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The roots of Midtown Shopping Center

Original post made on Sep 1, 2023

Once mostly farmland, the Midtown Shopping Center was birthed following World War II to serve a booming south Palo Alto population. In its heyday, the retail area boasted gas stations, bakeries, markets, a department store and more.

Read the full story here Web Link posted Friday, September 1, 2023, 8:56 AM

Comments (4)

Posted by Bystander
a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Sep 1, 2023 at 9:49 am

Bystander is a registered user.

No mention of the fact that Safeway has undergone several changes in the past 30 years, but sadly looks tired and desperately in need of upgrade. There isn't anywhere to eat lunch outside which seems odd since they sell so many lunch items.


Posted by Online Name
a resident of Embarcadero Oaks/Leland
on Sep 1, 2023 at 11:24 am

Online Name is a registered user.

"To this day, the side wall of the Walgreens at 2605 Middlefield Road features poems by local writers, although the city has approved plans to eventually remove the mural."

Shame on the city for making this a priority instead of revitalizing and beautifying the shopping center.

Congratulations to Annette Glanckopf, Mike Wallau of Mike's Diner Bar and Palo Alto resident Len Filppu for keeping the pressure on the city, its staff and its uninformed "retail consultants" who ignored Midtown and San Antonio in its view of the future while telling the city what it can and can't do!

Who elected StreetSense to make these calls and more critically who at city hall selected StreetSense with its pathetic lack of local awareness?


Posted by Consider Your Options.
a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Sep 1, 2023 at 2:42 pm

Consider Your Options. is a registered user.

City Hall, turn your eyes south occasionally. Visit us. Talk with us. Sit a spell. You might learn some stuff about the people you serve and the place we live in. Emerge from the White Tower and see the city you plan on Google maps in isolation with fellow staff members.

I'm not talking about an orchestrated, controlled, fake "Town Hall". I'm talking about neighborhood meetings where there is civil, open-ended, two-way communication. Staff and Council used to do this stuff. Why the change? You don't know us, and we don't know you. That is not a good thing.


Posted by cvvhrn
a resident of Midtown
on Sep 2, 2023 at 10:18 am

cvvhrn is a registered user.

Ah fond memories of Bergamen's and the lunch counter there. From my 70's recollection the 7-11, Round Table and the Baskin Robins are still there. The Safeway also has been a constant.

A bit further out there used to be a dairy where Seale Park is I think and we used to ride our bikes to the back where sometimes the security watchman would give us a ice cream! And of course the drive in....


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