i worked for General Drywall when I was a kid back for 10 months in 1990 building the mall. Those drywall angles and corner beads you see in the ceiling, I installed all of them myself keeping ahead of the drywall finishers who working behind me. Man that was a long time ago.
Not a bad mall. I really like the green colour of the outside/entrance of this mall. I also love how huge this fountain is. Also there are lots of good stores that I like. Good luck Wilton Mall.😊💙
They often forget about the bus stop hub! both Nx and regular bus! lots of people get on/off bus there. It now has the independent living center there too. the apts are probably going to cost an arm and a leg other wise I might say yes a good idea.
I really like this mall! The skylights are nice and bring in a lot of natural light and that fountain is great. There are many national brands still in this mall. It’s good they are using the mall as a mixed space center. There’s a mall by me that’s dead but there’s a gym, martial arts center, medical center, homeschool co-op, and training centers for coding and entrepreneurial skills. There are definitely ways to keep a mall going. My daughters would really love that horse statue. Great video Doomie!
5:58 There was a large jet in the center up until it was reduced heavily back in 2006 to reduce electricity usage and maintenance costs, but before that, the water jet used to shoot 20+ feet into the air. Also, as a local who grew up with this mall and frequented it when it was bustling still in the 2000s, you did miss one major factor in this video and actually completely missed that part of the mall, which is probably the most depressing section - the Bow Tie Cinema closed in 2021. This was one of the few institutions that kept people coming back to Wilton Mall, and it kept the food court active and alive. Bow Tie has another location in downtown Saratoga that saw a lot more business, so they felt this one was redundant. Unfortunately, this had a chain reaction - basically every restaurant left the food court, except for Yum Yum Kitchen, which is the last remaining major restaurant there. The lack of restaurants in the food court and the lack of a movie theater basically dropped the foot traffic off of a cliff, and it has not recovered. People would often shop while they waited for their movie to start, get some food at the food court, then see a movie. I worked at the nearby Best Buy up until 2016, and even then, the food court was full and the mall was always bustling, especially during the holidays. The signs were always there that the mall was doomed (decreasing foot traffic, fountain being reduced, stores starting to close, etc), but still, it's jarring just how quickly this mall died. I'll be sad to see it go, even if it's just changed instead of demolished. As for nearby malls - Aviation Mall is just as dead, so it's not competition. Crossgates is suffering from gang violence and looting, so it's dying and a lot of stores left. Colonie Center is really the only major mall in the area that is still doing well.
This is my childhood mall. Yet even 10 years ago, I called it the undead mall. It had nearly full occupancy, but stores never stayed put. JCPenney moved across the hall. The hair salon volleyed back. The gift shop has been everywhere, and nowhere. It continues to this day... Shoe Dept Encore took over an entire wing near Sears, then Sears closed. Then it moved to near Bon-Ton, and that closed. Well, the good thing about being undead, is that it can't die. I admit the floor is unique, yet dated. But the amount of natural light that is let in by the skylights is unparalleled, and should be preserved. Maybe just replace the floor... And the center fountain jet.
Great video as always Doomie. It was great to see the area I grew up in. While the Avation Mall was my local mall we used to come to the Wilton mall occasionally for different store. Sad to see the merry go round got taken out. But atleast they still have the fountain. I don’t live in the area anymore but I was just there last week visiting family and friends. They have a bunny store. Crazy the insane games rents the store next to it just to stream on twitch.
This mall was built to replace the smaller more modest Saratoga mall which was torn down in 1998ish. for a while we had 2 malls right next to each other.
The fountain here is too great to be removed, if any changes ever do occur here. Though i hope to me Macerich would ultimately leave the inside decor alone. I do wonder if doomie had a point, that Wilton Mall may've been built a little too big for the size of Saratoga Springs?
The fountain used to have a WAY bigger center jet that shot water at least 10 feet or more into the air. It got reduced in 2006-2007 to reduce electricity usage and maintenance costs.
@@FSAPOJakeThat is too bad. Seems like a lot of malls have cut back and eliminated water fountains, vs. years ago unfortunately. I wish malls would keep water fountains around, though.
Glad the Saratoga Mall got a shout out! I remember going to the flea market there as a kid. Always thought I imagined the immediate proximity between the two malls!
I've been there many times. The food court had way more options about 15 years ago. The Saratoga Mall predates my arrival. It's a decent mall. However the larger Colonie Center and Crossgates Mall are about a 35 minute drive away.
“As much as I like the 90’s-esq color and design, others will see it as outdated, icky, gas-sly, or worse.” When did people become so boring? Ok I’m kidding, but I fail to see how people want an alternative of bland and looking like everything else. Oh well, if I redesign will help, it could keep malls potentially alive.
i worked for General Drywall when I was a kid back for 10 months in 1990 building the mall. Those drywall angles and corner beads you see in the ceiling, I installed all of them myself keeping ahead of the drywall finishers who working behind me. Man that was a long time ago.
Not a bad mall. I really like the green colour of the outside/entrance of this mall. I also love how huge this fountain is. Also there are lots of good stores that I like. Good luck Wilton Mall.😊💙
This mall was where everybody hung out in highschool. Good times.
I love fountains
They often forget about the bus stop hub! both Nx and regular bus! lots of people get on/off bus there. It now has the independent living center there too. the apts are probably going to cost an arm and a leg other wise I might say yes a good idea.
I really like this mall! The skylights are nice and bring in a lot of natural light and that fountain is great. There are many national brands still in this mall. It’s good they are using the mall as a mixed space center. There’s a mall by me that’s dead but there’s a gym, martial arts center, medical center, homeschool co-op, and training centers for coding and entrepreneurial skills. There are definitely ways to keep a mall going. My daughters would really love that horse statue. Great video Doomie!
The fountain makes this mall one that should do all it can to stay open. Another great video Doomie
5:58 There was a large jet in the center up until it was reduced heavily back in 2006 to reduce electricity usage and maintenance costs, but before that, the water jet used to shoot 20+ feet into the air.
Also, as a local who grew up with this mall and frequented it when it was bustling still in the 2000s, you did miss one major factor in this video and actually completely missed that part of the mall, which is probably the most depressing section - the Bow Tie Cinema closed in 2021. This was one of the few institutions that kept people coming back to Wilton Mall, and it kept the food court active and alive. Bow Tie has another location in downtown Saratoga that saw a lot more business, so they felt this one was redundant. Unfortunately, this had a chain reaction - basically every restaurant left the food court, except for Yum Yum Kitchen, which is the last remaining major restaurant there. The lack of restaurants in the food court and the lack of a movie theater basically dropped the foot traffic off of a cliff, and it has not recovered. People would often shop while they waited for their movie to start, get some food at the food court, then see a movie.
I worked at the nearby Best Buy up until 2016, and even then, the food court was full and the mall was always bustling, especially during the holidays. The signs were always there that the mall was doomed (decreasing foot traffic, fountain being reduced, stores starting to close, etc), but still, it's jarring just how quickly this mall died. I'll be sad to see it go, even if it's just changed instead of demolished.
As for nearby malls - Aviation Mall is just as dead, so it's not competition. Crossgates is suffering from gang violence and looting, so it's dying and a lot of stores left. Colonie Center is really the only major mall in the area that is still doing well.
The movie theater recently reopened. Scene one cinema bought it. Saw a movie there back in May this year
I remember the Christmas displays this mall used to have.
This is my childhood mall. Yet even 10 years ago, I called it the undead mall. It had nearly full occupancy, but stores never stayed put. JCPenney moved across the hall. The hair salon volleyed back. The gift shop has been everywhere, and nowhere. It continues to this day... Shoe Dept Encore took over an entire wing near Sears, then Sears closed. Then it moved to near Bon-Ton, and that closed.
Well, the good thing about being undead, is that it can't die. I admit the floor is unique, yet dated. But the amount of natural light that is let in by the skylights is unparalleled, and should be preserved. Maybe just replace the floor... And the center fountain jet.
Great video as always Doomie. It was great to see the area I grew up in. While the Avation Mall was my local mall we used to come to the Wilton mall occasionally for different store. Sad to see the merry go round got taken out. But atleast they still have the fountain. I don’t live in the area anymore but I was just there last week visiting family and friends. They have a bunny store. Crazy the insane games rents the store next to it just to stream on twitch.
This mall was built to replace the smaller more modest Saratoga mall which was torn down in 1998ish. for a while we had 2 malls right next to each other.
What a nice fountain!
I LOVE the skylights and yaay a big fountain!!
The fountain here is too great to be removed, if any changes ever do occur here. Though i hope to me Macerich would ultimately leave the inside decor alone. I do wonder if doomie had a point, that Wilton Mall may've been built a little too big for the size of Saratoga Springs?
The fountain used to have a WAY bigger center jet that shot water at least 10 feet or more into the air. It got reduced in 2006-2007 to reduce electricity usage and maintenance costs.
@@FSAPOJakeThat is too bad. Seems like a lot of malls have cut back and eliminated water fountains, vs. years ago unfortunately. I wish malls would keep water fountains around, though.
Glad the Saratoga Mall got a shout out! I remember going to the flea market there as a kid. Always thought I imagined the immediate proximity between the two malls!
The flea market was in the old Jamesway before they tore down the saraoga mall
A beautiful Place. Very nice Fountain as well. I like it. Great Video, good Job Doomie!
I've been there many times. The food court had way more options about 15 years ago. The Saratoga Mall predates my arrival. It's a decent mall. However the larger Colonie Center and Crossgates Mall are about a 35 minute drive away.
Colonie Center is still doing well, but Aviation Mall is so plagued by gang violence that it's not doing so well at the moment.
That fountain!!
It used to be much much bigger. I miss it.
Got my first lacrosse helmet at the Dick’s here 20 years ago 👍
That’s my childhood mall. The Bon Ton Building is still there.
The last time I was in that mall was to help close the FYE store when I worked for the company
The fountain is more of a swimming pool.
Empty mall when it open up
It's might be mauve, not pink.
“As much as I like the 90’s-esq color and design, others will see it as outdated, icky, gas-sly, or worse.” When did people become so boring? Ok I’m kidding, but I fail to see how people want an alternative of bland and looking like everything else. Oh well, if I redesign will help, it could keep malls potentially alive.
Next up...Sangertown! Please? :)
Unfortunately he’s not! The next one he is posting is the South Mall in Allentown, PA
Hi, did you go during closing or right before mall opening hours ? Or is it just that dead ?
It's called the mallwalker's hour
Take the old bon ton wing down!!!!!!!!!!!
Cute
1st
Nice clean water in that fountain too. It seems to be well kept
You're always here first for the last good while.😊