University Mall

The University Mall was one of the first strip malls in Davis and opened in the ‘70s with The Graduate as its anchor restaurant. Today, «The Grad», Fluffy Doughnuts and the gas station are the sole survivors but there are a very diverse group of other stores catering to the U.C. Davis students and the Davis community such as Starbucks, GameStop, Subway, Gottschalks and Cost Plus World Market.
(For those interested the original anchor stores were: Safeway and Payless Drugs and Fluffy Doughnuts was inside the mall).
Since the ‘70s, not much has changed, the students and now young adults from neighboring towns flood The Grad and now Starbucks on Thursday and Friday nights and Fluffy Doughnuts still has the largest, cheapest and «Best Maple Bars in The World — Bar None».
Although parking has changed. In the ‘70s, tie-​dye T-​shirt clad students might have parked their VW van or punch buggy in the University Mall parking lot and walked to dorms or class to save a dollar but today, I hear you’ll get two sticker warning then it will cost you or your parents a $ 170 towing fee. The $ 6 parking garage would appear to be a better option since the guard knows that Starbucks is the only store open around 6 a.m. and if your car is in the lot before then and you’re not in Starbucks, then you’re definitely guilty.