Willow Grove Park Mall

     Wednesday, June 11, 2025: The last few times I was at the Willow Grove Park Mall, 2500 West Moreland Road, Willow Grove, Pennsylvania (215-657-6000) was in 1997 and ‘98 when I went to see a certain celebrity. During my two times there, I only met the famous person in a store, and then I ate at the food court. This particular mall used to be the sight of Willow Grove (amusement) Park from 1896 to 1975. Afterward, the developers built the current mall and opened it in 1982. In 2015, I saw a fake version of this mall in the Sony Studios atrium, Culver City, California (the former MGM Studios). In the 2000s TV show, The Goldbergs, whenever there was a scene that took place in the Willow Grove Mall, it was filmed at the storefronts and pizza place in the Sony’s atrium lobby. Therefore, I finally decided it was time to go take a tour of the real mall. What I first noticed were several cars parked outside, and inside, there were a number of people in the mall. Then I learned that Willow Grove Park Mall has been the third-most profitable shopping mall in the Philadelphia area after the King of Prussia Mall, King of Prussia, PA, and Cherry Hill Mall, Cherry Hill, New Jersey. After I toured this mall, I now know why this mall has been doing so well: different stores selling different kinds of merchandise, not just clothing; different price ranges from budget to moderate to upscale; and there were other things to do besides shopping: eating in the food court and a few different restaurants, as well as a two story arcade that also included several video games, pinball, virtual reality, bowling, golf, laser tag, a few amusement rides, etc. This place alone could keep one interested for a few hours! Meanwhile, the mall also provided, for the price of a ticket, a carousel and a few amusement rides for children. As for the stores, I saw four anchor department stores along with over 130 smaller stores of the usual brands that have been found in most malls, as well as a few stores unique to this mall. In addition to clothing, shoes, and accessories for men, women, and children, I also glanced at stores selling beauty products, housewares, gifts, toys, electronics, etc. Between the stores and entertainment, there is something for almost everyone.  

   

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My website hasn't been working too well recently, 

  so here I'll reinstate those features
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HOME  from my old web site

PUBLICATIONS from my old website at tripod

  SPECIAL PUBLICATIONS
   - The Preface         1999 (in 5 parts) 
   - Overseas              2001 (in 5 parts)
   - Closer To Home   2008

  DOTTY'S DIMENSIONS PUBLICATIONS (2000-2006)
       2000    Volume 1:  Issue 1- Issue 2- Issue 3- Issue 4
       2001    Volume 2:  Issue 1- Issue 2- Issue 3- Issue 4
       2002    Volume 3:  Issue 1- Issue 2- Issue 3- Issue 4
       2003    Volume 4:  Issue 1- Issue 2- Issue 3- Issue 4
       2004    Volume 5:  Issue 1- Issue 2- Issue 3- Issue 4
       2005,6 Volume 6:  Issue 1- Issue 2- Issue 3- Issue 4

   DOTTY'S DIMENSIONS CONTINUES
   -2006 Issue 1, Issue 2    -2007 Issue 3, Issue 4
   -2008 Issue 5, Issue 6    -2009 Issue 7, Issue 8 
   -2010 Issue 9, Issue 10  -2011 Issue 11, Issue 12

   MY CAPITAL TIME - 2006,  2007,  2008, 

   MOSTLY MATINEE TIME - 2009,  2010, 2010/2011

   THE STATE I'M IN  -2006 Issue 1  -2007 Issue 2  -2008 Issue 3
                                   -2009 Issue 4  -2010 Issue 5  -2011 Issue 6

   THE COLUMN SERIES
   -2012  Issue #01, Issue #02
   -2013  Issue #03, Issue #04
   -2014  Issue #05, Issue #06
   -2015  Issue #07, Issue #08
   -2016  Issue #09, Issue #10
   -2017  Issue #11, Issue #12
   -2018  Issue #13, Issue #14
   -2019  Issue #15, Issue #16

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Trouble with Tripod

As long as Tripod is currently unavailable to me for my website access, you can access my blog, but if you do want to read any of my earlier publications on my regular website, just send me a private message via Facebook, and give me your email address in that message and what issue you want.

Meanwhile, I’ll list what I have available:

1) The Preface—an abridged version of my misbegotten life. 

2) Overseas—my favorite places overseas as of the early 2000s.

3) Closer to Home—my favorite places in New Jersey; Philadelphia; New York City; and Washington, DC as of the early 2000s.

4) Between 2000 through 2005, I published Dotty’s Dimensions, a six volume, quarterly newsletter about the places I visited and the events I attended.

5) Dotty’s Dimensions Continues—a twice yearly newsletter about the places I’ve visited and events attended from 2006 to 2011.

6) My Capital Time—places I visited in Washington, DC in 2006, ‘07, and ‘08.

7) Mostly Matinee Time—I wrote about three films each year that I saw in NYC and a live show from Philly in 2009, 2010, and 2011.

8 ) The State I’m--12 places I visited each year in NJ from 2006 to 2012.

9) the Column Series—places I visited from 2012 through 2019.

10) As of 2020, I strictly wrote for my Dotty’s Dimensions Blog. 

My Publication Photos

  

   MY CAPITAL TIME - 2006, 2007, 2008

    MOSTLY MATINEE TIME -2009,  2010, 2010/11

   THE STATE I'M IN  -2006 Issue #1, 2007 Issue #2, 2008 Issue #3,
                                           2009 Issue #4, 2010 Issue #5, 2011 Issue #6

   THE COLUMN SERIES
   -2012  Issue #01, Issue #02
   -2013  Issue #03, Issue #04
   -2014  Issue #05, Issue #06
   -2015  Issue #07, Issue #08
   -2016  Issue #09, Issue #10
   -2017  Issue #11, Issue #12
   -2018  Issue #13, Issue #14
   -2019  Issue #15, Issue #16

   PHOTO ALBUMS
   1. Original photo album
   2. Personal photo gallery

Mr. McGregor's Garden Farm and Deli

 

   Saturday, May 24, 2025: After visiting Johnson's Locus Hall Farm Market earlier that day, I traveled a few miles up Monmouth Road to Mr. McGregor’s Garden Farm Market and Deli, 2816 Monmouth Road, Jobstown (Burlington County), New Jersey (609-723-1200). This market was really low key compared to Johnson's Locust Farm Market, but once inside, they did sell some produce, plenty of baked goods—especially pies, some jarred foods, and packaged foods. Currently, it looked like this place was being renovated, both the farm market and the deli, but I noticed more varieties of food products for sale. To top it off, I found the prices on average to be cheaper than the place I had visited earlier that day. Outside, they offered plenty of flowers for sale. I would recommend taking a look at this market—and don’t be surprised, you may end up buying something here!

   

Johnson's Locust Hall Farm

 

   Saturday, May 24, 2025: A few days ago, I had visited Johnson's Corner Farm. On the date above, I visited another farm that the Johnson family owned: Johnson's Locust Hall Farm,  2691 Monmouth Road, Jobstown (Burlington County), New Jersey (609-353-9000). Compared to the Johnson's Corner Farm, we had to drive down a dirt and gravel road to get to the farm market, and once inside, I noticed that aside from strawberries in season, this store sold no produce! Nevertheless, this store sold jarred products-most of which the staff made from fruits and vegetables grown on this farm, baked goods, and non-edible merchandise: decor for the kitchen, tableware, and dishware. If you wanted produce, however, you had to pick it, or your family joined you in picking it. This place offered hayrides to the fields to pick what was in season. Like the Corner Farm, there were petting areas containing farm animals, but unlike the Medford farm, the farm market didn’t sell ready made foods in salads, sandwiches, dinner entrees, and so forth that you could buy inside and eat outside. They only had a food truck outside selling the usual sandwiches, hot dogs, burgers, etc. that you could eat at the outside tables. Meanwhile, the farm market shared space with a winery that sold wines along with a tasting room for adults. Throughout the year, Johnson's Locust Hall Farm played host to different events, but even though this farm was more low-key compared to the Medford farm, I still found it worthwhile for families to browse, maybe buy, and take a hayride to pick the latest crop. The farm has been around since 1693, but different families owned it in these last few centuries until 2014 when the Johnson family acquired it. 

Medford Mill Shoppes

     Tuesday, May 20, 2025: From farmland to an eclectic-artisan co-op shopping area in a former mill, I saw different kinds of merchandise in what I humorlessly called “artsy-fartsy.” At The Shoppes at Medford Mill, 18 Charles Street, Medford (Burlington County), New Jersey (973-939-1940), over 80 vendors sold things on commission, and each vendor had his or her own cove displaying what was for sale. Some of the merchandise these vendors sold included jewelry, clothing, and household items, as well as collectibles, gourmet snacks, and so on. If you needed gift ideas, this would be the place to look—and maybe buy! (At least this place looked colorful.) Meanwhile, the downtown area of Medford along Main Street also offered its share of shops and eating places. In addition, throughout the year, both the Medford Mill Shoppes and downtown Medford held special sales and events: Some of it was seasonable. Between browsing, and sometimes buying, in both the mill shoppes and along Main Street, Medford, NJ, could make for a full day.