Current Events > Malls are so interesting

(+) Yeah! (+)

Malls are like historical landmarks of the 60s - 90s that you can visit right now. And a lot of the malls are much less popular than they once were and some are mostly empty, which is so interesting to think about.
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Whoa man
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The malls here are nothing but ghost towns with 3-4 open stores. Growing up in the 80s and 90s Malls were the coolest place on earth for a stupid kid like me. In 2018 its nothing but a sign of the times and how fall we've fallen from retail and civilization in general. It used to be my playground now its just a childhood memory.
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bump
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You know what's funny? Every mall dies the exact same way, regardless of where it's located.

1) a newer mall opens up nearby, or online retailers draw people away.
2) smaller name stores pull out as their margins and name recognition aren't enough.
3) random ass stores selling nonsense open up in the spots vacated by the name brands.
4) teenagers start acting up and causing trouble
5) people get scared of the teenagers and stop going
6) more major stores leave, no new ones fill their slots
7) anchors start leaving
8) effective death. The only people left are old people mall walkers.
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Crabtree Valley Mall in Raleigh stays pretty damn busy.

It used to be my playground now its just a childhood memory.

Clearly understand this part.

I remember The Gold Mine arcade back home.

The entrance was like walking into a cave and it was dark and dingy looking inside.

Cigarette burns on the game cabinets and head level smoke illuminated from the monitor screens and random neon signs.

This is even before they used black lights and special carpet and designs on the walls.
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Maybe it's just where you live. Every mall near me always has plenty of people in it, regardless of when I go.
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The mall here also had a Chuck E Cheese at one point in time, not gonna go into detail but one dude decided to rob the place with a pistol and yeah...
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We still have some thriving malls where I live. One of them stills has an arcade, complete with skii ball and many 90s, early 2000s arcade games like Tekken 4 and Scud Racer (I still play it there when I get a chance).

I guess not all of us can live where the country's largest mall is.
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If you like malls You have to check out Dan Bell's videos: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjU-Cwjfqbo2hMRItlXwnnQ

He also explores other abandoned urban treasures and the Another Dirty Room series is comedy gold.
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watching those right now lol
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you high?
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Hexenherz posted...

If you like malls You have to check out Dan Bell's videos: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjU-Cwjfqbo2hMRItlXwnnQ

He also explores other abandoned urban treasures and the Another Dirty Room series is comedy gold.

I watch his shit. I used to work in a mall when I was younger so dying malls always fascinate me
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I worked in a mall too.

When we're old we'll be some of the last people who will be able to say that...
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Damn_Underscore posted...

I worked in a mall too.

When we're old we'll be some of the last people who will be able to say that...

I still remember life before the internet and smartphones too lol.
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the one I work in is just bleeding out stores right now. one of the anchors is closing, and another one is Sears, so who knows how long that one has left. plus almost 20% of the inside.
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pres_madagascar posted...

Hexenherz posted...

If you like malls You have to check out Dan Bell's videos: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjU-Cwjfqbo2hMRItlXwnnQ

He also explores other abandoned urban treasures and the Another Dirty Room series is comedy gold.

I watch his shit. I used to work in a mall when I was younger so dying malls always fascinate me

Before seeing his stuff I never realized that there were such things as "dying mall". It's such a weird concept. Also that korean security plaza place in Baltimore was weird >_>
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Hexenherz posted...

pres_madagascar posted...

Hexenherz posted...

If you like malls You have to check out Dan Bell's videos: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjU-Cwjfqbo2hMRItlXwnnQ

He also explores other abandoned urban treasures and the Another Dirty Room series is comedy gold.

I watch his shit. I used to work in a mall when I was younger so dying malls always fascinate me

Before seeing his stuff I never realized that there were such things as "dying mall". It's such a weird concept. Also that korean security plaza place in Baltimore was weird >_>

The one I worked in died, and I had been in several that died over time in st. Louis when I lived there.
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The one on the west side of my hometown is booming. It has to do with developments and expansions of new businesses and stuff in the early 00s that kept it afloat.

But the one on the east side, which was more popular in the 90s, is a ghost town now. It's open, spookily empty.
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pres_madagascar posted...

Hexenherz posted...

pres_madagascar posted...

Hexenherz posted...

If you like malls You have to check out Dan Bell's videos: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjU-Cwjfqbo2hMRItlXwnnQ

He also explores other abandoned urban treasures and the Another Dirty Room series is comedy gold.

I watch his shit. I used to work in a mall when I was younger so dying malls always fascinate me

Before seeing his stuff I never realized that there were such things as "dying mall". It's such a weird concept. Also that korean security plaza place in Baltimore was weird >_>

The one I worked in died, and I had been in several that died over time in st. Louis when I lived there.

I feel like as soon as it's at 50% capacity they just need to convert that shit into a giant laser tag arena or something.
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The big Three in Detroit are buying up chucks of malls in and turning them into offices. The food courts are benefiting the most on this.
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MedzXVIII posted...

The big Three in Detroit are buying up chucks of malls in and turning them into offices. The food courts are benefiting the most on this.

if I had unlimited cash, I'd want to buy up failed malls and turn them into apartments.
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The food courts are benefiting the most on this.

Was about to say this about Crabtree.

Even on slow days or when shops aren't operating, all kinds of mutherfuckers can be found at the Food Court.

It's like some meet up place rather than folks using the drive through at conventional restaurants.
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Medussa posted...

MedzXVIII posted...

The big Three in Detroit are buying up chucks of malls in and turning them into offices. The food courts are benefiting the most on this.

if I had unlimited cash, I'd want to buy up failed malls and turn them into apartments.

That would be kind of cool.

Even a few stores for convenience.

Like food or things you'll need for you crib all in the same complex.

Wont even have to go out in the elements.
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I remember being a mall rat back in middle school. Fun times.

Theres still one mall close to me thats always busy, but every other one is basically a ghost town.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKBK2Iuhgmc" data-time="

Skye Reynolds posted...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKBK2Iuhgmc" data-time="

Polybius in the background lol
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KrystalSNES posted...

Polybius in the background lol

PROPERTY OF
U.S. GOVERNMENT

Woodfield Mall still doing numbers.
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the closest one got torn down but I never went there anyways, though it was fun to walk through it when literally all the stores were gone

all the others in the area are still kicking

PrettyBoyFloyd posted...

Even a few stores for convenience.

Like food or things you'll need for you crib all in the same complex.

Wont even have to go out in the elements.

exactly!
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I really miss malls built in the 80s to early 00s. With elaborate plant displays and fountains, interesting color palettes and natural lighting. Now they are all de-saturated, just white, silver, and black.

I used to have a mall near Charlotte that was really vibrant and interesting, then got redesigned to be more 'modern' I guess and now it looks sterile and cold like all the others, =(

Guess I will browse mallsoft videos now.
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^It's true that modern malls have their own distinct look, but imagine going back to them in like 2050. You'll know what era they are from.
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Some malls are still popular, but I agree that they're dying.
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Malls are still huge in a lot of places in my state. Even random suburban ones get hella packed. Theres a luxury mall downtown in my city which has always done amazing business.
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All the malls around here are packed
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There was this mall that was almost shut down in 2000s. I would skateboard inside it was so fun. However now when I look at dying malls it makes me sad. Not because I am too old to skate anymore but because they represent dying dreams. Also I hate outdoor malls. Why are these a thing. Walking inside to store to store is much better than walking outside.
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theres a mall here with a tilt that has fucking armored police batrider of all things

its fucking weird as hell
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Me, my best friend, and his wife made a 2 hour car trip mainly just to go to a mall in Memphis. The Wolfchase Galleria. I've been there a few times as a kid and there was just something about it that stuck with me. It was recently in the news after a shooting went on outside, but it was completely normal when we went which was during school hours. It still has that charm, but sadly we didn't walk all around and saw everything.

The only time I visit my local mall is when I go to the Barnes and Nobel that's in it and it's always in and out the B&N door. There will be a rare time I'll walk around the mall proper. It always takes me back to the 90's as a kid and the early 00's as a teenager who hung out there. Ours still has an arcade, but I haven't been there in a decade. Got to check it out sometime.

Also check out these pics from 1989.

https://mashable.com/2014/12/02/80s-shopping-malls/#NfYMiRGdoiqK

I want something like this, but with 90's-00s
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Southernfatman posted...

Also check out these pics from 1989.

My generation got messed over when it comes to wearing outlandish crap. From the Mid 90s to the 2000s people could really wear outlandish crap like they did in the 80s or 70s.
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All the malls by the tourist shit is packed (Orlando) but the ones that arent are fucking dead.
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You a number one stunna, and we gon' glide
And go straight to the mall and tear down the inside
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cjsdowg posted...

There was this mall that was almost shut down in 2000s. I would skateboard inside it was so fun. However now when I look at dying malls it makes me sad. Not because I am too old to skate anymore but because they represent dying dreams. Also I hate outdoor malls. Why are these a thing. Walking inside to store to store is much better than walking outside.

Here we have one that sits off of I-95.

Almost 90 stores.

Has everyone traveling from Miami to Maine looking at nonsense.
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Last I checked, Fairlane Mall in Dearborn, MI was doing rather well.

On the flipside, both times I went to Oakland Mall in Troy, it was a ghost town.
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cjsdowg posted...

Southernfatman posted...

Also check out these pics from 1989.

My generation got messed over when it comes to wearing outlandish crap. From the Mid 90s to the 2000s people could really wear outlandish crap like they did in the 80s or 70s.

The 80's were like all pastels, shiny and neon stuff.

The 90s started to color down everything or look grungy.
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PrettyBoyFloyd posted...

Crabtree Valley Mall in Raleigh stays pretty damn busy.

Yeah it's funny you mention that one. I visit my family there once a year and tend to buy something from Crabtree. It's always hopping. TBF, I visit around christmas time when it's at its most active.
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Literally all the malls where I live are still packed
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Southernfatman posted...

Also check out these pics from 1989.

https://mashable.com/2014/12/02/80s-shopping-malls/#NfYMiRGdoiqK

so cool
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I remember being 12, going to the skate shop in the mall with my birthday money and getting a new board, then hitting up the arcade with my friends for hours. That mall is no longer in existence
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