My February post from commenter Frank Soyke‘s memories of the original West Manchester Mall stores sparked some other memories of that mall and its changes through the years.
Blake Stough was able to confirm what I remembered, that the bank at the end of the mall near Kohl’s now was a York Bank. He adds, “There was also a D.E. Jones and I believe a Walden Books (or maybe another book store). Tyler’s was a skateboard/surfer/preppy type of store that sold clothing, skateboards, etc. I remember going to the mall with my mom, and she would give me $5 for the arcade while she went to Bon-Ton. I’d always search for her for more money. Am I correct that there was also a fitness club there with a swimming pool, I believe where the movie theater is today?”
Mike Roseberry agrees with that. He writes, “I remember Fitness America as the gym (in the mall) … and the Camelot Music store … Bonanza was also there (where the movie theater is now). I think all of my friends called it ‘The Shoe Mall’ when it opened, because almost all the smaller stores were shoe stores.”
I have, maybe, a really dim memory of Bonanza now that Mike mentions it, but I had not thought of that before.
What I do remember well, though, is exactly the same as what commenter Joe Stein talks about. He says, “I remember the sunken garden sitting areas, lots of brown tile as well. I can’t specificaly remember the fountains though. All my childhood I was fascinated by mall fountains!”
My wonderful husband, Chris, did some trivia research for us. He writes, “And at some point in the early 1990s, Electronics Boutique moved into the mall, right? … And here’s some fun trivia: Electronics Boutique was first established in 1977 by James Kim with a single electronics-focused kiosk inside the King of Prussia Mall. … And, of course, King of Prussia is the site of the … Only in York County Gino’s Meet-Up” that was held back in March! Hubby is cool. He always finds out stuff like that.
Ben Lightner says, “I remember The Orioles Store, Cinnabon, Dollar Store, Go Feet was on the corner where Marcello’s now is. Kelly’s Sports Express was actually in two different locations, once up by Hess’s then down where the Gap was. When I was in middle school, we were there every weekend. I am sure there are more I forgot.”
Scott C. adds, “Walden Books was there until not too long ago. The travel agency was called Liberty Travel and is now located along Route 30 beside Rita’s.
I remember a store called KichenWorks that sold kitchen supplies. There was also a sports store called Kelly’s Sports Express. I seem to remember there being a Bonanza Restaurant,” Scott says, which he thought was where Artesian Pools is now; and he also mentions that York County High School was in the mall in the same area.
Jamie Oberdick brought up another store that I’d forgotten at the mall. Jamie writes, “I used to work at the One Hour Moto Photo while back on break from college. Lee was the manager, the best boss I have ever had, to this day. Wonderful person. It was interesting seeing some of the photos as I was printing them. Most were mundane, but I gotta tell ya, York County….some of you are WEIRD. Yes, we got some racy ones and ones that were both racy and rather odd. I greatly enjoyed working there, overall. Fun job for a college kid.”
I’m sure fun was one word for it! I do like to talk on this blog about all the things that make York County “just plain weird,” and I think that qualifies.
Some more I’ve been able to recall: T-Shirts Plus, which would print about anything in the world on a shirt for you. My judo partner and I in high school had shirts made there for each other. And a little more recently was B. Moss, a clothing store I liked that was where the spa is now. (Next door was Friendly’s – yum.) And wasn’t there, briefly, an indoor miniature golf place where the Elicker’s Kenpo Karate studio now sits?
Another store no one mentioned, but which I loved to visit, was a hobby shop. Was it maybe “Allied Hobbies?” This was maybe in about the area where Chick Fil A’s “mall seating area” is now. It was where I bought materials for stamp collecting and where my family got all the miniatures and trains for our Christmas village that we set up around our tree each year. Can anyone confirm if I’ve got that store name right?
My name is Joan and I'm a lifelong Yorker. Throughout high school and college, I swore I was getting out of here as soon as possible. Now, a few years later, I can't think of anywhere I'd rather be. I love my town. And, as a local editor, I hear every day how much you love your towns, too. So please, connect with me and let's share what makes life in York County great. I'm here to help you enjoy this place as much as I do!
I remember that Shaffner’s Jewelry Store had a place in West Manchester Mall. I used to work there. They also sold clothes.
I just wanted to correct myself about the York County High School. It started out in the former Bonanza restaurant but moved to a new location near USA Optical when the movie theater came along in the late 1990′s. I do remember the Allied Hobbies shop, which was located near Chick-Fil-A.
West Man used to have a pet store that I would beg to go to when I was little. I can’t remember the name, but I seem to recall orange walls or an orange sign. More importantly, they had puppies, which I was obsessed with watching.
There was also an Irvings shoe store that my parents were seriously loyal to. I didn’t even realize other shoe stores existed until middle school. They measured your feet every time and kept a jar full of pretzel rods on the counter.
There was a pet store in the West Manchester Mall called Doktor Pets. There was also Vinnie’s Bow Wow Shoppe, which was located near Hecht’s (now Macy’s). It has since relocated to Route 30 in Thomasville.
Remember “The Wall”? So much for the “lifetime music guarantee” (remember the blue stickers?)! Damn you wall! You lied to us! *shakes fist*
Sweetie, there was a Bonanza. Remember so many of our classmates who dropped out to go to ‘Bonanza High’ aka York County High School?
Yes, there was a pet store there, I bought my cat from here and still have him, at that was at least 11 years ago.
I remember those blue stickers from the Wall! There was a Hess department store at the end where WalMart is now. I remember the mirrored wall out front. There also used to be a Lerner’s, a Victoria’s Secret, an Express, and a neat country gift shoppe type store that sold Beanie Baby’s and Boyds. And there was a variety store that sold just about everything including puppies! It was there where Fishbone is now. Aw, good times at that mall. So sad it’s all changed so much.
Yes, Allied Hobbies was there where you describe.
Was a McCrorys Store there? And the pet store inside McCrorys? I know there was one in the York Mall. There was also the pizza shop that had two entrances to it with lot’s of mirrors on the walls. Wow this is really pushing the WAY BACK BUTTON!
Yes, there was a McCrorys, also a Lane Bryant and Fashion Bug
There was a Limited, McDonald’s, a phone store(before cell phones), Friendly’s and a pet store(I think)…jewelry store, a pizza place(forget the name)
there used to also be an Orange Julius there.
that mall should have never let walmart close off it’s entrance from the mall side.
as soon as that occured, the mall has been on a steady decline since….damn walmart!!
I had forgotten about Hess! The other end was occupied by GeeBees or BeeGees when the mall first opened.
I loved Value City…where Kohl’s is located now. There were unique items in there that you couldn’t find anywhere else!
I think at one point, wasnt there a carousel in the center of the mall? Right outside of Bon Ton?
Any chance that pizza place was Pappy’s? Pappy Makes Me Happy!
Pretty much the same thing happened in the Baltimore area. There was a time when places like Two Guys and Caldor were the places to shop down there. Once the likes of Target and Wal-Mart started popping up it was game over for the little guys.
The stores I can remember in no particular order: Fries, Etc., Alladin’s Castle (arcade), Friendly, TShirts Plus, Kay Bee Toys, Gee Bee, Irving Shoes, Hess, Limited, Gap, Sbarro, Claires … and the cool fountains.
Pappy’s pizza was off of the Leader Heights exit. Which is now an empty lot.