The stores in New London and Newington, CT both became Bradlees. Both buildings are gone now. There was a third store in Waterbury, CT; does anyone know it''s fate?
Do not know. Newington is now Wal-Mart. Bradlees closed in 1996. Does anyone know when Two Guys closed and Bradlees opened?
Two Guys closed in 1982.
Locations sometime in the 60's:
(http://img131.exs.cx/img131/2488/twoguyslocations8tj.jpg)
QuoteOriginally posted by greg8370
The stores in New London and Newington, CT both became Bradlees. Both buildings are gone now. There was a third store in Waterbury, CT; does anyone know it''s fate?
Greg:
I believe it became Railroad Stores in the 1980s (Boy, another store chain in Connecticut, which is dead or just barely in business). I think the city of Waterbury took the building down - circa 2002.
Just me
Found this tag on a box of christmas ornaments at a flea market today :
I have a calculator from 1976 that was bought there..orginal recipt and everything..
This is a photo of the store listed in the guide above as Menands - this store has been a variety of things over the years (flea market, offices, banking, tax return processing) but appears to be empty now (this was a weekday shot and cars are not to be seen - well not many):
QuoteOriginally posted by BillyGr
This is a photo of the store listed in the guide above as Menands - this store has been a variety of things over the years (flea market, offices, banking, tax return processing) but appears to be empty now (this was a weekday shot and cars are not to be seen - well not many):
do u have any Caldor pictures???????????????????
QuoteOriginally posted by Caldor1999
do u have any Caldor pictures???????????????????
Sorry - not that I know of - note that all the shots I posted just recently are current photos (taken in the last week or so) - as noted by Amesman most of the former Caldors in this area have been demolished or converted into other things - the Schenectady one might still be recognizable but that's about it.
QuoteOriginally posted by BillyGr
QuoteOriginally posted by Caldor1999
do u have any Caldor pictures???????????????????
Sorry - not that I know of - note that all the shots I posted just recently are current photos (taken in the last week or so) - as noted by Amesman most of the former Caldors in this area have been demolished or converted into other things - the Schenectady one might still be recognizable but that's about it.
o kk there one in Middletown New York its still there the logo has been takeing off though but there a hallway entrice that still has the logo up and it still lights up too im gonna go see it sometime heh
Two Guys match books!
(http://countryjoe.bizland.com/Xtwoguys.jpg)
http://countryjoe.bizland.com/match_books-1.html
Marlton, NJ. in the 1970's.
(http://www.wtv-zone.com/dpjohnson/60sdiscountstores/twoguys.jpg)
http://www.wtv-zone.com/dpjohnson/60sdiscountstores/page2.html
what where their stores like? and how big where they? The one in new london becoming bradlees makes no sense because the first bradlees in new london opened in 1958. 1982 they closed, eh. what stores where they similar to.
I worked the last year the orginal New London store (#880) was opened. The building was small; 2 levels, a conveyor belt running downstairs and small stockroom/rec'ving areas. The Two Guys across the street was a newer building,single floor, better parking, much bigger and in a mall as opposed to the strip plaza 880 was in. The parking lot at the old store was on a hill so shopping carts were always down into cars. Amazingly 880 still lives as a Burkington Coat Factory while the "new" New London store (837) was knocked out in 1998 when the mall was reconstructed.
QuoteOriginally posted by BillyGr
This is a photo of the store listed in the guide above as Menands - this store has been a variety of things over the years (flea market, offices, banking, tax return processing) but appears to be empty now (this was a weekday shot and cars are not to be seen - well not many):
Menands is still by Bank of America for processing state tax returns (and diesel fuel taxes for much of the US). Only thing is that much of the year it doesn't look active because they only employ a relatively small staff of full-time workers; much of their workers are there on a seasonal basis. Given that picture was taken in June, it was one of those down times.
Having worked there on and off for most of 2006, I can say that from mid-February to early May, that building is active near 24/7 given the volume of stuff that comes in. Still doesn't fill a HUGE parking lot though which sometimes goes to other uses.
What does the place look like inside? Is it still original at all? I stopped to take pictures last year. The only person that really bugged me was this lard security guard who asked me what I was doing.
QuoteOriginally posted by amesman
What does the place look like inside? Is it still original at all? I stopped to take pictures last year. The only person that really bugged me was this lard security guard who asked me what I was doing.
I hate to burst a bubble, but the guard had somewhat good reason to do so--VERY sensitive information is handled in that building. If you asked him to use the bathroom outside of security, he'd be happy to oblige.
Nothing is original, it's basically offices and large rooms where the various tasks take place. The eastern half (431C Broadway) was remodeled ca. early 1990s when Fleet came in with a green and pink pastel scheme, the western half (431B) is white and blue and dates back to a couple years ago.
If anything is left over from Two Guys, it might be some of the bathroom stuff on the C side plus the breakroom floor looks early 80's vintage. Other than that, Fleet did a overhaul on C and a total redo on B.
well, I was only doing exterior pictures from the parking lot. I pretty much was not near where the banking center's entrance is. I was more towards the old grand union/apm. Thanks for your info.
The Waterbury, CT Two Guys building is still partially standing on Wolcott Street. It now houses Price Chopper (that part is new), American Steak House and AJ Wright.
QuoteOriginally posted by hojoland.com
The Waterbury, CT Two Guys building is still partially standing on Wolcott Street. It now houses Price Chopper (that part is new), American Steak House and AJ Wright.
Thanks for shedding light on that plaza. So we know Toys R Us and Two Guys made up the plaza. My question is what did it become after most Two Guys stores submitted to Bradlees? There were already two stores in Waterbury by then (I'm guessing)...
I recall that when Vornado bought Two Guys and closed them all, that the Waterbury one (whose co-anchor was Finast, later Edwards) was subdivided and became home to such stores as Chuck E. Cheese Pizza Time Theater and American Steakhouse and others.
QuoteOriginally posted by greg8370
I worked the last year the orginal New London store (#880) was opened. The building was small; 2 levels, a conveyor belt running downstairs and small stockroom/rec'ving areas. The Two Guys across the street was a newer building,single floor, better parking, much bigger and in a mall as opposed to the strip plaza 880 was in. The parking lot at the old store was on a hill so shopping carts were always down into cars. Amazingly 880 still lives as a Burkington Coat Factory while the "new" New London store (837) was knocked out in 1998 when the mall was reconstructed.
Greg:
IIRC wasn't #837 the old OUTLET store in the New London Mall? I beleive #880 was across I-95. I'm I correct?
JimS
Any idea what this building is behind the New London Mall? It looks like an indoor recreation building and has been vacant for years now.
It was a bowling alley; now used as a warehouse. There was a restaurant next to it but it was knocked down about 15 years ago. The bowling alley has been closed about 20 years or so now.
Although it's not listed on that list, there was a Two Guys in Milford, MA. I remember going there many times as a little kid and many more after it turned into a Bradlees in the 80's. My mom still has a bottle of nailpolish remover from Two Guys in the closet hall (although I think it dried up by now)
QuoteOriginally posted by JimSawhill
QuoteOriginally posted by greg8370
I worked the last year the orginal New London store (#880) was opened. The building was small; 2 levels, a conveyor belt running downstairs and small stockroom/rec'ving areas. The Two Guys across the street was a newer building,single floor, better parking, much bigger and in a mall as opposed to the strip plaza 880 was in. The parking lot at the old store was on a hill so shopping carts were always down into cars. Amazingly 880 still lives as a Burkington Coat Factory while the "new" New London store (837) was knocked out in 1998 when the mall was reconstructed.
Greg:
IIRC wasn't #837 the old OUTLET store in the New London Mall? I beleive #880 was across I-95. I'm I correct?
JimS
That was the Inside Outlet/Edward Mallay's end of the mall. 837 was the Two Guys building. That part of the mall remains today as the Marshalls store which is built into that shell. The stairwells of the old Malley's remain outside of the Marshall fire exits and also serve the various business offices that have rented out the second floor of Malleys'
QuoteOriginally posted by greg8370
That was the Inside Outlet/Edward Mallay's end of the mall. 837 was the Two Guys building. That part of the mall remains today as the Marshalls store which is built into that shell. The stairwells of the old Malley's remain outside of the Marshall fire exits and also serve the various business offices that have rented out the second floor of Malleys'
Bradlees at the Mall closed in 1996, right? Seems to have been yet another closing wave year for the company following 1992 when they were dumped by S&S and entered Ch. 11.
Here's the Marshalls at New London Mall.
I remember Two Guys stores while I was growing up in MD in the 60's and early 70's. They seemed to just disappear and since there were no big waves of stores going out of business, I didn't think much about it at the time.
The stores were nice and neat and had a good variety of items. I have managed to get a toy truck of theirs on an ebay and the back doors still open and everything.
;)
The Bradlees in both New London and Groton closed in 1998. I was the New London store mgr.
In the NE Philadelphia area, we had 3 Two Guys all within 20 miles of each other at these 3 locations:
1: Street Road & Knights Road, Bensalem
2: Lincoln Highway, Langhorne
3: Roosevelt Boulevard & Red Lion Road, Philadelphia
All 3 became "Jefferson Ward" when Two guys went under, then a few years later, all became "Bradlees"
Here is what became of these 3 locations:
1: Street Road & Knights Road, Bensalem (For a while, this location was a dual "Bradlees-Shop Rite" location. Demolished and a brand new Kohl's was built on location.
2: Lincoln Highway, Langhorne (Today "The Dump" is in this former Two Guys location)
3: Roosevelt Boulevard & Red Lion Road, Philadelphia (About 3/4 of this location was demolished and replaced by a furinture store, and a "Best Buy" store.
I grew up in Garfield, NJ with my wife and it was home to Two Guys HQ's from the 1960's to the end. Even though Two Guys went out of business, Vornado, the parent company since the 1960's was still intact and is still around. In fact, they still own the property in Garfield as well as a lot of the other former Two Guys properties. They leased them to Caldor in the 80's as well as some other stores throughout the NE.
The store in Garfield was an original. The main store was on the corner of Passaic St. and Lincoln Pl. It was the Popular Club headquarters until the catalog company folded in 2006. right now it is lying vacant and there is talk of a posible Wal-Mart or Home Depot coming there (That will be 4 Home Depots within 5 miles in that area).
The lower store at the bottom of Lincoln Pl. was the home certer and seasonal dept. After they closed it was Winter's Chocolates (The candy with the booze in them) until late 1980's and then was a Jews for Christ church. I am not kidding , that was the sign outside it said. They moved out over the fall of 2007 and there has been some work going on inside. Not sure what is coming there though.
(http://aycu09.webshots.com/image/48408/2003791168798020929_rs.jpg) (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2003791168798020929)
Hopefully it attached is my wife's old nametag when she worked for the Two Guys in Garfield from 1978 until it closed in 81
the nametag takes me back! thanks!
One other thing that was an original to the Garfield Two Guys was on the lower level store which was the auto, tool and seasonal store was the railroad tracks running through the middle of the huge parking lot . The tracks use to go between the main and lower level stores to the Two Guys main warehouse in the back for deliveries.
I can remember back in the early 1970's being with my grandfather and going to the Two Guys auto center and almost getting hit by an Erie lackawanna NW switcher pulling some empty boxcars through the parking lot. LOL. You use to hear the PA system in the store naming a car and plate number to move their car, you are blocking the railroad tracks LOL.
Funny thing is not only is the store defunct but the railroad is too. The EL bacame part of Conrail back in 1976. Even until 1982, Conrail did move frieght for Vornado. The tracks are still in place there. The huge parking lot, I never seen full again after the closing. Now it is mostly people parking their extra cars and trailers close to Marsallus Place and parents teaching their 17 year old kids to drive. I know because I did the same there with my daughter LOL
I will take some pictures of it and show you what I mean.
M&M
The Two Guys near me became Jefferson Ward, then Bradlees, then Stop & Shop. Parts of it are also A.C. Moore and PetSmart, which I think opened when Bradlees did.
There is a former Jamesway in Vineland, NJ, also a former Two Guys, in a dead plaza about to be torn down for a
Wal-Mart Supercenter. This plaza also contained a Rickel, which still has its sign up to this day.
Allentown, PA location in 1957 with the original name of the chain
Wonder if Billy Joel ever shopped here....
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v41/CorporateA/tyler/1957_Allentown_PA_Two_Guys.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v41/CorporateA/tyler/1957_Allentown_PA_Two_Guys2.jpg)
Here was the inside of the same location in the going out of business days of 1982
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v41/CorporateA/tyler/Two_Guys_Allentown_PA.jpg)
Vacant Bethlehem, PA location in 1984
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v41/CorporateA/tyler/1984_Bethelehm_Two_Guys.jpg)
http://pleasantfamilyshopping.blogspot.com/2007/10/tale-of-two-guys.html
Anonymous said...
Thanks for the great pics and memories. I remember the Two Guys in Bethlehem, PA. It was large, or so it seemed to a little kid. They had a grocery store to the left of the main store. What I look back and remember was that you could practically look across the entire store and see where your mother was at all times. all the merchandise was low in bins or on racks. They had a small restaurant in the back. But I kind of remember it being dark and dingy. In the early 80's when I was almost 20, I remember re-discovering the record department and buying alot of albums super cheap. I guess i just took these stores for granted then. never realized how nostalgic they would all become to me now. How I wish I took pics of everything!
Too bad the person that wrote that was anonymous, they'd probably enjoy this photo
1974 Hackensack, New Jersey location.
I got this photo off eBay, and boy is it a nice one. Check out those overhead stop signs! What did this location become??
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v41/CorporateA/more/1974_2_Guys_Hackensack_NJ.jpg)
Vacant Bel Air Rd. Baltimore Maryland location in 1983
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v41/CorporateA/more/1983_Bel_Air_MD_zps144b5b87.jpg)
Here is this location on Google Maps
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v41/CorporateA/more/Belair_FoodDepot_zpsecb38e4f.jpg)
Here is the Towson, Maryland location on Goucher Blvd/Joppa Road, still open in February 1982.
I'm 99% certain this is the location that is now subdivided into hhgregg/vacant/Golf Galaxy. There is also a supermarket and a Staples attached in this plaza.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v41/CorporateA/more/1982_Baltimore_Goucher_Blvd_zps1cd748a8.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v41/CorporateA/more/1982_Towson_MD_zpsb936cff4.jpg)
Quote from: TRJ_22487 on June 20, 2012, 01:49:40 PM
1974 Hackensack, New Jersey location.
I got this photo off eBay, and boy is it a nice one. Check out those overhead stop signs! What did this location become??
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v41/CorporateA/more/1974_2_Guys_Hackensack_NJ.jpg)
Look at that VW bus in the parking lot!! :)
What a train wreck of a parking lot! I see that New Jersey parking skills haven't evolved much in 40 years... :)
Quote from: Anonymous on March 19, 2005, 02:56:21 PM
QuoteOriginally posted by greg8370
The stores in New London and Newington, CT both became Bradlees. Both buildings are gone now. There was a third store in Waterbury, CT; does anyone know it''s fate?
Greg:
I believe it became Railroad Stores in the 1980s (Boy, another store chain in Connecticut, which is dead or just barely in business). I think the city of Waterbury took the building down - circa 2002.
Just me
Railroad Stores?? Wow... I guess they are not around anymore... Are they??
hey everyone sorry to resurrect an old thread, but would anybody happen to have a picture of the Schenectady store? I guess there was one in the area just a few blocks from my current residence, but for the life of me I can't find a photo of it.. I look at the location it was said to occupy, and I just can't imagine where a large department store would be.. it is currently home to a sports bar..
Quote from: buzz86us on June 22, 2017, 05:24:32 PM
hey everyone sorry to resurrect an old thread, but would anybody happen to have a picture of the Schenectady store? I guess there was one in the area just a few blocks from my current residence, but for the life of me I can't find a photo of it.. I look at the location it was said to occupy, and I just can't imagine where a large department store would be.. it is currently home to a sports bar..
http://www.groceteria.com/board/viewtopic.php?f=29&t=2074
This post might have some help (not photos but a look at the area).
Also from the postings, it appears it was in two separate buildings (the sports bar being one of those) - and at least one of the buildings was multi-level (mentions heading down to an amusement area and if it's the one shown in the Google search - the brick with glass windows (possibly other entries as a store?)) it looks larger than one might think with at least 2 levels.
Quote from: greg8370 on January 09, 2005, 11:30:02 PM
The stores in New London and Newington, CT both became Bradlees. Both buildings are gone now. There was a third store in Waterbury, CT; does anyone know it''s fate?
The Waterbury Two-Guys was in the plaza on Wolcott Ave that now houses Shoprite.