I enjoy the true old days shopping at standalone department stores Downtown
like me
Per my dad and aunt, Bamberger’s in downtown Newark was amazing - second largest department store in the US for many years taking up an entire city block. You could shop eat, see Santa and a light show in one place.
I remember my small town in the 1960-70’s at Christmas. The month of December all the stores would stay open until 9:00pm one day a week instead of closing at 5:00pm for Christmas shoppers. I remember going into Woodsworth with my grandparents to buy gifts one year, I was probably 4-5 years old.
They would put a red barn on a corner of town square and on those nights and Saturdays Santa would be in there for the kids. Nice memories of a special and long gone era...