I bought a guitar and Fender amp there that are now worth multiples of the price I paid for them. The mall also had record and tape stores, and odd little shops like the House of Fabrics and Spencer Gifts, Piccadilliy Cafeteria and an Orange Julius stand. Back then the mall attracted a nice crowd too. They ruined it in the 80's and now the only store worth going to is the Apple Store. Other than that, I avoid it. 

[Subdude]

Visible Changes has been there as far back as I can remember, although it used to be in a different location, across the main concourse from the little shop that sold corn-dogs and lemonade. 

 

What was originally on the far west (Gessner) end of the mall (between Sears and Montgomery Wards)?

[KDubRedRaider]

Mervyn's.

[intencity77]

5 hours ago, KDubRedRaider said:

Mervyn's.

 

Actually before Mervyns it was a Lord & Taylor. 

[Dolphin]

Was the original one story Foley's structure demolished or integrated into the mall? I believe Dillard's is further east of where it was.

[Subdude]

7 hours ago, intencity77 said:

 

Actually before Mervyns it was a Lord & Taylor. 

Thank you both.  

 

I thought the original Foley's structure was demolished.

[Houston19514]

Yes the original Foley's store was demolished, as was the original Lord & Taylor/Mervyn's.  Lord & Taylor had two stints in the mall.  The first structure was filled by Mervyn's and then demolished.  The second one was filled by JC Penney when Penney relocated from Town & Country.'

 

At one time (circa 2000) it was announced that Neiman Marcus was moving from Town & Country to Memorial City and that Nordstrom was going to build what would have been its first Houston store at Memorial City.  I don't know what happened to those deals, but they obviously fell through.