Hi there, I had the opportunity to visit Bayfair Center again yesterday.
I had to replace my old cell phone because it wouldn't hold a charge anymore. I had to go to the AT&T store at the mall. The store at East 14th and Juana didn't have the model I needed. So I had to make the trek across town.
When I got to the Mall I was thinking how much it has changed since I was a child. I remember having lunch at the Woolworth's lunch counter. The grilled cheese sandwich at the lunchcounter was always just great comfort food.
Back then Woolworth's was near the location of the current mall entrance to Kohl's Department Store. Woolworth's opened up to the open air walkway.
During the 1970s the open air walkway and center court escalators were enclosed in to the mall.
I remember the Rollerrina Roller Rink that was located in the parking lot near the Century theaters along East 14th Street. It was fun to roll around the rink to the music. The Rink was old back then and not nearly as nice as the newer Golden Skate out in Dublin.
Out near the Roller Rink was also a Golf Driving Range.
Near the 159th avenue entrance to the Bayfair Bart Station was the Go-Kart track. That was fun to do, It was neat to rev up the little lawn mower engines and race your buddies. It was nothing fancy like the Malibu Grand Prix.
Anyway back to the mall memories. The were lots of stores that were there that aren't now. Knott's Berry Farm had a store in the mall selling jams and jellies. The Knott's store looked like one of the buildings at the ghost town section of Knott's Berry Farm amusement park. Dryer's Grand Ice Cream had an Ice Cream Parlour on the outside of the mall near the current Target store. The Dryer's Grand Ice Cream Parlour was much like a Farrell's Ice Cream Parlour but it served Dryer's Ice Cream. When Dryer's closed down, the Kasper's Hot Dogs that was near the Bart and Hesperian Boulveard move into a portion of the Dryer's location.
Out where Kasper's, Bayfair Bowling Alley and the Montgomery Ward's Automotive Center was is now located the 24 Hour Fitness and Pets Smart.
Out where the Fashion Center is now (Pier 1) was the Drive-In Movie theater.
Target replaced the two story Montgomery Ward's store that occupied the same location. It was a great store that had just about everything that you were looking for.
