Nothing says "dumpy strip mall" better than seeing housing projects in the distance
When it comes to dumpy strip malls, Humboldt Square takes the cake. It’s got it all – weedy parking lot that needs resurfacing, skid row neighbors, questionable clientele, a couple boarded up shops, a random smattering of local businesses, and about 4 different barber shops.
I didn’t snap many pictures because I wanted to get the hell out of dodge. This isn’t the safest area for a gal who’s by herself to be wandering around with an IPhone and a Coach bag, snapping pictures. Relatively speaking, of course. It isn’t like this is the south side of Chicago. After seeing a drug deal go down in broad daylight in front of Main Street Video, I knew I wasn’t getting out of the car.
This ain’t your mama’s Brooklyn Center.
After finishing up their drug deal, these upstanding citizens head into Main Street Video to rent "Next Friday"
Main Street Video was a childhood favorite. Mom would drive my siblings and I down to Humboldt Square and before she could even put the mini van in “park”, we’d be dashing into the store to see what Nintendo games were checked in. When I hit my teens, my brother and I were allowed to bike down to store and rent movies and games on our own.
Judging by the looks of this place today, I don’t think Mom would’ve let us bike there ourselves — much less pay a visit to this lovely strip mall.
And now it’s a video store AND an income tax place? Or is the business simply named “Main Street Video Income Tax”? Whatever it is, the “Income Tax” sign looks like a kindergartener cut it out of red construction paper. Either that or someone did a really bad impression of Comic Sans.
I suppose if those drug dealers get the munchies, they can head down to Scoreboard Pizza
Scoreboard Pizza was a Friday night staple in our household, but I wasn’t a fan. I would’ve rather had Little Caesar’s, Pizza Hut, or Dominos, but despite my coaxing, my parents weren’t having it. Their house, their rules = pizza from Scoreboard.
I haven’t had their pizza since mid-nineties, but I can still taste fennelicious sausage, the cardboard crust, and the greasy pools in the cheese to this day. Scoreboard’s pizzas came in a plain white pizza box that would be soaked in greasy splotches during the 5 minute commute home. I don’t even think the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles would touch this shit.
We never ate inside, always did carry out. There was a reason for that too – the ambiance is a flashback to the ’70s – dark and dreary with wood paneling and dark carpeting.
Don’t mind having to use an entire roll of paper towels to sop up all the grease? Then Scoreboard Pizza is for you! In all fairness though, despite my dislike for their food, Scoreboard Pizza found a way to survive in “30 Minutes or it’s FREE!” trend in the ’80s and 90′s and is still kickin’ today. This dive joint must be doing something right.
Despite the vast amounts of competing Chinese buffets in the area, House of Hui's remains in business
House of Hui’s was another family favorite. Well, to everyone but me. Being the picky eater that was (still am…), I would throw a fit if I found out we were having House of Hui’s for dinner. Think slimy stir fry over a mountain of white rice, topped with a bucket of soy sauce. Wash it down with a stale fortune cookie as you enjoy the inevitable post-dinner coma.
Krispy Kreme couldn't stay in business in Minnesota, but the Donut Delight lives on! Then again, it's next to the Movin' On Up Church...
Here’s the other end of the strip mall. There’s a Donut Delight (they have good donuts!) and a New Horizon Child Care center (looks like it’s still in business, to my surprise). Both have been a part of Humboldt Square for as long as I can remember.
Like most of Brooklyn Center, Humboldt Square has gone downhill since the ’90s and continues to slide. It was never meant to be a high class shopping destination, but at least it was a safe place in my day. You didn’t feel intimidated by the loitering locals or fall witness to teens slanging crack.
Across the street from Humboldt Square lies more low income housing projects.
Another housing project with a carefully manicured lawn
#1 by Old Scowl on October 9, 2008 - 12:10 am
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About 25 years ago there used to be a used bookstore in Humbolt Square. It was called ‘Tradewinds Bookstore’. Maybe the name should have been something more like ‘PrairieWinds’, since Brooklyn Center is not a shipping port in any sense of the mind.
I think there should be a listing here on the past tenants of Humbolt Square, though I cannot recall any other tenants that a tanning place that was owned by the original owners of Mainstreet Video.
#2 by TheOldScowl on February 20, 2009 - 11:24 pm
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Okay, here’s a true sign of the times. You know that your in a dysfunctional community when not only the local cop shop is by your dumpy strip mall, but the FBI (THE Federal Bureau of Investigation) plans to move it’s regional office from the city (Minneapolis, I think) to a mere quarter mile from your dumpy strip mall site. The plans were announced in 2008 that construction will commence in spring 2009 for a building on the corner of Humbolt Ave. and 67th or 65th Ave. (where the old Holiday Inn and Cracker Barrel stood) that will be leased to the FBI. I am uncertain if this is good or bad news for the city to trumpet, but I don’t know if they G-men and G-women will be so hot for getting lunch at Denny’s every day of the week, or hitting the Donut Delight. There is Barnacle Bill’s, but dining in a bowling alley is depressing if you aren’t bowling there too. Oh, sorry, there is the House of Hui’s as well as Scoreboard.
#3 by The Old Scowl on March 26, 2009 - 11:10 pm
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A little memory return. Kitty corner (as in NW corner) of Humbolt Square there is a building that is a community building of some sort (I have NEVER seen anyone, much less several persons of a community entering or exiting this place in probably 20 years) that had once been a 711 store. 711 must have been very pre-cognitive in seeing that their store would be a very popular ‘stop and rob’ establishment, because they were out of there by 1985.
Back in 2000, My ex and I forgot a quilt that we were laundering at the self-serve laundromat. I went back a day or two later and the watcher/helper had it in his/her office, so I can say that no one did take it, and it was nearly new, so a plus one for the laundromat and it’s patrons back then.
#4 by The Old Scowl on November 4, 2009 - 11:37 am
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I am surprised that I forgot about another past tenant of Humboldt Square: The Brooklyn Center Police Department! In the early 1990′s (circa ’93 or ’94) the BCPD decided to put a substation/ community office in the mall. It was closer to the laundromat than it was the tax service establishment (previously the Main Street Video). I think that it was there for 3-4 years, and the new police station was put in literally across the street, so the substation/office was redundant, and I believe the early childhood testing and development center went into it’s place.
I do remember that directly north of the mall (across 69th) is a small building that is a church or spiritual center that had been a gas or service station, but that has been nearly 30 years in the past. Anyone remember what it had been?
#5 by nora on July 18, 2010 - 10:21 pm
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Pep Boys is still there