I posted this image of the Bel-Air Plaza - last year. But reader Galen Miller looking for something else - ran into some information on the popular shopping destination. He writes:
I went back in your blog and found the post on the Bel-Air Plaza. That photo must have been taken right around the time of the article I found. The date was February 25, 1959. The article said 5 stores would open the next day, and a formal grand opening would be in the spring.
The five stores were: Fisher Bros. (they were from New Castle--later they were called Fisher's Big Wheel), W.T. Grant Company, The Jenny Shop, Kinney Shoes, and Bel-Air Cleaners.
The article concludes with "In addition to the Acme Market already in business at the shopping center, five other business firms are planning to open in the near future."
Interesting how the shopping districts moved up Bedford Street/Scalp Avenue through the 1960's. First some were in the Geistown Shopping Center, then came Bel-Air, then those around where Team Kia is now (and the opposite side of the street) then on to University Park/Gee Bee, and finally to East Hills Plaza--Grant's/Hill's/Phar-Mor/Ollie's.
9 comments:
I use to live behind it, at 877 Tener St. There was a little store in it that had the best chipped ham and gobs. What wonderful memories.
Jake Trexel
Later in the 60's at Bel-Air Plaza, there was a Montgomery Ward Store, and at the upper end
Mason's constructed their own store. Don't forget the Midway store across from the firehall and then on the corner of Luther Rd. was Leon's Dairy Store! Great ice cream and candy/baseball card
bubblegum.
RHS#1!
I remember a department store in the Mason's location called Scott's. I beleive that they were the builder of that building. Was the dairy store that someone called Leon's Dairy store once called Weller's?
Also, I can remember a car wash beside it called Violet Spray Car Wash.
i played in a band called the El Vistas and we played at Plaza Lounge in the early 1960s. We were friends with Bob Stevens and The Continentals and they played Plaza Lounge on a regular basis.
I celebrated my 21st birthday there even though I had been drinking there for 3 years!!!!!
What a great time to be young!!!!!
Paul Walker.
When I was a little boy, my family lived in Richland. I remember going to a clothing store in this plaza. They sold uniforms for students who attended Saint Benedict’s elementary school. I remember that place, and the clothes, but I can’t remember the name of the store. Does anyone know what the name of that store was? It must have been a local place, at least as I remember it now... long time ago.
I don't know if anyone is going to read this, but the El Vistas, the rock and roll group I played for in the early 1960s, consisted myself, Paul Olbum, the son of the owner of Olbum's furniture store, Murray Eisenberg and Jim Fornwald. We played at Plaza Lounge, Belmont Gsrdens, Eudy's Cocktail Lounge and other venues. Life could not possibly have been better!!!
I have done a lot a great things in my life, but playing in that band in 1962, 63, 64 and 65 was, as they say, priceless!!!
Paul Walker
I just had an "argument" with my mother. I told her we used to eat at a place called the Bradford House. She says Im crazy, never heard of it. I swear it's true. And I believe it was in the Grant's store. Anyone want to confirm this? Only thing I remember was the had little pilgrim hand puppets, I was very little so maybe I'm thinking of something else
Yep. It was in the department store called ? Their “mascots” were Becky and Bucky Bradford. (Why I remember this, I do not know). It was the department store that would not take credit cards - their marketing spiel ( but changed later on to do so). Where Ollies is today.
Fisher’s
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