That was my mall growing up just down the road. It was wonderfull throughout the 80's. Met my wife of now 35 years there at Wilsons Leather and Suede back in 84, right out of high school. Sorry to see that the demo is underway. Gread video, thanks for taking the time to put it together.
I was just talking to my dad about how the loss of 3rd and 4th places (like malls, bars, parks, etc) is making it nearly impossible to date as a young man without using apps. It’s so hard, nobody talks in public anymore, nobody even sees each other anymore
I remember the ads for Century III from visits to my parents in Pittsburgh back in the late 1970's and 1980's. They lived on the North Side, so Century III was too far of a trip for them, especially since all the same stores could be found in the North Hills. Still, if you were in Pittsburgh at the time, Century III was hard to forget.
Our recent heatwave reminded me how nice it was to have a big indoor space nearby to go walking on a hot day. I think the last time I was in there was around 2014 or so. Only a few stores were open and the atmosphere felt so weird I never went back. 🙁
What’s interesting is back in this malls hey day nobody bothered to record on video a walk thru of it. In the 80s and 90s everybody just assumed these malls would be here forever. Nobody even contemplated that these once great malls would die. Sadly, all we seem to have left to reminisce of them in their glory days is still photos. If only we knew back then.
Need to add the Century 3 Chevrolet jingle. “Century 3 Chevrolet, Lebanon Church Rd, Pittsburgh… minutes from the mall”. Every Pittsburgher will remember it.
I remember going to century III when I was young in the early 2000s during Christmas time. Even though it’s been so long I still remember many of the parts you showed. What a hit of nostalgia.
I was in middle school when it opened and spent a lot of time there with friends hanging out at the food court, National Record Mart, and Kaufmans. It was one of the best parts growing up in the 80s.
I really miss the malls of this design and style, I usually as a kid couldn't stand shopping trips for hours but interesting malls like this were an exception where I could walk for hours.
Got my first credit card in college, 1991. Promptly took the bus from school to Century Three mall for a shopping trip. Sad to see it this way. Being demolished now.
@@MrHeadbanger366 😂 I bet they played it a lot. I remember watching it on KDKA outside of Pittsburgh and WTRF in Wheeling. When I moved to Fairmont it was “To the right to the right, of the Morgantown Mall!”
That mall used to have fountains back in the late 90’s and early 2000’s. Used to be beautiful and crazy busy during Christmas time. My mom passed away two years ago and this video brought back memories. Thanks for the video.
The thing that's absolutely *terrible* about this mall is the ONLY connector road in between Clairton Rd and Clairton Blvd is the Century III access road that runs alongside the site. As far as I can tell it's a part of the property and hasn't seen any service in YEARS. It is absolutely a suspension breaker nowadays. Unfortunately you have to go WELL out of your way to avoid it.
About this road. I have to use it running deliveries to from 51 & the other side. In july 2022 I hit a crater that was close to 8ft wide AND 10 inches deep! Broke a forged aluminum rim, shredded new tire at the bead, snapped oem swaybar end link in half, borked hub bearing, & tie rod end damage on that side. Somewhere around $650 in damage. July 4, 2024 got new tires. July 21st hit pot hole again at less than 25mph tire was leaking air. Rim shattered at bead! City hall just gives the run around about how they dont own it. Im like how many millions in damage to motorists have to take before they just repave then damn road. I told W. Mifflin city hall they took Moonbeam Capitals bait, so theyre guilty too! Excuses all around.
I don’t know how an actual road way can be privately owned. It’s frustrating. It’s like the mills mall which failed but all the roads around it are in shambles. The remaining stores still get business but getting there almost needs a four wheel drive
As someone who worked at malls from 1975 to 2009 it's really sad how quickly many malls just rot away. Along with so many of the mall stores. Dangerous to walk around them. I've personally visited many dead malls in Texas, Florida and the Carolina's.
It happened in Washington, PA too just 30 minutes south of Pittsburgh. The Washington Mall and the Franklin Mall (Washington Crown Center) saw the same fate. But the Tanger Outlet is thriving. It's a tourist attraction being across the street from the casino/harness racing track.
As a Pittsburgh resident in 1979 (which was the year both the Steelers and the Pirates won their respective championships), Century III was a huge deal. It was a great mall, if a little inconvenient from where we lived out by the airport). Sad to see it such decay.
@@TechTokOffical It has happened to at least one mall in every U.S. city. It happened in my city. Blax started moving in. Crime at the mall went up. People stopped going and moved to less dark areas.
All these malls were opening and brand new when i was a kid. Now they're gone, and I'm still here, a little worse for wear, but still looking much better than they are! 😂
It amazes me how a mall that only really lasted for about 35 years, with all the money spent on building supplies and land and everything else, how people can just write it off. I live on a 200 year old farm and I will never sell it. Just amazing how much money was lost.
Oh My God I watch every century III vid because I worked there for a short but memorable time. In that salon with the water leak!!! Thank you for going there. It wasn’t my fav salon to work at. I was in fx school so I found work closer to,school. But that salon haunts me I loved it especially the comic book store on 3rd floor.
I think the parking decks failing is what really started killing the mall, driving under a concrete building held to gether with fencing and wood did make it feel safe, i believe it was built on bad ground and had major setling issues as did the mall that over looked the city in green tree that is now gone
Really good memories in that mall during the early-mid 80's. My parents would take me and a carload of my friends (about an hour drive) there just to hangout, shop, meet girls, and just be curious teenagers. It was really an event for us considering the place was like a small city. RIP C3!!!
We would always hit Chi Chi's across the street before heading into the mall. So many cool stores. I remember one store with a suit of armor but can't remember what they sold there. I want to say cigars and pipe tobacco but that might be far off. Great memories!
i cut the local walmart that overlooks the mall, it’s sad every week when i look down that massive hill and see more and more of it tore down. all those memories just wiped away like nothing (edit: ill send some clips if wanted)
I moved from Pittsburgh in the summer of 1979, the Century Three Mall was still under construction at that point. I came back to Pittsburgh in 1991 and at one point worked nearby. It was still a thriving mall in the early nineties, and I shopped there pretty often during that period. I moved out of the area again for work in 2003, the mall had declined quite a bit by then, although it was still pretty busy at Christmas time. I retired and moved back into the area in 2010. I think that I visited it once or twice to buy Craftsman tools at Sears. It was in sad shape by then. I wasn't surprised that it closed, I was more surprised that it lasted as long as it did.
It is so awesome that you add videos and pictures from the past of the places you explore. I love history and watching videos of abandon places. Bravo and well done. I will be checking out your older videos you posted and look forward for new ones. Great job.
I had no clue this once awesome place was closed and abandoned. I haven’t been up that way in 20+ years. Pretty sad. That was such an experience for a small town West Virginia fella.
I worked at century III Mall for 2 years at Kaufman's and went through the conversion of Macy's do I still remember my keys going up to the Macy's furniture on the top level storage room saying horns department signage and bags
Century 3 had a Sears and Sears Automotive on the bottom floor at one point. Also being a South Hills resident of Pittsburgh my whole life, we went to a few malls around the area. Parkway Center, closed; Century 3, Closed; and South Hills Village, Thriving. People say the Waterfront shopping center in Homestead killed Century 3, it was the crime that did it.
Truth. When Port Authority made Century III Mall a transfer spot for bus routes to the ghettos, that was the beginning of the end. Homestead, where the Waterfront was built, had a higher crime rate than West Mifflin. I grew up in the South Hills. As a teenager in the mid 80s, it was safe to go to Century III. I preferred South Hills Village because it was closer and less crowded. I no longer live around there but understand South Hills Village, which was built before I was born, is thriving. I can remember when Century III opened. Now it’s all but gone.
@@mikee2923 I havent lost any sleep over it. When I came in 2019 It was coughing its last few breaths. What are ya'll so whiny about? It was built on a toxic waste dump!
I have seen a lot of youtube videos on abandoned places but this is one of the first times I have seen one on a place I knew very well. This hurts my heart.
Spent most of my high school years there in the early 80’s. Left for the military then went back there while home for leave in the 90’s and was shocked with how bad it was and how much was gone. Now, living near Columbus, OH, the same thing is happening here. Tanger and Polaris are all that’s left and that ain’t saying much.
These are great videos !! Really enjoy how thorough you are with the history of the malls you show . I’m Laura from Canada and here malls are still very popular places to shop . Also Bug Box store such as Wal Mart. But Malls here in Canada are booming still . Seems opposite in the US ?? Strange . ❤😊👍🏻🙌🏻
I worked here right out of high school. Back then every store was occupied and the place was packed almost every day of the week. I truly hope that they can re purpose that property in a way that helps the entire area it used to serve.
If you want to explore a really dead mall we have one in Meriden CT called Meriden Mall. I wish I could have the stars from this mall. If they were not so arrest happy right now I would love to explore this place.
The Penguins displayed the Stanley Cup there as well as eight Super Bowls (San Francisco and Pittsburgh), a World Series trophy, a Heiden Trophy and more.
7:30 OH MY GOD, of all the places, that's Phillip Pelusi, I remember running around that place while my mother dyed her hair back in 94. There was a lovely woman from England named Carrie who I'd always chat with back then. I hope she and my mother's stylist Tina are doing well.
This video was definitely shot before April 2023 as the power was shut off around that time. I get that videos people shot a while back will start to come out now as this beautiful mall awaits the demolition crews. As soon as they're done with the parking deck, it's the mall next 😭😭 although the thumbnail would've made one think it was a current video 👀 stunning presentation of the century 3 mall though.. 👌🏼👌🏼
these malls are the closest thing to a time machine for me, I love dated malls, I used to make jokes about "run down malls" but often the ones still in business have some of the best businesses around...or the worst, but the ones I go to are awesome
My childhood mall closes this month. I remember being bored out of my mind waiting for my family to finish Christmas shopping. Now I would go back in a heartbeat to walk around it when it was alive.
So sad to see these malls closing up at an exponential rate. I’m lucky the mall here in Fredericksburg, VA is still doing okay, but certainly nothing like it used to. I’m sure it’s just a matter of time. Christmas just won’t be the same without a trip to the mall.
I loved many things about this mall growing up, but my favorite was that the floors appeared as though they were platforms, with stairs all over the place. It was like if M. C. Escher designed a mall.
@@dieseldragon6756 I'm not sure if the Arndale centre is still open in central Manchester. It's tiny in comparison but last time I was there ,which was years ago,it was half empty and in a state of disrepair
I remember this Mall being constructed , And now witnessing it being torn down . Time brings down the biggest of mountains . I am sure this land will have new and exciting things to come .
It is not demolished yet, they only took down the parking decks, the building is still standing... The local news just did an update yesterday and there are no immediate plans to demo the tsructure as moonbeam, property owners, do not have the $20 mil in capital needed to demo the mall itself, so they are adding concrete blocks to seal off all the entrances until capital can be raised to level it.
Project Prom was run by the Allegheny County Department of Human Services for teens, girls and boys, who were eligible to receive the free gowns and accessories to attend prom.
Hobby Store with the Remote Helicopter That wished for X-mas so many times and i don't think it ever sold, sad. this was my childhood growing up here in Western PA. Last time i shopped there, I bought Tools At closing Sears .
Typical extravagant waste that takes place in America. It was too big and clearly not maintained with a lack of diversification to maintain it as being a hub. South Africa Johannesburg was very clever with malls. They all had financial and banking, hotels, medical suites, and office towers. This meant you never had to leave it was literally one stop shop and still is. They also added residential apartments and gated townhouses to some to ensure their survival. America has always had this strange habit of building disconnected places where you literally need to drive to the next store or even the same building because that's quicker than walking.
No. Basically what happened is globalism. Pittsburgh was the steel capital of the world when this mall was initially planned. It had a large middle class to support something like this at the time. There were several large steel mills within a 30 minute drive to this mall. During construction of this mall, the steel industry collapsed. Pittsburgh was decimated by that and has yet to fully recover to what it once was. My guess is it probably never will as the United States has been in a free fall since then. Middle class manufacturing jobs that once were everywhere that could support a family are basically nonexistent anymore. This is evidenced by the swathes of abandoned buildings, businesses and homes that dot a large portion of our country while we are presently experiencing record homelessness. It’s yet another symbol of the decline of the United States. I’m actually surprised this mall lasted and thrived as long as it did.
It is the largest mall to go broke and to be abandoned It is the largest failed shopping mall in the world .The others are too big to fail ! (All thanks to the outcome of the 1980 and 1984 national elections.)
did i miss the part where you mentioned that this mall is in pennsylvania. i didn't hear it mentioned in the beginning, but could guess it was in pennsylvania only because i know the historic call letters KDKA. it helps to give us info on the location when you ID a place by name. and perhaps you did, and i simply missed it. i often watch with one eye when i stream videos like this. great work on the video. including local newscasts, old commercials and images of the mall, as well as nods to its history, is greatly appreciated. i get that you can't always provide history about an abandoned house, and not all commercial businesses have good info online about their history. but too many urbex videos just show video with weak narration, and leave it at that. your efforts in this video stand out. i'll definitely check out more of your content.
i dunno if anyone posted this in the comments yet but that wasn't a sbaro, it was an Italian village pizza shop. used to love getting pizza from there. :)
I remember going there as a kid, South hills village was much closer but CIII was like the special trip for when mom and dad were feeling adventurous. There was a smallish area on the first floor that had cobble stone. There was an ice cream store and a few other food places like a mini food court. As a kid it was soo cool. In high school however, all i remember was crime, and always having to be on point to not get mugged. That is probably the main reason the mall died, the area has started coming back in reascent years, a mall like that might have been able to make a comeback. SHV is still there and doing fine as far a i know.
I live in the Pittsburgh area, and I was there many times. What a shame, it really was a beautiful mall. I knew a guy that was showing off for some girls and he jumped from the top level and broke both of his legs really bad. I remember.
I can actually remember walking around century three as a kid and young teenager, i remember sitting at the food court with my moms boyfriend, and i remember the big Z shaped ramp that lead upstairs that had a pet store nearby. Its so depressing getting older and seeing your childhood literally in ruins like this. I'm only 27 years old but i definitely understand when older people get so caught up with their past because it really is a sad feeling seeing things you used to literally frolic in as a child decay and rot away.
As a fat American I love your breads and cake. Look up Dixie Square mall, I went before the demolition, unfortunate and interesting story behind the place.
When I was a kid during the late 80s, this was my hangout. We lived close enough for a quick bike ride or a 20-min walk. Great memories at that mall, and I'm sad to see it go. During the holidays, it used to be jam packed. So many people, commerce was through the roof. I've got a tour on my channel in 2017, when it was on its last legs.
At one point century III Mall had Kauffman's department gimbels Montgomery wards Sears and JCPenney then later they had Montgomery Ward's became horns dep then to Kauffman's furniture gimbels split at one point it was TJ Maxx and wickes furniture before it became dicks then Kaufman's converted to Macy's it was a beautiful mall will never have another one like it
We had a large strip mall in Cleveland OH that was built on an old dump sight. Anchor stores were Giant Eagle grocery and a Walmart. Within months of opening, Walmart closed and all the other 12+ stores closed due to dangerous levels of methane gas leaking in and foundations seriously cracking and breaking away!
Moonbeam sucked they're the reason why the mall got run into the ground they're the reason why all their malls fall apart where is multiple opportunities for new stores
Simon didn't help either. Spent all that money to remodel but ended up not paying on the mall loan since it didn't fit their portfolio as a high end mall
No. You can actually thank the Port Authority of Allegheny County for this mall’s early decline. They made this mall a transfer point for the bus lines that went to the ghettos. That is the real cause for its early decline that few people talk about. But you can ultimately thank radical environmentalists for its and really Pittsburgh’s and the rest of the rust belt’s downfall.
@@mikee2923 Bingo the mall was already on its deathbed when Moonbeam bought it, Tyrone and Jamal from Clairton walked around the mall liked they owned it and caused trouble causing normal decent people to not go back or drive down the road to South Hills Village
I miss Century III so much; I was always excited to go there even in its dying days. South Hills Village is nice but it doesn't hit the same and the Robinson and Monroeville malls are too out of the way for me.
at the 12:48 second mark he makes a comment about cults with the spray paint circle on the floor, that is actually from Gravity Falls if you look closely you can make out some of the symbols...LOL
Last comment since this mall was near to my heart... as a teen boy in the 90s, we trolled for girls at malls, as most did. South Hills Village was known for the girls you pick up to make your girlfriend, prom date, take home to mom. Century 3 was known for the girls that would, um, go all the way! LOL
I didn’t know we had that reputation but now that I hear it, I’m not surprised 😆 My friends and I hung out at Century III every weekend in the late 80s-early 90s
@@slackingpacking it was definitely recorded before April 2023 because in this video, the mall still has power and we know that the power to the mall was shut off around mid March or early April 2023 after that fire.
@@zafarshaik3101I just don’t want RR to get the attention from the West Mifflin… the prosecutor might not care when it was filmed versus when it was posted. Either way, great video. I lived near c3 for a decade before it closed.
@@slackingpackingit does look like earlier footage, but the prosecutor might care when it was posted versus when it was filmed. RR does some great vids. Just don’t want to see click chasing wind up in court.
@@charlestonpinballarcade actually if the statue limitation is up. They cannot do anything about it , that’s how Big Bankz charges were acquitted. I talked to him personally. Trespassing in the state of Pennsylvania is two years.
Odd, that mall looks very similar on the outside to the Century mall that was near by my old town yet seemed it was owned by a different company. Our Century mall was small, essentially one long curved hall, rather wide too from I recall, with the two anchor stores on each end. They haven't tore ours down yet funny enough despite it closing down many years ago. There is tape and what not in the surroundings but again that has been there for years, could be they're still planning things.
I’ve been to this mall, ever since I was very little I remember its downfall, every time I came i noticed it got less and less busy. Every time I threw a coin in the water fountain, and then it stoped running. More and more stores kept shutting its doors and then. No more If you’ve ever been to it as I have it’s really a depressing site
@4got102c obviously you aren’t familiar with Pittsburgh. Although the downtown “Golden Triangle” business district is small compared to other cities, the suburbs are actually quite sprawling. Navigating the area is a nightmare even if you’re familiar with it. The road infrastructure of this area has hardly changed since the 1930s. For the people who live near where this mall is located it would probably take about 45 minutes or longer to get to Monroeville.
That was my mall growing up just down the road. It was wonderfull throughout the 80's. Met my wife of now 35 years there at Wilsons Leather and Suede back in 84, right out of high school. Sorry to see that the demo is underway. Gread video, thanks for taking the time to put it together.
I was just talking to my dad about how the loss of 3rd and 4th places (like malls, bars, parks, etc) is making it nearly impossible to date as a young man without using apps. It’s so hard, nobody talks in public anymore, nobody even sees each other anymore
I remember the ads for Century III from visits to my parents in Pittsburgh back in the late 1970's and 1980's. They lived on the North Side, so Century III was too far of a trip for them, especially since all the same stores could be found in the North Hills. Still, if you were in Pittsburgh at the time, Century III was hard to forget.
Our recent heatwave reminded me how nice it was to have a big indoor space nearby to go walking on a hot day. I think the last time I was in there was around 2014 or so. Only a few stores were open and the atmosphere felt so weird I never went back. 🙁
What’s interesting is back in this malls hey day nobody bothered to record on video a walk thru of it. In the 80s and 90s everybody just assumed these malls would be here forever. Nobody even contemplated that these once great malls would die. Sadly, all we seem to have left to reminisce of them in their glory days is still photos. If only we knew back then.
Need to add the Century 3 Chevrolet jingle. “Century 3 Chevrolet, Lebanon Church Rd, Pittsburgh… minutes from the mall”. Every Pittsburgher will remember it.
Thank you for the earworm 😜
She frequented a bar I went to, when people would yell it out or bring it up she would get irritated.
@@sarah_757 Welcome! lmao
Remember Willie's 🎿 shop? They had 8-10 locations at 1 point- 1960s to 2000s.
Yes sir. I remember that ad from when I was in high school in Greentree
I remember going to century III when I was young in the early 2000s during Christmas time. Even though it’s been so long I still remember many of the parts you showed. What a hit of nostalgia.
I was in middle school when it opened and spent a lot of time there with friends hanging out at the food court, National Record Mart, and Kaufmans. It was one of the best parts growing up in the 80s.
I really miss the malls of this design and style, I usually as a kid couldn't stand shopping trips for hours but interesting malls like this were an exception where I could walk for hours.
The mall was awesome in it's day. Nobody would have imagined that it wound up as it did.
@schallrd1 I drove by the other night, and it was pitch black. I remember when the parking lots were full and lit up. Especially at Christmas.
Got my first credit card in college, 1991. Promptly took the bus from school to Century Three mall for a shopping trip. Sad to see it this way. Being demolished now.
Century III is in the news more now than when it was open. Sad.
@@MrHeadbanger366 😂 I bet they played it a lot. I remember watching it on KDKA outside of Pittsburgh and WTRF in Wheeling. When I moved to Fairmont it was “To the right to the right, of the Morgantown Mall!”
@@MsThorne2009 I watch WPXI myself, that's where I kept seeing the news reports.
Great narration, with intermittent music and transitions to historical photography and back in the day news casts. 👍🏼
That mall used to have fountains back in the late 90’s and early 2000’s. Used to be beautiful and crazy busy during Christmas time. My mom passed away two years ago and this video brought back memories. Thanks for the video.
The thing that's absolutely *terrible* about this mall is the ONLY connector road in between Clairton Rd and Clairton Blvd is the Century III access road that runs alongside the site. As far as I can tell it's a part of the property and hasn't seen any service in YEARS. It is absolutely a suspension breaker nowadays. Unfortunately you have to go WELL out of your way to avoid it.
About this road. I have to use it running deliveries to from 51 & the other side. In july 2022 I hit a crater that was close to 8ft wide AND 10 inches deep! Broke a forged aluminum rim, shredded new tire at the bead, snapped oem swaybar end link in half, borked hub bearing, & tie rod end damage on that side. Somewhere around $650 in damage. July 4, 2024 got new tires. July 21st hit pot hole again at less than 25mph tire was leaking air. Rim shattered at bead! City hall just gives the run around about how they dont own it. Im like how many millions in damage to motorists have to take before they just repave then damn road. I told W. Mifflin city hall they took Moonbeam Capitals bait, so theyre guilty too! Excuses all around.
The worst road in all of Allegheny County, which is saying a lot
I don’t know how an actual road way can be privately owned. It’s frustrating. It’s like the mills mall which failed but all the roads around it are in shambles. The remaining stores still get business but getting there almost needs a four wheel drive
I have so many memories of this mall from going with my grandparents in the 2000s. Definitely a sad state it’s been left in
I seriously need to build a time machine.
That last commercial was also used at other malls. I remember that commercial from when I lived in the SF Bay Area back in the 80's/90's.
As someone who worked at malls from 1975 to 2009 it's really sad how quickly many malls just rot away. Along with so many of the mall stores. Dangerous to walk around them. I've personally visited many dead malls in Texas, Florida and the Carolina's.
It happened in Washington, PA too just 30 minutes south of Pittsburgh. The Washington Mall and the Franklin Mall (Washington Crown Center) saw the same fate. But the Tanger Outlet is thriving. It's a tourist attraction being across the street from the casino/harness racing track.
As a Pittsburgh resident in 1979 (which was the year both the Steelers and the Pirates won their respective championships), Century III was a huge deal. It was a great mall, if a little inconvenient from where we lived out by the airport). Sad to see it such decay.
I think Pittsburgh first used the sports term; City of Champions 🏆. I think the Pirates 🏴☠️ & NHL Penguins won too. 1992 or 1991.
@@DavidLLambertmobile The Penguins won in 91 and 92. The Pirates haven’t won or even been to the World Series since 1979.
Before the internet and Amazon... put a kick in the ass to these once great malls
No matter how many videos I've watched on this mall it's getting sadder each time. too much trashing of the place
Sadly, violence and crime have destroyed so many places and it has only become worse as time goes on.
Now it’s south side
It's black rule
Lol that had nothing to do with this mall closing
@@TechTokOffical It has happened to at least one mall in every U.S. city. It happened in my city. Blax started moving in. Crime at the mall went up. People stopped going and moved to less dark areas.
@@derp8575 again black people had nothing to do with the mall closing more like the utter mismanagement of Moonbean
All these malls were opening and brand new when i was a kid. Now they're gone, and I'm still here, a little worse for wear, but still looking much better than they are! 😂
@TheBigdog868 In the end its only an old BLDG that served its purpose. Moonbeam did this same thing with Voorhees Town Ctr mall" Voorhees, nj.
It was amazing being in there after the fire occurred. Such a waste of space, had potential if on line sales killed it.
It amazes me how a mall that only really lasted for about 35 years, with all the money spent on building supplies and land and everything else, how people can just write it off. I live on a 200 year old farm and I will never sell it. Just amazing how much money was lost.
Oh My God I watch every century III vid because I worked there for a short but memorable time. In that salon with the water leak!!! Thank you for going there. It wasn’t my fav salon to work at. I was in fx school so I found work closer to,school. But that salon haunts me I loved it especially the comic book store on 3rd floor.
I think the parking decks failing is what really started killing the mall, driving under a concrete building held to gether with fencing and wood did make it feel safe, i believe it was built on bad ground and had major setling issues as did the mall that over looked the city in green tree that is now gone
Really good memories in that mall during the early-mid 80's. My parents would take me and a carload of my friends (about an hour drive) there just to hangout, shop, meet girls, and just be curious teenagers. It was really an event for us considering the place was like a small city. RIP C3!!!
Miss that mall I watched them build it from the ground up now they are ripping it down so 😔
We would always hit Chi Chi's across the street before heading into the mall. So many cool stores. I remember one store with a suit of armor but can't remember what they sold there. I want to say cigars and pipe tobacco but that might be far off. Great memories!
Great video! Thank you for being respectful, unlike so many other people. Century III will be missed, but it’s definitely time to let it go.
i cut the local walmart that overlooks the mall, it’s sad every week when i look down that massive hill and see more and more of it tore down. all those memories just wiped away like nothing (edit: ill send some clips if wanted)
I moved from Pittsburgh in the summer of 1979, the Century Three Mall was still under construction at that point. I came back to Pittsburgh in 1991 and at one point worked nearby. It was still a thriving mall in the early nineties, and I shopped there pretty often during that period. I moved out of the area again for work in 2003, the mall had declined quite a bit by then, although it was still pretty busy at Christmas time. I retired and moved back into the area in 2010. I think that I visited it once or twice to buy Craftsman tools at Sears. It was in sad shape by then. I wasn't surprised that it closed, I was more surprised that it lasted as long as it did.
It is so awesome that you add videos and pictures from the past of the places you explore. I love history and watching videos of abandon places. Bravo and well done. I will be checking out your older videos you posted and look forward for new ones. Great job.
Spent my Friday nights in high school here in late 90s/early 2001s. This place was amazing, miss it dearly. Lots of memories here
Such memories! I miss that mall especially during Christmas
I had no clue this once awesome place was closed and abandoned. I haven’t been up that way in 20+ years. Pretty sad. That was such an experience for a small town West Virginia fella.
I worked at century III Mall for 2 years at Kaufman's and went through the conversion of Macy's do I still remember my keys going up to the Macy's furniture on the top level storage room saying horns department signage and bags
Century 3 had a Sears and Sears Automotive on the bottom floor at one point. Also being a South Hills resident of Pittsburgh my whole life, we went to a few malls around the area. Parkway Center, closed; Century 3, Closed; and South Hills Village, Thriving. People say the Waterfront shopping center in Homestead killed Century 3, it was the crime that did it.
I went to Monroeville Mall mainly. I rarely went to Century lll. I was never big on the Waterfront site.
Truth. When Port Authority made Century III Mall a transfer spot for bus routes to the ghettos, that was the beginning of the end. Homestead, where the Waterfront was built, had a higher crime rate than West Mifflin. I grew up in the South Hills. As a teenager in the mid 80s, it was safe to go to Century III. I preferred South Hills Village because it was closer and less crowded. I no longer live around there but understand South Hills Village, which was built before I was born, is thriving. I can remember when Century III opened. Now it’s all but gone.
@@mikee2923 I havent lost any sleep over it. When I came in 2019 It was coughing its last few breaths. What are ya'll so whiny about? It was built on a toxic waste dump!
@@mikee2923 That happened in every U.S. city. Seems deliberate in my opinion.
Definitely the crime
I have seen a lot of youtube videos on abandoned places but this is one of the first times I have seen one on a place I knew very well. This hurts my heart.
Spent most of my high school years there in the early 80’s. Left for the military then went back there while home for leave in the 90’s and was shocked with how bad it was and how much was gone. Now, living near Columbus, OH, the same thing is happening here. Tanger and Polaris are all that’s left and that ain’t saying much.
A lot of people today have no idea how amazing those food courts smelled. 🤩
These are great videos !! Really enjoy how thorough you are with the history of the malls you show . I’m Laura from Canada and here malls are still very popular places to shop . Also Bug Box store such as Wal Mart. But Malls here in Canada are booming still . Seems opposite in the US ?? Strange . ❤😊👍🏻🙌🏻
Depends on where. Where im at there are a couple still doing well. But they are dwindling.
Here in Atlanta, Cumberland Mall is doing absolutely wonderful and packed daily
Probably do to much less crime in Canada....But, Turkey Headed Trudeau will change that.
What's crazy is you unlocking a core memory with that last xmas ad in the video 😅
I worked here right out of high school. Back then every store was occupied and the place was packed almost every day of the week. I truly hope that they can re purpose that property in a way that helps the entire area it used to serve.
I agree because that would be nice!
@@john15207 Saw recently that the old building is being demolished. I'm sorry I never got to see the old place one more time.
Spent so much time here as a kid.. this is incredibly sad for me
If you want to explore a really dead mall we have one in Meriden CT called Meriden Mall. I wish I could have the stars from this mall. If they were not so arrest happy right now I would love to explore this place.
The Penguins displayed the Stanley Cup there as well as eight Super Bowls (San Francisco and Pittsburgh), a World Series trophy, a Heiden Trophy and more.
Me and my Dad took pictures when those trophies were on display there.
Loved this place as a kid. I’ll never forget the smells and sounds. ❤
7:30 OH MY GOD, of all the places, that's Phillip Pelusi, I remember running around that place while my mother dyed her hair back in 94. There was a lovely woman from England named Carrie who I'd always chat with back then. I hope she and my mother's stylist Tina are doing well.
This video was definitely shot before April 2023 as the power was shut off around that time. I get that videos people shot a while back will start to come out now as this beautiful mall awaits the demolition crews. As soon as they're done with the parking deck, it's the mall next 😭😭 although the thumbnail would've made one think it was a current video 👀 stunning presentation of the century 3 mall though.. 👌🏼👌🏼
these malls are the closest thing to a time machine for me, I love dated malls, I used to make jokes about "run down malls" but often the ones still in business have some of the best businesses around...or the worst, but the ones I go to are awesome
My childhood mall closes this month. I remember being bored out of my mind waiting for my family to finish Christmas shopping. Now I would go back in a heartbeat to walk around it when it was alive.
@@RuinRoad Video is only 22 mins. REDO and SLOW IT DOWN. The pictures are in time with the beat. Why????
So sad to see these malls closing up at an exponential rate.
I’m lucky the mall here in Fredericksburg, VA is still doing okay, but certainly nothing like it used to.
I’m sure it’s just a matter of time.
Christmas just won’t be the same without a trip to the mall.
I loved many things about this mall growing up, but my favorite was that the floors appeared as though they were platforms, with stairs all over the place. It was like if M. C. Escher designed a mall.
From the UK .This is sad to see
Also from the UK, and can say that some of our centres of similar vintage could be facing similar fates... 🏚
@@dieseldragon6756 I'm not sure if the Arndale centre is still open in central Manchester. It's tiny in comparison but last time I was there ,which was years ago,it was half empty and in a state of disrepair
I remember this Mall being constructed , And now witnessing it being torn down . Time brings down the biggest of mountains . I am sure this land will have new and exciting things to come .
It is not demolished yet, they only took down the parking decks, the building is still standing... The local news just did an update yesterday and there are no immediate plans to demo the tsructure as moonbeam, property owners, do not have the $20 mil in capital needed to demo the mall itself, so they are adding concrete blocks to seal off all the entrances until capital can be raised to level it.
Moonbeam short of capital, what a surprise!
@@augustneverends How can they spend $20 million or more to buy these properties but can't pony up $10 million to flatten them when they get derelict
Project Prom was run by the Allegheny County Department of Human Services for teens, girls and boys, who were eligible to receive the free gowns and accessories to attend prom.
Hobby Store with the Remote Helicopter That wished for X-mas so many times and i don't think it ever sold, sad. this was my childhood growing up here in Western PA. Last time i shopped there, I bought Tools At closing Sears .
Typical extravagant waste that takes place in America. It was too big and clearly not maintained with a lack of diversification to maintain it as being a hub. South Africa Johannesburg was very clever with malls. They all had financial and banking, hotels, medical suites, and office towers. This meant you never had to leave it was literally one stop shop and still is. They also added residential apartments and gated townhouses to some to ensure their survival. America has always had this strange habit of building disconnected places where you literally need to drive to the next store or even the same building because that's quicker than walking.
No. Basically what happened is globalism. Pittsburgh was the steel capital of the world when this mall was initially planned. It had a large middle class to support something like this at the time. There were several large steel mills within a 30 minute drive to this mall. During construction of this mall, the steel industry collapsed. Pittsburgh was decimated by that and has yet to fully recover to what it once was. My guess is it probably never will as the United States has been in a free fall since then. Middle class manufacturing jobs that once were everywhere that could support a family are basically nonexistent anymore. This is evidenced by the swathes of abandoned buildings, businesses and homes that dot a large portion of our country while we are presently experiencing record homelessness. It’s yet another symbol of the decline of the United States. I’m actually surprised this mall lasted and thrived as long as it did.
Was that Liz Miles in the Xmas ad? 🎄
Crazy I used to love going to this mall. It’s wild how stuff changes
Project Prom used to be Foot Locker before it moved downstairs by Steve and Barry’s
It was such a nice mall. I remember Richard Simmons being there lol
i blame online shopping for this as well
At the time of its construction it was the 3rd largest shopping mall in the world, not the largest.
It is the largest mall to go broke and to be abandoned It is the largest failed shopping mall in the world .The others are too big to fail ! (All thanks to the outcome of the 1980 and 1984 national elections.)
did i miss the part where you mentioned that this mall is in pennsylvania. i didn't hear it mentioned in the beginning, but could guess it was in pennsylvania only because i know the historic call letters KDKA. it helps to give us info on the location when you ID a place by name. and perhaps you did, and i simply missed it. i often watch with one eye when i stream videos like this.
great work on the video. including local newscasts, old commercials and images of the mall, as well as nods to its history, is greatly appreciated. i get that you can't always provide history about an abandoned house, and not all commercial businesses have good info online about their history. but too many urbex videos just show video with weak narration, and leave it at that. your efforts in this video stand out.
i'll definitely check out more of your content.
i dunno if anyone posted this in the comments yet but that wasn't a sbaro, it was an Italian village pizza shop. used to love getting pizza from there. :)
It was originally named Scotto's pizza..."Stretch" Lyons worked there for what seems like an eternity
CHURRO STAND AT THE BOTTOM OF THE ESCALATOR!!!
Also, anyone remember Bill & Walt’s hobby shop? That’s where my comic book love began.
I remember going there as a kid, South hills village was much closer but CIII was like the special trip for when mom and dad were feeling adventurous. There was a smallish area on the first floor that had cobble stone. There was an ice cream store and a few other food places like a mini food court. As a kid it was soo cool. In high school however, all i remember was crime, and always having to be on point to not get mugged. That is probably the main reason the mall died, the area has started coming back in reascent years, a mall like that might have been able to make a comeback. SHV is still there and doing fine as far a i know.
I live in the Pittsburgh area, and I was there many times. What a shame, it really was a beautiful mall. I knew a guy that was showing off for some girls and he jumped from the top level and broke both of his legs really bad. I remember.
I can actually remember walking around century three as a kid and young teenager, i remember sitting at the food court with my moms boyfriend, and i remember the big Z shaped ramp that lead upstairs that had a pet store nearby. Its so depressing getting older and seeing your childhood literally in ruins like this. I'm only 27 years old but i definitely understand when older people get so caught up with their past because it really is a sad feeling seeing things you used to literally frolic in as a child decay and rot away.
As soon as you said Moonbeam, it was obvious why the mall died. Moonbeam is the kiss of death for malls.
As a Brit I love learning about your shopping malls he really looked awsome
As a fat American I love your breads and cake. Look up Dixie Square mall, I went before the demolition, unfortunate and interesting story behind the place.
It was. I'm three years older than the mall. We lived on the other side of the city, so it was a treat to go to Century III.
That was such a fun place back in the 80's.
When I was a kid during the late 80s, this was my hangout. We lived close enough for a quick bike ride or a 20-min walk. Great memories at that mall, and I'm sad to see it go. During the holidays, it used to be jam packed. So many people, commerce was through the roof. I've got a tour on my channel in 2017, when it was on its last legs.
The wayback machine. ;). Thanks for video.
I peed my pants in that mall the day my grandma died.
Spent many of Friday and Saturday night there as a teenager.
I used to setup the Christmas train there! I remember when they put the double decker carousel in! I thought it was so cool!
I live 2 hours away from century 3 mall and I’ve heard a lot about it on the news I’ve never been to the mall before
At one point century III Mall had Kauffman's department gimbels Montgomery wards Sears and JCPenney then later they had Montgomery Ward's became horns dep then to Kauffman's furniture gimbels split at one point it was TJ Maxx and wickes furniture before it became dicks then Kaufman's converted to Macy's it was a beautiful mall will never have another one like it
We had a large strip mall in Cleveland OH that was built on an old dump sight. Anchor stores were Giant Eagle grocery and a Walmart. Within months of opening, Walmart closed and all the other 12+ stores closed due to dangerous levels of methane gas leaking in and foundations seriously cracking and breaking away!
This mall had jcpenney Macy's (kaufmann's) Sears mountgumery ward & gimbls
As always great job guys....
greetsz from holland....max
I miss the malls of the 80s and early-mid 90s
All good things come to an end. Sad.
Moonbeam sucked they're the reason why the mall got run into the ground they're the reason why all their malls fall apart where is multiple opportunities for new stores
Simon didn't help either. Spent all that money to remodel but ended up not paying on the mall loan since it didn't fit their portfolio as a high end mall
No. You can actually thank the Port Authority of Allegheny County for this mall’s early decline. They made this mall a transfer point for the bus lines that went to the ghettos. That is the real cause for its early decline that few people talk about. But you can ultimately thank radical environmentalists for its and really Pittsburgh’s and the rest of the rust belt’s downfall.
Absolutely right!! The ghettos are the reasons malls, amusement parks and gorgeous old movie theatre's closed !! They destroy everything they touch !!
@@mikee2923 Bingo
the mall was already on its deathbed when Moonbeam bought it, Tyrone and Jamal from Clairton walked around the mall liked they owned it and caused trouble causing normal decent people to not go back or drive down the road to South Hills Village
Great tribute to C3.
I miss Century III so much; I was always excited to go there even in its dying days. South Hills Village is nice but it doesn't hit the same and the Robinson and Monroeville malls are too out of the way for me.
at the 12:48 second mark he makes a comment about cults with the spray paint circle on the floor, that is actually from Gravity Falls if you look closely you can make out some of the symbols...LOL
Last comment since this mall was near to my heart... as a teen boy in the 90s, we trolled for girls at malls, as most did. South Hills Village was known for the girls you pick up to make your girlfriend, prom date, take home to mom. Century 3 was known for the girls that would, um, go all the way! LOL
I didn’t know we had that reputation but now that I hear it, I’m not surprised 😆 My friends and I hung out at Century III every weekend in the late 80s-early 90s
Great video but bad idea posting this with West Mifflin still going after trespassers. A court date is not worth the chase for a few clicks.
Maybe this footage is from 2022.. 🤔.
@@slackingpacking it was definitely recorded before April 2023 because in this video, the mall still has power and we know that the power to the mall was shut off around mid March or early April 2023 after that fire.
@@zafarshaik3101I just don’t want RR to get the attention from the West Mifflin… the prosecutor might not care when it was filmed versus when it was posted. Either way, great video. I lived near c3 for a decade before it closed.
@@slackingpackingit does look like earlier footage, but the prosecutor might care when it was posted versus when it was filmed. RR does some great vids. Just don’t want to see click chasing wind up in court.
@@charlestonpinballarcade actually if the statue limitation is up. They cannot do anything about it , that’s how Big Bankz charges were acquitted. I talked to him personally. Trespassing in the state of Pennsylvania is two years.
This is so underrated
Hated going there Xmas shopping, too crowded. Lot full.
Miss those days of walking that mall. Time is depressing
Odd, that mall looks very similar on the outside to the Century mall that was near by my old town yet seemed it was owned by a different company. Our Century mall was small, essentially one long curved hall, rather wide too from I recall, with the two anchor stores on each end. They haven't tore ours down yet funny enough despite it closing down many years ago. There is tape and what not in the surroundings but again that has been there for years, could be they're still planning things.
I’ve been to this mall, ever since I was very little I remember its downfall, every time I came i noticed it got less and less busy. Every time I threw a coin in the water fountain, and then it stoped running. More and more stores kept shutting its doors and then. No more
If you’ve ever been to it as I have it’s really a depressing site
Pittsburgh had the Monroeville Mall. Wasn't that adequate for everybody or was this huge behemoth of a mall needed. Ambitious but short-sighted.
376 had all kinds of casual dining spots, stores, Monroeville Mall, movie theater. Evergreens 🥡 buffet was ✅️.
@4got102c obviously you aren’t familiar with Pittsburgh. Although the downtown “Golden Triangle” business district is small compared to other cities, the suburbs are actually quite sprawling. Navigating the area is a nightmare even if you’re familiar with it. The road infrastructure of this area has hardly changed since the 1930s. For the people who live near where this mall is located it would probably take about 45 minutes or longer to get to Monroeville.
19:29 I feel so bad for the owner of that toy, forgetting it 1 day, and then never seeing it again.