I grew up in Raritan and my dad still lives there.
The PC Richards was previously a 3 screen movie theater.
Prior to being a Rickles, that store was a Channel Home Center for a number of years. Rickles bought them out and went bankrupt not long after.
The Burlington that used to be a TRU was a bowling alley that was torn down to build the TRU.
I don't think the Denny's was part of the Gateway Motel / Super 8, just next to it. There was also a Popeyes. They were torn down when the bridge was put over the circle.
Some other previous occupants of the Somerset Shopping center:
- A Pergament Home Center, then a Coconuts Music and Movies in what I believe is now a liquor store.
- A small Sears (hardlines only), which IIRC was replaced by an Officemax which closed in the early aughts.
- A Woolworths, which later became an RX Place Drugs when Woolworths closed - they owned RX Place. It later became a Rite Aid and then closed.
- An Epstein's Department Store took up a big chunk of the area where Gap is now. There was also an Acme supermarket on that side. Some of that later became Linens N Things and then Christmas Tree Shoppes before they closed.
Wow, cool. I remember some of those. Is that PC Richard building still of the old movie theater or was it completely torn down? And do you remember what The Wiz was or was it purpose-built? It was always a weird two-part building with stairs and lots of rooms!
I grew up in Raritan and my dad still lives there.
The PC Richards was previously a 3 screen movie theater.
Prior to being a Rickles, that store was a Channel Home Center for a number of years. Rickles bought them out and went bankrupt not long after.
The Burlington that used to be a TRU was a bowling alley that was torn down to build the TRU.
I don't think the Denny's was part of the Gateway Motel / Super 8, just next to it. There was also a Popeyes. They were torn down when the bridge was put over the circle.
Some other previous occupants of the Somerset Shopping center:
- A Pergament Home Center, then a Coconuts Music and Movies in what I believe is now a liquor store.
- A small Sears (hardlines only), which IIRC was replaced by an Officemax which closed in the early aughts.
- A Woolworths, which later became an RX Place Drugs when Woolworths closed - they owned RX Place. It later became a Rite Aid and then closed.
- An Epstein's Department Store took up a big chunk of the area where Gap is now. There was also an Acme supermarket on that side. Some of that later became Linens N Things and then Christmas Tree Shoppes before they closed.
Wow, cool. I remember some of those. Is that PC Richard building still of the old movie theater or was it completely torn down? And do you remember what The Wiz was or was it purpose-built? It was always a weird two-part building with stairs and lots of rooms!
I believe both were complete teardowns. The Wiz site had some kind of stone restaurant building on it that was torn down to build it.