Brunswick Square Mall: 1973-2026

Both films on this marquee opened on June 12, 1981.

So did Raiders of the Lost Ark, the 1st Indiana Jones film.

Unfortunately, this was also a day when a baseball strike began.

Two days ago, the Brunswick Square Mall closed.

I can't say "the Brunswick Square Mall as I knew it," because that was over a long time ago.

It opened on April 5, 1973, at the intersection of New Jersey Route 18 and Rues Lane (County Route 617). The 1st anchor store, the New Jersey institution Bamberger's, had already been open since September 10, 1970. The new Mall opened with just 16 stores.

Among the few debut stores were Walden Books, pharmacy CVS, and clothing stores Jeans West and Chess King. Eventually, they would be joined by Kay-Bee Toy & Hobby Shop, McCrory's, Kinney Shoes, The GAP Store (the first one to open in New Jersey), record stores Sam Goody and Harmony Hut, Spencer Gifts (the oldest store left in the Mall at the end, but by then in its 5th different location), and many more tenants. JCPenney opened in the Autumn of that year, as the Mall's 2nd anchor store.

In the early days, the Mall had a tropical paradise-themed atmosphere, with many trees planted throughout the building, as well as fountains near the entrance. In 1975, Farrell's Ice Cream Parlor opened as the Mall's 1st major restaurant tenant, following smaller stores such as Bun-n-Burger, Orange Julius, Bresler's Ice Cream (advertising themselves as having 33 flavors, as opposed to Baskin-Robbins' 31), and Hot Sam pretzels, where my mother worked for a time.

The tunnel that led from the Mall concourse to Farrell's

Farrell's was followed by a cheap steak place called the Highlander, replaced by a York Steak House. On the grounds, but not attached to the main building, there would be a British railroad-themed restaurant called Victoria Station, which was eventually replaced by an Olive Garden. The only major burger chain ever to call the Mall home was Roy Rogers.

Aside from shopping and eating, the Mall provided some amenities to keep the experience a satisfying one, such as the two-screen Brunswick Square Cinema, as well as its ever-popular arcade, Fun-N-Games. The Mall was basically the anchor for much of the Route 18 corridor.

I grew up a mile down the hill from the Mall. If I had back half the quarters I pumped into the arcade games at Fun-N-Games... I could probably afford dinner and a movie at a mall now.

In 1986, after just 13 years, the golden age came to an end, as far as I was concerned, when Bamberger's was absorbed by parent company Macy's. I was between my junior and senior years at East Brunswick High School, and the Mall was a convenient halfway point between school and home. If I left the Mall at sunset, the orange glow from the Bamberger's sign would match the color of the sky perfectly. But when that sign was replaced by a Macy's sign, lit up in white, the effect just wasn't the same.

On May 6, 1993, the two-screen Brunswick Square Cinema shut down after General Cinema Corporation decided not to renew its lease. It then became the five-screen Movies at the Brunswick Square. Also, that same year, Ruby Tuesday opened, replacing Farrell's. By that point, Fun-N-Games and Kay-Bee were also gone. If there were truly glory days at Brunswick Square, they were irrevocably over.

The Mall was built, owned and operated by the Edward J. DeBartolo Corporation, based in Youngstown, Ohio. Edward DeBartolo Sr. owned the NHL's Pittsburgh Penguins, and his son Eddie owned the NFL's San Francisco 49ers.

In 1996, the EJD Corporation was bought by the Simon Property Group, owned by brothers Melvin and Herbert Simon, who owned the NBA's Indiana Pacers. (As of April 5, 2022, Eddie DeBartolo Jr. is still alive, but had to sell the 49ers to his sister, Denise DeBartolo York; while Herbert Simon is still alive, and the sole owner of the Pacers.)

In 1999, an expansion took place, which added eight extra screens to the movie theater that became Mega Movies. A third anchor store was added, which was Barnes & Noble, which was necessary, since both Walden Books and B. Dalton Bookseller had gone out of business. In 2000, the physical interior of the Mall was renovated, which added new flooring, new skylights, and a mini-food court that was formerly occupied by Kinney Shoes.

In 2011, Mega Movies was bought out by Starplex Cinemas, which has been bought out by AMC Theaters. This theater includes new recliner seating. Starplex was also the first movie theater in New Jersey to test out seats that would move along with the action of the film.

In 2013, a new entrance was added, which opened up a Panera Bread, Tilted Kilt, and GoWireless. In 2016, Ruby Tuesday closed, and in its place are the restaurants Bar Louie and Red Robin. Also, that same year, Simon Property Group sold the mall to WP Glimcher. Tilted Kilt -- a weak knockoff of Bennigan's Irish pub theme and Hooters' skimpy-outfits-on-the-waitresses theme -- was a victim of COVID, and was replaced by The Twisted Crab.

Brunswick Square was never a top-tier mall -- and not just because, as a single-level facility, it doesn't have a top tier. (Macy's has 3 floors, and Penney's 2, but the rest of the Mall, only 1.) It has never been the equal of Middlesex County's other 2 malls, Menlo Park in Edison and Woodbridge Center. But for people in East Brunswick, South River, Old Bridge, Spotswood, Monroe, North Brunswick and Milltown, it has been an inescapable part of public life for half a century.

In 2025, as more and more stores, including the restaurants Red Robin and Bar Louie, left due to rising rents, the Township of East Brunswick approved a plan to redesign the Mall, giving it a more open feel, with residential buildings on the grounds. A similar plan is currently under construction with the Monmouth Mall, 25 miles to the southeast in Eatontown.

Ironically, Monmouth, Menlo Park, and Garden State Plaza in Paramus all had that original idea, but each replaced it with a fully-enclosed mall. The idea is to give Brunswick Square a "downtown shopping district" feel. East Brunswick has never really had a downtown. It has a Main Street, but it's hardly a main street, the way it is further down for the Boroughs of Spotswood and Helmetta.

On January 10, 2026 -- 52 years, 9 months and 5 days after the complex as a whole opened -- the Mall's interior closed. The conversion is underway. During it, Macy's, JCPenney, Barnes & Noble, and the theater will remain open.

I'm reminded of the words of Kris Kristofferson, in his song "For the Good Times":

Don't look so sad.

I know it's over.

But life goes on

and this old world

will keep on turning.

Let's just be glad

we had some time

to spend together.

There's no need to watch

the bridges that we're burning.

April 5, 1973: The Brunswick Square Mall Opens

April 5, 1973, 50 years ago: The Brunswick Square Mall opens in East Brunswick, Middlesex County, at the intersection of New Jersey Route 18 and Rues Lane (County Route 617).

The 1st anchor store, the New Jersey institution Bamberger's, had already been open since September 10, 1970. The new Mall opened with just 16 stores. Among the few debut stores were Walden Books, pharmacy CVS, and clothing stores Jeans West, and Chess King. Eventually, they would be joined by McCrory's, The GAP Store (the first one to open in New Jersey), Harmony Hut, Bresler's Ice Cream, Spencer Gifts (the oldest store left in the Mall presently, but not in its original location), and many more tenants. JCPenney opened in the Autumn of that year, as the mall's 2nd anchor store.

In the early days, the Mall had a tropical paradise-themed atmosphere, with many trees planted throughout the building, as well as fountains near the entrance. In 1975, Farrell's Ice Cream Parlor opened as the Mall's 1st major restaurant tenant. Aside from shopping and eating, the Mall provided some amenities to keep the experience a satisfying one, such as the two-screen Brunswick Square Cinema, as well as its ever-popular arcade, Fun-N-Games. The Mall was basically the anchor for much of the Route 18 corridor.

I grew up a mile down the hill from the Mall. If I had back half the quarters I pumped into the arcade games at Fun-N-Games... I could probably afford dinner and a movie at the Mall now.

In 1986, Bamberger's was absorbed by parent company Macy's. I was between my junior and senior years at East Brunswick High School, and the Mall was a convenient halfway point between school and home. If I left the Mall at sunset, the orange glow from the Bamberger's sign would match the color of the sky perfectly. But when that sign was replaced by a Macy's sign, lit up in white, the effect just wasn't the same.

On May 6, 1993, the two-screen Brunswick Square Cinema shut down after General Cinema Corporation decided not to renew its lease. It then became the five-screen Movies at the Brunswick Square. Also, that same year, Ruby Tuesday opened, replacing Farrell's.

The Mall was built, owned and operated by the Edward J. DeBartolo Corporation, based in Youngstown, Ohio. Edward DeBartolo Sr. owned the NHL's Pittsburgh Penguins, and his son Eddie owned the NFL's San Francisco 49ers, 

In 1996, the EJD Corporation was bought by the Simon Property Group, owned by brothers Melvin and Herbert Simon, who owned the NBA's Indiana Pacers. Eddie DeBartolo Jr. is still alive, but had to sell the 49ers to his sister, Denise DeBartolo York. Herbert Simon is still alive, and the sole owner of the Pacers.

In 1999, an expansion took place, which added eight extra screens to the movie theater that became Mega Movies. A third anchor store was added, which was Barnes & Noble, which was necessary, since both Walden Books and B. Dalton Bookseller had gone out of business. In 2000, the physical interior of the mall was renovated, which added new flooring, new skylights, and a mini-food court that was formerly occupied by Kinney Shoes.

In 2011, Mega Movies was bought out by Starplex Cinemas, which has been bought out by AMC Theaters. This theater includes new recliner seating. Starplex was also the first movie theater in New Jersey to test out seats that would move along with the action of the film.

In 2013, a new entrance was added, which opened up a Panera Bread, Tilted Kilt, and GoWireless. In 2016, Ruby Tuesday closed, and in its place are the restaurants Bar Louie and Red Robin. Also, that same year, Simon Property Group sold the mall to WP Glimcher. Tilted Kilt was a victim of COVID, and was replaced by The Twisted Crab.

Brunswick Square has never been a top-tier mall -- and not just because, as a single-level facility, it doesn't have a top tier. (Macy's has 3 floors, and Penney's 2, but the rest of the Mall, only 1.) It has never been the equal of Middlesex County's other 2 malls, Menlo Park in Edison and Woodbridge Center. But for people in East Brunswick, South River, Old Bridge, Spotswood, Monroe, North Brunswick and Milltown, it has been an inescapable part of public life for half a century.

November 25, 1920: The 1st Thanksgiving Day Parade

Judging by the cars in the background,

this is an old parade, but not the first one.

November 25, 1920, 100 years ago: The 1st Thanksgiving Day Parade in America is held. It goes down Market Street in Center City Philadelphia, sponsored by Gimbels department store.

In the modern era, the parade begins on John F. Kennedy Boulevard at 20th Street, goes down JFK Blvd. to Penn Square, around City Hall, then up the Benjamin Franklin Parkway to the Philadelphia Museum of Art. (You know: The Rocky Steps.) That's where the "big production numbers" are held for the TV broadcast.

Gimbels would sponsor the parade every year until 1986, going out of business the next year. WPVI-Channel 6, Philadelphia's ABC affiliate, which had broadcast the parade since 1966 (it was WFIL until 1971), took over sponsorship, partnering with another department store, Boscov's.

Boscov's is still in business, but ended their co-sponsorship after the 2007 Parade. IKEA did it the next 3 years. Since 2011, "6abc" has done it with Dunkin'. Being a restaurant chain, Dunkin' teams up with 6abc to run a holiday food drive every year.

Tomorrow, due to COVID, the Parade will "go virtual." This will be the 1st cancellation of a full parade: Even the Great Depression and World War II couldn't stop it. Fortunately, last year, the 100th Parade was celebrated, so the 100th Anniversary was not ruined.

New York would get into the act in 1924, with Macy's holding the Parade. It starts at 77th Street and Central Park West, across from the American Museum of Natural History, goes down Central Park West to Columbus Circle, then down Central Park South (59th Street), then down 6th Avenue to Macy's flagship store at Herald Square: 34th Street, 6th Avenue and Broadway. (It used to turn from Central Park South to 7th Avenue, then down Broadway at Times Square, to Herald Square. The route was changed in 2009, to provide more room for the floats and balloons.)

The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade became a legend in 1947, with the release of the holiday film Miracle On 34th Street, which has been remade in 1973 and 1994. In the 1st 2 versions, Macy's and Gimbels permitted the use of their names, because it was good publicity. By 1994, Gimbels was gone, and Macy's did not give permission, so fictional store names were used.

NBC has broadcast the Macy's Parade nationally since 1953. Like the one in Philadelphia, it features high school marching bands from around the country. Since the Parade is literally on Broadway, stars of Broadway musicals participate, doing their production numbers in front of Macy's front entrance.

Large balloons in the shape of popular children's characters are used, including, at various times, cartoon characters like Popeye and Underdog, Peanuts characters Charlie Brown and Snoopy, Muppet characters like Kermit the Frog and Big Bird (even when characters from Sesame Street, including the Muppets used on the show, participate), and superheroes like Superman and Spider-Man.

The Macy's Parade always begins with a large animatronic turkey, flapping its wings and raising and lowering its head and eyelids; and, like the one in Philadelphia, always ends with a float containing Santa Claus' sleigh, to signal that, yes, the Christmas season -- and, more importantly from the sponsors' standpoint, the Christmas shopping season -- has begun in earnest. In New York, a small building representing Santa's Workshop is part of the float, and Mrs. Claus waves from it. In Philadelphia, Mrs. Claus rides in the sleigh with Santa.

McDonald's, headquartered in Chicago, sponsors that city's Thanksgiving parade. Other cities with them include Detroit, Houston and Seattle. Pittsburgh hosts a Celebrate the Season Parade on the Saturday after Thanksgiving.

Top 20 Signs You're From New Jersey

Top 20 Signs You're From New Jersey

1. You've had to explain to outsiders that the State consists of more than the Turnpike, Newark Airport and the Linden oil refinery.

2. You give outsiders a dirty look when they say, "You're from Jersey? What exit?" when you know full well that you use it yourself.

3. You've had to explain, "Nobody calls it 'Joisey' here. Only people from N'Yawk call it that."

4. You know a "pork roll" isn't one of those four-foot salamis.

5. You don't go "to the beach." You go "down the shore." Unless you already live in a Shore town, or are staying overnight in one, then you go "to the beach."

6. You've gone down the shore, and gotten stuck at a drawbridge, and when the bridge is fully open, you see what it's been opened for: A dinky little boat with a 100-foot-high mast. That little thing has held everybody up? Where's a torpedo when you need one?

7. You know that pizza tastes better at the shore. So do French fries.

8. You wince at the mention of "the New York Giants" and "the New York Jets" -- even if you want them to win.

9. You've ever told a Ranger fan, "The Hudson River is that way. And when you get there, keep walking!"

10. You've emphasized the first syllable in "Nutley" or "Piscataway."

11. You've had to explain what "a Rutgers" is.

12. You've ever said, upon traveling to another State, "Whattaya mean, I gotta pump my own gas? What kinda crazy place is this? You pump my gas, or else what am I payin' ya for?"

13. You refer to the Statewide newspaper as just "The Ledger," not "The Star-Ledger."

14. You still call MVS "the DMV." Sometimes with a profane adjective thrown in.

15. You've had to explain that the Governor isn't that bad -- knowing that he (or, in the former case of Christine Todd Whitman, she) is.

16. You've never known about any real mobsters that were like Tony Soprano, because you know full well that a guy like that would get whacked before he turned 40.

17. You still lament that Bamberger's was taken over by Macy's.

18. You've called a cab because the bus is half an hour late, and you know the cab will still get there before the next bus is due -- and that's if the next bus is on time, which it won't be.

19. You never refer to a mall by its name. It's not Woodbridge Center, it's just "Woodbridge"; it's not Menlo Park Mall, it's just "Menlo"; it's not "Garden State Plaza," it's "Paramus," etc.

And finally...

20. No matter how much further you still have to go, you always feel better when you get back into the State, whether it's coming out of the Lincoln Tunnel, coming over the Delaware Memorial Bridge, or any of the Pennsylvania crossings. Even if you live an hour away from said crossing, getting back into Jersey still makes you feel like, "I'm home."