Video: Lifelong Resident Laments Downtown's Decline

Carol Parker January 30, 2013 at 01:21 pm

Mervyn's was the big draw when I was growing up and I took accordion lessons for many years from Lou Jacklich at the music studio (now gone) that used to sit behind where the post office is now. It was a very busy music studio that taught guitar, piano, accordion and many other instruments. We used to go see the Rocky Horror picture show in high school at the theatre. We shopped at Denevi camera, a bakery and other small shops in the village. Of course, I am old enough to remember a time when there was only a Sears store where Southland Mall now sits. In the 1950's and early 60's the hot spots to shop if you lived in the Hayward area were Castro Village and Daughtrey's Dept. Store; Foothill Blvd. in Hayward which had Grant's, J.C. Penney's and tons of other stores and San Lorenzo Village to shop at Mervyn's and the smaller stores. I remember when Bayfair in San Leandro was an outdoor mall and Pelton Center in San Leandro was bustling and packed full of shoppers. Southland Mall and the enclosing of Bayfair Center sort of put the nail in the coffin of these smaller shopping districts. Although Alameda's Park Street has had a revival.

Larry Kinslow January 30, 2013 at 02:06 pm

Yeah, I used to take guitar lessons from Richard Rightmire at the San Lorenzo Music Studio. I used to get all my levis (big bells) at Grutman's. I spent a lot of time at the Lorenzo Theater. I remember the Saturday matinees. Along with the theater, I spent a lot of time at Hap's Drive-In (where Wells Fargo sits now). I shopped at Turner's Sporting Goods (where Hollywood Video was). I used to play pinball at the Village Bowl (Underground at opposite end to Mervyn's). Ah yes, much better days.

Nancy Pascale January 30, 2013 at 04:58 pm

i cannot believe i have lived to see the rise and fall of Mervyns!....It was quite the place for many years!

Tom Abate (Editor) January 30, 2013 at 05:56 pm

San Lorenzo was built before cars were as common as they are today. So the malls really hurt. Gordon mentioned that Southland really hurt the local shops (that got edited out). Now add on the Internet and it's a miracle that local shops survive. Do you shop locally?

karen griego January 30, 2013 at 06:05 pm

I loved shopping at Mervyn's sidewalk sales as a kid and a adult . I took my kids there to see Santa when they were little. I'll never forget the time when they had a drawing around Christmas . You had to fill out a form in all the little stores around Mervyn's. I won it one year and I had fun opening all the gifts and gift certificates . I loved the drive in where Bayfair is now . It's sad to see all the vacant buildings now .

Marley Smith January 30, 2013 at 07:03 pm

San Lorenzo is still my little Village even though there's nothing here, I haven't given up and I'm really looking forward to the improvements that are on the drawing board, just hope that all the i's are dotted for a new beginning.

Thomas January 30, 2013 at 08:01 pm

Elvis - In The Ghetto (1969)
http://goo.gl/zqQKn Not Elvis - San Lorenzo - (2013) http://goo.gl/M5G6X

Michael Moore January 30, 2013 at 11:01 pm

Tom, you left out the key component of the San Lorenzo Village development right after WW2. Along with the little Village was and is the big time defacto and dejure segregation which made San Lorenzo and neighboring San Leandro the Whitest communities in the East Bay up through the Seventies. How much of the nostalgia for the good old days is really a yearning for the segregation and lack of diversity which is the real legacy of San Lorenzo Village.

David January 30, 2013 at 11:47 pm

I read somewhere that retail sq ft per US resident increased by something like 50% the past decade. Nowhere near what incomes have gone up by, population is up barely 10% and never minding internet competition. I think we're in for a long, decade or more contraction in retail real estate.

Fred Eiger January 31, 2013 at 12:36 am

I knew there would have to be some jackass like Michael Moore to piss on everyone's parade. Look you mutant, not one person who posted here said anything about race, so you little piece of crap shut your pie hole when people are reminiscing. If you don't have anything constructive to say, which obviously you don't you blackhole of stupid then SHUT UP!!!

David January 31, 2013 at 12:04 pm

+1 for Fred.