Brass Mill Center Mall: I'd Say It's a Dead Mall! December 2023 Update! Waterbury, Connecticut.
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- Опубліковано 8 лют 2025
- Join me once again as I take a look at Brass Mill Center Mall in Waterbury, Connecticut.
It looks even deader than the last time I was here!
This video was filmed in December 2023 on a Monday around 11:30am-12:00pm.
If you liked this video, please don't forget to give me a thumbs up, leave a comment and subscribe to my channel. I plan to have more dead mall videos in the future. Thanks for watching!
Source of information:
www.courant.co...
www.flickr.com...
www.stamfordad...
www.ctinsider....
www.nytimes.co...
www.nbcconnect...
2021 domestic incident
www.nbcconnect...
35 yo man found dead in car.
www.msn.com/en...
Armed robbery at Champ's Sports, 09/2022.
www.wtnh.com/n...
Bomb threat in 2015.
news.google.co...
en.wikipedia.o...
dirtamericana....
#deadmall #deadmalls #mall #connecticut #waterbury #shoppingmall #shoppingmalls #retail #nostalgia #malls #mallshopping #brasscity
If this wasn’t a dead mall before, the shooting in the food court last week cemented it.
What happened?
@@kanna-san.One youth had a disagreement with another youth and decided to resolve their dispute by going pewpewpew
True! Not shopping there anymore
I don't know about anyone else, but when I go to the mall I like to NOT die!!
@@Jacob-nu4ndyeah like they got those guns legally.
It’s weird seeing people film in my hometown. Thanks for posting this, I used to love going to this mall as a kid, I’m happy to know the ihop is still alive 😅
Yeah.. same here, I live down the road coming from rt 69 use to be decent. IHOP is 10X better than the one in Southington
I live in the next town over and I have been going to this mall my whole life. It's unfortunate that it's dying out like this, it was once a bustling shopping center with many more stores and businesses.
I remember driving by as it was being built, i also remember the other mall over where walmart is now, that was back in the 80s. But Brass Mills was busy in the 90s and 2000s, i used to go there later in the day on Sundays with my brother, once the last movie showing would start then all the staff were more interested in cleaning up and leaving. We would pick a movie and walk in there, no one ever said anything. I'm going to miss it when there's just no where left to go anymore. I don't like staying home all the time but that's where it's headed.
My daughters n l lived in Waterbury from 2002 to 2014.We use to love going to that Mall.Sad to see it so empty.😢
So very sad to see such a once great place to shop. I worked there in Sears when it was one of the first anchor stores that opened in 1997. Online shopping has really killed this mall as it is doing to other malls in this state. It won't be long before they all close up.
The only thing I could find was that the Second Avenue Railroad was a street railway company in Manhattan, New York City -Its lines included the Second Avenue Line. The line ran from Peck Slip in Lower Manhattan to the Harlem River. It included branches to the 92nd Street Ferry along the 86th Street Crosstown Line and through 59th Street and First Avenue at the First Avenue Line. Between 1898 and 1908, it was leased by the Metropolitan Street Railway.
At some point in CT Trolly history, the first ones were drawn by a horse before going to electric. I know the ones that ran from Meriden to Cheshire were at some point horse-drawn perhaps represented on the brass tile. The tile is made of Brass and may be a symbol of the once-great brass production in Waterbury and surrounding towns.
However, I could not find in any of my quick research of any rail company associated in CT with this name.
Great video! If this is considered a dead mall then my local malls must be REALLY dead. I don’t see this many people in my malls on a Friday!
There is no agreed upon definition of a "dead mall" that I can find. I would say that this mall is definitely on the dead mall spectrum though. Enfield Mall in CT is on the extreme end of the spectrum and Brass City may be on the other end, right on the line with "dying mall" or "struggling mall". I still feel that it's "dead".
I found this channel and immediately subscribed. These videos hit home for me, as I was a district manager for KB toys. My market was all of Connecticut, downstate New York including the galleria of White Plains, southern Massachusetts and Rhode Island. I practically lived in these malls. Great stuff!
So many memories.. the regal cinema for dates, the orange chicken samples, going to the computer Cafe near the pretzel shop..
Not sure how I stumbled on this but it's wild how fast times change.. I miss those days 😢
I’m local myself, was a decent shopping stop back
Drove by Crystal Mall the other day to get to Target...was surprised to see what a dead zone it now looks like...even a few years ago it wasn't that bad. These malls are dropping like flies.
West farms and Danbury Mall are doing well
@@garagekeys not really. Danbury especially is dying.
@@MirzaAhmed89 I was at the West Farms mall yesterday was booming filled with people. Must be because West Hartford has big time money$$
@@MirzaAhmed89 I haven't been to Danbury in a while, but West Farms is actually doing extremely well. My friend and I were in there on a Wednesday afternoon about a month ago and it was pretty busy.
Last time I went to Crystal Mall it was dead, I think it was about 2019
I live nearby. It's too sketchy now. I won't go there anymore.
One night in the Barnes & Nobel next-door, 3 random people tried to jump me. I saw it coming and once they saw that, they all decided they needed to be somewhere else, right quick.
The curse of the shopping mall!
yeah i livve 2 towns over and that mall i only go to when i cant find shoes in meriden.
It’s because we’ve glorified crime and criminals in our cities and throughout our country. Who would dare want to wander into this mall, or even into Waterbury at all? Keep voting for radical democrats folks!
Super depressing!
I lived in waterbury from about ages 6 - 25 and this place was where we all hung out in middle and high school on weekends. I remember sneaking into movies late at night with friends, shopping at aeropostale, Hollister and H&M for school clothes, going to Hot Topic for Band tees and piercings, eating at the food court and even a reaaallly long time ago maybe around 2006 or 2007 there was a Web Warriorz there where you could use computers and play video games. Black Friday and Christmas time it was always really packed, me and my brother used to go and try to get our mom gifts with money she gave us, or my friends and i would buy pandora bracelets and charms for our girlfriends 😂😂
I cant even count the amount of times ive went to movies there, either with a date or just friends then walked down to the plaza next door for mcdonalds at midnight. Actually, my first date with my now wife was here in the mall at iHop around 2012. lol
Great memories, so sad to see its a shell of its former self. It was a really great spot to hang out when i was younger. 😕😕
Web Warriors & Charms was my fave!
The laughing carousel used to be even creepier when you would exit the movie theater after 9 pm and have to walk past it on the way to the rear door parking garage
I can imagine!
I used to work at there on the first floor … it was creepy
Nah b not creepy at all
Whoa! This mall does remind me of Steeplegate in Concord NH before it died….well with three floors instead of one. Those kiddie rides *are* creepy! I used to work for the Photo Booth company that made those two photo booths that were shown. Those are definitely older model ones…..I was there for over 14 years and it was so interesting to see the dying malls across the US even before I left the company in late 2018.
These are awesome videos and I am glad you bring your mom. That is super awesome! :)
Where's the Retail 365 Facebook Group?
Thanks! Glad you like the videos! Imagine hearing that laughing Kiddie Ride if you're there after hours. Creepy.
It's sad seeing all the empty Sears...
Believe it or not, Sears actually OPENED (or reopened) TWO NEW STORES!! WHAT! I miss Sears 😢. I think it's like a basic home goods store now. One in Cali and one in Wash. I still have and use a bunch of Sears Craftsman tools.
@@teejay6063 “Craftsman” is available at Lowe’s, just not the same quality as it was years ago
@@jamesmunterich146 I know! I was shocked when I heard they bought the name.
@@teejay6063Lowe's didn't buy Craftsman. Stanley Black & Decker did. Lowe's merely sells the tools, they don't own the brand.
Gorgeous mall in an absolutely terrible location! Why it was ever put there I have no idea. Waterbury is a shithole!
Waterbury wasn't a shithole when the Brass Mill was built. However, with the economy of Connecticut becoming anti-business, Waterbury factories closed. Brass Mill Mall was built on the old Scoville Brass site. With corporate mergers, the stores look the same along with the mall. Why go to a mall nowadays, it isn't like it was. G Fox became Filenes then Macy. If you don't live in the Waterbury area, why go and shop at Macy's? It's the same store that's in your local mall..
@@jimsawhill2003 lol. Waterbury was a shithole before it was built too.
I was there a few days ago, and it's much more lively now. The cinema is open again, more people are walking around/shopping, and generally enjoying things.
arcades are never full because kids have phones and tablets now, it’s kinda crazy how much things have changed in less than a decade
Stone place was Bertuccis once and probably some other things too.
I am not from CT, but I was able to visit this mall in august. It's such a shame that this and many other malls in CT are considered 'dead.' The theme of this mall in particular was absolutely a favorite of mine. I was so tempted to go to the 3rd floor and explore the practically abandoned Regal cinemas, but I did not want to risk it.
What was the theme? It looks like any other mall.
I always do a lot of my shopping online but I find that when I do in-person shopping I seem to find a lot more clearance deals and a lot better deals on clothing for the most part
Unfortunately, I've been hearing about a lot of crime in Waterbury, so I guess it's no surprise.
It’s a shithole! Everyone who doesn’t live there avoids it completely
I was 18 when this mall opened and it was a really fun place. It has been a decent spot to get sneakers but the last time i went about a month ago, they had squat. Don't think I'll ever go back tbh. RIP brass mill.
Tom, apparently you could see some of the old train tracks from the 2nd Avenue railroad in Waterbury, Connecticut from the route 8 highway, and the railroad itself (and I’m not sure about the actual 2nd Avenue train tracks, with regard to the overall existence of the 2nd Avenue railroad in Waterbury, CT) but the 2nd Avenue railroad ran from the highway on Rte. 8 to Washington Avenue in Waterbury, CT which is very close to the Brass Mill Center Mall itself.
Ashleys is now open in the Macy's store. The store from the outside you did not know what was there, was an Olive Garden. Apple cinemas took over the Regals spot and is open now. 2 food vendors are now open too. Next to JCPennys was H&M store also.
Oh nice! Glad to know things are still happening there. Maybe I'll stop by and support some of the businesses.
Another nearby mall is quickly becoming the same. Used to be Westfield, now Meriden mall, the new owner jacked up rent prices. Only 2 stores in the food court and half the stores closed including all big brands except for Boscov's and Dick's. Recently two of the escalators at one side have broken down and they seem to be uninterested in fixing them anytime soon. There's still people walking around for now surprisingly.
Nevermind, I see you did a video on it already, but like I said, it is getting worse even since then.
Those medallions in the ground are local landmarks. I believe that second avenue railroad might actually be a reference to the fact that Waterbury used to have its own trolley system. Worked at a Ritz camera in this mall back when it first opened.
The state of Waterbury and this mall is sad. I mentioned before in your Meriden Mall video but I used to hang out at the two local malls around me. Brass Mill was the one I used to go to the most. As a young girl I used to get dropped off here after school by one of my parents and I'd hang out with friends, it used to be a friendly place. Now I'd NEVER go here with our without anyone else. It's nothing but a sad state and a place for people with nothing to do to get up to no good. What's crazy is that this mall was a nice place to go to 10 years ago, the decline was very rapid.
This was my local mall growing up and I still check on it from time to time. It's pretty dead but still seems to be doing better than the nearby Meriden Mall. I recall it looking a lot more colorful inside as a kid, they repainted the interior white sometime in the 2010s.
been downhill for decades now. used to go with friends in the early 2000s. the changing complexion of the region played a part for sure. I haven't been there in years and figured it was worse, but I had no idea it was dead.
I remember when I was a kid living in Michigan. My dad would take us to the Mall every Saturday we would spend hours walking around the shops. We would meet at Burger King at a certain time. Sundays was always time for church than trip to Canada 🇨🇦. Life was so much simpler and family time . We had so much fun . Nowadays there is no time for family
This is crazy, this was my go-to mall when i was in middle to high school.
Its Saturday, December 30th, and im sitting at the food court in the Brass Mall. Its actually pretty bustling over here. Feels good to see people milling about. I think if you go to any mall early in the week it would be empty. Anyway, im just sitting here enjoying a piece of pizza and all the activity around me. The way i look at it, God knows how im going to die when i was born . I dont usually go to dangerous places....but it doesn't feel dangerous here❤
I remember when it open. I was a GM for Taco Bell,. I thought this would kill the old mall in Waterbury. BM was built in a rough area. It was extremely busy when it open, but there was a lot of criminal activity going on there from my POV. The TRU's that was built there was nice. I'm surprised that this mall didn't close up years ago. It was then worth the drive to go to the Danbury mall. It just felt better...
Naugatuck Valley Mall
I remember growing up going to the Naugatuck
valley mall
...at 3am, to get a Ticketmaster bracelet at G Fox, probably to buy Rush or U2 tickets. I miss that, especially with e-ticket BS that we're stuck with now.
That WAS creepy indeed! I used to work at the RI mall @ a Cingular wireless kiosk & whenever I’d open there was something similar to that always said the same phrases but if it did that creepy laugh I’d have absolutely disconnected it.
Yes, that laughing kiddie ride is always creepy. I think it's motion activated because they always seem to go off just when I'm walking past them.
This mall has had a long and storied history. My grandfather worked at the factory that used to be at this site in the 70's. There was another mall, the Naugatuck Valley Mall, that was demo'd in 1999 in Waterbury. Now that is a damn shame. I was about to say this wasn't a dead mall, but literally there isn't a living soul in that place besides you.
Blame Amazon and eBay! They’re the ones that causes some malls to die
Well it’s 12 on a Monday…I wouldn’t expect anyone to be there
Used to ride my bike twelve miles to Naugatuck Valley Mall in Waterbury as a kid. White boy would get yelled at and occasionally a glass bottle well thrown in my direction.... 1980's....
I lived in Naugatuck only a few miles from The Brass Mill Center mall, which opened during the two years that I lived there. Everyone was happy to have a mall again since the Naugatuck Valley Mall had died and tne nearest malls were in Meriden and Danbury.
Me and my friends would come here every weekend 15 years ago. It was a much more lively place to hang out, not as dangerous either. Met my first girlfriend there too. Sad to see it this way.
It was an Olive Garden below the Regal movie theatre.
When Sears and Macy's was there it was a much busier mall. Weekends had a good crowd back in 2017-2018 then Sears closed and half the customers left. Burlington gets busy but there has been incidents there.
Its not worth going there because the risk of getting approached outside is great. People ask for money. Homeless people sometimes outside. Next year probably JCP goes dark. Burger King closed in the food court a few months ago, too.
Burger kind moved to their own location in Wolcott street by the walmart plaza
As someone who was born in Waterbury in 98 and had fond memories back in 01-04 of the mall, I can say that yes, this malls been dead for years. I remember going to that theater cus it was the only one really in the city. Covid screwed the place big time. As the big stores like the Macy's and sears closing really caused the big decline. I remembered a Carousel that was in the food court and all that. Being in Waterbury, ya there's no escaping the crime there and while I never saw any all the times I've been there, I wouldn't be surprised if that was going on a lot. I don't remember an H&Ms there though, and the Hershey store was always the big highlight for me personally going there as a kid.
The Christmas decorations are a bit lacking. It's sad to see a mall in this state. Odd number of restaurants in a food court for a dead mall.
To be honest, I haven't been to a mall since Mother's Day for lunch in a restaurant attached to the mall and I didn't go shopping either.
I don't think indoor malls will be around much longer.
Filmed in Early November like Veterans Day weekend
If you are referring to when my video was filmed, it's in the comments. It was very late November, after Thanksgiving.
Yup they used to have a huge red christmas tree in the mall and they stopped putting it up for a few years now
No xmas lights whatsoever on 2024. That's how bad it is. Bath & Body recently moved to a Plaza near me. Others are planning to close on the other side Plaza of the mall.
Haven't been to this mall proper in over 20 years and I went to the theater there once a few years back for the third Hobbit movie. Waterbury itself is dangerous btw, it's not just the mall that why I avoid it. I avoid Waterbury in general.
Waterbury is very dangerous… especially after sun goes down.
I remember being in awe watching That place being built. Was a huge project. I was revamping the fire house behind it and often passed by in stages after that being from neighboring Bristol. Can remember passing by seeing the welders welding the steel cage together out front up top thinking , it won't be long before it's open now lol. Sad. Think it's more of a saftey thing as far as people moving thru crowded places being at risk of harm more than on-line shopping these days. Back in the day our parents would drop us at the mall with thier biggest fear being we might drink a beer, smoke a cigarette or get someone pregnant lmao. Today I would never drop my kid off at a mall to roam around aimlessly-smh. I prefer Danbury or west farms even, Meriden to that place. But hey, down the hall near bathrooms has some cool pics of the old brass mill that was there before the mall.
I like how you are recording these places of another time before they are all but history.
~ENJOY!!
Used to hit TGI Fridays after going to this mall. Or would eat at Bertuccis. It looks better than I expected actually. Haven’t been there since Macys closed
The theater is open again plus there is a secret 4th floor only used for special screenings
That big store was an Old Navy.
I use to go to this mall every weekend when I was a kid. It was the go to place. It was once so beautiful. The first time I seen the Matrix, I watched it at the regal cinema on the 3rd floor. Crime deterred alot of people from the mall. Along with online retailers being so much easier to buy from
Yes! Can you do please Sears.
Yes, I did the Sears in Braintree, MA and Jersey City, NJ. The NJ one is closed now, but I'll probably do another one at Braintree store at some point, especially if they announce they are going out of business.
I’ve been on vacation this week and my local mall has been crowded! It’s like every one is on vacation from work and Christmas shopping this week. Huge difference compared to this mall. I’d say it’s a dead mall with so many stores closed and not too many good stores there to shop at. I wonder how much longer that mall will stay open?
So I’ve lived in the towns around this mall all my life. Can remember having gone to the mall so often but over the years it definitely felt like there were just less people. Shame to see it in the state it currently is.
Fondest memories was just walking between the shops at the food court and just getting constant free samples.
What’s crazy is that the plaza to the left of the Brass Mill is much more busy than the mall itself. McDonald’s, Buffalo Wild Wings, Safora all in a small area.
You should go to south East Asia like the the philippines...Indonesia see how those malls are ...like big luxurious full of bussiness and people
I went to this mall quite a bit when I was much younger living in Naugy and then once in awhile during high school. I remember back when it first opened probably sometime in middle school, you weren't cool if you hadn't gone to the new mall yet. I don't have nearly as much nostalgia for this mall as I do the Meriden Mall, but I spent a fair bit of time here. And no there's no way I'm going anywhere near as in depth as my Meriden piece.
I always loved that it had a movie theater on the third floor, don't think I've ever actually seen a movie there... Edit: Nope I've definitely seen some stuff there. I think I can 100% say Matrix Revolutions was at the old Regal. They've had some banger limited release runs over the past several years, older films for a couple of days.
So back in the dawn of the millennium, there was an import store in there called Charmz. Everything was overpriced as shit, but that's where I got my fix of DBZ episodes & movies that wouldn't be released in the US for several years, as well as non Gundam Wing gunpla. And many wall scrolls... god I forgot about that junk. Later on there was another import shop over down by the far anchor store on the opposite end of the mall from the food court on the upper level, sort of next to whatever that restaurant on the corner used to be, Bertucci's? I don't remember.
That Lifestylez headshop somewhere in the middle was KEY. Such an awesome place to shop at, I don't remember when they moved out but they still have a location in Waterbury. I got one of my sickest bowls (that's still in one piece) from that other spot, but I had a bunch of cool ones from the mall store over the years, all broken now. Damn I just remembered there was a head shop in the Meriden mall during the mid 00s too, I'll have to go add that to that comment.
Can we take a moment to appreciate that tiny news stand shop in the corner on the upper level across from the food court? That place has always held it down for as long as I can remember.
I recall the old FYE there being massive, it even had an arcade at one time if I'm remembering things right. At one point there was a small dedicated FYE gaming store for a few years across the hall, I think it was either the same unit or next to the old Best Buy Mobile store.
One thing that people seem to forget is that the Brass Mill is technically a zombie mall, it already died years ago. Back after the 2008 Recession I forget exactly what year it was, but I went Christmas shopping there shortly after it hit. The mall was like 85% dead back then, and it's never recovered. There were more empty stores than open businesses by a wide margin. Meriden was looking like a spring chicken during the same time period.
Some of the architecture is actually quite nice here. I've only been once and it was like a decade ago, so I barely remember it, but I do know it was not this dead at the time. Not even close. Place is really just in need of a massive renovation, gives off some liminal space vibes, but I imagine this place won't even be around in a few years.
I remember as a kid going here or to the movie theater in Torrington by the old K-Mart. I've always heard about crime here like car break ins or people will jump you for money. I've also seen plenty of homeless people and drug users hanging out here. Plus, it's Waterbury and it's a poor area. High end shopping will just not survive here.
i used to go here all the time with my mom and dad. recently went with my friend a week before the shooting and it was absolutely baren. Burlington looked like a hodgepodge flea market. famous footware and the food courts were still open, and some stores were straight up converted into convience stores and a police station.
13:49 it's CALLED "Burlington Coat Factory" for a reason. They should have costs
Nice video 👋
Freaky to me. This looks like same design as CT Post Mall (before they added on making it huge. Don't know what it looks like today, last time I was inside that was probably 13 years ago.) Also like another I can't think of with that same elevator and layout...gave me a deja'vu of somewhere else like it, I used to go to. What I don't get is all the storefronts that look closed, and yet inventory sits there? I remember going to this mall with my mom in the 90's...we used to "shop around." We'd drive 45 minutes to go to "another mall" out of town...this was one. It used to be packed and thriving, but that was another time, long gone now. Yes, have heard lots of stories of gun incidents...sad state of things. Back then you'd never think of those things happening but rarely, now it's commonplace. Dumbing down of America, and giving criminals free reign. I shop online too, but more & more, I want to see and touch things again. Been shopping for Christmas in local boutiques & gift stores. But you can't get everything there.
Yeah, me too just seeing people, the smell of food courts .. basically the experience, exercise 😊
It's a shame as it looks like a nice mall. The location is terrible though. I went to this mall once in 2012 with someone. We ate in the food court and went to Sears. It wasn't super busy then either. Meriden was busier at the time I think. It seems as if all the closed Sears mall entrances get wall murals or paintings.
I can tell you anything you need to know about this mall! I remember going to this mall a lot in my teens and 20’s.. last time I was there was maybe 2018. sad to see it dying but it makes sense. It’s a very dangerous area nowadays. Stop by the Barnes and noble in the plaza near it. Beautiful bookstore!
This is right off interstate 84. A lot of malls in Connecticut are looking like this.
Bristol used to have a Center Mall, but. Like everything else gone it Bristol over a decade to decide what was going in now it’s healthcare & some mixed of apartments, shopping. Still working on it now
I've called this city home for my entire (relatively short) life and this mall was always a big part of it. When I was little, I remember that I'd love to go here specifically to visit pretzel maker and maybe every now and again catch a movie. Unfortunately, I can't really remember too much about the theater. I do remember the third floor to some degree but not any of the movie viewing rooms. The gamestop right by the third floor escalators was more my speed anyway. Back in a time where I thought that disc was the best and that digital was some strange thing. Looking back, that store kinda sucked. I'm pretty sure I might've gotten an xbox there though, so maybe there's that. As I grew up, I remember the mall always being pretty full. You would see a person every couple of feet and the main hallways felt more like highways. However now, it's just a good spot for the scum of waterbury. Drug dealers fill most of the parking spots, drug users beg for money outside the main entrances, wannabe thugs harass anyone they think they'll be able to, and prostitutes wander around every now and then. But that's only day time, I've never seen it at night. Friends with the waterbury pd describe it as if it's fallujah though. Thefts, fights, mass brawls, stabbings, and whatever else people feel like getting up to. It's sad to see the place that I grew up with turning into such a hellhole, but it's waterbury, it was gonna happen eventually. If you can count on my city for one thing above all, it's taking something that already kinda sucked and making it a place that you wouldn't wanna visit in a million years. Must say that it was a shame that I couldn't catch you there, I could've maybe given you a more enriching view of what this place used to be, instead of what it's become. Hope you enjoyed your time in this slice of garbage city
To your point Tom, my Mom had an eBay store side hustle in the late nineties and it was a perfectly normal thing to go to the post office with her and drop off packages, but most of our shopping then was absolutely in person.
I sold items on eBay in 2005. I used to bring my son who was an infant at the time to the post office.
Ashley Outlet will occupy about half of one floor in the old Macy's. I'm not sure if it will have direct mall access.
No it doesn't wich that spit looks abandoned still from the mall...
When I attended UConn Waterbury back in '03 I used to go to the Bertucci's for dinner from time to time.
It’s even worse now if you can believe that.
48:52 Question: What Restaurant was in there - Yes that was Olive Garden, they closed down 3 years ago.
Ruby Tuesday?
5:11 Used to be H&M
It hurts to see this mall being dead cus I have a lot of memories with this place as a kid. It was one of my favorite places to go on a weekend.
I actually go to this mall on a regular basis but only for new sneaker releases but every time I go in there's literally maybe two to five people at the most walking around
Dude I've driven there like 4 times to check out FYE and everytime it's just a ghost town aside from the food court. Makes me upset because I would've loved to see what it was like when it was active.
I grew up next to westfarms mall but this was the mall the go to as a teen in the 90s. Westfarms lack of food court or movies or arcade killed it. I loved brass mall.
I worked at the finish line their 14-15 years ago. It was starting to die back then. I didn’t realize the movies shut down. Man. Check out the the crystal mall in Waterford if you haven’t already. I used to go there when I was a kid. I took my kids there to eat on the way back from Mystic a few years ago and was shook by how desolate it was.
When I was younger I saw the twilight movie not sure which one but me and some friends from school always walked around that mall just being kids man now you barely see anyone in the mall but this mall used to be great so sad to see this now that I moved away years ago it's sad 😔
There were rail lines to supply the brass mill; don't know about passenger service. Brass Mill is the new mall, that replaced the old, failing mall across town.
I used to go as a kid. They had an electronics boutique on the second floor near one of the escalators. This was before they became EB Games and eventually merged with GameStop. I remember it had a huge selection of games which I couldn't find in my hometown of Bristol. Back then we only had a KBToys and they didn't have nearly as many games.
Good times.
Movie theater, parent company declared bankruptcy, Olive Garden closed down about a year ago... surprisingly as it was a pretty busy restaurant.
Wow, I had not realized that this mall had really become empty.
I grew up at that mall. Spent many years in early 2000s in there. Seen many movies there and so on. Sad to see olive garden leave there. I worked at that mall in my teenage years doing security as wellll....even tho i havent stept foot in that mall in maybe 10 years. Alot of memories in there.....sears, and so on.
in one of the open spaces where they do mall santa/christmas they used to set up a giant indoor bungee jumping where kids could pay to get strapped in and jump as high as the second level im not sure if they still do it
A lot of people had their catalytic converters stolen while in the mall. So people are leery of shopping there anymore.
My mom when I was a kid had her car stolen from this mall in the 90s
@@williamrusso4799my friend had her Honda stolen here in 2006
They opened the cinemas again under Apple Cinema. Most of those stores are closed now. I was there a month ago and counted over 100 stores closed.
This mall was challenged from the beginning. When it opened, the senior anchor spot now occupied by Shopper's World and Burlington was vacant and stayed that way for years and years. Lechmere was the planned occupant but Mongomery Ward closed down the entire chain before construction on the Brass Mill was completed. It was later occupied by Steve & Barry's for a short time before that company went bankrupt. Across from the IHOP was an Olive Garden that was there for quite some time. Macy's was the anchor at the opposite end from Sears. Overall, this mall suffered by comparison to malls like Buckland Hills, Danbury Fair and, of course, WestFarms. The shopping plaza next door (also part of the mall property) is much busier than the mall itself.
Me and my friends use to live at that mall when we were kids. They had a great arcade and food court.
I went to this mall and a security guard approached me and told me I was banned from the mall lmao. Never been there in my life before.
FYI the movie theater is soon to be being taken over by Apple cinemas
I didn't know that! I'll have to go back when they open so I can get up to the third floor!
@@fleabittenadventures lived in Waterbury my whole life. Spent a lot of time up there in theaters as a kid. Happy to hear that something is moving into that space to bring back some life.
There was probably a spur that lead to the factories there. That mall is built where the Waterbury Clock Company was. They eventually morphed into Timex. The brick building on the west end of the property is one of the few surviving buildings of the clock maker. I think some of the buildings that made the clock cases are still standing as well.
I only came here to eat at the IHOP before going to the Big E a long time ago. Too bad it’s not doing well.
In a mall related note, I went shopping at the Danbury Fair Mall Sunday and it was full of shoppers. I’d say that’s doing quite well.
Where is. there an IHOP in that mall. The other two are in, West Haven and Hamden, near Kohl's. I can't wait to drive.
Are there bank in the Brass button mall?
would love to see an update its gotten worse
I'm in St Louis Missouri and south county mall is getting pretty dead .still some stores in there open used to be a busy place
I never go to this mall but last summer I found out a verizon store was there and it was convenient when I lived in naugatuck at the time. This was depressing as I remembered the place and unless it was out of commission, the management does not want to pay for A/C with the lack of stores so it was hot and humid as hell to boot. The employees at the verizon store also told me about all of the dead addicts that were discovered in the restrooms after OD'ing. More reasons than not to never go there.
I hated my job when I worked in Waterbury. So I used to take long lunches and walk around the mall.
I used to go to this mall a lot when I was a kid. I remember going to Regal Cinemas on the 3rd floor when new movies came out. I also remember there being an Olive Garden across from iHop, which is located at the right side of the entrance of the second floor of the mall (beginning of the video). There were many other interesting stores like Hot Topic, Sears, a pet store, a Toys R Us, H&M and other stores.
As I am commenting, I know Apple Cinemas moved to where the former Regal Cinemas was operating. It is sad to see a ‘decent’ mall fall apart, but that is the trend with many malls these days. My family and I no longer go to this mall since we all feel unsafe, but it is worth every mile going to the Danbury Fair Mall.
Toys R Us was in Brass Mill Commons next to the Brass Mill Center.
@ Yes, there absolutely was, but I remember there was a smaller version of it in the Brass Mill Mall temporarily when I was younger.
I remember working for that mall back in the 90's it use to be packed and Xmas was a big deal to Tony Guerriero and made it magic inside the mall.
Times have changed, 20 years ago I was waiting to meet a friend in the parking lot and was messing with my new video camera, security came up and said no filming on the property and threw me out.
Even 20 years ago, there was a huge drug dealing problem in and outside this mall. I wouldn't be surprised if security was working for the gangs and didn't want you recording evidence of their crimes.
An actual pinball machine in a WoW entertainment center??? That's a very rare sight.
It sure was.
I Googled H.A.C.O. Waterbury and a Concrete & Construction Co. in Branford, Ct. comes up...likely who laid down the flooring or did the mall construction?
Could be. That would make sense. Thanks for the info.
I don't go to malls much anymore; is there anything left up there?
bro i remember in 2016 this mall was hitting and now almost every store shut down
Bath & Body Works just announced they're moving out.
They just recently last year closed down all the Eblens stores in Connecticut and there was one located in that mall and I think that was the most people I've seen in that mall in a years that one store alone probably had 50 to 60 people for the last like couple weeks when it was going out of business
How did the shooting happening a week after you filmed this? Can you predict the future?
Yes that’s a former H&M. They covered up the logos too. That’s the design they use when they close down a location.