Manchester Center BEFORE it was a Mall

Post a reply


BBCode is ON
[img] is ON
[flash] is ON
[url] is ON
Smilies are OFF

Topic review
   

Expand view Topic review: Manchester Center BEFORE it was a Mall

Re: Manchester Center BEFORE it was a Mall

by JT503 » Sun Mar 03, 2024 7:53 pm

I remember visiting Manchester Mall with my parents and they were selling pre-fab bomb shelters in the parking lot. Right around the time of the cuban missile crisis.

Re: Manchester Center BEFORE it was a Mall

by Osandad » Thu Jul 20, 2023 8:37 pm

I remember the construction work back in the 80’s. Converted to an indoor mall to keep with the trend of malls. By then older tenants had moved on.

Re: Manchester Center BEFORE it was a Mall

by Guest » Fri Dec 04, 2020 1:07 pm

I lived on Michigan Ave. several houses west of Fresno St. as a pre-teen we used to play in the grape orchards north of Shields Ave. I cannot recall all of the houses north of Shields, or any for that matter, but I know we walked up N Fresno towards the drive thru theater that was up there and it was mostly orchards.

When I began Ft. Miller, in the 9th grade in '53, I remember when walking home stopping in a soda fountain on the south side of the shopping center for vanilla cokes. They were a new treat to me. I left for Germany in the winter of '53/'54 and returned to Fresno in June of '56.

Re: Manchester Center BEFORE it was a Mall

by Lost Fresno » Thu Oct 17, 2019 12:30 pm

This color photo of the old Manchester sign popped up on the internet (not mine).
Attachments
manchester center.jpg
Click to Enlarge

Re: Manchester Center BEFORE it was a Mall

by Brett G » Mon Jan 30, 2017 12:33 am

That seemed so big back then. I would go down to Sears to play "Pong". That was the only game around I could get too. That was the go to place for Santa of course at Sears too.

Brett

Re: Manchester Center BEFORE it was a Mall

by Myra » Wed Sep 21, 2016 7:35 am

What was Manchester Center before it was a shopping center? I hear the beautiful Manchester Mansion

Re: Manchester Center BEFORE it was a Mall

by Paul T. » Tue Aug 05, 2014 5:43 pm

I remember Manchester well. Mayfair Market was at the center of it in the beginning. It had a fountain that my mom and I drank chocolate sodas at. I remember getting lost in Rhodes (more than once) when I was very young. There was Party Tips next to Perry Brothers (I think). Once I found a box of silver gift ribbon in the parking lot. My family used that ribbon for years. There was a GREAT candy store there, very old fasioned etc. They held the Fresno World's Fair (who remembers those?) in the parking lot once.

I saw a lot of great movies at the Manchester Cinema (The Worlds Greatest Athelete anyone?). But that was at the NEW part of the mall, north of Sears. That addition also had a Safeway where, when I was in Jr. High (Go Pioneers) I used to get a donut every afternoon with money that I was suppose to use for lunch. I remember line for the God Father snaking all the way down the center's hall.

Re: Manchester Center BEFORE it was a Mall

by mnwoods » Tue Jul 01, 2014 4:22 pm

I remember going to Annie Laurie's after school (Ft. Miller) and buying their Carmel Corn. They also served candies. There were located near the radio station along the walk way. I also remember Rhodes department store. I thought they were the classiest place in the center. I would always buy my mom her Christmas gift there. I have fond memories of the policeman who would direct Christmas traffic with all of his fancy moves. Great memories!

Re: Manchester Center BEFORE it was a Mall

by MikeS1957 » Sat Mar 01, 2014 12:20 am

Yes Manchester was THE place to go, Sear's had everything you could want. A neighbor lady worked downstairs in the bookkeeping dept. Tools, guns, popcorn, appliances even clothes. Pep Boy's for auto parts and Okie Frijole for food.

Re: Manchester Center BEFORE it was a Mall

by Bev Larios » Thu Oct 31, 2013 4:37 pm

I did a commercial with Angelo when this was still a store front. Must have been in the early 60's? Then later after it became a Mall I worked on Dakota and always visited Sears for their wonderful popcorn. There was also a sandwich place close to the market that Candie and her mom ran. Delicious food.

Top