STONEWOOD CENTER MALL from 1958 in Downey, Ca. - dead or alive? let take a look - walk thru

[@thesoulcourtesan]

That Sears closed it's doors in December of 2021. I know because I worked there the last 3 months and although it was sad I can honestly say it was one of the nicest working experiences I ever had in my 30+ years of retail. I'm very proud to have been a member of the Sears & Roebuck Company Family even for that short time.

[@HEYMANWITHJAYMAN]

I shopped a ton of diff. Sears stores including this 1 but never went into the actual malls

[@Who-v8r3u]

That mall was so good back in the day. I went as a kid in the late 90s and 00s. The mall had all staple mall stores and no vacancies in the food court. Now it’s just a flea market.

[@optimega]

I remember when Stonewood Mall was an open mall,there's even a Woolworth that has a lunch counter,good times.

[@HEYMANWITHJAYMAN]

Good 'ol Woolworths back in the day & Newberrys too plus a bunch of other locations

[@GOLF4METOO]

Don't forget the Thrifty Drug Store ​@@HEYMANWITHJAYMAN

[@JWM2083]

My Grandpa managed a Newberry’s in Long Beach in the 50s and 60s before he worked for McDonnell Douglas at the Long Beach Airport. There was a Woolworths at the Lakewood Mall too, way back. Does anyone remember if it had a food counter? I don’t remember, I was pretty young when it still existed. Lakewood Mall also had a Clifton’s Cafeteria!

[@thomasthurston6656]

​@JWM2083 Yes, I do. My mother worked for McDonald Douglas for over 20 years in Torrance, California. I remember Clinton's and Woolworths. I'm thinking they went out in the 90s along with Miller's Out Post.

[@thomasthurston6656]

​@@JWM2083Yes it had a counter.

[@patbarr1351]

I remember Stonewood when it was still an outdoor shopping center. The idea being that Californians preferred shopping centers because of our good weather. The indoor mall concept was popular in the eastern US & was adopted in California because it allowed for more store density-- hey, those were the days of extreme retail! As So Cal shopping centers were enclosed, WB filmed an episode of The Wonder Years in Stonewood around 1989 or so because it was one of the few remaining places that would fit with its early '70's storytelling. (Although Kevin kept referring to it as a "mall" which we never would call it as '70's kids.) The new indoor food court originally included a bunch of restored gasoline pumps in its decor and was called The Filling Station.

[@designasaur5354]

Its a week day morning, of course its not crowded. I was there sunday, completely packed.

[@arnoldguisa4155]

Stonewood mall was my first mall ever. The thing i missed is how the food court had a gas station station theme.

[@crosslink1493]

FYI: If you're interested, I was down in South Orange County last week and stopped at the old Mission Viejo Mall (I-5 at Crown Valley Parkway). About 10-12 years ago it was pretty empty, but now it seems like a busy place as almost all the units seem to have tenants or are being remodeled (in time for Christmas?) for a future tenant. Its one of the few malls that has found a way to thrive in the web-based economy we have today.

[@HEYMANWITHJAYMAN]

I need to hit it up and kolidascope mall over there at some point

[@WoodyMade]

That building next to Sears (formerly the Broadway) used to be the Broadway Department Store restaurant. It was a tearoom and restaurant when people would stop to have lunch while shopping. Later the Broadway closed it and it sat empty for years until the Broadway shuttered. Back in the day there was a Mervyns (Kohls) at the mall and I believe that the Macy's was formerly the MayCo. The original mall was outdoors. They enclosed it and made it an indoor mall sometime in the 1980s.

[@wlwal1]

I worked at Fazio's, Albertson's markets in the area where Macy's furniture store is at.

[@JGerard211]

This was the mall to be when I was in High School. I don’t go as often but when I do go it’s pretty busy. Honestly it could use some renovation

[@thenerdwave2666]

This used to be my go-to place, since it's close to home. They used to have a GameStop (EB Games originally, I think) and Suncoast, Waldenbooks. Now, I drive a little futher to Cerritos Mall if need be. This place needs a complete makeover if its going to stay open. Right now, it gives off "swap meet vibes". It can get crazy busy during the holidays, but most of the rest of the year, it's fairly quiet.

[@ElDanzo362]

You are corrected in the comments. I see plenty of open stores. Looks like you showed up on a Tuesday

[@HEYMANWITHJAYMAN]

I corrected myself a few min. in the video i think. Entrance i walked into looked kinda empty til i made the 1st left

[@thesupermayoreo]

I have lots of memories of going to the Stonewood Mall in the early 2000s. Like most malls, this one is a ghost town.

[@Neotank22000]

There's still an old Broadway building just like that at Bella terra in Huntington Beach, Kohls occupies it.

[@HEYMANWITHJAYMAN]

I seen that last week after the Westminster Mall vid i did

[@R-abl]

I think that building by broadway was a restaurant in the 70’s 80’s? I remember the old open air taking pictures with the Easter bunny and Santa Claus. I bought my first vinyl from JCPenney- Journey Escape. There was farrels and a movie theater facing Lakewood blvd. There was an ice cream shop, Hollanders cafeteria and a jewelcor by broadway.

[@brianbonner6535]

The building you thought was a bank next to Sears is part of the The Broadway it was the Chaffing Dish Restaurant. The auto center for Broadway was replaced by Olive Garden. The new Sears Auto was built by Sears. This center has the same owner as Cerritos & Lakewood. The mall was an outdoor center well in to the 90s with Broadway and JC Penny & Thrifty Drug. Mervin’s was added . When the mall enclosed May Co was added . Prior to moving to Downey Sears operated in the Santa Fe Springs mall.

[@justingantt9896]

And it has a secret underground (former) gym and offices

[@AR_ZACK91]

That old Broadway building is supposed to turn into a round 1 bowling.

[@HEYMANWITHJAYMAN]

Cool. Round1 seems to like mall locations i see

[@gabynarufan]

Yeah they are moving from la puente mall. LA puente mall is shut down. It got sold

[@RetroJR3379]

Great video as usual Jayman

[@HEYMANWITHJAYMAN]

Thanks, new mall vid soon

[@kendalgee5808]

H&M and Forever 21 are pretty busy at Stonewood Mall usually. Same for most malls though Lakewood, Cerittos, Brea, La Puente ( when it was open ) and etc.

[@TheDaywalker40]

My son works at that Zumiez. Sometimes it gets really busy. Stores are moving around since some stores left right now

[@QuickStix26]

Came here a lot between '07-'12. It was pretty packed during the weekends. Don't know about now.

[@kendalgee5808]

I recall it's much busier on a Friday, Saturday, or Sunday night. The inside joke among Hispanic people is, Downey is the city for the Hispanics that made it, lol. I feel it's a spacious mall if u wanna get some good exercise. Towards the Holidays it gets really busy. Theres a mom n pops clothing store that sells really stylish clothes near the Kohls I recall, u showed it at 15:47. Ok selection in the food court. Big minimalls near the Walmart, Ross, & Floor n Decor, & TJ Max.

[@HEYMANWITHJAYMAN]

I seen mall walkers there. The food court at least had 85% of the locations filled which is good.

[@reedberry]

Don't think of it as dead, think of it as the opposite of alive. Lol. Stonewood, like many malls these days, is living in the past. My parents used to bring my brother and I there as kids in the 1960s. We would stop along the way at the very first Taco Bell restaurant (which was right down the street on Firestone Blvd. and food items were 18 cents each) to have lunch, and then spend the afternoon at Stonewood which, originally, wasn't even an enclosed mall. It was an outdoor plaza-type shopping center. It wasn't remodeled into an enclosed mall until sometime in the 80s, as I recall. Sadly, they could close Stonewood tomorrow and I don't think anyone would miss it.

[@abashardoust]

Excellent!

[@HEYMANWITHJAYMAN]

@@abashardoust thank you

[@RetroJR3379]

Living in South Gate Stonewood is always my go to mall and yea it seen better days but still had great store.

[@HEYMANWITHJAYMAN]

It was odd to me for some reason but had most all store fronts occupied

[@liquidninja6654]

I wouldn’t classify it as dead. The Sears wing maybe but the rest is still fairly occupied

[@KellDogg1965]

I worked at the footlocker at Stonewood mall back in the good old 80’s when the mall was still open!

[@larrywilcox7330]

Great Video as usual

[@HEYMANWITHJAYMAN]

@@larrywilcox7330 thank you

[@kimberly11091]

Stonewood needs a new rebrand. They should do the revamping like the glendale galleria. More people would actually go. They should have their own mac store

[@timmazur8473]

What day of the did you go and time

[@thomasthurston6656]

It use to have gas pumps back in the early 90s in the food court. It's always been kind of a ghetto mall. 😅

[@Soothsounds4U]

Stonewood Mall is one of the local places in my neighborhood

[@jmr5707]

Does anybody know what the daily cost of a mall like this is? Electric, water, etc... with so few people, on average. I'm sure there's a number, I just don't know what it is.

[@HEYMANWITHJAYMAN]

$49,000 a month...lol

[@jmr5707]

@@HEYMANWITHJAYMAN 😮🤯WHAT!??. That's $588K annually. WTF!🤣😂 I'm guessing that's everything. I didn't even mention security and insurance. Hilarious.

[@HEYMANWITHJAYMAN]

Im messing around. Wouldn't have a clue how much operations are for malls...lol

[@alexiscastro5055]

i frequent this place, those cubby holes used to be vending machine locations

[@eddiel.4108]

Was there all the time back in 1977 when it was an open air mall. It lost its charm. I remember Farrels I've cream and the movie theater used to be in the front. Long gone now and so is Thriftys and May Co.

[@HEYMANWITHJAYMAN]

Star Wars was 1977 did you watch that there? Long live Thrifty ice cream!

[@eddiel.4108]

@HEYMANWITHJAYMAN - too long to wait in line. The show was a small single theater if memory serves me right. I saw Star Wars at the Garmar in Montebello.

[@jarjarboujee]

I ❤️ Deadmalls

[@Cassie00111]

nice mall.

[@HEYMANWITHJAYMAN]

It was kinda odd for some reason to me.

[@Cassie00111]

@HEYMANWITHJAYMAN it's clean and most of the stores are open and there is a food court.

[@andymann1667]

Back when it was an open air mall they filmed The wonder years tv show before it was refurt.

[@kindbud]

sears has been shutdown since at least 2013. This mall has been dying since 2013. On saturday at peak traffic there isnt more than a hundred. This is the mall around Downey, Norwalk, SFS, Whittier, and its been like this video for YEARSSS. Only reason this mall isnt as dead as a mall in Ohio is because of all the restaurants around the mall. Toon Planet has been there since I was a kid, so at least 15 years.

[@pi55bier]

From Sears to about where children's place is is sorta dead. That end of thr mall could ve chopped off and you wouldn't notice

[@JimmiP-go8er]

Sears in Whittier is closed

[@HEYMANWITHJAYMAN]

It doesnt show online that it's closed but wouldn't be surprised if it actually is

[@AlexMR]

3:20 it used to be a potato corner im sad its gone 😭

[@RetroJR3379]

1:08 that where they would had the claw games and toys machines

[@blackpantherx4019]

One day this place like other malls will see its demise 😢

[@edgarsaenz1565]

Wanna see it packed Go on the Weekend

[@HEYMANWITHJAYMAN]

Yeah i bet it is. Not a lot of vacant spots so weekends would be busy

[@MrZman0004]

It doesn't look DEAD to me.

[@carls1386]

It had a theater back in the day I saw Scarface there

[@justingantt9896]

It's still full of teenagers ane families on the weekends. Not run anymore. The area is too busy.

[@channuying]

This mall is nowhere near dead haha I was there recently and im surprised at how much there was going on compared to where it used to be like 5 years ago. Okay fine i shouldnt say nowhere near... I guess the reason i say nowhere near dead is bc it used to be so much worse than it is now

[@HEYMANWITHJAYMAN]

I said dead at the very beginning but seen it wasn't once i headed down the 1st corridor. Most store fronts occupied

[@Cassie-iw1qk]

Downey was once a wealthy community. NOW 😢💦

[@patbarr1351]

It's much more upscale now than when I lived there in the 2000's.

[@barleschinston1474]

Goes in on a Tues morning and immediately says it's dead 😂 what an idiot