Monterey Park's historic store sites

[luckysaver]

Today, I visited two long time stores in Monterey Park today:

- Shun Fat Supermarket (SF) (Atlantic and Emerson, part of historic Midwick Hill at the border with Alhambra) - former Alpha Beta. An earlier post mentioned the building's opening sometime in late 1947 after the former Midwick Hill Country Club on the Alhambra side became a post WW2 housing tract (Midwick Hill Historic District) and to serve the neighborhood and across Atlantic (then State Highway 15) Raisin Markets built this store and 10 years later became Alpha Beta (after AB bought Raisin) until the early 1990's when Monterey Park became Los Angeles's first suburban Chinatown. The Chinese owners that bought the site from Alpha Beta added pagoda style roofing, the Emerson side was subdivided into small shops and the majority of the building became an Vietnamese/Chinese supermarket (later the Chinese-owned SF). In around 1999-2000, scenes for the CBS-TV drama "Martial Law" were filmed at a second-floor shop facing Emerson. All that remains of the Alpha Beta era is the grey rectangle with the Shun Fat sign along Atlantic uphill. The condition of the supermarket today is not that good - not too clean, kind of stinky (not from the seafood), and an overall grade of B or C from LA County Public Health. If you've ever been to some Asian supermarkets like I do regularly, that were previously major chain grocers, conditions are quite different, much like this. It would be great if someone posted a picture of this building being a Raisin or Alpha Beta. By the way, the Ralphs across the street opened in the 1970's as Hughes and the Superco Appliance store was a PicNSave/Big Lots in the 1990's. (Shun Fat also owns the ex-Vons on Colima and Jellick in Rowland Heights).

- 99 Ranch Market (Atlantic and Garvey) - former Safeway marina store disposed in 1986 as part of their sale of the Southern California division to Vons Companies. 99 is Southern California's largest Asian grocery chain, with several stores located inside or on the site of former department stores (Rowland Heights was a Gemco, South Rosemead was a Kmart, San Gabriel was a Target) and other locations in former major chain grocers. The marina architecture inside this store is well preserved - the roof frame that held that marina shape appeared to have been recently replaced during a recent (a few years back) remodel. No evidence of it being a former Safeway except for the building itself and maybe the exterior windows. It just so happens that this branch is one of several locations in the LA area that were former Pantry/Safeway/VONS stores (other examples include Hacienda Heights <Pantry/Vons> and Arcadia <Pantry>). Across the parking lot is another Chinese grocer, Wing Hop Fung, whose space was Thrifty/Rite Aid until a few years ago and from the look of the exterior, I'd estimate that side of the shopping center to be from the early 1960's.
By the way, historically, the land that the Marina shaped 99 sits was the old plant for Laura Scudder Snacks and her house (demolished in the 1970's) was behind Wing Hop Fung on Garvey and Chandler.

Below is a picture of the exterior of Shun Fat (from their website) and a picture of the interior (also from their website).

luckysaver

[Jeff]

Living in Monterey Park, there are a few others.

Off the top of my head, there is a market on Garvey near Alhambra that has been a market since I was a kid. It became an Asian market in the 80's (I beleive this was the first in the city).

Blockbuster / Anna's Linens on South Atlantic used to be Market Basket that was vacant for many years.

The Shopping Bag turned Roller Rink turned Hong Kong Market on Garfield.

Albertsons had a store on South Atlantic that was a Shopping Bag / Fazio's. This was torn down in the 90's and rebuilt as a Ralphs.

What I do like is the Marina Safeway still has the beams showing and seems overall to be in good condition.

[luckysaver]

Jeff,

It is a Chinese-Vietnamese supermarket somewhere between Nicholson St and New Avenue on Garvey. I believe it is at the corner of either Orange Ave or Moody Dr.

The eastern part of the city was also served by the Alpha Beta in Rosemead on Garvey and Jackson.

Lucky and Albertsons served the Pomona Blvd portion.

luckysaver

[Jeff]

Quang Hoa Supermarket‎
350 E. Garvey Ave, at Everett.
one block east of Emerson, 1/2 mile west of new, 3 blocks east of Garfield.


That what it has been for the last 20 or so years. I dont recall what it was before.

[luckysaver]

Jeff,

Quang Hoa was Star Market (not related to the Albertson's owned chain). According to the LA Times Archives, Monterey Park Police Officer George Elder was shot and killed after a robbery at this grocery store on June 9, 1961. Officer Elder was off duty at the time when he happened to be at the same place as the robbery and he ran a foot pursuit and that's when he was shot twice. Elder's older brother was the police chief at the time. Elder Park off Wilcox is named for him (Grandview Park in 1983). The killers were later caught and convicted.

luckysaver

[luckysaver]

By the way, Jeff, I found another article that states in 1959, the store was owned by then mayor Rod Irvine. In January 1959, the Mayor's wife left the store with the money bag and in the parking lot, she was robbed by a man.

luckysaver

[runchadrun]

Here are some more stores from some ads that I had saved:

Crawford's, 160 E. Garvey
Shopping Bag, 625 N. Garfield
Food City Market, 2300 S. Garfield
Crawford's Miracle Mart, 211 North Atlantic. Wasn't this a bowling alley in the 80's?

[Jeff]

Crawford's, 160 E. Garvey - I think this was next to the Cornet Store and later became part fo the Belle N Beau Center.
Shopping Bag, 625 N. Garfield - Hmm, This is where the hospital is now. This must have been next to the old Monterey Theatre. I'm sure once the Shopping Bag down the street opened, they closed this.
Food City Market, 2300 S. Garfield - Ahh, I forgot about food city. Closed around 2000, became a Uno Market that abruptly closed when the city denied the owners to paint the store their traditional bright pink. Then became the Monterey Ranch Market, from the owners of the Whittier Ranch Market, it lasted a year or two, then became about 2 years ago a Dollar Tree store.
Crawford's Miracle Mart, 211 North Atlantic. Wasn't this a bowling alley in the 80's? Yes, it was. 221 is the old Pic N Save.