I Spent a Day in San Francisco's Dead Mall

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  • Опубліковано 11 лют 2024
  • The San Francisco Center, Formerly Westfield Center, used to be a shopping destination for all of Northern California. Today, a lot has changed. So I spend the day there to see what it's really like. Is it still amazing? Is it unbelievably boring? What does someone do if they're spending the entire day in the mall?
    And most importantly, will I meet some new friends along the way.
    🤘 If you like this video, you can make my day by subscribing, leaving a comment, or watching another video!
    😎 Or just click this to subscribe: youtube.com/@AdamDoesNotExist?sub_con...
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КОМЕНТАРІ • 351

  • @allanombina
    @allanombina 20 днів тому +112

    If they turned most of it into apartments this would be a crazy cool village

    • @jamesnguyen_1
      @jamesnguyen_1 4 дні тому

      probably a bitcoin mining facility. that way the city can make $... cause this aint cutting it

    • @DIGITALGH05T
      @DIGITALGH05T 3 дні тому +2

      could def do with a more accessible housing market

    • @rammy4671
      @rammy4671 День тому

      The SF mayor wants to turn it into a soccer stadium, when their homeless population is booming and affordable housing is nonexistent in their city. These people are out of their minds. Absolutely, turn it into apartments. This is like a no brainer to everyone but the idiots in charge.

  • @shaneenzensperger7559
    @shaneenzensperger7559 4 місяці тому +233

    I used to spend an entire day at this mall with my friends when I was in High School. We would hang out eating croissants under the dome, see a movie and go shopping at United Colors of Benetton.

    • @AdamDoesNotExist
      @AdamDoesNotExist  4 місяці тому +22

      There were some high school age kids hanging out at the mall for most of the day when I was there too. But they were sitting at a table in the food court mostly on their phones.

    • @BigJokeMortgageBank
      @BigJokeMortgageBank 28 днів тому +5

      Those days were long gone...

    • @NikkiRowCoxx
      @NikkiRowCoxx 25 днів тому +5

      Remember Blondie’s Pizza & Rasputin Records?!

    • @rodneynoriel1528
      @rodneynoriel1528 19 днів тому +2

      I was working at Benetton on opening day back in 1988 or so. Was the most amazing mall bragging to have the largest spiral escalator.

    • @hugoballs
      @hugoballs 18 днів тому

      Same! they should take a note from Stonestown and turn it into a giant food court.

  • @apumpernickel4035
    @apumpernickel4035 29 днів тому +116

    Truly heartbreaking. The memories I have attached to this mall are priceless.

    • @AdamDoesNotExist
      @AdamDoesNotExist  28 днів тому +4

      I hope it comes back!

    • @MrManfly
      @MrManfly 28 днів тому +3

      @@AdamDoesNotExistI doubt it ! Although malls across North America are going the way of the dinosaur 🦕 let’s not brush aside why they’re closing and that’s because of retail theft ! And the fact that there’s no consequences for it ! 🤷🏻‍♂️

    • @user-ei2lm6us2e
      @user-ei2lm6us2e 27 днів тому

      or cheap ?

    • @ChrisRGB
      @ChrisRGB 21 день тому

      @@AdamDoesNotExist It will! But it will likely be luxury retailers that have relocated and converted the smaller stores. There are several shopping centers in the Bay area that have seen this. Mid-market retail shopping is dead. Have you been in a Best Buy lately?

    • @SWalkerTTU
      @SWalkerTTU 20 днів тому +1

      ​@@MrManflyMalls were dying before ORT became a thing.

  • @AslanKyoya1776
    @AslanKyoya1776 Місяць тому +87

    I went to this mall just 5 years ago and it was very crowded and bustling, relatively speaking that was not that long ago. I am in shock!

    • @AdamDoesNotExist
      @AdamDoesNotExist  28 днів тому +9

      It's a really different area of SF post pandemic.

    • @lestranged
      @lestranged 24 дні тому +3

      @@AdamDoesNotExist A big part of that is that so many office workers continued to work from home after the pandemic, so the downtown area never recovered the lunch hour and after-work traffic from locals. It can't survive on just tourists. Friday at 5 pm, the streets are empty when 5 years ago they would be bustling with people getting out of work, getting a drink or dinner after work, starting their weekend. Now all those people are in their pajamas on their couch.

    • @adefset4811
      @adefset4811 10 днів тому +2

      Me too visited from Sydney 🇦🇺 Australia in September 2022 and it was super busy
      Shame to see what has happened great spot there

  • @doodleblockwell2610
    @doodleblockwell2610 28 днів тому +156

    I arrived in San Francisco in 1981 at the age of 21 and for next twenty years, San Francisco was my home. I loved it dearly. The City offered this high school graduate enough job opportunities to afford my own apartment, good friends and fun times. Then suddenly everything changed and I was feeling really financially squeezed out. I left in 2001 for New Hampshire, but the hold The City had on me never let go. I am so glad I left earlier than most. I never had to witness everything tearing San Francisco apart with my own eyes. I still have uncorrupted memories of the place I still love. This clip was just so sad.

    • @ja01975
      @ja01975 28 днів тому +14

      Thanks Democrats!

    • @cherylrichard3059
      @cherylrichard3059 28 днів тому +7

      Yes, in the 70's and 80's, if you had a good, full-time job out of high school, you could afford a one bedroom apartment that today costs $3,000. The government has lowered our living standards dramatically. It's sad.

    • @ja01975
      @ja01975 27 днів тому

      @@cherylrichard3059 illegals now get higher living standards thanks to Biden.

    • @crassirus
      @crassirus 23 дні тому

      @@ja01975 guess I'll take the bait.
      Dems aren't fixing the place, but if you don't think big silicon valley money and an unwillingness to fund housing solutions (omg, that's socialism!!!!) arem't also responsible, then you aren't paying attention.
      The common denominator behind the shittiest politicians isn't party, it's accepting rich peoples' money. The citizen's united ruling was a fucking mistake. Lobbying is bribery.

    • @JamesHorton-fo3yv
      @JamesHorton-fo3yv 21 день тому

      The reason why this mall is dead because San Francisco refuses to cleanup the city and enforce crime.

  • @blaisewinterhalter2758
    @blaisewinterhalter2758 27 днів тому +56

    I worked at this Bloomingdales from 2019-2023. The change was immeasurable after the pandemic, nothing was the same. I’m glad I left and am on to bigger and better things.

    • @AdamDoesNotExist
      @AdamDoesNotExist  25 днів тому +4

      Good Luck to you! This is exactly what the guy outside said to me. Tourism in SF is far from what it was pre pandemic.

  • @j.h.6081
    @j.h.6081 27 днів тому +30

    "I'm counting them as friends." As someone who was born in San Francisco and spent my youth in the Bay Area, I love this:)

  • @Jordantmori
    @Jordantmori 25 днів тому +17

    Before COVID this place was thriving. I went about 6 months ago because i was in the area and omg was i shocked at the condition of this mall. Completely insane how dead the mall got in just a few short years.

  • @jons.6216
    @jons.6216 Місяць тому +31

    When I moved here in 1990 this was definitely a destination point! Two underground lines stopped here and the stores in it were great! Emporium was still around then and the Nordstrom Cafe with the overhead domed windows was a great spot to eat - especially on a rainy day! Around last Christmas I came over here and didn't realize so much had closed since I basically got tired of the nastier crowds that hung around the area since the late 90s! Very sad!

    • @AdamDoesNotExist
      @AdamDoesNotExist  Місяць тому

      It's really cool to hear about those days. Hopefully they return!

    • @AdamDoesNotExist
      @AdamDoesNotExist  Місяць тому

      It's really cool to hear about those days. Hopefully they return!

    • @Here4TheHeckOfIt
      @Here4TheHeckOfIt Місяць тому +2

      ​@@AdamDoesNotExist I lived in SF in the early 90s also. People forget that NYC was almost bankrupt in the late 1970s. These historical cities will rise again.

  • @57thorns
    @57thorns 4 місяці тому +43

    Considering the mall guards also have to spend the whole day (and every working day) in the mall they would also be bored out of their mind.
    And I think that expelling the mall rats means less business for the food outlets, and the mall becomes just a bunch of shops, so you go to the one you plan to go to and then leave. This means the restaurants close, making it harder for people to spend any significant time there.
    There is a reason why every IKEA has a reasonably prized restaurant in the middle.
    Of course the death of mall culture can be either good or bad depending on what people do instead.

    • @AdamDoesNotExist
      @AdamDoesNotExist  4 місяці тому +3

      I saw security talking to a few people who didn't seem to have good intentions, but in general they didn't have a ton to do on this specific day. Though I do know there have been some very busy days for the security team!

    • @crassirus
      @crassirus 23 дні тому +3

      It's funny how we built these places explicitly to attract people to hang out and buy things, but when people hang out and buy things in a certain way then "Ewww, get them out of here! They're making me feel slightly gross while I shop for my expensive things! I'm ever so slightly more aware of the tenuousness of my position in the middle class! Hisssss, get them away from meeeee!"
      US culture is a fucking trip when you're not immersed in it.

    • @ThePathbauer
      @ThePathbauer 12 днів тому

      Can you afford living in SF on a Mall Guard salary? Or do they live at the mall?

  • @MikstyOnYt
    @MikstyOnYt 3 місяці тому +31

    The last time i went here, it was filled with ppl and it was a year ago, but now its dead? Wth

  • @accuratebrickinnovations
    @accuratebrickinnovations 4 місяці тому +13

    To me, it's considered a huge problem if the LEGO store has to close. Which there was one there, and it's last day of business was nov. 30, 2023.

  • @SPMNDK89
    @SPMNDK89 25 днів тому +8

    As a high schooler, this mall gave me a lot of memories, it's a shame it's turned into this. I remember seeing Pirates at World's End at that exact movie theater and we waited for the start time at the borders bookstore just a floor below.

  • @jfungsf882
    @jfungsf882 4 місяці тому +53

    Another good video. As a SF Native I've been to this mall many times including its movie theater. It's such a beautiful modern mall.
    I'm so saddened by how fast it has fallen. I'm even more irritated by how some people lie about this mall being unsafe when it's one of the safest places to be. In all of the times I've visited, not once did I ever feel unsafe.
    In my opinion Westfield or San Francisco Centre is a much safer place than that part of Oakland you visited in your previous video.
    I'm hopeful of its revival in the future.

    • @Tummie39
      @Tummie39 Місяць тому

      Oh this mall along with many other malls in the SF area are NOT safe. There are plenty of gang fighting, smash and grab activities in these malls. Just do a quick google search and u will see.

    • @bvincesf
      @bvincesf 28 днів тому +1

      The old mall is safe, but walking to the 5th & Mission parking garage or getting on Powell St. BART/MUNI is risky and dangerous.

    • @jfungsf882
      @jfungsf882 28 днів тому +1

      @bvincesf From my experiences walking to and from the Powell St Station is mostly *not* dangerous.
      Matter a fact I was there yesterday, and it *wasn't* even close to being unsafe. Though occasionally there are some undesirable people, but not unsafe for the most part.

    • @SP-ie5by
      @SP-ie5by 27 днів тому

      Born and raised in San Francisco. Still live here. It safe, motherfuckers are just soft now.

    • @cottonycloud-
      @cottonycloud- 16 днів тому

      @@bvincesf My daily commute includes that stop and I never see anything happening. Maybe during the late night you could be right, but if you're going to this mall nothing should happen.

  • @Fogoat
    @Fogoat 3 місяці тому +8

    Solid video, I should probably visit this mall since I'm pretty close to a BART station now. I usually visit Chinatown and a couple of other places in SF, but never really stopped by the Westgate Center for as long as I've been in the bay area.

  • @Nsmitty1
    @Nsmitty1 24 дні тому +6

    Malls in California don't offer the one major advantage that they do in other areas of the world; an escape from absolutely miserable weather. Ever go to a mall in Indonesia? They're amazing, and filled with people because it's 95 degrees and 85% humidity outside.

  • @drewmonroe3747
    @drewmonroe3747 2 місяці тому +3

    What a shame to see such an icon of a mall closing up. So many of our huge malls in Vancouver, Canada have unfortunately met the same demise. Great video!!

  • @auberginebear
    @auberginebear 26 днів тому +6

    That mall was busy and moderately of people and stores when I was visited in 2021, so it’s sad to see what was a nice place be so empty.

  • @charlestonpinballarcade
    @charlestonpinballarcade 4 місяці тому +6

    Very fun video! Nice work. The dead mall community has a typical posting style and format that most channels offer. Your style is a great change of pace away from the common dead mall vids. 🎉🎉🎉

    • @AdamDoesNotExist
      @AdamDoesNotExist  4 місяці тому +1

      Thank you! I didn’t even realize there was a dead mall community. Glad you liked the video

  • @riacardi7011
    @riacardi7011 Місяць тому +16

    man i remember 2014 this place was hella busy

    • @AdamDoesNotExist
      @AdamDoesNotExist  Місяць тому +5

      I remember avoiding the area in 2019 because it was so busy!

    • @SpicyMang0s
      @SpicyMang0s 14 днів тому

      Ughhh i wanna go back

  • @bonniekwong9564
    @bonniekwong9564 4 місяці тому +13

    I remember when they opened the "new" extension side. The "new" extension used to be a department store called the Emporium. It's the part with the food court in the bottom. It was amazing. Lots of local food stalls and also a fancy Bristol Farms market down there. Increasing crime and the pandemic was the nail in the coffin.

    • @AdamDoesNotExist
      @AdamDoesNotExist  4 місяці тому

      It’s come a long way since then

    • @jfungsf882
      @jfungsf882 4 місяці тому

      Bristol Farms closed back in 2017 long before the pandemic & crimemongering even existed

    • @chrispnw2547
      @chrispnw2547 4 місяці тому +3

      When I moved to the SF Bay Area, I loved having Bristol Farms downtown and was amazed by the busy foot traffic. S.F. now resides in Europe. The streets are busy, the transportation is great, and you have stores large and small in the city centre. America is in decline and there is no denying it.

    • @syncswim
      @syncswim 25 днів тому

      That Bristol Farms was incredible. First stop right after getting out of Powell Station

    • @dvana
      @dvana 21 годину тому

      I loved the grocery store and the mechelin star restaurant on the 4th floor, I believe in the new “expansion”. Theft and the pandemic is partly to blame. We the people are far more responsible for what is happening around the world with all these closures, we sacrificed these places for the luxury of convenience. Living on our phones and never having to leave the house to pay bills, order food, banking, etc. it is our own fault in the name of progress. 😢

  • @looneytoastywolf
    @looneytoastywolf Місяць тому +3

    I still go to the mall where I live, and they are fun to hang out in, and you still see alotta life☆ great video btw!!

  • @vanessap337
    @vanessap337 9 днів тому +1

    i really liked this video!!♥️ i miss california so much, especially SF! moving to the east coast makes me appreciate california more :(

  • @PaulStevens-se9lc
    @PaulStevens-se9lc 18 днів тому +3

    Confucius says: "if the stores aren't open, the criminals can't shoplift"

  • @FruddyG
    @FruddyG 27 днів тому +3

    This was a great video and I'm surprised at the sub count. Just here to say, I was here before Adam made it big! It's only a matter of time if you keep pumping videos like this out

  • @lambasted6886
    @lambasted6886 8 днів тому +1

    There are other malls that are still alive in the Bay Area. This was one that was easy to steal from. You dont want to know what the Metreon Target is like just a block away. Rampet theft and everything is locked up. Its not just the pandemic foot traffic that killed it. Im so glad I moved away when I did. I'll never forget the fond memories of what this city used to be.

  • @SpicyMang0s
    @SpicyMang0s 14 днів тому +2

    Oh no. I remember going to this mall maybe a year ago. It was pretty active but didn’t expect it to go down the drain like this.

  • @unconventionalideas5683
    @unconventionalideas5683 28 днів тому +21

    Part of the situation with this mall is that traditional malls in general are struggling. The sorts of stores that they used to attract, especially their anchors, have almost all imploded in recent years, from Lord and Taylor to Sear's. Even those that have survived with physical stores worth in quantities worth mentioning thus far, like JC Penny and Macy's, are in real trouble, and nothing has necessarily emerged to replace them. As such, it is really difficult for malls to survive much of anywhere. Even some in busy locations with strong policing are seeing a notable emptiness.

    • @AdamDoesNotExist
      @AdamDoesNotExist  25 днів тому +1

      Totally. They've tried to attract luxury tenants, but this area in general isn't much of a shopping destination any more.

    • @stevens1041
      @stevens1041 10 днів тому +2

      Go 80 miles south, same brand's mall, the Westfield/Santana Row in San Jose is booming. Massive crowds all the time. So looks like you're wrong.

  • @theSleepyLamp
    @theSleepyLamp 5 днів тому +1

    Feels a little misleading. To my knowledge, Westfield packed up and left at the end of 2023. They likely wouldn't have renewed any leases, which would result in a lot of empty retail spaces. I think as ownership fully transfers and they're able to start filling the retail spaces, the mall can revitalize pretty quickly. As others have mentioned, Stonestown is doing pretty well, coming out of the pandemic. If the formerly Westfield mall focuses on enhancing safety measures, I believe it has the potential to be just as successful as Stonestown.

  • @Worldtraveler2003
    @Worldtraveler2003 24 дні тому +2

    I shopped in this mall as a teen and then worked in this mall 2008-2009.. shocked to see how downhill it’s gone.. it was booming back then. Sad.

  • @sreeenivas00706
    @sreeenivas00706 20 днів тому +4

    I was there a few months ago. It wasn't Dead. There were not as my people as before the Rona but definitely wasn't dead. It's gets packed on weekends!

  • @SlyFortres
    @SlyFortres 18 днів тому +2

    There's that many security guards because of how much theft there was at the mall prior. It's been like that throughout most malls in California unfortunately.

  • @johndersham1
    @johndersham1 16 днів тому

    Great job!

  • @andyc.8772
    @andyc.8772 19 днів тому

    This video is so cool. It definitely feels like there is a difference even from when I went in 2022 and now in 2024, unfortunate to see. Crazy how many stores were there in 2022 that are now gone

  • @SDZ675
    @SDZ675 16 днів тому +1

    Last time I was at the Westfield Center was back in 2016 and it was really bustling. Moved away before the pandemic, but still sad to see the direction the city is going.

  • @dvana
    @dvana 21 годину тому

    I remember when this mall reopened, circa 2006 - it looks like it has gone back to near what it used to be, decades of nothing. Initially it was an old beautiful department store that left decades ago. The restoration and reopening was very hyped up and it lived up to the hype. They tried to keep the architecture, most importantly the domes intact. They did a fantastic job. The upscale grocery store near the food court was a favorite. There was a beautiful restaurant, Michelin Star rated on the 4th floor I believe. I ate there often, The crowds, especially on the weekends were hectic. I preferred to go on weekdays during the day, even at the time it was crowded. Lots of fine stores - not just the high end brands that you see everywhere now. The security and locked stores is horrible however that is happening worldwide. Such a shame. Lunch at Nordstrom often. Spent a fortune at this amazing mall. I would take all my family and friends from interstate and international to go experience it. San Francisco was on 🔥 when this mall opened in 2006 for a good ten plus years. I hope this mall comes back to life. I noticed Gunps came back. Another beautiful high end department store - they left around 2016 or so I believe but they are back. Hopefully more will follow. Unfortunately I doubt it though, we have all contributed to this, worldwide, we sacrificed these amazing places for convenience. We all live on our phones, buy online. We never need to leave the house anymore. Banks are disappearing - no need for them anymore. All online - So, we are all to blame for this new dystopian empty urban decay.

  • @co6308
    @co6308 2 місяці тому +3

    The last time i was there was in late 90's. The mall had a lot of people shopping back in the day. Im really shocked to see this now.

  • @angelikunto
    @angelikunto 5 днів тому

    I used to go here all the time as a kid and throughout highschool. Its really sad to see how deserted it is. So many good memories :

  • @GamingTherapyZero
    @GamingTherapyZero 3 дні тому +1

    great intro soundtrack lol hows the commercial realestate? rental places? are apartment complexes full or empty? hows the night time is it scary?

  • @erinmalone2669
    @erinmalone2669 27 днів тому +2

    I would take personal days there in college in the late 90s. It was packed. So sad to see such desolation. Great memories

    • @AdamDoesNotExist
      @AdamDoesNotExist  25 днів тому

      Honestly not a bad place to take personal days now! But the experience will be quite different.

  • @jagdipsingh1272
    @jagdipsingh1272 4 місяці тому

    Hiya Brother Adam 👨🏼
    Sad too see what happening over there.Many great famous store's in the malls is closed down. Such a modern mall.
    This mall remind me of Zombie 80's movies ( Dawn Of The Dead and Night Of The Comet) i hope you have seen them.
    In Malaysia we also have few new malls which is closed/ empty.
    Great video by the video

    • @AdamDoesNotExist
      @AdamDoesNotExist  4 місяці тому +1

      My guy! Thank you! I agree, this would be a great set for a zombie movie.

    • @jagdipsingh1272
      @jagdipsingh1272 4 місяці тому

      @@AdamDoesNotExist 🤗 you are welcome.
      Thank you agree with me sir

  • @bruhbruhkristoph4092
    @bruhbruhkristoph4092 2 дні тому

    That’s actually insane. I remember going to this mall every time I went to SF from Sac. I haven’t gone in years but seeing its state now makes me sad 😢

  • @jss1004
    @jss1004 День тому

    I live close to the Westfield Mall in Escondido-San Diego California. It has a JC Penneys open, Target and many stores. It does also have a closed Nordstroms, Sears, Fitch, Souplantation, Hallmark & Yankee Handle. The place is dead most of the day, but at nights and weekends, it's fairly busy. The mall was just sold to a group from LA. They want to integrate additional retail, entertainment, dining and theater options. They had a Costco planned, but Costco pulled out at the last moment.

  • @carefulconsumer8682
    @carefulconsumer8682 23 дні тому +1

    Lovely.

  • @davidlara4170
    @davidlara4170 20 днів тому

    it is crazy to see this mall as a dead mall after having spent so many years shopping here as a local

  • @LastiJerb
    @LastiJerb 19 днів тому

    wow, I lived in SFO since 2014 and just recently moved out last December of 2023 to Reno, ever since after Covid San Francisco just went down drastically.

  • @tableofteaspoons
    @tableofteaspoons 2 дні тому

    with friends, we'd have so much fun here , running around and looking in stores would be so entertaining. it's empty which is eery but we would have a blast fooling around

  • @bcues3399
    @bcues3399 17 днів тому

    Worked here from 2015 till 2018. Went back a few after the pandemic and it was a night and day difference from what I was used to. There were signs of it dying back then, but the pandemic really brought about a lot issues that were hiding under the surface

  • @eurobeatking
    @eurobeatking 28 днів тому +3

    I worked at the Century/Cinemark theater in that mall from when it opened in Fall 2006 to when it closed on March 17th, 2020 due to the pandemic. I never went back even when it reopened in 2021, and was surprised that it closed so suddenly in July 2023 (right before "The Flash" opened that weekend) Oh well..

    • @AdamDoesNotExist
      @AdamDoesNotExist  25 днів тому

      I guess it's tough competing with the Metreon? The AMC on Van Ness closed pretty abruptly too.

  • @annie8230
    @annie8230 3 дні тому

    the dome was so pretty during the holidays!! ❤🥹

  • @TheDoho
    @TheDoho 25 днів тому

    I think I remember going to this mall a lot as a kid in the 90s. I only sorta remember it, but it used to be so cool.

  • @e.tezani3877
    @e.tezani3877 26 днів тому +2

    Remember when it was packed. I used to go to that salon.. it used to be so crowded..
    This was back in 2012-2016

  • @GuamPhotographer
    @GuamPhotographer 2 дні тому

    I always loved going to that mall. I haven't been there in a few years, maybe about 10 years, but it's a shame that it looks so 'dead'!!

  • @lonelykangta
    @lonelykangta 12 днів тому

    i spent alot of my teenage days at this mall, was sweet on a girl who loved just hanging at the rotunda and chilling out, enjoying whatever holiday displays they had going.

  • @cmelle
    @cmelle 12 днів тому

    I went to this mall in 2019, before the pandemic hit, with my friends on vacation and it was pretty bustling. There were benches and seating with tables where the dome section was at from what I remember. Kinda sad to watch it so empty.

  • @vincentchau5852
    @vincentchau5852 2 дні тому

    You know this mall is in decline when half the employees are security guards.

  • @roguephoenix
    @roguephoenix 27 днів тому

    i used to go there a lot after work when i lived there and it was always busy. it was still very busy when i left. so sad.

  • @Hawaiiangr0wn1993
    @Hawaiiangr0wn1993 27 днів тому +1

    I remember taking Bart out to the city to hang there. Always looked forward to seeing my homies in the city! crazy how it is now.

    • @AdamDoesNotExist
      @AdamDoesNotExist  25 днів тому

      It's a different feeling in mid market. Everywhere else is about the same.

  • @j.lietka9406
    @j.lietka9406 24 дні тому

    How many stores are still open? How many stores does the mall have?

  • @nullexpessions6565
    @nullexpessions6565 4 місяці тому +7

    I work here!!! Dang I would have loved to talk to you physically there.

    • @AdamDoesNotExist
      @AdamDoesNotExist  4 місяці тому +1

      No way! What do you do there? I would have loved to put you in the video. I’ve made a bunch of videos in SF so maybe I’ll stop by again some time. I’m still pretty afraid to ask to film people. It’s almost always a no.

  • @shelz0rtf2
    @shelz0rtf2 15 днів тому

    I used to walk through this mall every day on the way to/from work. I'd get off at the BART station in the basement and catch a shuttle right outside the mall. Sad to see what the pandemic did to the area.

  • @tylerllewtaing
    @tylerllewtaing 3 місяці тому +2

    New viewer! I moved back to my hometown after spending my college years in San Francisco just last September.
    Right when movie theaters were starting to open right back up in 2020, I worked at that Cinemark location you visited. I knew it had probably closed by now as the mall was slowly dying (and with it being so hidden away at the top floor) but seeing it fully defunct through this random video in my suggestions box was fucking surreal. I eventually took on a better job as a box office clerk at the Alamo Drafthouse in Mission.
    Anyway, love what I’ve seen of the channel so far. I get a lot of horrible “Isn’t San Francisco dangerous/dirty?” questions now that I’m back in SoCal, and though the city I left behind certainly has seen better days, I got to really appreciate my time there for what it was - your videos are a perfect encapsulation of what I mean by that.

    • @AdamDoesNotExist
      @AdamDoesNotExist  3 місяці тому +1

      Thanks! Great to have you here! SF makes my head spin sometimes. There is so much that should be so much better. At the same time, there is still so much that keeps me in the area.

  • @tjwolfe766
    @tjwolfe766 3 дні тому

    I haven't been back to SF since 2017, but I lived there from 2012-14. Such a shame to see the mall like this. The movie theaters would play classic movies every Wednesday, it's where I learned about classics such as Roman Holiday and To Catch A Thief. Hell, I still have my ticket stub for Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid from that theater! There was also a restaurant in the Nordstrom store that had a beautiful view and great food. I've never felt more at home than I did with SF so if I were to walk around that mall nowadays I might break down and cry.

  • @myatypicalworld
    @myatypicalworld 16 днів тому +1

    I was in San Francisco the summer of 2022 for my friends wedding and I was at the mall. I loved the spiral escalator.

    • @AdamDoesNotExist
      @AdamDoesNotExist  16 днів тому +1

      That escalator is so cool! So is the dome upstairs.

    • @myatypicalworld
      @myatypicalworld 15 днів тому

      @@AdamDoesNotExist Guess, you got over your fear of escalators

    • @Buschaga
      @Buschaga 12 днів тому

      There are very few spiral escalators installed across the United States (six locations). These were the first! The only other spiral escalators I’ve been on were in the Bloomberg headquarters in NYC.

  • @topherbec7578
    @topherbec7578 23 дні тому +1

    Being a teenager in the 80's. I remember malls as depicted in the movie Fast Times at Ridgmont High. Malls was where we socialized.

  • @animangafan342
    @animangafan342 12 днів тому +2

    Have lived in SF for all 27 years of my life. Its the only home I know. Terrible what they've done to my city.
    They built up this mall to have everything. Even a movie theater that is now gone. Used to take the muni with my mom after summer classes to go catch movies there together, not too long ago. Ridiculous how this city deteriorated but kinda obvious. bunch of nobodies from the midwest came here in the 2010s with a "progressive" mentality. They voted for stupid policies & terrible people as politicians. Then prices went up & they all dipped when the crime started going up (both consequences of the policies these jerks voted for.) They left the city in shambles & moved on to go suck the next town dry. SF is so sad now. This mall was full of people during black Friday. U can barely walk around now at night down the street from telegraph hill.
    Can't blame the outsiders completely. Terrible leaders like London Breed come from our city. Mayor Ed Lee was also bad. He's the one who sold the city out to developers in the first place. From there, the corruption just kept getting worse. And it got really bad under DA Chesa Boudin & that stupid california law that diminished the punishment for theft. All we needed was the summer 2020 riots which was the final nail in the coffin.

  • @CW-hh8yz
    @CW-hh8yz 26 днів тому

    Seeing this really hurts. I used to live off Leavenworth & Polk and would go to some of the restaurants in the food court. They actually had some really good places to eat and not just your usual mall chains. It used to be a very busy place. IIRC, Borders bookstore was at the very top, and they had a small Newstand satellite store on the bottom.

  • @donjohn5112
    @donjohn5112 2 дні тому

    Good. They had skunk sized rats at the italian spot by the bathrooms and when I pointed it out while grabbing my plate all they had to say was "that's Henry"

  • @regieds
    @regieds 13 днів тому

    I did my grad degree in this place from 2016-2019. SFSU occupied one of the upper floors for some of its grad programs. I remember going to this place after work to take night classes and it was so busy! Kinda sad to see what it has become.

  • @yayforeals
    @yayforeals 28 днів тому

    I grew up here in the Bay Area by SF and worked in that mall for many years and that is a shadow of what it use to be like even on a Monday, sad

  • @mixedhairless
    @mixedhairless 25 днів тому +1

    I’m from a different era , that mall didn’t exist when I was a child in 1971. Woolworths was across the street from said mall and that was the destination for us.

    • @AdamDoesNotExist
      @AdamDoesNotExist  24 дні тому

      I love watching the videos of Market street from that time. It's so intersting to see how much has changed, and how many landmarks haven't changed at all!

  • @pgbollwerk
    @pgbollwerk 23 дні тому

    I’ve been to that mall countless times over the years when I worked in the area, or visited the city.
    The food court has had lots of outstanding food over the years.

  • @xoxinthebox
    @xoxinthebox 22 дні тому

    That kid is back on the escalator!

  • @sheismymom
    @sheismymom День тому

    looks like a beautiful mall

  • @andytang04
    @andytang04 24 дні тому

    During the holidays that food court is usually packed

  • @orangeinferno
    @orangeinferno 3 дні тому

    I still have a borders bookstore gift card, unused I got from there.
    It makes me very sad. That mall is where I discovered Video Games, and got Food with my mom, had a summer camp there too at the microsoft store.

  • @theDrzhivargo
    @theDrzhivargo 8 днів тому +1

    i miss this mall it was absolutely beautiful

  • @Moskeeto
    @Moskeeto 23 дні тому +1

    6:11 "Pretzels is the same" - Hannibal Buress

  • @wubadubdubbie
    @wubadubdubbie 3 дні тому

    it's actually on the up and up now - I work in fidi and it almost feels like we're back at pre-rona times now. downtown is getting busier, and it definitely feels like more people are out and about.

  • @DIGITALGH05T
    @DIGITALGH05T 3 дні тому

    i only ever went to this mall for 2 reasons:
    1. for century theater with friends and then the food court after
    2. legos for when i was ditching college classes, and then some pizza bites before i head back home
    working a 9 - 5 now tho and got my license, glad i got as much as out of the place as i can before it becomes something else. I just hope it's something the community benefits from

  • @guyinthewhiteT
    @guyinthewhiteT 18 днів тому +1

    Man every time I go there I feel like it’s too many people in the mall

  • @cesartrackstar452
    @cesartrackstar452 Місяць тому

    Man, I remember. When I was 16 years old, my brother took me here, they had a lot of people. Now it’s not the same no more 😔

  • @kaislate
    @kaislate 7 днів тому

    You can get on the roof, but you have to go what essentially is "next door" to the mall and take an elevator up. There is a desk and they prolly have you "sign in" as it is an office building. It is a public parklet space on the roof above the dome.

  • @sneakerjockCA
    @sneakerjockCA 3 місяці тому +1

    Adam 😍

  • @AliasHSW
    @AliasHSW 13 днів тому +2

    Stonestown Mall at edge of town is busy and lively serving the locals. For this mall to bounce back tourism and office workers need to return to the area.

  • @ParisLawLess
    @ParisLawLess 28 днів тому

    That was one of my favorite balls to go to I've spent a lot of money at Nordstrom's in a lot of other shops there. Also the Century Theater was not bad at all. Last time I was up there was before covid so is sad to see it being so empty. 😔

  • @SKippySounds
    @SKippySounds 26 днів тому

    I had no clue this place was even dying. The last time I was there was back in 2015 around Christmas time, and this place was PACKED

    • @AdamDoesNotExist
      @AdamDoesNotExist  25 днів тому

      I'm sure it picks up around Christmas, but it probably isn't like you remember.

  • @tea98988
    @tea98988 25 днів тому +6

    She is the worse mayor of San Francisco- EVER!

    • @NikkiRowCoxx
      @NikkiRowCoxx 25 днів тому +1

      CA in general has crappy laws & even crappier voters who support such mayhem .

  • @nabi5864
    @nabi5864 20 днів тому +1

    This mall is absolutely or was as stunning and gorgeous as the ones in Paris or Berlin…. Back in the 80s during the holiday probably one of the most breathtaking scene… Unfortunately, I dont see it ever going back to it former self…. Society is indifferent… technology has completely turned the malls upside down and annihilated what it all used to be

  • @otto7556
    @otto7556 7 днів тому

    I wonder how many malls have closed here in the Bay Area. I know Vallco mall used to be a thing I even went to it when I was younger I know at one point Sunnyvale had a mall too. Who know if SF mall will someday close down
    Also, just remembered that Newpark Mall doesn’t seem to get that much foot traffic either who knows if they’ll close that one at one point
    I know that the more popular ones are great mall and Valleyfair Eastridge doesn’t seem to get that much traffic either and then they’re outlet mall like Gilroy and San Francisco outlets

  • @paulrom446
    @paulrom446 Місяць тому +3

    I used to go out to Stones town Mall when I was on Vacation out in San Francisco! Is it still there? BTW where is this Mall located?

    • @AdamDoesNotExist
      @AdamDoesNotExist  Місяць тому

      It's called Stonestown Galleria now, and it sure is still there. They opened a Marugame Udon a few years back which I went to a few times.

    • @paulrom446
      @paulrom446 Місяць тому

      @@AdamDoesNotExist Glad to hear it! I used to take the MUNI # 29 Sunset 🌆 or an M-Oceanview Train to get out there! I usually stayed at a Basque Hotel in Chinatown when I was vacationing out there Always bought a MUNI Pass to get around! Do you cover anything in the East Bay? Do you know if Larry Blake's and Freight and Salvage are still over in the East Bay in the Oakland/Berkeley area? Loved this video!

    • @AdamDoesNotExist
      @AdamDoesNotExist  Місяць тому

      @@paulrom446 I do quite a lot in the east bay! But can’t say I know those places.

    • @paulrom446
      @paulrom446 Місяць тому

      @@AdamDoesNotExist Okay Thanks! Just curious!

    • @californiaplant-basedeater2761
      @californiaplant-basedeater2761 26 днів тому +1

      This mall is at the Powell Street Bart stop, between 4th and 5th Street on Market in SF. What's left of it, anyway. It's at least half empty. Three empty spots on the main floor do have "just been leased" signs, if true.

  • @kaislate
    @kaislate 7 днів тому

    There's actually an entire huge multilevel mall just down the street on market that never opened. You should do a video about that.

    • @AdamDoesNotExist
      @AdamDoesNotExist  7 днів тому

      Actually, I did. It was called 6x6, and now it's an Ikea

  • @yyyhj7895
    @yyyhj7895 3 дні тому

    There is a reason. There is a plan for the city. Getting all the stores out. Get rid of downtown and the freeways.

  • @lizhanson4886
    @lizhanson4886 3 дні тому

    I opened the Nordstrom at the mall. Fun fact there are some secret rooms at the top with balconies to observe the shoppers. Scary high up

    • @AdamDoesNotExist
      @AdamDoesNotExist  2 дні тому

      That's so cool! I love a secret employees only room.

  • @davidl4152
    @davidl4152 День тому

    i remmber that me and my sis would go wacth movies at the mall . good times :(

  • @asaadlewis328
    @asaadlewis328 3 місяці тому +2

    I also like my coffee black 😂😂😂

    • @AdamDoesNotExist
      @AdamDoesNotExist  3 місяці тому +1

      Sometimes I feel like I'm offending Starbucks by getting black coffee there lol

    • @asaadlewis328
      @asaadlewis328 3 місяці тому

      Haha I mean that’s honestly the method I used when I try a new coffee shop. If their black coffee is good then I trust all of their coffee drinks lol

  • @user-or6yn8pm3c
    @user-or6yn8pm3c 21 день тому

    There was a hot dog stand near the mall that had really good pretzels. Not sure if its still there as last time was there was 2012. Time flies.

    • @AdamDoesNotExist
      @AdamDoesNotExist  17 днів тому

      A LOT has changed since 2012. But it might still be there!

    • @user-or6yn8pm3c
      @user-or6yn8pm3c 17 днів тому

      @@AdamDoesNotExist It was across the street from the entrance.

  • @paolaperez2591
    @paolaperez2591 24 дні тому

    This makes me so sad, I live going to malls. I wish they weren’t dying

  • @Hp-dg3he
    @Hp-dg3he 27 днів тому

    A friend or mine just posted a video from a couple of days ago and there were less people. This is pretty sad!

  • @Antonin1738
    @Antonin1738 28 днів тому

    Man my friends and I used to go to this mall afterschool

    • @AdamDoesNotExist
      @AdamDoesNotExist  25 днів тому

      I saw some highschoolers in the food court. But it certainly wasn't busy...