Dead Malls Season 6 Episode 4 - Muscatine Mall
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- čas přidán 1. 12. 2023
- Alright but for real, let’s just do this one last time… One of the questions I always ask at the end of my videos is, “what do you guys think?” “How long will this mall be open?” Sadly a grim reality, is usually the truth.. But in Muscatine, that hasn’t been the case for over 20 years. As of 2023, Muscatine Mall is STILL holding on. Just by threads.. But.. With a leaky roof and flooring that’s coming apart completely, how much longer can it sit like this? Join me today, as we head in, tell the story of, and see for ourselves how the small town Muscatine, Iowas mall was doing as of my visit in November of 2023..
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#northcdogg22 #deadmall #deadmalls #northernfilms #urbanexploration #urban #history #archives
Ah yes, let's take the time to hang Christmas decorations so that your eyes are drawn upwards to our moldy water-stained drop ceiling panels. *chef's kiss*
This is my home town, too. I miss the days of bustling crowds and fun times at this mall.
Love that old mall music soundtrack. I also love the old videos when the mall was full and busier. The Christmas decorations looked nice too. Thanks for your videos
Thanks SeaBee! The Christmas decorations were some I’ll never forget!
I love the idea of this becoming a real community space. Hoping the sports and dance centers thrive and that more community continues to be built in concert with that. Really makes me think about all the ways these spaces can be repurposed with creativity and commitment to serving the people. I see that rethinking of the space as a positive!
This mall although sad to see it lifeless compared to what it once was in those VHS videos truly makes a stark contrast. But in all honesty to see this mall in the current state with the Christmas decorations was truly beautiful. Again what another great video!
Totally agree, thanks for watching!
All American diner and then Maid Rite for a short time. It was converted to a restaurant sometime late 80's, before that it was a large event space with show windows.
The Santa's castle was very cool. It feels as if the emptiness of the corridors really adds to the drifty feeling the holidays can bring on.
Amazing video North! ...i feel bad for the staff that had to decorate these dead hallways 😢
Me too! They definitely put a lot of care and effort into it..
@@NorthCdogg22 totally agree 👍
the comparison with images and vid from what it was to what it is today is what hits you.
so nice they still decorate for Christmas despite is lonely, some new malls dont take the trouble.
I went to one of the oldest mall in my town recently and I saw they are pet friendly now, so people were walking inside with their dogs , I think thats so nice.
I wonder what they do with the poo and pee situation though ?!
Hard to say what happens with a lot of the malls like this one. They are too big and expensive to tear down, but there isnt really anything thatll bring them back either. Its a true limbo state
WOW Firestone Tires in a mall, I never knew they had mall stores like that. I only ever knew of like Sears Auto as the only place at the Mall to get tires. So interesting to see the old footage and how it looks today. I thought the colors in that department store at the start looked like the old Walmarts from the 1980s.
The blue stripes definitely give that vibe!
My local kinda-dead mall (Batavia, NY City Centre) has had a longstanding Goodyear Tire store.
The resturant that you can't figure out used to be a 50's style diner that sold hamburgers, milkshakes, and all the typical diner type foods
I lived in Muscatine early 90s to late 2000s. Good times at Aladins Castle and maid rite was the restaurant. Muscatine is still the same boring and cold town 😆 thanks for reminding me. Now in DFW Texas, you couldn't pay me to move back
Amazing that they put up all the decorations when they hardly have any customers
The vhs footage is the jam! 🎉
Right??
So depressing to see such a dead mall with barely any stores open. The Christmas decorations make it more depressing 😞It’s days appear to be numbered in my opinion
You Went to Muscatine Mall. All The Stores Are Closed Because it Was Back Years Ago. You Know I Went To The Mall. You're A Great Documentaries
Its such a rare treat too see vintage documentation of such a smaller mall! I always loved muscatine mall and its sisters, its sad to see muscatine and marshalltown become the more obscure ones. Thanks for the video as always North, I hope you feel better soon; your videos always make me! 😊
Your narration and the music make this channel such a standout. Is this music available as a playlist somewhere?
It's crazy how something like a mall shutting down makes me emotional. I found video of the crossroads mall in waterloo iowa from 2011 and it just made me cry. Every store was still their super busy and it showed what store was in the spot. I forgot some of the stores and the video reminded me of it. I was like oh I remember that. Super sad. Saw the carousel in the video. So sad.i should send a link. Their was also a dad filming his son on the play equipment and I saw the Harley store and the scheels in the video. Also saw the hallmark store and jcpenny. So emotional a yet so nostalgic 😢 great video 😔
It's our life. I graduated from high school in the 80's. I spent a massive part of my life in malls. To see a dead mall reminds us times have changed and we can't ever go back cause that life no longer exists.
At least that's what i get out of it.
You aren't alone, these videos even of malls in states I've never been but seeing videos of old mall or store footage or even seeing vintage malls brings me back to my childhood in the 1980s and how on every Saturday my dad (who's now passed away) and my mom would take me to one to shop/eat, it's just emotional for me. It's a melancholy type of feeling these videos bring, they bring a sadness and longing for how things once were and a flood of memories that even bring back happiness. I swear if they ever do a Time Machine I'll frequent it and probably never want to return to our current time. I sit many times after watching these and think of the 4 malls I went to as a child (Fort Henry Mall Kingsport TN, Kingsport Mall, Middlesboro Mall KY and Village Center Harlan KY) and try to remember where all the stores were and what once was there and how it looked. In fact just over a month ago I went to Middlesboro Mall (a vintage gem in KY look up Unicom Productions video on it) and it's heartbreaking how empty it was and how even the Incredible Chocolate Chip Cookie Company is now gone. Sorry for rambling, but I just wanted you to know you aren't alone in how these videos make you feel.
@@christopherweise438I agree I was born in the 80s I have fond memories of the mall. My kids grew up going to the mall they're now 15 17 and 18. Times change. Something about a certain mall brings you back to the younger days.
@@appalachianwoman561my first memory of going to the mall was in cedar falls College Square when the only walmart was their even before the waterloo walmart there was a everything is a dollar store where I bought myself my very first item. It was a 1$ chalkboard. Even at a young age probably only 6 I still remember that. For young teens it wad a place to hang out chase boys or girls walk around not buy anything type of days. My hubby bought my engagement ring at Kay's when I was 17 and yes I was a junior in high school so engaged really young but it's sad the store isn't their anymore
I understand exactly how all of you are feeling... as soon as I saw the image of the Musicland storefront, I was close to tears... I spent my teens in the '80s and early 20s in the '90s going to our local malls... our grandest, most art-deco'd one was torn down about 20 years ago... an entire world along with its 3 anchor stores reduced to rubble and just hauled away...😢 The malls functioned like a community center where you could meet new people, bump into friends and relatives, and spend a good part of the day hanging out with friends or just walking around.. I miss Swiss Colony and Fanny Farmer where I'd get little treats... B Dalton and Waldenbooks, Sam Goody and Musicland, Chess King and Casual Corner... the list goes on! My heart just aches for those days.
That was a maid rite diner
Thanks for the insight!
The location seemed rite. But I only remember it from the late 70s. It seemed like it was stark red and white then.
i grew up with this mall as a kid thank you for bringing back memories
“This is a mall?!” That was funny 😂 love these smaller Midwest malls. I know there is one in sterling, Illinois. I can’t think of the name of it.
Still sad to see all these dead malls.
Interesting seeing that Santa is only there for an hour each day.
What’s in the old JcPenny building now?
Another great video as always.
Happy Holidays.
LOVE a holiday dead mall video. Great way to kick off the holiday season.
absolutely unbelievable
All these malls are like the domino effect once you tap the first the rest follow suite
Great video love the old video tie- ins though video...but also makes it little sad to see how great it once🤘🤘
So cool to see this mall working so hard to decorate despite the crumbling status. It feels like malls like this to happen to survive (and two of them unfortunately require cash): first, clean the place up. Fix the leaks, the broken tile, the dusty windows. Don't do a multi-million dollar makeover, just fix what is there. Second, advertise the businesses you have. "Looking for antiques? Come to Grandma's Attic at Wasteland Mall! Park on the east side for the closest entrance." Third, lower rent rates. Getting $1 a month for a spot is better than getting $0 a month for the same spot. Even if you have a revolving door of local failed startups, at least there's something there to pull people in.
Most owners are so "big picture" that I don't think they'll ever look at saving malls this way, and they'll likely be cleared for big box stores or Amazon warehouses.
The signs for the END.
Amazing, chill episode. Glad to hear you've got the creative passion again, take your time and don't push yourself to burn out, we will be here waiting for each episode :)
This takes me right back to when I discovered your channel after your first visit here. The sponsor of that video with the Diamond Dave’s advert always makes me smile. I hope you visit this mall again. To me it’s a classic
Love your channel and your videos, especially when you find old footage to include. I'm in the Cumberland Gap TN VA KY area where I've only been to malls here on the East coast when on vacation so I love seeing these old malls in states and parts of the US that I would never get to see otherwise. A lot of these remind me of some of the malls near to me. How I wish back in the 80s and 90s that we had cameras that were small enough to document the malls and stores in their prime, but we only had VHS camcorders back then that were huge and you'd be tossed out of a mall even trying to use one. So I appreciate the work that you and others do in filming these malls at any stage in their life, it's good to have it because in the future kids won't know what they are.
Amazing video, North! This looks like a cool mall to visit sometime! I love all the vintage storefronts and former restaurant stalls in here. It was really cool to see the old VHS footage too. Thank you for the dedication!
Thanks for watching Jeremy!
@@NorthCdogg22go to jasper Mall in Jasper Alabama it's dying too
Ohhhh you almost at 13k congrats!
Thank you!
@@NorthCdogg22 np mate
Serious question here. Does anyone really like strip malls? Having to drivve to each location not every store is in the same town. Go from one store to the next walking from each store in rain storms snow freezing weather. Why not keep all the stores everyone goes to in the mall. Its way more sufficient but thats just my opinion
Strip malls are the WORST
@@NorthCdogg22THANK YOU😊 someone with common sense 👏
Thank you soooooo much for keeping it positive! Merry Christmas to you!
I love your content I really want to see a revisited visit to Lindale mall in Cedar Rapids
I’ll definitely be revisiting it soon!
Great to see another video from you, Happy Christmas 🎄
As always, awesome video northcdogg. I liked the old style music you paired along with this video that really set that nostalgic feeling! 🎉 I felt that part in the video when you walked past that store with the window and entrance way that had like a oval type of shape and had that red trimming bordering edges of the 2 window and the entrance, and as much as that mall went through many renovations, it seemed that store has remained the same throughout because you put up an old picture I think from early 90s and that store was something you couldn't miss. It would be nice if you could throw in some 80s or 90s classic songs however I know you'd get stung by copyright and all that not so happy stuff that follows😢 however the contemporary alternatives still works very well.🎉🎉
I just subscribed to your channel great video. From the looks of the mall & so many closed stores & a few people I predict the mall may not be open next year.
Thank you!! It’s a sad reality this mall probably won’t be around much longer..
Pretty cool NCD! Nice trip! I also heard the secret to resilience is to never let your tank nearly deplete. Good to rest sometimes for it to replenish! 👍
1. To answer your question - I think Muscatine Mall probably won't make a comeback.
2. I have a 50% chance on this for the next episode on 12/16. I think you are filming NorthPark Mall in Davenport, IA.
Not quite back in the quad city’s but soon!
Nice video
Thanks John!
That restaurant reminds me of a TGI Fridays...maybe it was one of those!
I got that vibe too! Although I’m not sure if I’ve ever really seen a TGI Fridays around Iowa🤔
@@NorthCdogg22 fair enough, here in Ohio they were everywhere for a while!
Nope
LETS GOOOOOOOOOOOO
Please Go to chesterfield mall,it is closing at the end of 2023.
For sure gonna head down soon
The mall in mason city is also gone as well.
NorthCdogg 22 Can You Film Marshall Mall in Marshall Texas and Lufkin Mall in Lufkin Texas
To be fair, in the late 70s we shopped at PaMiDa Gibson and downtown Jupiter and Spurgeons. My dad worked for Stanley Consultants and he was in the Spurgeon building. My eye doctor and dentist were in there too. Downtown still had a toy store then too.
You're old enough to remember the *Ones* and cruising them. GO MUSKIES.......😉
@@user-ef7wj7id6z not sure I know the ones. Too young to go to Warehouse no. 4.
@@NYCS19339 The ones were 2nd and third Streets downtown and Boonie's
on the corner of 2nd street was the Bar to be parting at. Actually had several headline concerts there.
@@user-ef7wj7id6z that makes sense. I went to Washington over on 8th, so not quite old enough!
@@NYCS19339 I worked in the new main Stanley Consultants building in the early 80s . Use to walk down to Casey's Landing for after work cocktail.
You're going to the Westland Mall in Burlington 😀
You got it!!
There's so much discussion about how dead the mall is but why not mention the stores that are still there and helping keep it alive? The outside is much more lively.
Sounds like you are heading to Burlington’s Westland Mall
You know it!
That reverb is terrible lol, nice vid tho
Muscatine Mall needs to be de-malled as it seems the store fronts are pretty much on the outside. It is good they get into the Christmas spirit feel sorry for the poor soul that had to put the Christmas stuff up, Santa is going to be lonely in Muscatine Mall LMAO😂. Glad that the malls I go to deck out for Christmas.
Have you thought of doing a video on the North Grand Mall in Ames? Not as dead as some other malls in Iowa (plenty of stores still open at least), but there are very few people at the mall even when ISU is in session, and most of them are mall walkers.
I would definitely be down to stop in and check it out sometime! I’ll have to see when I’m driving thru the area again!
@@NorthCdogg22 yeah I’m surprised North Grand hasn’t been covered yet, it definitely seems more dead than e.g. Lindale in Cedar Rapids.
The restaurant I believe was maid rite
The restaurant was Maid Rite
Walgreens had a restaurant too along with Pizza Hut and Woolworth Cafe.
(VHS) Expectation: mall full of people
Reality: Abandoned
Martika toy soldier ...miss yugoslavia❤😂🎉🎉😢
Was that theater always a two screen Plex?
I think it originally was when the mall was first opened, but in the 91 Reno was expanded to 4 screens.
Was the restaurant maybe a tgi fridays?
Maid Rite/50s style diner that sold loose meat sandwitches and milkshakes
Kennedy Mall for next video?
Nope, but good guess!
Have you done the Signal Hill Mall or the Pittsburgh Mills mall?
I’ve done Pittsburgh Mills! Signal Hill tho is one I desperately want to see.
Alright! You should head there.. Be very careful though since there is a huge wall of black mold in the center.@@NorthCdogg22
I have a question: Why does bonton have so many names for its stores?
That’s a good question! They have so many store names because they bought so many brands when they were still big.
The company expanded into new regions and would buy existing brands. These brands were familiar and to keep bringing in the shoppers, the company would keep the regional brands. This has kinda died out as people migrated to national brands like Walmart, Target and Kohls.
The current President ( dictator) of China use to shop at this mall in Muscatine , he was a Exchange Student there.😉