The Moon Plaza
For those of you who don’t consider yourself “Down to Earth”, Fridley has a shopping center just for you!
Welcome to Moon Plaza, an out-of-this-world 1960′s style strip mall located off of University Avenue in Fridley, MN. Surrounded by a bunch of crumbling, abandoned buildings, depressing Moon Plaza fits right in with the local atmosphere.
Built in 1965, the Moon Plaza looks like it’s never been updated. The sign itself looks like it’s still stuck in the decade of weed smoking, mud orgies, and free love. Back in the ’60s, Moon Plaza was probably a pretty groovy place: Parking lot teeming with classic VW bugs and Buick Rivieras. Go-go dancers in mod dresses getting Twiggy haircuts! Men in search of knock-off John Lennon-style eyeglasses! Worried moms stuffing two shopping carts full of supplies for the fallout shelter into the Chevelle! Mischievous teens dropping acid behind the dumpster!
Today, it’s just another University Avenue Eyesore. No longer giving off that “Hey Hey We’re the Monkees” vibe, Moon Plaza looks so melancholy and depressing that it probably cries itself to sleep every night, hoping, begging, and praying that someone, somewhere will tear it down and replace it with a Sonic and a Jimmy Johns.
The Moon Plaza ought to be sucked into a black hole
Its name — “Moon Plaza” — likely reflects a sign of its time. Constructed during the “Space Race”, America’s obsession with rockets, planets, and starship enterprises was at an all-time high. So what better than to name your new shopping center after a faraway object from the cosmos?
Or perhaps the builder was an exhibitionist and just wanted a place for other hot-doggers to feel welcome to publicly pull down their drawers and reveal their fleshy rear ends to the world (this was the ’60s…).
It was built in ’65, so Man would not land on the moon until 4 years later. But Man could land at Moon Plaza.
*shrugs*
Seems like a viable alternative to me. Moon Plaza, the next best thing to being Neil Armstrong?
As far as the businesses here, there isn’t much to write home about. Every business here is of the “move-along-nothing-to-see-here” type. Don’t expect to find a store selling moonrocks or moonboots here.
There’s a dry cleaners, an employment office, a beauty salon, the “Cozy Cafe”, a Farmer’s Insurance office, etc. Ho-hum.
I *think* there’s a video rental store here, so you probably could rent Star Wars or Space Jam or something. “Space Jam, come and slam! Welcome to the jam!” Speaking of Space Jam, don’t you wish they made more movies based on shoe commercials? Anyway…
Enjoy the rest of the photos!
On the particular day I went to take pictures, we were getting a doozy of a snowstorm.
All photos taken December 2008…I originally had more photos but some were lost when my hard drive crashed. Luckily these photos were still on my digital camera’s memory card. I know they’re not the best…
A deserted gas station located near Moon Plaza. Random abandoned buildings are commonplace along Univ. Ave
Waxing or waning, any ol' time a good time to visit the Moon Plaza.
Despite its name, Moon Plaza cannot defy gravity, thus the need for columns to hold up the roof.
#1 by www.TwinCityRealEstateChat.com on May 1, 2009 - 9:56 pm
Quote
I didn’t grow up in the Twin Cities, but when I read your posts, I totally get it! You rock, Dumpy!
#2 by Disco Studd on May 2, 2009 - 5:37 pm
Quote
Does the “MinneSofTub” (sp.) store still reside at Moon Plaza? That’s about the only store I can actually recall being in that mall that had any merit (that is, if you’d consider a store that sold inflatable indoor hot tubs as having merit.)
#3 by LH on June 20, 2009 - 9:33 am
Quote
There used to be a store here called “Only Spoons” or something. It was the last one on the right side. Every time I’d drive by, I’d crack up because who the hell would a store of only spoons possibly interest? Any idea of what this place was all about?
#4 by Disco Studd on June 22, 2009 - 12:18 am
Quote
Wonder if “Only Spoons” was like the store advertised on Channel 62 in the movie UHF, “Spatula City” ?
#5 by DeKay on August 17, 2009 - 11:04 pm
Quote
I used to rent videos, back when I lived in the Georgetown apts.
http://www.apartmentcities.com/Minnesota/d/georgetown_rivr_MN.asp
Let’s just say as far as selection went it was heavily weighted toward the over 18 crowd, but I only went there for the latest R,PG or G fare.
There was a Northern Lights head shop on the west side of the Plaza way back when, but I only went there for records.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Lights_(cannabis).
A sister site suggestion, dumpy old apartment complexes, but again I haven’t explored all of the postings
#6 by Justin on August 26, 2009 - 12:12 am
Quote
I went to the video store there a few years back, looking for “The Station Agent” after it was released. Not a chance, in part because it was a lesser known film, but also because they had a ton of porn on VHS…..and right next to “Bikini Vampire Vixens 12″ was a little Disney section. That was about it.
#7 by Jill on September 26, 2009 - 12:01 am
Quote
Used to live in the Georgetown Apts. as well. I still love the “Moon Plaza” logo, and back when “Sailor Moon” was on TV, my daughter and I would call it the “Sailor Moon Plaza”! I’ve only been to the dry cleaners, but my husband did tell me that the video store didn’t just have the “little back room” that you’d expect to find in a non-Blockbuster…as others have mentioned, it was pretty much the entire store. Gotta find a niche, I guess.
I’ve been curious about the “Bosnian Supermarket”. My sister keeps telling me she wants to check it out, since she was stationed in Bosnia for a while, but she doesn’t live near Fridley. Hopefully, we’ll get around to it someday.
#8 by CeCe on December 18, 2009 - 1:47 pm
Quote
Believe it or not, I just got a phone call from a friend telling me that Moon Plaza is being demolished right now!!!! 12/18/2009. I’ll have to verify on the way home…
#9 by merkurfan on July 22, 2010 - 10:56 pm
Quote
Moon Plaza is still standing. No wrecking ball.. just a bit more empty than 2 years ago.