Ames Trip Story

[C. Fontaine]

Just in case any of you are interested, here is a recollection of the recent Ames trip I had to Rocky Hill, CT.

As you may have seen on the front page, a simple update trip became a very sucessful photo opportunity.  While down in Rocky Hill, CT, getting some updated pictures of that Ames and planning to nab the receiving sign, I remembered the Orientation Video saying something about a Planagram Building across the street from the main offices.  I went looking for that and found a run down old red building.  Sure enough it was it, the big "Ames" on the front kind of gave it away.  Anyways, I did a perimeter check, and even found an Ames receiving sign on their mini-loading dock.  I snatched that up, circled around the offices, and back to the Rocky Hill Ames to grab the receiving sign up there.  This receiving sign being glued to the wall, made a lot of noise while peeling it off, and since this Ames was located near a busy outpatient center for a hospital with people going in and out, I was in plain view and booked it back to my car without looking back.  Good thing I did though, because there was another receining sign under the one I peeled off!  I couldn't leave it, so I made one more daring climb up to the loading dock to get it.  I almost gave up when I couldn't find an edge to grab on to.  I did, and tugged with all my might to get it off the wall, and then threw the warped sign in the back of my car.  On the way home on 84, I figured while it was still daylight, I would stop and see the Manchester, CT Ames.  But, because I'm an idiot, and Andrew and I got lost the last time we tried to find it, I got lost trying to find it again.  But in good fortune, because I ended up upon not only an abandoned Bradlees, but an entire abandones plaza!  I photographed almost the entire perimeter of the building, while hoping my car would not get stuck in the ice sheet covering the rear of the plaza.  Unfortunately while coming around front again, I noticed a police officer had spotted me and motioned to me a hint to 'get out,' so I wan't able to get any close up shots of the brown building on the other side of the plaza.  I have no clue what it was, the only thing I could think of is maybe a Service Merchandise?  But it looked like it might have been some offices or something as well.  Anyways, I got back on the highway and realized I could had gone two exits up and gone driectly to the Manchester Ames off the highway:duh:.  That Ames in turn has become an Outlet Marketpace.  I didn't get a chance to thoroughly check out their bargain rating, but it looked like a pretty decent place.  I liked what they did with the front of the store.

[greg8370]

It might be me but I'm unable to oprn those pictures.  I was the store manager at that Bradless in 1996.  Most of the plaza had already closed including the empty Stop and Shop next to us.  In the middle of the plaza was a small enclosed mall that had already totally closed.   It was a wierd place!

[powersbt]

I am having that problem too with being able to open the photos.

[C. Fontaine]

Hmmm, that is strange.  The links work fine for me.  I reuploaded the pictures, let me know if that helps.

[greg8370]

Picture of the Manchester Bradlees appears in the Bradlees thread but that page of the abandoned Manchester Parkade still doesn't open

[Anonymous]

The dead  plaza you found is part of the Manchester parkade.

The original setup was a King's Department store on the Bradlee's site, several small plaze stores, then on the oppositte end of the plaza was a wing with Marshall's with another medium sized store and a small encosed mall area with a couple of small stores inside. (Baskin Robin's IIRC at one time was one of them)

next door was a Small 3 screen movie theater. IIRC it was a Hoyt's, but becaome a United Artist Theater until they closed.

They added on the Super stop and shop next door to the former King's site a few years after Bradlee's moved in.

When the Buckland mall was built, Sears moved out of the front section of the parkade, and Stop and shop moved into the larger space where they still sit today.

The Mini-mall section was closed of sometime around 96' or so, and the plaza emptied out, Bradlees was the last store there, which closed when the chain closed up shop.

[Caldor1999]

i should go see that Bradlees

[tokensafari]

I was at the Ames in Gallipolis, Ohio and i took my pictures like the usual Ames trip. I made my way back to the loading dock and i saw the receiving sign, so i knew i had to nab it. I parked and got a screw driver. After i got 3 screws out i hear a car, look over and it's a cop. He looks at me and keeps on driving. I unscrewed the last screw and threw in my car. Jumped in my car and headed out of there. As i was pulling out on the highway there were about 5 cop cars just sittin in the parking lot. I was just waiting for one to pull me over or something, but surprisingly they never did!

[dayville81]

Pics of Manchester CT Bradlees do not show up on the Manchester link.

[XISMZERO]

I'm going here in the next couple days. I hope it's still deadly alive a year later...

[XISMZERO]

I took a visit, this morning, to the abandoned Manchester Parkade on Broad St. Appearently this lot is owned by the neighboring Manchester Parkade but have been unable to develop on it for over a decade now. This is simply one of the most fascinating plazas I've ever seen: it's *completely* abandoned like Fontaine said and there's plenty of evidence of older stores from way back. Here's some information I found searching Yahoo...

"With the exception of the Genesis space and some temporary storage, the complex is vacant.  Marshall?s moved to the expanding retail opportunities off I-84, Stop & Shop moved into larger space in the adjoining retail center (Manchester Parkade) and Bradlees closed following bankruptcy."

Note: Genesis is a mental health facility located far across from the abandoned Hoyts Cinema.

I will be posting a slew of the pictures I obtained this morning maybe early next week. Anyone who lives in or around Connecticut must get out and see this place especially if you're hunting for an abandoned Bradlees which is the only building in the lot with signage still up (albeit in tatters).

I also managed to take home some "souvenirs". Namely, pieces of the Bradlees sign scattered all over the parking lot. I only took about five pieces, so if anyone wants the rest, there's plenty left.

[Caldor1999]

Originally posted by XISMZERO
I took a visit, this morning, to the abandoned Manchester Parkade on Broad St. Appearently this lot is owned by the neighboring Manchester Parkade but have been unable to develop on it for over a decade now. This is simply one of the most fascinating plazas I've ever seen: it's *completely* abandoned like Fontaine said and there's plenty of evidence of older stores from way back. Here's some information I found searching Yahoo...

"With the exception of the Genesis space and some temporary storage, the complex is vacant.  Marshall?s moved to the expanding retail opportunities off I-84, Stop & Shop moved into larger space in the adjoining retail center (Manchester Parkade) and Bradlees closed following bankruptcy."

Note: Genesis is a mental health facility located far across from the abandoned Hoyts Cinema.

I will be posting a slew of the pictures I obtained this morning maybe early next week. Anyone who lives in or around Connecticut must get out and see this place especially if you're hunting for an abandoned Bradlees which is the only building in the lot with signage still up (albeit in tatters).

I also managed to take home some "souvenirs". Namely, pieces of the Bradlees sign scattered all over the parking lot. I only took about five pieces, so if anyone wants the rest, there's plenty left.

ive seen pics of that bradlees it looks verye simaler to the one in new city ny and there arod teh same age i to found peacies of the sign scartted aroundon the grought i got all teh peaces and it tuns ot i go a part if teh a if u live near stradford i suggest u go to the bradlees there its in a shopping center called teh dock it wasent bored up when i went there it was verey intrsting and u should also go to the caldor in Newingtion CT it they still had some of the old fixtures still left insted i got a peaice of teh r from the logo there too:yup: but any way hears what the stredford bradlees looks like as of june 2005

[Caldor1999]

and teh inside was all cleaned out bythe time i came there

[C. Fontaine]

Originally posted by XISMZERO
I took a visit, this morning, to the abandoned Manchester Parkade on Broad St. Appearently this lot is owned by the neighboring Manchester Parkade but have been unable to develop on it for over a decade now. This is simply one of the most fascinating plazas I've ever seen: it's *completely* abandoned like Fontaine said and there's plenty of evidence of older stores from way back. Here's some information I found searching Yahoo...

"With the exception of the Genesis space and some temporary storage, the complex is vacant.  Marshall?s moved to the expanding retail opportunities off I-84, Stop & Shop moved into larger space in the adjoining retail center (Manchester Parkade) and Bradlees closed following bankruptcy."

Note: Genesis is a mental health facility located far across from the abandoned Hoyts Cinema.

I will be posting a slew of the pictures I obtained this morning maybe early next week. Anyone who lives in or around Connecticut must get out and see this place especially if you're hunting for an abandoned Bradlees which is the only building in the lot with signage still up (albeit in tatters).

I also managed to take home some "souvenirs". Namely, pieces of the Bradlees sign scattered all over the parking lot. I only took about five pieces, so if anyone wants the rest, there's plenty left.

I agree, it is a pretty amazing Plaza.  Here's some pictures I took a while ago if anyone hasn't seen them yet,

http://www.amesfanclub.com/imageserver/connecticut/manchester/bradlees,
http://www.amesfanclub.com/imageserver/connecticut/manchester/bradlees/bradlees.htm,

I'm eager to see what it looks like now!  Thanks!!