Midtown Plaza is a city district in downtown Rochester, New York. The site was originally occupied by an indoor shopping mall designed by Victor Gruen and opened in 1962. Although it was primarily promoted as a retail space, Gruen's vision was for the plaza to function as an all-purpose community space to revitalize the downtown area.

In the heart of downtown, Midtown Plaza became the nation's first urban enclosed shopping mall when it opened in 1962. Designed by the father of the mall and a Jewish, socialist Austrian refugee, Victor Gruen, Midtown was an immediate international sensation.

4 hours ago · Video of the story behind Rochester's Midtown Plaza Mall. Robert Bell. Watch Next

Explore the history of Midtown Plaza Mall in Rochester, NY, from its birth as the first indoor mall to its decline, demolition, and redevelopment. Discover the legacy and cultural impact on the community.

Mar 18, 2024 · An iconic Rochester timepiece that originally was the focal point of Midtown Plaza may soon be brought out of mothballs and put on display near to where it stood for more than four decades.

Discover the fascinating history behind one of Rochester, New York’s most famous sites-Midtown Plaza Shopping Center. The 1950s was a pivotal decade in the world of construction and engineering.

Dec 16, 2019 · Midtown, of course, was Midtown Plaza, the revolutionary indoor shopping mall that opened in downtown Rochester in 1962. The Magic Mountain and monorail were holiday staples where little ones...

Experience Rochester’s iconic Midtown Plaza Clock of Nations, now open to the public at Tower280 (Midtown Tower) daily from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Metered parking is available on Elm Street and around Parcel 5, the former site of Midtown Plaza, with free parking on nights and weekends.

Jan 20, 2019 · Midtown Plaza was opened in April of 1962 as the nation's first enclosed downtown mall. See below for a link to its web site. The mall still has plenty of traffic on weekdays from local office workers, but is no longer open evenings and has less traffic on weekends.

Mar 26, 2021 · 288 votes, 23 comments. 73K subscribers in the Rochester community. A community subreddit for the city of Rochester, NY and Greater Rochester area.