Mayfair Shopping Center - Surprising History

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Do you remember the Country Boys Market with its wooden floors? Walter Smiths was the place to go for clothes on the Fulton Mall. Penny Candy had great blacklight posters and don't forget Whitie's Pet Store on Blackstone. What vintage retail do you remember growing up in Fresno?
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BernardII
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Re: Mayfair Shopping Center - Surprising History

Post by BernardII » Fri Dec 30, 2011 4:46 am

I've been finding the history of Mayfair Mall incredibly fascinating. Nowadays it's just essentially like any other mall in America, but in the 1970s, it was really something else. I found Mayfair Mall on Mall Hall of Fame.

I read the comments and read nearly every article I could find. I saw a rendering of the greenhouse, a few fuzzy images of the ice rink, and a fuzzy picture of the Bazaar, which was a two-level "mall-within-a-mall". Apparently, the basement section of the Bazaar still exists and is intact (albeit abandoned). How was the Bazaar arranged, and do I have the McDonald's in the right place? Also, it would be greatly appreciated if you had photos or even a mall directory from this era (1973-1986). Thanks.

mkw
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Re: Mayfair Shopping Center - Surprising History

Post by mkw » Thu Feb 16, 2012 11:39 am

"Get more, get more , get more for your money at Maaaaayfair Market " Remember that TV jingle from the 60s?

Lost Fresno
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Re: Mayfair Shopping Center - Surprising History

Post by Lost Fresno » Wed May 08, 2013 3:00 pm

Came across this matchbook depicting the landmark building of the old shopping center.
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mcdonell8

Re: Mayfair Shopping Center - Surprising History

Post by mcdonell8 » Thu Jul 11, 2013 7:33 pm

I remember Mayfair shopping center. I went K thru 6th grade at Mayfair Elementary. Started in Mrs. Macy's class in 1956. Rode my bike to school that year and lived a mile east on Arden Dr. Mayfair shopping center had a grocery store in the center before the save mart or whatever it was called was built. The variety store was on the northeast corner. I also remember the hobby shop with the slot car tracks. Anyone else remember Norm's hamburgers over there? I remember crossing the wood bridge everyday to get to school. Those were the good ol days. I just did not know it at the time. I wish the photo covered more terrain. Very interesting photo.

sjvalleydave
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Re: Mayfair Shopping Center - Surprising History

Post by sjvalleydave » Wed Jul 31, 2013 3:58 pm

When I lived on Mayfair Drive East, my next door neighbor worked at Norms when it was in the Mayfair Shopping center before moving out to Shaw/Blackstone. My grandmother worked at Rudy's Variety store in the Mayfair center also.

MikeS1957
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Re: Mayfair Shopping Center - Surprising History

Post by MikeS1957 » Sat Mar 01, 2014 12:30 am

Potter's drugs and my Dentist were there. 1 I liked but not the other.

Lost Fresno
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Re: Mayfair Shopping Center - Surprising History

Post by Lost Fresno » Tue Mar 24, 2015 12:54 pm

Hey Fresno Fans, check out the original home development map!
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mayfair map with admin building.jpg

Big J
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Re: Mayfair Shopping Center - Surprising History

Post by Big J » Wed Apr 01, 2015 3:30 pm

Wow...where on earth did you find that?

Elizabird

Re: Mayfair Shopping Center - Surprising History

Post by Elizabird » Sat Nov 12, 2016 5:55 pm

We lived on Brentwood in the Mayfair district, neighbors were the Oliver family whose kids were the same ages as ours. They all went to Mayfair Elementary across the bridge. We had a huge rainstorm and the intersection near us flooded and dad Oliver took his rowboat out and gave the kids a ride. We all loved those hotdogs at Potters. Mrs. Oliver's brother Al Hernandez later became the principal at Mayfair Elementary, and her abuela made tamales for the neighborhood at Christmas time. Another neighbor scrounged olives from the groves and cured his own. We used to eat huge bowls of them and play gin rummy around their kitchen table. It was a sweet kind neighborly world in the 1960's!

TJ EWING

Re: Mayfair Shopping Center - Surprising History

Post by TJ EWING » Wed May 30, 2018 1:01 pm

We lived at 156 Diamond which was across from the Mayfair center between Tulare and divisadero about two blocks east of Fresno street and community hospital. Our neighbor Pat Cicchetti was the owner. I went there as a little boy to put my hands in the ice water tabs that held the water melons. Dozens of little shops were in the complex along with Mayfair market, Iran’s Restaurant, Pete Beckmanns barbecue and many many little shops. What was the history behind pat.
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