I moved to Yonkers from the Bronx, when I was 12. Outside of Fordham Rd, I hadn’t seen a ‘shopping center’ before this one. Even though Wanamaker and Gimbals was there, they were still adding stores. My mother and I loved shopping there and around Christmas everything was lit up and looked beautiful!
Thanks for posting. Brought back memories of growing up in Yonkers in the 60's & 70's. When I visit family that still live in Yonkers many things have changed over the years, a few have remained the same.
My first "real" job was at Ed's Aquarium in Cross County. I was in tenth grade. 1981. I left High School, got on the Central Ave bus and started working right away. I ate dinner at the Burger King. I used to try and do my homework on the bus. TV? What the heck was TV? I had a job to do. Sad about the lions. I remember them. Sad about everything really. Things are very different.
I wish to see what Cross County was like back in the 2000s. All I remember was there’s a Disney Store, KB Toys, and a Burger King where Panera Bread and Applebees are now. And there was this elevator where they take me to some place where we celebrate some kid’s birthday party.
It was a dirt mall. Previous to the current renovation it was a dilapidated mess. The owners didn't do any major renovation since the time it was built. I mean the main anchors, now Macy's ( originally Gimbells ) and what was Sears ( Wanamaker's) did their own buildouts, but the whole site was falling apart and was on par with a flea market.
I recall moving near the cross county mall back in April 1971, and my Mom would take me there, I remember John Wanamaker's, Gimbel's and I loved going to Woolworth with her, but I loved the red coach grill, great place to eat and we also used to eat up in the John Wanamaker's dept store, I forget what they called it, but it was good. Loved those times late 1960s & 1970s 🌹🌼🌺💐🌻🌸🌼🌹💐🌷🌺🌼🌸
That 'wonderleaf' clover article at 0:26 is a trip, gave me a real chuckle. One of the absolute worst interchanges between two major highways out there. Traffic flying off the Thruway northbound jockeying for position with the people coming up central ave. Very unique, but very bad. I've been working in the Shopping Center for over 2 decades now and have seen it evolve. It was a trip seeing this video. Well done. Also, those Lion statues persisted until 2009 around the site. They moved a couple of them to in front of the Chinese restaurant that was right next to where Chipotle is today.
Man, you even got pictures of the building from before the Hyatt took over. 6 Xavier (the old Mercy Hospital Building) was left to rot for literally years. They wrapped it back in the aughts in a sort of tyvek type moisture material and it was left exposed for so many years that it started peeling and coming off. Then they wrapped it in that black cladding that you see in some of the current shots. The people that own the complex were so bad about upkeep. Just terrible and it came from the top. Then the patriarch of the family kicked the bucket at the end of the aughts and they renovated the entire place. But remembering that building..ooof. Fire safety violations out the rear. Just terrible. When we moved in during 2001, we were going for our CO and the standard method is to tie your fire system into the building's. Easy, right? No, not so easy. We were told by the lawyer they had on the 7th floor that we should, and I quote, 'keep the windows open in case you hear any alarms going on other floors.' Yeah, that's going to go well with the State fire inspectors. So they jerked us around for a while and we finally just said eff it and got both Yonkers fire and the State guys visiting on the same day. That lawyer, I want to say his name was Bruce, was on the floor so fast. I don't know what he said to the Yonkers people, but they had a full crew rewiring the entire building for proper fire detection and suppression. They had deferred so much maintenance, it was basically unsafe.
VinnyS914 I remember those lion statues, and used to play on them as a kid. Sad to have seen them go, but they were really badly worn and weatherbeaten.
A little perspective here... After WWII, the Interstate Highway System passed congress. That changed the whole logistics of American trade and commerce. Three things came into prominence that were dormant in the economy because of it. 1). Shopping centers, 2). Franchise business' and 3). Supermarkets... knocking out the "Mom and Pop" business' like the one my family prospered by right there in Yonkers. So Mr. DiLorenzo built this shopping center in 1947 (the year I was born at the Yonkers General Hospital) along with another one in Ohio. He built the CCSC where the Major Deegan Expressway was soon extended into I-87, also known as "The New York State Thruway".
Until its renovation, I used to say that Cross County was built on a swamp and it was sinking back into it. Truer than most can imagine if you've worked there and been into the tunnels underneath.
Thank you....I got my tonsils taken out in Cross County Hospital....I remember buying dinosaurs and papper dolls before going in and under the knife...lol.. ❤
I know you have to get with the times but I feel as a Yonkers native they destroyed the history of Cross County with the ridiculous renovations they did. Some unnecessary. The destroyed the beauty of that outside mall. I won’t even shop there anymore. Disgrace!
I remember as a kid there were two Woolworth stores one was two levels the other one was one level and I remember the original playground in Burger King then I do remember Adventures it was where the cinema is today I remember when that place was being built it seems like yesterday..
![Harlem, New York 1930s in color, [60fps, Remastered] w/sound design added](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/zyD3HbpvTNs/mqdefault.jpg)
I moved to Yonkers from the Bronx, when I was 12. Outside of Fordham Rd, I hadn’t seen a ‘shopping center’ before this one.
Even though Wanamaker and Gimbals was there, they were still adding stores. My mother and I loved shopping there and around Christmas everything was lit up and looked beautiful!
Thanks for posting. Brought back memories of growing up in Yonkers in the 60's & 70's. When I visit family that still live in Yonkers many things have changed over the years, a few have remained the same.
My first "real" job was at Ed's Aquarium in Cross County. I was in tenth grade. 1981. I left High School, got on the Central Ave bus and started working right away. I ate dinner at the Burger King. I used to try and do my homework on the bus. TV? What the heck was TV? I had a job to do. Sad about the lions. I remember them. Sad about everything really. Things are very different.
I wish to see what Cross County was like back in the 2000s. All I remember was there’s a Disney Store, KB Toys, and a Burger King where Panera Bread and Applebees are now. And there was this elevator where they take me to some place where we celebrate some kid’s birthday party.
It was a dirt mall. Previous to the current renovation it was a dilapidated mess. The owners didn't do any major renovation since the time it was built. I mean the main anchors, now Macy's ( originally Gimbells ) and what was Sears ( Wanamaker's) did their own buildouts, but the whole site was falling apart and was on par with a flea market.
I recall moving near the cross county mall back in April 1971, and my Mom would take me there, I remember John Wanamaker's, Gimbel's and I loved going to Woolworth with her, but I loved the red coach grill, great place to eat and we also used to eat up in the John Wanamaker's dept store, I forget what they called it, but it was good. Loved those times late 1960s & 1970s 🌹🌼🌺💐🌻🌸🌼🌹💐🌷🌺🌼🌸
Thanks you for this video. My MoM was a waitress at Horn & Hardart restaurant. Nice memories of Cross County.
I loved going there with my Nan. Still have those little glass creamers.
That 'wonderleaf' clover article at 0:26 is a trip, gave me a real chuckle. One of the absolute worst interchanges between two major highways out there. Traffic flying off the Thruway northbound jockeying for position with the people coming up central ave. Very unique, but very bad. I've been working in the Shopping Center for over 2 decades now and have seen it evolve. It was a trip seeing this video. Well done.
Also, those Lion statues persisted until 2009 around the site. They moved a couple of them to in front of the Chinese restaurant that was right next to where Chipotle is today.
Man, you even got pictures of the building from before the Hyatt took over. 6 Xavier (the old Mercy Hospital Building) was left to rot for literally years. They wrapped it back in the aughts in a sort of tyvek type moisture material and it was left exposed for so many years that it started peeling and coming off. Then they wrapped it in that black cladding that you see in some of the current shots. The people that own the complex were so bad about upkeep. Just terrible and it came from the top. Then the patriarch of the family kicked the bucket at the end of the aughts and they renovated the entire place. But remembering that building..ooof. Fire safety violations out the rear. Just terrible. When we moved in during 2001, we were going for our CO and the standard method is to tie your fire system into the building's. Easy, right? No, not so easy. We were told by the lawyer they had on the 7th floor that we should, and I quote, 'keep the windows open in case you hear any alarms going on other floors.'
Yeah, that's going to go well with the State fire inspectors. So they jerked us around for a while and we finally just said eff it and got both Yonkers fire and the State guys visiting on the same day. That lawyer, I want to say his name was Bruce, was on the floor so fast. I don't know what he said to the Yonkers people, but they had a full crew rewiring the entire building for proper fire detection and suppression. They had deferred so much maintenance, it was basically unsafe.
I used to eat at the Red Coach *all* the time with my mom when I was a kid.
You mean Sizzler. :P
Horrible that they removed the statues by Sears.
VinnyS914 I remember those lion statues, and used to play on them as a kid. Sad to have seen them go, but they were really badly worn and weatherbeaten.
They did a fantastic job with the renovation.
A little perspective here... After WWII, the Interstate Highway System passed congress. That changed the whole logistics of American trade and commerce. Three things came into prominence that were dormant in the economy because of it. 1). Shopping centers, 2). Franchise business' and 3). Supermarkets... knocking out the "Mom and Pop" business' like the one my family prospered by right there in Yonkers. So Mr. DiLorenzo built this shopping center in 1947 (the year I was born at the Yonkers General Hospital) along with another one in Ohio. He built the CCSC where the Major Deegan Expressway was soon extended into I-87, also known as "The New York State Thruway".
Thanks for the memories Mike. Been there many times as a kid with my Aunt and Uncle.
Never knew Cross County had such history.
Samee
great video, thanks for putting this together. I miss CC the way it was
Nice job! One big missing piece is Wonderland, which subsequently became Nathan's.
Until its renovation, I used to say that Cross County was built on a swamp and it was sinking back into it. Truer than most can imagine if you've worked there and been into the tunnels underneath.
Thank you....I got my tonsils taken out in Cross County Hospital....I remember buying dinosaurs and papper dolls before going in and under the knife...lol.. ❤
I also got my ears pierced there.....
My little brother was born at that hospital 😃
Omg I looked at that quick & thought you said TOENAILS! 😂
@@samanthab1923 lol...
I know you have to get with the times but I feel as a Yonkers native they destroyed the history of Cross County with the ridiculous renovations they did. Some unnecessary. The destroyed the beauty of that outside mall. I won’t even shop there anymore. Disgrace!
Do you know of any haunted spots in Yonkers?
I grew up in Yonkers, loved Cross County as a kid. Today?...eh.
I remember as a kid there were two Woolworth stores one was two levels the other one was one level and I remember the original playground in Burger King then I do remember Adventures it was where the cinema is today I remember when that place was being built it seems like yesterday..
@@neilonicko1 that was the 60's, I remember them, too!
Phenomenal!
Yonkers!
Now look at it now who ever got the most bags are better then everybody