Gone But Not Forgotten in San Antonio! - Part I (Van: to rent, Lowes)

[Willsatx]

Originally Posted by Macgrad89

Super Slide was back there off of Gulfdale and Isom, near the present day SATCU branch, etc. When the kid was killed there (he died a HORRIBLE death, not from drowning) the place never, ever recovered, closed down and was demolished to where absolutely NO trace of it exists now. I've been back there and couldn't figure out exactly where it was; for all I know the expansion of 281 and the merge of 281/San Pedro could have swallowed up that property. The remains of the old Super Slide in Austin do still exist - as you come into Austin from the south on I-35, look for the XXX video store to your right on a hill above the freeway. Look down from the store and the tube chutes are still in the weeds and trees and can be seen from the freeway.

GWhopper will have his reputation added to shortly after I finish this. That's a nice summary of how North Star has evolved since 1960. However, I do not remember the north central parking deck - only the southeast one which is still there at Rector and McCullough. Also, I was unaware the old Wolff & Marx had been torn down - I have always been of the belief that they moved down to the new store, were bought by Joske's and the rest is history. After Wolff & Marx moved was when Rhodes took that space. Interestingly, the old Terrazzo tile floor from Rhodes, et al was visible during the remodeling of that area of the mall last year.

Bonus - anyone remember the brand of gas sold at that filling station in the photo at San Pedro and Rector? The photo was taken just before the old A-frame Whataburger was built on McCullough just south of Rector.

Macgrad89

It was Texaco gas.

[debdeb525]

There was a Piggly Wiggly on West Avenue and Nassau drive.

[Macgrad89]

Willsatx,

Nope - you're thinking of the Texaco at McCullough and Rector (which, oddly enough, had the southeast garage of North Star Mall built on TOP of it). There was a gas station at San Pedro and Rector until the late 70s when the little strip center with Wallpapers To Go was built.

Macgrad89

[940]

Was it a Sigmor-Shamrock station?

[spurs22]

Originally Posted by Dube665

I think they move up in decades. In the 70s and 80s they played stuff from the 50s and 60s and now they play stuff from the 70s and so on.

True, I guess it was around the early 2000's that they stopped playing 50's rock 'n roll on KONO. They are more late 60's and 70's now. To me that was always the KONO trademark sound, 50's rock 'n roll.

[GWhopper]

I'll be out of town the next couple of weeks with only intermittant internet access, but before I go, I remembered a few more places in SA that are gone but not forgotten:

U R Cooks in Lohman's Village
The actual Lohman's in Lohman's Village

And lastly, anybody remember the London SteakHouse? This was the steakhouse that was in the red brick strip center/office complex on Bitters and Blanco when that center first opened. They cooked all the steaks in pits in the center of the dinning room.

[GWhopper]

Originally Posted by GWhopper

I'll be out of town the next couple of weeks with only intermittant internet access, but before I go, I remembered a few more places in SA that are gone but not forgotten:

U R Cooks in Lohman's Village
The actual Lohman's in Lohman's Village

And lastly, anybody remember the London SteakHouse? This was the steakhouse that was in the red brick strip center/office complex on Bitters and Blanco when that center first opened. They cooked all the steaks in pits in the center of the dinning room.

Actually, The London Steakhoue might be easier to remember if I mentioned it is where the Melting Pot is now.

[OzzyRules]

Originally Posted by Macgrad89

Best I can tell the photo was taken around 1965-1966 and shows a round fountain with a single thin spray of water shooting 10-12' in the air.

Macgrad89

Thanks. I thought there was a round fountain there.

I'm also trying to remember what was at the location where the newer fountain used to be in the center of the mall, near the wing with the Starbucks. There was a water fountain there until just recently.

[eyeta2]

Originally Posted by GWhopper

Check this out:


Mall History:
NORTH STAR MALL

The fourth addition to NORTH STAR MALL came inline in 1986. A 178,000 square foot Marshall Field's was built, along with a 104,000 square foot Saks Fifth Avenue. Both stores were situated at the end of newly-constructed, 2-level concourses, with the Marshall Field's wing including a 14 bay food court.

2 new parking structures were built, as well. The first at the northwest corner, the second at the southwest. Moreover, the Foley's store was expanded to 250,000 square feet, with a northward extension. With these additions in place, the mall encompassed 1,260,000 leasable square feet.

Several anchor store changes occurred over the ensuing years. Joske's was rebranded as a Dillard's in 1987. 2 years later, Frost Brothers was liquidated. Its former store space became a Mervyn's in 1992. 1997 brought the shuttering of Marshall Fields, which reopened as a Macy's in the same year.

Chicago-based General Growth Properties purchased the entire Rouse Company in 2004, and assumed ownership of NORTH STAR MALL. 2 years later, they instituted a major refurbishment of the center, which continues to this day.

During this project, the original Macy's relocated into the former Foley's, which closed as a result of the May/Federated merger of 2005. Also, in mid-2007, J.C. Penney will open a new store in the old Marshall Fields/Macy's location.

I remember Marshall Fields being built like it was yesterday. In fact, in 1981 I worked at Hickory Farms there, and we were so excited over Foley's coming in.


As a small kid, around 1971 or so, I rmember the big decision every weekend was whether to go to North Star or Central Park. We lived near Wonderland, so that was pretty cool too.

There is a lot of talk about the waterslide there on San Pedro, does anyone remember the "dry" slide at Wonderland? This must have been around 68 or 69. They would give you this carpet type thing and you would sit on it and do the slide. It was about the same size as the water slide. If you accidently got your leg off the carpet, you would get a burn...lol That was a lot of fun.

Also at Wonderland I remember these great flea markets there on the weekend in the center of the mall. My husband also says he used to go to gun shows there occasionally.

[eyeta2]

Originally Posted by Macgrad89

Super Slide was back there off of Gulfdale and Isom, near the present day SATCU branch, etc. When the kid was killed there (he died a HORRIBLE death, not from drowning) the place never, ever recovered, closed down and was demolished to where absolutely NO trace of it exists now. Macgrad89

Yeah I remember he got pulled through some type of turbine system or something. After that happened, my mom would NEVER let us go to water parks or even regular theme parks.