Comments on: Azalea Mall; Richmond, Virginia

By: George

George — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 00:12:17 +0000

@Sherry, In 1989, after the fall of the Berlin Wall, they were selling boxed pieces of the Berlin Wall for $1 each.

By: George

George — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 00:11:05 +0000

@Rachel, the barbeque place was King’s Barbeque. There is a laudromat nearby that used to be Burger Chef.

By: D Wood

D Wood — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 14:21:17 +0000

@DD,

I started working at Hofheimers the day after I turned 16 (1972). From there I went to work at Garys in 1977 and also sold shoes at Thalhimers through the 80’s.

Azalea Mall was a huge part of my childhood. I remember buying my boyfriend Converse at Woolco for $11.99 and Levi’s from Edgars for not much more. I got my ear’s pierced at Reese and loved the Home Shop! Remember the small door at Juvinile Bootery for kids only and the fountain in front of Woolworths? Those were the days!

BTW, The monkey’s named Peaches and Cream went to Kings Dominion shortly after I started working there.

By: Richard

Richard — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 06:42:15 +0000

Oh what a stroll down memory lane, I grew up not far from the mall. My sister had her first after school job at Woolco and she would buy those small 45 records with a song on each side. We would go bowling at Azalea Bowl as a family and then go get 15 cent cheeseburgers at Kelly’s just down the road. Is it just me or have we lost a little something special in all this techno world in which we live. About 10 years ago one of my daughters had a date with a young man who pulled into the drive way in a 1964 Mustang (looked brand new). When she got home afterwords, all she could talk about were these wierd little knobs that you turned around in a circle to make the windows go up and down. She through all her 16 years had never been in a car that did not have electric windows. Anyway thanks for the web site, you made my day.

By: jess

jess — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 01:24:15 +0000

I cant believe its gone! l remember this mall even at the age of five! l remember that koren wig place they had there, that sign with the flower on it that said Azalea Mall, and ames. this past july l past by the lot of what Azalea mall once existed and l couldnt help the overflow of nostalga come over me! oh the memories! how l will cherish my memores of this once glorious mall which now is gone. How i wished there could have been some way to save it !

By: RVA Chica

RVA Chica — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 04:59:22 +0000

Azalea Mall was a big part of my youth. I remember when Q94 would do live broadcasts in the summer; Christmas shopping with the folks at Woolworths & Woolco and Ames; the miniature armored knight in a glass display (I believe at Rees Jewelers). Every once in a while, my family would eat at the “Godfather’s Pizza” in front of the mall, which is now a laundromat. I always thought Virginia Center Commons was the final blow for Azalea Mall.

By: Rachel

Rachel — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 07:27:48 +0000

Annette,
Thanks for posting about CC Chicano’s- my Mom took us there when were little and I guess they had “exotic dancers” after a certain time and they were shooing us out-so they could go on. I didn’t understand until I got older what that meant. I always wondered what the name of that place was- my sister and I always talk about that “incident” I remember Mayberry’s the ice cream parlor- it had stripes and ribbons around it and Pizza Shack.

Do you remember what the name of the fast food restaurant was that was on the side of the mall near Woolco? Also the BBQ place that was the same street- Chamberlyn? as CC Chicano’s
Thanks !

By: Dave

Dave — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 12:48:25 +0000

Annette may appreciate this – in the late 1970’s, I ate dinner with Timothy Leary at CC Chicano’s.

Now, that’s a flashback!

By: Carl

Carl — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 20:01:32 +0000

Ya’ll bringing back lots of memories for me!

I remember getting my birthday cake from Thalhimer’s one year (I’m still searching the web for the bakery that the former Thalhimer’s bakers opened), I remember getting my school close from Peoples, and WoolCo, and Woolworth’s, buying my first cassette in “Sight and Sound” (AKA CIRCUIT CITY), and I remember a girl who cut her leg playing with a butterfly knife in the main area when they were selling them.

I also remember kissing Tracy Morgan in the parking lot one night waiting on some friends to meet us back. The only time I ever kissed her, but as you can see? It made a lasting impression.

I really, really appreciate the nostalgia… Thank you very much.

By: Sherry

Sherry — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 19:36:17 +0000

Wow! This brings back a ton of memories for me. I miss Ames somethin’ awful!! LOL! I remember the armored knight that stood guard outside of the jewelers. Thanks for this flashback!