East town mall was a big big part of history. I recall the opening day! My kids grew up going there. Hanging out w friends. Shopping. Movies! Sad it is now gone.
Wow, that’s amazing. My grandmother used to mall walk there! So glad y’all ran this story, so many times these places are completely forgotten after demolition. RIP East Towne Mall.
Crime also played a role in it’s closing. There was a shooting at the mall back in 2008 which was the catalyst of the mall’s downfall because afterwards they closed down Dillard’s and no other business took it’s place ever since and the space was left abandoned and they even walled off the entrance.
I grew up spending my weekends at East Towne Mall during the late 80s and through the 90s (heck, I even briefly worked at Service Merchandise as a teenager, when it was still there in the late 90s) and throughout the 90s, and crime was a big issue back then, too. Some car jackings, think a couple of stabbings, gun shots, gang activity, and etc. It saddens me that East Towne is no longer there, but what is even more sad, is that it doesn't surprise me how things ended up for East Towne Mall, though.
What a great documentary. Nice people shopping with respect. I couldn't help but noticed how fit and healthy everyone was back then. I believe now they would be called "skinny" when in fact that's how people are supposed to look like, not like we look nowadays, obese, unhealthy and overweight 🤦♀️
My memory of the mall: The rush fitness center. "This was 2005, when I noticed something wasn't right." There was no target nearby or social media meet-up for coffee and caffeine. I told a close friend at the time: " I'm thinking running and training for endurance sports." She said , "Success is 1% plan, 99% action." "-2020 Life doesn't wait for no one, coffee, caffeine or target , and Amazon prime.
I actually liked this mall over West Town Mall. Even though West Town Mall is bigger by square footage, East Town Mall seemed like it had more area to explore with the two levels. I'm sure demographics played a big roll in its downfall. It was a nice mall to visit.
east towns biggest downfall was if you went, there was a good chance of getting mugged or your car broken into or stolen. KPD rented an apartment on the hill above the mall just to keep an eye on the happenings. east town embodied everything you think of when you think of east knoxville.
Yes, as an adolescent, on the weekends and Summers, I spent the latter half of the 80s and all of the 90s in East Towne Mall, (I even briefly worked at Service Merchandise when it was open, as well as Morrison's Cafeteria). In my earlier pre-teen and younger teen years, my mom and my friends' parents would drop us off for a few hours or so so we could go see a movie or go to a couple of shops but we were never really allowed to just hang out all day, and a big part of that was because crime was rampant around that mall. Car jackings, lots of gang activity, muggings, a few stabbings, and I believe some shootings (I don't recall if people were killed, but I'm thinking they're might've been 1). By the time I reached around 19, East Towne was looking a lot more like a ghost town, because the selection of decent stores had drastically thinned down due to crime driving customers away in droves. In my latter teen years, my friends and I would go to different theaters to see movies instead of the one inside the mall, and we would really only go in East Towne if we had a specific reason, because there was too much crime, and all-in-all, it just wasn't worth it.
Actually got choked up watching this. I miss this so badly. Not just the mall but how positive people were and how nice it all was.
So many good memories walking around in there almost every weekend with my friends.
East town mall was a big big part of history. I recall the opening day! My kids grew up going there. Hanging out w friends. Shopping. Movies! Sad it is now gone.
Wow, that’s amazing. My grandmother used to mall walk there! So glad y’all ran this story, so many times these places are completely forgotten after demolition. RIP East Towne Mall.
The Mall was so much better before they renovated it. I'm so glad I got to see what it looked like when I was little. Thank you.
I miss this mall so much
Crime also played a role in it’s closing. There was a shooting at the mall back in 2008 which was the catalyst of the mall’s downfall because afterwards they closed down Dillard’s and no other business took it’s place ever since and the space was left abandoned and they even walled off the entrance.
I grew up spending my weekends at East Towne Mall during the late 80s and through the 90s (heck, I even briefly worked at Service Merchandise as a teenager, when it was still there in the late 90s) and throughout the 90s, and crime was a big issue back then, too. Some car jackings, think a couple of stabbings, gun shots, gang activity, and etc. It saddens me that East Towne is no longer there, but what is even more sad, is that it doesn't surprise me how things ended up for East Towne Mall, though.
What a great documentary. Nice people shopping with respect. I couldn't help but noticed how fit and healthy everyone was back then. I believe now they would be called "skinny" when in fact that's how people are supposed to look like, not like we look nowadays, obese, unhealthy and overweight 🤦♀️
I miss east town mall 😢
Great story, a lot of history there!
My memory of the mall: The rush fitness center.
"This was 2005, when I noticed something wasn't right."
There was no target nearby or social media meet-up for coffee and caffeine.
I told a close friend at the time: " I'm thinking running and training for endurance sports."
She said , "Success is 1% plan, 99% action."
"-2020 Life doesn't wait for no one, coffee, caffeine or target , and Amazon prime.
Breaks my heart. Im 37. I loved it there.
The old arcade man. Life was simple back then
"but there is still no trace left of the shopping mecca that once stood there." Is there supposed to be an outdoor plaque at some point?
hi would love to see if you have any old video clips of the former theater at east town
I believe that theater was the first in the area with stadium seating. I was amazed the first time I went.
West Town mall still going strong
I actually liked this mall over West Town Mall. Even though West Town Mall is bigger by square footage, East Town Mall seemed like it had more area to explore with the two levels. I'm sure demographics played a big roll in its downfall. It was a nice mall to visit.
The mall was more useful😂
😞😓😥
Hernandez Laura Young James Anderson Dorothy
I'd rather see the empty mall sitting there
I know right
east towns biggest downfall was if you went, there was a good chance of getting mugged or your car broken into or stolen. KPD rented an apartment on the hill above the mall just to keep an eye on the happenings. east town embodied everything you think of when you think of east knoxville.
These CS TV stations never point to crime. Afraid of being labeled.
Yes, as an adolescent, on the weekends and Summers, I spent the latter half of the 80s and all of the 90s in East Towne Mall, (I even briefly worked at Service Merchandise when it was open, as well as Morrison's Cafeteria). In my earlier pre-teen and younger teen years, my mom and my friends' parents would drop us off for a few hours or so so we could go see a movie or go to a couple of shops but we were never really allowed to just hang out all day, and a big part of that was because crime was rampant around that mall. Car jackings, lots of gang activity, muggings, a few stabbings, and I believe some shootings (I don't recall if people were killed, but I'm thinking they're might've been 1). By the time I reached around 19, East Towne was looking a lot more like a ghost town, because the selection of decent stores had drastically thinned down due to crime driving customers away in droves. In my latter teen years, my friends and I would go to different theaters to see movies instead of the one inside the mall, and we would really only go in East Towne if we had a specific reason, because there was too much crime, and all-in-all, it just wasn't worth it.