Old Department Stores

It'll be really interesting to think about what the department store means in 50 years, as even today the Macy's and Bloomingdales of the world feels a little anachronistic.

Growing up in Berkeley, we went to Hinks in Downtown Berkeley



And to Emporium Capwell in Downtown Oakland.

The old Capwell's flagship building looked like this when I was growing up (shown here, right after the 1989 earthquake damaged the facade)



This building is now, probably just for a little while longer, a very empty very depressing Sears. It will certainly close soon, and who knows if any of the old department store fixtures will ever be seen again. Note the cheap new facade put on to repair the quake damage.