North Star Mall before 1982 (San Antonio, West: movie theater, live, restaurant)

[OzzyRules]

Does anyone else remember what North Star Mall was like before 1982? That was the year that major renovations were done to the mall.

The center north section, starting across from the Apple store and continuing eastward to where the cookie shop is, is the area which used to be occupied by a large department store. It had a basement with an escalator near the west entrance. The place on the east side where the cookie shop is (and Eddie Bauer used to be) was an open area which led to the basement by stairs.

In 1982 the basement area became the Music Court. The upper areas were pretty much the way they are now, with the new wing by the Cheesecake Factory. There was an escalator across from the Cheesecake/Starbucks area which led down to the music court. The basement area contained a record shop, a musical instrument store, a video arcade (one of many throughout the mall at the time) and some other small shops.

Later the basement became an Oshmans. The escalator was around the corner in the middle of the mall.

My favorite part of the pre-1982 structure what the southwest corner. There was a Walgreen's located where the Macy's now opens into the mall. On the side was a hallway leading outside. Between that hallway and the existing one that is still there was a grocery store. There was also some kind of little shop in that old hallway that connected to the store somehow, but I forget what it was.

There was also a Mexican restaurant in the little hallway where the bank is now at the very end. It was a really cool place.

The Walgreen's moved to the area across from the jewelry store next to Luby's. It stayed there until the late 90's probably. That is the main thing that the mall is now missing, a drug store.

[TXsurburbanmom]

We moved to West Texas in 1979 when I was 12 but I remember shopping at North Star with my mother before that. That long corridor was open if I recall correctly. Wasn't the store where Dillards is now Joskes? What was in the Macy's location or was it builg after 82?

[OzzyRules]

Originally Posted by ddeel

We moved to West Texas in 1979 when I was 12 but I remember shopping at North Star with my mother before that. That long corridor was open if I recall correctly. Wasn't the store where Dillards is now Joskes? What was in the Macy's location or was it builg after 82?

The Walgreen's was part of it. There may have been other stores across from the HEB along that old corridor, behind Walgreen's. There was no upper level there. The Foley's/Macy's was completely rebuilt in 1982.

[TXsurburbanmom]

Gee, you said exactly the Macy's/Walgreens thing in your original post. Guess I got nostalgic thinking about being at North Star with my mother and skimmed over that part

[Americasman]

I remember that music court downstairs. I remember there was an HEB in NSM back in the 70s. I remember going to the movie theater in NSM back in the day too.

[mimi78218]

I haven't thought about the escalator going down into Oshman's in forever!! I remember as a little girl it kind of scared me because it seemed so steep!! And I also remember the Walgreens.

Wasn't Foley's the department store that was down by Luby's?

[Americasman]

Foleys was down by Luby's but that is also the area where the HEB was back in the 70s. The Walgreens was down that way too if I am not mistaken.

[Buffyfan]

I was a toddler in the 70s...I would love to see pics to help my memory. I only remember Walgreen's, but not the movie theatre.

[HillCountryHotRodMan]

Originally Posted by OzzyRules

There was also a Mexican restaurant in the little hallway where the bank is now at the very end. It was a really cool place.

Was that the restaurant with the waterfall or fountain inside on the wall by the entrance???

[outafocus]

The movie theatre at North Star Mall was where I got my start in the theatre busiess in 1968. It's true name was North Star Cinema I & II. It was owned and operated by General Cinema Corporation, which was the biggest theatre chain in the nation at the time. It was built in 1964 as a free standing theatre. Soon after I started working there in 1968, they built more mall around us all the way to Joskes, which was also originally free standing.

Some of the stores that North Star Mall had were HEB, Walgreens, Western Auto, Pet Pantry, Hanks Coin Shop, Kresges, Woolworths, Wolff & Marx, National Shirt Shops, Mr. Dunderbak's Bavarian Pantry, Frost Bros., Sims Baldwin pianos, a Barber Shop, Chandler's Shoes, The Branding Iron Restaurant, Luby's, The Tall Texan Restaurant (next door to theatre), The Shower Stall, The Humidor, San Antonio Savings, and so many more that escape me now.

The Cinema was pretty much the premiere movie theatre in town. We had exclusive roadshow engagements of "2001: A Space Odyssey", "Funny Girl", "Oliver" and many others including the 88 week engagement of "The Sound Of Music, before I started working there. That record still stands for the longest run of any movie in San Antonio.

The marquee for North Star Mall usually read simply "99 Doors To Quality".