It’s a big year for Broadway Plaza: Walnut Creek’s bustling shopping
center marks its 60th anniversary. And, like all things Broadway Plaza,
it’s celebrating in style, with special events taking place this month
through the fall.
When J.C. Penney wanted to open up a store in Walnut Creek, the idea quickly grew into a plan for an entire shopping center. At the time of its opening on October 11, 1951, “Broadway Walnut Creek” was one of the first open-air malls in the country. One of the Marx brothers even provided entertainment for the opening.
Built on 30 acres (construction meant covering over the Walnut and San Ramon creeks), the center was originally anchored by several main attractions. J.C. Penney, Sears, Lucky Supermarket, Woolworths, and Joseph Magnin (a San Francisco based clothing store) helped draw shoppers to the 38-store plaza.
The center would transform Walnut Creek from a sleepy town to a bustling shopping destination, bringing unprecedented revenue into the city and contributing to a spike in population—2,400 to 40,000 in the twenty years after the opening. Since then, Broadway Plaza has grown to include 77 retailers and restaurants, and has evolved from a humble shopping center into the chic shopping experience it is today.
Among the special events taking place this weekend are:
When J.C. Penney wanted to open up a store in Walnut Creek, the idea quickly grew into a plan for an entire shopping center. At the time of its opening on October 11, 1951, “Broadway Walnut Creek” was one of the first open-air malls in the country. One of the Marx brothers even provided entertainment for the opening.
Built on 30 acres (construction meant covering over the Walnut and San Ramon creeks), the center was originally anchored by several main attractions. J.C. Penney, Sears, Lucky Supermarket, Woolworths, and Joseph Magnin (a San Francisco based clothing store) helped draw shoppers to the 38-store plaza.
The center would transform Walnut Creek from a sleepy town to a bustling shopping destination, bringing unprecedented revenue into the city and contributing to a spike in population—2,400 to 40,000 in the twenty years after the opening. Since then, Broadway Plaza has grown to include 77 retailers and restaurants, and has evolved from a humble shopping center into the chic shopping experience it is today.
Among the special events taking place this weekend are:
No comments:
Post a Comment