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Thread Number: 46253
Favourite York City Department Stores |
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Post# 675637 4/26/2013 at 13:27 (4,017 days old) by Launderess  (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage) |
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Interesting blog about some famous NYC department stores.
CLICK HERE TO GO TO Launderess's LINK This post was last edited 04/26/2013 at 13:55 | ||
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| Post# 675643 , Reply# 1 4/26/2013 at 13:56 (4,017 days old) by Maytagbear (N.E. Ohio) | ||
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May come as a surprise to some...... but there are times when I wish I could say: "Whatever became of Macy's?" Lawrence/Maytagbear | ||
| Post# 675662 , Reply# 3 4/26/2013 at 15:50 (4,017 days old) by twintubdexter (Palm Springs) | ||
thanks for posting :-) | ||
| Post# 675674 , Reply# 4 4/26/2013 at 16:58 (4,016 days old) by westie2 () | ||
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My favorites were John A Brown, Haliburtons, Kerrs and Rothchilds all in Oklahoma City. Great mainline department stores. | ||
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Post# 675707 , Reply# 6 4/26/2013 at 20:17 (4,016 days old) by kevin313 (Detroit, Michigan) |
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Detroit had three major department stores downtown:
1: J.L. Hudson's - the biggest (2.2 million square feet) and the best 2. Crowley, Milner & Co. 3. Ernst Kern & Company They are all gone - buildings and all. But what great times I had in those stores when I was a kid. Best treat was eating in Hudson's fancy dining room on the 13th floor. They were famous for chicken pot pie, Maurice salad, and Canadian cheese soup. Great memories! | ||
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Post# 675720 , Reply# 8 4/26/2013 at 21:48 (4,016 days old) by wayupnorth (On a lake between Bangor and Bar Harbor, Maine) |
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| Post# 675722 , Reply# 9 4/26/2013 at 22:05 (4,016 days old) by westie2 () | ||
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Lived in New Orleans in the 70's and 80's and miss Krauss LTD., Masion Blanche, DH Holmes, Godchauxs and the big downtown Sears. All gone now. Krauss had the great lunch counter, Masion Blanche and HOmes had the lunch counters and greay dining rooms too. | ||
| Post# 675723 , Reply# 10 4/26/2013 at 23:00 (4,016 days old) by xraytech (Rural southwest Pennsylvania ) | ||
In the Pittsburgh area the major department stores were Kaufmanns, Hornes, and Gimbels.
The downtown Kaufmanns "big store" is still downtown but is now a Macys with several floors and the Tic-Toc being closed. Luckily the building is a historical Landmark. The main entrance of Kaufmanns has always been a popular meeting place downtown, meeting under the big clock | ||
| Post# 675731 , Reply# 13 4/27/2013 at 00:28 (4,016 days old) by twintubdexter (Palm Springs) | ||
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San Francisco had wonderful department stores that reeked with class. The White House, I Magnin & Company, The Emporium (mid line) where I worked for many years, and the City of Paris with it's stained glass dome and gourmet lower floor, Normandy Lane paneled with black glass. It's now Nieman Marcus and the dome remains.
San Jose had it's downtown stores, Hale's and Hart's. In 1933 owner Alex Hart's son was kidnapped, held for ransom but murdered shortly after his abduction. Two suspects were being held in the City Jail but an angry mob broke down the doors, hauled the guys out to nearby St. James Park and strung them up. Kevin, if you were able to shop Hudson's Woodward Avenue store you were very fortunate. Quite possibly the world's most magnificent store, a world in itself. Diana Ross worked in one of the basement cafeterias. People of color were given the brown bag test during their interview. The prospective employee's hand was placed on a paper bag. If their hand was darker than the bag they were shown the door. Roof rides at the top of The Emporium. People said you could tell the Christmas Season had started when you could look up and see the Ferris Wheel on The Emporium's roof. 
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Post# 675768 , Reply# 14 4/27/2013 at 09:25 (4,016 days old) by Volvoguy87 (Cincinnati, OH) |
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Stores.
In Northern VA, I remember shopping at Hecht's (The Hecht Company) until it was taken over by Macy's. I remember at the Manassas Mall location, there was a man who worked in the menswear department for over 20 years. He wore what he sold and he made it look good! His suit was always pressed, shirt starched, and shoes shined. I still have some clothes he sold to me. When Macy's took over, he wasn't allowed to dress that way anymore and instead had to wear a polo shirt. He was miserable, and looked like a shell of his former self. The standard Macy's uniform is not at all flattering and does absolutely nothing to show off what the store sells or how good their wears can look. My salesman retired shortly after Macy's took over, and the menswear department lost a significant portion of the class it once had.
There's something nice about being greeted by a well dressed person who addresses you as "sir," or they know you better, Mr. Lastname. Not to mention salespeople who know a great deal about the goods they sell and take pride in doing so. Dave | ||
| Post# 675830 , Reply# 18 4/27/2013 at 16:17 (4,016 days old) by retromania (Anderson, South Carolina) | ||
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When I was a child..... When I was a child in Anderson, SC , we had a Gallant-Belk, but serious shopping and usually around the holidays was done in Greenville, SC 30 minutes to the north of us at Ivey's at the McAlister Square Mall. It was a big deal!!! Also, if one had to see a medical specialist or a dental surgeon, that was done in Greenville as well. | ||
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Post# 675844 , Reply# 19 4/27/2013 at 17:28 (4,015 days old) by turquoisedude (.) |
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Post# 675849 , Reply# 20 4/27/2013 at 18:16 (4,015 days old) by Supersuds (Knoxville, Tenn.) |
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Laundress's site explains what happened with the John Wanamaker store in New York. I always associated them with Philadelphia, but in the 1980s I worked at a federal building/ post office constructed in 1911 in a small Virginia town. Nothing much had changed and my desk was a huge oak rolltop with a latch inscribed "John Wanamaker * New York." I was told that it had been used by the local postmaster for decades.
I found out later that the Postmaster General in 1911 was none other than John Wanamaker! Funny how some of the furnishings from his New York store ended up in Virginia! | ||
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Post# 675881 , Reply# 22 4/27/2013 at 20:24 (4,015 days old) by kevin313 (Detroit, Michigan) |
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Roger - good memory! Hudson's dining room was called the Riverview Room. If you were near the south facing windows, you could get a glimpse of the Detroit River.
Joe - I heard about the "paper bag" test that Hudson's had with African-American employees. I had my first lesson on the subject at the downtown Hudson's store. I was about four, maybe five, and was there with my mom and little sister. Mom had to take sis to the bathroom, and back then there were no "family" bathrooms, and boys did not go into the ladies room! So, mom handed me off to a TOTAL STRANGER - a plump African-American woman who was shopping near the ladies room. "Can you watch my boy for a minute?" mom asked her. "I'd be happy to," she said and mom handed me over. I stood there holding this woman's hand while she asked my name, how old I was, etc. Mom and sis returned, my mom thanked this stranger for watching me, and we went on with our shopping. Mom explained that there were two kinds of people - good and bad, and the color of their skin had nothing to do with it. A lesson learned for life at J.L. Hudson's in downtown Detroit. | ||
| Post# 675955 , Reply# 23 4/28/2013 at 00:21 (4,015 days old) by dirtybuck (Springfield, MO) | ||
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Who Remembers... Rhodes, Liberty House and Joske's department stores? | ||
| Post# 675998 , Reply# 25 4/28/2013 at 05:49 (4,015 days old) by retromania (Anderson, South Carolina) | ||
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Dillard's I never heard of Dillard's until one came to Greenville,SC. Now we have one in Anderson. Shock of all shocks. Their stuff is kind of high, but they have great sales!!! | ||
| Post# 676199 , Reply# 27 4/29/2013 at 08:40 (4,014 days old) by firedome (Binghamton NY & Lake Champlain VT) | ||
Baltimore of the 20s to 70s
had Hutzler's, Hochschild Kohn, Stewart's and Hecht's, both downtown on Howard Street, and suburban outposts. As downtown dteriorated in the '50s/60s the 'burb stores became the focus, with many of the Towson and Timonium locations becoming the store's flagships. Growing up in Towson the Hutzler's store was a thing of wonder, with it's Dulaney Room for ladies who lunch, the huge picture window overlooking the beautiful Dulaney Valley from it's comanding hilltop location, and a fine bakery within the store, and selling everything from outboard motors to chemistry sets. Mom bought my hula hoop there, in 1958!
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| Post# 676220 , Reply# 28 4/29/2013 at 11:02 (4,014 days old) by whirlcool (Just North Of Houston, Texas) | ||
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Speaking of Joske's, we bought a lot of furniture for our home from them when we came to Houston. They carried most of the best names in furniture like Henredon, etc. | ||
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Post# 676641 , Reply# 29 5/1/2013 at 10:24 (4,012 days old) by lovestowash (St. Petersburg, FL) |
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Fascinating website... | ||
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Post# 676739 , Reply# 31 5/2/2013 at 00:31 (4,011 days old) by tolivac (greenville nc) |
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Nice dept stores-all eaten up by Wal-Marts and Targets! | ||
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Post# 676810 , Reply# 32 5/2/2013 at 11:52 (4,011 days old) by ovrphil (N.Atlanta / Georgia ) |
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Disappointing
....is a euphemism for what's happened to the retail choices today...so many good stores, gone.
Being from Michigan, I miss Hudsons(as Kevin313 mentioned), especially their Christmas displays and upper floor where the decorations and trees were elablorately decorated to create this wonderland for kids and adults - all the lights, decorations, etc. My mom took my sister and I down there EVERY December to enjoy the lights and displays(so thankful my mom did that for us). Besides Hudsons - loved Jacobsens, and miss Crowleys, even though towards their end, their store in Birmingham, MI. was "tired" looking. Here, I miss Parisian and Rich's ...(lucky Michigan has Parisian stores, in a unique situation, that we visit). Years ago, while visiting my grandmother in St. Petersburg, downtown, we shopped at Maas Brothers(pictured and probably not remembered by too many here). I remember seeing my first surfboard(sunny yellow) at Maas Bros. Good memories here in this Launderess thread. So many stores are replaced with disappointing Macy's. Federated. Adulterated. 
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| Post# 676811 , Reply# 33 5/2/2013 at 11:55 (4,011 days old) by laundromat (Hilo, Hawaii) | ||
 I loved the downtown area in Baltimore. My mom had the Baltimore Shopping Plate she could use at Hechts,Hochschild Kohns,Hutzlers,Stewarts and Hess Shoes. She was the head teller at First National Bank of Maryland in their main branch just catticornered from the stores.She took me to sit on Santa's lap and their was a display at Hect Company of a realistic/toy FRIGIDAIRE kitchen made by Wolverine.I ran over and prayed that I would get them. I even told Santa he was the real,true one and the rest were fakes! Alas, when Santa came, I got a Varoom bike .That was when my beliefs changed and I hated Santa! | ||
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Post# 676831 , Reply# 35 5/2/2013 at 13:27 (4,011 days old) by petek (Ontari ari ari O ) |
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I remember the JL Hudson store as well. We always went a few times a year and it was huge. Besides the toy department I probably spent most of my time playing on the escalators and elevators. Never knew where my dad went (probably for a beer somewhere) and mom and sisters were all looking at dresses and boring stuff. Obviously the folks weren't worried about me like most parents would be today letting their kid out of their sight.
We only went to Toronto perhaps once a year if that being much further away but my distinct memory of the Eatons flagship store on College St very early on were the wooden escaltors and the elevators with the woman operators and that crank handle they used to operate it. I was fascinated by that. Eatons was a stunning art deco palace. It's still there but been chopped up in portions into other stores. The magnificent theatre on the top floor is still in operation but I've never been up there since. As well there is still one original wooden escalator hidden in one of the new furniture stores that faces Yonge St. It was a short escaltor about 15 feet to take you from the lower entrance grade up to the main floor at the south end of the store. 
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Post# 676832 , Reply# 36 5/2/2013 at 13:29 (4,011 days old) by petek (Ontari ari ari O ) |
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Post# 676842 , Reply# 37 5/2/2013 at 14:32 (4,011 days old) by ovrphil (N.Atlanta / Georgia ) |
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Cuffs054 - you're welcome! No, I never visited the William Henry Store. My grandmother brought us down to the now gone Million Dollar Pier where a lot of retirees danced each weekend...and I think Maas wasn't far from the street that faced the Gulf and Pier. Great memories- there was a store called, I think, Epps or Eppes? It was so long ago, I can't remember, except I do remember the seniors would mow you down with their shopping carts, just gesturing to move out of the way as they entered or especially exited from the store.
Epps? It was near Tampa or somewhere around, not far from Riverside, FL., where we stayed. Petek - GREAT pictures! I remember Eaton - last there about four decades ago...good memories of Toronto - went with a buddy of mine and when we crossed the US/Canadian border, they thought we were high on something and detained us for a while. 1970. Just kids, you know? | ||
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Post# 676848 , Reply# 38 5/2/2013 at 15:02 (4,011 days old) by cuffs054 (MONTICELLO, GA) |
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ovrphil, You are correct Maas was right down town and near the pier. Did you ever visit "WEBB CITY" with the live mermaid show? You could buy anything at Webb's it was part store part carnival! | ||
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Post# 676850 , Reply# 39 5/2/2013 at 15:05 (4,011 days old) by cuffs054 (MONTICELLO, GA) |
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A visit to Webb's www.google.com/searchQUESTIONMARK... | ||
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Post# 676860 , Reply# 40 5/2/2013 at 16:56 (4,010 days old) by joelippard (Hickory) |
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 Just look in these various pictures how people took time to create and make things that looked so nice. The buildings, the displays, all well thought out instead of the thrown together crap of the current day. Look at the ladies how they are dressed in these photos, and look at how they are dressed nowadays. I was lucky to get in on some of this since I was born in '74 but I have to wonder what has happened? It's really sad in a way. | ||
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Post# 676917 , Reply# 41 5/2/2013 at 22:26 (4,010 days old) by ovrphil (N.Atlanta / Georgia ) |
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Cuffs054 - That's it - Webb City..I see the St. Petersburg store. It was a real zoo, some of the oldsters really didn't care if they ran you down. That store had everything, but the shoppers were animals. :-)
Joelippard - What happened is NUMBERS, where creativity and associated costs have been slashed or eliminated. Interestingly, Von Maur, out of Davenport, Iowa originally, just established their first flagship store for the South and East, I think, spending millions on renovating and expanding the Northpoint Mall wing, formerly home for Lord and Taylor and Belk(two years ago). The exterior was redone in brick! The interior is nice, but overall - numbers won and the displays are half visible and/or "weak". The ceiling lighting is clunky big old white track lighting spots. Oh well..New York must still offer great retail and displays. Phil Not exactly relevant here, but wanted to mention for those who enjoyed the J.L.Hudson Co. stores, here's a link to J.L. Hudson recipes, served in their restaurants. CLICK HERE TO GO TO ovrphil's LINK 
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| Post# 676978 , Reply# 42 5/3/2013 at 07:43 (4,010 days old) by Blackstone (Springfield, Massachusetts) | ||
Not exactly "department" stores, but... | ||
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Post# 676981 , Reply# 43 5/3/2013 at 08:39 (4,010 days old) by cuffs054 (MONTICELLO, GA) |
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ovrphil, Thank goodness Wally World is keeping the tradition of "animalistic shopper" alive today! | ||
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Post# 676985 , Reply# 44 5/3/2013 at 08:52 (4,010 days old) by jamiel (Detroit, Michigan and Palm Springs, CA) |
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Unfortunately we no longer have Parisian in metro Detroit...BonTon only had rights to the name for 5 years, so they thought using it during the Macys transition would help with people sad about losing Fields and Hudson's. Now we have Carsons like Chicago. BonTon has had a weird nameplate strategy, with 3 nameplates within 75 miles (Younkers in Lansing, elder-Beerman in Monroe, and Parisian/CArsons in detroit.
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Post# 677309 , Reply# 45 5/4/2013 at 22:30 (4,008 days old) by ovrphil (N.Atlanta / Georgia ) |
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Cuffs054 - WallMart will never be like Maas Bros. and personally, I prefer Meijer in Michigan. They do get the animals, I mean - personalities for the animalistic shoppers. No photos please! LOL!
jamiel : OHNO! Parisian is gone and it's now Carsons - so Partridge Creek and the other Mall near Oakland University that had those Parisians are gone? :I used to shop at Elder-Beerman..quite a while ago - my apologies - got off the thread Launderess started... | ||
| Post# 677510 , Reply# 46 5/5/2013 at 19:08 (4,007 days old) by retromania (Anderson, South Carolina) | ||
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And Quality has gone down the drain. All they can do is offer an easy return policy! | ||
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