Riverside Plaza -- wtf? (closing, live, prices)

[Hamza]

Hi all:

I left Riverside in 2000 and moved to NYC. Eight years later, I came back for a visit.

What. The. Heck. Happened to the Riverside Plaza?! Where's Vons? Where's Harriss'? Where's the Santa display where I had my picture taken every year until I was 10? What happened to Ballys arcade?

What happened to my hometown? Everything looks so different... even my old HS has changed radically. Poor Poly has all these boxy new buildings. How is it possible that eight years later, I don't recognize downtown Riverside?

[Fontucky]

A few years back, it was redeveloped into what's known these days as a "lifestyle center." It's a lot smaller than the original. Vons was bought by Safeway, and a lot of stores were affected, some closing. Changing demographics is the engine that drives these changes.

[uglyblackjohn]

I think Kohl's bought Harris' (which used to carry much nicer merchandise). I went back recently and actually liked what was done to The Plaza. Downtown looks about the same although while in the area surrounding UCR, I got lost.

[Hamza]

Agreed but it doesn't make sense. The last time I checked, Riverside's real-estate prices seemed inflated and while the job engine is strong, how many jobs can Riverside be adding? Also, the traffic seems to be getting worse and worse with no public transportation solutions in sight. Just who are all these new people moving to Riverside -- and why? Where are they working?

Or am I totally wrong? Has Riverside become a boom-town since I left?

[defragger]

Riverside Plaza In 1950's

This is more of what I remember of the plaza!

[Fontucky]

"Plaza", done in googie style font. That's a classic. Bring back googie.

[uglyblackjohn]

That's classic. Wasn't the Plaza originally an outdoor mall? It' seems that they just went back closer to the original.

[115db]

I remember the old plaza. Then moved away. Came back a few years later and what a sad thing.

[Springhiller]

Oh I remember it all. I lived in Riverside my entire life and went to Poly as well. I moved to Virginia two years ago. I left just after they finished most of the renovated to the Plaza. I can't wait to get back and see the finished product.

[LivingLikeAGradStudent]

Younger daughter and all her friends hung out at the refurbished Plaza all the time a few years back. It was much cooler than the Tyler area and had more things to do than in Mission Grove. It was a pit-like museum in the 1980s.