The best television on television!
January 21st, 2007
Flipping through the channels last night I came across our new cable access again, not that I counted it out because of the victrola but I usually forget to even check what’s on there or I just never happen to catch anything that keeps me there for a while unless I count Jim Pillsbury’s last show which I was so mesmerized by I didn’t even answer my phone. (Note to self: Never tick-off Jim Pillsbury)
To my surprise there was a documented trip to Shoppers World in it’s final days. The program’s host talked about it’s glorious past and a little about it’s “warehouse” future and took the viewer on a tour inside and out.
I think this was such a great use for Framingham public access and just goes to show there really is something for everyone on it. The more local people get involved in it the better it will be. I’m still thinking of a show to contribute myself.
If anyone is interested,”Shopper’s World- A Look Back” is on again at 6pm tonight(1/21) and 11am tomorrow.
Makes me wish I still lived in the ‘ham so I could watch it. I wonder what ever happened to the Zodiac store that used to be in Shoppers World?
Comment by Michael — January 21, 2007 @ 9:13 pm
I stumbled across that documentary around 3 months ago. It made me both happy and sad. I believe it was shot shortly before the old Shoppers’ World was torn down. It was a great documentary. I do miss that place. I have happy memories of it from my early years in Framingham. By the 1990s it DID need an update… NOT to be torn down, but just an UPDATE …maybe something like they did with South Shore Plaza in Braintree.
Honestly, I even miss the original Natick Mall. I’d go back to the 1987 Natick Mall and Shopper’s World in a heartbeat (if I could)…
Comment by Rev. Bob Baril — January 21, 2007 @ 11:08 pm
I DON’T THINK I APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS ABOUT MY SHOW!!! WE PUT A LOT OF WORK INTO EVERY EPISODE AND IT IS VERY FRUSTRATING WHEN EVERYTHING GOES WRONG ALL THE TIME!!!
Just kidding. This is Hummingbird Goetzl. Jim Pillsbury RULES!!!
Comment by Jim Pillsbury — January 22, 2007 @ 2:13 am
Thank you for letting us know about the documentary. I’m looking forward to seeing it.
Comment by Dave — January 22, 2007 @ 8:18 pm
We do have something for everyone at FPAC-TV. You can find our daily schedule full of many very different shows on www.fpac-tv.org check us out.
Comment by Tom — January 23, 2007 @ 4:19 pm
I miss the old Shoppers World and Natick Mall too! My formative early years were spent loitering, I mean hanging out there!
If you recognize what Hollister and Abercrombie are doing with their store fronts, closing them off completely, requiring you to walk through a grand entrance, if you will, that’s because York Steakhouse did it first!!
I hope I can catch this documentary while it still runs!
Comment by scott — January 24, 2007 @ 4:23 pm
mmmm, york steak house, the BIG NIGHT out of my youth!
Comment by Stan — January 24, 2007 @ 5:15 pm
I remember York Steak House like it was yesterday. The anticipation of waiting in the mile-long corridor, the plastic markers to tell the grill people what you ordered, the chocolate pudding topped with whipped cream and solitaire chocolate shaving…not to mention the castle decor!
Many a family night at the old natick mall started off with dinner at York Steak House : )
Comment by michelle — January 25, 2007 @ 2:42 am
If I was older and wiser at the time, I should have known that when they stopped running the fountain down in front of York Steak House and kept it covered all the time, it was probably the end of the mall. And it was.
Comment by scott — January 25, 2007 @ 1:55 pm
i miss the old shoppers world so much. new shoppers world is crap - offense intended for the developer(s) who decided they should do away with a great Framingham landmark.
I still can’t believe that the National Registry of Historic Landmarks or whatever its called allowed the developers to tear down the Jordans dome. What a travesty.
Comment by scott — January 25, 2007 @ 1:58 pm
Any chance anyone got a tape of this documentary on dvd or something. Let me know. Iwould love a copy. I truly miss this mall especially house of zodiac.
Comment by Gary — February 1, 2007 @ 9:13 pm
A brown-roofed Toys R Us!
Comment by XISMZERO — February 2, 2007 @ 8:24 pm
Does anyone know where I could get a tape of this? I run a retail history blog and would love to take a peek inside of this treasure. I live in the area but didn’t move here until *AFTER* it was demolished, so I never got to prowl around the interior.
If anyone can hook me up I’ll definitely give it some column inches.
Comment by Jason Damas — February 5, 2007 @ 8:21 pm
Hi guys,
You may want to try contacting the good people of FPAC, I think that might be your best bet to getting a copy of the show.
Their site is fpac-tv.org
Good luck!
Comment by michelle — February 5, 2007 @ 8:29 pm
I got the impression there’s such a demand for the tape, that they’re a bit backed up. I just received my copy ($15)
and loved it. Steve Herring narrates lots of explanation from the parking lot areas, explaining how areas changed through the years. One photo he shows, is the flood from the Hurricane of 1954 when the water came half way up the first level.
The only thing I wish they had done, would be to show the utility tunnels that ran behind most of the lower level stores.
Comment by Dave — February 9, 2007 @ 8:06 pm
Just watched this video online at the fpac-tv.org site. Wish someone had done this for the original Natick Mall. It’s great to have this for history’s sake.
Comment by Nathan — October 4, 2007 @ 1:33 am
I search blogs and stuff for every pic I can find of the “Golden Triangle” area pre-disaster, which is to say before Shopper’s World was annihilated. I can see Natick Mall doing what they did although I prefer the original (60s-70s); it was after all, just a Mall - and one that had to grow or die.
But there is no excuse for what they did to Shopper’s World. Shopper’s World was different. The unique enclosed-yet-outdoors layout was special. That place was a family destination. It could have been kept current with a minimal investment; heck, all that was needed was to keep the paint fresh - the grounds handled all the aesthetics. The grounds were gorgeous, yes, especially in winter all you thin-bloods out there! It was decorated beautifully during the holidays.
It was an exciting place to be when individual stores or the whole plaza had promotional events. A family could spend a day there, using the playground, going to Friendly’s for ice cream, shopping some, then have dinner and perhaps see a movie. And from a practical sense that translates into wow! Revenue!
I’m glad that the FPAC video is available at http://blip.tv/file/207933 If I ever come up with some nice holiday photos of this place and Natick Mall, I’ll try to get them posted.
What a mess. What a disappointment. What a shame.
Comment by Nostalgio — October 27, 2007 @ 5:56 pm
How about before York Steak house…the Hot Shoppe Restaurant. Yum Yum!!! Anyone remember the ferris wheel at Shopper’s World?? We’d run down the ramp to get to it; that was before Jordan’s Basement was built. Good times!!!!!!!!!!!
Comment by Mehit — March 4, 2008 @ 5:31 pm