Old Malls in or Near Calgary

[Reaper]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

The mall in Camrose feels very old school

Is it still called Duggan Mall? That was such a small town type mall name.

[Regular_John]

Originally Posted by troutman

That mall in Lake Bonavista has ancient vibe (don't tell Sliver).

https://bonavistapromenade.ca/

I love that dirt mall.

Pre-COVID we’d get our massages at the spa up stairs, then after 60 minutes in a calm candle lit room we’d be eased out of our post massage stupor by strolling around in 1989 for a while.

Why is there two stores devoted to funko pop figures?
Why is the consignment store always having a “one weekend only” sale... and yet folks are always lined up?
How the heck does that wig store stay in business?
Is the dim sum any good? Maybe one day we’ll try it, but lets do Brewsters again.

[Bill Bumface]

What's Beddington Mall like these days? I haven't been there since the 90's, but I'd be surprised if it changed much.

I can't hear "old mall" and not think of the mall in Huntington, just up off of 64 Ave. NW that had the All-West in it... dented cans only! What a weird weird spot for a mall that was.

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by jaydorn

I love that dirt mall.

Pre-COVID we’d get our massages at the spa up stairs, then after 60 minutes in a calm candle lit room we’d be eased out of our post massage stupor by strolling around in 1989 for a while.

Why is there two stores devoted to funko pop figures?
Why is the consignment store always having a “one weekend only” sale... and yet folks are always lined up?
How the heck does that wig store stay in business?
Is the dim sum any good? Maybe one day we’ll try it, but lets do Brewsters again.

Jeans Addiction. That store is amazing. I buy all my jeans there - super expensive designer jeans for $60 each and you can't tell them apart from brand new. So much selection, too, and the staff are super helpful in getting you the best fitting jeans. Anybody who goes there becomes evangelical about it...there's just no better spot to buy jeans anywhere.

[Misterpants]

Originally Posted by Sliver

Jeans Addiction. That store is amazing. I buy all my jeans there - super expensive designer jeans for $60 each and you can't tell them apart from brand new. So much selection, too, and the staff are super helpful in getting you the best fitting jeans. Anybody who goes there becomes evangelical about it...there's just no better spot to buy jeans anywhere.

That's because the owner is the Rain Man of jeans. She spins you around and tells you what your exact size and fit should be and tells you why the jeans you are currently wearing make you look like the homeless lady from Home Alone 2.

The mall has so many other amazing peculiarities. The Travel Lady has her office there. There is a printer cartridge refill shop and it is one of the biggest and best store fronts in the mall. All for $12 cartridge refills.

[Regular_John]

The service at the game trader is also widely inconsistent.

I went in there one day with an old Super Nintendo and a stack of games, expecting to walk out with $15 and $4.15 in store credit, ended up getting around $60 cash even though they rejected the Nintendo due to some damage on one of the ports.

A few months later I went in with a stack of xbox 360 game and was offered nothing, not even store credit.

I’m not complaining actually, that’s exactly the type of Kevin Smith clerks service I want from 1989.

[Misterpants]

Originally Posted by jaydorn

The service at the game trader is also widely inconsistent.

I went in there one day with an old Super Nintendo and a stack of games, expecting to walk out with $15 and $4.15 in store credit, ended up getting around $60 cash even though they rejected the Nintendo due to some damage on one of the ports.

A few months later I went in with a stack of xbox 360 game and was offered nothing, not even store credit.

I’m not complaining actually, that’s exactly the type of Kevin Smith clerks service I want from 1989.

Yeah one employee will literally walk around the store with you and your kids explaining each game and what it's like and asking what they like and then the next employee seems pissed off to have to talk to someone who doesn't do speed runs of Mario.

[Swift]

Originally Posted by jaydorn

I love that dirt mall.

Pre-COVID we’d get our massages at the spa up stairs, then after 60 minutes in a calm candle lit room we’d be eased out of our post massage stupor by strolling around in 1989 for a while.

Why is there two stores devoted to funko pop figures?
Why is the consignment store always having a “one weekend only” sale... and yet folks are always lined up?
How the heck does that wig store stay in business?
Is the dim sum any good? Maybe one day we’ll try it, but lets do Brewsters again.

I don't remember two Funko stores, I think one is the comic book shop? I believe they're both owned by the same person. I think maybe the same guy who runs the video game store?

[Regular_John]

Originally Posted by Swift

I don't remember two Funko stores, I think one is the comic book shop? I believe they're both owned by the same person. I think maybe the same guy who runs the video game store?

Yeah I’m being a little hyperbolic. There’s one store that is 100% funko pop figures... but I feel like the comic book stores front display is 60-80% funko pop and even the game trader may have a few if I’m remembering correct.

I guess what I’m saying is the saturation of funko pop figures in that tiny mall feels like Starbucks locations in Seattle. The isn’t literally 3 on every block, it just feels like it.

[Mazrim]

Originally Posted by jaydorn

The service at the game trader is also widely inconsistent.

I went in there one day with an old Super Nintendo and a stack of games, expecting to walk out with $15 and $4.15 in store credit, ended up getting around $60 cash even though they rejected the Nintendo due to some damage on one of the ports.

A few months later I went in with a stack of xbox 360 game and was offered nothing, not even store credit.

It doesn't sound unreasonable. Why would they take your 360 games when they have a mountain of them that no one wants to buy? There's a reason the Super Nintendo games are in a locked shelf and the 360 games are out in the open.

[Regular_John]

Originally Posted by Mazrim

It doesn't sound unreasonable. Why would they take your 360 games when they have a mountain of them that no one wants to buy? There's a reason the Super Nintendo games are in a locked shelf and the 360 games are out in the open.

Well not all of us follow the used game market as closely as others.

For all I know one of the Super Nintendo games was worth $150 on eBay, or they dug the system out of their recycling bin 30 seconds after I left and refurbished it with a $2 part.

Just let me have my chuckle at my adventures in the dirt mall. I’m not trying to be reasonable.

[darockwilder]

Originally Posted by Tabaracci_31

Let the record show that I had an adult McDonald’s birthday party at Cold Garden in October 2019. I had a legit kids one in the Glenmore Landing McDonald’s in the early 90’s. Thought it would be fun to bring it back, adult style. Birthdays are kind of ridiculous as an adult, and I like to embrace that. My wife and I went all out, getting a bunch of McDonalds pins and Happy Meal toys from Crossroads Market. The Grimace and Hamburglar pins went fast among my friends. On an unrelated note, McNuggets and IPA’s are a lethal combination...

I’ve been checking out these malls on Google. I’m familiar with most of the Calgary ones but there’s some nice surprises. That mall in Camrose is wild! Of everywhere I’ve looked at, it’s the closest to what I want. That movie theatre!! As someone who grew up right by Chinook Mall in the 90’s, these posts are giving me a chuckle. I have a musical side project (surfy garage rock) that I’m calling Easy Street as an ode to the arcade. Thanks again for all your posts. Really grateful for this community. I can’t believe I almost posted about this on Facebook instead.

Easy Street! I was just trying to remember the name of that place on the weekend, and now I have it thanks to you. Pretty sure there was one in Sunridge too, or somewhere in the NE.

[Leondros]

Originally Posted by Mass_nerder

That's all 90s postmodern

Shows how limited my architectural knowledge is - felt late 80s to me.

[topfiverecords]

I'm so tempted to take a day off and go tour all these malls I've never been in.

[surferguy]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

The mall in Camrose feels very old school

Good ole Duggan Mall! Grew up shopping in that Mecca of classic Canadiana. San Francisco, Zellers and a Wizards Castle!

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by Bill Bumface

What's Beddington Mall like these days? I haven't been there since the 90's, but I'd be surprised if it changed much.

I can't hear "old mall" and not think of the mall in Huntington, just up off of 64 Ave. NW that had the All-West in it... dented cans only! What a weird weird spot for a mall that was.

We must have grown up in the same area
That All West mall also had a bowling alley and a gear pizza place (Venice House) I think
Beddington Mall now has the two anchors (london drugs and Safeway) some medical stuff and not much else

[Joborule]

Originally Posted by surferguy

Good ole Duggan Mall! Grew up shopping in that Mecca of classic Canadiana. San Francisco, Zellers and a Wizards Castle!

Oh ####! San Francisco! A blast from my youth days in Marlborough Mall!

Does that chain still have any stores open?

[PaperBagger'14]

Midnapore mall is still the same dump it was back in 2001, pretty sure the smell of Value Village still permeates the entire mall

[troutman]

I remember when there was a K-Mart on Elbow Drive.

Woolco on Macleod and Southland.

Woodwards at Chinook.

[dirk diggler]

Originally Posted by troutman

I remember when there was a K-Mart on Elbow Drive.

Woolco on Macleod and Southland.

Woodwards at Chinook.

and a Woolworths at Chinook. i prefer the simplicity of the old chinook with Sears at the one end. ahhh good times