For the record: for 1974, this large mall is in GREAT overall condition. 2023. I did security nights 🌃 at a 1mil sq feet mall property, Orlando FL. Malls take a full effort to secure, clean, service 🛒🧰🧹🔨.
@@DavidLLambertmobile I was a child when many of these huge malls opened back in the mid 1970s! I was about 10 years old in 1974 and vividly remember our malls like Woodfield, Randhurst, and Gulf Mills in the western suburbs of Chicago IL, it was a wonderful time back then in the USA. These places were bustling, happy, and lively places filling with socializing between family, friends and even strangers.
@watershed44 Malls in the era of 1970s 1980s 1990s had a different social setting or place compared to the 2020s. Seniors would walk around in the am. Concerts or ad promotions would be held. People went out more, walked 🚶♂️. Malls like some larger offices 🏢 or spaces are going away.
@@DavidLLambertmobile It's definitely not for the better as far as socialization goes. The internet and cell phones have eroded a lot of the civilizing aspects of life.
The mall (so far) is still standing as a way to pay tribute to Back to the Future: ua-cam.com/video/BGZuoj3XlBs/v-deo.html ua-cam.com/video/PmndJ9BRSkE/v-deo.html
Interesting. Used to work for their corporate office. Their revenue is still decent, but they don’t quite hit their sales projections and are clearly fighting an uphill battle with so many malls closing and little foot traffic. Sad to see.
It’s sad seeing malls disappear and dying off. Growing up in the 90s-2000s I was always at a mall! But as I got older malls had tons of stores that I had no interest in and the ones I did were over priced as hell. The cost of rent in malls is crazy too. Businesses can’t afford the crazy rent without price gouging
Yes, neat place to hang out until the Mexicans start to show up.....black people just make malls unsafe to visit... the Mexicans make malls dirty and ghetto.... so white people stop going to the mall, and so it dies
I went to J.C. Penney recently, and decided to walk around a mall that was still thriving. But there wasn't anything else there I really wanted. I think shopping like that is really a girl thing, and if girls don't want to go to the mall, then so be it.
OMG that's my mall. I live 10 minutes from here and grew up going to this mall in the 80s and 90s. It's so terribly sad how bad this mall has gotten. I only go there for the AMC theatres. Thank you for doing a new video on this location!
I grew up in diamond bar, lots of good memories there from the 90's and early 2000's. So sad! Do you guys remember all the little theaters in the area before it was the big AMC? There was one by the now Speed Zone(used to be that big boat family fun center) and a couple on Gale where there used to be an Ikea and Costco. 😃
@@primarytrainer1 Yeahh! Don't know exactly when the Ikea went away but I was a kid then, I remember the Ikea had like a kid area and they had NES with Duck Hunt. LOL. I remember watching the first Jurassic Park at the small theater right there. Do you remember the family fun center that was shaped like a boat before it became speedzone? I remember they had bumper boats. Miss that place and the lawnmower gas fume smell from those bumper boats. lol
Yeah I was there last week seeing if there was anything new at Pure Blades and hit a few games at Round 1. It looked like more than half the stores in the mall were closed. Which is weird because there's so much activity around it.
Living in Mexico City, where most new malls are thriving AND chock full of people, it is shocking for me to watch malls crumble and dissappear in the country that invented them.
I notice a lot of great ideas we have at least get picked up and preserved elsewhere. I’m grateful for other cultures not being throw-away like ours has become :( I’ll still have my memories! 😢
Mexican malls do way better than they do in the US. People in Mexico do not mail order due to package theft and poor shipping options!! Mexicans like seeing what they buy too. I live in Tijuana and they just built a huge state of the art plaza called Plaza Peninsula. I have been to many malls in Mexico City. Mexico has some amazing Malls!!
I have been going to this mall since the 80's there has always been a military recruitment office here. I know at some malls that is a sign of decline, but at this mall it wasn't. There are recruitment offices in a lot of the malls in this area of LA. Always have been.
I got one better, you know a mall is or has gone downhill when what used to be a Macy's is now a climate-controlled storage facility at Ridgmar Mall, a mall I used to go to as a kid. It was one of the best malls in the Fort Worth area. It had a cool circular ramp that you can run up instead of using the traditional escalator. There was a scene from an episode of Walker Texas Ranger that featured the mall and you can see the circular ramp in the background. It's more like a staging area for human trafficking and meth conventions now. The mall is absolutely trash and probably needs to be demolished. What I would love to see is the mall make a comeback. Unfortunately, Amazon has made it difficult for those places to exists and people are not as sociable as the used to be. People don't go out anymore, instead rely heavily on home delivery services.
I'm a Gen Xer and my childhood mall is 20 miles away from the one in this video. There's teenagers there all the time doing the exact same stuff we were doing 40 years ago.
True child of the 80's here. Born in 1980. It's very sad to watch. The only reason my hometown mall is still standing is because people around here seem to still shop there. It's not packed like it was in my childhood, though. And it has a bit of a revival every Christmas season with Santa and the Angel Tree. Not to mention that the stores still there do pretty good business then. Online shopping may be more convenient, but it can't beat walking into a store and getting what you need right then and there. I have no clue what the young people around here do instead of going to the mall like my generation did. There's literally nothing else for them to do around here. I guess they all took up the Xbox and smoking weed.
I'm 37. I grew up with this mall. It really is heart wrenching every time we stop by, but we stop anyways in hopes of our small purchases helping the future of the mall. It's crazy that there are a few surrounding malls not doing so bad. Really makes you wonder why this one of all of them had to take the hardest hit.
@karlwithak. So since you feel that know more about the reasons for this mall's decline than the creator of this video, give us a list of your reasons.
@karlwithak. You don't need to be an expert in retail to see mall has taken a hard hit. Why are so many shops closed? Why is the food court so empty? I mean really, u need to understand finance to understand this mall will be either closed completely soon or some parts might be re-purposed? haha
@@zerocal76 To be fair, the food court at the Puente Hills Mall has always, in my opinion, a joke, and I've never seen it busy since I moved to the area in 2007.
This video truly struck a chord with me. It's both fascinating and bittersweet to witness the transformation of a once-bustling mall into an abandoned space. The echoes of past memories and the silent corridors evoke a sense of nostalgia and reflection. Your thoughtful exploration captured the essence of this place, allowing us to contemplate the ebb and flow of consumer culture. Thank you for sharing this unique perspective and shedding light on the beauty that can be found even in forgotten places.
I feel like this is how our grandparents felt watching urban downtowns die. In this case it's especially sad because I don't know if we'll ever see such centralized retail again in America, and the spectacle of people it would bring forth. Sure, downtowns have "come back" in a lot of cities, but not as a place where you do most of your shopping. It's the place some people go to when they want to have fun eating, drinking, or attending an event, or maybe you work there in an office building and then immediately drive home after 5. There was a sense of community you got from your neighborhood having a bustling downtown or a mall. Now everything is decentralized and spread out all over the place.
I wrote a short story called END OF AN ERA about a guy who owned a newsstand in a dying mall. He'd walk through the mall and recall the activity and a cultural moment in the 80's frozen in time...
I live 5 minutes away from it and go to Round 1 almost every weekend, I did not even realize the mall itself is THIS dead, Its truly heartbreaking, especially with so much history in it 😕
I was just walking through the recently as a place to get my steps in and the theater and arcade are practically the only places left with any signs of life.
You made me smile and lament at the same time! This mall brings back a lot of good memories. My cousins lived in West Covina and we would sometimes drive down for weekends to visit them. Thr first time I went to this mall- I was about 12 years old and my cousin, who just got her driver's license took us to here. THIS was the spot to be as a millenial preteen and teenager. I remember all that Y2k stuff happenening, so it had to be 1999. I had so much fun at the arcade and talking to girls at this mall. I also had a summer teen romance with a local girl back in 2003- it was the first time I told a girl "I love you". This mall was our summer stomping grounds. The last time i went to this mall had to have been 2013 during christmas time. They had beautiful decorations and christmas trees and was still busy. It's sad to see these absolutely gorgeous malls die off. But these are those times. At least millenials, gen x, and baby boomers have our memories of these special malls. Thank you for the video!
I grew up going to that mall back in the 90's. They had a big arcade. I think it was called Tilt. There was also a AMC and Barns and Noble bookstore. My parents bought my brother and I a Vectrex at the Sears that use to be there. It was $100 back in 1983. It was a great mall to hang out but now it's a ghost town. There was a cool video game store across the street I bought my Sega 32X back on the 90's.
i miss the tilt!! the company doesnt have many original locations left either, but the west covina mall a few miles north still has their original tilt!
The Sega Center had a really funky entrance. Like you were walking into a space ship or something. I remember going there and spending hours playing Star Fire. I might still have some tokens from there, somewhere.
@@greganguiano4308 It's a well known fact that only billionaires and their families owned video game systems in the 80s. The rest of us had to make do with sticks.
I'm not sure how lucrative the business of creating a functional retro mall would be but if any place was perfect for it, it would be Twin Pines. It could be a tourist attraction for Back to the Future and retro enthusiasts by looking retro inside and out but filled with modern stores.
The classic concept of a mall as they were originally conceived, as just basically an epicenter of multiple brands all mushed into one place, is pretty much dead. But making a mall that caters especially to something like nerd culture... it's an interesting idea at least.
this is tough, because this mall is actually located in a very popular location with plenty of rich folks live nearby. Its just seems that this mall got outcompeted by bigger and fancier malls nearby
@@alfredvalrie5541 Absolutely this, I Can confirm. Brea, Santa Anita, West Covina, Even Montebello, all alive and well, Puente Hills doesn't even cross our minds as a shopping destination, however the AMC, Round One, Burlington, Ross, and the Hai Di Lao hotpot place (SO GOOD) are the last places actually thriving inside. And of course, literally everything outside the mall in the same "lot" is wildly busy and popular.
@@Fyre0 I lived in Hacienda Heights from 2001 to 2008, and I sold printers at the CompUSA and worked at the Barnes & Noble on Colima. The Puente Hills Mall used to be jumping. I think a lot of the problem is that Asian families with money shunned Hacienda Heights & Rowland Heights for Arcadia, San Marino, but more exclusively the OC. That only left older folk who don’t shop and Hispanics who probably continued going to Montebello as you point out, Ontario, or West Covina.
Malls out here are booming in central FL but I’ve noticed they are mostly outdoor. The indoor malls in Tampa still are popular but are slowly dwindling. But outside we got Tampa premium outlets, krate at the grove, and Wiregrass mall which are all outdoor and booming. Come to FL sometime you’d love it
@@OnwardOverland I lived in Pinellas County for three years. Florida was not my kind of place--even more so these days with Meatball Ron's zest for fascism. 😢
These kids are not missing anything they have everything in the palm of there hands unlike some of us that grew up in the 80s. Yea it was times and technology that we can’t control that comes with time I get it. The most they are missing is the interactions without a rectangular devise in there pocket to guide them through everything and anything. Developing social skills out in pubic in the real world was and is critical to the human development. Now they are all stuck with iPads and iPhones at home NEVER seeking to go outside and experience what’s out there even though it’s all declined so badly. Going to the library for instance to do you’re research and educate yourself when it came time to present you’re work was a grand experience. Now it’s too easy
I cant believe I never made the connection before... I went to this mall with some friends in 2011 after hearing about this new place called "Round1" and we had a great time bowling and playing games. Never knew that whole time we were at the Back to the Future mall until today! I'm sad to see it looking so dead.
This was my go-to mall in the late 70s and early 80s. My mom would take my brother and I when we were kids and I remember how busy it always was. I remember a JC Penny's and would always get an Orange Julius and a Hickory Farms smoked sausage slice on a stick. Good times. It's sad to think the kids that are there now have no idea how vibrant and fun things were. All they'll know is just walking around in some big empty building
Do you remember this one place that sold churros but under a different name? It had had some really fancy animatronic kids or elves or something amidst a forest backdrop. I can't remember the name..
As a late Gen X, this breaks my heart. We were truly the last of a breed. The mall was our childhood. It was the social network of our time. Many of my best days as a teen started in a mall. Back in the days when I was still all bangles and striped socks.
Class of 88 here, it saddens me to see malls like this. No one knows how to just talk to someone without a cell phone anymore. All my social circles growing up began in a mall it seems. From junior high until graduation, we’d meet and see a movie, go eat and cruise around all weekend when we weren’t at the lake or the arcade (in the mall usually lol). My best memories of the time were going to arena concerts, Bon Jovi, Cinderella, Ratt, Rick Springfield (don’t judge lol) and many others. We all age, but damn if I wouldn’t give a kidney to go back for a while. Everything was simpler in a way, not like today.
Not even really the last of a breed, kind of the only breed. Malls were really only a thing for 20-25 years. I'd say 1975-2000 is the range. Only people born in a pretty short window got to experience mall culture in their youth.
If the 82 in your username suggests your birth year, you could actually be an early Millennial, by most counts, which start at ‘81. Regardless, you’re definitely on the cusp. I’m ‘91 and I’d like to point out that mall culture did not die at the hands of my age group. Even after AIM/Yahoo IM (and eventually text messaging) made it easier to communicate with friends, it was still “Hey, let’s meet up at the mall at X:XX” and we’d hang out there for hooouuurrsss, closing it out most weekends. And we did that well into the late 00’s. I went to my local mall a week before Christmas and it reminded me of a time when malls were still social spaces, but still didn’t scratch that nostalgia itch.
Puente Hills was my mall growing up in nearby Rowland Heights. I shopped there from 1976 until I moved away in 1997. I remember when they filmed "Back To The Future" as the South-Eastern end of the parking lot was blocked off. That place was always packed when I was in high school ('76-'79) as the arcade, "Kingdom Of Oz" was very popular. Seeing other UA-cam channels like Bright Sun Films visiting old malls it just appears their time is over.
Covid REALLY hit this place hard. Spent the last day before the pandemic lockdown and could see the renovations being started. Went back around the time they re-opened the mall and the vast majority of restaurants had closed permanently with signs in the window explaining how they couldn't afford to stay open after being closed for so long. My favorite store used to be the Borders located right next to the AMC, but its been gone since early 2011. Rumors have been circulating that they might just keep the AMC and Round 1 as independent structures and build condominiums in that area.
I grew up in Walnut til I was 9, in the mid 90’s. I have good memories going to this mall. It was about 15 minutes from my house off Nogales Blvd. I remember going to electronic boutique and K.B. toys along with eating at hot dog on a stick. There used to be a tiny theater in the same center I used to go to as well, I believe it was an AMC 6 or 8 at most. On the street you took under the freeway to get there, there used to be this huge fake mountain that was a miniature golf course up until not long after I had moved. Also on the other side of the freeway (the 60) was the Toys’r’us my parents spent way too much money on toys for me like Jurassic Park, Terminator 2, power rangers, and Teenage Mutant Ninja turtles and got my SNES there in early 1992 and my games for that, NES, and Genesis. Although I remember my half brother bought me my actual Genesis at a Toys’r’us by my grandmas house in Montebello which is another 10 miles down the 60 freeway. Ah good memories brought back by this video.
Wow, how sad. I grew up going to this mall. We moved to the area in 1977. My mom would take us shopping at the Sears for school clothes. I remember where the Orange Julius was, the Time Out arcade, etc. They even had this cookie shop that had little animated figures in the background - wish I could remember the name. That was a crowd pleaser! I remember going down the escalators to the sounds and chlorine smell of the giant water fountain in the center hub. I also remember being in junior high (now known as middle school) and hearing a "rumor" that Michael J. Fox was filming a movie at the mall (Back to the Future). So many kids went down to see them filming in the evenings. I think the main anchor stores in those days were Robinson's, Sears, The Broadway, and I can't remember the last one. It's so very sad to see a place that used to be so full of life and activity so empty and quiet.
Been going to that mall since I was a child. My favorite memory was when mom took me there for the back to the Future night in Oct 21, 2015. They had the Twin Pines mall clock out in the parking lot and a lot of people where taking pics with it. The time the exact moment the clock hit when supposedly Marty McFly went to 2015 everyone cheered, and a man in a DeLorean rolled up he was dressed as the doctor. One of the funniest days with mom ever.
I worked at the JCPenney in this mall from 1975 to 1978 and was visiting as a shopper later when they were filming the parking lot scene in Back to the Future. It was so busy back then and every space was occupied. So sad to see it in this shape.
I remember coming to this mall 30+ years ago while on vacation, and it was packed! There wasn't an empty parking spot in the parking lot. Sad to see it like this. Maybe I'm wrong but I remember the Pine Hills sign being outside. I remember my parents taking pictures of me and my brother by it.
Thanks for visiting! Lived in the area all my life and the Puente Hills Mall has seen better days. I was just there yesterday to watch the new Spider-verse movie. I miss the koi ponds, the candy store(purely dedicated to candy, that wasn't See's candy), and Tilt! Borders books used to be across from the H&M. Heck, the H&M used to be a Dairy Queen! There used to be an EB Games as well! There also used to be a store dedicated to anime/manga/& other things Japanese; it was my favorite store! There also used to be an seafood restaurant that had a giant octopus statue that stretched over the restaurant. It later became an Asian buffet but the statue stayed. The more I go, the more empty it feels despite the restaurant placements outside that are fairly new...I think maybe they were anticipating the mall renovation that probably won't happen now. *Edit Just remembered, the hot pot place next to the AMC was abandoned for awhile before becoming a hot pot place but before it was abandoned, it was a Johnny Rocket's!
O man the memories… the octopus used to me todai if I remember correctly. My sister worked there! And before tilt I think was game works :). Think I watched over 100 movies there growing up. Hanging out by borders buying books and magazines, then watching a movie. Heck, this is where I met my wife for the first time! Friends car was robbed off the parking lot… oooooo good and bad times! I will make an effort to visit as I’m still not too far away.
It's kind of heartbreaking to see this place almost abandoned. I used to frequently visit this Mall in the 80s and I remember where my favorite shops were, only now to see these places closed and empty. I especially miss the combination art supply and hobby store which closed in the early 1980s.
This mall used to be so crowded and busy back in the late 80’s, it’s was so much fun. You had kids from all the surrounding high schools hanging out here. All the awesome stores where also here. Just lots of fun!
Ahhhh I was waiting for this! My boyfriend and I pass through here when we go to Frank & Son collectibles show. I really hope they don’t tear this down.
My cousin used to live close by and we’d visit here. I remember seeing “ The Amityville Horror” and “ Moonraker” at the theatre their way back in the summer of 1979. It’s so sad to see the demise of our malls throughout the U.S. signaling a closure in a chapter of our lives to those of us who grew up in the ‘70’s,80’s and ‘90’s.
The good old days where every movie was a double feature. Buy 1 ticket, they gave you 2 movies. I remember one at Puente Hills was Jaws and Bambi. I wasn't allowed to stay for Jaws.
Wow.. This is the first Mall I ever went to . Growing up in Montebello in the early eighties before the Montebello mall was built. We use to take the bus to this mall. Good memories. Breaks my heart to see it about to close.. I might just take a trip one of these days and show my little one where daddy use to go ... sigh.....
WOW! I can’t believe you brought up Laguna Hills Mall. I live in the area I remember being there as a child in the 90s and how busy it used to be. That place really went down hill fast and for the longest time the city didn’t know what to do with that place. I remember one year some candidates in the local election brought up the issue. It went from busy mall, to dead mall, to a weird dinosaur exhibit, to being partially demolished leaving the old JC Penny anchor location and the old Macy’s one too. And now I actually notice on my drives back home from work that they’ve actually completely demolished the site. The only thing that’s left in the area today is the circus tent that comes and goes during the year. Still not sure what they’ll be doing with it but a while back they did mention that they wanted to do an outdoor plaza or something but not sure how it will fair considering Irvine spectrum is down the road.
I used to live in the LA area and would go to this mall to visit Round 1(it’s mother location in the US). Thanks for the update and it’s getting worse and worse it seems.
this mall was awesome in 1999 back in the late 90s when people still thought credit cards were a new invention, and cell phones were only for doctors and drug dealers.The Funcoland and EB Games were so packed and they had such a great selection of old timey video games. The toy shops were amazing, San Rio Suprise was still there, and KB Toys was the shiznit
This mall has been a crucial part of my life for a long time. My mom and grandparents lived in the area so we basically grew up with this mall being the center of attraction for the city. In its prime stores were busy, Parking spots filled and the atmosphere was just out of this world.
My visits to Puente Hills Mall can be counted on one hand, but every visit is a memorable one. The most memorable of all is when they held a 30th anniversary _Back to the Future_ celebration in late October 2015 (around the same time Doc, Marty, and Jennifer travel to the "future" in Part II). They had a concert with an '80s cover band, photo ops with Doc's truck, the DeLorean, and the Twin Pines Mall sign, cosplayers, a showing of Part I, and reenacted a certain scene with acccurate props and costumes, all while that exact same scene is playing on the projector! I remember being inside the mall with some friends while waiting for the event to start. It was packed and lively on a weekend night. So it broke my heart seeing your footage of the mall on its last legs. If they're not planning to put in new stores, they could at least repurpose the space as an apartment or something, but without changing the exterior. I don't want to see an iconic building that was part of one of the most iconic scenes in cinematic history be demolished, abandoned, or renovated beyond recognition.
Ay man I’m back at work tomorrow after a week off and this video is really helping me unwind and come to terms with being back at work tomorrow. Thank you
I loved this mall! In the early 2000’s I worked a few blocks from the mall. I often went there for lunch and would spend time at the koi pond. It was a great way to break up the workday. Across the freeway there was an IKEA store. It moved to Corona in the early 2000’s and they used the interior of the building to shoot a Brad Pitt/Angelica Jolie film there. Also, there was a fake McDonalds a few blocks away where they filmed all the commercials.
I used to work at KB Toys in the late 90s when I was in High School and I remember in the mid 90s, after school, my friends dad would drop us off and we would hangout at Borders books and music and buy small items at Spencer’s gifts. Their used to be a Burger King inside the mall or was it Carls Jr 🤔
What a fun story. We lived in Southern California for over 35 years before we moved to Northern California. It’s hard to see all those places we used to know disappearing. 🙏🏻💕
It's heartbreaking to see malls disappear. That mall was definitely built by the same company that did one of our malls that closed a couple years ago. I hate the open shoppimg centers that are the trend now. Guess im just the grouchy old person now. 😅
not just you, as a youth i hate the open malls. one main attraction for me and my friends would be the free AC and seats to just lounge in and chat. can't get that in open malls.
@@opraiderman904 I have a feeling it's a cost cutting measure. With traditional malls, the mall has to provide security, a cleaning crew, maintain public areas, heat/ac, etc. With the open model, the property owner puts all of that on the tenants while still charging outlandish rent. I get it, but I don't have to like it.
I don't get the open mall concept and why it's "supposedly" popular. I live in an area where it snows and there is a huge open mall here. Why? Who wants to freeze their a** off or bake in the heat just to shop?
@@opraiderman904 Depends. There's one I went to in Michigan that was pretty nice, the stores were clustered together, fountains, lots of shade. Another I went to... it was in the reverse, the center was all parking and the stores were a giant ring around it. I hated that design.
@@RetailArchaeology The chances a neckbeard or incel pissing on the Cheerios approaches 1, the longer conversations go on in a comment section. Let's call it Neckbeard's Law.
Growing up in the area, this was my favorite mall. In the 80s was the best time for this mall. The anchor stores were the Broadway, Robinson’s, JC Penney and Sears. Most notable memory was The Carl’s Junior inside the mall with the model western town that stretched the perimeter on a shelf above, the same way Miller’s Outpost used to. Also the entrances all had rows incondecent big light bulbs on the ceilings that looked welcoming. The thing I miss the most was the clock in the center of the mall. They had a really great Ice cream and lemonade place on the upper level at the center one the mall with old school lights. This is just a few things to mention, as there is a lot more. Anyone who remembers this I am sure would agree this mall was better than the other surrounding malls of the area. It amazes me how all those great places in that mall are all gone now.
This hurts my heart. Puente Hills Mall was where my buddies and I used to go to see movies and hang out. I sure hope they don't shut it down, and that a resurgence happens.
I grew up in West Covina going back to the late 70’s. Wasteland mall was popping, but as it’s time as the best mall began to fade, Puente Hills became the place to be. Then after 10 years or so, it started to slow down and West Covina became the mall destination.
This was one of my malls!! I have been going there since the early/mid 80's up until I moved out of state in 2015. It had gone through a few cycles of boom and bust. It went into severe decline in the early 90's, there was no food court and all of the stand alone food places had closed except for one. They had lost all but one of the big anchor stores. Sears was still there. There were a few local mom and pop type stores and a couple of mall die-hards. Then they put in the AMC 20, in the later 90's and it had it's first second life. I thought it would close back in the 90's, it was so empty. When it had it's revival, a lot of the local stand alone stores relocated into the mall or into the parking lot circle around it, so the surrounding strips of stores on the feeder streets went into decline. While it was a huge area of retail that did not have another mall directly competing with it, and a pretty good sized population to support it, it just wasn't enough to keep the mall and all of the surrounding retail thriving once online shopping get popular.
It's actually really interesting to hear about it's struggles back then, people in the comments seem to want to decry it's current waning as a sign of society's end times for the typically pathetic reasons. I remember the Santa Anita mall wasn't doing too hot for awhile but it came back strong and is only expanding it's stores, restaurants, and outdoor areas now.
Damn. Spent my childhood around the AMC, Round One, and 24 hour fitness there. Now i live and work in Detroit, and every year when i head back to HH to visit my parents, I’m astonished to see this place still kicking. Seriously, it’s baffling to see this abandoned waste of space, surrounded outside by all these super busy restaurants and fast food joints in the same shared parking lot 😂
My friends and I, are slowly abandoning going to the mall. The Round 1 arcade, lot of games we play are in bad shape and the staff don't know or care to fix and upkeep the cabinets. Also, the AMC movie theater is having their own issues as well. This week alone, when we went to watch Spider Man Across the Spider Verse, the fire alarm was triggered and our theater screening was canceled. And it happen again yesterday as my friend wanted to finish watching the movie.
In this age where one can go into a Walmart or BestBuy and get a good 50" 4K flat screen and a decent sound bar for under $500 and stream the latest film in the comfort of your own home. There should be absolutely no reason to waste time and money going to some crappy movie theatre.
@@swiftaudi I completely soured on movie theatres back in 2011. My last straw being ignorant parents bringing screaming kids and toddlers in the theatre.
Round 1's are the best arcades in the US now! I love the japanese machines, and even though they do have a lot of ticket games, they also have a fair bit of lightgun/fighting games/other actual games there!
@@SquibbeyJenkins depends on the location I think. Our location has a Taiko drum but it’s gone. I’ve seen Tekken in there but they rotate games out often.
I had some good experiences in that mall years ago… my grandma and uncle and aunt live in La Puente and anytime I would fly to LA, I’d stay with them and then just go to that mall. I’d watch movies, go play at that Round 1 and go visit the Twin Pines sign. Last year when I was in LA when my grandpa passed, I forgot to go to this mall to visit… it’s so sad to see it in this shape. I’ll be in LA in August. Hoping to go visit this mall one last time before its inevitable closure. Man I’m feeling depressed now sitting on my couch thinking about how mall culture is basically dead. That was my childhood.
This mall was also the home of the original Footlocker store. I grew up in the area and recall that the earliest one I remember was in the Sears wing of the mall.
I remember this mall used to have Koi ponds in it! Good times! Kinda saw the decline already when I was in high school and West Covina Mall was the nicer mall to go to in the area. I think Puente Hills mall started dying because all the residents who live in Hacienda Heights and Rowland Heights stayed in the area and got older. Therefore, no more younger families, which were usually the people who would go to these malls. Also, homes in Hacienda Heights and Rowland Heights are probably between $800k-$1 million , so it's become more of an upper-middle class neighborhood, which I think a lot of the businesses in the mall did not cater to. Again, all just speculation. Luckily the businesses surrounding the mall are doing great like the Krispy Kreme, Chick Fil A, and Raising Cane's.
One Sears closed, even though I didn't shop there much anymore, its seems to be the end of many, many malls across the USA. I know that isn't the only reason, but as I say, so many are shopping online. To bad they gaming part couldn't be opened to the outside, it would be even busier. Teens like to socialize, and not all spend their lives on line.
The best mall I remember as a kid was Old Towne Mall in Torrance, CA. Search for pics, you will find a few, it was neat. They had 2 dark rides and carousel. The indoor mall was made to look like an old town type street and they had performers. I caught the tail end of it in the 70s as that mall died. It is great that now people can document stuff, we didn't think about it back then nor was it as convienting as pulling out your small phone.
Wow. Thank you so much for making this video. It’s really surreal that of all malls I went this week (Plaza West Covina and Brea Mall), PHM is one that felt like it needs a new life. The options for shopping are severely limited now, and I think the big amusement establishments (AMC, Round 1, and maybe that one Hot Pot restaurant) are what kept it alive. Food options are severely limited too, but a Alpaca Cafe has some good drink options. The Twin Pines Mall sign felt neglected, and maybe a hint of the grim future for PHM. I wish for it to not go down in the future, but I know there is little control of the mall’s fate. This mall is in-sense nice for liminal space photoshoots.
The aesthetics give the impression this would be a very comfortable mall to walk around in (if a little creepy). The lack of foot traffic probably contributes to the sense that this would be a good place just to read/hang out but it also emphasizes how wasteful the electric/AC/plumbing must be for all the open spaces. :( This makes me wish we had a Round1 at a nearby mall, though.
This was my go to mall when I was a kid 20+ years ago. I thought the West Covina Plaza would see its demise before PH mall but the Plaza is still going strong and the mall looks fresh.
As a teen in the early-mid 2000's, I used to go to this mall every weekend. This area used to have a pretty vibrant arcade culture, with this mall having an arcade pretty much for the past 20 years, with a gameworks - locally operated arcade - Round One to this day. Haven't been here in probably over a decade but it's sad to see what it has become today.
Remember back in the late 90s, early 2000s when there was that huge PC cafe with the huge robot downstairs not far from EB games across from the AMC theater. I live in Arizona now but I grew up like you going to that mall a lot when I was a kid. I remember Spencer’s gifts being there and KB toys since that was my first job at that mall. I used to buy my music and books at Borders all the time. It’s crazy because across the street from Colima Road, there was another music store not far from Circuit City. Oh gosh the memories.
I used to live 10 minutes down Colima Rd. from PHM. Man, I spent so much time there as a teen and young adult. I left CA in 2019 and PHM was already pretty bad then but WOW seeing how much emptier it is now is incredibly sad. The food court is probably what hit me the most. I have a lot of great memories of hanging out with friends there. I was able to point out where there used to be a chinese food place, a Subway, and a McDonald's. All empty spaces now. The Tacos Mexico and Mongolian Grill tucked away in the opposite corners have been there for a long time, but it seems like they won't be around much longer. Ditto the Tokyo Grill. That "Katsu" place used to be an L+L Hawaiian Barbecue, which was my personal favorite in that food court.
I can never fathom how claire's makes enough money to be the last store open in dying malls, maybe the malls get desperate and give them free rent? lol
I think another sign of a mall coming on hard times is when Army and Navy recruitment centers start appearing . Those folks pay very little for the space so when they appear, well.... For example the Edison Mall in Fort Myers is still very busy. But the Section down near the Dillards leading back to the other stores has quite a few open spots. And an Army Museum appeared in one of the spots (never seen that before. Several stores in that area closed and moved to open spots closer to the food court and the JC Penny's (the Sears one of the three anchors closed at the end of 2019 and was used by the county for doing Covid shots during the pandemic, and nothing still has moved in). You get the feeling it is .. dying .. slowly .. bit by bit. And hurricane Ian did little to help as they are STILL repairing roof damage and interior work 9 months later.
I grew up at this mall. So sorry to see it go downhill like this. Back in the 70s and 80s, those pillars in the center of the mall that reach up to the ceiling were round and wrapped in disco ball glass with a massive brownish-colored mosaic step-type fountain in the middle. During Christmas, they would platform it for Santa, and they even brought in a koi pond and a carousel years later (which you mentioned). The original anchors were Sears, Broadway, JC Penny, and Robinson's. In the 90s, the Brea Mall took a lot of business and foot traffic away from this mall, and ever since then it never really recovered.
All the anchors are gone. Replaced by Target, Walmart and Amazon. There are way too many malls to support the current buying trends. Plus, the open air malls are thriving.
Maybe it’s because I’m in my 60s, but I wish they would re-purpose these dead mall spaces to senior living facilities. I grew up in Pennsylvania, and the population has dwindled there where I grew up. They no longer need the elementary school so they are repurposing it into senior apartments. A space like a mall, where you could put in apartments and shops, could make it into a thriving senior space. And it would make affordable housing for seniors with a great community space. That a mall closes at 7 o’clock is a death knell. Great video. Well done. 🙌🏻💕
I know you probably get this question a lot but do you ever try and find the mall office and ask of what they know? It’s probably information that even they don’t know cause the owners are rarely seen or heard from at the property. Maybe they just get a phone call one day of (close the doors)
That's too bad that *Frank & Son* did not relocate to the *Puente Hills Mall* .That place is doing well for only being opened three day's out of the week.
Another great video. I enjoy your narration and content greatly. I have never been to this mall but it looks like most of the malls I grew up near. I suppose they are slowly all starting to look like this.
This was the mall I hung out in the most in my high school years in the mid-80’s. I remember seeing the signage for the “Lone Pine Mall” during the filming of “Back to the future” and even watched the movie at the AMC (?) theatre which was just east of the mall itself. Having seen it in its heyday it’s sad to see it like this.
@2:12 - Sears really blew it. With their wishbook and catalog mail order service, they had the perfect infrastructure to beat Amazon to the punch. I worked at a Sears during Christmas 1993, that was the first holiday season after they had done away with the wishbook, and everyday at least three customers came up to me asking why the company had done away with it. It was really stupid and a few years later when the internet was everywhere that became even more obvious.
Talk about missing the boat!...I felt the same about Thomas Bros Maps. Before GPS they were THE tool for anyone who drove or delivered anything! And they stood on the sidelines watching Garmin race past them?
I never knew about the catalog mail service but I agree, losing Sears was a big hit to these malls. Malls need foot traffic and Sears was a family store which helped get families shopping there.
I feel the same with Borders Bookstore. They made poor decisions with the e-reader. They let Barnes and Noble run away with the Nook and Amazon with their Kindle. Borders finally released their e-book reader almost 1 year after the competition. Also, Borders had Amazon as their website commerce platform before they decided to create their own online storefront. And when they got rid of Amazon, most customers left to buy books on Amazon. Although, Barnes and Noble isn't what it once was, it's still here.
I visited this mall back in 2022 when Macy’s was closing. It’s structure was that of a Robinson’s department store from the mid-70’s. Just like the JCPenney at the Westminster Mall near my home. I’m sad to see this mall being close to death.
I've lived in and around the area of the Puente Hills Mall my entire life. I remember when it opened in the mid 70s. It had a Robinson's and The Broadway Department stores as its two "upscale" anchor stores. Once those stores became extinct the place began to lose its upscale vibe combine with the next 20 years of changing area demographics and that Mall struggled for another two decades to find the right combination of stores and entertainment venues to stay in business. Then they had problems with cars being broken in to or stolen in the parking lots which didn't help its reputation with the locals. Those of us who lived east and south of the mall closer to Orange County just drove over the hill to the Brea Mall, instead. It is rather heartbreaking to see it now, especially when you remember how it used to be the place to be.
Wait I thought the mall they used for back to the future was Arrow head mall? Lol it literally looks the same too in the parking lot lol nice job!!! Good video 👍👍🇺🇲🇺🇲🎈🎈
It's all about Round 1 and the AMC theater at PHM. My local mall. It is odd that it is so dead because other malls nearby are busy like the Brea Mall. They need to make it an Outlet Mall to differentiate between other malls in the area
@@animeshock2006 the surrounding is quite large and could easily support two malls 20 miles apart from each other if the there was a difference and there are no Outlet areas near to PHM
Yea I grew up at the puente hills mall...then gravitated to west Covina mall in high school then after high school worked at Brea mall and now I live in Brea. Brea mall is always busy
I love your videos, but watching these are heartbreaking at times. I used to work at Fiesta Mall, and I had no idea that it closed down. I went to visit to see if the Harkins 5 was still up and its all office space now. The mall that is doing well in my area is Chandler Fashion center, but I didn't grow up with that mall.
I grew up in the Laguna Hills mall. I have so many memories of that place. I can’t bring myself to drive past the pile of rubble that it’s become, I always go the long way around it if I ever need to go to that area.
I remember this mall opening up when I was in elementary school. Although, we lived much closer to a different mall. It was a treat, as a kid, to hear my parents say, " We're going to La Puente, get ready." 😊
Grew up going to this mall, watched the filming of back to the future in the parking lots, this mall was thriving in the 80’s and 90’s it’s sad to see they changed it so much ,it’s all about the money anymore , but business being how it is today, they need to assess what the people want and need ,rather than how much they can make
Man, just a few years ago this mall was bustling. There was a really busy buffet style restaurant near one of the entrances, called Todai that was amazing... was expensive like $30+ a person. Crazy to see this mall is all but abandoned now when last time I was there you couldn't even find a parking spot.
Man, this brings back memories. Todai was my first introduction to sushi when I was a kid, but back then I was NOT into it so I refused to eat anything but the egg ones.
Thanks for the memories. I grew up in the hills about 10 minutes from PHM. Part of it used to be called "Fossil Hill" for all of the fossils people would find there. - My best friend from high school called me at 1AM one time to tell me that they were filming a movie at the mall. Something about a DeLorean and a guy wearing a dog mask driving it 🙂. Sadly, I was way too tired and turned down his invitation to go watch them film. - Got my first real job selling men's suits and furnishings at the Robinson's that was part of the original set of "anchor" stores there. Soon after, I was able to get my girlfriend a job there as well. Sadly, it didn't last long. We got fired when the GM of the store saw CCTV video of us kissing on the sales floor. True story!
Every mall dies, when a new mall is built. Then when it gets revamped, it kills the other mall. Because businesses leave the old malls for the newer ones. I live between 4 malls. And I’ve seen literally everyone of them die when the other ones get fixed up. Then watch them get redesigned and kill the others over the last 35 years. Sears, Macys and other large mall companies that die also have a huge impact as wel.
I remember when my ex and I visited here maybe five years ago. There was a Nestle's Toll House shop and we bought cookies before visiting the Spirit Halloween shop which popped up for the season. It's sad to see it so empty, but with people buying more things online places like the mall are becoming obsolete. That, and the price they charge for rent chases businesses away.
It seems to me the rest of the world is now going through the mall phase, we just started it. The malls in Central and South America are crazy full of people. it is interesting to see how long Claire's has been chugging along, I didn't know they lasted until the closures of malls!
We recently lost Metro Center Mall out here in Arizona, where they filmed Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure. Sad day. Indoor malls have always been one of my favorite places to visiting, but seem to all be dying.
No way! I grew up going to that mall back when it had a skating rink before they turned it into an arcade. I also used to go to Atomic Comics just outside of the mall.
I truly love what you’re doing with your channel. Hard to describe the warm feeling it gives me to watch some of your mall videos. Strange combo of sadness/comfort that takes me back to a simpler time of my life. I always think back to visiting Wizards Of The Coast to buy Pokémon cards (as well as the island kiosk in front of it that sold the Japanese cards you couldn’t get anywhere else). I ended up working as a maintenance tech for the mall I grew up with, and it was dying by that time, so I feel strange connection to your channel. Please keep it up!
Going into these malls is like going back in time, they haven't changed much since the 1980s.
For the record: for 1974, this large mall is in GREAT overall condition. 2023. I did security nights 🌃 at a 1mil sq feet mall property, Orlando FL. Malls take a full effort to secure, clean, service 🛒🧰🧹🔨.
@@DavidLLambertmobile I was a child when many of these huge malls opened back in the mid 1970s! I was about 10 years old in 1974 and vividly remember our malls like Woodfield, Randhurst, and Gulf Mills
in the western suburbs of Chicago IL, it was a wonderful time back then in the USA. These places were bustling, happy, and lively places filling with socializing between family, friends and even strangers.
@watershed44 Malls in the era of 1970s 1980s 1990s had a different social setting or place compared to the 2020s. Seniors would walk around in the am. Concerts or ad promotions would be held. People went out more, walked 🚶♂️. Malls like some larger offices 🏢 or spaces are going away.
@@DavidLLambertmobile It's definitely not for the better as far as socialization goes.
The internet and cell phones have eroded
a lot of the civilizing aspects of life.
The mall (so far) is still standing as a way to pay tribute to Back to the Future: ua-cam.com/video/BGZuoj3XlBs/v-deo.html ua-cam.com/video/PmndJ9BRSkE/v-deo.html
Fun fact, that was actually the very first Foot Locker store to ever open! it makes the Puente Hills mall situation all the more tragic.
Not until we turn the tables around and avert more tragedies.
Speaking of Foot Locker, I think they’re not doing so hot nowadays. The ones in my town never have any customers in them.
Wow interesting. First Footlocker.
Interesting. Used to work for their corporate office. Their revenue is still decent, but they don’t quite hit their sales projections and are clearly fighting an uphill battle with so many malls closing and little foot traffic. Sad to see.
Dan bell posted a new Mall video yesterday and now Retail Archaeology? Frick yeah
You’re a man of culture too? Heck yeah!
He'll yeah loving it
I, too, am a person of culture (copying what someone else said)
It's okay. You can say it.
You can say the fuck word.
It’s sad seeing malls disappear and dying off. Growing up in the 90s-2000s I was always at a mall! But as I got older malls had tons of stores that I had no interest in and the ones I did were over priced as hell. The cost of rent in malls is crazy too. Businesses can’t afford the crazy rent without price gouging
What if we can turn the tables around and save the retro malls from destruction?
With an exception of India
This is so sad. Malls were such neat places. Now they're going dead everywhere. Man, the early eighties were a great time to be alive!
Yes, neat place to hang out until the Mexicans start to show up.....black people just make malls unsafe to visit... the Mexicans make malls dirty and ghetto.... so white people stop going to the mall, and so it dies
Malls are mainly dying in America. Malls in other countries are doing pretty well
The whole decade!
The 80’s are DEARLY MISSED and can never be replicated
I went to J.C. Penney recently, and decided to walk around a mall that was still thriving. But there wasn't anything else there I really wanted. I think shopping like that is really a girl thing, and if girls don't want to go to the mall, then so be it.
OMG that's my mall. I live 10 minutes from here and grew up going to this mall in the 80s and 90s. It's so terribly sad how bad this mall has gotten. I only go there for the AMC theatres. Thank you for doing a new video on this location!
I'm from rowland heights and grew up down the street.worked at this mall in the late 90s and early 2000.
I grew up in diamond bar, lots of good memories there from the 90's and early 2000's. So sad! Do you guys remember all the little theaters in the area before it was the big AMC? There was one by the now Speed Zone(used to be that big boat family fun center) and a couple on Gale where there used to be an Ikea and Costco. 😃
@@anw9485 lol I used to work at the Speedzone back in like 2001 or so just out of high school. forgot all about the ikea that was there
@@primarytrainer1 Yeahh! Don't know exactly when the Ikea went away but I was a kid then, I remember the Ikea had like a kid area and they had NES with Duck Hunt. LOL. I remember watching the first Jurassic Park at the small theater right there.
Do you remember the family fun center that was shaped like a boat before it became speedzone? I remember they had bumper boats. Miss that place and the lawnmower gas fume smell from those bumper boats. lol
Yeah I was there last week seeing if there was anything new at Pure Blades and hit a few games at Round 1. It looked like more than half the stores in the mall were closed. Which is weird because there's so much activity around it.
Living in Mexico City, where most new malls are thriving AND chock full of people, it is shocking for me to watch malls crumble and dissappear in the country that invented them.
Yeah nothing is sacred in America and that is what is our downfall. Its always on to the next big thing.
It seems like malls are thriving in every country but America.
I notice a lot of great ideas we have at least get picked up and preserved elsewhere. I’m grateful for other cultures not being throw-away like ours has become :( I’ll still have my memories! 😢
Because we order everything online. You guys are always behind us. It was like that when I was a kid and its like that today.
Mexican malls do way better than they do in the US. People in Mexico do not mail order due to package theft and poor shipping options!! Mexicans like seeing what they buy too. I live in Tijuana and they just built a huge state of the art plaza called Plaza Peninsula. I have been to many malls in Mexico City. Mexico has some amazing Malls!!
When a military recruitment office opens in a mall, you know it’s truly going down hill. Great work as always my man!
I have been going to this mall since the 80's there has always been a military recruitment office here. I know at some malls that is a sign of decline, but at this mall it wasn't. There are recruitment offices in a lot of the malls in this area of LA. Always have been.
It’s always been there
I remember seeing it there a few years ago before the pandemic. PS-I have a super cute black & white cat too!
That office has been there for well over a decade at this point, maybe 2 at least.
I got one better, you know a mall is or has gone downhill when what used to be a Macy's is now a climate-controlled storage facility at Ridgmar Mall, a mall I used to go to as a kid. It was one of the best malls in the Fort Worth area. It had a cool circular ramp that you can run up instead of using the traditional escalator. There was a scene from an episode of Walker Texas Ranger that featured the mall and you can see the circular ramp in the background. It's more like a staging area for human trafficking and meth conventions now. The mall is absolutely trash and probably needs to be demolished. What I would love to see is the mall make a comeback. Unfortunately, Amazon has made it difficult for those places to exists and people are not as sociable as the used to be. People don't go out anymore, instead rely heavily on home delivery services.
I used to work here in the early 90's. It was a beautiful mall at one time. It is a shame to see this happening.
Where at?
As a gen xer and someone who has been to this mall as a young man, It is hard to watch the last vestiges of the 80’s slowly erode before my eyes.
I feel you there. That and all the film and music stars I grew up watching and listening to have started to die off as well.
I'm a Gen Xer and my childhood mall is 20 miles away from the one in this video. There's teenagers there all the time doing the exact same stuff we were doing 40 years ago.
as a gen Xr, im happy to live in europe were malls are still thriving
True child of the 80's here. Born in 1980. It's very sad to watch. The only reason my hometown mall is still standing is because people around here seem to still shop there. It's not packed like it was in my childhood, though. And it has a bit of a revival every Christmas season with Santa and the Angel Tree. Not to mention that the stores still there do pretty good business then. Online shopping may be more convenient, but it can't beat walking into a store and getting what you need right then and there.
I have no clue what the young people around here do instead of going to the mall like my generation did. There's literally nothing else for them to do around here. I guess they all took up the Xbox and smoking weed.
Suck it up kiddo.
I'm 37. I grew up with this mall. It really is heart wrenching every time we stop by, but we stop anyways in hopes of our small purchases helping the future of the mall. It's crazy that there are a few surrounding malls not doing so bad. Really makes you wonder why this one of all of them had to take the hardest hit.
@karlwithak. jfc
@karlwithak. So since you feel that know more about the reasons for this mall's decline than the creator of this video, give us a list of your reasons.
@karlwithak. You don't need to be an expert in retail to see mall has taken a hard hit. Why are so many shops closed? Why is the food court so empty? I mean really, u need to understand finance to understand this mall will be either closed completely soon or some parts might be re-purposed? haha
@@zerocal76 To be fair, the food court at the Puente Hills Mall has always, in my opinion, a joke, and I've never seen it busy since I moved to the area in 2007.
@@theotheleo6830 DEMOCRATS, need I say more...
I was at this mall back in 2018. It's shocking to see how empty it's become in five years. I remember it being at least 50% fuller back then.
Well covid probably didnt do it any favors
I was there in 2019. It was definitely not a dead mall back then. It had a lot of privately own shops so the mall was on the decline though.
I remember going to this mall in the late 80s when freestyle music was huge. So many fine ladies, so much aquanet hairspray 😂
@@gamerwinner4982 Yeah, I remember quite a few non chain stores filling up spaces.
@@FDSixtyNine oh gtfoh with that crap...
This video truly struck a chord with me. It's both fascinating and bittersweet to witness the transformation of a once-bustling mall into an abandoned space. The echoes of past memories and the silent corridors evoke a sense of nostalgia and reflection. Your thoughtful exploration captured the essence of this place, allowing us to contemplate the ebb and flow of consumer culture. Thank you for sharing this unique perspective and shedding light on the beauty that can be found even in forgotten places.
I rarely went to malls even in their Eighties/Nineties heyday. I wish I would have appreciated them back then, but such is life.
I feel like this is how our grandparents felt watching urban downtowns die. In this case it's especially sad because I don't know if we'll ever see such centralized retail again in America, and the spectacle of people it would bring forth.
Sure, downtowns have "come back" in a lot of cities, but not as a place where you do most of your shopping. It's the place some people go to when they want to have fun eating, drinking, or attending an event, or maybe you work there in an office building and then immediately drive home after 5.
There was a sense of community you got from your neighborhood having a bustling downtown or a mall. Now everything is decentralized and spread out all over the place.
I wrote a short story called END OF AN ERA about a guy who owned a newsstand in a dying mall. He'd walk through the mall and recall the activity and a cultural moment in the 80's frozen in time...
I live 5 minutes away from it and go to Round 1 almost every weekend, I did not even realize the mall itself is THIS dead, Its truly heartbreaking, especially with so much history in it 😕
Its AMC Theatre still crowded though.
I was just walking through the recently as a place to get my steps in and the theater and arcade are practically the only places left with any signs of life.
You made me smile and lament at the same time!
This mall brings back a lot of good memories. My cousins lived in West Covina and we would sometimes drive down for weekends to visit them. Thr first time I went to this mall- I was about 12 years old and my cousin, who just got her driver's license took us to here. THIS was the spot to be as a millenial preteen and teenager. I remember all that Y2k stuff happenening, so it had to be 1999.
I had so much fun at the arcade and talking to girls at this mall. I also had a summer teen romance with a local girl back in 2003- it was the first time I told a girl "I love you". This mall was our summer stomping grounds.
The last time i went to this mall had to have been 2013 during christmas time. They had beautiful decorations and christmas trees and was still busy.
It's sad to see these absolutely gorgeous malls die off. But these are those times. At least millenials, gen x, and baby boomers have our memories of these special malls.
Thank you for the video!
I grew up going to that mall back in the 90's. They had a big arcade. I think it was called Tilt. There was also a AMC and Barns and Noble bookstore. My parents bought my brother and I a Vectrex at the Sears that use to be there. It was $100 back in 1983. It was a great mall to hang out but now it's a ghost town. There was a cool video game store across the street I bought my Sega 32X back on the 90's.
i miss the tilt!! the company doesnt have many original locations left either, but the west covina mall a few miles north still has their original tilt!
TILT!!! Yeah dude, We had one in Washington near Seattle.
The Sega Center had a really funky entrance. Like you were walking into a space ship or something. I remember going there and spending hours playing Star Fire. I might still have some tokens from there, somewhere.
So your parents were rich lol
@@greganguiano4308 It's a well known fact that only billionaires and their families owned video game systems in the 80s. The rest of us had to make do with sticks.
I'm not sure how lucrative the business of creating a functional retro mall would be but if any place was perfect for it, it would be Twin Pines. It could be a tourist attraction for Back to the Future and retro enthusiasts by looking retro inside and out but filled with modern stores.
Too bad the owners don’t have your mindset
Gwinett Place should be like a Stranger Things shrine
The classic concept of a mall as they were originally conceived, as just basically an epicenter of multiple brands all mushed into one place, is pretty much dead. But making a mall that caters especially to something like nerd culture... it's an interesting idea at least.
Exactly, since Universal Studios has basically got rid of everything associated with Back To The Future...
You mean the Lone Pine Mall. Nobody remembers it ever being called Twin Pines except those “Mandela Effect” weirdos. 😜
this is tough, because this mall is actually located in a very popular location with plenty of rich folks live nearby. Its just seems that this mall got outcompeted by bigger and fancier malls nearby
It’s conceivable that Hacienda Heights & Rowland Heights residents trek to the Santa Anita Mall or even down to South Coast in Southern OC
@@alfredvalrie5541 Ontario mills is not that far， neither is brea mall
The West Covina and Brea malls probably take most of the local shoppers' business.
@@alfredvalrie5541 Absolutely this, I Can confirm. Brea, Santa Anita, West Covina, Even Montebello, all alive and well, Puente Hills doesn't even cross our minds as a shopping destination, however the AMC, Round One, Burlington, Ross, and the Hai Di Lao hotpot place (SO GOOD) are the last places actually thriving inside. And of course, literally everything outside the mall in the same "lot" is wildly busy and popular.
@@Fyre0 I lived in Hacienda Heights from 2001 to 2008, and I sold printers at the CompUSA and worked at the Barnes & Noble on Colima. The Puente Hills Mall used to be jumping. I think a lot of the problem is that Asian families with money shunned Hacienda Heights & Rowland Heights for Arcadia, San Marino, but more exclusively the OC. That only left older folk who don’t shop and Hispanics who probably continued going to Montebello as you point out, Ontario, or West Covina.
As a Gen Xer, it's heartbreaking to see all these malls dying. Going to the mall was such a big part of growing up in the 70s and 80s.
Amazon and somewhat Walmart killed it. The Pandemic just put the nail in the coffin
Malls out here are booming in central FL but I’ve noticed they are mostly outdoor. The indoor malls in Tampa still are popular but are slowly dwindling. But outside we got Tampa premium outlets, krate at the grove, and Wiregrass mall which are all outdoor and booming. Come to FL sometime you’d love it
@@OnwardOverland I lived in Pinellas County for three years. Florida was not my kind of place--even more so these days with Meatball Ron's zest for fascism. 😢
Im sad to know what these kids will be missing out on. Thank you for archiving and preserving these memories and whats left of them.
These kids are not missing anything they have everything in the palm of there hands unlike some of us that grew up in the 80s. Yea it was times and technology that we can’t control that comes with time I get it. The most they are missing is the interactions without a rectangular devise in there pocket to guide them through everything and anything. Developing social skills out in pubic in the real world was and is critical to the human development. Now they are all stuck with iPads and iPhones at home NEVER seeking to go outside and experience what’s out there even though it’s all declined so badly. Going to the library for instance to do you’re research and educate yourself when it came time to present you’re work was a grand experience. Now it’s too easy
I cant believe I never made the connection before... I went to this mall with some friends in 2011 after hearing about this new place called "Round1" and we had a great time bowling and playing games. Never knew that whole time we were at the Back to the Future mall until today! I'm sad to see it looking so dead.
Round1 is a great place! We went to one in Japan and it was an 11-story building!
This was my go-to mall in the late 70s and early 80s. My mom would take my brother and I when we were kids and I remember how busy it always was. I remember a JC Penny's and would always get an Orange Julius and a Hickory Farms smoked sausage slice on a stick. Good times. It's sad to think the kids that are there now have no idea how vibrant and fun things were. All they'll know is just walking around in some big empty building
Do you remember this one place that sold churros but under a different name? It had had some really fancy animatronic kids or elves or something amidst a forest backdrop. I can't remember the name..
I forgot Hickory Farms, remember Orange Julius Do you remember Miller's Outpost ?
As a late Gen X, this breaks my heart.
We were truly the last of a breed.
The mall was our childhood.
It was the social network of our time.
Many of my best days as a teen started in a mall.
Back in the days when I was still all bangles and striped socks.
We didn’t know how good we had it.
Class of 88 here, it saddens me to see malls like this. No one knows how to just talk to someone without a cell phone anymore. All my social circles growing up began in a mall it seems. From junior high until graduation, we’d meet and see a movie, go eat and cruise around all weekend when we weren’t at the lake or the arcade (in the mall usually lol).
My best memories of the time were going to arena concerts, Bon Jovi, Cinderella, Ratt, Rick Springfield (don’t judge lol) and many others.
We all age, but damn if I wouldn’t give a kidney to go back for a while. Everything was simpler in a way, not like today.
Not even really the last of a breed, kind of the only breed. Malls were really only a thing for 20-25 years. I'd say 1975-2000 is the range. Only people born in a pretty short window got to experience mall culture in their youth.
My childhood mall isn't no where near what is was back in the 80's. Sad to see how far it's fallen.
If the 82 in your username suggests your birth year, you could actually be an early Millennial, by most counts, which start at ‘81. Regardless, you’re definitely on the cusp.
I’m ‘91 and I’d like to point out that mall culture did not die at the hands of my age group. Even after AIM/Yahoo IM (and eventually text messaging) made it easier to communicate with friends, it was still “Hey, let’s meet up at the mall at X:XX” and we’d hang out there for hooouuurrsss, closing it out most weekends. And we did that well into the late 00’s.
I went to my local mall a week before Christmas and it reminded me of a time when malls were still social spaces, but still didn’t scratch that nostalgia itch.
I was born and raised in nearby West Covina. Living in Texas now, so thank you easing my homesickness ❤
Puente Hills was my mall growing up in nearby Rowland Heights. I shopped there from 1976 until I moved away in 1997. I remember when they filmed "Back To The Future" as the South-Eastern end of the parking lot was blocked off. That place was always packed when I was in high school ('76-'79) as the arcade, "Kingdom Of Oz" was very popular. Seeing other UA-cam channels like Bright Sun Films visiting old malls it just appears their time is over.
Were you able to watch the filming? I missed it! :(
@@antdude no as they shot after Midnight.
@@seminolefantodd4736 So, you can go there after midnight. [grin]
My favorite place too, during those years. Times have changed 43 years later. Fun memories.
Covid REALLY hit this place hard. Spent the last day before the pandemic lockdown and could see the renovations being started. Went back around the time they re-opened the mall and the vast majority of restaurants had closed permanently with signs in the window explaining how they couldn't afford to stay open after being closed for so long. My favorite store used to be the Borders located right next to the AMC, but its been gone since early 2011. Rumors have been circulating that they might just keep the AMC and Round 1 as independent structures and build condominiums in that area.
@@karlwithak. Oh you're right, Karl. The mall just shut down for no reason in March of 2020. Forgot about that.
@@Nathanamerican27the mall was dying since around 2010 but yea covid didn't help
I grew up in Walnut til I was 9, in the mid 90’s. I have good memories going to this mall. It was about 15 minutes from my house off Nogales Blvd. I remember going to electronic boutique and K.B. toys along with eating at hot dog on a stick. There used to be a tiny theater in the same center I used to go to as well, I believe it was an AMC 6 or 8 at most. On the street you took under the freeway to get there, there used to be this huge fake mountain that was a miniature golf course up until not long after I had moved. Also on the other side of the freeway (the 60) was the Toys’r’us my parents spent way too much money on toys for me like Jurassic Park, Terminator 2, power rangers, and Teenage Mutant Ninja turtles and got my SNES there in early 1992 and my games for that, NES, and Genesis. Although I remember my half brother bought me my actual Genesis at a Toys’r’us by my grandmas house in Montebello which is another 10 miles down the 60 freeway. Ah good memories brought back by this video.
Wow, how sad. I grew up going to this mall. We moved to the area in 1977. My mom would take us shopping at the Sears for school clothes. I remember where the Orange Julius was, the Time Out arcade, etc. They even had this cookie shop that had little animated figures in the background - wish I could remember the name. That was a crowd pleaser! I remember going down the escalators to the sounds and chlorine smell of the giant water fountain in the center hub. I also remember being in junior high (now known as middle school) and hearing a "rumor" that Michael J. Fox was filming a movie at the mall (Back to the Future). So many kids went down to see them filming in the evenings. I think the main anchor stores in those days were Robinson's, Sears, The Broadway, and I can't remember the last one. It's so very sad to see a place that used to be so full of life and activity so empty and quiet.
Sears for school clothes! 😂😂 My mom did the same. Mervyn's too.
@atrain132 good times! 😂
Been going to that mall since I was a child. My favorite memory was when mom took me there for the back to the Future night in Oct 21, 2015. They had the Twin Pines mall clock out in the parking lot and a lot of people where taking pics with it. The time the exact moment the clock hit when supposedly Marty McFly went to 2015 everyone cheered, and a man in a DeLorean rolled up he was dressed as the doctor. One of the funniest days with mom ever.
I worked at the JCPenney in this mall from 1975 to 1978 and was visiting as a shopper later when they were filming the parking lot scene in Back to the Future. It was so busy back then and every space was occupied. So sad to see it in this shape.
Also worked at JCP in 78-80 photo & sporting goods- great time ! The mall was high energy then
New Retail Archeology video? This is where the fun begins!
I remember coming to this mall 30+ years ago while on vacation, and it was packed! There wasn't an empty parking spot in the parking lot. Sad to see it like this.
Maybe I'm wrong but I remember the Pine Hills sign being outside. I remember my parents taking pictures of me and my brother by it.
Could this mall made as landmark?
Thanks for visiting! Lived in the area all my life and the Puente Hills Mall has seen better days. I was just there yesterday to watch the new Spider-verse movie.
I miss the koi ponds, the candy store(purely dedicated to candy, that wasn't See's candy), and Tilt!
Borders books used to be across from the H&M. Heck, the H&M used to be a Dairy Queen! There used to be an EB Games as well!
There also used to be a store dedicated to anime/manga/& other things Japanese; it was my favorite store!
There also used to be an seafood restaurant that had a giant octopus statue that stretched over the restaurant. It later became an Asian buffet but the statue stayed.
The more I go, the more empty it feels despite the restaurant placements outside that are fairly new...I think maybe they were anticipating the mall renovation that probably won't happen now.
*Edit
Just remembered, the hot pot place next to the AMC was abandoned for awhile before becoming a hot pot place but before it was abandoned, it was a Johnny Rocket's!
O man the memories… the octopus used to me todai if I remember correctly. My sister worked there! And before tilt I think was game works :). Think I watched over 100 movies there growing up. Hanging out by borders buying books and magazines, then watching a movie. Heck, this is where I met my wife for the first time! Friends car was robbed off the parking lot… oooooo good and bad times! I will make an effort to visit as I’m still not too far away.
It's kind of heartbreaking to see this place almost abandoned. I used to frequently visit this Mall in the 80s and I remember where my favorite shops were, only now to see these places closed and empty. I especially miss the combination art supply and hobby store which closed in the early 1980s.
This mall used to be so crowded and busy back in the late 80’s, it’s was so much fun. You had kids from all the surrounding high schools hanging out here. All the awesome stores where also here. Just lots of fun!
Ahhhh I was waiting for this! My boyfriend and I pass through here when we go to Frank & Son collectibles show. I really hope they don’t tear this down.
I was there about 8 years ago and it was PACKED! I'm shocked to see it so empty.
My cousin used to live close by and we’d visit here. I remember seeing “ The Amityville Horror” and “ Moonraker” at the theatre their way back in the summer of 1979. It’s so sad to see the demise of our malls throughout the U.S. signaling a closure in a chapter of our lives to those of us who grew up in the ‘70’s,80’s and ‘90’s.
The good old days where every movie was a double feature. Buy 1 ticket, they gave you 2 movies. I remember one at Puente Hills was Jaws and Bambi. I wasn't allowed to stay for Jaws.
The theater in the mall itself wasn’t opened until the 2000.
*there
You should have been doing your grammar homework instead a skylarking at the mall.
It's not only in the US, buddy.
Did she have braces
Wow.. This is the first Mall I ever went to . Growing up in Montebello in the early eighties before the Montebello mall was built. We use to take the bus to this mall. Good memories. Breaks my heart to see it about to close.. I might just take a trip one of these days and show my little one where daddy use to go ... sigh.....
You just made us rewatch the Back to The Future movie!!!! ❤❤❤❤
WOW! I can’t believe you brought up Laguna Hills Mall. I live in the area I remember being there as a child in the 90s and how busy it used to be. That place really went down hill fast and for the longest time the city didn’t know what to do with that place. I remember one year some candidates in the local election brought up the issue. It went from busy mall, to dead mall, to a weird dinosaur exhibit, to being partially demolished leaving the old JC Penny anchor location and the old Macy’s one too. And now I actually notice on my drives back home from work that they’ve actually completely demolished the site. The only thing that’s left in the area today is the circus tent that comes and goes during the year. Still not sure what they’ll be doing with it but a while back they did mention that they wanted to do an outdoor plaza or something but not sure how it will fair considering Irvine spectrum is down the road.
Newest plans per OC register is a hotel, office space, entertainment venues, and 1200-1500 apartments.
@@VulcanLogic that In n Out around the corner gonna be jumpin!!!! 🍔 🍟
I used to live in the LA area and would go to this mall to visit Round 1(it’s mother location in the US). Thanks for the update and it’s getting worse and worse it seems.
I beg to differ, it won't stay dead forever. If we create fundraisers and revive the vintage shops, it will transform into an "Alive Mall".
@@reneastle8447Vintage Shops? As in?
@@hen2024 Shops that opened in the past but closed down, at least for the time being.
Yay!! A new episode! Really sad that this ones dying. Ohwell, at least we'll always have the external shots from the movie of it in its heyday.
this mall was awesome in 1999 back in the late 90s when people still thought credit cards were a new invention, and cell phones were only for doctors and drug dealers.The Funcoland and EB Games were so packed and they had such a great selection of old timey video games. The toy shops were amazing, San Rio Suprise was still there, and KB Toys was the shiznit
80s were better. :)
Wrong decade about credit cards. You are 20 years off.
@@AnsonBeeker I remember CCs during the rad 80s.
This mall has been a crucial part of my life for a long time. My mom and grandparents lived in the area so we basically grew up with this mall being the center of attraction for the city. In its prime stores were busy, Parking spots filled and the atmosphere was just out of this world.
My visits to Puente Hills Mall can be counted on one hand, but every visit is a memorable one. The most memorable of all is when they held a 30th anniversary _Back to the Future_ celebration in late October 2015 (around the same time Doc, Marty, and Jennifer travel to the "future" in Part II). They had a concert with an '80s cover band, photo ops with Doc's truck, the DeLorean, and the Twin Pines Mall sign, cosplayers, a showing of Part I, and reenacted a certain scene with acccurate props and costumes, all while that exact same scene is playing on the projector!
I remember being inside the mall with some friends while waiting for the event to start. It was packed and lively on a weekend night. So it broke my heart seeing your footage of the mall on its last legs.
If they're not planning to put in new stores, they could at least repurpose the space as an apartment or something, but without changing the exterior. I don't want to see an iconic building that was part of one of the most iconic scenes in cinematic history be demolished, abandoned, or renovated beyond recognition.
Ay man I’m back at work tomorrow after a week off and this video is really helping me unwind and come to terms with being back at work tomorrow. Thank you
I loved this mall! In the early 2000’s I worked a few blocks from the mall. I often went there for lunch and would spend time at the koi pond. It was a great way to break up the workday. Across the freeway there was an IKEA store. It moved to Corona in the early 2000’s and they used the interior of the building to shoot a Brad Pitt/Angelica Jolie film there. Also, there was a fake McDonalds a few blocks away where they filmed all the commercials.
I used to work at KB Toys in the late 90s when I was in High School and I remember in the mid 90s, after school, my friends dad would drop us off and we would hangout at Borders books and music and buy small items at Spencer’s gifts. Their used to be a Burger King inside the mall or was it Carls Jr 🤔
What a fun story. We lived in Southern California for over 35 years before we moved to Northern California. It’s hard to see all those places we used to know disappearing. 🙏🏻💕
I miss the koi ponds. My fav part of going here when i was a kid.
Does anyone remember Pyro Skate Shop in this mall?! It was a skate shop and skatepark in the mall! Literally love this mall. 😊
It's heartbreaking to see malls disappear. That mall was definitely built by the same company that did one of our malls that closed a couple years ago. I hate the open shoppimg centers that are the trend now. Guess im just the grouchy old person now. 😅
not just you, as a youth i hate the open malls. one main attraction for me and my friends would be the free AC and seats to just lounge in and chat. can't get that in open malls.
Outdoor centers are fine as a novelty, or an outlet mall. Sometimes it's nice to go straight into one store. Why are we giving up shopping in AC?
@@opraiderman904 I have a feeling it's a cost cutting measure. With traditional malls, the mall has to provide security, a cleaning crew, maintain public areas, heat/ac, etc. With the open model, the property owner puts all of that on the tenants while still charging outlandish rent. I get it, but I don't have to like it.
I don't get the open mall concept and why it's "supposedly" popular. I live in an area where it snows and there is a huge open mall here. Why? Who wants to freeze their a** off or bake in the heat just to shop?
@@opraiderman904
Depends. There's one I went to in Michigan that was pretty nice, the stores were clustered together, fountains, lots of shade. Another I went to... it was in the reverse, the center was all parking and the stores were a giant ring around it. I hated that design.
Thank you for sharing, you inspired me to check this mall out. I actually went 6-12-23 and they added an "A" on the Twin Pines Mall sign
Feels ironic that arcades left so many malls in the early 2000's, only for one of the only really active places in dying malls to be a large arcade.
"I don't think a mall that you can't get pretzels at anymore has much of a future." Very well said!
@karlwithak. Don't you think copy and pasting this same reply to a bunch of comments on a UA-cam video is a bit of a "dull idea"?
@@RetailArchaeology lol what is this dude's personal issue with you and/or that mall? creepy af
@@RetailArchaeology The chances a neckbeard or incel pissing on the Cheerios approaches 1, the longer conversations go on in a comment section. Let's call it Neckbeard's Law.
@@karlwithak. Why do you keep repeating this over and over on different comments, you loon?
In my country that owner goes to the Dairy Queen cone of soft cream. If they close the branch that mall is finished.
Growing up in the area, this was my favorite mall. In the 80s was the best time for this mall. The anchor stores were the Broadway, Robinson’s, JC Penney and Sears. Most notable memory was The Carl’s Junior inside the mall with the model western town that stretched the perimeter on a shelf above, the same way Miller’s Outpost used to. Also the entrances all had rows incondecent big light bulbs on the ceilings that looked welcoming. The thing I miss the most was the clock in the center of the mall. They had a really great Ice cream and lemonade place on the upper level at the center one the mall with old school lights. This is just a few things to mention, as there is a lot more. Anyone who remembers this I am sure would agree this mall was better than the other surrounding malls of the area. It amazes me how all those great places in that mall are all gone now.
That Carls Junior sounds great
West Covina mall was always better... But I grew up going to the puente hills mall
Remember Bennigan's which became Hungry Tiger restaurant in the parking lot how about Swensen's Ice Cream Parlor across the street
This hurts my heart. Puente Hills Mall was where my buddies and I used to go to see movies and hang out. I sure hope they don't shut it down, and that a resurgence happens.
AMC Theatre is still crowded!
I grew up in West Covina going back to the late 70’s. Wasteland mall was popping, but as it’s time as the best mall began to fade, Puente Hills became the place to be. Then after 10 years or so, it started to slow down and West Covina became the mall destination.
I really like the aesthetic of that food court. I think its the dim but warm lighting.
This was one of my malls!! I have been going there since the early/mid 80's up until I moved out of state in 2015. It had gone through a few cycles of boom and bust. It went into severe decline in the early 90's, there was no food court and all of the stand alone food places had closed except for one. They had lost all but one of the big anchor stores. Sears was still there. There were a few local mom and pop type stores and a couple of mall die-hards. Then they put in the AMC 20, in the later 90's and it had it's first second life.
I thought it would close back in the 90's, it was so empty. When it had it's revival, a lot of the local stand alone stores relocated into the mall or into the parking lot circle around it, so the surrounding strips of stores on the feeder streets went into decline. While it was a huge area of retail that did not have another mall directly competing with it, and a pretty good sized population to support it, it just wasn't enough to keep the mall and all of the surrounding retail thriving once online shopping get popular.
It's actually really interesting to hear about it's struggles back then, people in the comments seem to want to decry it's current waning as a sign of society's end times for the typically pathetic reasons. I remember the Santa Anita mall wasn't doing too hot for awhile but it came back strong and is only expanding it's stores, restaurants, and outdoor areas now.
I was at the mall a year ago I loved the arcade. It was packed that day.
So sad to see this mall like this, I had so many good memories as a kid in the 80's coming in the weekends and basically staying all day ☹️
Damn. Spent my childhood around the AMC, Round One, and 24 hour fitness there.
Now i live and work in Detroit, and every year when i head back to HH to visit my parents, I’m astonished to see this place still kicking. Seriously, it’s baffling to see this abandoned waste of space, surrounded outside by all these super busy restaurants and fast food joints in the same shared parking lot 😂
My friends and I, are slowly abandoning going to the mall. The Round 1 arcade, lot of games we play are in bad shape and the staff don't know or care to fix and upkeep the cabinets. Also, the AMC movie theater is having their own issues as well. This week alone, when we went to watch Spider Man Across the Spider Verse, the fire alarm was triggered and our theater screening was canceled. And it happen again yesterday as my friend wanted to finish watching the movie.
In this age where one can go into a Walmart or BestBuy and get a good 50" 4K flat screen and a decent sound bar for under $500 and stream the latest film in the comfort of your own home.
There should be absolutely no reason to waste time and money going to some crappy movie theatre.
@@megacide84 I saw maverick in theaters and I feel like it was totally worth it. Theaters do need a new gimmick though like dinner or something.
@@swiftaudi
I completely soured on movie theatres back in 2011. My last straw being ignorant parents bringing screaming kids and toddlers in the theatre.
Round 1's are the best arcades in the US now! I love the japanese machines, and even though they do have a lot of ticket games, they also have a fair bit of lightgun/fighting games/other actual games there!
I live 10 minutes from the only Round One in Denver and it’s a gem out here in suburbia. I love the claw machine and the coin machines.
1v1 Tekken?
@@SquibbeyJenkins depends on the location I think. Our location has a Taiko drum but it’s gone. I’ve seen Tekken in there but they rotate games out often.
I had some good experiences in that mall years ago… my grandma and uncle and aunt live in La Puente and anytime I would fly to LA, I’d stay with them and then just go to that mall. I’d watch movies, go play at that Round 1 and go visit the Twin Pines sign. Last year when I was in LA when my grandpa passed, I forgot to go to this mall to visit… it’s so sad to see it in this shape. I’ll be in LA in August. Hoping to go visit this mall one last time before its inevitable closure. Man I’m feeling depressed now sitting on my couch thinking about how mall culture is basically dead. That was my childhood.
Jeez I don’t know why but I’m just tearing up right now…
This mall was also the home of the original Footlocker store. I grew up in the area and recall that the earliest one I remember was in the Sears wing of the mall.
I remember this mall used to have Koi ponds in it! Good times! Kinda saw the decline already when I was in high school and West Covina Mall was the nicer mall to go to in the area. I think Puente Hills mall started dying because all the residents who live in Hacienda Heights and Rowland Heights stayed in the area and got older. Therefore, no more younger families, which were usually the people who would go to these malls. Also, homes in Hacienda Heights and Rowland Heights are probably between $800k-$1 million , so it's become more of an upper-middle class neighborhood, which I think a lot of the businesses in the mall did not cater to. Again, all just speculation. Luckily the businesses surrounding the mall are doing great like the Krispy Kreme, Chick Fil A, and Raising Cane's.
It’s sad to see what has happened to the malls throughout the USA. Especially one of the movie fame malls.
One Sears closed, even though I didn't shop there much anymore, its seems to be the end of many, many malls across the USA. I know that isn't the only reason, but as I say, so many are shopping online. To bad they gaming part couldn't be opened to the outside, it would be even busier. Teens like to socialize, and not all spend their lives on line.
The best mall I remember as a kid was Old Towne Mall in Torrance, CA. Search for pics, you will find a few, it was neat. They had 2 dark rides and carousel. The indoor mall was made to look like an old town type street and they had performers. I caught the tail end of it in the 70s as that mall died. It is great that now people can document stuff, we didn't think about it back then nor was it as convienting as pulling out your small phone.
Wow. Thank you so much for making this video. It’s really surreal that of all malls I went this week (Plaza West Covina and Brea Mall), PHM is one that felt like it needs a new life. The options for shopping are severely limited now, and I think the big amusement establishments (AMC, Round 1, and maybe that one Hot Pot restaurant) are what kept it alive. Food options are severely limited too, but a Alpaca Cafe has some good drink options. The Twin Pines Mall sign felt neglected, and maybe a hint of the grim future for PHM. I wish for it to not go down in the future, but I know there is little control of the mall’s fate. This mall is in-sense nice for liminal space photoshoots.
The aesthetics give the impression this would be a very comfortable mall to walk around in (if a little creepy). The lack of foot traffic probably contributes to the sense that this would be a good place just to read/hang out but it also emphasizes how wasteful the electric/AC/plumbing must be for all the open spaces. :( This makes me wish we had a Round1 at a nearby mall, though.
This was my go to mall when I was a kid 20+ years ago. I thought the West Covina Plaza would see its demise before PH mall but the Plaza is still going strong and the mall looks fresh.
As a teen in the early-mid 2000's, I used to go to this mall every weekend. This area used to have a pretty vibrant arcade culture, with this mall having an arcade pretty much for the past 20 years, with a gameworks - locally operated arcade - Round One to this day. Haven't been here in probably over a decade but it's sad to see what it has become today.
Remember back in the late 90s, early 2000s when there was that huge PC cafe with the huge robot downstairs not far from EB games across from the AMC theater. I live in Arizona now but I grew up like you going to that mall a lot when I was a kid. I remember Spencer’s gifts being there and KB toys since that was my first job at that mall. I used to buy my music and books at Borders all the time. It’s crazy because across the street from Colima Road, there was another music store not far from Circuit City. Oh gosh the memories.
I used to live 10 minutes down Colima Rd. from PHM. Man, I spent so much time there as a teen and young adult. I left CA in 2019 and PHM was already pretty bad then but WOW seeing how much emptier it is now is incredibly sad.
The food court is probably what hit me the most. I have a lot of great memories of hanging out with friends there. I was able to point out where there used to be a chinese food place, a Subway, and a McDonald's. All empty spaces now. The Tacos Mexico and Mongolian Grill tucked away in the opposite corners have been there for a long time, but it seems like they won't be around much longer. Ditto the Tokyo Grill. That "Katsu" place used to be an L+L Hawaiian Barbecue, which was my personal favorite in that food court.
I can never fathom how claire's makes enough money to be the last store open in dying malls, maybe the malls get desperate and give them free rent? lol
That also baffles me...considering that cheap shit they sell is at CVS or Ross.
I think another sign of a mall coming on hard times is when Army and Navy recruitment centers start appearing . Those folks pay very little for the space so when they appear, well.... For example the Edison Mall in Fort Myers is still very busy. But the Section down near the Dillards leading back to the other stores has quite a few open spots. And an Army Museum appeared in one of the spots (never seen that before. Several stores in that area closed and moved to open spots closer to the food court and the JC Penny's (the Sears one of the three anchors closed at the end of 2019 and was used by the county for doing Covid shots during the pandemic, and nothing still has moved in). You get the feeling it is .. dying .. slowly .. bit by bit. And hurricane Ian did little to help as they are STILL repairing roof damage and interior work 9 months later.
I grew up at this mall. So sorry to see it go downhill like this. Back in the 70s and 80s, those pillars in the center of the mall that reach up to the ceiling were round and wrapped in disco ball glass with a massive brownish-colored mosaic step-type fountain in the middle. During Christmas, they would platform it for Santa, and they even brought in a koi pond and a carousel years later (which you mentioned). The original anchors were Sears, Broadway, JC Penny, and Robinson's.
In the 90s, the Brea Mall took a lot of business and foot traffic away from this mall, and ever since then it never really recovered.
All the anchors are gone. Replaced by Target, Walmart and Amazon. There are way too many malls to support the current buying trends. Plus, the open air malls are thriving.
@@FelixCervantesWho tf wants open air, when 75% of the country is WAY too hot/humid/freezing cold MUCH of the year?
What will teenagers do now?
Maybe it’s because I’m in my 60s, but I wish they would re-purpose these dead mall spaces to senior living facilities. I grew up in Pennsylvania, and the population has dwindled there where I grew up. They no longer need the elementary school so they are repurposing it into senior apartments. A space like a mall, where you could put in apartments and shops, could make it into a thriving senior space. And it would make affordable housing for seniors with a great community space. That a mall closes at 7 o’clock is a death knell. Great video. Well done. 🙌🏻💕
I know you probably get this question a lot but do you ever try and find the mall office and ask of what they know? It’s probably information that even they don’t know cause the owners are rarely seen or heard from at the property. Maybe they just get a phone call one day of (close the doors)
I tend to film on the weekends and the mall offices are usually closed.
That's too bad that *Frank & Son* did not relocate to the *Puente Hills Mall* .That place is doing well for only being opened three day's out of the week.
i don't think they can do as well if they have to deal with the rental fee of a mall
Another great video. I enjoy your narration and content greatly. I have never been to this mall but it looks like most of the malls I grew up near. I suppose they are slowly all starting to look like this.
This was the mall I hung out in the most in my high school years in the mid-80’s. I remember seeing the signage for the “Lone Pine Mall” during the filming of “Back to the future” and even watched the movie at the AMC (?) theatre which was just east of the mall itself. Having seen it in its heyday it’s sad to see it like this.
I missed that filming. Too bad no photos and videos of it!
@2:12 - Sears really blew it. With their wishbook and catalog mail order service, they had the perfect infrastructure to beat Amazon to the punch. I worked at a Sears during Christmas 1993, that was the first holiday season after they had done away with the wishbook, and everyday at least three customers came up to me asking why the company had done away with it. It was really stupid and a few years later when the internet was everywhere that became even more obvious.
Talk about missing the boat!...I felt the same about Thomas Bros Maps. Before GPS they were THE tool for anyone who drove or delivered anything! And they stood on the sidelines watching Garmin race past them?
I never knew about the catalog mail service but I agree, losing Sears was a big hit to these malls. Malls need foot traffic and Sears was a family store which helped get families shopping there.
The Wishbook was the best!! I waited every year to look through it. My dad would stop after work to go to Sears to pick it up! Great memories!
@@MyMomentswithMom I was!
I feel the same with Borders Bookstore. They made poor decisions with the e-reader. They let Barnes and Noble run away with the Nook and Amazon with their Kindle. Borders finally released their e-book reader almost 1 year after the competition. Also, Borders had Amazon as their website commerce platform before they decided to create their own online storefront. And when they got rid of Amazon, most customers left to buy books on Amazon. Although, Barnes and Noble isn't what it once was, it's still here.
I visited this mall back in 2022 when Macy’s was closing. It’s structure was that of a Robinson’s department store from the mid-70’s. Just like the JCPenney at the Westminster Mall near my home. I’m sad to see this mall being close to death.
Or the forever 21 at the Santa Anita mall in arcadia which was also a Robinsons store
@@celsovera91 That Robinson’s opened in 1976, while Puente Hills was 1974, and Westminster was 1975.
As a huge Back to the Future fan, it makes me sad to see this. I live in FL so I've never had a chance to see any of the filmimg locations.
Only 18 Sears left in the US? Boy, I remember Sears being my go to store. Very interesting video.
I've lived in and around the area of the Puente Hills Mall my entire life. I remember when it opened in the mid 70s. It had a Robinson's and The Broadway Department stores as its two "upscale" anchor stores. Once those stores became extinct the place began to lose its upscale vibe combine with the next 20 years of changing area demographics and that Mall struggled for another two decades to find the right combination of stores and entertainment venues to stay in business. Then they had problems with cars being broken in to or stolen in the parking lots which didn't help its reputation with the locals. Those of us who lived east and south of the mall closer to Orange County just drove over the hill to the Brea Mall, instead. It is rather heartbreaking to see it now, especially when you remember how it used to be the place to be.
The mall should have renamed itself to the Twin Pines Mall after the success of Back to the Future.
Wait I thought the mall they used for back to the future was Arrow head mall? Lol it literally looks the same too in the parking lot lol nice job!!! Good video 👍👍🇺🇲🇺🇲🎈🎈
It's all about Round 1 and the AMC theater at PHM. My local mall. It is odd that it is so dead because other malls nearby are busy like the Brea Mall. They need to make it an Outlet Mall to differentiate between other malls in the area
Sounds like over saturation of malls then
@@animeshock2006 the surrounding is quite large and could easily support two malls 20 miles apart from each other if the there was a difference and there are no Outlet areas near to PHM
Yea I grew up at the puente hills mall...then gravitated to west Covina mall in high school then after high school worked at Brea mall and now I live in Brea. Brea mall is always busy
I love your videos, but watching these are heartbreaking at times. I used to work at Fiesta Mall, and I had no idea that it closed down. I went to visit to see if the Harkins 5 was still up and its all office space now. The mall that is doing well in my area is Chandler Fashion center, but I didn't grow up with that mall.
I grew up in the Laguna Hills mall. I have so many memories of that place. I can’t bring myself to drive past the pile of rubble that it’s become, I always go the long way around it if I ever need to go to that area.
I don't know if you've seen it but there is a video on this channel covering Laguna Hills Mall towards the end of it's life.
I remember this mall opening up when I was in elementary school. Although, we lived much closer to a different mall. It was a treat, as a kid, to hear my parents say, " We're going to La Puente, get ready." 😊
Grew up going to this mall, watched the filming of back to the future in the parking lots, this mall was thriving in the 80’s and 90’s it’s sad to see they changed it so much ,it’s all about the money anymore , but business being how it is today, they need to assess what the people want and need ,rather than how much they can make
Man, just a few years ago this mall was bustling. There was a really busy buffet style restaurant near one of the entrances, called Todai that was amazing... was expensive like $30+ a person. Crazy to see this mall is all but abandoned now when last time I was there you couldn't even find a parking spot.
Man, this brings back memories. Todai was my first introduction to sushi when I was a kid, but back then I was NOT into it so I refused to eat anything but the egg ones.
AMC Theatre is still crowded though.
I think the covid lockdowns doomed a lot of malls.
You need to do one on Westminster mall if you’re still in CA. That place is incredibly dead
Thanks for the memories. I grew up in the hills about 10 minutes from PHM. Part of it used to be called "Fossil Hill" for all of the fossils people would find there.
- My best friend from high school called me at 1AM one time to tell me that they were filming a movie at the mall. Something about a DeLorean and a guy wearing a dog mask driving it 🙂. Sadly, I was way too tired and turned down his invitation to go watch them film.
- Got my first real job selling men's suits and furnishings at the Robinson's that was part of the original set of "anchor" stores there. Soon after, I was able to get my girlfriend a job there as well. Sadly, it didn't last long. We got fired when the GM of the store saw CCTV video of us kissing on the sales floor. True story!
Every mall dies, when a new mall is built. Then when it gets revamped, it kills the other mall. Because businesses leave the old malls for the newer ones.
I live between 4 malls. And I’ve seen literally everyone of them die when the other ones get fixed up. Then watch them get redesigned and kill the others over the last 35 years.
Sears, Macys and other large mall companies that die also have a huge impact as wel.
I remember when my ex and I visited here maybe five years ago. There was a Nestle's Toll House shop and we bought cookies before visiting the Spirit Halloween shop which popped up for the season. It's sad to see it so empty, but with people buying more things online places like the mall are becoming obsolete. That, and the price they charge for rent chases businesses away.
It seems to me the rest of the world is now going through the mall phase, we just started it. The malls in Central and South America are crazy full of people. it is interesting to see how long Claire's has been chugging along, I didn't know they lasted until the closures of malls!
We recently lost Metro Center Mall out here in Arizona, where they filmed Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure. Sad day. Indoor malls have always been one of my favorite places to visiting, but seem to all be dying.
No way! I grew up going to that mall back when it had a skating rink before they turned it into an arcade. I also used to go to Atomic Comics just outside of the mall.
This is the first mall we ever visited back in the late 70's.
Bittersweet nostalgia.
I truly love what you’re doing with your channel. Hard to describe the warm feeling it gives me to watch some of your mall videos. Strange combo of sadness/comfort that takes me back to a simpler time of my life. I always think back to visiting Wizards Of The Coast to buy Pokémon cards (as well as the island kiosk in front of it that sold the Japanese cards you couldn’t get anywhere else). I ended up working as a maintenance tech for the mall I grew up with, and it was dying by that time, so I feel strange connection to your channel. Please keep it up!