Former 1955 Safeway - 303 Highland Ave, National City

Uh...California.

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justin karimzad
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Former 1955 Safeway - 303 Highland Ave, National City

Post by justin karimzad »

At 28,900 square feet total, this Safeway claimed to have the largest sales floor area of any of their stores at the time. It opened in October 1955:


https://www.newspapers.com/clip/4922949 ... d-opening/
https://www.newspapers.com/clip/49246141/

It also shows up in some 1970 photos of the United Farm Worker's Grape Boycott pickets that took place in front of the store, like these:

https://library.ucsd.edu/dc/object/bb14005724
https://library.ucsd.edu/dc/object/bb9079826m
https://library.ucsd.edu/dc/object/bb8294831k
https://library.ucsd.edu/dc/object/bb12640478

This building now houses a hispanic market, Manolo Farmers Market. Aside from the false facades, the building is more or less intact, with the original stucco and bricks along the base. The inside still has the original ceiling, too:
https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/manolo- ... Aj3g6gv6Vg
https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/manolo- ... lKBWc5W2gw
https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/manolo- ... PpaRVLkr6Q
https://www.google.com/maps/uv?hl=en&pb ... CnoECBgQBg
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Andrew T.
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Re: Former 1955 Safeway - 303 Highland Ave, National City

Post by Andrew T. »

Both this store and the store in your other thread are close ringers for this Safeway in Port Arthur, Ontario that opened on January 25, 1956. The company had incredible chainwide consistency in this era...and that they maintained this consistency on an international basis is even more impressive:
Image

I also like the square "portal" for the circle-S sign that they used on the buildings of this era. It's a consistent hallmark of the original tenant, much like the brick ridges that appeared on the earliest pylon stores or the decorative towers that appeared on nigh every Canadian Safeway in the late 1920s and 1930s.

Comparing one of the 1970 photographs to Google Maps, the square portal on the National City store is still intact...even though the symbol is gone.
"The pale pastels which have been featured in most food stores during the past 20 years are no longer in tune with the mood of the 1970s."
Andrew Turnbull
justin karimzad
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Re: Former 1955 Safeway - 303 Highland Ave, National City

Post by justin karimzad »

Thanks for drawing those comparisons, Andrew. That's very good insight. I agree that it's fascinating how an international chain Safeway could maintain such a uniform architectural style in all their regions. Is that Port Arthur Safeway building still standing?
Thanks also for the current photo of the National City Safeway. Here's another former 1956 Safeway with that square portal still, in Ventura, CA:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/romleys/4 ... C6N-5BPm37
justin karimzad
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Re: Former 1955 Safeway - 303 Highland Ave, National City

Post by justin karimzad »

I found another newspaper photo of the National City Safeway, days before opening. It was said to be large enough "to enclose five of Safeway's pre-war stores":
https://www.newspapers.com/clip/4925953 ... onal-city/
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Andrew T.
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Re: Former 1955 Safeway - 303 Highland Ave, National City

Post by Andrew T. »

justin karimzad wrote: 21 Apr 2020 20:19 Thanks for drawing those comparisons, Andrew. That's very good insight. I agree that it's fascinating how an international chain Safeway could maintain such a uniform architectural style in all their regions. Is that Port Arthur Safeway building still standing?
Yes, it is! The original architectural character is buried under the weight of several renovations (including a Marina front that was tacked on and later covered over), but the west side is decently untouched:

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Westf ... 89.2777455
"The pale pastels which have been featured in most food stores during the past 20 years are no longer in tune with the mood of the 1970s."
Andrew Turnbull
justin karimzad
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Re: Former 1955 Safeway - 303 Highland Ave, National City

Post by justin karimzad »

Cool! Even the incinerator chimney remains, as well as the original streetlamps in Westfort Food's east parking lot.
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