This week we go to St. Paul:
That should be easy, no? The Powers store gives it away. It's a reminder that A) the post-war boom saw big department stores moving out of downtown as soon as they could, and B) there used to be a store called "Powers."
What, can't name it yet? Here's a close-up:
Still a mystery? Fine. It's not like "Ben Franklin" narrows it down. Here's a landmark theater, just up the block:
For locals, the shape of the mast is recognizable from any angle. (It's HERE, if you want to see it today.)
More:
Long-time residents can name that place in a trice - if not for the name, then the distinctive entrance. Do we have a matchbook for it? We do:
It's the Highland Park strip mall - still around today, almost unchanged (except for the tenant mix, of course) and substantially enhanced by a half-century of additional development. Next week we will not be so lucky; next week we start to look at malls that died a long, long time ago.
