Daly City/Northern San Mateo County

[TheQuestioner]

The building looks completely different now, even the shape and spacing of the windows seems different. What side of the building was this photo taken of? I would guess the long side, which had "BAKERY" on it in the Mayfair photo, but it's hard to tell. It looks like the diagonal "pillars" were removed completely, unless the extended the walls out to beyond them, and they are embedded inside the structure now. Did it look more like the original photo when it was REI? I wouldn't have expected a small-time ethnic market to make extensive modifications to an existing building.

[TheStranger]

The building looks completely different now, even the shape and spacing of the windows seems different. What side of the building was this photo taken of? I would guess the long side, which had "BAKERY" on it in the Mayfair photo, but it's hard to tell. It looks like the diagonal "pillars" were removed completely, unless the extended the walls out to beyond them, and they are embedded inside the structure now. Did it look more like the original photo when it was REI? I wouldn't have expected a small-time ethnic market to make extensive modifications to an existing building.

When that site was REI/Any Mountain, it had a wooden false fron that was only removed when Kukje came in.

One very important detail is that the construction of I-280 in the 1960s also affected Junipero Serra Boulevard's layout in the area; while it still runs past the store much as it did in 1957, north of the store, the old boulevard is split by the freeway, and a 1960s-era concrete viaduct connects those two sections now.

I would assume that the old photo is pointed north; the photo I took was pointed west. I could be wrong about the old photo's orientation though.

[justin karimzad]

Despite fitting Mayfair's footprint perfectly, 2350 Junipero Serra Blvd. was originally part of a small chain, King's Market. It first opened in September 1948, but burned to the ground in May 1949. Arson was suspected. The rebuilt store was in operation at least as early as September 10, 1951. No wonder they incorporated a sprinkler system into the new store! Mayfair Markets purchased this King's Market November 1958. This was "the firm's first extension into the San Francisco marketing area", and the King's Market building was "one of Daly City's largest markets". This was to be Mayfair's ninth bay area store.

[justin karimzad]

I would assume that the old photo is pointed north; the photo I took was pointed west. I could be wrong about the old photo's orientation though.

No, I think it was the north too; the street in between the two parking lots and the curbs match up perfectly with the north view today.

[robsster]

That was the view heading north. The driveway entrance is actually on Garden Gateway, Junipero Serra would be off to the right of the photo.