I don't know if its harder to see a mall die quickly or die a slow death. Either way, we miss them all. Every year it seemed I got a new video saying how this mall lost yet another anchor, and it's sad to see that it finally has sunk. I hope the village can at least preserve some of those gorgeous lamps while starting a new chapter on that parcel of land. Thanks for the dedication over the years for documenting this wonder of a mall!
I left the Midwest Chicago Burbs area of LaGrange where I moved back to the West Coast, Los Angeles,CA. While living in the Midwest from 1992-23, the Malls I attended were Oakbrook, WOODFIELD, OLD ORCHARD, GOLF Mill, Riverside Mall, and the HIP. Has GOLF Mill Closed Yet❓️🤔 It's been on its last leg for a while now and last time there, I did a walk thru to see its latest condition back in 22, and I'd be shocked if it's not received the wrecking ball treatment.
Thank you for this follow up video of Stratford Square Mall after its closure 2 wks ago. And giving us a little narrative on the several factors like Namdar’s mismanagement of this mall that may have contributed to its demise. Stratford Square Mall is one of the most beautiful and aesthetically appealing malls I’ve ever seen. I’m so glad to see more and more people are documenting this beautiful mall. Iconic for its architecture. It will undoubtedly be remembered by the fond memories it brought to the community and its iconic beauty. There are no longer malls or structures built with this type of architecture and design today. Since the closure of the mall I’ve been enjoying a buffet of videos paying tribute to this mall. I’ve watched a new video on this mall being uploaded almost daily. It’s my binge watch before I go to sleep. Peace! 😎
It was insane seeing how many people were here on this day, I never thought i’d see the mall like that again. This mall ment alot to me and I was sad to see this go since I grew up coming here and experienced the mall when it was decently popular. Also FYI Namdar decommissioned the elevator in October/November. Thanks for filming this!
My mother took me to Strapford Square on a regular basis back in the 1980's. I believe the last time I walked around the mall was the early to mid 1990's. I moved out of the Chicago area some time ago. I sad to see the mall shut down.
Stratford didn't have any stores because the village originally said the mall would close on the 15th. In December of 2023 there was roughly 15 stores left.
I hate that Namdar ruined this mail! I used to live down the street and went there often. Moved out of state in 2016, so i wasn't around to see it decline further. Thanks for doing this.
Definitely was sad to see, since this was the mall I always frequented. We were here for a few hours until closure on the final day, and went a couple days prior. One thing I didn’t know is streetmac also once owned a mall in the Washington D.C area that is also now closed (lakeforest mall), they sold it around the same time they sold Stratford. I knew a closure was inevitable a few years ago.
It is a mistake to move totally away from indoor shopping centers. Sure the selection and convenience of shopping online can't be matched by physical locations. But that isn't really what we are talking about. Amazon didn't shut down all of the malls. They build new outdoor shopping centers to replace them. Well the weather isn't always nice for outdoor strolling. They just totally ignore that factor. There was a reason for indoor shopping centers in the first place.
I feel like that Coca-Cola Studio store's vending machines would have held those "studio" custom flavors of Coca-Cola and Coke Zero when they were available. I think those custom flavors are the remnant of the "Studios".
Hate to see this mall go but at the same time, the writing was on the wall for a good while at that point, especially when the one two punch of Namdar buying the mall and COVID becoming a thing, basically were the final nails in the coffin of the mall Just glad to have plenty of fond memories of this mall while it was still doing alright, never got to see this mall in it's prime either also, 30:42 that elevator was actually a very late inhouse KONE hydraulic installation from 2007, not an Ecodisc :)
Great job! Hoping for another video. Should tell you Valley West in West Des Moines isn't doing very well. Iowa has one Kohan property now that closed and another in my hometown that only has a Von Maur.
Nice, I visited this mall along with Spring Hill Mall on Stratford's final birthday (March 9, I went to Spring Hill then Stratford, then after that I went to Chicago Ridge Mall for the first time). If you want any suggestions for the next video, maybe do a store closing tour of The RoomPlace in Kenosha, Wisconsin or a mall tour of Gurnee Mills in Gurnee, Illinois or maybe even do mall tour of The Shops at Grand Avenue in downtown Milwaukee
I was there that day when the mall closed at 6PM. Very sad how quickly this mall declined. It was still doing ok at the beginning of 2020, despite having lost four anchors, and then the covid lockdowns hit and doomed it. After the pandemic I only went there to shop at Kohl’s and walk my dog; security didn’t seem to mind dogs in the mall by then.
Goodbye to a structure that was so beautiful and held fond memories for so many people. ❤
I am so sad this mall closed. I think it is too beautiful to tear down. I hope Bloomingdale can find a way to reuse this building 🥲
Me too!!
Thank you for recording this. I forgot to visit before it closed 😢
Thanks!
Wow, looks so different from the last time I was there when I lived in the area.
I don't know if its harder to see a mall die quickly or die a slow death. Either way, we miss them all. Every year it seemed I got a new video saying how this mall lost yet another anchor, and it's sad to see that it finally has sunk. I hope the village can at least preserve some of those gorgeous lamps while starting a new chapter on that parcel of land. Thanks for the dedication over the years for documenting this wonder of a mall!
I watched some of my older videos about the mall before editing this. I'm so proud of the work I did to document its demise through the years.
@@LostDepartments As you should be! 😊
Great Work on these videos and just like Springhill, it's 😔 to see these places, or any place of business, Shut its doors.
I left the Midwest Chicago Burbs area of LaGrange where I moved back to the West Coast, Los Angeles,CA.
While living in the Midwest from 1992-23, the Malls I attended were Oakbrook, WOODFIELD, OLD ORCHARD, GOLF Mill, Riverside Mall, and the HIP.
Has GOLF Mill Closed Yet❓️🤔 It's been on its last leg for a while now and last time there, I did a walk thru to see its latest condition back in 22, and I'd be shocked if it's not received the wrecking ball treatment.
@@williampavichevich4877 shockingly Golf Mill is still open.
Thank you for this follow up video of Stratford Square Mall after its closure 2 wks ago. And giving us a little narrative on the several factors like Namdar’s mismanagement of this mall that may have contributed to its demise. Stratford Square Mall is one of the most beautiful and aesthetically appealing malls I’ve ever seen. I’m so glad to see more and more people are documenting this beautiful mall. Iconic for its architecture. It will undoubtedly be remembered by the fond memories it brought to the community and its iconic beauty. There are no longer malls or structures built with this type of architecture and design today. Since the closure of the mall I’ve been enjoying a buffet of videos paying tribute to this mall. I’ve watched a new video on this mall being uploaded almost daily. It’s my binge watch before I go to sleep. Peace! 😎
Its been cool to see how many video have been made about this mall recently!
It was insane seeing how many people were here on this day, I never thought i’d see the mall like that again. This mall ment alot to me and I was sad to see this go since I grew up coming here and experienced the mall when it was decently popular. Also FYI Namdar decommissioned the elevator in October/November.
Thanks for filming this!
Thank You! It was cool to see how many people were there.
My mother took me to Strapford Square on a regular basis back in the 1980's. I believe the last time I walked around the mall was the early to mid 1990's. I moved out of the Chicago area some time ago. I sad to see the mall shut down.
yo thanks for using my song in ur vid! much love
It's a great song! Thanks for producing it!!!!!
Stratford didn't have any stores because the village originally said the mall would close on the 15th. In December of 2023 there was roughly 15 stores left.
Yeah I'm aware, it's still unique to leave it open with no stores. I was here in January too that probably should've been acknowledged though.
2k subscribers! Great job!!
Thanks!!!!
I hate that Namdar ruined this mail! I used to live down the street and went there often. Moved out of state in 2016, so i wasn't around to see it decline further. Thanks for doing this.
I’ve been waiting for your video on this. I was there on the last day, so sad
Great video. Subscribed! May I ask what camera you shot this on?
DJI Osmo Pocket
Definitely was sad to see, since this was the mall I always frequented. We were here for a few hours until closure on the final day, and went a couple days prior. One thing I didn’t know is streetmac also once owned a mall in the Washington D.C area that is also now closed (lakeforest mall), they sold it around the same time they sold Stratford. I knew a closure was inevitable a few years ago.
I didn't realize that about Street Mac it was kind of hard to find information about them.
@@LostDepartments Yeah it was, I just used the web archive and found that out. They also owned a mall in Oklahoma (just saw it).
@@retailadventures6 that's a good idea!
It is a mistake to move totally away from indoor shopping centers. Sure the selection and convenience of shopping online can't be matched by physical locations. But that isn't really what we are talking about. Amazon didn't shut down all of the malls. They build new outdoor shopping centers to replace them. Well the weather isn't always nice for outdoor strolling. They just totally ignore that factor. There was a reason for indoor shopping centers in the first place.
Yeah, exactly. Just because department stores are dying didn't mean that malls had to as well.
The mall died because of Namdar.
I wonder how Yorktown Mall is doing after watching this.
I feel like that Coca-Cola Studio store's vending machines would have held those "studio" custom flavors of Coca-Cola and Coke Zero when they were available. I think those custom flavors are the remnant of the "Studios".
Just here to say Spiced is Coke's worst flavor.
Hate to see this mall go but at the same time, the writing was on the wall for a good while at that point, especially when the one two punch of Namdar buying the mall and COVID becoming a thing, basically were the final nails in the coffin of the mall
Just glad to have plenty of fond memories of this mall while it was still doing alright, never got to see this mall in it's prime either
also, 30:42 that elevator was actually a very late inhouse KONE hydraulic installation from 2007, not an Ecodisc :)
Damn. I need to refresh on identifying elevators...
@@LostDepartments I mean, it's been 4 years since you last uploaded an elevator video on the Elevators +More channel
I'm also surprised to see the escalators running
I know, right?
If Simon Malls buy the mall, it would do better business.
Great job! Hoping for another video. Should tell you Valley West in West Des Moines isn't doing very well.
Iowa has one Kohan property now that closed and another in my hometown that only has a Von Maur.
Thank You!!!
Nice, I visited this mall along with Spring Hill Mall on Stratford's final birthday (March 9, I went to Spring Hill then Stratford, then after that I went to Chicago Ridge Mall for the first time). If you want any suggestions for the next video, maybe do a store closing tour of The RoomPlace in Kenosha, Wisconsin or a mall tour of Gurnee Mills in Gurnee, Illinois or maybe even do mall tour of The Shops at Grand Avenue in downtown Milwaukee
I was there that day when the mall closed at 6PM.
Very sad how quickly this mall declined. It was still doing ok at the beginning of 2020, despite having lost four anchors, and then the covid lockdowns hit and doomed it. After the pandemic I only went there to shop at Kohl’s and walk my dog; security didn’t seem to mind dogs in the mall by then.
I should've brought my dog!
First! Pin??