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, CVS, 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-like 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 there 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 sight, 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.
In 1996, the Edward J. DeBartolo Corporation, the Mall's Youngstown, Ohio-based management company, whose namesake owned the NHL's Pittsburgh Penguins, and his son owned the NFL's San Francisco 49ers, 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, 2002, 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, a smaller 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, replacing Walden Books and B. Dalton Bookseller, both of which 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. (Bam's/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, North Brunswick and Milltown, it has been an inescapable part of public life for half a century.