I remember the floor-to-ceiling oil/rain fixtures they had there. It was a series of steel "ropes" where drops of oil would descend from the ceiling like rain drops.
The other crazy thing about that mall was that it was 2 blocks away from another huge mall -- The Promenade. I wonder why they built two so close to each other?
Looks like a Broadway at the (distant) left side of the image. I miss the businesses that served SoCal's now-extinct middle class. Now it's either Nordstrom's or Wal-mart, without much in between.
I miss the ice skating rink. It was turned into a food court. Also miss the corn feilds that later became Warner Center.
They also had some tall bird cages at the other end of the mall that had parrots, a really cool Orage Julius kiosk in the middle of the mall, a precurser to their current food court called 'The Seven Kitchens', and a wonderful pirate themed restaurant called 'The Jolly Rodger'. Topanga Plaza was THE place to shop if you lived in the valley or the east side of Ventura Count.
My name is Jerry Huth. I now live in Tombstone, Az. I was the manager of Millers Outpost in 1981. I worked for Millers for 10 years and during that time transfered in and out of Topanga 3 times. The first time I worked there in 1977 the store was small and very dark inside. The inside was medium blue and had only flood lights in the ceiling. The store was later expanded when the jewelry store next to it went out of business. At that time the store was located upstairs on the east side at the May company end. Thrifty and Imagnin were across the way. I could eat lunch upstairs in the May company balcony/resturant and watch the store.
I remember the May Company "Terrace Restaurant" on the 3rd floor too ...was beginning to wonder if I made it up. I wish someone would post pictures of that place! Also remember the very tall spinning "T" facing Topanga Cyn Blvd. I bet a sign of that height wouldn't even be allowed in Woodland Hills today.
Wow what great memories. I grew up a couple of miles from Topanga Plaza and learned how to ice skate there and later in high school in the 70's I worked at Kinneys and then at Wetherby Kayser. Man, Chuck burger and Orange Julius. I met my first girl friend there who worked in May Company. They should have left the fountain.
I worked for both jerry and Peggy @ millers outpost Topanga, Peggy had to fire me and 80's and drugs.
I remember my uncle working as a carpenter building the ice rink. All 4 of my siblings started working at 7 kitchens when we were 15. I still keep in touch with people from that place, I recently went to Don Pauls house to contact Rex Paul, and spoke with Matt, Don's other son. I have in my backyard one of those large planters that held one of the tall palm trees which were in different places in Topanga Canyon. That plaza was great. Wallachs, Pickwick books, I shopped at Millers Outpost a lot, I also worked at Leeds Shoes in late 70's. Does anyone know what ever happened to Bob Turk? He was the Janitor there and worked there for many years.
Do you know if Rex has a Facebook or email address. He was a friend back in 79 when I worked at kinderfoto right by 7 kitchens.
You can contact Rex through his company, I think it is Rex for Restaurants, he is a licensed real estate broker i believe, you can check with the State. I remember him walking over to Kinder Photo and we would rib him about it. I remember you girls. You were much more behaved at your job than employees at other jobs in the mall back then. More mature, or something, you had to be dealing with moms and babies. I watched you trying to get babies to sit still a few times.
I am wondering what eventually happened to the 7 Kitchens of Inland Center Mall in San Bernardino.... Was it also one of Don Paul's Seven Kitchens restaurants? I worked for May Company in that mall for a short time and frequently ate there..my favorite? Liver and onions!