Hub Throwback Post: Memories of The Summit Park Mall

(Originally posted – 2013)

In this post, we will publish some of our esteemed readers contributions – the memories we all share of the beloved Summit Park Mall. If you have any you’d like to add or if you have any good old photos, we’d love to post it all! We’ll start with Bill Scalzo’s comment and then follow up for all future comments below in the “COMMENT SECTION” – a lot of great not too distant in the past nostalgia: 

From BILL SCALZO:
Summit Park Mall as it stood in 1980-81 when I worked at AM&As after school a few nights a week sorting freight, vacuuming rugs and moving sofas and tables around at the cruel whim of an evil furniture department manager who wasn’t even my boss but couldn’t stand the site of an idle minimum-wage kid!

I had almost forgotten this Mall even though I drive past it all the time, but the recent news makes me sad. It was one of our #1 hangouts when I was in school, and I worked two jobs there since as we talked about earlier I worked at Child World from 1984-early 87.

A few personal rememberences of mine: The Beacon Store was a Christian store that was later rented by Child World as a bike warehouse. The Wheel Goods Mgr. was a good buddy, we had been friends since middle school, and we used to go buy a few beers at Lindy’s Deli (they weren’t allowed to let you leave the Deli with beers, but we had friends there who looked the other way!) then lock ourselves in the old Beacon Store and “take liquid inventory” on slow days, LOL!

Cavages was always WAY cooler than Recordland. It just was.

Remember going to the back “black light” section of Spencer’s and wishing you had enough cash to buy every poster, blacklight gadget and fishnet ceiling wrap back there?

McCrory’s Restaurant had those Loganberry and Orange Soda “fountains” right out front that always looked so enticing to a thirsty kid.

And just what the hell did something called The Phone Store sell in 1980? I think I remember it, it was just a kiosk I think, but in 1980 there weren’t even CORDLESS phones or anything, right? It was the dying days of Ma Bell and big clunky phones that came in two varieties: black and white.

Here goes, it’s a long list and shows just how packed the Mall was in its heyday. And it didn’t even have a real food court yet! (I remember it just starting to be built towards the end of my bike-building days at “The World” Porky’s Sausages was one of the first along with the stalwart Leon’s, the last man standing. They built the food court around him, which seems fitting somehow!)

SUMMIT PARK MALL DIRECTORY 1980-1981
Alethea’s Chocolates
Allstate Insurance
AM&As
Andrew’s Wigs
Baker Shoes
The Beacon Store
Brook’s Juniors Clothing
Card Cage
Carol Ann Women’s Wear
Carousel Snack Bar
Cavages Record Store
Charms Etc.
Chess King
Child World Toy Store
Claire’s Boutique
Coming Attractions
Connie Shoes
Dockter Pet Store
Fanny Farmer Candy
Flagg Bros. Shoes
Foxmoor Casuals
Frederick’s of Hollywood
Frontier Fruit and Nut
Fun-n-Games Arcade
G & G Shops
Gallenkamp Shoes
Gap Shoes
General Cinemas Summit Park I & II
General Nutrition
Glenby Hair Salon
Gordon’s Jewelers
Great Expectations Hair Salon
Hens & Kelly
Hickory Farms
Hungry Herman’s Restaurant
J.P. Snodgrass
Jean Nicole
Jenss
Joann Fabric
J T Men’s Store
Kay-Bee Toys
Keepsake Diamonds
Kinney Shoes
Leon’s Pizza
Lerner Shops
Levitation Clothing
The Limited
Lindy’s Deli
M & T Bank
Main St. Ice Cream
Marianne Women’s
Marjax Sporting Goods
McCrory’s
McCrory’s Restaurant
Merry Go Round
Motherly Maternity
National Shirt Co.
Niagara County Savings Bank
Nobil Shoes
Ormond
Parklane Hosiery
Pearle Vision Center
The Phone Center
The Proving Ground
Radio Shack
Recordland
Reed’s Jewelers
Regal Shoes
Richman Bros. Men’s
Rite-Aid Pharmacy
The Sample Shop
Sears
Sears Auto Service
Sears Country Inn
Sears Hair World
Shed House
Singer Co.
Spencer Gifts
Sperry & Hutchinson Trading Stamps
Stella’s Tots-to-Teens
Stuart Women’s
Summit Park Mall Children’s Photographer
Susie’s Casuals
Things Remembered
Thom McAn Shoes
Tuxedo Junction
Ulbrich’s Office Supply
Ups-n-Downs
Waldenbooks
Wally’s Designs
Waterbed World
Wild Pair Shoes
York Steak House
Zales Jewelry

Thanks Bill!

Have a memory or a story to share?  Post it below!

Original post from iwitnessniagara.org:  http://iwitnessniagara.blogspot.com/search/label/Summit%20Park%20Mall

Comments

  1. Amy says:

    I worked at ‘Attractions’ from 1991 – 1993. It was Merry-Go-Round, just named something different. It was my very first job at 16. I loved it! I was in charge of making the music super loud! Good times, fun job. I miss that mall.

    • Don Toliano says:

      I worked st Attractions in early 90’s. I got some wild stories about that place if u wanna hear them.

  2. Kim Chiurazzi says:

    I worked at Hen’s and Kelly’s in the shoe department all through high school and college. The Summit Park mall was awesome and I loved working there. I started when they first opened in the early 70s. I was 16 and went to Hen’s and Kelly’s to buy my school shoes. The manager hired me on the spot…. What a great job! It makes me sad to see the mall now when I come back to Niagara Falls to visit. It was a great place for the community.

  3. Fran Masic says:

    I worked ta the Food Factory when the big blizzard of 77 hit! We lived on 101st street and my sweet husband walked over cars to be with me at the mall since I was stranded for a couple of days. We slept on the floor of the theater!

    I would go to the York steak house with my kids and mom every Saturday. My mom loved McCrorys and my kids loved the pet shop. What fun times and great memories!

    • Bill Duthe says:

      Hey Fran, Bill from Child World. We talked our DM to allow our crew to eat at the Factory that Friday night of the blizzard. It was always fun eating there. You guys had a great crew.

  4. Tim says:

    I had my first job working in the kitchen at Sears restaurant in 77, anyone remember that? I still have a puter beer stein that I borrowed from the display rack….

  5. michelle says:

    once a year, usually around christmas shopping time, my ma and i would go and eat at york steak house. just the two of us. it was a big deal because unless it was my parents anniversary or new years eve, we pretty much ate at home with my dad and gigi. don’t get me wrong, i loved our family time, and while some of the best times with my dad were spent fishing or driving around looking for deer, my ma and i, well, we had our york steak house.

  6. Deborah says:

    Fond memories of this mall. One in particular. My son Jeremy (about 4 or 5 at the time) was mesmerized by the water fountain on one of our many trips to the mall. My mother in law was with us and as he was watching the water shoot up, with my mother in law on guard lol got a little too close and pretty much in he went. Although that wonderful lady is gone now, I’m sure she’s still laughing as we all have when thinking about that and the stunned look on my sons face.

  7. Theresa says:

    Leon’s pizza was the best NY style pizza in the city. That was my food of choice every time.

  8. I grew up behind the mall and worked at several stores..mall maintenance for 5 years..His Place..foot locker..York Steakhouse.Aladdin Castle..( game room),I basically grew up in that mall and saw alot of places come and go..Will never forget the good people I worked with at York..the midnight movies and the Yorker parties..I used to work 3 to 11 then go down to Doyle’s and get hammered for employee appreciation nite..oh good times

  9. lisa says:

    My very first job was at McCrory’s. My Grandma Lucy, Aunt Alice and Aunt Bessie all worked there too. Loved the York Steak House! Anyone else remember sitting on “the ledge” in front of Jenss’ windows?? It was a place to meet up with friends to hang out or wait for our parents to finish their shopping. What a great mall that was!!!

    • Louise Grabka says:

      I worked at McCrory”s from 1975 till it closed. It was a fun place to work, meet a lot of people and have lunch at all the cool restaurants.

  10. Laura L. Smith says:

    I was a student at Niagara Univ. Theatre. We used to dress up like clowns and give balloons to kids – I even think that we did mime as well. Nice memories. I used to live within walking distance, at 442 8th St. When the traffic died down at night, you could hear the falls, and of course smell the wheat factory. Good times.

  11. Jeanne Morock says:

    I remember the movie theater. And every October the mall had the Do-Gooders bazaar.

  12. Anonymous says:

    The Summit Park Mall would still be open and going strong, if it would have had better ownership, administration and management running the place. Not only would it be thriving, but expanding. Look at Niagara Fashion Outlets and how they are doing. No reason why the Summit Park Mall couldn’t had done the same thing.

    • Anonymous says:

      There was a guy who not that long ago tryed to get it going again. He got some stores to come in even brought entertainment in to try and revive it to know avail. He talked about how he use to go there as a youngster for the same reason others had mentioned. The thought of it failing brought tears to his eyes, not to mention the money he had put into it beforehand. Thank you to that man, unfortunately I had forgotten his name (Mike ?) I believe? for trying his best to revive a memory that many us share and hold true to our hearts!

    • Maribeth Gangloff says:

      You have to consider zoning laws….and the fact that either end of the mall (now occupied by Sears and BonTon were privately owned along with Sav-A-Lot ). That makes expansion difficult. The Factory outlet killed The Summit along with the fact that Malls were opening all over the place. I worked at Sears through the shut down and I can tell you that the only people I saw were mall walkers. Subway did well as did the kiosk across from it other than that, nothing thrived in that mall. Sears would have closed had they not owned the property it was located and The BonTon has been in and out of bankruptcy. Death notices for Sears have been posted quarterly for years. It was a small mall that expanded as much as it could and quite frankly, Niagara Falls lost a good portion of it’s population. It was doomed…

  13. Tina Marie says:

    How about Hens & Kelly and their S&H Green Stamps? I’ll bet I still have some. :-)

  14. Frank R.Schoonover says:

    I used to go to the Summit Park Mall all the time when I was younger. I would go there to shop at Recordland, which later became Recordtown, to buy all the latest music releases. I still remember buying my copies of Michael Jackson’s Thriller and Huey Lewis and the News album Sports at Recordland. When I would have plenty of money from collecting bottles and cans all over Niagara Falls, NY, I would go to Recordland and buy up singles and albums, especially when Recordland had all those awesome sales on record albums. I would really clean up when those sales happened and I have added some many great records to my ever growing record collection thanks to them. I only would go to Cavages when Recordland didn’t have a particular record, mostly singles, that I was looking for. I bought a few singles from Cavages and I also bought a few records that were once used for in store play by the store. However, I did buy a treasure at Cavages, which was a picture disc of Michael Jackson’s Bad album, which I still have. I would later buys lots of tapes from Camelot, which took over Cavages, and also after Recordland became Recordtown, as I had a 1986 Toyota from the mid 1990’s to the early 2000’s that had a cassette player stereo in it and I bought tapes to play while I went driving all over the place. The only new album that I ever bought from Cavages was Paul McCartney’s Tug of War for only $5.99. I also did shop at a few of the clothing stores as well, but mostly, I bought a lot of my records and tapes from both the music stores that were there. I did buy my copy of the book Kiss and Sell: The Making of a Super Group at Walden Books as well and I also saw a few movies there, such as The Magic Pony, Shanghai Surprise, Aliens, and at the Summit Park 6 theater, a double feature of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and Pretty in Pink, Ernest Goes to Camp, Jaws: The Revenge and A Very Brady Sequel. I actually miss the old mall. I am hoping that whoever owns the mall brings in new things. I would like to contact the people who own it and share some of my ideas with them as to what to have in the mall in regards to stores and such. I hope that one day the mall returns and it will be a great place to shop and just walk around in. Yes, I do hope that it one day returns.

  15. Liz Woods says:

    Back in the ’70s when I was dating my (now ex) husband, we used to go to Henry’s Hamburgers with his buddies. Does anyone else remember that place? It was down by Sears in the corner that became a jewelry store. Rite Aid pharmacy was right across the hall from Henry’s. I miss that mall. I detest the Factory Outlet Mall and miss the days when I could drive a few minutes and spend the day shopping, socializing and grabbing a bite to eat with my family and friends.

  16. Anonymous says:

    does anyone remember wendys being at the mall in the later years for a short time, having a debate with my wife

  17. joanne rappleyea says:

    I so miss summit park mall; YORK STEAK HOUSE AND MCCORYS…A mall that should have never closed a big loss!!!!!!!!!

  18. nycat13 says:

    As everyone else this was my place to go too. Loved yorks steakhouse and petshop. Miss it all.

  19. Does anyone remember LuLu’s? It was a burger joint (later years) and it was awesome!

  20. Carrie says:

    My friend got me a job at Waldenbooks-best job ever! I was in a spelling bee in probably 4th or 5th grade spelling bee and the stage was a platform across the fountain pictured at the top of this page, near AM&As. Leon’s pizza, pre-food court, best slices EVER!!

  21. Anonymous says:

    Super gay mall

  22. Tanya says:

    WOW! That brought back memories!!! I can still smell the fountains! Claire’s Spencer’s, Waldenbooks, KayBee Toys, Recordland, and McCrory’s!! So much time spent at all these places!

  23. tony catanese says:

    worked there as a plumbers apprentice when the mall was being built

  24. I think I spent half my childhood sitting on the floor of the Waldenbooks reading Nancy Drew while my mother shopped. (Paid off. I’m a mystery writer today.) Also remember watching Disney movies with my Grandmother at the theater and frequent trips to York Steak House for lunch (always #4, well done. As I recall it was a chopped steak sandwich with steak fries. First time I ever had steak fries.)

    When my daughter was little, I used to take her in the stroller to walk around the mall. I believe that was our first solo trip out of the house after she was born. We went to Waldenbooks and I bought her a Paddington Bear board book. She had her first baby pictures taken there at Sears, and how the older shoppers fussed over her all dressed up in the stroller!

  25. Diane c. says:

    I have so many great memories of that mall. I loves shopping at Mcorys and Stella’s with my grandma. I later Worked at Tijuana Taco for years. I practically lived at the mall
    And loved every moment! I said when they took the fountain out the mall would die. It did. Very sad to see my favorite place as a kid falling apart.

  26. Jimmi Ogrodowski says:

    My first Job was at WILD PAIR SHOES. Way too many memories inside those walls. Wish that someone would bring it back to its glory.

    • Amy says:

      Me too Jimmi! I think I owned EVERY pair that ‘Wild Pair’ ever made! I’m 41 now and still have one pair I cannot get rid of :)

  27. I loved the mall I had alot of good times there growning up & watching the puppit shows while my family went xmas shopping & I use to love the pet store !

  28. Hey Gang – Just out of curiosity, and for our site’s stat info, where did this article appear over the past couple of days that garnered your click onto it? Had this up for a while, but just over the past couple days the post’s hits jumped… where/why? LOL. Thanks for visiting NiagaraHub and we hope you all enjoy the content. Stay tuned to NiagaraHub.com for a whole lot more to come in 2015!

    • Anonymous says:

      Facebook!!

    • Jody Dingman says:

      Niagara Falls Historian…It just showed up in my newsfeed out of the blue. Loved this plce. York Steakhouse, McCrory’s, Recordland…but most of all, I remember seeing Star Trek The Motion Picture there as well as Star Wars/ Empire Strikes Back. I remember the film broke and we had to sit and wait for it to get fixed. My friend and I used to take model rockets and turn them into land speed cars and shoot them off in the back parking lot on the weekends.

    • Tina Marie says:

      From the Niagara Rises page

    • Joy Putnam-Fabiano says:

      This feed just showed up on my Facebook feed. My 2 best memories are: 1st, Ulbrich’s- my best friend got me my 1st job…Loved that store. Books, cards, fine gifts, and oooh the office supples! (I know, I’m a geek – but loved all the cool office supples). I got to manage the book dept and balance the cash registers. 2nd fav memory- Just walking the mall with my boyfriend, now/still husband. Then going to a movie and dinner @ York Steak House. Best steak fries!

  29. Dave Martin says:

    I just found this site about Summit Park Mall & it really brings back memories for me.
    I kind of “grew up” in the mall. My mother, Pat Martin started working at National Shirt Shop when the mall first opened. Shortly thereafter, Emily Anderson (promotions and marketing manager) saw something in my mother and hired her to create/set-up and run the mall information booth. She was there for years in that position. I worked at the GMC Movie Theater then Spencer Gifts and then the newly opened AM& A’s for many years. I also had the great job of running the Santa Express and the Bunny Express trains for years. My mother then moved to the mall office for the newly created secretary position and ran the mall with Bob Gleese (sp) until she passed away of cancer. (my mother was so well liked and respected that at her funeral, all the big shots from Forest City in Cleveland showed up including the CEO, president, office staff, etc) Forest City Enterprises who owned the mall always had great plans for a huge expansion and adding a huge theme park….they owned so much land it was ridiculous. The Summit expansion w/theme park was supposed to happen right after they opened a high end mall in Cleveland (similar to Buffalo’s Central Terminal) that was in a bad neighborhood and they lost millions on that and couldn’t afford the Summit expansion.

    • Anonymous says:

      Hi David Martin! I worked at AM&AS with you! I was in the Budget dept!! I remember you!!! From Bernie Jarocki

  30. Oh I loved the Mall.. and still to this day think its the best I have ever seen.. have a lot of happy memories there.. and loved eating Dinner on Sunday after church with my Pastors.. Brother Billy and Sister Mabel White at the York Steak house… couldn’t beat
    their honey baked chicken… sure would like to have some again…. sad that the mall is not longer an active busy hub…

  31. Janine Garey Hubbard says:

    I used to work at The Snack Bar! It was next to Fanny Farmers. It was my first job!

  32. The Original Cookie Company was my first job, there in the Summit Park Mall. Man oh man, so many years ago.

  33. Anonymous says:

    My sister was 2 years old, got her head stuck between the rails on the cross bridge. We had to call security to help us. We still laught about it. Great mall!!

  34. Kris Henry says:

    When i was a teen, i loved the summit ! York steak house, midnight movies, Leons. In my mid 20’s i would put my baby in the stroller and spend all day there, in the winter. there were beautiful trees & plants, fountains !!! now, i go down on porter road to get my Leons pizza, but always sad about the mall closing !

  35. C dunn says:

    Lol there were the old men reading papers smoking cigars ahh and the boat shows with my dad were fun

  36. Lindsey says:

    Loved the mall as a child.. and on through the teenage years.. Loved going to the movies in the mall.. Shopping at Claire’s ..having pizza at Leon’s.. Recordtown… The sunkin pit in the middle of the mall..the fountain…Such amazing memories…

  37. Anonymous says:

    I worked at Jenes.

  38. Anonymous says:

    That was the best mall, I think the last time I was there was in the 90’s..

  39. Debbie Doyle says:

    Wow, so many memories, thanks Greg Arnone for the mention of TJ Doyle’s, so many people still mention it was the ” best” place to work. Opened March 21st 1986 and cclosed September 21st 1997. Forest City definetly had their problems. I think I could write a book, on my tenure at the mall. St. Patrick’s Day, and Christmas Eve shoppers were my favorites. Thanks for the memories!
    Debbie Doyle

  40. Monica White says:

    White’s Shoes!!!

  41. Anonymous says:

    I managed the McCrory Store in the late 80’s

  42. Anonymous says:

    I remember mom taking me and my sister there. We used to eat at Chicago Hot Dog which was in the Picnic. This was around 1991/92 and I was 15. Z Cavarraci and Skidz were in and that’s the clothes I bought from Merry Go Round and DeJaiz which was across the aisle.

    I remember how busy the mall would get around Christmas. It was a pretty.

    As I got older we occassionaly skipped school and went to the mall. (1994)

    I took dates to Ruby Tuesday, or we just walked around.(1996)

    I worked security at JL Hudson’s in 1998.

    One thing I’ll never forget, Dad took me to Montgomery Ward with him. I was about 7 and some brutha tried to run out the door with a kerosene heater but was caught by security.

    I walked around Summit Place Mall last year. It is a mess.

    • Anonymous says:

      Are you sure you’re thinking of the right mall? I don’t think ruby Tuesdays was ever at the summit park mall and in 1998 it was over half empty. I’ve lived here my whole life and don’t remember it….

    • Anonymous says:

      There has never been a Montgomery ward store in that mall!

    • Anonymous says:

      I think you’re thinking of the Lockport mall. Montgomery ward and Ruby Tuesdays were never at the summit.

  43. Liz M says:

    I worked at several stores at the mall – but the most unusual experience was while working at child world during the blizzard of 1977. We were stranded at the store for several days. Had great fun riding the trikes, playing the games and eating for free in the mall!

  44. Liz M. says:

    Hey – Bill Duthe – Liz (Betty) Marsicano here. Remember being stranded there during the blizzard of 1977?? What an unforgettable experience that was!

    • Anonymous says:

      Bill Duthe was my Grandpa and I remember this story being told

    • Bill Duthe says:

      Sure do Liz, and it was unforgettable. I remember getting the Dist. Mgr. springing for food from the Food Factory, Playing Risk until3 in the morning, getting liquor flavored candies from Hickory Farms, and watching that evenings episode of “Roots”. Do you remember Rick B washing his hair and then stepping out in the wind and it freezing into spikes? What a trip that was!

      • Anonymous says:

        Yeah. I remember all that plus playing Pong, riding trikes, silly string and crazy foam. It was like a country club vacation!

  45. Amy Lilienthal says:

    I miss that mall so much .The bridge was the spot were you would always meet your friends to shop and hang out .Loved Clairs and Spensers and Merry go round Loved the 80s . Those pics really took me back Thank you !

  46. Colleen says:

    :) The “McCrory’s Restaurant”, as you call it, was actually named The Highlander Restaurant. Miss that mall!

  47. Anonymous says:

    I miss that mall!!

  48. Anonymous says:

    What a great walk down memory lane!! Thank you for sharing such great pics!!!

  49. Pat says:

    Too many memories to mention! My dear uncle Fred you recently passed away used to tell us how he hunted where the mall was when it was farmland. Like pretty much everyone who grew up in Niagara during the 70s and 80s, the Summit Mall was the place we went to hang out on weekends, shop for whatever, go to the movies (unless you went to Four Seasons or the Jerry Lewis Theater), play video games, eat Leon’s Pizza, and so on. My first memory of the mall is seeing the lines of people waiting to watch Star Wars. I was only 6 and can still picture the lines stretching out of the Summit Mall Cinema. When the mall opened in the morning, there were always a bunch of older people getting in their morning walk. On weekends, it got crowded by 11, and as teens in 88, me and a few friends would sit in the chairs near the fountain, people watch (there goes Steven Keaton’s evil twin (as in the Family Ties Stephen Keaton)…There goes your mom on a bad day…etc.), and try to throw pennies up onto some sort of shelf that hung from the ceiling. We had to watch for the Condinos who knew us from NC! Was there recently and shopped at Sears. So radically different, one would never guess all of the memories, conversations, and life that happened at the mall in the past.

  50. Duane Brown says:

    I have worked at Kay Bee Toys at the Summit Park Mall From July 1992 until the final days of early January 2002. I miss working there with a bunch of great friends…Always had a ton of fun there with a lot of laughs.

  51. tom says:

    I remember the Summit Park Mall during the 70’s and 80’s when it was full of stores and busy, especially during holiday seasons. It was a great place to go if simply just to walk around and ‘people watch’. I remember the York Steak House, Spencer Gifts, Waldenbooks, and the mall cinema. If memory serves correctly there was also a small Delaware Camera store there where I purchased a camera lens and some filters (for 35 mm SLR film cameras so that gives an idea of how long ago that was!). There was also great entertainment on weekends with school groups, pet shows, etc.
    The last time the Mall center was open, one could stand at one end, look down the entire center to Sears and not see another person. (now the center part is closed)
    You could see the demise of that mall happening bit by bit over the years. Now the only ‘major’ retailers there are Sears at one end and Bon-Ton at the other (and I have a feeling they will be gone soon as well)
    So sad what has happened to that mall..lots of good memories there.

  52. Anonymous says:

    Whites shoes!

  53. Linda. Cooley LaChase says:

    I remember taking my daughter there as a baby in the late 70’s and shopping with her and for her till we moved to Ct . Sure do miss the variety of stores and food. My Mom had her church bazaar every fall, selling home made everything. You could say we grew up there and loved it all.

  54. Sylvia Virtuoso says:

    Great memories of the Summit Park Mall! So exciting when it first opened to take the bus from Downtown to the mall, feeling so “grown up” as a teenager! The Niagara County Builders Home Show was a great start to build our business clientele base, spending a week with a display, meeting so many wonderful future customers. Taking my babies for walks there and as they grew up would go with their grandparents! So sad to see it in it’s present condition, but all things change, we learn to accept the change. When I read the negative comments from the people who have left really breaks my heart, this is where we call “home” and some of us have made a good living, raised our families and no matter what still have a love for our roots with our families and great friends. Some struggle through just so they could be with their family, a priority in some peoples lives, so sorry to have others put our “home” down. I’m happy that others found paradise in other places, everyone deserves happiness and good fortune, but just please don’t put “ours” down, it really is our choice to stay “home”!

  55. Anonymous says:

    Sitting at Jenss people watching. Eating at York steak house was a treat. Buying IOU sweatshirts at Merry go Round. My first job at watch works.

  56. jill geist says:

    I remember Claires B. where you could get real cheap earrings. Having a special date going to the movies. Lastly running into Jim L. after being away for a couple of years and really slimmed down. We had lunch together. Mr. Condino taught health at Lew Port and his brother and him ran security in the mall. I have been away for almost 34 years and everytime I go back the changes are just mind blowing.

  57. Anonymous says:

    Summitt mall those were the days!!!

  58. Anonymous says:

    I remember always wanting to sit in the “sunken pit” in the middle of the mall. We got both of our dogs at Dokter Pet.

  59. I worked at Spencer’s in the early 90’s… learning french at Reszel Junior High in NT helped with dealing with all the French-Canadiens at the mall. My favorite was always Tijauna Taco, but I remember going as a kid to the restaurant near the middle with my family… what was that? Ponderosa? I remember waiting in the long line and looking thru the wooden spindles at all the people eating their steak and salads. I think at about 6th grade was when mom would actually drop me off to go to the movies with my friends… you weren’t cool unless you could go there alone with your friends and stalk the boys! Then we’d hang out by the sunken seated area, go throw pennies in the fountain or check out the pets at the pet store.

  60. Anonymous says:

    So many childhood memories in the 80s. My friends and I would ride our bikes up which was about 45 minutes each way. Play at the arcade, buy cassette tapes, eat at Leon’s Pizza ams get cookies at Original Cookie Company. Spent many an afternoon their and it’s depressing to see the way it is now. I am glad we had those great days way back when.

  61. Anonymous says:

    Lynn’s Hallmark, the place to go for cards and collectibles.

  62. Steve Mezhir says:

    Thank God I left NFNY for good in 1985…My Mother (who still lives in Lewiston) told my Father (rest his soul) at the Buffalo Airport in 1985…”he’s never coming home”…she was right…based on the comments here from all of the “anonymous” who are cowards, is it any wonder? I am proud of growing up in NFNY, and spending countless hours wasting time there…but, Mom was right…I never went home…and that’s why Summit Park Mall is what it is today…too many of us who grew up there never went home…for those of you who never left…I respect you…to put up with confiscatory taxation and no representation in Albany…I couldn’t live under the conditions you do…that’s why nobody goes TO Buffalo…everyone is FROM Buffalo…good luck…maybe you can turn the mall into a casino or slot racing track…If you’re lucky, you’ll discover oil under it…but the Cuomo Admin won’t let you extract it because they’re demagogues…and buy into the fable that is global warming and environmentalism…have fun paying your confiscatory tax rates while your children learn nothing in school…CHEERS!

    • I love when people that no longer live in the area keep it alive and well with the negativity. I have since moved on, but am proud of where I’m from and go back often to visit. There are plenty of good things going on in WNY, as well as development and it’s because of the dedication and drive of others. People don’t need to hear what’s wrong with the area, they need to hear what’s right.

      • Craig E. Avery says:

        Hey Stacy, you hit it on the head. Most comments on this topic were positive. The trend in negative comments regardless of the topic is those who offer them are usually trying to justify their own lackluster life performance. Those who criticize the efforts or success of another do so to convince themselves their own failure is justified. But how sad to have to be miserable in a place when you don’t have the brains or the balls to move out.

    • Monia Earl says:

      NF has never been and never will reach it’s full potential, Just look across the bridge and see what could have been. I grew up on Pierce ave but now I wouldn’t drive down the same street in a hummer with the doors locked and bullet proof glass. I am ashamed to be from here because the people we have elected to build our city have done nothing but line their own pockets. Look at the NEW hammister hotel. There are several nice hotels and a casino/hotel that they can’t fill to capacity but this luxury hotel is getting tax break after tax break… I feel bad for those who stayed, invested in NF where they are selling city lots for 500.00 I hope the citizens get together and take back the city and return it to its glory and more.

  63. Anonymous says:

    Don’t forget Lynn’s Hallmark Store next to Rite Aid.

  64. Anonymous says:

    Worked a lot of places at the Summit over the years. While in High School I worked at Spencer Gifts during the Christmas Holiday Season (loads of fun), and then Ulbrich’s while in College, then worked at Shears at Sears Hair Salon before I went away to University. I knew loads of Store Managers and employees from all over the Mall, it was like a little city. Sometimes I miss the 80’s, then I snap out of it. LOL. You met people at the Mall, you went to dinner at the Mall, or a Movie, or just hung out at the Mall, you did not just go there to BUY stuff, that was usually an afterthought.

  65. Anonymous says:

    What about the Movie Theater in the mall?

  66. Marcia says:

    My father was an avid hunter and for years he hunted in the area where the Summit Park Mall was built – we lived just a few minutes away from that location. He was none-too-happy when construction began on the mall. My mom and my sisters and I, however, couldn’t have been happier. For years in our teens way back in the 70s, my sister and I would either walk or ride our bikes to the mall and hang out for hours on end. I was a huge music fan and whenever I’d save up enough allowance or had birthday money enough to buy a record, we’d head right away to Recordland. We also spent a lot of time in Spencers and Lerners and at The Snack Bar – and at the “pit” as we called it (an open sitting area with benches and plants that you took a step or two down into to enter). My Mom was a big fan of Hens & Kelly’s and also of Jenss. My youngest sister loved The Gap. My very first job in 1977 or 1978 was at York Steak House.The Summit was the best mall ever for Christmas shopping. So many great Summit memories! I miss how comfortable and convenient it was!

  67. Anonymous says:

    You forgot pleasure and pastimes. The craft store by Sears

  68. donna says:

    I remember that mall well I worked at Great Expectations hair salon for over 2 years so sad that it is not there anymore alot of good stores there and remember the steak house had the best steak.

  69. Anonymous says:

    oh the many boyscouts/cubscouts mall shows miss those days!

  70. Anonymous says:

    I worked at York Steak House and at Rite-Aid. I would use my babysitting money to go shopping at McCrory’s.

  71. Debbi says:

    Mom, that was a couple years later – at least 1984-85. Regal Shoes was gone my the time One Hour Photo went in.

  72. Marilyn says:

    This was absolutely my favorite mall. It had great stores and you could walk around and visit all of them easily. No one has mentioned the One Hour Photo place. My daughter was working there when the air show was on and two of the planes crashed. Everyone rushed over to get their photos printed quickly.

  73. robin cain says:

    as a child i remember running down the ramp that let into the movie theater…

  74. Pete Zelakiewicz says:

    too many memories. riding bikes with friends up to the mall to either play games in the arcade or just walk around and chill. once i started driving when i was 18 we would go there all the time to eat in the food court,hang with friends and every week i would buy a new cd with my paycheck at either Camelot Music or Record Town. Shopping for christmas gifts was fun too.

  75. Anonymous says:

    Dee! I saw. You!

  76. Anonymous says:

    This was so sad to see all the wonderful stores and restaurants that the Summit Mall housed. What the hell happened? So many people employed there, all lost because of greed. Now, with more people living in Wheatfield than ever, we need our mall back again!

    • Steve Mezhir says:

      Can you be more specific about the “Greed” anonymous? I’m trying to wrap my mind around the “Greed”, but I don’t see how “Greed” was ever evident at Summit Park Mall…

  77. Gary says:

    How about NW marching band practice in the parking? I can remember sometimes being freezing cold when practices took place in November or December and wanting to go home and hearing Wally Goodman, ever the perfectionist, yelling “One more time!”

  78. Betty says:

    That mall was very important to my parents. While they visited quite often, after my Dad got cancer, Mom and Dad went to the Mall every day for lunch at Leon’s until the day he died. I hate to see it not being used. My parents also ate at the $5 & 10 where John always was having them try his new recipes. Those were the days!

  79. Greg Arnone says:

    You forgot about T.J. Doyles resturant. It was located in the front right corner by Bon Ton. I worked there for years.

  80. Anonymous says:

    I still have no idea why the mall closed. So many people loved it and it always seemed to do well. So much better than the fashion outlets.

  81. anita says:

    as a teenager, my first time left alone with my friends was being dropped off at the summit mall to shop. i remember shopping for my school clothes, getting sneakers every school year at sears with my mom, people watching sitting in front of jenss, going to see the cute dogs at the pet store, counting those stamps for hens & kelly and taking my grandmother to her favorite restaurant, the york steak house.

  82. chris says:

    I worked for the wall I remember working a lot of nights pulling out them fountains.

  83. Kathy Moraca Ligammari says:

    Wow, I forgot about a lot of those stores. The Limited was the Mecca for my friends & I.

  84. Anonymous says:

    I missed this Mall. I work just got job at Hungry Herman and work for a week and have to quick, I got call to work for Harrison Radiator. I got most my clothes at Merry Go Around and Carol’s and also the Limited. York Steak House is stilled the best steak house around.

  85. Kathy johns says:

    I worked at Kinney shoes in high school in the late 70’s :) also at the movie theatre around that time for a very short time

  86. BETH MC says:

    Loved All the Decorations at the Holidays and the Train! I got my ears pierced at Hens and Kelly’s! A lot of Great memories as a kids :)
    The Best Memories!

  87. Anonymous says:

    Such a same!! The Factory outlet mall has nothing on this mall!!! Great memories there!!!

  88. William Duthe says:

    Hey Bill, Good to hear from a fellow refugee from “The World”. One of the fondest memories, could always count on the girls from the “Food Factory ” for that extra large ice cream cone.

  89. Wanda Putnam says:

    I can hardly believe it , but 39 years ago today I started working at The Sample. Worked with some great people, many of which I remember with much fondness. The store was very well stocked, and we had a great relationship with Summit Park management. I’ll always remember going to the mall with anticipation!!

    • marybeth paytash says:

      Hi Wanda, I worked at Sample in the 80’s. Peter cCmmaratta was the manager then.
      I too have fond memories with Linda Tanzella in the Jr Dept,..changing the mannequins and laughing hysterically.. Many many fond memories. Great bunch to work with!
      Some others I remember were Shirley Jagow,, Mrs Bono,, Bess in the office, etc.

  90. Anonymous says:

    Omg some of the best saturdays of my life were spent here! My 1st ever job was at Recordland

  91. Anonymous says:

    I worked at Sears from 1988 to 1990 and the Mall was packed almost every night. Canadians were coming over in droves. I was a commissioned salesman in the phone, computer, etc Departmant making mad $$$. I made $400 just on Columbus Day/Canadian Thanksgiving alone! Christmas time 1988 it was so crowded on Saturday nights I thought I was in new York or Toronto. God how they’ve destroyed this city!!

  92. Billie-Jo Snyder says:

    I worked at Waldenbooks in the 80’s. Also performed in the food court as a student of Glen Tilyou.

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