The old Blue Ridge Mall shopping center used to be a large mall for the suburbs when it first opened in Kansas City

The old Blue Ridge Mall sign near 40 Highway and Blue Ridge Boulevard, Kansas City, Missouri.Photo byPinterest upload by RoRi Gavoli.

We all know the phrase, back in the day, and the Blue Ridge Mall will soon fold into that category of conversation if it hasn't already. I still remember when my family moved to Kansas City, the mall was an open-air shopping center. Shortly after that, it became enclosed.

The Blue Ridge Mall was convenient for people who lived in the suburbs of Kansas City. It was located at the Sterling Avenue exit off Interstate-70. It was a hop and a skip from where my parents used to live and it was very close to the Harry S. Truman Sports Complex. You could go shopping and then catch a movie at the Blue Ridge Cinema.

It opened on October 17, 1957 as an open-air shopping center and included a location of Harzfeld's. H. Roe Bartle, former Mayor of Kansas City, cut the ribbon that officially opened the shopping center. (Source.)

This mall was one of the most popular shopping venues during the 1960s. For J.C. Penney fans, remember when that store expanded to become an anchor store on the west end of the mall? By then the mall was fully enclosed, but one of the perks was the parking garage at Penny’s.

My mother used to get her hair done for 20 years at The Jones Store, which was also a favorite place to shop.

Then, the Bannister Mall and Independence Center opened. It seemed Kansas City had an abundance of malls that were too close to each other. With newer malls looking more modernized, the Blue Ridge Mall was showing its age and people began to travel to the newer malls.

I still remember the old Woolworth which was a store that had its own history in the city. Stores like Montgomery Ward were closing stores due to bankruptcy and by 2001 after J.C. Penney left the mall, that left The Jones Store. The mall was losing its anchor stores.

The owner of the property decided to tear down the mall and in 2005, the demolition started. The area was redeveloped into the Blue Ridge Crossing which is basically a strip mall with a large Walmart Super Center.

The Blue Ridge Mall had a little drink hub called Orange Julius which was a fun place to start, or end, the shopping journey. If you're wondering if Orange Julius still exists, they are at select locations of Dairy Queen!

Some of the other stores in the mall were Newberry's, Hickory Farm, The Gap, Lerner's, and Waldenbooks. Remember Kay Bee Toys for holiday shopping? And, Putsch's Cafeteria at the lower level was a popular eatery.

The slow death of the Blue Ridge Mall was a sign of change. Shops on the lower level were closing. It was less alive with all the vacancies. Applebee's, which used to be a part of the mall, also left and later became a stand-alone restaurant on the property. Remember Don's World of Beef?

The building that housed the Blue Ridge Mall wasn't the only thing let go when it was torn down. I used to wonder if people revisited the mall to hang on to old memories of going there for years. During my high school years and into my 20s, I traveled in and out of that mall many times. They were good times. Click here to see some images of the mall.

Thanks for reading! Keep your memories alive.