Central New York Shares Memories From Sangertown And Riverside

Do you have amazing memories from Sangertown Square Mall in New Hartford and Riverside Center in Utica?

At one point, our Central New York and Mohawk Valley region were home to two amazing malls. We still have one going strong in Sangertown. Let's share some history on both malls:

Sangertown Square Mall

Sangertown opened in 1980 with Sears, Bradlees, Hess's, and JCPenney as the four main stores. Through the years, many shops have left their mark on our region:

The original design of the mall was nearly identical to Hampshire Mall in Massachusetts and Pyramid Mall in Ithaca, New York."

When it opened, the mall was home to a movie theater with 6 screens and a roller rink in the Bradlees wing. The roller rink was converted into extra screens for the theater after the first couple years, bringing the total amount of screens to 9.

Riverside Center History

Riverside opened in Utica in 1974. The shopping center still exists today, but the actual shopping mall closed in the late 90's.

What Are Your Favorite Memories?

We asked all over social media for you to share with us your favorite memories of shopping at both locations. This question wasn't to bash the current state of one location or the other, but truly to explore a blast from the past. What did you enjoy the most about shopping in the area? Did you have your first kiss at Sangertown? Did you buy your first boom box or record at Riverside? Text us your answers on our station app.

Here's some of the top answers from social media:

Central New York Shares Memories From Sangertown And Riverside Center

We asked all over social media for you to share with us your favorite memories from Sangertown and Riverside. Here's some of the top responses:

Go Inside Old Charlestown USA Mall

Go inside the old Charlestown Mall that will soon be no more as demolition crews begin to tear it down.

The Most Gigantic Malls In New York State

New York State is home to some of the largest shopping malls in the country, and many of them are nearby. One is even in our own backyard!

Take A Look Inside The Abandoned ShoppingTown Mall In Dewitt, NY

Onondaga County currently owns the ShoppingTown Mall located in Dewitt New York near the Syracuse area. As of today, the mall is abandoned. The future of the building will go to someone who has the best vision for it. Onondaga County has issued an official request for proposals (RFP) for ShoppingTown Mall. The property will be resold to the buyer with the best plan for revitalizing the vacant property.

Proposers will need to have a demonstrated history of producing "high quality projects," according to the statement. They will also need to produce financial information related to the project."

Jordan Harmon was able to tour the property and take plenty of photos recently with permission from Onondaga County:

The main purpose of this shoot was to document this historical structure before any alterations occur. I grew up with this mall, I can remember coming here as a kid. This was the place my family did our back to school shopping and the place where I’d blow my allowance at Fun Junction playing laser tag. To see it now is shocking to say the least. The former owner of the mall clearly made no effort to maintain it, let alone stop the hundreds of leaks in the roof.

Filed Under: new hartford, riverside mall, sangertown square mall, Utica

Categories: This And That