When the Glendale Galleria opened in 1976, the opening ceremonies were held in the mall at 9 30 a.m. on a Wednesday.
It squats like a chubby elephantine creature, lined with windows and balconies along its 120 metre-long flanks, terminating in a gaping portal towards the square like Milan's galleria, opening up to suck you into its psychedelic tunnel.
The stagnant period began shortly before the second phase of the modern, busy Glendale Galleria opened.
Macy's, Target and JCPenney at the Glendale Galleria threw open their doors at 8 p.m. that night, and people started lining up outside the Urban Outfitters at the Americana at 9 30 p.m.
Over the years, Cross County has fallen into disrepair and many shoppers have migrated to two upscale enclosed malls nearby in White Plains: the Galleria, which opened in 1980, and the Westchester, which opened in 1995.
But it began to get competition--first from Robinson's when it opened at the Fashion Center in 1966 and later from stores in the Galleria, which opened in two phases, in 1976 and 1982.
The Galleria officially opens at 5 a.m.
The First Galleria Taiping opened its initial foray into showcasing these historical firsts in 2011.
Many merchants said the economy of the little shopping district has been hurt by the Galleria, which opened in two phases, in 1976 and 1983.
Meanwhile affluent suburban home buyers bypassed the area and the planned shopping and entertainment center was never built (although McCarthy's concept influenced the successful Houston Galleria which opened near an intersection of freeways on the city's west side in 1970).
