[Groceteria]

I've seen this postcard on eBay several times and I've often wondered where this store was. Anyone have any ideas? I can't figure out what the old building behind it is, or was, but its age would tend to place it in the downtown/midtown area, I should think. It kind of looks like a hospital.

The only plausible guess I have centers around the fact that there used to be a Stop-n-Shop at 2815 L Street, which is right near the current I-80 business loop. A lot of that area has been demolished and reconstructed, which might explain why none of this looks familiar. Looks like it might have been a cool little shopping center in its day.

I'd check the city directories for more info, but I'm on the other end of the country now, which makes that rather difficult...

Anyway, here's the photo:

[rich]

The newest cars in the lot are a '57 Olds and a '58 Buick (which would have been available in Fall '57). S&H Green Stamps replaced the script used on the store with a shield as their logo in 1960. Most stores adopted trading stamps around the mid-50s. Hopefully, that information could give someone an indication of the era for any archives they should search (i.e. late 1950s).

[Mr. Shopper]

At first I thought that first car was a '56 buick. My dad had one. I was trying to check out the front and back. I don't see an olds. You have good eyes! Your like me I always check the newest cars to estimate a date. I thought S&S were only on the east coast. Your right though it looks like a '58 photo. Though I wasn't sure if that was a '58. Wait till '60 plymouths appear!!! Those cars were monsters. My fav was the Hughes supermarket from bachelor in Paradise. When that little girl lets herself out of that chrysler. Also Lana talking to the butcher on the microphone how cool!

[rich]

This is probably a different S&S--Stop-n-Shop (spelled like the co-op in Cleveland), not Stop & Shop like New England chain (which was part of the consortium of chains that owned Top Value). The Olds is hiding--I noticed the taillights; it's next to an older car on the foreground toward the left. The Buick was an odd model that actually had the model year written on the trim (either on the trunk or the rear fenders, I forget which). On second viewing, I'd agree with you that it's a '57---I think the '58 had even more chrome on the grill and it looked less like a '57 Chevy.

[Paper or Plastic]

my guess is that building in the back is the old county hospital. That area has been all reconstructed and the site now has a UCD medical building on it.

[TheStranger]

my guess is that building in the back is the old county hospital. That area has been all reconstructed and the site now has a UCD medical building on it.

Actually, the UCD medical center is out at the former fairgrounds at Broadway and Stockton Boulevard, not particularly close to the L Street area.

[Groceteria]

Actually, the UCD medical center is out at the former fairgrounds at Broadway and Stockton Boulevard, not particularly close to the L Street area.

I think Paper or Plastic was just referring, as he said, to a UCD medical building, not to the entire hospital. UCD has clinics and other buildings scattered all over the region. And I think I remember there being a medical complex in that area now as well.

[TheStranger]

I think Paper or Plastic was just referring, as he said, to a UCD medical building, not to the entire hospital. UCD has clinics and other buildings scattered all over the region. And I think I remember there being a medical complex in that area now as well.

Now that you mention it...that makes sense...

2815 L Street on mapquest gets a location next to Sutter's Fort, and I remember there is a community center or some similar sort of building on this block.

EDIT: Just looked at the site on maps.google.com and now things are adding up: the hospital is not UCD's, but Sutter General, and it appears Sutter General expanded into the shopping center space.

[Paper or Plastic]

Funny, I just spent the better part of the early morning ( 1-530 AM ) sitting in the emergency room of Sutter General waiting for a co-worker who bashed his head on a fork lift! There is no trace of any shopping center here anymore!

[martyk]

I mentioned seeing this post to my uncle who remembered this Stop-n-Shop. He mentioned that one way to get to the hospital (the taller building in the rear) was to walk through the grocery store!!!

[wulfgar64]

The Stop-N-Shop was demolished to make room for expansion of Sutter General Hospital sometime in the late 70s/early 80s. Store was known for the use of S & H green stamps. You could see it from what was then known as Highway 99 (pre-business 80 terminology).