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12:20:2002 Entry: "Ann : Cinderella City"

Cinderella City

I don't remember how we got onto the subject, but the other day talking to my sister-in-law, Marcia, I brought up Cinderella City in Englewood, and how it was THEEE place to go when you were a teenager in Colorado in the '70s. It exuded Colorado teenage 70s from every pore in its concrete; one literally drowned from the Clearasil in the air in "CinderAlley," the hangout area in this oversized mall-to-end-all-malls. A typical Saturday would be spent driving down to Denver (usually with someone's parents or a friend's older sibling) in the morning, dropping us off at Cinderella City while they went elsewhere, picking us up in the mall later, and then a dinner somewhere else in Denver, usually at Casa Bonita where experience is everything and taste is nothing. Marcia mentioned that she has no idea what is there now, so I did a quick search this morning and found this, with pictures of its demolition in 1998.

Now I am extremely mall-phobic and avoid the local malls at all cost, however I am rather saddened and nostalgic for the once great Cinderella City. Its demise is definitely an end of an era. The last time Stan and I went to Cinderella City was in 1984 or 1985 or 1986, and we remarked that it was stuck in the 70s...all the people there looked like they were still in that era...same bluejean clothes, same feathered hairstyles, same headshops in CinderAlley. We were the only ones who had any semblance of 80s-ness. We were stared at as if we were from the future. We never returned.

When we are in Colorado lately, we don't spend much time in Denver anymore, and if we were to go to Denver it would be to see the gardens or the zoo or the museum or the IMAX. It certainly wouldn't be to go to a mall. Yet it would be comforting to know it was still there, to know that somewhere in CinderAlley there was a teenage girl wandering around in a record shop and feeling this strange ambience of a generation she never knew, the ambience of the 70s, the same other-era ambience I felt of the 50s when I visited my grandmother in Racine, a very early-to-mid-20th century city. Some places were just meant to be of a certain time and place. It's too bad this monument or memorial of the 70s has been destroyed.

14 Comments

I agree. I too am saddened. I live about 600 miles east of Denver and paid two visits to Cinderella City, once in 1975, (did not go in the mall) and once in '77 when I spent most of a vacation day afternoon exploring the then third largest mall in the world (apprx. 1.2 millions square feet) Note: Mall of America is 5 million sq.ft!). I made a few purchases and still possess them ( a board game and some oil of oak moss skin scent. I went back in '97 but just drove by it (it was still open but only a few stores) and then in '99 right near the end of the demolition where I snuck into the lot and touched the old Foleys building, took a memento from it ( a small laminated sign 11"x8" on the door that said "Entrance to Foley's Cinderella City" Ok and a piece of morter from the site. I am a sucker for sentimental stuff. The main question is WHY? I can't explain it. I even dream about the place! In my dreams, I am trying to find the mall and when I finally do, it is time to go and I really don't have time to go in. hehe!

Posted by Scott Tucker @ 09:05:2002:10:10 PM CST

Correction: Cinderella City Mall was 1.35 million square feet. Ok so I am a stats nut too~~ :)

Posted by Scott Tucker @ 09:06:2002:08:31 PM CST

Thanks for your story, Scott. :)

Posted by Ann @ 09:06:2002:08:34 PM CST

Ann, Do you remember the toy store THREE WISHES? it is the one store I remember visiting there. What do you recall as far as details of CinderAlley? I have searched in vain for a floor plan map of Cinderella City...

Posted by Scott Tucker @ 09:07:2002:06:36 PM CST

Sorry, can't help you there...don't remember many stores in particular or by name, except maybe Walgreens because we would eat at the grill (it was cheap, we were young, couldn't afford much). The only thing I remember much about Cinder Alley was that it was dark, appealed to the younger crowd, posters, patchoulli oils, headshops (they weren't illegal back then), and it was close to the underground parking. The other malls (rose, gold and shamrock) were those colors in sort of hideous mid-century tones.

Posted by Ann @ 09:08:2002:08:11 AM CST

I have been in love with cinderella city mall since the time I was born. But I didn't realize the greatness of it until it was half way torn down.

I do have floorplans of every square inch of it from 1968 to 1996. You can find all of the info your looking for at the website, now updated to every day.
And if you are in the area, stop by and go into the old foleys place which is now the city center. You will find everything and more there.
Good luck, and good job for snatching a piece of it!! I never got to.
Except a bathroom floortile from shamarock mall. Keep me updated on all your memories.

Josh

Posted by Joshua Goldstein @ 10:27:2002:03:59 PM CST

Your links to demolition pictures dont work!!!! Wish I could see um!!

Posted by Joshua goldstein @ 10:27:2002:04:02 PM CST

It appears the City of Englewood site changed or removed those pages.

Posted by Ann @ 10:27:2002:05:42 PM CST

Really?!? WHy did they take 'em off? I have seen others been taken off too, and I wanna know why.

Posted by joshua goldstein @ 10:29:2002:05:31 PM CST

Sorry. Your probably tired of me buttin' in and eagerly talking about the mall, but you can go to citycenterenglewood.com/cinderellacity.com

Posted by Joshua Goldstein @ 11:19:2002:06:32 PM CST

I BOUGHT A GUITAR AT A MUSIC STORE THERE IN SUMMER '73. I STILL HAVE IT. WE ARE BOTH A LITTLE OLDER AND SOMEWHAT BANGED UP. I WAS STATIONED AT LOWERY AFB. MY FREINDS A I WOULD HANG OUT AT CINDERELLA CITY. IT WAS AN ALL DAY ADVENTURE. NO OTHER PLACE LIKE IT, AND I WILL NEVER FORGET IT.

Posted by RICK @ 12:02:2002:01:22 PM CST

I just wanted to say its nice to know that there are people out there that remember this mall. My mom and I would go to this mall almost every weekend and sometimes during the week. It was our favorite, we spent hours there! It is so sad to know that this mall is gone. I wish I could have taken pictures of all of it, do you know where I can get pictures of it??? My mom and I would love to have them.Please email me and let me know. Thank You
Sincerely,
Vanessa

Posted by vanessa @ 12:07:2002:10:47 PM CST

I remember the Bernina Sewing Storeand have very fond memories as this was my very first sewing machine. I took the Bernina sewing classes-one on one individual instruction. What a time of pampering since the new trend is the groupie instruction concept . I don't remember its location within "Cinder-Alley"but they had a great staff.

Posted by Marie @ 12:19:2002:05:15 PM CST

Do you remember the name of the store that was located at the very west end of the mall? It was new to Denver at the time and was considered to be the "ritzy" place to shop....for the life of me I cannot remember the name...thanks! :)

Posted by Jenny @ 12:29:2002:10:58 PM CST

By Ann @ 20:24 AM CST:12:20:02 ..::Link::..