Alpha Beta in Orange County

Uh...California.

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Jeff
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Alpha Beta in Orange County

Post by Jeff »

This was posted on Pleasant Family Shopping and I am dumbfounded as to where its located.

Image
This Alpha Beta supermarket opened in March 1965 at the Rossmoor Leisure World Shopping Center in Laguna Hills, coinciding with the opening of the adjacent huge retirement community of the same name
David's 1973 Alpha Beta List has an address of:
23541 Calle De La Luisa, Laugna Hills.

Locating this on Live-local, this is where the Laguna Hills Mall and Saddleback Hospital is.

Looking at a 1972 Historic Aerial, the mall was barely being built.
I also looked at the center on Moulton. It wasn't built yet.
The only market looking building is the Longs off El Toro and Paseo Del Valencia. But the Center doesn't look to be exactly the same.

Now the obvious is that building in the background. Could that be somewhere else in OC?
Since It had Roosmore in the name, I looked at the Seal Beach Alpha Beta and that's not it.
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enginecapt
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Re: Alpha Beta in Orange County

Post by enginecapt »

That's definitely the LW Laguna Hills location. Not only do I recognize the building in back, I also recognize the store itself. I remember when it stood alone in the middle of what had been a swampy depression. Laguna Hills Mall eventually blocked it from view from the direction of the freeway.

The last time I was in what had once been the AB was back in the late eighties when it was a Circuit City. Apparently Tower Records inhabits that address now, although I can't say if it's the original structure. I believe this warrants an investigation during my next trip to that area.

By the way, that odd looking modern building in the background still stands, inside the circle made by Ronda del Rossmore and Calle de la Plata. If memory serves me, it was the local Rossmore HQ building.
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Jeff
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Re: Alpha Beta in Orange County

Post by Jeff »

I drove by the former Tower Records (now a day spa and Nordstrom Rack). I am guessing then that this center was torn down around the time the mall was built. The Tower Records was a new build I beleive, but am not sure. I drove in the center and was like, this is where it should have been, but wasnt.
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enginecapt
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Re: Alpha Beta in Orange County

Post by enginecapt »

I distinctly recall being told that the Circuit City was in the old Alpha Beta, and that was in the late eighties, well after the mall showed up.

When I looked at the front of the Tower Records bldg in Street View, I'm pretty sure I saw some Circuit City looking orange/red tile work at the entrance. Do you recall seeing that in person?
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Jeff
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Re: Alpha Beta in Orange County

Post by Jeff »

Its long gone now with Nordstroms remodeling it.

Circuit City I know is across El Toro on the north side.
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enginecapt
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Re: Alpha Beta in Orange County

Post by enginecapt »

Jeff wrote:Its long gone now with Nordstroms remodeling it.

Circuit City I know is across El Toro on the north side.
It is now. Back in the eighties, when I was buying a TV, audio stuff, and a washer and dryer from them, they were in that bldg.

It's weird how certain memories stay burned into one's brain. I can distinctly remember seeing the Alpha Beta lettering on the facade of that store way back in the mid to late sixties. The front of the store faced the freeway, and there was nothing, not even so much as a tree, to block its view from the freeway. It seemed so lonely sitting out in that big piece of acreage.

I can remember stuff like that, but the location of my keys and wallet constantly elude me.
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