RIP: Midtown Plaza in Rochester (1962 - 2008)

For years, it's kind of been like Main Place in Buffalo - a forgotten mall. Which is sad because Midtown Plaza was the first indoor downtown shopping mall in the country.

But even with more stores than Main Place and a few really cool attractions, the end has come for Midtown Plaza.

As things are dismantled, two favorites from Midtown have found new homes...

• Clock Of Nations: The clock will go to the Monroe County Airport until 2012. After that, its new home will be at the Golisano Children's Hospital at Strong. Here's a video of the clock being moved and restored.
  


• Totem Pole: It was just announced today that the totem pole will move to the Seneca Park Zoo.

Unfortunately, one Midtown attraction still hasn't found a home - the Monorail. The Strong Museum Of Play considered it, but couldn't find room. Hopefully soon, we'll learn what's to become of it.

This was one of my favorite malls in Rochester - I would always head straight to the Record Theatre and buy all the awesome 80's 12" singles that I still love today. Then I'd go to Scrantoms for some books and then just wander around the mall.

I even worked there for about five years at some of the radio stations that had studios there.

It's sad to see this go - but at least some of best parts of the mall will survive throughout Rochester.