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Fashion Fair and Manchester Center retailers of the past

Posted: Wed Aug 18, 2010 9:38 am
by Big J
I'm always curious about Fashion Fair and Manchester and what stores were there back in the day. I grew up in the early 80's, so there's a lot of history before my time, but I remember frequenting Fashion Fair with my grandma prior to the Macy's expansion, shopping at Weinstock's, walking past the Wherehouse record store, spending tons of time in Woolworth, eating in their restaurant (what was it called?). I loved "The Great Hot Dog Experience" - was that a chain, and was that the right name?? We'd visit Toy World, long before it became Kay Bee. What else was in that mall that I'm forgetting, from the early 80's? I remember Carls Jr. in the mall too.

We'd go to Manchester a lot too. I remember Toyland, Baskin Robbins, Valley Sports, the pet store, Long's was always a mainstay. We'd shop for my school shoes at Buster Brown, my grandma loved Liberty House. Manchester was always great fun. To this day I take my daughter and we sit and eat goodies from the candy store by the fountain. When I was little it'd be ice cream, but the memories are the same, even now. What do you remember from the old days of these malls?

Re: Fashion Fair and Manchester Center retailers of the past

Posted: Thu Aug 19, 2010 5:03 am
by Sharlsie
I can remember when Manchester was more of a U shape, and it had Lerners, See's Candy, Mayfair Grocery Store, Okie Frijolies, and Gottschalks, to name a few. My mom use to work at Lerners and on Friday nights (the only night that the stores were open till 9) we would go and meet her for dinner at Okie Frijolies. And sometimes on a Saturday my dad would take us to Mayfair where they had a soda fountain and we'd get a soda.

When I was a teenager (1973 on) we would always go to Fashion Fair to shop. There was a Lerners there too, along with Gottschalk, Penneys, Weinstocks, See's Candy, Woolworths. I always loved buying my clothes at Lerners. And we'd always go take pictures in one of those picture booths at Woolworths. I had a friend who worked in the little restaurant in Woolworths and so we'd eat there a lot too. And there used to be a restaurant called Chauncys there in the mall too, and you could get Shrimp Louie Salads that were really good. I used to always buy my Levis at a men's store that was right across from Penneys, but I can't remember what it was called.

Anyway, I love reading all these memories about Fresno, makes me homesick for the past.

Re: Fashion Fair and Manchester Center retailers of the past

Posted: Thu Aug 19, 2010 8:18 am
by Big J
Where was the Mayfair Grocery at Manchester? Was it where the Safeway ended up? I remember Lerner's - but not well enough to remember what they sold.

Re: Fashion Fair and Manchester Center retailers of the past

Posted: Tue Aug 24, 2010 4:32 am
by Sharlsie
If you were facing the U-shape of Manchesters, Mayfair was on the right hand side. On the back wall was Lerners and See's Candy, which was either next to Lerners or a store or two down from it, and on the left hand back corner was Gottschalks. Then on the left hand side was Perry Boys Smorgy (I kept thinking Okie Frijolies but I meant Perry Boys). Those are the main stores I remember, and also with Sears being across the street from it. I'll have to ask my mom and see if she remembers anything more about Manchester back then.

Re: Fashion Fair and Manchester Center retailers of the past

Posted: Tue Aug 24, 2010 9:33 am
by Big J
I had totally forgotten about Sears originally not being connected to the rest of the mall.

Re: Fashion Fair and Manchester Center retailers of the past

Posted: Wed Aug 25, 2010 4:10 am
by Sharlsie
Lerner's was a woman's shop that sold really cute clothes. My mom worked there for a long time and I always got my clothes from there.

Re: Fashion Fair and Manchester Center retailers of the past

Posted: Fri Sep 10, 2010 1:47 pm
by FresnoFan
Facing the U-shape? From which direction? What street are you standing on? Which back wall? Which left hand back corner? I'm having a hard time understanding your description of Manchester Center's original layout. Could you describe the layout with a birdseye view, from up above, facing the "U" head-on? From what I little I can remember, as I was only a toddler, Mayfair Market was in the southwest corner of the "U", in the west wing and Long's was north of that, near the center of the west wing, facing the western parking lot. Bank of America was north of Long's, also in the west wing and facing the western parking lot. Liberty House was in the southeast corner of the "U."

I can't for the life of me remember how Perry Brothers Smorgy stood in relation to Liberty House. Was it directly east? Or more north east? Was it dead center? Was it part of a group of other stores? Did the structure connect to Liberty House? Did it have the old brown metal siding that the main mall had? And, finally, am I wrong, or could you once drive directly through the mall from the western parking lot, just north of Mayfair Market (or was it Long's?) to the central parking lot, before the entire mall was enclosed?

Re: Fashion Fair and Manchester Center retailers of the past

Posted: Wed Aug 03, 2011 2:26 pm
by brookieJ
There was Brock's Dept. Store, Burt's Shoes, Eddie's Pastories, Rodder's Desert Doll, Maison Capri, Chicken Pie Shop, Annie Laurie's and in the 80's, there was Howard and Phil's Western Wear, Touch of Brass, James Allen Jewelry and Home Express. ;o)

Re: Fashion Fair and Manchester Center retailers of the past

Posted: Mon Sep 19, 2011 12:34 pm
by TMH1957
O.K. Let me give this a shot. In the Manchester mall of today, where the Chinese restaurant is, back in the day that was Long's Drugs. The space that was just remolded used to be Mayfair Market. And over in North Manchester about where Dollar Tree and Hometown are today, that used to be Safeway Market. Then one day (can't remember when) things changed. Safeway left and Mayfair moved in. Long's left their small corner and moved into the old Mayfair market where they spent many, many years! I also remember around where Workforce is today, there used to be a Perry Boy's Smorgy (where's Perry? HaHa) and a radio station (KEAP I think). That's what I remember from the mid to late sixty's, and early 70's.

Re: Fashion Fair and Manchester Center retailers of the past

Posted: Thu Mar 08, 2012 4:03 pm
by trish93638
I think the Restaurant you are referring to in Manchester is Perrys Smorgasbord?