Submitted by intothemyersverse t3_z5crwx in newjersey
This is another another one of my favorite malls, and due to the huge response of my my last post about East Brunswick Mall I figured I’d start another one with Woodbridge Mall of what has changed and what hasn’t. What used to be where some places stand today? Any and all responses are greatly appreciated!
That sounds cool!!
They found a bunch of really odd carved figurines on site in the clay pits that were there just prior to the malls construction. People still aren't really sure where they came from - Woodbridge Clay Pit Figurines.
I do remember this, and I believe Weird NJ covered it in an old issue.
One of the key features (or lack there of) is that the mall was built before the advent of the food court, and hasn’t ever been renovated to include one. So that’s why you’ve got all these fast food places scattered about the mall.
..Huh. You're right. I've been to that mall a hundred times and never realized that.
I worked there back in the early to mid 1990s. Place was packed at this time of year, super busy. It was easily the king of Central NJ malls in its day.
I concur. This place was packed during the holiday season. Shoppers all day long with the parking lot filled.
Now it's a shell of its former self with 2 of the 4 anchor store locations empty.
A shoplifter who took a hostage was shot and killed by police in Sears 10 years ago
For a while in the 80s, I made sure to stop at the corn dog “store” as much as possible.
At one point, it has not one, but two KB Toys. The upstairs one was definitely the crummier one.
hoodbridge used to be the mall. even after menlo park was rebuilt in 1991, hoodbridge was the place to go. now it's basically on life support. it still looks like the 1980s in there. they've given up most of the space to d&b and the aquarium. it's a very different world for this mall these days.
I was just doing some research last week and found these upper and lower level maps from when the Hahne's/Fortunoff/Boscov's wing opened in 1978. This cool ad from Christmas 1990 also shows what stores were in the mall at the time. (All of these should be able to be downloaded in full resolution!)
When Woodbridge Center opened in the early 70's, the 3 anchor department stores were Abraham & Strauss, Stern's and Ohrbach's. The expansion later added 2 more anchor stores - Hahne's and JC Penney.
In its early days, Woodbridge Center was quite spectacular with numerous fountains and waterfalls throughout the mall. The center court had a gorgeous criss-cross fountain. When the expansion opened, another amazing fountain was located by the escalators by Penny's that shot a column of water almost 30 feet high.
It's really a shame that multiple renovations stripped out a lot of the elements that made Woodbridge Center the premiere mall in Central Jersey.
They had a nice arcade in the 80's. Spent many quarters there.
I miss the Nestle Toll House cookie shop outside Boscov's.
Used to be a game room store in the mall that sold things from card games to tabletop games to mini bars and pool tables.
my friend used to have a coffee shop there coffee beanery
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Spaceport was awesome!!!
What is spaceport?
Video game arcade. It was sort of like a little casino, but with video games, when they were all the rage.
treskro t1_ixveh7i wrote
they used to have a fortunoff with a cool model train display during the holidays that ran through the entire store