Tuesday, December 30, 2014

Oak Mill Mall- (Niles, IL)


The corner of Oakton Street and Milwaukee Avenue...get it, "Oak""Mill", anyway, not much history found in this mall other than the look of the interior dating back to the 1970's. If this was ever a mall, it definitely died out a long time ago with strong competition from Golf Mill Mall in Niles and the Harlem Irving Plaza in Norridge, IL.

Here are pictures of the mall from June 2013:









I think since the pictures were taken, the owner took the "MALL" sign off the center entrance, but more input is needed to verify.

If anyone has any pictures or stories, they would be greatly appreciated, so feel free to post and comment below.

Thank you for reading.

5 comments:

  1. You should add that article from the tribune! Any idea what the guy by the mailbox is doing? he he! Very informative blog on this strip mall/plaza :) Women's workout world was here in the 80s and Blockbuster was to the left of Jewel

    ReplyDelete
  2. Used to be known as 'Candlelight Court' back in the 70s and 80s. Originally, Bill Pullinsi, theatre director of Candlelight Dinner Theatre in Summit, IL was supposed to develop this parcel as a north suburban counterpart to the Summit location but the Village of Niles codes were to restrictive so the idea was abandoned and turned inot a strip mall. Golf Mill predated this mall by at least 10-12 years or more.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. They originally wanted to develop it to be what ? A theatre?

      Delete
    2. Wow, I forgot about it being Candlelight Court. I was young, but I seem to recall that it was never completely filled up, and it didn't have a lot of browsers/strollers/window shoppers in there.
      Some places seemed to do okay and lasted a long time, but I think generally people went to one place then would leave.
      Places in there I remember:
      Maloney's -- an old-fashion ice cream parlor with a player piano.
      Drs. Cutler -- two optometrist brothers with an optician named John.
      The Flip Side -- for those of you who remember them, they sold records.
      Women's Workout World
      A hobby store -- maybe it was a toy store. I always remember wanting to go in there to look for trains, but I don't remember them having a lot. Maybe it was geared toward crafts.
      A "European" deli. I think Delicatessan Meyer? Maybe Linger? I'd say Central to Eastern European if memory serves.
      I think there was a Jewel-Osco at the southeast end. Some grocery store for sure.
      And for at least a couple of years, they used some of their extensive unleased space for a live-action haunted house. That was something.

      Delete
  3. Sorry for posting this twice, but my reply up above looks blacked out on my screen -- even after I previewed it.

    Wow, I forgot about it being Candlelight Court. I was young, but I seem to recall that it was never completely filled up, and it didn't have a lot of browsers/strollers/window shoppers in there.
    Some places seemed to do okay and lasted a long time, but I think generally people went to one place then would leave.
    Places in there I remember:
    Maloney's -- an old-fashion ice cream parlor with a player piano.
    Drs. Cutler -- two optometrist brothers with an optician named John.
    The Flip Side -- for those of you who remember them, they sold records.
    Women's Workout World
    A hobby store -- maybe it was a toy store. I always remember wanting to go in there to look for trains, but I don't remember them having a lot. Maybe it was geared toward crafts.
    A "European" deli. I think Delicatessan Meyer? Maybe Linger? I'd say Central to Eastern European if memory serves.
    I think there was a Jewel-Osco at the southeast end. Some grocery store for sure.
    And for at least a couple of years, they used some of their extensive unleased space for a live-action haunted house. That was something.

    ReplyDelete