This past weekend, we stumbled upon a bit of retail archeology when we noticed the false-front of a now-shuttered Mervyn’s had been removed to reveal the zig-zag roofline of the building’s original occupant — The Treasury. (The removal is part of refurbishing the former Mervyn’s space for an incoming Kohl’s, expected to open in September…
Scattered around downtown Riverside one will find a few remaining commercial “add-on” oddities from the post-war years. Here are two of the more obvious ones we’ve noticed. 2010Tenth Street First up is this house located on Tenth Street. We’re not sure of the original home’s date, but city permits show an addition valued at approximately…
After nearly 50 years of printing the Southern California edition of the Wall Street Journal, Dow Jones & Co. has shuttered its Riverside printing facility. Along with the WSJ, the facility has also printed the regional editions of Barron’s Weekly and, more recently, the New York Post. 2009Signage 2009Entrance 2009OverviewBing Maps The Riverside operation is…
This weekend marked the grand opening of Forever 21 clothing stores inside former Gottschalks/Harris’ buildings at Riverside Plaza and Hemet Valley Mall. The stores are part of the Los Angeles-based retailer’s aggressive growth plans that includes new large-format stores, many of which are currently taking up residence within former Mervyn’s and Gottschalks stores. In excess…
Then & NowRiverside Town House: 1950s – 2009Flash: View photo overlay We know little of the history surrounding the block bounded by Fifth, Sixth, Lemon and Lime streets in downtown Riverside, but a 1948 aerial photo shows the entire lot devoid of development, with grass, shrubbery and some trees as well as a few walking…
Probably no other photographer had as much an impact on presenting — even selling — Mid-Century Modern architecture than did Julius Shulman, who died Wednesday in Los Angeles. He was 98. Among the many photographs taken by Shulman were projects by the likes of Richard Neutra, Rudolf M. Schindler, Charles Eames, Albert Frey, Pierre Koenig,…
This past weekend saw the end of an era as Fresno-based Gottschalks closed for good on Sunday. For local folks, this also means an end to what once was the remnants of San Bernardino-based The Harris Co., which operated 7 department stores across Inland Southern California before the chain was sold to Gottschalks in 1998….
In 1964, after nearly 35 years in downtown Riverside, Sears Roebuck & Co. opened a new, larger “suburban-style” store about 5 miles southwest of its former Main Street store. Located on 19 acres at the northeast corner of Arlington and Streeter avenues, the 93,000 sq. ft., $3 million store was Sears’ largest store in Inland…
As part of its plans for acquiring necessary land for future buildings, Riverside County is negotiating to purchase two buildings in downtown Riverside. The purchases of the buildings, which opened months apart in 1961, would consolidate county ownership of the block bounded by Main, Orange, Thirteenth and Fourteenth streets. 2009OverviewMS Virtual Earth 2009First American Title…
Last Sunday, we had the chance to “ride the rails” at Hunter Hobby Park, one of Riverside’s most unique attractions. 2008Hunter Hobby Park 20087 1/2 gauge steam trains 2008Kids particularly enjoy the trains Located in northeast Riverside, the 40-acre park began life in the late 1950s as an adjunct “backyard” of sorts to local engineer…
