By Matthew Arnold Stern //
On October 14, 1986, I got up early and drove from our family home in Reseda to my new job in Irvine. When I was hired as a technical writer for the computer company AST, I fully intended to relocate to Orange County. But my mom was disabled from a stroke and I had to help take care of her. Moving meant selling the house in Reseda and finding a place for her. Relocation would take time.
For the first four months I had a daily commute of 65 miles each way. My 1979 Mazda could only handle one of those drives and died. I bought a 1984 Honda Civic hatchback that got great gas mileage and took all the abuse I threw at it.
I also had to time my commute through the snarl of Southern California traffic. If I started even five minutes late, it could mean an extra half hour of driving. For the evening commute, I had to wait until traffic thinned out before hitting the freeways. I needed somewhere to eat and relax before I drove home.
That’s how I found Orange County at South Coast Plaza.
If you grew up in the eighties or watch Stranger Things, you know that period was The Golden Age of Malls. South Coast Plaza was (and still is) one of the premier shopping centers in the country. But I saw it as a microcosm of Orange County life.
Malls are defined by their large anchor stores that are shoppers’ primary destinations. One section of SCP housed the high-end Nordstrom, Bullocks, and Saks Fifth Avenue. Between those were equally upscale shops and restaurants, including Mont Blanc, Rizzoli Bookstore, and Au Bon Pain. The other side of the mall had the more affordable Sears and May Company with neighboring restaurants Del Taco and Carl’s Jr.
As someone with student loans and saddled with a large car payment and frequent visits to the gas station, that was the side where I hung out.
After a fast-food dinner, I’d walk around the stores. I couldn’t afford anything but I could play the computer games on display at Sears and browse through the bookstore that used to be there. B. Dalton or Waldenbooks, I believe. Mostly I people-watched. Teens hung out around the benches in the wide walkways. Parents dragged their kids to go clothes shopping with the promise of a ride on the carousel if they behaved.
Occasionally, I ventured into the upscale end of the mall. People dressed up to shop there. Professionals in suits ran errands on their way home from work or grabbed something to eat. I didn’t feel comfortable going into those stores. The well-dressed salespeople glared at me as if they could see how small my checkbook balance was. The exception was Rizzoli’s because I felt welcome at any bookstore. Rizzoli had international magazines, art books, poetry, and works from new authors I couldn’t find elsewhere.
South Coast Plaza demystified Orange County for me. My view of life “behind the Orange Curtain” was clouded by images of Richard Nixon and Wally George. But here I found a diverse community of people from different backgrounds that welcomed me among them.
After four months of commuting, I started settling into life in the O.C. I lived with a roommate from work until we could sell the house in Reseda. Eventually we found a place where my mom could live. Soon after, I met the woman who would become my wife.
I’ve lived in Orange County now longer than I lived in Reseda. We have a home in Lake Forest, two adult children, and a granddaughter. We became the people I used to see at South Coast Plaza. When our kids were little, we took them to Sears for clothes. When they were teens, we dropped them off at the mall to hang out with their friends. I was even the well-dressed man stopping off to run errands after work.
We rarely go there now. The last time was when my wife had to return something she bought online from Victoria’s Secret. May Company and Bullocks are gone, merged into history. Sears has been closed and boarded up for a while. The stores that remain are all upscale designer boutiques. There’s a newsstand, but no bookstore.
But the grand carousel remains as do the memories of how South Coast Plaza introduced me to the diverse and fascinating place, one I’ve called home for the last 35 years.
MATTHEW ARNOLD STERN is a Southern California native. He has published four novels. His latest, Amiga and The Remainders, were published by Black Rose Writing. His bestselling non-fiction book, Mastering Table Topics, is based on his experience as a Distinguished Toastmaster. To read more of his writing and learn more about his books, visit www.matthewarnoldstern.com. You can also follow him on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and Medium with the tag @maswriter.
Just read your story and thought again what a treat to read about one of my favorite shopping stops. Yeah, it’s pretty high end these days, with rows of designer boutiques, but hey, Nordie’s is still there and so is their tomato bisque soup, so it’s all good. 🙂 Thanks for the walk down memory (mall) lane!
Yes, I remember the Mall the way it was and I preferred it then. Now it is too up scale and trendy. This is a very good story.
Thanks for your ‘double hitter’ tale. I enjoyed the mall backstory as well as yours.
SCP is one of my favorite places to window shop. I’ve ridden the carousel many times only as an adult and still enjoy it. Thanks for sharing your OC experience.
I also remember South Coast Plaza in its prime. It was my mom’s go-to place for Christmas shopping or a special day that included a fancy lunch and shopping. She loved “The Magic Pan” and wasn’t there a restaurant that was a railroad car? Thanks for bringing back those memories. I can still see her carrying five bags and wearing a big smile.
South Coast Plaza was one of my first discoveries after moving to to Orange County in 1991. This stimulating article brings back decades of memories. For me, SCP’s biggest attraction is the concentration of places — all within walking distance — where one can shop, dine, and absorb some high culture. I usually park in the lot near Bristol, shop at the Plaza, dine either there or across the street (would that Scott’s Seafood or Pinot Provence were still around!), then make the short walk to SC Repertory or one of the concert halls for a theatrical or musical offering that caps a fun-filled day. (After which, needless to say, I work hard in order to bolster my bank account.) And to think all of this takes place on what used to be an expanse of lima bean fields….