Broadway Mall; Hicksville, New York
The Broadway Mall is one of the largest–and perhaps strangest–malls on Long Island. The mall opened in the 1956 on the site of a former boys’ orphanage as the open-air Mid-Island Plaza. The Hicksville area of Long Island was in the middle of a building and population boom at the time, as residents were flocking to the suburbs in great numbers. Some of the largest strictly suburban areas on the entire east coast are located in the vicinity of the center, including archetypal post-war suburbs like Levittown and Hempstead (which, with over 700,000 people, is the second most populous census-designated place in New York State).
The original Mid-Island Plaza consisted of 10 buildings and 8,000 parking spaces. The center’s main anchor, Gertz, was a local store from downtown Jamaica Queens who opened a major outpost in Hicksville to follow the population trends. Gertz’ 5-story, 300,000 square foot store dominated the center’s original design, and its rumored that this store is the tallest suburban department store ever built. At some point the mall also was home to an EJ Korvette’s store. The mall was even structured with an underground tunnel (still in use today) that allowed deliveries to be made directly to the stores underneath the mall. The Mid-Island Plaza was being enclosed in 1968 (and perhaps renamed at the same time?), then renovated again in 1989 and 1995. Gertz Department Stores parent company, Allied, united the Gertz stores under the Stern’s banner in the 1980s before becoming a Macy’s in 2001. The mall’s website offers a bit of its history.
The Broadway Mall is located only a few miles from Roosevelt Field Mall, the largest mall in all of New York state and one of the largest on the entire eastern seaboard. As a result, it has an interesting feel and has an unusual store roster. The center is shaped like an “H”, with Macy’s at one of the junctions. Its other two anchors are a Target (which had been a JCPenney very briefly from 1999 to 2001 or 2002) and an IKEA, making for one of the stranger rosters of anchor stores of any mall in the northeast. Broadway Mall also boasts Steve & Barry’s University Sportswear, H&M, Old Navy, and a movie theatre as junior anchors. I’m not entirely sure what the IKEA or Target stores were initially, but the mall did boast EJ Korvette’s as one of its original anchors. Korvette’s stores tended to have large footprints, so it’s possible that IKEA took this space after the mall’s major redevelopment in 1995.
MallsofAmerica has some really cool photos of the Broadway Mall during its Mid-Island Plaza days, and our photos were all taken in May of 2007. I’ve been to this mall many times since 1999 (until 2004, this IKEA was the closest one to Boston) and it hasn’t changed much in that time, beyond when Target replaced JCPenney at the rear anchor. The imposing, humungous Macy’s store is certainly a highlight here, as is the cavernous center court and the strange way the food court is cantilevered onto a second level. But really, Broadway Mall is most interesting as an example of how a second-tier mall that would normally be crowded out by larger siblings is able to hang on with some less-than-traditional anchor stores and make out just fine.
on June 23rd, 2007 at 2:23 pm
I haven’t seen pictures of this place since it was enclosed. It’s a good looking mall. Very open and airy, and IKEA having a mall entrance is very unusual. Gotta love the Macy’s, too. It’s massive.
on June 23rd, 2007 at 4:27 pm
IKEA has had other stores with mall entrances, such as Potomac Mills outside of DC (later relocated to an outparcel, with the old store converted to more, smaller shops). Usually, they seem to prefer being close to, but not in malls as in Atlantic Station in Atlanta or White Marsh outside of Baltimore.
BTW, Hempstead looks like it had already been flocked-to by WWII. .For many years, it had a very successful freestanding A&S in its main street-like downtown. That store went up in the early/mid-50s.
The combo of original stores sounds odd now, but early shopping centers were seen as gambles and some chains still built freestanding suburban stores until well into the 50s. A low end discounter could never have gotten into a major center, but low end full-line stores (Federal’s, Wasson’s, Goldblatt’s, etc.) often were the first to go to the ‘burbs and sometimes even wound up being paired with rather upscale stores. EJ Korvette was a step above the primitive, often shoddy early discount stores and would have been acceptable as a co-anchor for a less than upscale, regional department store.
Posters have complained about “industrial” design, but I like the simple, light-filled enclosure
on June 23rd, 2007 at 8:50 pm
It hurts to see the boring look of this place today in contrast to that vintage photo. Nothing new there.
About Stern’s, I was first exposed to them as an estranged Connecticut native when my brother attended Stony Brook Univ. In the early 2000s, we made some trips to the surrounding malls but most notably SmithHaven Mall which retained its 1980’s vintage and closed Stern’s for years before they decided to axe it for a lifestyle addition and subsequent remodel (which I was caught right in the midst of in 2006). Even then, the place looked out-of-time which explains why Broadway Mall’s former husk looks the way it does. The former Stern’s here reminds me of some newage sarcophagus yet its the only hearken to earlier times.
Also, a different looking, albeit mallside Target here, I’d like to further note how Target stores seem to have more flexibility with inside mall entrances than the homogenous designs they’ve unveiled in stand-alone store past waves. Target seems to be the more daring discounter to operate inside malls unlike its critically spotlit rival, Wal-Mart who astonished some with its own, rare inside mall accessible Wal-Mart over at the Sunrise Mall (which replaced a Stern’s) in Massapequa.
Let me bring to light the question: Wal-Mart or Target? Who has more inclusive mall locations? Whatever the result, both stores who typically enter malls are set out to save their anchorage likely due to the larger malls who are killing them off around them.
Don’t know why, but I’m interested by these malls out on L.I. Keep ‘em coming.
on June 24th, 2007 at 3:33 pm
Was the JCPenney turned Target “new” construction to the mall? Or, did something exist in that building prior to the JCPenney?
on June 24th, 2007 at 3:34 pm
One source told me that Penney’s used to be Korvette’s, but someone else told me that Korvette’s sat empty for a LONG time before it was torn down for IKEA.
In any event, Penney’s was torn down for Target.
on June 26th, 2007 at 10:45 am
When the mall expanded in 1995 the new wing went out to IKEA’s entry. The store under the food court first was NOBODY BEATS THE WIZ a ny area electronics retailer. Then it was sam goody, now it is rosewood home. Strange though the broadway moltiplex wich is 12 years old& does not have stadium seating. Then again in Nassau County the only theatre that has statium is ua westbury 12 near Westbury music fair.
on June 26th, 2007 at 9:33 pm
As I recall from my childhood the Korvettes was originally an S Klein store. Korvettes eventually took over this location. The store stood roughly in the area where the Ikea is now, and I think it was 2 stories. The building was demolished in order to build the Ikea.
I remember the mall kind of decaying in the 1970’s when newer malls like the “Sunrise Mall” were built. Eventually though they turned it around. I think the presence of Ikea and Target have really helped in that regard.
Across the street from Broadway mall is a very large Sears store. It opened around 1964 and for many years was one of the largest Sears locations in the east. I think it’s still the busiest Sears on Long Island.
on June 26th, 2007 at 10:28 pm
So Korvette’s stood empty for like 20 years? Or did Ikea open in the 1980s?
on June 27th, 2007 at 12:21 pm
I forgot to ad this mall is unique in that there is no li bus service direct to the mall. One must take the LIRR to Hicksville.Once you get off the train it is a challenging walk south on Broadway. There is a 4 lane road that is next to imposible to cross because nobody stops at the stop signs. Although this road whose name i cant recall the li bus 22 stops here & it is 2 blocks south through a residential stree
It is amazing how Broadway mall remains full dispite that roosevelt field is only 7 miles west. But Sunrise mall & Green Acers mall on Sunrise Highway are nothing to write home about.
Give me Roosevelt Field or give me traffic!
ha ha!
on July 1st, 2007 at 1:16 pm
This Mall Reminds Me of the Northwest Plaza that was posted earlier, especially the mall entrance. The corridors also remind me of the mall as well. Anyone agree with me?
on July 2nd, 2007 at 11:39 pm
How many floors is that Macy’s? It’s huge.
on July 3rd, 2007 at 9:32 am
5-story.
on July 6th, 2007 at 7:22 pm
ikea opened in 1991 or 1992.
the korvette’s later became a movie theater — when korvette’s originally was in the mall, a two-screen theater (known as the ‘twin theater) was where the ikea was later located, and it later expanded into a multiplex. from what i remember, the rear korvette’s area was vacant for a long time; now, most of the former korvette’s store is actually made up of the food court/multiplex (which took over the top floor of the renovated north wing in the mid-’90s)/steve & barry’s.
on July 6th, 2007 at 7:24 pm
also, the food court, when it was first built, was originally located where the target is. the corridor that led to the food court opened out to the parking lot until jcpenney was built.
i think the only store that’s remained in the same place during my entire life (i grew up in hicksville) , aside from macy’s, is the frederick’s of hollywood located in the mall’s southwest quadrant.
on July 15th, 2007 at 11:44 am
I’ll say one thing about broadway mall that food court is allways BUSY! Aside from that the only problem is can not expand outward do to closeness of homes that ajoin it. As i said before it is a few blocks to L I R R, As a resolt the only to keep the mall growing in the future is to deck parts of the surface lots & add on to the mall way from the residential areas. It will be easy do to the existing footprint of broadway mall, but it will have to be done long term servivial.
What do you think?
on July 15th, 2007 at 4:11 pm
Very interesting mall, I can’t believe the Macy’s at this mall is 5-stories! Was this Macy’s/Stern’s, by some chance, built before the rest of Broadway Mall was, or something? (explaining the oddity of how tall it is, in contrast to the rest of the mall)
And one last question, is this the last IKEA left in North America that’s located in a mall? (since the one at Potomoc Mills was relocated) You sure don’t see an IKEA just everyday within a mall, though it’s interesting that I read a rumor somewhere that once Mall of America/MOA(in MN) starts to undergo a new renovation and expansion within the next few years, that IKEA would become connected to the rest of MOA….
on July 15th, 2007 at 4:19 pm
Through a skywalk, yes.
on July 15th, 2007 at 4:19 pm
And for those who want to see plans, it’s on this website.
on July 15th, 2007 at 9:39 pm
I think it is the only mall where IKEA is attached to the mall and/or has its own mall entrance…there used to be an IKEA attached to Plymouth Meeting Mall in PA, but it recently relocated. To my knowledge, below are other malls where IKEA is located on the mall property or very close to it.
- White Marsh Mall, MD: A very successful mall in the Balitmore area off I-95. Its location off the interstate and its IKEA location keeps the mall successful, eventhough Towson Town Center and Mall in Columbia are a little more prestigious and successful.
- Garden State Plaza, NJ: Recently built across Route 4 from the mall on the land of the former Alexander’s…very profitable location.
- Jersey Gardens, NJ: IKEA came first (right across the Turnpike from Newark Airport) and Jersey Gardens opened a few years later right up the street.
-Mall at Millenia, FL: IKEA will be opening soon right behind this very successful Orlando Mall.
on July 24th, 2007 at 9:06 pm
I grow up on LI from the early ’50’s. I have not been back to the area for some time. The original Gertz building, was a 5 stroy building and I think is where Macy’s is now. Diagonally across from Gertz was the other large store in the mall, JJ Newberry’s an oversized 5&10 style store. The eastern end had a number of small shops including an optomertrist, where I got my glasses as a kid. On the western end, there was a supermarket, Food Fair (I think), a great pizza place and electronics store. On the eastern side where the truck entrance and facing Sears, they built several free standing restaurants, including a Nathan’s. The northeast corner where Ikea I believe was a movie theater. I don’t member Korvette’s there as we would either go to the one in Garden City near Roosvelt Field or the one in Huntington adjacent to the Walt Whitman mall. I also remeber there being a kosher butcher on the short northern wing (which was remodelled when they built the theaters)
I am planning to go back to LI in the next 2 weeks and hope to stop there
on August 25th, 2007 at 9:52 pm
Korvette’s was located on the north side of the property (around where the original movie theater sat) and indeed was empty for ages (well over 15 years). There were actually two supermarkets on the property…the other was a Pathmark (which moved out when a new location was built around 1977 further north on 107)
on August 26th, 2007 at 5:58 pm
Gee, what did I have in mind in my last post…
Mallguy, I actually visited Mall of Millenia in 2003. Traffic will be HORRIBLE if an Ikea opens.
on November 19th, 2007 at 2:41 pm
In the 70’s, where target is now, used to be 2 food stores across from each other. One , I think was Pathmark, One was a hills supermarket, they sat vacant for a long time. Where the food court is now but on the first floor sat Mid Island Twin Movie Theater, and the Department of Motor Vehicle was somewhere on the outside. The Old Navy Store was Bonds Mens Clothes. Sitting inside the Mall in front of Gertz was a trailer or just a retangular box which housed one of the best cookie bakers, Rachels Cookies. They used to go to each store every morning for coffee and muffin orders.
on November 19th, 2007 at 2:44 pm
Also in the eighties I sat in on many Mall meetings at Mid Island Plaza. The Mall anchors sat vacant for a long time. Mainly because Gertz had a 52% controlling interest in the board. Everytime a vote came up to approve Macy’s as a tennant, it would be voted down by Gertz.
on December 11th, 2007 at 3:58 am
“including archetypal post-war suburbs like Levittown and Hempstead (which, with over 700,000 people, is the second most populous census-designated place in New York State”
levittown is part of the “Town of Hempstead” (pop.763,000+ which is the largest town/township in the US)
on December 14th, 2007 at 6:04 am
I grew up in Plainview in the 70’s and rembember taking the N78/79 bus to go to direct to “Mid Island Plaza” (now Broadway Mall) many times. It seemed more exiting then than it is now, even though I now live in the UK and only visit about twice a year.
Believe it or not, in the 1970’s there was a plane that was parked in the parking lot outside what is now IKEA, that sold stereos. I remember climbing up the stairs to go in. Does anyone remember that?
I think the reason why the new owners took away the bus stops, was that they wanted to attract customers who were rich enough to own cars and discourage people from just hanging out and not making any major purchases. Shame.
on December 19th, 2007 at 2:05 am
I remember going to the ” Mid Island Plaza” way back in the 60″s with my family, and I distinctly remember a small snack bar in the lower level of Gertz that served the absolute most delicious frozen vanilla custard with either chocolate or strawberry syrup in a tall parfait glass! I Also remember a small clothing store in the center section of the mall having a fire which was followed by a fire sale where I purchased a smoked stenched multicolored satinish waist jacket for pennies on the dollar……Hey Man!..It was the 70″s!..Does anyone remember the custard or the fire?
on December 22nd, 2007 at 3:57 pm
Macy’s is a 5 story building. If you go up to the 4th floor of the current store, you’ll see a set of very narrow blocked off escalators that go up to the 5th floor.
There was also a Gertz furniture store next to the main building that I believe has since been torn down.
on December 23rd, 2007 at 8:41 pm
YES I DO REMEMBER THOSE FROZEN CUSTARDS WITH EITHER THE CHOCOLATE OR STRAWBERRY FLAVORS, MAN THEY WERE THE BEST. I LIVED IN THE GARDEN APARTMENTS ON RICHARD AVE A STONES THROW FROM THE MALL. I ALSO REMEMBER (1963)THERE WAS A SMALL LITTLE AMUSEMENT PARK WITH A CAROUSEL. ON THE PROMENADE THEY SOLD THE BEST HOT SALTED PRETZELS FOR A .25 AND THERE WAS A FLAGG BROTHERS SHOE STORE, AND ON THE BOTTOM FLOOR THERE WAS A SLOT CAR TRACK. AHH THE GOOD OLD DAYS>>>>>>>>>>>.
on December 30th, 2007 at 2:36 am
Wow ! Gertz must have been something ! I know Stern’s was ! I have never been to a Gertz or Stern’s that still had a restaurant on the island.Now everything is a Macy’s.Tell me, in addition to the snack bar on the lower level of Gertz, did Gertz and/or Stern’s ever have a formal restaurant on one of the upper levels ? Interesting about it being so tall. I remember Stern’s post 1950’s flagship (post NYC) had a restaurant that my family and I enjoyed for over 25 years at the Bergen Mall in Paramus. Incidentally, that store was four floors tall and there were windows all along the top so you could look out onto route 4 while dining in the full service restaurant. It was wonderful ! Thank you.
on January 16th, 2008 at 11:43 am
Glad to see that the best frozen custard that ever appeared on this planet is not forgotten. It was always tough to choose between having the chocolate syrup or the strawberry syrup be put on that long spoon before it was plunged into the custard. And all for a dime! Over the years I’ve met many a person who has fondly remembered this amazing dessert and who has searched in vain for its rival ever since. If anyone’s got a suggestion, please do post it. Doubtless that hundreds will be in your debt!
PS That great pizza place (terrific Sicilian!) in those days (referred to in an earlier post) was Pizza D’Amor.
on January 16th, 2008 at 6:43 pm
Ah yes Mid Island Plaza.
-Buses stopped going there as mall did not want the Mall Rats.
-Korvettes/S Klein was in back where movie theaters are now.
-Ikea was built in parking lot and where Twin movie theaters were.
-Gertz was a 5 story retail store(6 w/basement), Stens/Macys 5 selling
floors(one floor storage)
-Target/Penney area was nothing. just an entrance to that end of mall
-When they enclosed it all they did was put a roof over it, looked like crap
-now there is action in all parts of mall
on January 21st, 2008 at 6:26 pm
I have been telling my co-worker about the Gertz desserts in a glass, ( I always picked chocolate). I grew up in Hicksville in the 60’s, then we moved to Fla., in 1970, and I always remembered that treat as a kid. And yes it was 10 cents. On saturdays, me and my friends would go to Mid Island Plaza with 50 cents, and get a piece of the best pizza ever, at Pizza d’Amor, for 25cents, a coke for 10cents, and still have enough left for the Gertz dessert. Now I sound like my mother!!! It’s go good to hear other people remembering like I do. Bye for now
on March 24th, 2008 at 12:47 pm
Oh. of days gone by. Sid’s Pants had a store that had a sign on the door that said “Sid’s Pants…now open” and we all thought that was the funniest. Also bought my first bell bottoms from there for a whopping six dollars. I have been searching for years for people that remember that custard from Gertz…it never had a name we would just say we wanted chocolate, strawberry or plain. Someone, some where must know what they were and what they were called.
on April 26th, 2008 at 11:32 pm
I recall a musical event that took place on the north side of Nathan’s in the parking lot of the mall. A lineup of bands played all night into the next morning. We had a blast because it was an unusual thing to have in the lot of a mall and we just stay up all night and partied. I still don’t know why it was held, a benefit or whatever, but Nathan’s sure made out!..The only band name I remember was “Liquid Smoke”…I thought it was a cool name for a band. I don’t even know if they were any good!
on July 8th, 2008 at 6:20 pm
Was the chocolate syrup in the vanilla custard at Gertz called a “Black & White”?
on July 19th, 2008 at 5:17 pm
So many things I can remember about Mid Island Plaza. I grew up in Hicksville through the 70’s/80’s. I remember going to Pathmark and seeing the first Star Wars in the huge twin theater.
Does anyone remember Wuvs? it was a small restaurant adjacent to the theater- you’d walk out the door where Korvettes used to be, and there it was. I think it closed right around the time the twin theater became a multiplex.
I also remember going to Bagel Nosh, which was a stand alone store in the parking lot on the far NE side (right off of 106/107).
Does anyone remember going to the Big Apple Circus that was there- I think that was sometime in the mid-late 70s.
As I got older, my brother worked at Kinney shoes, and I can remember the stories he told about eating at the Hurdy Gurdy for breakfast and how nasty it was- or how about the game room….
I can remember bringing dates to MyPie- that pizza place by the bus circle and getting my hair cut at the Rage (all the hot girls from HHS went there).
Then there was Merry Go Round- probably one of my favorite stores in there during the 80’s- people who went there a lot probably remember Kevin- the black guy that seemed to work there all the time.
O well- those days are gone.
on July 27th, 2008 at 12:54 am
wuv’s had the best onion rings ever!
on August 17th, 2008 at 11:26 pm
i loved going to the mall _mom would go in the 2 food stores out side the mall one was pathmark the other was always changing its nane and i would go in the oriental shop near the delicious square pizza place _it seemed they always ran out when it came to me and i would wait and wait _i spent alot of money in the oriental shop and the square tree shop decorating my room_the pretzel man out side of gertz and jelly apples 3for a quarter fabulous !!he even gave you an extra if one was burnt_ we were thrilled seeing john travolta on the roof of korvettes_my sister kept all the news clippings from that running of the bulls to find him event _as for the yummy parfaits that left gertz long before the store changed _i remember once again them runniing out of glasses and we would wait _the people would over flow into the mens dept>what exactly was it i remember really liking it but i dont rember what it was _was it ever duplicated? my mother would not always want to go for it because she knew the wait would be long _perhaps someone that worked there could tell us?it was like the starbucks of yester year!i got many an easter outfit in lerners and seeing all the buses arrive at that entrance _i dont remember a merry go round perhaps that came after my days for rides were over_i remember how exiting it was when you no longeR were rained on when you walked throug h from store to store _my mother adored newberrys and frankels she was always into the home_those days will never return_but its lovely to recall a more simple time on long island _now find out about thoe parfaits _
on August 17th, 2008 at 11:47 pm
its funny when people say the broad way mall i l have to correct myself because i still refer to it as mid island
on September 15th, 2008 at 4:21 am
I remember the frozen custard with the chocolate sauce. It was the best.And I remember the pizza parlor where they had the booths and you could buy aquare pizza slices that were the best. There was also a pizza parlor otside the mall called My Pie and they had deep dish pizza that was really good. I remember the airplane outside the mall.that sold the sterio equipment. Great memories.
on September 16th, 2008 at 8:56 pm
Oh my God that custard was THE BEST EVER! I was 5 years old and I remember that creaminess and that chocolate syrup with the long spoon plunged into it. Heaven! And how about the merry-go-round with the brass ring I was unfortunately too little to ever grab one! And getting your golden book from Santa at holiday time. Great childhood memories!
on October 9th, 2008 at 12:45 am
Hey, I worked at the Consumers Distributing for years! I remember working in the stock room down stairs,,,it was massive. Originally bright Orange and Blue, they revamped the color scheme in 1982 to grey and navy. It was located on the north end of the mall next what is now IKEA. As a student growing up in Hicksville…I loved hanging at either My Pie (which was really the mathematical symbol) and/or Ground Round which always had popcorn covered floors. Was there ever an Alexanders Department store locared near the mall? This is a geat way of remebering my youth!
on October 15th, 2008 at 6:27 pm
Ikea was built on the old UsGeneral site, the food court and current theaters are built further west where EJ Korvettes was Target was built on the west end where Food Fair and Path Mark used to be. Between what is now Ikea and what used to be corvettes was the old Mid Island twin theaters
That great little pizza place was Pizza Di Amore. Gertz used to have the “Malt Shop” snack bar by the west entrance on the ground floor. The Long Island Room restaurant was directly below it in the basement.the custard at the snack bar was just called a malt and you could get either chocolate or strawberry
the restaurant on the east end was called the brown com and made chocolate egg creams, it was between the rear enterance of learner shops and the horne and hardart store. The Air plane was the “Fly By Night Audio store” the store lasted a few months but the plane was there for years after untill they cut it up for scrap and hauled it away.
on October 16th, 2008 at 3:38 pm
They may have referred to it as “Malt”, but that was no malt!..It was much more similar to ice cream because it was a creamy solid….And it was better than any ice ceam I have ever had, before or since.
on October 22nd, 2008 at 1:15 pm
I grew up in Hicksville and as a teen took the bus to the Plaza to hang out on weekends. Those were the good old days. I remember the custards with the chocolate syrup being called a brown cow. They were so good I don’t even remember them having strawberry and yes the pizza was he best. It was so good it seemed like you always had to wait for a slice because it was so busy.
on November 16th, 2008 at 12:01 am
As kids we used to take the bus to Mid Island. I haven’e been there in years, but I was there a lot.
Gertz: I remember the snack bar, it was at the west entrance on the main floor. I remeber then dessert as like a soft serve ice cream, of course I could be wrong but know chocolate was the one I went for.
To the left of the south entrance (as you entered) there was a wide staircase that led to the lower level Bargain basement. There were 3 automatic elevators mid-way on the west wall beyond the snack bar. Full size escalators were used from basement through 4, a narrow escalator led to 5 (and the toy department, I remember that clearly). Furniture was on 4, I believe, There was an entrance at the NW corner that was diaganolly across from Newberry’s, (which had a larger snack bar) a second entrance centered on the West wall. In Gertz, between these 2 entrances on main was cosmetics. I remember my Mom sold “Charlie” fragrance there, that damn jingle played over and over on a continuos loop tape machine. Made everyone insane. Mom wisely moved to Men’s, the south side of main. I believe there was a portrait studio on main near the east entrance. As I recall, there was also a large ladies lounge on the west side of 2, but am not positive. In the 70’s there was a grid type system in Young Mens with stairs that created an upper level shopping on the main floor. Pretty snazzy. I bought my first leasure suit in Gertz, I still have it. Isn’t that frightening.
The Gertz furniture building was built much after the main building, and as I recall it was originally was outdoor (patio) furniture. I belive it said “Gertz Outdoor” on the building at some point.
As for the rest of the mall, of course “Pizza D’Amour” was the best. My shoes came from the “Buster Brown” store, my suits from “Bond.” I always found it interesting that there was huge “Sears” across Broadway, but Roosevelt Field simply had a “Sears” catalog store located down from “JC Penny’s” past “World Imports.” Let’s not get into Roosevelt Field, I worked at “Gimbels” there for a number of years. Fun times.
No One mentioned the STAR! there was a huge St. Louis style arch on the Broadway side,, suspended from the center was a multi faceted star made from the same material as the fiberglass panels. It was taken down when the roof was installed in 1968, the two side supports and star laid on the ground for a long time after.
Thanks for all your comments. Great fun.
on November 25th, 2008 at 7:55 am
I remember seeing Leonard Nimoy who beamed down to Korvettes about 1975? (I was 11 years old at the time), as I was a big Star Trek fan then. Of course, he was helping to sell Star Trek toys in their toy department.
Lotsa people; the line seemed to go on forever and I waited for over an hour.When I finally met him, he shook my hand and said “hello!” It lasted about two seconds, but it was a memory of a lifetime. I left with a Mr Scott doll that my parents bought me along with a walkie talkie communicator set.
I still have them!
Have any other celebrities visited Mid Island Plaza/Broadway Mall? I think President Nixon paid a visit in the late 1950’s.
on November 28th, 2008 at 11:33 pm
I remember going to the Mid-Island Plaza shopping Center with my mother growing up in Westbury in the 60’s. We always stopped at the snack bar and had some of the most delicious ice cream with either chocolate or strawberry syrup. It was the best. I recently had some Breyers vanilla ice cream that had softened and that taste reminded me of that ice cream from Gertz’s snack bar! What a wonderful memory! I even called my younger sister and she remembered the ice cream, too.
on December 2nd, 2008 at 5:55 am
“Tricky Dicky” Nixon delivered a speech at Mid Island Plaza on September 28 1960 during the Presidential Campaign.
I wonder if he chose strawberry or chocolate? ; - )
on January 3rd, 2009 at 12:12 am
Does anyone knows exactly when the Ikea store opened there?
on January 3rd, 2009 at 8:23 pm
March 13, 1991
ref: Mall Hall of Fame