I’ve lived in the Orlando area now since mid-1998, and I can tell you that this mall, as well as the areas other 6 traditional malls, were absolutely bustling with activity then. When I first moved to the area, this mall and the surrounding shops and areas were just 3-4 miles from me. I still remember what stores were in every single slot at Fashion Square from that time. I live more on the southwestern part of the Orlando metro now, but I decided to stop by Fashion Square just a few months ago, having not been there in years. I was astounded by how abandoned and almost apocalyptic the place was. From empty storefronts, to the lack of upkeep in the parking lot and exterior. It honestly made me want to cry, knowing how neat and vibrant it was before, and how much it meant to me when I first moved here. I grew up in a very very small town of only 1,800 people in the Midwest, and my nearest mall was a good hour and a half away. So having a mall like this so close was an absolute dream to me in 1998. As I understand it, other than the now gone Winter Park Mall where the Winter Park Village now stands, this was one of Orlando’s earliest full traditional malls. Generations of people have gone there. Fashion Square has now been half-heartedly Frankensteined into a mix of abandoned neglected areas, areas that have been totally demolished, and areas where new semi-anchors are. It’s very weird, but overall sad to me. What’s odd is, Baldwin Park, behind the mall where the old naval base used to be, is one of the newer, larger, nicer areas of the metro. So you’d think Fashion Square would be doing alright. But just like most malls in America, changing habits and tastes have just slowly killed most malls just about everywhere. Our only two malls in the metro that are still doing really well are Millenia and The Florida Mall. But only because they are very heavily trafficked by foreign tourists, who take home piles of merchandise that costs more in their home countries. I briefly worked at the Apple Store at the Florida Mall, and I’m not kidding when I say every day of the week was like Black Friday, with people lined up half an hour before opening, and in the store after we closed until 30-60 minutes later. It was nuts, and I eventually couldn’t take it anymore. But I suppose that that much business is a good thing overall. The whole area around Fashion Square though on East Colonial used to be so much nicer. Even outparcel areas surrounding the mall for about a mile’s perimeter haven’t been doing well, or abandoned. Sometimes I wish I had a time machine, and could go back to this mall for just one day in the 90’s to re-experience it. It used to be “my” mall and I loved it. I probably have one or two things that I still own that I bought there in fact.
I've been in orlando since 1992. To see how it looks now is sad 😔 I had a lot of fond memories at this place. Movies, 1st dates, 1st kiss, and just being a teenager hanging around friends. I miss the old days
Fashion Square was always "my" mall. I moved to Orlando in 1997 and quickly got a job working at a video store called Saturday Matinee upstairs where the movie theater now is. In 2004, when hurricane Charley hit, the mall was our savior, offering an air conditioned space to retreat to during the 2 weeks we spent without electricity in the brutal Floridian August heat. I remember when the bowling alley/ arcade was added. It was fun for awhile. To be honest, I will be sad to see this mall finally close, as it has played a significant role throughout my adult life. My daughter has a number of photos with Santa, who used to be stationed on the small platform directly across from the escalator. I will always remember this mall as the bustling and busy place that it once was. It's hard to let it go. P.S. The Premiere cinemas movies theater still has the best popcorn in Orlando, and is also the most reasonably priced theater around
I have vivid memories of going there and when the Orlando Naval Base down the street (now gone and made residential area) was there, the place would be packed with squids. I never saw less than a thousand people there just on any given day. Those massive parking lots all around it would be stacked, and I don't mean just Christmas. The location is still prime, it just aged and sounds like security went lax. One dude in the whole place and he's stalking you... all sad...
Yup, you’re absolutely right. I read a funny story about a dude who tried to go urbex-ing in that area as a teen and it turned out he and his buddies stumbled into an “abandoned” building that was part of the naval complex! Probably not the smartest idea he ever had 😂
Yes I agree this is a true dead mall. I am sick of all these youtubers calling malls dead that aren't really at all. But this time we have a mall that really is dead.
The thing is that the UA-cam algorithm pushes content about dead malls, less so thriving or struggling ones. That’s why a lot of folks (myself included) use the dead mall label on malls that aren’t *technically* dead.
Since I moved to Orlando in 2019 I've been to Orlando Fashion Square a few times mostly to see a movie. When I've walked through the mall and seeing all the empty retail spaces it makes me think of the malls I used to go to back in Columbus and how they once were the place to be. Seeing this video makes me have a better idea of how popular this mall once was. With the invention of the Internet which led to online shopping has replaced making a trip to the mall.
It's sad to see... When I was in high school (in the mid-90's), it was THE mall in Central Florida (well, that and Altamonte Springs Mall). In the late '90's, the mall in Sanford opened. Now, both Orlando Fashion Square and the mall in Sanford are basically dead. The Oviedo mall is dying a slow death. Altamonte Springs Mall seems to be doing well, and the 2 huge malls (Millenia and Florida Mall are always packed). Malls in the US are really dying... I went to Japan and China 3 years ago and their malls are growing.
Oviedo Marketplace is somewhat surviving...the City of Oviedo was gonna tear it down to make into apartments but I guess they changed their mind...As far as the stores there...I remember buying my Cobra Commander Tshirt at Gadzooks around 2000...and the Arcade upstairs...then finally Coliseum of Comics downstairs by Dillard's so yeah...it's sad to see it die (though Spencer's...Hot Topic and Champs are still there...but they seem to stay at every dead mall left)
It's funny, really the only thing left at both Oviedo and Fashion Square is the movie theater and food court. You're correct that Altamonte is really the only mall left doing well north of Orlando.
I grew up in that mall in the 80’s! Such a shock to see it in its death throes. It was built on farmland which the owners leased to a South Florida developer in the 70’s. As the land has different owners than the buildings, it’s made transformative development difficult. I’m sure the high interest rates have slowed any plans as of late, but someone really needs to put it out of its misery.
I worked at this mall for a few years. Used to be so cool. Surprised no one mentioned the world famous Burdine's (now Macy's) wall. The entire frigging anchor store was a quarter pipe to vert wall all the way around. At some point they got sick of it and installed the wrap around planters in I think like 1995 or so, but it was unbelievable. I guess opening in 1973 skateboards weren't as much of an issue so you could design architecture like that.
This mall has been empty for 20 years and sits on extremely valuable real estate in one of the fastest growing cities in the USA. I can't believe its still operating!
That's probably because there are so many competing interests given the mall's prime real-estate location that it's causing a sort of decision paralysis with the city. I've seen several conceptual revamps and they all look very chic and modern, but nothing has ever come of them. Meanwhile, almost every square inch around the mall is being developed in some way (mostly housing). It's tragic. My family and I used to hit FSM all the time back in its heyday. I especially liked grabbing a pizza from Sbarros and throwing some quarters at Tilt, the arcade. It really was like the Starcourt mall in Stranger Things, as everyone hung out there and every storefront was occupied, including the anchors. They actually built an upstairs bowling alley a few years ago that went nowhere and has closed. No food court options remain - only the Premiere Cinemas is keeping that part of the mall alive. And TBF, it does a decent amount of business, especially when a tentpole film opens (like Dune). I honestly don't know how the few remaining stores survive. Oviedo Mall is also facing a similar fate, which used to be a major hangout.
I have fond memories of this mall, being from Orlando, but not living there anymore. I used to go to the video game store, even before Gamestop was there. Can't remember the name of it though. It was in the late 90s/early 2000's... Used to shop at JCPenneys... I went to Panera a few times. I think there was even a Chick Fil A upstairs before it got big. There used to be a little train on the 2nd floor for Christmas. And I remember when they put in the movie theater and bowling alley upstairs. There used to be a Pac Sun I bought many clothes at, at 7:50 on the right. Correct me if I'm wrong about any of this. My memory's a little fuzzy. (Perhaps I mixed up a few things with the Florida mall by Sand Lake Road?). Good times there.
Wow i actually had my 2018 graduation photoshoot here but remember coming to this mall as far back as 2006 and there used to be so many stores here that my mom forced me to go with her to. Its honestly a relic at this point how many memories i have from this place.
Was it warm in there when you went? Went there for the movies a few weeks ago and it was too hot in the main mall areas. They must have shut off the a/c because the theater was fine.
I was in Orlando for Boot Camp at NTC Orlando, went to Nuclear Field A School, and then Nuclear Power School from April 1987 to May of 1988. I could easily walk from the Navy Base there on Magruder Blvd to Fashion Square Mall and to the GCC Cinema near it, all the time. Loved that mall. It WAS a good mall. The fact that it is still there after 35 years from when I was there is cool, even though it is dying. As I recall, the store you mentioned was called "Burdine's". Cool video though. A mall in my neighborhood, "Pembroke Mall" just closed last year after decades in service. I made a video documenting it's last day on here. It's doing the same thing "Fashion Square Mall" is hinting at, the "mixed use shopping with several residences, mostly senior" thing. Military Circle Mall closed a few months ago, Pembroke Mall is gone, Greenbrier Mall in Chesapeake is dying. Only Macarthur Mall is still here, even though some stores(Apple) have left it. Only Lynnhaven Mall is thriving pretty good.
Nice! I’ll have to check out your video 🙂 I’m not sure what’s sadder - these places being knocked down to make way for new stuff or hanging around in a zombie state long after their prime…neither outcome is perfect.
where was that boot camp located? Was it out near the exec airport or closer to the city center? I heard it was rough in the summer as the heat just was unbearable and recruits were always sweating buckets in that high humidity heat.
Great video! I’ve been keeping my eye on this place since 2017, it’s gone so far downhill since then, and even at that time I thought it was dead, but it’s gotten worse since then.
@@DeadMallWalking I believe they did a bunch of renovations a few years ago, but I think it was already too far gone... I used to ride my bicycle there, ever week (for exercise, as it's at the end of a trail), but I haven't been down there in a couple years at least. I think some rental car companies were using the parking lot as car storage.
Baldwin Park was built on the land reclaimed from a huge Navy base that was there from the late 1960's to 1990's. It was where I went to boot camp. Before that it was an Air Force base.
As others have stated this place was so busy in the 90's. Next time you are in central Florida, check out the Seminole Town Center in Sanford, another zombie mall.
there’s a dead mall local to me and I go there an awful lot, it’s sad to see the place dying because I spent lots of my childhood there :( it doesn’t really look dead but it’s never really busy anymore and the only busy shops there are Poundland and Asda
Haven't been since 2009-2010, and even then it was on the way out. I will note, you mentioned this is on the outskirts of Orlando, FL.... I don't think this is accurate, having lived there for quite some time. This is actually relatively close to the city core downtown, and overall a pretty busy retail area on Colonial leading into it. "Outskirts" of Orlando would probably be 10-15 miles further east, past UCF/Avalon area where things really start to thin out. Regarding the Winter Park shooting.... that's pretty much the nicest area in Orlando. I think the shooting is more of an American problem overall unfortunately.
One could argue the closing of the nearby Naval Station was the first domino that started the fall of Fashion Square -- Baldwin Park wasn't fully built-up until some years later, and as you alluded to in the video, there's an "urban village" setup that pretty much eliminates the need to drive out to the mall in spite of the proximity. There's been talk of refurbishing, renovating, re-imagining Fashion Square for well over a decade... at one point, there was a plan to build a new hotel on the property (I believe along the concourse that was completely blocked off from view). Every one of these proposals have eventually turned into dust, even the ones that the city itself signed off on. I'll believe something new will rise from the ashes of this place when I see it.
Would love if you did a video on the Hawthorne Mall in Los Angeles, I grew up not far from it and it was always abandoned. Every kid in that area has hopped that fence and gotten inside that mall. Kids still do but need to be careful since they mostly use it for filming now and Tesla (who's headquarters are a few minutes away) park their cars in the parking lot before being ready to ship
Oh man, I’d love to cover ‘em all. But unfortunately I don’t have any plans to hit the west coast any time soon 🙁 Sounds like an interesting spot though!
Facts, i played in the orlando VFW concert band and this mall would hire us to do a christmas concert every year, from around 1993 until one year the mall came under new management/owners, they waited until the night before our concert in i believe 2019, and cancelled. Alot of us showed up the following day only to find it was cancelled. We never called them again. 20+ years to end it like that. Looks like they didnt last anyway.
You should check out Lakeland square mall (If you are local to Orlando its not TOO far of a drive). Been a couple years since I went but it was dying back then. Be interested to see how's its doing now.
This is a strange thing to see, a mall that I remember from its opening in the early 70s when I was living in Orlando and in high school. It was just down the road from the mall I grew up with, Colonial Plaza and seemed like another world. Sadly we moved away a couple of years after it opened and didn’t experience all of its changes. Why did folks abandon it for the other malls?
There’s not even a Spirit of Halloween there now. I just moved to Orlando a few weeks ago. I’ve been to this mall twice since then. Once was right before closing time and it’s very dark from the Macys to the former Sears at night. The other time was in the afternoon on a random weekday. Both times I’ve been upstairs I was the only one up there. When I checked the Google reviews a woman complained about a man saying nasty things to here in the restrooms, might’ve been the same creep you encountered. I didn’t check the Macys elevator but the parking garage elevator behind JCPenney and the main elevator that takes you up to the second floor both have expired tags on them.
I worked at Robinson’s in the mall from 1975-1981 before moving to Denver. It was a cool mall at the time and is sad to see it like this 40 years later 😢. Another sad death of a mall was Colonial Plaza just down the street. Oh for some of Ronnie’s rye bread 🥖 and salami 😌
It was packed DAILY when I was a kid; it was a big part of my childhood.... While it's funny to hear the '09 commentary against current footage, it remains considerably sad that Fashion Square is now dead as a doornail.
God this is just depressing. Shame to see it in such a state. Spent a fair amount of time there growing up. But aroma 2018 most of the stores i frequented left and moved. Hell i even looks like the Spencers finally left too.
Spencers was open when I went there recently to see the new Mario Bros. movie. I took a walk around after the movie. Saw Rocky Horror as a midnight movie when I was in high school in the mid-eighties. At that time I hadn't actually "gone to the mall" since the early eighties, my comparison of the mall itself was probably '82-ish and not again until 2023. It is just as this video shows and I was truly amazed at the difference. It was actually really sad.
I saw Backstreet Boys perform on that little stage in front of the escalators 😂 they were just starting out, I was probably 12 and we thought they were lame
I remember that mall very much it was busy then it became empty so fast that’s not the mall I would go all the time because I lived in Dr. Phillips I went to mostly Florida mall or Mall of Millenia
Couple of reasons! First, America is a litigious place, and he may not have taken kindly to slander/libel if I showed his face. Second, he never actually *did* anything beyond creeping me out. And third, it wouldn’t really be in keeping the tone I wanted for the video. I decided better to de-escalate and just talk about what happened instead.
this mall is located just north of Executive Airport and near Orlando's very nice Festival Park way up in the northeast end of Orlando far outside of the normal tourist areas. This was THE mall of Orlando from the mid 70s all the way to the mid 2000s, but most of the "good" malls went south, and now "the" mall is Florida Mall which is off of Sand Lake on the exact opposite side of Orlando much closer to the theme parks where pretty much everyone wants to be. Unless you're going to a Festival Park event or the Science Center up there in north Orlando, there's no real reason to be up there if you are not local, so this mall just is in the wrong place these days.
Baldwin park was built on an old bombing range and really its designed for the rich business people who don't want old stuff. you should also understand what is directly behind the mall as its several dead end streets full of office buildings. honestly its the one mall that is just terrible in orlando. west oaks mall is just as bad. the mall needs to go and be rebuilt into something new as its a scar on the orlando cityscape. LPGA blvd is for celebs who just want a private place. Heathrow which is close enough but is mostly for those who own businesses and have some money. The mall started downhill once the basketball thing came in as a promotion which for some reason sent it tumbling. they tried sports card shows, game shows, even jewelry shows but nothing got the people back.
Location of this one was definitely...strange. Felt like the area around it just had nothing going on! Thanks for your thoughts and info about the area, much appreciated and interesting to read.
man... i used to go to this mall a lot back in the 2000's. right next to that Macy's was a GameStop, that GameStop is where my grandfather purchased me Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess.
I’m positive that man was following you… and not for a date lol. Do you have exposed equipment or are you on a go-pro like camera? Just be cautious of equipment…it’s like a giant billboard in areas where crime has gone up due to less activity. These revamp/tear down projects are so expensive, and get sat on for so long, then Amazon comes in and buys the land and instead of housing it’s a warehouse.
Honestly, I don't know why he was following me and I didn't care to find out, hah. Most of the time I have a GoPro strapped to a backpack strap (hence the strange angles my videos sometimes have) so it's all pretty lowkey, but I guess all it might take is for someone who knows electronics to get a glimpse of it. For some reason I don't see this one becoming an Amazon warehouse but, honestly, hard to know what's going to happen with these projects...even after they get the go ahead.
@@DeadMallWalking the trend out here is that if it’s not a warehouse it becomes a school… not a traditional K-12 but those packet-heavy schools for students struggling to graduate with their peers.
Always interesting to see Florida’s malls as it’s the only place in the US that I’ve been to more than one mall but haven’t been to this one sadly. Sounds so creepy what happened to you, I have had a few weird experiences like that, weird people tend to make a beeline for me 😅 even had it happen in card factory of all places where I got surrounded by two weird guys fake-acting that they knew me while giving each other mischievous glances/side eye constantly 🤣 but I just got myself out of there, always sticks with me though haha
It’s funny how those things sorta sound like nothing when you try to explain them - paranoid that *I* sounded like a weirdo I no the video - but sometimes you just know something is off. Honestly, unless you’re looking for a mall that’s very dead, this one isn’t really worth going out of your way for. Unless you’re an entrepreneur looking for advice maybe…
No middle class anymore equals no normies like myself are shopping Bidenomics! I remember going to this mall a couple of years back it wasnt this bad so crazy what 3 years does
I’m not sure I buy that as a reason why malls are dying. Young people still want to hang out with their friends, which is something we always used to do at the mall, but where they want to do it has changed over the years. I’m not young or hip enough to know why!
@@DeadMallWalking When I was in high school in the mid-eighties every Friday night at least 100 kids would hang out in the parking lot of the "BK Lounge". That's what we called the American fast food chain Burger King. The parking lot was packed with cars and kids everywhere.
I’ve lived in the Orlando area now since mid-1998, and I can tell you that this mall, as well as the areas other 6 traditional malls, were absolutely bustling with activity then. When I first moved to the area, this mall and the surrounding shops and areas were just 3-4 miles from me. I still remember what stores were in every single slot at Fashion Square from that time. I live more on the southwestern part of the Orlando metro now, but I decided to stop by Fashion Square just a few months ago, having not been there in years. I was astounded by how abandoned and almost apocalyptic the place was. From empty storefronts, to the lack of upkeep in the parking lot and exterior. It honestly made me want to cry, knowing how neat and vibrant it was before, and how much it meant to me when I first moved here. I grew up in a very very small town of only 1,800 people in the Midwest, and my nearest mall was a good hour and a half away. So having a mall like this so close was an absolute dream to me in 1998. As I understand it, other than the now gone Winter Park Mall where the Winter Park Village now stands, this was one of Orlando’s earliest full traditional malls. Generations of people have gone there. Fashion Square has now been half-heartedly Frankensteined into a mix of abandoned neglected areas, areas that have been totally demolished, and areas where new semi-anchors are. It’s very weird, but overall sad to me. What’s odd is, Baldwin Park, behind the mall where the old naval base used to be, is one of the newer, larger, nicer areas of the metro. So you’d think Fashion Square would be doing alright. But just like most malls in America, changing habits and tastes have just slowly killed most malls just about everywhere. Our only two malls in the metro that are still doing really well are Millenia and The Florida Mall. But only because they are very heavily trafficked by foreign tourists, who take home piles of merchandise that costs more in their home countries. I briefly worked at the Apple Store at the Florida Mall, and I’m not kidding when I say every day of the week was like Black Friday, with people lined up half an hour before opening, and in the store after we closed until 30-60 minutes later. It was nuts, and I eventually couldn’t take it anymore. But I suppose that that much business is a good thing overall. The whole area around Fashion Square though on East Colonial used to be so much nicer. Even outparcel areas surrounding the mall for about a mile’s perimeter haven’t been doing well, or abandoned. Sometimes I wish I had a time machine, and could go back to this mall for just one day in the 90’s to re-experience it. It used to be “my” mall and I loved it. I probably have one or two things that I still own that I bought there in fact.
I've been in orlando since 1992. To see how it looks now is sad 😔 I had a lot of fond memories at this place. Movies, 1st dates, 1st kiss, and just being a teenager hanging around friends. I miss the old days
Fashion Square was always "my" mall. I moved to Orlando in 1997 and quickly got a job working at a video store called Saturday Matinee upstairs where the movie theater now is.
In 2004, when hurricane Charley hit, the mall was our savior, offering an air conditioned space to retreat to during the 2 weeks we spent without electricity in the brutal Floridian August heat.
I remember when the bowling alley/ arcade was added. It was fun for awhile.
To be honest, I will be sad to see this mall finally close, as it has played a significant role throughout my adult life.
My daughter has a number of photos with Santa, who used to be stationed on the small platform directly across from the escalator.
I will always remember this mall as the bustling and busy place that it once was. It's hard to let it go.
P.S. The Premiere cinemas movies theater still has the best popcorn in Orlando, and is also the most reasonably priced theater around
I have vivid memories of going there and when the Orlando Naval Base down the street (now gone and made residential area) was there, the place would be packed with squids. I never saw less than a thousand people there just on any given day. Those massive parking lots all around it would be stacked, and I don't mean just Christmas. The location is still prime, it just aged and sounds like security went lax. One dude in the whole place and he's stalking you... all sad...
Yup, you’re absolutely right. I read a funny story about a dude who tried to go urbex-ing in that area as a teen and it turned out he and his buddies stumbled into an “abandoned” building that was part of the naval complex! Probably not the smartest idea he ever had 😂
The fashion squid mall! I was at Orlando RTC from May to Aug of 1991 and went for the food and movie's.
Moved to FL in 76 went school school shopping there. Joined the Navy after HS bootcamp then my first duty station. Alot of memories.
Living there as a kid really glued some memories in my head. Man do I miss that place.
Yes I agree this is a true dead mall. I am sick of all these youtubers calling malls dead that aren't really at all. But this time we have a mall that really is dead.
The thing is that the UA-cam algorithm pushes content about dead malls, less so thriving or struggling ones. That’s why a lot of folks (myself included) use the dead mall label on malls that aren’t *technically* dead.
Since I moved to Orlando in 2019 I've been to Orlando Fashion Square a few times mostly to see a movie. When I've walked through the mall and seeing all the empty retail spaces it makes me think of the malls I used to go to back in Columbus and how they once were the place to be. Seeing this video makes me have a better idea of how popular this mall once was. With the invention of the Internet which led to online shopping has replaced making a trip to the mall.
Love that theater
It's sad to see... When I was in high school (in the mid-90's), it was THE mall in Central Florida (well, that and Altamonte Springs Mall). In the late '90's, the mall in Sanford opened. Now, both Orlando Fashion Square and the mall in Sanford are basically dead. The Oviedo mall is dying a slow death. Altamonte Springs Mall seems to be doing well, and the 2 huge malls (Millenia and Florida Mall are always packed). Malls in the US are really dying... I went to Japan and China 3 years ago and their malls are growing.
Oviedo Marketplace is somewhat surviving...the City of Oviedo was gonna tear it down to make into apartments but I guess they changed their mind...As far as the stores there...I remember buying my Cobra Commander Tshirt at Gadzooks around 2000...and the Arcade upstairs...then finally Coliseum of Comics downstairs by Dillard's so yeah...it's sad to see it die (though Spencer's...Hot Topic and Champs are still there...but they seem to stay at every dead mall left)
It's funny, really the only thing left at both Oviedo and Fashion Square is the movie theater and food court. You're correct that Altamonte is really the only mall left doing well north of Orlando.
I grew up in that mall in the 80’s! Such a shock to see it in its death throes. It was built on farmland which the owners leased to a South Florida developer in the 70’s. As the land has different owners than the buildings, it’s made transformative development difficult. I’m sure the high interest rates have slowed any plans as of late, but someone really needs to put it out of its misery.
So strange to see these once bustling places die like this. This mall was very busy in the 90’s and early 2000’s.
Yup! While it doesn’t happen overnight, it still surprises me how quickly some places seem to fall out of favour 😞
Absolutely. I remember shopping for my prom dress at this mall ans it being a huge deal to travel here to go to back to school shopping in the 90's
Amazon put this place out of business
I worked at this mall for a few years. Used to be so cool. Surprised no one mentioned the world famous Burdine's (now Macy's) wall. The entire frigging anchor store was a quarter pipe to vert wall all the way around. At some point they got sick of it and installed the wrap around planters in I think like 1995 or so, but it was unbelievable. I guess opening in 1973 skateboards weren't as much of an issue so you could design architecture like that.
This mall has been empty for 20 years and sits on extremely valuable real estate in one of the fastest growing cities in the USA. I can't believe its still operating!
Orlando needs to stop growing. They pushing everyone out with how expensive shit is getting
That's probably because there are so many competing interests given the mall's prime real-estate location that it's causing a sort of decision paralysis with the city. I've seen several conceptual revamps and they all look very chic and modern, but nothing has ever come of them. Meanwhile, almost every square inch around the mall is being developed in some way (mostly housing).
It's tragic. My family and I used to hit FSM all the time back in its heyday. I especially liked grabbing a pizza from Sbarros and throwing some quarters at Tilt, the arcade. It really was like the Starcourt mall in Stranger Things, as everyone hung out there and every storefront was occupied, including the anchors.
They actually built an upstairs bowling alley a few years ago that went nowhere and has closed. No food court options remain - only the Premiere Cinemas is keeping that part of the mall alive. And TBF, it does a decent amount of business, especially when a tentpole film opens (like Dune).
I honestly don't know how the few remaining stores survive. Oviedo Mall is also facing a similar fate, which used to be a major hangout.
I have fond memories of this mall, being from Orlando, but not living there anymore.
I used to go to the video game store, even before Gamestop was there. Can't remember the name of it though. It was in the late 90s/early 2000's... Used to shop at JCPenneys... I went to Panera a few times. I think there was even a Chick Fil A upstairs before it got big. There used to be a little train on the 2nd floor for Christmas. And I remember when they put in the movie theater and bowling alley upstairs. There used to be a Pac Sun I bought many clothes at, at 7:50 on the right. Correct me if I'm wrong about any of this. My memory's a little fuzzy. (Perhaps I mixed up a few things with the Florida mall by Sand Lake Road?). Good times there.
Wow i actually had my 2018 graduation photoshoot here but remember coming to this mall as far back as 2006 and there used to be so many stores here that my mom forced me to go with her to. Its honestly a relic at this point how many memories i have from this place.
Was it warm in there when you went? Went there for the movies a few weeks ago and it was too hot in the main mall areas. They must have shut off the a/c because the theater was fine.
Hmm, very good question and I’m struggling to remember the answer. My instinct says that yes, it was warm in there!
I was in Orlando for Boot Camp at NTC Orlando, went to Nuclear Field A School, and then Nuclear Power School from April 1987 to May of 1988. I could easily walk from the Navy Base there on Magruder Blvd to Fashion Square Mall and to the GCC Cinema near it, all the time. Loved that mall. It WAS a good mall. The fact that it is still there after 35 years from when I was there is cool, even though it is dying. As I recall, the store you mentioned was called "Burdine's". Cool video though. A mall in my neighborhood, "Pembroke Mall" just closed last year after decades in service. I made a video documenting it's last day on here. It's doing the same thing "Fashion Square Mall" is hinting at, the "mixed use shopping with several residences, mostly senior" thing. Military Circle Mall closed a few months ago, Pembroke Mall is gone, Greenbrier Mall in Chesapeake is dying. Only Macarthur Mall is still here, even though some stores(Apple) have left it. Only Lynnhaven Mall is thriving pretty good.
Nice! I’ll have to check out your video 🙂 I’m not sure what’s sadder - these places being knocked down to make way for new stuff or hanging around in a zombie state long after their prime…neither outcome is perfect.
where was that boot camp located? Was it out near the exec airport or closer to the city center? I heard it was rough in the summer as the heat just was unbearable and recruits were always sweating buckets in that high humidity heat.
NTC was just off Coloinel Drive
So sad, this mall was awesome back in the 2000's.
Great video! I’ve been keeping my eye on this place since 2017, it’s gone so far downhill since then, and even at that time I thought it was dead, but it’s gotten worse since then.
Thanks dude! I wasn’t expecting it to be great, but it was much bleaker than I thought it would be. A real shame, as it does have good bones.
@@DeadMallWalking I believe they did a bunch of renovations a few years ago, but I think it was already too far gone... I used to ride my bicycle there, ever week (for exercise, as it's at the end of a trail), but I haven't been down there in a couple years at least. I think some rental car companies were using the parking lot as car storage.
Baldwin Park was built on the land reclaimed from a huge Navy base that was there from the late 1960's to 1990's. It was where I went to boot camp. Before that it was an Air Force base.
I spent a fair amount of my free time at this mall when I was stationed at Orlando NTC for boot camp and schools back in 1978 and 1979
Yes! NTC a huge presence there back in the day, now turned the Baldwin Park neighbourhood I talk about in the video, I believe.
As others have stated this place was so busy in the 90's. Next time you are in central Florida, check out the Seminole Town Center in Sanford, another zombie mall.
Seminole Towne was THE place in the 90s and 2000s. It's so depressing what has happened to it. It's worse than this.
Sick you showed Baldwin. I used to skate by that lake and there all the time on my way to fashion square.
there’s a dead mall local to me and I go there an awful lot, it’s sad to see the place dying because I spent lots of my childhood there :( it doesn’t really look dead but it’s never really busy anymore and the only busy shops there are Poundland and Asda
Haven't been since 2009-2010, and even then it was on the way out. I will note, you mentioned this is on the outskirts of Orlando, FL.... I don't think this is accurate, having lived there for quite some time. This is actually relatively close to the city core downtown, and overall a pretty busy retail area on Colonial leading into it. "Outskirts" of Orlando would probably be 10-15 miles further east, past UCF/Avalon area where things really start to thin out.
Regarding the Winter Park shooting.... that's pretty much the nicest area in Orlando. I think the shooting is more of an American problem overall unfortunately.
One could argue the closing of the nearby Naval Station was the first domino that started the fall of Fashion Square -- Baldwin Park wasn't fully built-up until some years later, and as you alluded to in the video, there's an "urban village" setup that pretty much eliminates the need to drive out to the mall in spite of the proximity.
There's been talk of refurbishing, renovating, re-imagining Fashion Square for well over a decade... at one point, there was a plan to build a new hotel on the property (I believe along the concourse that was completely blocked off from view). Every one of these proposals have eventually turned into dust, even the ones that the city itself signed off on. I'll believe something new will rise from the ashes of this place when I see it.
Would love if you did a video on the Hawthorne Mall in Los Angeles, I grew up not far from it and it was always abandoned. Every kid in that area has hopped that fence and gotten inside that mall. Kids still do but need to be careful since they mostly use it for filming now and Tesla (who's headquarters are a few minutes away) park their cars in the parking lot before being ready to ship
Oh man, I’d love to cover ‘em all. But unfortunately I don’t have any plans to hit the west coast any time soon 🙁 Sounds like an interesting spot though!
Facts, i played in the orlando VFW concert band and this mall would hire us to do a christmas concert every year, from around 1993 until one year the mall came under new management/owners, they waited until the night before our concert in i believe 2019, and cancelled. Alot of us showed up the following day only to find it was cancelled. We never called them again. 20+ years to end it like that. Looks like they didnt last anyway.
Beautiful, OMG.
You should check out Lakeland square mall (If you are local to Orlando its not TOO far of a drive). Been a couple years since I went but it was dying back then. Be interested to see how's its doing now.
Not local unfortunately, haha - hence the accent! I have a couple more Florida malls to post, but unfortunately Lakeland wasn’t one of them 🥲
Back in the late 90s we took our 6 year old son there to see The Wiggles.
I lived in Orlando for 5 years and i never even heard of this mall before.
So sad to see. It's the same way all over. I used to DJ events there at Burdines (Now Macys) is the 80's.
Nice! Bet you have some good party stories, haha 🎉
If you haven't done it already, you should do Seminole Towne Center in Sanford, FL
That was my hang out spot in 1995 so sad how empty it is hopefully make a come back ❤
From what I’ve read, it really was a go to spot for a lot of people! Beyond just growing up, moving away etc., it makes me wonder where they all went…
This is a strange thing to see, a mall that I remember from its opening in the early 70s when I was living in Orlando and in high school. It was just down the road from the mall I grew up with, Colonial Plaza and seemed like another world. Sadly we moved away a couple of years after it opened and didn’t experience all of its changes. Why did folks abandon it for the other malls?
Well hell, I didn't expect the closest mall to me to get name-dropped in this video (College Square Mall in Tennessee), but damn.
Could you possibly do Oviedo Mall next? I have so many memories there, but people have been saying it's going to be sold soon...😥
I actually already have an Oviedo video! An Ovideo if you will… ua-cam.com/video/oXtUkuwqYvI/v-deo.html
Hope not, I like the food court there.
@@tph2010 Yeah same
Mall in Merritt Island mall in brevard County Florida died too now
You may have just figured out what my next video is 🤫 Watch out for it dropping in the next week or so!
@@DeadMallWalking I will
Dang... I grew up trekkin that mall. Hate to see it make this radar.
Great video. Thanks.
Glad you liked it!
There’s not even a Spirit of Halloween there now. I just moved to Orlando a few weeks ago. I’ve been to this mall twice since then. Once was right before closing time and it’s very dark from the Macys to the former Sears at night. The other time was in the afternoon on a random weekday. Both times I’ve been upstairs I was the only one up there.
When I checked the Google reviews a woman complained about a man saying nasty things to here in the restrooms, might’ve been the same creep you encountered. I didn’t check the Macys elevator but the parking garage elevator behind JCPenney and the main elevator that takes you up to the second floor both have expired tags on them.
I purchased some shoes in that mall back in 2018, and it seemed that it had more in it than this. ugh...
I worked at Robinson’s in the mall from 1975-1981 before moving to Denver. It was a cool mall at the time and is sad to see it like this 40 years later 😢. Another sad death of a mall was Colonial Plaza just down the street. Oh for some of Ronnie’s rye bread 🥖 and salami 😌
25 years ago this used to be the place to be on Friday nights.
Hell yeah! 25 years is a looong time though, haha.
It was packed DAILY when I was a kid; it was a big part of my childhood.... While it's funny to hear the '09 commentary against current footage, it remains considerably sad that Fashion Square is now dead as a doornail.
God this is just depressing. Shame to see it in such a state. Spent a fair amount of time there growing up. But aroma 2018 most of the stores i frequented left and moved.
Hell i even looks like the Spencers finally left too.
Spencers was open when I went there recently to see the new Mario Bros. movie. I took a walk around after the movie. Saw Rocky Horror as a midnight movie when I was in high school in the mid-eighties. At that time I hadn't actually "gone to the mall" since the early eighties, my comparison of the mall itself was probably '82-ish and not again until 2023. It is just as this video shows and I was truly amazed at the difference. It was actually really sad.
I saw Backstreet Boys perform on that little stage in front of the escalators 😂 they were just starting out, I was probably 12 and we thought they were lame
I remember that mall very much it was busy then it became empty so fast that’s not the mall I would go all the time because I lived in Dr. Phillips I went to mostly Florida mall or Mall of Millenia
5:05 why not get the guy on cam for the story vs just talking about it.
Couple of reasons! First, America is a litigious place, and he may not have taken kindly to slander/libel if I showed his face. Second, he never actually *did* anything beyond creeping me out. And third, it wouldn’t really be in keeping the tone I wanted for the video. I decided better to de-escalate and just talk about what happened instead.
@@DeadMallWalking fair enough 👍🏼
this mall is located just north of Executive Airport and near Orlando's very nice Festival Park way up in the northeast end of Orlando far outside of the normal tourist areas. This was THE mall of Orlando from the mid 70s all the way to the mid 2000s, but most of the "good" malls went south, and now "the" mall is Florida Mall which is off of Sand Lake on the exact opposite side of Orlando much closer to the theme parks where pretty much everyone wants to be. Unless you're going to a Festival Park event or the Science Center up there in north Orlando, there's no real reason to be up there if you are not local, so this mall just is in the wrong place these days.
Great video!
Thanks dude, I appreciate it!
be safe
Thanks, I appreciate it!
They would've closed several years ago but Macy's refused to let go.
Baldwin park was built on an old bombing range and really its designed for the rich business people who don't want old stuff. you should also understand what is directly behind the mall as its several dead end streets full of office buildings. honestly its the one mall that is just terrible in orlando. west oaks mall is just as bad. the mall needs to go and be rebuilt into something new as its a scar on the orlando cityscape. LPGA blvd is for celebs who just want a private place. Heathrow which is close enough but is mostly for those who own businesses and have some money. The mall started downhill once the basketball thing came in as a promotion which for some reason sent it tumbling. they tried sports card shows, game shows, even jewelry shows but nothing got the people back.
Location of this one was definitely...strange. Felt like the area around it just had nothing going on! Thanks for your thoughts and info about the area, much appreciated and interesting to read.
man... i used to go to this mall a lot back in the 2000's. right next to that Macy's was a GameStop, that GameStop is where my grandfather purchased me Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess.
I’m positive that man was following you… and not for a date lol. Do you have exposed equipment or are you on a go-pro like camera? Just be cautious of equipment…it’s like a giant billboard in areas where crime has gone up due to less activity.
These revamp/tear down projects are so expensive, and get sat on for so long, then Amazon comes in and buys the land and instead of housing it’s a warehouse.
Honestly, I don't know why he was following me and I didn't care to find out, hah. Most of the time I have a GoPro strapped to a backpack strap (hence the strange angles my videos sometimes have) so it's all pretty lowkey, but I guess all it might take is for someone who knows electronics to get a glimpse of it.
For some reason I don't see this one becoming an Amazon warehouse but, honestly, hard to know what's going to happen with these projects...even after they get the go ahead.
@@DeadMallWalking the trend out here is that if it’s not a warehouse it becomes a school… not a traditional K-12 but those packet-heavy schools for students struggling to graduate with their peers.
Always interesting to see Florida’s malls as it’s the only place in the US that I’ve been to more than one mall but haven’t been to this one sadly.
Sounds so creepy what happened to you, I have had a few weird experiences like that, weird people tend to make a beeline for me 😅 even had it happen in card factory of all places where I got surrounded by two weird guys fake-acting that they knew me while giving each other mischievous glances/side eye constantly 🤣 but I just got myself out of there, always sticks with me though haha
It’s funny how those things sorta sound like nothing when you try to explain them - paranoid that *I* sounded like a weirdo I no the video - but sometimes you just know something is off.
Honestly, unless you’re looking for a mall that’s very dead, this one isn’t really worth going out of your way for. Unless you’re an entrepreneur looking for advice maybe…
Tilt, MF’s!
Honey people die in America all the time, if you don’t want to go to where people get shot don’t go to Florida 😂
No middle class anymore equals no normies like myself are shopping Bidenomics! I remember going to this mall a couple of years back it wasnt this bad so crazy what 3 years does
the young people are LAZY they dont go shopping! near by "upskale" are lazy. this is why malls are dying.
I’m not sure I buy that as a reason why malls are dying. Young people still want to hang out with their friends, which is something we always used to do at the mall, but where they want to do it has changed over the years. I’m not young or hip enough to know why!
@@DeadMallWalking well I know a few young people in my fam they do nothing but SHOP online
@@DeadMallWalking When I was in high school in the mid-eighties every Friday night at least 100 kids would hang out in the parking lot of the "BK Lounge". That's what we called the American fast food chain Burger King. The parking lot was packed with cars and kids everywhere.
@stevemorlock5366 no just lazy