Opinions on Dead malls

[Shi_dawg]

when you do it totally share photos if you don't mind, sounds cool as hell

oh definitely, maybe one of these days I'll actually be able to go through with it

 

[Emmy Fitz]

Dead malls are such a good aesthetic but I also really love... alive malls hahaha.

Luckily here in LA, a lot of our malls are still thriving, especially now that the pandemic is slowing down. Speaking of which, I wonder if the pandemic restrictions being lifted will give dead malls new life, with everyone itching to get out of the house after a year.

 

[mast]

One of my earliest memories of a mall is a dead mall. It survived until my mid-teen years before finally closing down and turning into something else. Oddly I have a nostalgia for dead malls themselves. We would go there somewhat often but I can't remember why. There was also a larger thriving mall we would frequent. The contrast between the two malls was very strange to me as a kid.

Now that once thriving mall is a dead mall. It's a very strange feeling but I wouldn't describe it as pleasant. I do appreciate the aesthetic and theme, though.

 

[vaporwavemaster1]

One of my earliest memories of a mall is a dead mall. It survived until my mid-teen years before finally closing down and turning into something else. Oddly I have a nostalgia for dead malls themselves. We would go there somewhat often but I can't remember why. There was also a larger thriving mall we would frequent. The contrast between the two malls was very strange to me as a kid.

Now that once thriving mall is a dead mall. It's a very strange feeling but I wouldn't describe it as pleasant. I do appreciate the aesthetic and theme, though.

稼働中のモールとデッド モールには、それぞれ独自の特典があります。

 

[naa]

A major US mall owner just filed for bankruptcy

Major US mall owner files for bankruptcy

Washington Prime Group, a major mall owner of more than 100 locations across the United States, filed for bankruptcy, citing pandemic-related shutdowns.

www.cnn.com

 

[cryptfrog]

reminds me of walking around in a big supermarket just as the coronavirus was getting popular and there were no people and most of the shelves were empty. I don't think I have anything intelligent to say about it but I found it kind of beautiful and peaceful in the same way a rainy day can be nice.

 

[naa]

reminds me of walking around in a big supermarket just as the coronavirus was getting popular and there were no people and most of the shelves were empty. I don't think I have anything intelligent to say about it but I found it kind of beautiful and peaceful in the same way a rainy day can be nice.

I went to a grocery store late at night during this same time period and had the same experience more or less!
Almost every shelf was empty, no one was there, and there were borderline no workers either. It felt less like reality, more like if I had dreamt of a supermarket. It was kind of eerie, a place that's usually crowded being mostly empty including the shelves, but it was really peaceful and nice. I think dead malls are similar for sure.

 

[Pangolin]

Originally, malls were supposed to be a town square for the attached offices and apartment complexes. Everything you needed: housing, employment, food, education, and entertainment could be within walking distance.

There would be no reason to leave when everything is a block or three away.

 

[Morse]

i think they are awesome for a few diff reasons

• that subliminal space feel is definitely ever present in areas like a dead mall 100%
• general abandoned places are sick, its like finding a relic to a past you know, like an archaeologist, but just very very modern
• they are very unsetlling, that subliminal space effect can play both sides of the coin, you can have complete adoration for it or just primal fear, of that something around the corner
• personally i skateboard a lot, and abandoned malls are a goldmine for spots n stuff

 

[Jade]

i think they are awesome for a few diff reasons

• that subliminal space feel is definitely ever present in areas like a dead mall 100%
• general abandoned places are sick, its like finding a relic to a past you know, like an archaeologist, but just very very modern
• they are very unsetlling, that subliminal space effect can play both sides of the coin, you can have complete adoration for it or just primal fear, of that something around the corner
• personally i skateboard a lot, and abandoned malls are a goldmine for spots n stuff

I agree with this and most of the other stuff said ITT, but for me there's also a feeling kind of like... freedom, I guess? coming from dying or dead malls. I really don't like strip malls, shopping centers, and mini-marts in general, they're just ugly and a token to rampant consumerism. Not that there aren't a lot of good memories associated with them, one mall I remember from my childhood had this pretzel shop that was just excellent, and I was always excited to go get pretzels every time my family went. But it's still a little bit cathartic seeing abandoned infrastructure. This isn't limited to malls either, architecture devoid of humans I always find really captivating. It's a sign of non-human nature taking over human nature, and I always think that's really cool. There's a great chernobyl documentary on the wildlife there that I've seen multiple times for that reason.

 

[TamagoSuki]

Dead malls are so fun to me. It represents a lost hope.

The capitalist who bought it has lost hope, the mall will be in disrepair and many stores have shuttered.

More interestingly, I find it interesting to think of as a lost hope for the future. Malls could have been a way to reduce urban sprawl. We could have malls with all of our living needs, but we instead have malls filled with the complete opposite: waste and clutter packaged in shiny boxes. I know there has been some recent talk about the idea of turning dead malls into "urban centers", filled with grocery stores/jobs/apartments/restaurants/doctors offices. This is what I imagine malls SHOULD HAVE been. A place where the community would crowd around and use, as opposed to a place to attract people from more distant areas to suck away their money.

I'd love to see the fulfillment of these malls for what I imagine is their true purpose, but I'm afraid that they will all be torn down before the government or a capitalist jumps on the idea.

 

[seals_breakfast]

I personally really enjoy looking at photos and videos of Dead Malls. Some give me memories I have experienced of going to malls during the Christmas shopping season with my family. Others willl give me memories of what never was. When paired with Mallsoft, these feelings can get very interesting.

 

[Shrug]

There is a very near-death mall in my area and I like to go there and hang out sometimes. Something about this big, beautiful elaborate building that should be full of people being nearly empty gives it a really interesting atmosphere. Sort of melancholy feeling thinking about all of the fun stuff that happened there and how it'll likely be shuttered or turned into offices soon. Nothing like grabbing a plate of shitty Asian food from the China Chef in the barren food court.

 

[LANDSHARK22]

What are your opinions on Dead malls? Do you like them? Do you hate them? Have you walked in a Dead mall? I want to know your opinions.

I'll start first: I think Dead malls are a comfort place where you want to stop time and go look back at what that mall was before. It fills me with nostalgia and memories (sometimes) from when I was a kid and went to malls with my family. I watch this vlogger that has a series of Dead malls if you are intrested, (I linked one of my favorites videos, but you can check out the other malls she had reviewed)

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0AISkumKsRE&t=182s

I would love to visit one but the closest one to me is actually still pretty active. Alot of stores have closed down but my local one stays pretty busy. (Then again this is around rural NC)

 

[bunnycaress]

my local mall is a small mall that ive been going to for years, its only about three stories tall but over the years its been losing stores and business. clearly that number increased over the pandemic but over the past 5 years there have been a lot of iconic stores that are regularly seen in american malls, before the pandemic they have gotten rid of the nordstrom which is now a clothing store and the second floor became some sort of kids play place, the sanrio store became some shitty overpriced toy store which then got moved to the hallmark that closed and now is some weird carnival game with shitty prizes, then over the pandemic we lost our victorias secret, winsdor, and justice (even though they closed down in a bunch of malls) along with forever 21 which was two stories big. remember that clothing store i mentioned earlier? they also moved into that forever 21, weird part is that they have a total of 3 stores in that mall two of which used to be major store chains and i also see them at other larger malls too. theres also a fair amount of small scammy stores that come and go. even the stores that have been sitting there for years such as hot topic, spencers, ect barely get any customers. lastly they got rid of a mc donalds that used to be there for a long time because the owner didn't pay the rent and there also used to be a dairy queen which was VERY rare to see in la county. basically over the years that mall has been slowly dying and it got worse during the pandemic, the only major chain stores connected to it are a macys thats been there for years and a kohls. i enjoy going there alot due to the ambiance of it and how it reminds me of the past and its kind of healing. sorry for the long post, ill reply with pics when i get the time

 

[JacksonMcDowell]

Fascinating stuff. I'm not sure of the vintage of most of you all, but I'm old enough to have, within my lifespan, seen the construction, death, and demolition of several malls in my hometown. In the early 90s, I had the chance to work with an overnight crew at one of them to help hang the Christmas decorations - seeing the empty, closed down stores and deserted halls left a lasting impression on my teenage self.

For what it's worth, I think that the reasons so many of these places have died are multiple - changes in how people, particularly young people, spend their time; widespread adoption of online shopping among older people; lack of originality or differentiation among the large anchor stores (Dillards and Macy's and Lord and Taylor all selling the exact same low-middlebrow stuff); major demographic shifts where many malls were located... but for my old city, it was growing reputations for danger and crime that became too much. Some of you may know which mall I'm talking about where, after a murder in the parking lot, the management company erected guard towers around the perimeter — creating a sinister, prison-like vibe.

But good grief I miss taking $30 to the Gap with my buddies and trying to find the right plaid shirt.

 

[vale-aroma]

An abandoned building is when the civilized decays into wilderness. An empty mall is a walk in the woods, peaceful, lovely, and you can learn so much by just observing.

 

[SELCOUTH]

View attachment 2997
The death of a mall is a result of it's surrounding infrastructure not working in it's favor.
In such a place, the reflection of the failures make it a place to wander without purpose or meaning before it's eventual demolition. The majority would come forward and blame online retail for the death of these locations when, quite frankly, the reason these services became more efficient is because brick and mortar stores failed to deliver thanks to factors outside their control. The malls which usually fall dead are in locations that are inconvenient, say... Not close to a highway, not accessible to public transport, not in a location where the median income is middle class or above, not close enough to housing by walking distance or in a location of high density low/high density housing.
Malls are a victim of the decaying sprawls and they, sadly, must die for the sake of the economy moving to places where it's actually functional.
It's survival of the fittest.

I don't think malls, or walk in stores in general for that matter will ever die. Our hunter gatherer brains won't allow it. People innately feel the urge to go out to get their food/groceries sometimes. Doesn't matter how many online delivery services there are, people will always feel the need to go out and get shit done themselves. Whether it be going out and shooting a buck for themselves, or buying a pound of beef at the local superstore. Of course, there will always be people who are lazy and/or suffer social anxiety who could basically live off of these services, but your average everyday joe is going to go to the store to look for things to buy and they are going to do it often. I only ever get pizza delivered when I get home from a rough day of work and I'm exceptionally tired. Maybe I'm just old school? But I feel like a lot of people share the same sentiment.

 

[wot]

Better a dead mall than one on life support. For the past decade, the one in my area's been almost nothing but clothes stores. A Radio Shack, an arcade, couple game stores, couple bookstores, they all buckled and gave way to more and more and more clothes. And it would happen right as I became able to afford my own stuff. I mean yeah, there's the internet, but it just doesn't feel the same as buying something in a physical store.

I've been to a legit dead one when I was a kid, though. Can't remember what it was (it might have been the Six Flags mall) but I know the place was so dead, we left after like 5-10 minutes. I don't even think the escalators were running. But the whole thing felt intriguing in a way, almost adventurous. I remember imagining groups meeting inside the empty store spaces at night plotting nefarious deeds.

 

[7-Eleven Spy]

What would you guys do to revive/reuse these dying/dead malls? I've heard interesting ideas about turning them into housing. It would be a cheap and quick way to get a lot of land, recreational space, space for businesses could be revived, and you'd have sections of the mall dedicated to housing the very same people who would frequent these businesses. I think it would work best if companies continue to look towards remote work.