Friendly Center & The Shops at Friendly

[otherstream]

That store's had an interesting history. It started out as a Sears, turned into a Thalhimers, and then became HT back in the mid '90s.

Sears Cameron Village, circa 1950:

[StevenRocks]

Thanks for the pic, otherstream.

[richthofen]

Thanks for the pic, otherstream.

Nice! Have any other old Cameron Village photos? (don't mean to turn this into a discussion better suited to the Triangle forum, but I grew up in Greensboro and now live in Raleigh...)

Or old Friendly Center photos, for that matter? I still remember when Friendly Center had a Winn-Dixie, a Big Star, a Woolworth, Swensen's in its original location (for some reason the back room with the ceiling fans always creeped me out), when Forum VI was still attempting to be a mall... seems like so long ago now.

What's the story behind Forum VI, anyway? It couldn't have been built specifically as a mall, as long as I can remember (early 80's) it was always office space on the upper floors. Was the retail level a failed experiment, or just an unfortunate design decision? And is K&W still in the basement?

[StevenRocks]

What's the story behind Forum VI, anyway? It couldn't have been built specifically as a mall, as long as I can remember (early 80's) it was always office space on the upper floors. Was the retail level a failed experiment, or just an unfortunate design decision? And is K&W still in the basement?

I did a post on Forum VI on my blog in August: Check it out.

It was originally planned as a mixed-use facility, as far as I know. And K&W is still in the 'basement.'

[otherstream]

Nice! Have any other old Cameron Village photos? (don't mean to turn this into a discussion better suited to the Triangle forum, but I grew up in Greensboro and now live in Raleigh...)

Actually, I have a bunch of old Cameron Village photos. I'm leaving town for a couple of days, but I'll try to post them in the CamVillage thread on the Triangle forum when I get back (and leave notoce here).

Until then, here's a page on the Cameron Village Colonial supermarket from one of my sites. This store is the direct ancestor of the Harris-Teeter there...

[ILoveCallingNCHome]

And K&W is still in the 'basement.'

Yep, and it was a mixed use facility. I remember when it was built there. My sister worked inside for a bit at a plant store called Plants and Answers I believe. Toys and Company used to be inside there (now currently located within the general part of Friendly Center. There were several other stores, most of which were intended to be "upscale". It was kind of neat going in there, but generally I never remember a lot of folks going inside to shop in the years it operated as that mall/office area that it was.

[ILoveCallingNCHome]

I still remember when Friendly Center had a Winn-Dixie, a Big Star, a Woolworth, Swensen's in its original location (for some reason the back room with the ceiling fans always creeped me out), when Forum VI was still attempting to be a mall... seems like so long ago now.

I remember the Winn-Dixie, and Woolworths, and Scott Seed. I keep thinking there was a Roses or PH Rose there (early 70's) when I was very small. I also remember Swensen's in it's original location. I was thinking about them the other day, kind of missing them...not the run down version that was there in their latter years...but when they were clean and the food was ALWAYS good (including those free birthday sundae's)

Forum VI-I remember probably one of the last times of going there was when my daughter turned 1. We took her to toys and company to pick out something for her birthday.

[StevenRocks]

I remember the Winn-Dixie, and Woolworths, and Scott Seed. I keep thinking there was a Roses or PH Rose there (early 70's) when I was very small.

There was a Roses or PH Rose in the building where Eddie Bauer and Chico's are now back in the day. I don't remember it, but I have sources that do.

[IknewIwasright]

As far as PF Changs goes, I can taste the lettuce wraps already. Three cheers

[DigitalSky]

I think they have a steel frame up already.. I was driving down Friendly though and couldn't really tell

[rooster8]

It is ironic that they are building a Changs there. My mom loved the restaurant and would drive to Durham just to eat there. She recently moved to Florida just as G'boro is getting one.

[IknewIwasright]

That roads been travelled a few times by ths household too.

[DigitalSky]

I drove by again last night, it seems to be coming up pretty fast

[DigitalSky]

News! http://www.news-record.com/apps/pbcs.dll/a...C0101/512160309

A BB&T financial center among other shops will replace the Harris Teeter's current building, after being demolished to create a thoroughfare to the new part of Friendly Cntr

I can't remember if it had been mentioned too, but REI is joining the project!!

So PF Changs, REI.... could Cheesecake Factory be next?

One other restaurant has signed a lease, and Starmount is in serious negotiations with two others, he said. Porterfield said he expected to announce those and other tenants within the next few months.

Edited December 17, 2005 by cantnot

[StevenRocks]

So PF Changs, REI.... could Cheesecake Factory be next?

We can only hope

[IknewIwasright]

Pardon my ignorance, but what is a REI?

[DigitalSky]

It's a sporting goods store. http://www.rei.com/

[NCMike1981]

Hehehe I learned of who REI was when the cast of Real World Seattle visited the store to get supplies for a trip they were going on back in 1998ish. So now whenever I hear of the store I think of the Real World. I've been inside the Cary and Durham stores....the one in Seattle was much nicer

[IknewIwasright]

Gotcha, for some reason I was still on the restaurants.

[DigitalSky]

Gotcha, for some reason I was still on the restaurants.

ooh ok. sorry if i confused you

[DigitalSky]

Drove by today, work seems to be progressing!

[southclt]

As far as PF Changs goes, I can taste the lettuce wraps already. Three cheers

Those lettuce wraps do rock!!

I remember going to Friendly center when I was younger (as some of you seem to also) and even in college I loved going to Swensons and Harris Teeter for "groceries" (I do remember the parking lot was a bit tricky to get out). It's definitely one of my favorite shopping malls, in the state (even if it's outdoors).

When I was in college they were talking about a huge stadium seating movie theater. Did that ever happen?

It's sad to hear about the BI building, I always made sure to take a peak of those neat outer beams everytime we passed by.

Glad to see G'boro / Friendly Center is doing well.

[DigitalSky]

The theater did happen. It's called The Grande, it's next to the current Harris Teeter store. So you went to UNCG too?

[Hotlanta]

Looks like BB&T will move some of its offices into the soon to be old Harris Teeter location, judging from a past Business Journal article.

[DigitalSky]

News! http://www.news-record.com/apps/pbcs.dll/a...C0101/512160309

A BB&T financial center among other shops will replace the Harris Teeter's current building, after being demolished to create a thoroughfare to the new part of Friendly Cntr

Looks like BB&T will move some of its offices into the soon to be old Harris Teeter location, judging from a past Business Journal article.

yup