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SHORE MALL: EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP, NJ

Sean's Commentary

Posted November 20, 2006 (user submitted)

The Shore Mall is an enclosed mall in Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey on Routes 40 and 322 (Tilton Road), right near the Cardiff Circle and the Garden State Parkway. It opened around the 70's with a Steinbach and most likely a Stern's. It's the only mall in the area still open that had a Steinbach (Manalapan and Seaview Square were the other two). The mall is now anchored by a Boscov's, Value City, and Burlington Coat Factory.

A the time, it was a major destination if you lived in the greater Burlington-Atlantic-Ocean County area. You would either go to the Shore mall, up north in Toms River to the Ocean County Mall, or west near Cherry Hill. It was close to the Washington Avenue exit on the Parkway, but gettint to the mall via Cardiff Circle wasn't easy.

When NJ leagalized gambling, Tourists from Atkantic City would frequently visited the mall, as it was the only mall in the Atlantic City Area.

In the mid 80's, things got a turn for the worse when a new mall was planned for Mays Landing on the Black Horse Pike, the Hamilton Mall, with its entrance being directly across from the exit to the Atlantic City Expressway, so the first thing anyone saw after they got out from the exit was the new mall.

The Hamilton Mall opened in 1987, and contained a Macy's, JCPenney, and a Sears, with space for two more anchors. The Hamilton Mall was much larger and upscale. While the Hamilton Mall was an Atlantic City Attraction, the Shore Mall began to decline. The mall was getting dated and dirty.

Another hard blow for the Shore Mall was in the early 2000's, when Consumer Square, a Big Box center with a Best Buy, Staples, Target, and Babies R Us, just to name a few, opened up right across from the Hamilton Mall. These Big-box centers were just beginning to get popular at this time, so Consumer Square was a big hit - Big enough to even make the prospering Hamilton Mall lose customers. The Shore Mall? Same problem, but worse.

In 2003, both the Hamilton and Ocean County malls got facelifts, which brought back more customers to those malls, but didn't help the Shore Mall.

In 2005, it got worse. With the opening of the open-air Quarter at Tropicana and Pier Shops at Caesars (The east coast version of the Forum Shops at Caesars), both in Atlantic City, so vacationers didnt's have to cross over into EHT to shop anymore.

The Shore Mall is still open, doing OK, for it's low amount of stores, at least. The interior especiially is dated and the outside is barren. Hopefully, there will be an upcoming renovation, so it will once again be an Atlantic City destination.

Jack Townley's Commentary

Posted December 2, 2006 (user submitted)

I went to work at the Shore Mall in 1977. The building that is now Boscovs was a SEARS and that is where I worked.

The Sears store was built first and then the mall later on. When Sears was there it was not attached to the mall. You went out the back door of Sears past a few stores and then entered the mall.

The building that is now the Burlington Coat Factory was a J.C. Penney.

When the Hamilton Mall opened, both Sears and Penneys closed, and reopened at the Hamilton Mall. There never was a Sterns at that mall.

The Steinbachs that anchored the other end of the mall is now a Value City store. When Sears and Penneys left, the mall was sold. (Steinbachs was already closed I think)

The sears store was remodeled into Boscovs and the mall was enlarged and completely enclosed, so all stores became a true part of the mall.

Carol Goloff's Commentary

Posted May 3, 2011 (user submitted December 31, 2010)

The site on which the mall sits was a rodeo in the 50s. Sally Starr was a frequent headliner.

When the mall first opened, it was called, "Searstown". Sears was where Boscov's is. The Burlington Coat Factory store was originally a Grant's Department Store with a cafe. Sears also had a cafe with the best soda fountain.

The large store at the end which was previously a Circuit City was orginally a Pantry Prode Supermarket. There was the Towns Tavern next to that where the bank is now.

The movie theatre was the Towne Twin and a drive in existed where the Outback restaurant sits.

The space between Sears and Grants was open-air. The stores stopped where Beachcomer is now. There was a Thrift Drug, Lamplighter Gift Shoppe and Giovanni's Restaurant on the right side and a shoe store, Radior Shack on the left.

When the Mall expanded in the 60s, the open air area remained and 2 sets of double doors open to the Mall as it now exists. Steinbachs had a beauty salon and a restaurant which overlooked the mall. Orange Julius and Beach Comber was in the back of the mall. Donna Sommers once shopped at Tres Chic clothing store. Sound Odysey was THE place to go each week and buy the top 45. Jeans Emporium was a tall-walled kiosk which jeans from floor to ceiling.

Parklane Hosiery supplied all the of the cocktail waitresses with hose when Resorts first opened and also sold disco wear by Capezio. The chinese restaurant across from Capri was orginally a Baskin Robbins owned and operated by Mr. and Mrs. Ernie Hentchel.

Allen's Shores was a major attraction. Dell's Soda Shop and Capri Pizza were popular hang outs when "My Sharona" topped the charts.

There were interesting wooden sections to the flooring. Square dancers would come and show off their talents. The stores boasted their favorite Miss America contestants each August and September.

When children visited Santa, the long line took the kids through an enclosed house that was probably removed as a fire hazard. But it was magical.

This was all when Value City on Tilton Road was Mr. Big's with a light that had three rows of neon that got increasingly bigger over and over all day and night. The Sugar Pine gift shop was very popular. There was a gift shop next to the Tilton Theater in the shape of a chalet and had rock candy upstairs. The Tilton Theatre had only one movie theater. Swim Mor Pools was originally a Burgur Chef. When the recent renovations were underway, you could see the orange and torquise paint from the 60s.

Tilton Road was always flooded in the rain.

On the Black Horse Pike, McDonald's in Pleasantville was across the street from where it is now. It was an open front restaurant originally. The shopping center was called "The Woolworth Shopping Center". Woolworths had their famous lunch counter. Woolco was on the otherside of the center where the Asian Supermarket is.

On the way into Atlantic City, on the Black Horse Pike (or Verona Blvd. to the locals) there were Drums and Ben's Barbeque where teenagers in the late 50s and early 60s hung out. Those sites are now used car dealerships.

Further down the road was "Two Guys"; A K-Mart type store with a mini bowling alley in the back. A bus parking lot is there now right before you go past the Sand Castle Stadium.

Links:

Shore Mall Official Mall Web Site

   
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