Was browsing an article from several years ago and came across this piece on Fresno urban decay:
https://calmatters.org/california-divid ... mmunities/
This photo was in the lede:
The caption is as follows:
"A man rides his bike by a discount store in west Fresno on Monday, June 8, 2020. The building had one time been a Safeway grocery store, which was part of a bustling economy in west Fresno. In recent decades, however, businesses moved north, leaving behind blight and decay. Craig Kohlruss, The Fresno Bee"
I was trying to compare it to the Fresno list on this site but hadn't found it yet (and the article makes no mention of what street that store was on). Would anybody here be able to identify it further based on that photo?
Unidentified former Safeway in west Fresno
Moderator: Groceteria
- TheStranger
- Veteran
- Posts: 726
- Joined: 18 Sep 2006 01:26
- Location: California
Unidentified former Safeway in west Fresno
Chris Sampang
- Groceteria
- Great Pumpkin
- Posts: 1970
- Joined: 04 Nov 2005 12:13
- Location: In the breakroom
- Contact:
Re: Unidentified former Safeway in west Fresno
My first guess based on the context of the article and the neighborhood was 354 C St. and that does appear to be it.
- storewanderer
- Veteran
- Posts: 571
- Joined: 07 Nov 2005 03:24
- Location: Western United States
- Contact:
Re: Unidentified former Safeway in west Fresno
We have interior photos at Google Maps. The business is "Discount General Merchandise" 370 B Street Fresno, CA.
The floor is quite old.
Shelving along the walls looks drugstore like.
Liquor license - https://www.abc.ca.gov/licensing/licens ... E=%2016185
Active to "Rudys Elm Pharmacy" from 1977-2016.
Yet Google Maps going back to 2008 show this as "discount general merchandise" and no sign of a pharmacy.
Maybe Safeway pre-1977?
The floor is quite old.
Shelving along the walls looks drugstore like.
Liquor license - https://www.abc.ca.gov/licensing/licens ... E=%2016185
Active to "Rudys Elm Pharmacy" from 1977-2016.
Yet Google Maps going back to 2008 show this as "discount general merchandise" and no sign of a pharmacy.
Maybe Safeway pre-1977?
Photobucket now allows for comments on each photo! http://s196.photobucket.com/albums/aa113/StoreWest/
- TheStranger
- Veteran
- Posts: 726
- Joined: 18 Sep 2006 01:26
- Location: California
Re: Unidentified former Safeway in west Fresno
One of the interior pics provided to google maps shows some lettering on the wall for Pinatas, unclear if this is reused old lettering from the Safeway era though:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/KP7Y6AsvFjntrNn3A
https://maps.app.goo.gl/KP7Y6AsvFjntrNn3A
Chris Sampang
- Groceteria
- Great Pumpkin
- Posts: 1970
- Joined: 04 Nov 2005 12:13
- Location: In the breakroom
- Contact:
Re: Unidentified former Safeway in west Fresno
Per my Fresno research from 25 years ago it was gone before 1970. I’m on vacation right now but I’ll see if I can pin that date down with newspaper sources when I have time.