You posted this right as I was taking my lunch break...made for a super chill meal. I echo your sentiments about the '90s being the last vestige of those simpler times. On occasion I do miss them...you didn't feel like you had to keep up with the entire planet 24/7/365. It was OK to go outside and play in the woods, think about how things work, be creative. Today those things seem like a waste of time because we feel like we should be accomplishing something constructive and measurable every minute, but how often do we really understand the motivations for what we do? Your videos allow me to escape to those earlier times, through a lens dusty with the cruft of years gone by. Thanks for that opportunity.
There are some buckets, true. But overall, that mall seems to be in respectable shape given it´s age. And it looks like there were no major overhauls. I´m no expert, but it looks in pretty decent shape for something built 30 years ago. I think nobody would yell "Captain, we´re loosing structural integrity, fast!" :) If I were an investor, I´d think about rejuvenating this mall. Well-made, still customers in there. Sounds reasonable.
Such a great time as a teenager growing up in Pohat and going to the Pburg mall. Playing cards in the food court and such. Be it Magic the gathering or whatever. Damn you H&M for taking the food court away lol. Sad to see it fade away. Such great memories. Awesome video and I’m subscribing.
Dude... I never comment on UA-cam but dang, I watched a lot of similar vids from others channel but IMHO they are no match with your channel. Your content is simply amazing! The way you edit your vids and narrate on them is perfect! Way to go!
i just recently discover your channel, and i need to say bravo. There is beauty, poetry, a gentle eye and some very strong nostalgia in your content. Thoses malls are but a symbol ofc, but so much is behind thoses, an entire era each time. All the researchs you did and the narration travel you back in time in a very good way too. Finding your channel made my day, keep on doing thoses logs, you diserved more views.
IMO, You are tops when it comes to chronicling these decaying relics. The joy and sadness attached to these places. The memories, the loss, the cruelty in many of the crimes that are a part of their history. You showcase that better than anyone. One or two others may discover awesome stuff. Several cars stuffed in with mowing equipment that likely were bought with money borrowed to finance the mall but your research and presentation is impeccable.
Thank you for doing this. I grew up there/that area and this mall used to be so awesome. You could find anything you needed there. They had a massive food court with a merry go round, other kid rides and arcade games, and a huge water foundation. Always decorated so nicely with events for the kids on holidays. It made for a great family outing. I remember when they started closing the food court and you could just tell a major change was coming and it wasn’t good. Little by little they got rid of more and more until this... the whole area has gone through massive changes. Definitely miss the simplicity of those days.
So sad that Sears closed especially for the employees. Always wanted to go to a Sears never have the chance now. One day I will visit an American Mall just have to get to America first ,just 5000 plus miles or so. Thank you Sal I find your films very interesting.
With every new release, your content keeps on getting more interesting and entertaining. You are becoming a great doc filmmaker, Sal. I really liked the addition of the what and who trends were popular that year. It was cool to be reminded of these things again. I cannot wait to see what you have in store for us for the holiday special. As always thanks for sharing. Happy Thanksgiving my friend 🍻🥐🍗🥗🥧
Sal I have said it before and I will say it again. For best Postings on You Tube the award goes to Salvatore Amadeo. Thank you. Great job! You are capturing part of American history. Love you man keep up the great work.
I did not live too far from this location growing up. I remember the sign for the mall "coming soon" being there for years and years and wondering if they would ever build it!! It opened my Senior year in High School, and I remember it opening and shopping there a good bit, even though my preference was for the bigger Pennsylvania malls. Having moved out of the area, I haven't been there in many, many years. I appreciate the video, even though it is sad to see this mall on the decline.
Thats just like the warden woods mall in east toronto where I grew up. The malls developer bought the land in 73 n mall didn't open until 81. That malls long gone now replaced by town homes not long after 1 of those day of the living dead remakes was filmed there.
I grew up in that mall in the mid 90s. It was awesome. There was a huge, sun lit food court, where the H&M is/was. On one end of the food court was an indoor carousel that was beautifully carved. The music rang throughout the mall. And on the opposite side was the arcade. A place called "Tilt!" I spent my allowance there a few times a month while parents had a few beers at the bar that used to be inside the mall. Where your Old Navy used to be.
This was the mall I was a mallrat at. Used to work in a few of the stores as well. Recent news is the roof collapse by Sears (they have blocked off that portion) and a roller derby is using the Old Navy spot for practice.
Your voice on narration is so good it makes dead and dying malls interesting and we keep watching! Thanks and keep up the good work! Have fun on your Gulf tour!
Sal, I stumbled on your site by accident and was drawn in. My wife asked what the heck I was watching so often and can't imagine why the interest. I have come to appreciate the detective work you do on the backgrounds of the sites you visit. The way you describe what other events were happening during the development and demise of the malls is a real memory blast. You clearly have a passion for what you're doing and it shows. Thanks
If I've never said this before, I love the color-selected intros you've started using--I'm obsessed with taking stills using that setting and the video looks amazing. Another awesome entry in the best dead mall series on the interwebs.
I love your videos, Sal, you do them up right, so no one gets bored watching. If you want to see a mall that rose from the dead, come to Camp Hill, PA and check out the Capital City Mall. They've made chicken salad out of chicken shit, every time a major store left, it was replaced with a more successful store. Old Navy left, Dave & Busters moved in, and the lines are out the door.
Hi, Sal our mall here in Janesville WI, is also on its last leg I fear. The mall was built like many in the early '70s with Mongomery Ward's being the first building built with the mall and other anchors to follow. With Sears and Pennys among them. According to a news release from Sears Holdings, our Sears here will close by the end of the year. So Pennys is gone. replaced by a Dick's Sporting Goods using 1/2 of the building, Wards is gone replaced by a Khols and a Boston store. Most of the small stores and boutiques are gone. Of course, Radio Shack and Waldon Books are closed. Like you say I just don't see this mall having a lot more time. Although Kholes is doing well and may keep the mall doors open This is a modest mall not very large and not high vaulted ceilings having only one level I enjoy your stories on malls, but I also find them very sad. Guess I just don't like sad endings. lol Dave
It's sad, how so many of those smaller city Midwest malls like Janesville Mall are more and more struggling. I hope malls like this one, are able to hang on.
@@sal Nothing wrong with the snow. It´s more like an addition to a common theme ( b/w intro with a singled out colour coming trough ). Like your trademark would be pasta with tomato sauce. Pasta with tomato sauce and garlic, still looks like your trademark, or pasta with tomato sauce with chilies. Or pasta with bolognese sauce. I guess you totally misunderstood me ( which is easy, because english is not my native language, and I´m far from perfect writing english ). What I meant: I see " b/w with one colour highlighted Intro", wait, that must be one of Sal´s videos! :) Added snow, or flying toasters... Are fine as long as you keep that " b/w with one-colour-only filter only " style of Intro. This is your trademark. Man, english is hard. Basically, I wasn´t criticizing you, I was encouraging you. Please continue with the " b/w with one colour highlighted Intro " and do whatever variations to it you wish.
Last time I went 4 years ago it wasn't too bad but I guess a lot changed. You should check out the mall in Reading PA. There was Schuylkill mall but they knocked it down last December.
And a year later, on January 29, 2021 it was confirmed that the mall will in fact soon start being demolished and will likely be fully gone by June of this year.
I remember this mall opening. I also remember driving to the Lehigh Valley Mall even though the Phillipsburg mall was closer. Thanks again Sal, another adventure i was happy to experience
Great mall walkthrough, of Phillipsburg Mall! So was someone else on facebook not long ago right, who said Black Rose has often taken over anchor spaces in other Crown American malls after an anchor tenant leaves? I think that was an interesting way, to fill in the Penney's space. And I've never quite lucked out and saw a skateboarder inside a mall, so that was a shocker to see! Love that the blue neon remains, on the ceiling of this mall. I do have to say I find it interesting that unlike other department store chains, Kohl's hasn't done as many store closings vs. other department store chains. And on a note of Kohl's store closings, I was really surprised that in 2016 when they closed down the Charlestowne Mall(Saint Charles, IL) Kohl's, that others in dead malls didn't also close, particularly the one at Forest Fair/Cincinnati Mills in the Cincy area. Love these videos, and keep them coming!
@@sal Sears doesn't have long to live it seems in the U.S. .Here in western Canada Sears stores have all been closed since January of 2018. There was a location close to me that had been in operation since 1958 and was virtually unchanged in terms of any kind of renovation, interior or exterior. I really wish I had taken the time to capture the store on video before it closed.
Signs that a mall is dying (or dead): buckets catching water from leaking roof, fountains are turned off, plants look neglected and/or dying, bargain/thrift/fleamarket type stores occupy places once national chain stores, and a tacky massage parlor opens up.
I was just at the West Edmonton Mall in Alberta, Canada and it is doing blockbuster gang buster super duper business. Christmas business is going through the roof and there are very popular wave pools, zip gliding, amusement park , petting zoo on weekends and stores galore. The West Edmonton Mall is featured on a sweatshirt at one of the kiosks selling items that reads, "West Edmonton Mall the 8th Wonder of the World" and it is amazing.
OMG, I'm right across the river in PA from this mall. The Kay's, Bon-Ton, Old Navy, and a few more things have vanished since. They're cracking down on video takers right now (as I'm guilty but not yet caught), but if you want mall info or updates, look me up.
I knew I recognized those back roads. From Route 46 in Ledgewood to the Pburg Mall, I'm very familiar with the route you took. That's how I would get there too. Thanks for another great video. It's been YEARS since I've been to that mall.
Awesome vid sal... check out Charlestown mall in Illinois... awesome place I used to go to but it’s now a giant dead mall and pretty much the cinema is the only thing that’s there...
Then we go to Jackson, MS to the Metrocenter mall, back to Houston to Plaza Paseo, Baton Rouge to the Cortana Mall, and finally one last time to Houston again to the Greenspoint mall :)
Right where you entered, to the right was an outlooks hair salon. My mother in law worked there for along time until regis took over, then she moved to the regis salon toward the middle of the mall
Another awesome mall video. It’s still hard to believe that mall like this could end up so empty. People obviously stopped shopping there. Did a Walmart open?
I went there a few days before Halloween! The stores from the Sears to the former Cafe Europa (I think it's called Bruno's now) were blocked off by benches and plants.
The Sears is now demolished and the former BonTon is next on the list. There’s only a few stores left. If you’re planning on going back I’d go soon. Don’t know how much longer it’ll open
The local mall near me did the same thing. Got rid of food court forcing out half dozen paying tenants to bring in a sport check which violated exclusivity clause the sports store right across the hall had. They moved out n that units still empty 8 years later. It's a dead mall now since Zellers was bought out by Target more than 7 years ago (target failed here in Canada less than a year later) leaving 2 of the 3 anchors dead (sears went poof in 2018 up here too). The internet didn't kill either of these malls, craptacular greedy decisions did that all on their own.
Sal, yet ANOTHER excellent piece of entertainment / historical commentary. I especially love the shots where you're able to cozy your camera up to a small crack between doors or panels and show us the mess behind the closed doors; it's a cool technique, and you've perfected it! One question: is that weird Italian cafe -- the one that freaked out Dan Bell, down by Sears -- still there? It was closed a while back, but it was one strange place... Keep up the great work, my friend!
Gave several of your viewers thumbs up for their comments. I love your commercials! Unfortunately a lot of big box retailers are going down. I personally like the shopping experience, but a lot of people are ordering from their couches because they are to lazy to get up and do anything....... their goods are delivered to their front door. I am sure this will become the norm, why drive 10 miles and walk, when it can be delivered to your lazy ass front door, at a better price? Language, sorry! Enjoyed the explore and thanks for sharing so much history! Your narration is unique and enjoyable. Gave thumbs up!
I don’t think it’s that simple. It’s a combination of a LOT of factors, not the least of which is a shift in demographics, location, tenants (stores), and other retail competition (both B&M and online). The malls that thrive are ones that go beyond just getting in any retail location they can get and are going out to get retail shops that people want, especially the key shops that will pull in others. The other key is variety for different types of people, especially having something for everybody in the family. What helps the decline is when occupancy trumps retail strategy and they accept any store that comes along. So now the mall looks full, but has over a dozen stores that appeal to nobody. The malls near me that thrive seem to understand this - the ones that don’t are closing.
Hey Sal. Another great and informative video. Looking at this mall, I am reminded a lot of Washington Crown Center mall in Washington PA. The layout looks almost identical. I did some research, but not sure if it was designed and built by the same company.
Nice to see this. In the Netherlands we don’t have many malls. Never had. We shop in de town centre and of course now online. I like to see your youtube video’s :-), because we have no (dead) malls.
Many modern malls built after the 90's or have been renovated are still standing and have excellent foot traffic. The malls that got left behind are those in the suburbs that failed to invest money on renovation. The malls in California and densely populated areas are doing better than ever. Though, with that said, I would like you to consider a small one off project to compare and contrast the malls that innovate and invest money on renovation and updates are able to compete. This will serve as a good remind to us all, no matter what we do, that we must constantly find ways to invest in ourselves and innovate in order to stay relevant and stay alive in the competitive world.
tyau1234 That's why it's just stunning how bad this place has declined over the years. I live nearby, so I've been following this mall's story for a while.
tyau1234 Thanks. But at the rate the mall's losing stores, and not well maintained anymore, I think it's fair to say the owners are just gonna let it die now. If that's the case, despite these past several declining years, it had a good 30 year run for it's time.
Those bizarre dressing rooms! Can you imagine women actually changing their clothes in front of the public? I bet their were a lot of voyeurs in that store. Soooo creepy.
Clay3613 Sadly, on December 23, all remaining tenants must evict within a month. It finally appears the end is officially near for this 30 year old now struggling shopping center.
You could take some of these smaller stores in the malls and turn them into homes and put groceries stores in some and home improvement stores in some of them and do so much more what a waste of money. Do you know how many homes you could build out of just the lower level of some of these abandoned malls?
Well, you can tell they gave up on having security if there's someone skateboarding around inside the mall. Usually anyone that did that in an open mall with security, they'd be stopped pretty quick. I do miss the 80s/90s when technology didn't control everything in our lives and we all actually did stuff outside. Played with toys, hung out with friends at places such as this mall, went to movie theaters, etc, etc... You have to wonder in particular how retail...stores in general are going to be like in another 5 years. I mean even grocery stores are dying (at least around me) because every business just about sells groceries now.
Absolutely. I actually decided to drive out there the other day on a day off I had, but the weather turned gnarly and what would’ve been a 3 hour trip took me 9 hours...I’ll revisit soon!!!
Sal where do you find all these craptasticles movies from the 70's to 90's? Where you the guy who bought up the 99 cent shelves in all the blockbusters as they closed? Or do you find them all on the tubi tv n amazon prime apps?
This should have been a successful mall. It has a convenient location. The mall is within one half hour of almost all of Warren County and northern Hunterdon County. The closes malls in New Jersey are each approximately 45 miles from Phillipsburg. Outer Northern New Jersey including Warren and Hunterdon counties have seen continuous population growth of people moving there from the more populous parts of Northern New Jersey closer to New York. This section of New Jersey has always been prosperous. In my opinion the mall was poorly managed and never promoted well. As a result it never found its niche at the eastern edge of the Lehigh Valley out beyond suburban northern New Jersey.
There are also two other malls nearby, the Palmer Park Mall and the Lehigh Valley Mall. The town faced other difficulties economically with the closing of Ingersoll Rand and Bethlehem Steel, plus add in the convenience of Amazon making people less inclined to go there. The Pburg Mall held it's own back in the day but honestly, it was never a contender.
You posted this right as I was taking my lunch break...made for a super chill meal. I echo your sentiments about the '90s being the last vestige of those simpler times. On occasion I do miss them...you didn't feel like you had to keep up with the entire planet 24/7/365. It was OK to go outside and play in the woods, think about how things work, be creative. Today those things seem like a waste of time because we feel like we should be accomplishing something constructive and measurable every minute, but how often do we really understand the motivations for what we do? Your videos allow me to escape to those earlier times, through a lens dusty with the cruft of years gone by. Thanks for that opportunity.
@1977Melville There were a couple of terrorist attacks though.
1993 World Trade Center Bombing and 1995 Oklahoma City Bombing.
It always seems like the kiss of death when the buckets start appearing in the halls.
There are some buckets, true.
But overall, that mall seems to be in respectable shape given it´s age. And it looks like there were no major overhauls.
I´m no expert, but it looks in pretty decent shape for something built 30 years ago.
I think nobody would yell "Captain, we´re loosing structural integrity, fast!" :)
If I were an investor, I´d think about rejuvenating this mall. Well-made, still customers in there. Sounds reasonable.
Again, this was January 2018, and since then they’ve lost two Senior Anchors, and several in line tenants. Update video coming in December :)
It hurt my soul to hear you mispronounce Van Halen.
Wait what? How the hell did I pronounce it?
@@sal Van Hal-en like the hal computer from 2001 instead of Van Halen putting the emphasis on Hale-n
You're so right about the 1990s being the end of simplicity. Man, I miss those days. Thanks again for another great video.
I feel exactly the same. The 80's were definately my time even though I was a nearly broke teenager.
Such a great time as a teenager growing up in Pohat and going to the Pburg mall. Playing cards in the food court and such. Be it Magic the gathering or whatever. Damn you H&M for taking the food court away lol. Sad to see it fade away. Such great memories. Awesome video and I’m subscribing.
Dude... I never comment on UA-cam but dang, I watched a lot of similar vids from others channel but IMHO they are no match with your channel. Your content is simply amazing! The way you edit your vids and narrate on them is perfect! Way to go!
Agreed. It´s the narration that sticks out.
Hey, thanks!
Sal Always awesome.
i just recently discover your channel, and i need to say bravo. There is beauty, poetry, a gentle eye and some very strong nostalgia in your content. Thoses malls are but a symbol ofc, but so much is behind thoses, an entire era each time. All the researchs you did and the narration travel you back in time in a very good way too. Finding your channel made my day, keep on doing thoses logs, you diserved more views.
Merci, Thibault!!
IMO, You are tops when it comes to chronicling these decaying relics. The joy and sadness attached to these places. The memories, the loss, the cruelty in many of the crimes that are a part of their history. You showcase that better than anyone. One or two others may discover awesome stuff. Several cars stuffed in with mowing equipment that likely were bought with money borrowed to finance the mall but your research and presentation is impeccable.
Thank you, Gregory!
Thank you for doing this. I grew up there/that area and this mall used to be so awesome. You could find anything you needed there. They had a massive food court with a merry go round, other kid rides and arcade games, and a huge water foundation. Always decorated so nicely with events for the kids on holidays. It made for a great family outing. I remember when they started closing the food court and you could just tell a major change was coming and it wasn’t good. Little by little they got rid of more and more until this... the whole area has gone through massive changes. Definitely miss the simplicity of those days.
So sad that Sears closed especially for the employees. Always wanted to go to a Sears never have the chance now. One day I will visit an American Mall just have to get to America first ,just 5000 plus miles or so. Thank you Sal I find your films very interesting.
That Hai karate commercial has been haunting my memory for the last 30 + years until this video... literally just stood back in time
With every new release, your content keeps on getting more interesting and entertaining. You are becoming a great doc filmmaker, Sal. I really liked the addition of the what and who trends were popular that year. It was cool to be reminded of these things again. I cannot wait to see what you have in store for us for the holiday special. As always thanks for sharing. Happy Thanksgiving my friend 🍻🥐🍗🥗🥧
Happy Thanksgiving!!
Do you think that the first sign that a mall is dying is when it loses its food courts ? Maybe they should count as an anchor ?
Sal I have said it before and I will say it again. For best Postings on You Tube the award goes to Salvatore Amadeo. Thank you. Great job! You are capturing part of American history. Love you man keep up the great work.
I did not live too far from this location growing up. I remember the sign for the mall "coming soon" being there for years and years and wondering if they would ever build it!!
It opened my Senior year in High School, and I remember it opening and shopping there a good bit, even though my preference was for the bigger Pennsylvania malls.
Having moved out of the area, I haven't been there in many, many years. I appreciate the video, even though it is sad to see this mall on the decline.
Thats just like the warden woods mall in east toronto where I grew up. The malls developer bought the land in 73 n mall didn't open until 81. That malls long gone now replaced by town homes not long after 1 of those day of the living dead remakes was filmed there.
I grew up in that mall in the mid 90s. It was awesome. There was a huge, sun lit food court, where the H&M is/was. On one end of the food court was an indoor carousel that was beautifully carved. The music rang throughout the mall. And on the opposite side was the arcade. A place called "Tilt!" I spent my allowance there a few times a month while parents had a few beers at the bar that used to be inside the mall. Where your Old Navy used to be.
When the food court floundered, that was the beginning of the end.
Two times you'll ever see a store make its profits back: Black Friday and a Store Closing Sale
This was the mall I was a mallrat at. Used to work in a few of the stores as well. Recent news is the roof collapse by Sears (they have blocked off that portion) and a roller derby is using the Old Navy spot for practice.
Your voice on narration is so good it makes dead and dying malls interesting and we keep watching! Thanks and keep up the good work! Have fun on your Gulf tour!
Sal, I stumbled on your site by accident and was drawn in. My wife asked what the heck I was watching so often and can't imagine why the interest. I have come to appreciate the detective work you do on the backgrounds of the sites you visit. The way you describe what other events were happening during the development and demise of the malls is a real memory blast. You clearly have a passion for what you're doing and it shows. Thanks
Hey thanks, David! I’ve got some really really cool stuff coming up, so stay tuned!!
If I've never said this before, I love the color-selected intros you've started using--I'm obsessed with taking stills using that setting and the video looks amazing. Another awesome entry in the best dead mall series on the interwebs.
I love your videos, Sal, you do them up right, so no one gets bored watching. If you want to see a mall that rose from the dead, come to Camp Hill, PA and check out the Capital City Mall. They've made chicken salad out of chicken shit, every time a major store left, it was replaced with a more successful store. Old Navy left, Dave & Busters moved in, and the lines are out the door.
Hi, Sal our mall here in Janesville WI, is also on its last leg I fear. The mall was built like many in the early '70s with Mongomery Ward's being the first building built with the mall and other anchors to follow. With Sears and Pennys among them. According to a news release from Sears Holdings, our Sears here will close by the end of the year. So Pennys is gone. replaced by a Dick's Sporting Goods using 1/2 of the building, Wards is gone replaced by a Khols and a Boston store. Most of the small stores and boutiques are gone. Of course, Radio Shack and Waldon Books are closed. Like you say I just don't see this mall having a lot more time. Although Kholes is doing well and may keep the mall doors open This is a modest mall not very large and not high vaulted ceilings having only one level I enjoy your stories on malls, but I also find them very sad. Guess I just don't like sad endings. lol Dave
It's sad, how so many of those smaller city Midwest malls like Janesville Mall are more and more struggling. I hope malls like this one, are able to hang on.
The intro in b/w with only *one* visible colour has become kind of a "trademark" of your videos.
Please keep em that way.
The snow is only for the winter season :) I’ll make sure to stick to my standard :)
@@sal Nothing wrong with the snow. It´s more like an addition to a common theme ( b/w intro with a singled out colour coming trough ).
Like your trademark would be pasta with tomato sauce. Pasta with tomato sauce and garlic, still looks like your trademark, or pasta with tomato sauce with chilies. Or pasta with bolognese sauce.
I guess you totally misunderstood me ( which is easy, because english is not my native language, and I´m far from perfect writing english ). What I meant: I see " b/w with one colour highlighted Intro", wait, that must be one of Sal´s videos! :)
Added snow, or flying toasters... Are fine as long as you keep that " b/w with one-colour-only filter only " style of Intro. This is your trademark.
Man, english is hard. Basically, I wasn´t criticizing you, I was encouraging you. Please continue with the " b/w with one colour highlighted Intro " and do whatever variations to it you wish.
So did Paul Blart go after you first or the skateboarder?
He grabbed a skateboard and did a switch tre flip and then to a nose manual across the entire mall.
@@sal We only needed to see a rollerblader(or skater), to make this video a little more complete! Seeing a skateboarder was still great, though.
Last time I went 4 years ago it wasn't too bad but I guess a lot changed. You should check out the mall in Reading PA. There was Schuylkill mall but they knocked it down last December.
So awesome that you came to our little area....thank you
Your content is never disappointing
The remaining tenants were issued an eviction notice on Christmas Eve 2019. All stores were to be vacated within 30 days. The mall is officially dead.
And a year later, on January 29, 2021 it was confirmed that the mall will in fact soon start being demolished and will likely be fully gone by June of this year.
The Taco Bell right outside the mall, however, is one of the best I've ever been to. Super clean and they never fuck up my order.
I remember this mall opening. I also remember driving to the Lehigh Valley Mall even though the Phillipsburg mall was closer. Thanks again Sal, another adventure i was happy to experience
Great mall walkthrough, of Phillipsburg Mall! So was someone else on facebook not long ago right, who said Black Rose has often taken over anchor spaces in other Crown American malls after an anchor tenant leaves? I think that was an interesting way, to fill in the Penney's space. And I've never quite lucked out and saw a skateboarder inside a mall, so that was a shocker to see! Love that the blue neon remains, on the ceiling of this mall.
I do have to say I find it interesting that unlike other department store chains, Kohl's hasn't done as many store closings vs. other department store chains. And on a note of Kohl's store closings, I was really surprised that in 2016 when they closed down the Charlestowne Mall(Saint Charles, IL) Kohl's, that others in dead malls didn't also close, particularly the one at Forest Fair/Cincinnati Mills in the Cincy area. Love these videos, and keep them coming!
Your in-depth historical narrative on these malls is really impressive. Sal.
Thank you! Much more on the way!
@@sal Sears doesn't have long to live it seems in the U.S. .Here in western Canada Sears stores have all been closed since January of 2018. There was a location close to me that had been in operation since 1958 and was virtually unchanged in terms of any kind of renovation, interior or exterior. I really wish I had taken the time to capture the store on video before it closed.
Another sick video, only criticism I would say is....the way...nah You're doing a great job. You my amico are killing it!
Thankyou sal for making these great show pieces. (now that dan bell has gone full corp.)
At least there were some people there, in most malls you don't even see that. Although there are probably not many left now...
Signs that a mall is dying (or dead): buckets catching water from leaking roof, fountains are turned off, plants look neglected and/or dying, bargain/thrift/fleamarket type stores occupy places once national chain stores, and a tacky massage parlor opens up.
All valid signs of a dying mall!!!
I was just at the West Edmonton Mall in Alberta, Canada and it is doing blockbuster gang buster super duper business. Christmas business is going through the roof and there are very popular wave pools, zip gliding, amusement park , petting zoo on weekends and stores galore. The West Edmonton Mall is featured on a sweatshirt at one of the kiosks selling items that reads, "West Edmonton Mall the 8th Wonder of the World" and it is amazing.
uncleelmer Not as nice as it was in the 80’s/90’s
Did any of those creepy dolls follow you around the shops?
Yes...
Black Rose Antiques and Collectibles is also in a mall in Hanover, PA at least up to 2004 as I moved out of the area.
OMG, I'm right across the river in PA from this mall. The Kay's, Bon-Ton, Old Navy, and a few more things have vanished since. They're cracking down on video takers right now (as I'm guilty but not yet caught), but if you want mall info or updates, look me up.
Also thank you for the heavy research into the back story, sooo much digging!
I live in Germany and I'm never going to visit these places, why am I so addicted to watching dead mall videos?!
I knew I recognized those back roads. From Route 46 in Ledgewood to the Pburg Mall, I'm very familiar with the route you took. That's how I would get there too. Thanks for another great video. It's been YEARS since I've been to that mall.
We really did play in ditches. All the time. That was so spot on.
Awesome vid sal... check out Charlestown mall in Illinois... awesome place I used to go to but it’s now a giant dead mall and pretty much the cinema is the only thing that’s there...
I lived near and worked at this mall when I was a teenager.
Patiently waiting for southern malls. 🤗
Recording the voiceover for San Jacinto in Houston at this very moment. Rendering it tonight, releasing tomorrow :)
@@sal *mind blown*
Then we go to Jackson, MS to the Metrocenter mall, back to Houston to Plaza Paseo, Baton Rouge to the Cortana Mall, and finally one last time to Houston again to the Greenspoint mall :)
I hate that every other Crown American Mall looks nicer than the one where I live lol. Ours has that cardinal sin of carpeting in the hallways.
Right where you entered, to the right was an outlooks hair salon. My mother in law worked there for along time until regis took over, then she moved to the regis salon toward the middle of the mall
That skylight is beautiful! So nostalgic
i want to get in on the sears computer sale. They're probably like Tandy 386's.
Funny!
Eric Eberle Too late.
This Sears location closed here back in January 2018.
@@RYMAN1321 They are probably at the local landfill now. Wait! New Jersey? They for sure are at the local landfill now.
Support your local shops is the best way to preserve these places.
Excelent coverage, I really enjoy the historic events bit, and you have very nice voice, the road trip clip is cool too
Thank you! Lots more on the way very soon!
Another awesome mall video. It’s still hard to believe that mall like this could end up so empty. People obviously stopped shopping there. Did a Walmart open?
Amazon opened.
G! Worldwide Yes, there actually is a Walmart just a couple miles down the road actually.
I went there a few days before Halloween! The stores from the Sears to the former Cafe Europa (I think it's called Bruno's now) were blocked off by benches and plants.
Makes me sad to see the Sears in liquidation! Brings back memories to when I worked in BonTon and we were going through liquidation. So sad:(.
The Sears is now demolished and the former BonTon is next on the list. There’s only a few stores left. If you’re planning on going back I’d go soon. Don’t know how much longer it’ll open
The local mall near me did the same thing. Got rid of food court forcing out half dozen paying tenants to bring in a sport check which violated exclusivity clause the sports store right across the hall had. They moved out n that units still empty 8 years later. It's a dead mall now since Zellers was bought out by Target more than 7 years ago (target failed here in Canada less than a year later) leaving 2 of the 3 anchors dead (sears went poof in 2018 up here too). The internet didn't kill either of these malls, craptacular greedy decisions did that all on their own.
Awesome video, keep up the excellent content Sal!
"Sears, where America shops"
Not for much longer, sadly.
Where America shopped
Where America continues to shop even though many locations have been shuttered.
Sal I love your Logs, respect from Australia, keep up the awesome work!
Loved the video. Great job Sal. 😊👌❤
Your description of the 90s was so accurate.
30 years and it's over, sheesh!
steven t I heard about the eviction news as well :(
How hard would it be to turns some of these in to apts? 🤔
Sal, yet ANOTHER excellent piece of entertainment / historical commentary. I especially love the shots where you're able to cozy your camera up to a small crack between doors or panels and show us the mess behind the closed doors; it's a cool technique, and you've perfected it! One question: is that weird Italian cafe -- the one that freaked out Dan Bell, down by Sears -- still there? It was closed a while back, but it was one strange place... Keep up the great work, my friend!
Gave several of your viewers thumbs up for their comments. I love your commercials! Unfortunately a lot of big box retailers are going down. I personally like the shopping experience, but a lot of people are ordering from their couches because they are to lazy to get up and do anything....... their goods are delivered to their front door. I am sure this will become the norm, why drive 10 miles and walk, when it can be delivered to your lazy ass front door, at a better price? Language, sorry! Enjoyed the explore and thanks for sharing so much history! Your narration is unique and enjoyable. Gave thumbs up!
I don’t think it’s that simple. It’s a combination of a LOT of factors, not the least of which is a shift in demographics, location, tenants (stores), and other retail competition (both B&M and online). The malls that thrive are ones that go beyond just getting in any retail location they can get and are going out to get retail shops that people want, especially the key shops that will pull in others. The other key is variety for different types of people, especially having something for everybody in the family. What helps the decline is when occupancy trumps retail strategy and they accept any store that comes along. So now the mall looks full, but has over a dozen stores that appeal to nobody. The malls near me that thrive seem to understand this - the ones that don’t are closing.
How do you know your mall is dead, all the skylights have buckets around them. I like the kid skateboarding in the beginning.
Hell yes happy thanksgiving Sal
Happy Thanksgiving!
Hi Sal,, Interesting mall with so much history, great job.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Hey Sal. Another great and informative video. Looking at this mall, I am reminded a lot of Washington Crown Center mall in Washington PA. The layout looks almost identical. I did some research, but not sure if it was designed and built by the same company.
Sal if you ever come down to Cincinnati again you should check out the Tri-County Mall
Nice to see this. In the Netherlands we don’t have many malls. Never had. We shop in de town centre and of course now online. I like to see your youtube video’s :-), because we have no (dead) malls.
Thanx Sal!
Wow that intro!
Omg i didnt realized you did an ex log on the p-burg mall!
You ought to check out the Auburn Mall, in Auburn, Maine. One of the anchors has just become a giant TD Bank office.
Sal, when will you be posting that Baytown San Jacinto mall you had mentioned a few days ago?
Many modern malls built after the 90's or have been renovated are still standing and have excellent foot traffic. The malls that got left behind are those in the suburbs that failed to invest money on renovation. The malls in California and densely populated areas are doing better than ever. Though, with that said, I would like you to consider a small one off project to compare and contrast the malls that innovate and invest money on renovation and updates are able to compete. This will serve as a good remind to us all, no matter what we do, that we must constantly find ways to invest in ourselves and innovate in order to stay relevant and stay alive in the competitive world.
tyau1234 That's why it's just stunning how bad this place has declined over the years.
I live nearby, so I've been following this mall's story for a while.
@@RYMAN1321 well said
tyau1234 Thanks.
But at the rate the mall's losing stores, and not well maintained anymore, I think it's fair to say the owners are just gonna let it die now.
If that's the case, despite these past several declining years, it had a good 30 year run for it's time.
I actually visited this mall last weekend and it barely has anything open. Very sad
Wanted to see the scary Café. Shame on you for not video taping it. Other than that, nice job.
Wow a DEB!
So sad that this great piece of 80s styled retail is going away. I hope they don't demolish it!
Those bizarre dressing rooms! Can you imagine women actually changing their clothes in front of the public? I bet their were a lot of voyeurs in that store. Soooo creepy.
Clay3613 Sadly, on December 23, all remaining tenants must evict within a month.
It finally appears the end is officially near for this 30 year old now struggling shopping center.
You should check out Westfield Countryside Mall in Clearwater FL it's not completely dead yet but it's dieing fast
I love the history commentary.
Isn’t this the mall that had that creepy Caffé Europa Eatery?
Used record shop is still there, I think the roof caved in at Sears. Bon Ton is closed.
And demolished as well.
You could take some of these smaller stores in the malls and turn them into homes and put groceries stores in some and home improvement stores in some of them and do so much more what a waste of money. Do you know how many homes you could build out of just the lower level of some of these abandoned malls?
The only good thing about this mall is the Chick-fil-A on the way in.
Well, you can tell they gave up on having security if there's someone skateboarding around inside the mall. Usually anyone that did that in an open mall with security, they'd be stopped pretty quick.
I do miss the 80s/90s when technology didn't control everything in our lives and we all actually did stuff outside. Played with toys, hung out with friends at places such as this mall, went to movie theaters, etc, etc... You have to wonder in particular how retail...stores in general are going to be like in another 5 years. I mean even grocery stores are dying (at least around me) because every business just about sells groceries now.
10:58 I've heard that snazzy bit from a song before but can't remember what... can I get a hint Sal?
Keep up the awesome work btw.
Hey sal can you do a update video of the mall now with the the roof caving in at sears you should do the south mall on palmer park mall
Absolutely. I actually decided to drive out there the other day on a day off I had, but the weather turned gnarly and what would’ve been a 3 hour trip took me 9 hours...I’ll revisit soon!!!
@@sal yea that was bad on Thursday
@@ericeckman9470 How bad is the Palmer Park Mall, I moved from Easton in 1990.
I was there in think 2 times there trying to find a place for the old Bon ton
So as these Malls close , what takes there place ?? I just don’t understand I guess !! Great video
Intro music made me think my phone was going off.
Sal where do you find all these craptasticles movies from the 70's to 90's? Where you the guy who bought up the 99 cent shelves in all the blockbusters as they closed? Or do you find them all on the tubi tv n amazon prime apps?
Love it!
What it’s right beside Allentown
wow - that Deb store closed at least three years ago...
this mall is stipp open now we lost our sears also jcp i Bartlesville,oklahoma mall :( still got Diller
4:23 is so boss
This should have been a successful mall. It has a convenient location. The mall is within one half hour of almost all of Warren County and northern Hunterdon County. The closes malls in New Jersey are each approximately 45 miles from Phillipsburg. Outer Northern New Jersey including Warren and Hunterdon counties have seen continuous population growth of people moving there from the more populous parts of Northern New Jersey closer to New York. This section of New Jersey has always been prosperous. In my opinion the mall was poorly managed and never promoted well. As a result it never found its niche at the eastern edge of the Lehigh Valley out beyond suburban northern New Jersey.
There are also two other malls nearby, the Palmer Park Mall and the Lehigh Valley Mall. The town faced other difficulties economically with the closing of Ingersoll Rand and Bethlehem Steel, plus add in the convenience of Amazon making people less inclined to go there. The Pburg Mall held it's own back in the day but honestly, it was never a contender.