Talk:Square One Mall

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Location of Service Merchandise and the New England Shopping Center[edit]

The bit about the construction of the mall incorporating Service Merchandise is not totally correct. Service Merchandise was an anchor store, on the opposite end from Sears, which became Filene's, which wanted the anchor position. SM was reluctant to give up the anchor position, but eventually gave in, and instead were given the location they had until they chain went under. That location was built new with the mall. The only thing "unique" about it is the hallway, which made the store seem like an afterthought and not properly incorporated into the design.

Also, the New England Shopping Center was more than the two stores and "flea market space". I don't actually remember any flea market, unless it was there in the later years prior to mall construction when all the smaller stores were abandoned. There were quite a number of small stores that helped form the "L" shape of the center between the two anchors, including Radio Shack, Waldenbooks, Brigham's, Sacketts Hallmark, Tom McCann, etc. It's been many years, but I'm ballparking 16-20 stores. At some point prior to mall construction, all but the anchor stores were vacated in anticipation of the construction, but I believe quite a bit of time passed, making the location look abandoned.

In the center there was an outdoor courtyard that I remember as a kid being kept up pretty well but it was left to deteriorate in the late 70s/early 80s. I believe it had one or more fountains. In the courtyard was a couple of banks, a barber, and the original Radio Shack, which later relocated next to Service Merchandise. The old Radio Shack location became some sort of seasonal Christmas-oriented store for a while. Also, far behind the courtyard was the Saugus General Cinema, which closed around 1982, long before mall construction was even thought of.

For other historical points, I believe Finast had a store on the Service Merchandise side, which later became a Howlands, and then was vacant for a time before a couple of smaller startups used the front side of the space (Angelique's, which relocated near Star Market/Wild Oats during the store exodus, was one of them). I believe Service Merchandise was formerly a Gilchrists in the early 70s. Doconeill (talk) 00:23, 9 June 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Seems like you know alot; I'd say add it in. I reworded the article the way it is now a while ago, but I was only 4 or 5 when the mall was built so my memory is somewhat unreliable. Grk1011 (talk) 02:22, 9 June 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Strip Mall Predates Square One Mall[edit]

I remember traveling to Rt.1 in Saugus from another part of Greater Boston with my parents in 1960s, long before Square One Mall was built. It was even more of a strip mall back then. It had even more nightclubs. (Hilltop Steak House started as a nightclub.) It's still pretty downscale with 2 McDonald's and a Starbucks, but I have no evidence that it's worse than before. I'd like some facts and figures on whether Rt. 1 traffic has gotten more dangerous since then. I try to avoid it. Bostoner (talk) 02:57, 6 August 2011 (UTC)[reply]