El Paso Has Lost More Malls Than You Might Think
Cielo Vista Mall, Shoppes at Solana (formerly Sunland Park Mall), Bassett Center, Outlet Shoppes...these are all malls that we can still enjoy in El Paso today. But true El Paso OGs will remember that we had more shopping malls back in the day. Including one on the Northeast & one that used to be off of McRae.
El Paso's Northpark Mall in the Northeast is still fondly remembered
Those who lived in the Northeast will remember the old Northpark/Northgate Mall that existed at Dyer & Diana Diana. It used to be home to such shops like Safeway, Wyatt's Cafeteria & the Northgate Theater. A huge thank you to the El Paso Times for allowing us to share these photos of the mall from when it stood tall in El Paso.
Sadly business for the mall died down in the late 80s & early 90s, leaving the mall abandoned until it was torn down in 2011.
Today the area is home to the Sun Metro Northgate Transfer Center. However, thanks to Google Maps/Google Earth, the folks at the El Paso Times, and the people who share their memories online we can still see the mall standing before it was gone forever.
Don't forget about El Paso's Morningside Mall on the East Side
If you remembered the old Morningside Mall that used to be at Sims Dr. & McRae Blvd., you DEFINITELY are an El Paso OG. The Morningside Mall opened in the 1970s & it was a favorite for the people who lived on the Eastside.
Thanks to El Paso Times, we can see this old newspaper ad for the mall & you can see what shops & restaurants were there for people to enjoy.
The Morningside Mall was also home to the Cinema I & II theaters that opened on March 28 1974 before closing down in September of 1983. Thankfully we KNOW exactly when it opened thanks to this person who posted another newspaper ad online.
There's even an old postcard that shows the old Guarantee Shoe Company that was inside the mall that's currently available on eBay. (Huge thank you to the Schaefer Brothers Vintage Market on posting this unique piece of El Paso's history).
Unlike the Northgate Mall, the area that once homed the Morningside Mall IS still standing; today it's the home to the Yselta ISD School District Administration Building.
Perhaps one day in the future we will see more photos or videos of what these malls looked like during their heyday. If you have any memories of either of these malls, or any of the malls from WAY back, we'd love to see them! You're always welcome to send in any photos of videos through our mobile apps.
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