Who misses the days of going to malls?

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Linda0818

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I was watching a video this evening of a guy who went to a local mall (Montgomery Mall in Pennsylvania) and he visited on a Saturday, yet there was barely anyone there, which he found very sad. And he was reminiscing about the days of going to malls with his friends and it brought back some nice memories. I used to love going to our local malls. We had several here in the city of Columbus (Ohio) and I really do miss those days.

One of the first places I'd go was Spencer's. And I miss the soft pretzels or stopping into a little cafe for some lunch. And I miss wandering around Sears or Lazarus and checking out the perfume counter, testing different scents and trying different makeups and then migrating over to the jewelry counter for maybe some new earrings or a bracelet (and plenty of wishful thinking as I gazed at the stuff I couldn't afford). Plus I always checked out the shoe stores. I had so many shoes back then it wasn't even funny. I'd buy them just because I had to have them, no other reason.

I also loved the book stores. I could spend an hour or two there. And then checking out the mall vendors who would set up their stands with all the cool stuff (blown glass was my favorite thing) and then just chilling on a bench in the middle of the mall with a drink or an ice cream cone and watching the people. Sometimes I'd be with friends - sometimes I'd go by myself. Either way, it was always time well spent.

If you enjoyed mall shopping, what were your favorite things to do? Did you have favorite shops?
 
I thought malls really had a good thing going when people started walking them for exercise. I am sad seeing them go to ruins now near us.
 
We have a mall in Frisco that is doing quite well. It is especially busy in the summer time, when temperatures are ridiculous. It has a Macy's, Nordstrom, Dillards, and JC Penney as anchors. It is across from the convention center, so there is a Hyatt Regency hotel attached to the mall.

My favorite store is Willams Sonoma. :D


CD
 
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I thought malls really had a good thing going when people started walking them for exercise. I am sad seeing them go to ruins now near us.
Same here. We've had a few malls completely close down. Not just because most of the stores went out of business, but also because of crime. Malls, for some reason, became a playground for gangs and they contributed to the malls' demise. People became afraid to go there anymore.
 
We have a mall in Frisco that is doing quite well. It is especially busy in the summer time, when temperatures are ridiculous. It has a Macy's, Nordstrom, Dillards, and JC Penney as anchors. It is across from the convention center, so there is a Hyatt Regency hotel attached to the mall.

My favorite store is Willams Sonoma. :D


CD
That is awesome. I hope it continues to thrive. I wish, at some point, malls would make a comeback. But I don't see that happening anytime soon.
 
The local mega mall has lost its sparkle.

IMO it’s just too big to be practical or special.

It still draws a lot of Canadian tourists and tour bus operators

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I kind of have a love-hate relationship with malls. Here in the Twin Cities we have the Mall of America, which I believe is still the largest in the U.S. There's 500 stores and some decent restaurants. It also boasts an indoor amusement park, an aquarium, and some fun gaming centers.

But getting there and parking always seems like such an ordeal. And there is a lot of gang activity. I only go if I'm meeting up with a group.
 
I kind of have a love-hate relationship with malls. Here in the Twin Cities we have the Mall of America, which I believe is still the largest in the U.S. There's 500 stores and some decent restaurants. It also boasts an indoor amusement park, an aquarium, and some fun gaming centers.

But getting there and parking always seems like such an ordeal. And there is a lot of gang activity. I only go if I'm meeting up with a group.

The closest mall to my sister's gated community in Houston has gang and crime issues. But, that's Houston, beautiful gated communities surrounded by homeless people and gangs. My family stopped bugging me to move to Houston a few years ago when they finally got the message that I am not going to leave Frisco to live somewhere where I feel the need to carry a concealed handgun, or drive out of my way to avoid "bad neighborhoods" to be safe.

I live here...

"For a second year in a row, Frisco ranks No. 1 safest city in America, according to data from SmartAsset, a financial technology company.

Using FBI data from 2021 supplemented by NeighborhoodScout.com, the study found Frisco had the fourth lowest violent crime rate in the nation. Frisco also had the fourth lowest drug poisoning deaths and the sixth lowest property crime rate
.-- Dallas Morning News (Feb 14, 2023)

Frisco has a population of 205,000, so it is not a "small town."

CD
 
Never was a fan of Malls. But when they became popular I had 2 small ones in tow and an extremely limited budget.

Strip malls were not so bad, you could park near the store you were headed for, go in, purchase, go home. Now you have to walk miles just to get into the mall and then walk more miles to get to the one store you needed.

Most are $$ traps.

And yes, I see a lot of empty stores in them too. But you don't need 15 women's clothing stores that charge exorbitant prices because the need to make the rent - all in one double decker mall.

And you don't need 3 malls within a 10 minute drive of each other either.

Old school aged shopper here, who has lived in too many big cities and wants to go back to the country.
 
Since I don't enjoy shopping (except for book stores and kitchen supply shops) I never liked malls. They are closing down around here. Tenants moving out, management not able to meet utility bills, and general disinterest by shoppers. On-line shopping has killed some small retailers, and has made a big dent in malls.
 
Since I don't enjoy shopping (except for book stores and kitchen supply shops) I never liked malls. They are closing down around here. Tenants moving out, management not able to meet utility bills, and general disinterest by shoppers. On-line shopping has killed some small retailers, and has made a big dent in malls.
So very true especially when Covid hit the poor small guy's took the worst hit.
When I was researching the miniature electric trains - there just aren't any stores any more. At least 4 died in Hamilton and I don't know how many in Toronto. It was go on-line or cease to exist.
 
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I kind of have a love-hate relationship with malls. Here in the Twin Cities we have the Mall of America, which I believe is still the largest in the U.S. There's 500 stores and some decent restaurants. It also boasts an indoor amusement park, an aquarium, and some fun gaming centers.

But getting there and parking always seems like such an ordeal. And there is a lot of gang activity. I only go if I'm meeting up with a group.
We wanted to meet up with my son and his roommate there, but mr bliss said no. Both his brothers on separate trips to Minn Mall of America had their cars stolen. It was just too big of a sign and losing our car would be a serious problem for us.
 
I'm sorry for the negativity around the MN mall. Are the other malls stricken with crime or is it just the one in Minnesota that is a problem for losing cars?
 
i miss browsing in person, in general. Lots of stores closed; not just malls. I don't want to buy everything online!!!
 
Older and junkier your car - less likely it will be stolen.

Only ever bought clothes on line twice - one didn't fit right, other material was not as imagined. No, I need to see, feel and try clothes.
 
I'm sorry for the negativity around the MN mall. Are the other malls stricken with crime or is it just the one in Minnesota that is a problem for losing cars?
My local mega mall has its own police substation and a crime rate comparable to other city neighborhoods.

The other day local police closed the mall because of an individual making a threat involving an Uzi and a bomb of some sort.
The man was taken into custody and the mall reopened without incident.

I wouldn’t hesitate to go shopping during the daytime hours but I would be reluctant to attend any of the evening activities.

“It’s another world at night…”
- Jackson Browne
 
I'm sorry for the negativity around the MN mall. Are the other malls stricken with crime or is it just the one in Minnesota that is a problem for losing cars?

As I mentioned, Houston has mall crime issues. There are thieves who look for people putting expensive items, or items in bags for jewelry stores into their cars. The thieves will follow them home, and rob them at gunpoint.

The same thing happens to people leaving banks. That's called "jugging."

Bank jugging refers to a criminal act wherein perpetrators observe individuals withdrawing money from their bank or credit union and subsequently follow them to steal the cash. The term "jugging" originates from the notion of a jug, typically used to carry large amounts of money.

On of the reasons I rent full-size 4X4 pickup trucks in Houston is because thieves know there is a good chance I'm carrying, which is legal in Texas. Thieves profile, too.

CD
 
As long as they're not specifically going for your firearm. And you know how to use it. Even more importantly know when to use it.
Know when to hold them,
Know when to fold them....

not easy even for a seasoned fighter.
 
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