malls when they opened in NJ **revised**

 Found some ads when some of the malls opened in NJ. The one mall I actually went to opening day was Freehold raceway mall in 1990. Over that summer I stayed at my grandmothers while my mom had to work. So that was pretty easy in a way.

                                                     Woodbridge center 1971 

Woodbridge center opened in march of 1971 with just A&S with its very first NJ Store followed by Stern’s later Macy's and Orbachs later Steinbach and Lord & Taylor a few months later.  In 1978, the mall got a expansion in which JC Penny and Hahne’s later Fortunoff and now Boscov's got added as the mall had five anchors and over 200 shops, restaurants. Gaylan's later renamed to Dick's sporting goods became the malls 6th Anchor in 2003 Today when I go to Woodbridge, its on the verge of dying since the pandemic. It's slowly going.

Livingston Mall 1972

The mall that sits on the corner of South Orange Ave and Eisenhower Parkway opened that year as Bamberger's, Hahne's and Sears were the anchors. today the mall is dying with just one anchor in Macy's and a few stores left. Don't know what will happen with this mall 

Paramus Park 1974

Paramus third shopping plaza opened in 1974 as A&S and Sears and a small Fortunoff a few years later which just sold jewelry. The mall remains solid to this day even though A&S became Macys and Sears turned into specialty supermarket Stew Leonard’s

Riverside square 1977

The upscale mall in Hackensack is just a few minutes from the George Washington Bridge and the existing Paramus malls on Rt 4 with Garden state plaza and Bergen towne center. Anchors are Bloomingdale’s and Saks Fifth Avenue in which they closed years ago and is now a AMC theatre with a hefty renovation I’ll have to visit. haven’t been there in years. Over 20 to be exact. 

Seaview Square 1977

Right down the highway from Monmouth Mall, Seaview Square opened with Sears, Steinbach and Stern’s. This mall didn’t last too long 23 years later, it was demolished in 2001 and went to a big box shopping center. 

Newport Center 1987

The urban landscape of the Jersey City waterfront area got its first mall and opened before the holiday rush and the first mall where you have to pay to park in the parking deck or access it from the PATH train. Opening Anchors was Sears and Stern's. JcPenny was added later. As you see the grand opening had Hollywood presence as Jay Leno and Keshia Knight Pulliam aka Rudy from the Cosby Show made an appearance.

 

Bridgewater Commons 1988

Somerset County's only major shopping center opened in early 1988 off of Rt 22 As Macy's, Hahne's and Stern's were the original anchors happy to say the mall is still thriving to this very day despite anchor changes and renovations and a outdoor lifestyle center nearby with Shake Shack, Crate and Barrel and others.

Freehold Raceway Mall 1990

As a kid growing up in the town, there was no major mall ok we had Manalapan Mall with Steinbach and that's that. We had to venture to Eatontown for Monmouth Mall or Ocean for Seaview Square. My former hometown got its first mall in 1990 as Sears and Lord and Taylor opened it up but so many other proposed anchors never saw the light of day in the new shopping center as Hahne's, Stern's and A&S didn't make the cut as they were phased out by their companies of Federated and May dept stores. Instead JCPenny and the states third Nordstorm opened. Despite the challenges after the pandemic, the mall is thriving even though three anchors have shuttered. I do stop by whenever I'm in town.