Then and now: The Y before it was outlet stores
In the 1950s and 1960s, the Inks brothers of Sacramento had grocery stores at various times in Bijou (now CVS), Al Tahoe (now market and Video Library), and Tahoe Valley (now Factory Stores at the Y).
The 1966 photo (courtesy Bob Rockwell) shows Inks at the Y with the distant Lampson’s Trading Center sign above the Cornet 5-10 store. Just beyond the Cornet store (but not visible here) was a popular watering hole called Tahoe Tropics, on roughly today’s Subway site.
A much earlier Lampson’s Trading Center also included a market, bank, real estate office, U.S. Post Office, and a 
two-pump 76 gas station.
The 1973 photo (mine) shows the razing of the complex which was replaced by the Lampson Plaza with a sparkling new (but short-lived) Lampson’s Market.
That space became a sizable Thrifty Drug Store, but it closed, too.
Approximately 1980, with the sudden popularity of “outlet stores,” Lampson Plaza became rebranded as today’s Factory Stores at the Y.
The color photo (mine) today is about where the 1966 Inks’ market was, while the newer-built 1970s Lampson’s Market and then Thrifty Drug Store each were located in the wing most-recently vacated by Adidas and about to become Big 5 Sporting Goods.
— Bill Kingman
Thanks for the memories, Bill!
That would be 1990-91 it became Factory Stores at the “Y”
/not meant as snarky
Great photos! Would you happen to have any of the old beauty college or Mountian High records down by Wildwood? How about shots of the old Deadhead? Thanks again for the walk down memory lane!
Does anyone have any pictures of the old Globins Chalet ?
Right-on, John S. Thanks!
While still at STHS (1975), I worked after school and after basketball practice in Lampson’s Meat Market as a clean up boy. The guys always gave me big ole meat bones to take home to the dog, and every now and then, a few steaks to take home to my parents.
interesting changes – judging by the rapid succession of total remodels and now the Factory Stores all but dead, I guess the Y isnt the hot bed of commercial activity the realtors like to plug it as?? :)
I went to high school in Sacramento with Marilyn Inks (1950) and shopped with my parents at the Bijou Inks. Neat memories. Thanks. Bill, for your occasional showings of old Tahoe.
for “LakeTooHigh,” try these past postings:
https://www.laketahoenews.net/2012/09/then-and-now-more-open-space-now-compared-to-1965/
https://www.laketahoenews.net/2012/08/then-and-now-businesses-and-billboards/
Left-click photos to enlarge.