Dead Malls Season 5 Episode 2 - Peru Mall
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- čas přidán 27. 08. 2024
- If your lucky enough to find yourself stumbling out of the cornstalks on the north side of Peru, Illinois. You’ll find yourself looking at Peru Mall, a 1970s hidden treasure. Amid the 3 empty anchors lies an expanse of liminal hell. From the dozens of dead tenants, to The Oasis, one of the easiest ways to get into the Backrooms. Join me today as we explore Peru Mall, and dive into liminality, and what it all means.
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Thank you for covering my hometown mall! I spent a large chunk of my childhood here. Pre-renovation, it was all dark stonework and brick, like a grotto. Over the holidays, they'd put out a bunch of creepy, animatronic elf-and-reindeer tableaus all over the mall. I still stop by Eyebrow Place for a cheap touch-up when I'm in town to visit my mom 😂
Wow! I am from around Peru too! Hello!
My mother does ur eyebrows lol 😂
Ahhhhh!@@8990p
That's my Mall too😂😂😂😂❤❤❤
@@8990p no my moms still open
Wow! I am amazed to see the mall I always went to as a child in a video! This feels like a dream!
Definitely didn’t expect to get so emotional from this video!! The Peru Mall was the place to be when I was growing up in the late 90s-2002. We would make an evening of it and drive over from Ottawa. Maid Rite was the BEST 50s diner with amazing milkshakes. We’d check out the dresses at Bergners, get our ears pierced at Claire’s, listen to some music at Sam Goody, and go check out the cute guys. Ha! Can’t forget all the nutty stuff in Spencer’s and enjoying our coolest store: Hot Topic. 😜 The bit about Sam Goody made so many bittersweet memories flood back. 🥲 The mall just makes me so sad… It was horrible watching it slowly die, store by store. There’s a lot of talk around town but it doesn’t seem anyone really knows what’s going on with the building. Surely, we ALL want something to happen. The owners don’t care, that’s very obvious. You can see the ceiling water damage in your video at the AMC entrance. We have a great, supportive community and that location is prime real estate off 80 & 251!! Here’s to hoping there’s something being planned behind the scenes! 🤞🏽
Forgot to mention- my first mall memory was mom buying our first brand new couch, a plaid sleeper sofa, from “Wards” (because no one cool called it by the full name 😂). This was big deal shit, guys.
I forgot about Sam goody and maid right. Lol. It Def. Was a fun place to be when we were kids. Even adults to. There were always different vendors set up down the aisle ways also. Loved the coffee smell too lol
The manager of the Peru mall would always come in to my place of employment to get food (around 5 years ago) he was in such denial of the mall being dead. He would always say everyone's dumb and our mall wasn't dead. Look at him now.
Also doesn't help he gouged rent severely
*I have so many memories of being in the Peru Mall. Shopping at Spencer's, KB Toys, Bath & Body Works, Fashion Bug, Montgomery Ward's, going to the movies, and eating at Maid Rite. They had amazingly delicious Hamburger Horseshoes and french fries! Got my ears pierced when I was 9 yrs old in this mall. It's where I saw Gremlins for the first time. When I got older I took my kids there to get some school clothes. Kinda sad to see it so lifeless now.*
Maid Rite! Oh man, I forgot about that place.
Same. I saw so many movies there in the 90s
The ending bit about Sam goody hit harder then it should of. This was the mall I grew up with. My dad would take our entire family there almost every weekend for music shopping in that exact sam goody. So many albums bought including some CDs that I played over and over and had most of my fondest childhood memories with. Thanks for visiting this mall man. I wish I could of ran into you there to chat about how it used to be there.
I would’ve loved that man, thanks for watching!
It is crazy seeing a place that i use to go to when i was younger. I remember going and hanging out with friends. Its sad to see how much has changed and how many stores are gone. It use to be a really great place to go to. They had a few good places to eat in there also. I also remember playing in the center court in high school when i was in band. We did this in the winter 2 different times.
This made me cry. This is the mall near my home town and it stings. I wish you could jump in my memories.
I haven't been in this mall in probably 20+ years, but I grew up in LaSalle, so I spent a lot of time in this mall during its peak. I worked in the arcade across from the theater when it was a Tilt! arcade with a nice selection of 90s games that were well-maintained in my time-- a lot better than what's in there now, that's for sure.
While seeing this big empty place is kind of sad-- it is encouraging to see the downtown areas of Lasalle and Peru are seeing a resurgence in the absence of the mall's shops
I remember the Tilt game room as the Gold Mine when the mall opened. Both were fun.
Holy nostalgia batman. I lived in small town north of there from like 98-02 and this was like the only place around to go to. Memories. Great job
Walking down this hallway, I can tell you every store every space ever was. What was great about this mall is that it had the big mall stores as well as local business inside. That stage every year had a big Santa setup with a fireplace and snow. The Easter bunny lived there too. Anywho, this place really helped me cope with growing up in Peru, Illinois.
The original design was brick and concrete walkways with new Orleans influenced streetlights and a large fountain at the center. There were food shops, a bakery, a florist, as well as the clothing stores and specialty shops.
I grew up and still live in Dalzell, within eyesight of the mall to the west. I remember my mom and dad taking me there as a very young child to go to KB Toys when it was still open. At the time (early 2000's), the mall was still full of activity and I remember it very vividly. By the time I got to junior high, the place was on its way out. Anchor stores were closing and many of the long-time tenants were closing and being replaced by fly-by-night stores that lasted months at best. It's actually quite sad to see the mall fall into its current condition.
I worked at Peru Mall Cinemas while going to IVCC and spent my breaks at The Gold Mine arcade. The stage area in front of Bergner's was originally a fountain. I remember going to the mall the week they opened and being excited about Baskin Robbins. Bergner's had a talking Christmas tree that was actually kind of scary.
Peru, IL is my hometown, I moved away in 2015 to South Florida. Thank you so much for making this video about the Peru Mall. It's crazy how watching your video, I could literally place myself into the scenes. I could picture myself playing the claw machines at the Fun Zone like how I did as a kid, my mom even worked at the Marshall's there. It's sad to see how empty its become, as I vividly remember the mall absolutely jampacked with people and stores. Thanks for jumpstarting my childhood memories.
I take my kids to the fun zone still for now anyway. I don't see the mall being open much longer. Spencer's recently moved out of there too. It's sad
I live in Streator, small world
*Wow!! So Sad~I spent a lot of time there in the Gold Mine Arcade but always started at KB Toys~ I always bought a model there first, then went across to Spencer's and got black lite stuff and strawberry incense they had burning in there~Always~Smelled fantastic~Then the change I had left over would be used at the arcade till my ride got there~It was a full Saturday afternoon as a kid in the 70's and early 80's~Saw a lot of movies there as well~First being Airplane 2~The last time I went to the mall was to watch the Three Amigo's in 1987~The last movie I saw in any theater btw*
I believe Lakeview Square Mall will be next!
Yessir! You got it!
Neo!
That door in the back of the oasis was your way out of the matrix!
Go through the door!😮
A combination of eeriness and sadness due to the complete and utter emptiness. Awesome episode!
Thanks Scott!
@@NorthCdogg22 This is a product of capitalism
I grew up there. So much a sad video. This was once a very busy mall and so fun to go to. The area around the mall was vibrant as well.
I'm from Peru, IL and I remember the mall a bit before 1989. I remember it being 70s brown and orange with wood and plants and waterfalls in some areas, specifically where JC Penny was originally and what is now a play place.
It's crazy now though because that is where most of us spent Friday and Saturday nights meeting up with friends before going to the bowling alley or parties. Crazy when I walk in there now... Creepy even.
Honestly I think if the owners fixed the parking lot and made the outside more appealing then more people may come. Currently I don't think it'll last very long.
Perfect dead wall mall walk through, love your commentary, especially the emphasis on liminal spaces. Great dialogue, filming, perfect vibe captured and love the choice of hypnotic vaporwave muzak, thank you and keep up the excellent work
The original mall was darker and had a grotto décor. I remember lots of brown shades. The JCP was later added at the north end. It had the skylights you show, plus JCP's façade was mirrored, so it was the brightest area of the mall. I'd always sit there if I had to meet my parents. The older part of the mall was too dark, institutional and claustrophobic for me.
Interestingly enough, my love of the idea of liminal spaces are what not only introduced me to Dead Malls with things like the Neon Palm Mall, but this obsession of liminal spaces have also grown my appreciation seemingly exponentially about rooms and spaces that are taken for granted. Weirdly enough, this is what gotten my declare my major in Architecture Design. This liminal space phenomenon shaped my life, hopefully for the better.
Interesting video. I am a past employee of a few stores in that mall thew the 1990's. Kay Bee toys, Disc Jockey records, and even Bath and Body works. Great time of my life in the hay day. Had a few mall romances and one has grown to 23 years of marriage with 2 children. Wife worked at Hair Cuttery. Our oldest daughter works at JoAnne Fabrics. Second generation mall rat. It's sad these malls are dying like this. Some of the best times of my life, friends I've met and how it developed my life. Kids today will never understand.
Always a good day when North uploads. I love that vintage Peru mall sign on the main road at the end too!
Ikr! The vintage aesthetics here are unreal!
Before the movie theater moved in, that space was a great, dimly-lit arcade called The Gold Mine. When it closed and the theater came in, a Tilt! arcade moved in across the hall.
I used to love going to Peru Mall. I looked forward to visiting the Swiss Colony and getting a jar of their hot mustard. It is sad to see it now.
The Gold Mine had the X-Men arcade game, but Nightcrawler was always broken!
@@chummer2060 I think the Gold Mine might have been gone by 1992 when the X-Men game came out. I do remember Tilt having that game. I played the heck out of it, but I always chose Dazzler.
Loved this mall. I used to go there in early 2000s with my friends and pick up chicks (werent all that succesful but there were some successes lol). Spencers recently moved out of there and is now by kohls up the road.
I live in Peru and my sister had a store there. The Mall management drove out smaller businesses out with extremely high rent. They never 'Filled' all the empty stores due to the "Rent", hence to small income they could have received. The big stores issues were not 'The Malls' issues, but, effected the outcome. Had management done a much better job, the mall would still be properous due to longiity of building costs, plus rent. Like I said, the Mall was never filled. I certainly blame Management. You cant blame Downtown stores. They never/or even came close to coming back. We are still struggling.
Being an employee here, the busiest we get is Christmas or the Insanity Haunted House during Halloween
Also the Rue 21 closed end of 2022
This is a good video. A lot of Iowa malls had Maid-Rite in it in the 1990s and early 2000s - also SouthPark Mall in Moline IL did too.
Really? I wish I could’ve seen more maid rites but it seems like most of their mall locations have closed
@@NorthCdogg22 The closing date on the Quad Cities was 2009 for sure on both sides of the river. I know 3 Des Moines malls had them - I think 2 might be still open on that.
Cedar Rapids had one at each mall at one point.
The only mall that really didn't get any was Jordan Creek. Coral Ridge didn't have one for very long either.
My personal mall food court favorite may have been McDonald's, Sbarro, or Chick-Fil-A growing up.
This mall also had a Maid-Rite. I know it was there around 1998 but not sure when it closed.
I am surprised it is closed because there isn't another around for at least an hour plus drive. I was always told that the owner charged the stores WAY too much for rent and the only stores who could keep it up were the big money anchors. When they left, there was no hope. Proof of this is that chains in the area find it more profitable to build their own buildings than just add in to the readied space here. There was a plan to make it into condos for single people, but the smarter focus would be senior living.
Many hours spent at this mall as a teen. Downtown areas are actually starting to flourish again with the decline of the mall
idk why but dead malls make me feel nostalgic for the 80s even though I was born in the early 2000s
I didn't know what to expect when I clicked on your video, But I'm glad I did! Good content bro; nostalgic, thought provoking, and entertaining. Cheers!
Thanks Rob! Much appreciated!
Those Pastels, and the square pastel lighting package around the skylights are incredible! I've never seen mall decor quite like that before. Combined with your liminol music, it made me feel like I was walking the corridors of a 1950's asylum.
I grew up with this mall, santa every christmas, movies, there was an A&W resturant we would always go to. And across the street there was a kmart that had a little ceasers (that building now has a harbor freight in it). I really do miss how busy this mall used to be just 20 years ago. Its sad to see it fall to nothing.
Lots of memories going here to see Santa and the Easter bunny as a kid, having lunch at maid rite and shopping. So sad to see the place anymore.
I dig the opening music! You got that Dan Bell flavor my guy!🎉🎉🎉
Thank you!
it’s level 0 the lobby by iwakura
@@nicelol5241 That's such a nice an calming song, to listen to.
Wow! The mall is well past dead at this point. I worked there as a teenager. I remember the mall looking much like it does now. Only full of tennants and lots of people there starting Friday night to Sunday. I believe the benches and the trash can's through the center were the same ones that were there when they started. I worked at the Lowrey Organ Center. That business history mirrors much like the story of the mall. This particular mall had not one but two organ stores in it. There were (LMD stores) Lowrey Mall Development stores in almost every mall you could find in the 70's through the early 80's. Lowrey organs were made in Chicago at the time and they had thousands of line workers assembling them. The business sold hundreds of millions of dollars worth of organs. Unfortunately the craze for them went with the malls. I went to work at the Lowrey store in this mall the week I got my driver's license and eventually ended up being Lowrey's Vice president of sales until they discontined manufacturing a few years ago. The management of these malls were very powerful people in the day. Rents were incredible and you would be fined if you opened 5 minutes late or closed the store 5 minutes early. Our store was just a few bays down from the center of the mall where the stage is. In the mall's early beginnings that was a fountain. Thank you for the tour.
The old globe lights on the outside of Bergners are awesome!
Used to drive up from Streator. 35 mins away it was still our “home mall”. Play video games at Gold Mine, get a lemonade at Corn Dog, check out the wacky Spencer’s, get a cassette single at Musicland, sample colognes at Bergners. It was a nice place to hang, on the cheap for a high school kid. And the Long John Silvers nearby? Forget about it.
When the mall opened, it had a disco in it called Crazy Pete’s - which is where my parents met.
I was just in this mall over the weekend. It's been depressing to watch the Peru Mall die slowly over the years. I used to work at the Suncoast and Sam Goody here in the late 90s and early 2000s when it was still full of businesses
Nate Zack! Hope you are well (Liz Mellen) i’ll represent for me and Rob - IPCO and Sbarro Pizza!
Liz! Hope all is well with you too!
Great video, never been to Peru mall, but the only survivor in the malls seems to be the gum ball/lounge chairs/small kid rides/and in many cases the hurricane box. I keep wondering who must of lost a lot of money putting them into every mall in the USA. My local mall in upstate NY is dying, one store about every month goes bye, bye. Like everywhere else.
I love your soothing voice and quiet manner as you describe what is happening. Keep up the good work, until the last mall is closed, which will be a sad day indeed.
This used to be a great mall packed with stores, but in internet age all these malls, and stores are dying out
I can say that it actually started to bring a tear to my eyes when you started with Sam Goody because I'm going through that deep emotional period right now. I'm 40 and will turn 41 come February. The Peru Mall was one of those places in the area I grew up with that all Streator/Ottawa/Peru residents relate with. In 2005, I bought my first TV from Sears at the mall which was a 27" CRT and it's on its last legs so much to the point where the screen is so dark you sometimes can't even see the picture. I held on to it 'till the every end but will always remember walking into Sears and picking it out on the shelf because the new flat-panel TVs were way to expensive at the time. Losing my mom three years ago made me take a step back and look at life with a panoramic view realizing that I'm now only halfway from moving up a generation and we're no longer in that adolescent stage we thought would never fly by so fast. In your video as you cruised through the hallways, I kept remembering me and my friends amongst all the other shoppers seeing the stores lit up and busy, especially around the holidays. We always knew those special places like Suncoast and Waldenbooks we wanted to stop at before or after seeing a movie in the theater and then grabbing dinner at Maid-Rite. But the description you gave from at 15:50-17:15 about nostalgic sadness is what really hit me and is the perfect description I've been struggling with to put into words for other people. To me, that time period and what it had to offer were part of the building blocks that created what was my generation of friends and peers. It really gets me deeply emotional because I saw it, as well as the stores and recreation of the times, as more that just places. Whereas some people can seem to just view it without much of a second thought, those memories stay deeply engrained in me. To me, it's like the person who attends a funeral of a dearly loved one, and then leaves forgetting who it was they just went to see for the last time. Unlike today where people can't seem to stop and smell the roses because they are always in a rush and want everything now or can't pull themselves away from their phone for one second, I saw these days of my past as not a chore, but an outing----an adventure----an experience----fun. You sometimes went there with friends just because and then planned your trip from there. Thank you so much for helping me put that nostalgia I'm going through into the perfect words and for understanding that there are others who see it and feel the same as I do.
Got spooked when I realized this was the mall right by where I live. My mom worked at the Sears there until it closed down, and we got a lot of stuff from there at the end. Still got a roll of caution tape I've been keeping for god-knows why
As I was only a child in the 80's I remember there being a lot of browns and oranges at the mall. I do remember being excited about the " new" look back in 89
This mall officially died when the FYE, a.k.a. Sam Goody, closed just a couple years ago. I went there all the time for new vinyl records and other cool stuff. It was sad when they abruptly closed.
Honestly, this mall is more active and alive than about 90% of malls I've visited! It reminds me a lot of my hometown mall in Western PA.
I was a child when this mall opened. It was a hangout for teenagers in the 70's and early 80's, and was always busy with activities. So much so, that it was extended to include more stores and JC Penney. Fountains, Gold Mine arcade, Orange Bowl, Baskin Robbins., Musicland, Sears, Montgomery Ward, Swiss Colony, Foot Locker, and more trendy women's clothing stores than I can name. It is now like touring a dead celebrity's home.
Dang, I remember going to the Peru Mall with my family and friends throughout my childhood and teenage years. I still go every now and then to see a movie at the AMC theater, but it’s wild to see it grow into a barren wasteland 😢
Im sad my son used to play here when he was one year old . Now, every time we go there i always remind him he had a good memories in this mall. Hope it will go back when it used to be.
God I friggin love your videos! I don't know what it is all these landmarks are just so beautiful without anybody in them.
Glad you like them!
Dang, I remember going to the Peru Mall with my family and friends throughout my childhood and teenage years. I still go every now and then to see a movie at the AMC theater, but it’s wild to see it grow into a ghost mall 😢
The exterior and parking lot remind me of Midway in Elyria. If you didn’t know the mall was open, you would just drive away…
The mall parking lot looks in bad shape. Just think of how much money it would cost to repave it, with to days asphalt prices.
My Grandparents use to take me & my siblings here when we were younger during our visits. We'd go to watch a movie but arrive about an hr early to play some games at the Gold Mine arcade & also to the food court to get one of those giant pretzels. I don't remember the name of the pretzel stand but they were delicious!
Funny how you talk about unease & liminal spaces in this one, when the intro text flashing "WELCOME BACK" in that colour, with that bg music and the scenery altogether already makes my chest feel like capsizing
Wow! I spent a chunk of my life here. I used to work at Sbaros, KB Toys and Waldenbooks when it was in its heyday. Remember standing outside of that Bergners entrance waiting for Ticketmaster to open.
The haunted house is suprisingly really cool and gets good business during Halloween
This mall should be one big backroom like an escape room but a mall and that would be cool and creepy I would pay to experience that. Love the vids
Man, I remember growing up in Earlville and going to that mall all the time.
great video, moving to la salle / peru soon and this is great
I worked at GKC in the late 90s. It was wild to watch you walk in that entrance and down that hall.
I spent a lot of time at Suncoast Video on the right side at the end of that hall.
I remember grabbing lunch at Sbarro's and A&W.
My grandma would take us to KB Toys.
So crazy to see the place so empty now.
The courtyard areas look like a Minecraft creation!😂
Ikr! That’s what I thought when I saw those ceilings
Never been to this mall, it does look like there was a fountain at one point in this mall which is covered up. Haven’t been to that many out of the Chicago area.
When the mall first opened there actually was a fountain there, but it has been covered up for at least 20 years if not more
hell yeah love to see peru mall getting some love, used to be a bangin place with didoughs good times
Respect from someone who lives there
The Peru Mall used to be packed back in the 90s and early 2000s, growing up there it was alwsys the place to go on the weekend. I can still name all the the empty shells of stores that used to occupy the spaces.
i worked there my entire youth. bounced from store to store. now it haunts me to even look at the building. RIP GUM TREE
Awesome video, I’m currently in the process of filming dead malls of the west season 1 right now but I also plan on having a whole season or two dedicated to exploring popular and local liminal spaces
This place will go the same way my childhood mall did. Half of it was turned into offices and the rest was torn up.
This mall is beautiful I'll give you that. But your explanation on liminality also made me see this mall another in another way as it reminds me of my home town Canadian mall Mountain Plaza. Great video!
Thanks!
I loved going to this mall. I can remember when my mom would take me and thinking it was “big”. I don’t remember exactly where but they had a helicopter ride that went up and down. I want to say it was close to where the carousel is now(I think whatever the sewing store was it was outside that).
The Orange Bowl was a favorite. I loved going into Swiss Colony.
I spent a lot of time as a preteen and teen there with my friends. Stores were slowly closing but it still was busy with stores and ppl.
Mid 2000’s is when it started it decline. So sad because it was the place to go since we really didn’t and still don’t have much to do on a weekend night
This was my hometown mall, too. In the 90s, the floors were brown, orange, and ivory tile. Hot Sam's Pretzels were unbeatable. The little pond places by the stairs/ramp (fake plants, maybe even fake water?) are stamped on my memory, too. The fact that all the kids' rides and the arcade still remain is a sign that this place should really become a little kids' play zone. So much room to run and ride little things with wheels. Charge $5 per kid and put in some playground equipment, maybe a rideable train, and you'd have a viable business!
Fantastic mall. Thanks for sharing, bud.
The first time I went to Peru Mall was in the late 80’s and it was very busy! I was working in the area and my roommate and I would go there to walk around and purchase things. When I returned to the area in the mid 90’s it appeared to still be thriving as we raised our three daughters and went to Bergners to purchase Easter dresses and back to school outfits etc. Today it is a boneyard from what it was, sad in a way! We’ve become a society where everything you need is ordered from your computer or phone and delivered to the house. Convenient yes, but just getting out with your family and spending a entire day together at the mall is gone!
Wow this mall just makes me sad of what once was!
Another great video. Thanks
As a teen (1976-1980) I enjoyed spending time, somedays many hours, at the Peru Mall. Fell out of favor shortly after that. Now, the only thing that brings me there is when Spirit Halloween sets up for a seasonal store.
Fabulous work !!! Huge Liked, We love your videos
Thank you!
I remember at time stamp 6:00 there at one time was a fountain there with coins in it. that was later covered up with a stage...
Love your content so much, and yume nikki has been one of my favorite games since childhood. I didn’t catch the music at first but it gave me such an intense feeling that I can’t place. Keep making these great vids pls💗
I grew up in the little town of Cherry. Just north of LaSalle/Peru. I remember as a kid the mall was top of line. Stores upon stores. Literally shoulder to shoulder with people. Especially during the holiday season. Such a same to see it, just like thousands of other malls just sitting and rotting away....
Considering how many people still go there, it may have another 5-10 years left, but what it needs is more marketing, like what outlet malls have, so they advertise the brands out front, so you know what you're walking into
I also was around this mall back in 2012, and man there were actual people there, ACTUAL PEOPLE, this place is a faint time machine for me...
Good commentary! An intelligent appraisal of the situation.
Thank you!
i used to go here all the time when i was younger. i loved this place so much and i have so many good memories of it. i actually got my ears pierced at the claires there recently! im incredibly sad about how dead it’s become now but it unfortunately happens :/
I spent many hours in that mall in the early 80’s. The renovation didn’t change that much.
Spencers arent even in the mall anymore. They moved a couple of weeks ago to the shopping center near Walmart. For me growing up the mall died when eb toys, suncoast, and the book store left they where the places me and my brothers hung out at. Many places have tried to bring life back to our mall but rent has gotten so expensive noone can afford to keep paying it. Even the pretzel place has said they make way more out of their food trailer then they ever did in the mall thou wish they had kept the sandwiches. How i miss the days growing up as a teenager and the mall being the place to be Friday and Saturday nights. My first ever date in 7th grade was at the mall took her to Maid Rite for dinner before going and seeing a movie. I could go on and on with the memories of this place as a teenager.
I stopped going once FYE closed. But hey, they paved some new road in front.. that will def bring company’s back😂😂😂
Thanks for covering this one!!
Sent my friend the link, curious to see how it compares to her memory.
Rodriguez Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is still going strong. Stop in.
I worked in the JCPenney there up until early 2017. It came quite as a shock when employees there learned the news that it would be one of the many to close. Because while hard-earned, it was not an unsuccessful business location. I remember still having drew in many customers especially around Christmas 2016. But here's the big part, is that there was a full hair salon by one of the entrances in that store. It went out a couple months prior to JCPenney. So having that major draw into the store being closed lost a huge demographic of shoppers who would feel enticed to browse clothing after having just gotten their hair done.
Your video is well done. The comparison to The Backrooms and liminal found footage is not inaccurate. Your mind does feel like it's trying to fill the gaps and empty space with life where it once did indeed exist.
If you do stop at the Oasis, I would stick just to the very indeed refreshing beverages. Because like the interior design the food snacks are likely...outdated. Fitting, however, for survival in The Backrooms!
I used to work at the Family Tree in 1984. I was 18 years old.
That was the only place I could find my jeans in the very early 80's
Part of the feeling that I think comes over people upon seeing something like the Sam Goody logo on the tile floor there is a reassurance of being confronted with evidence that the good old days were 100% real. Defenders of current year, current thing and current direction are always going to try to rewrite history, to make it seem to both others and ourselves that maybe we're misremembering things a bit and they weren't so different or so rosy as we recall. It's comforting to find fragments of the past that have not yet been overwritten.
Reminds me of Haute City Center (previously Honey Creek Mall) in my hometown of Terre Haute, Indiana. I remember it being busy and bustling with people growing up in the 80s and 90s, but now it is only a shell of its long gone glory and will likely soon fade away.
The next mall will be the depressing Lakeview Square Mall
I recently went to Lakeview Square and there was barely any people and the mall was so dead that even Bath and Body Works left! But when I was there I saw some guys in there 30s talking to little kids, it was very suspicious and I decided to leave.
thanks for coming to my hometown mall it was said growing up watching all the stores close down but thanks for exploring it. It is definitely creepy
So many memories at this mall. I spent many summer days here with my cousins 🫶🏻
Its funny how this place has memories for me. I met my first girlfriend at the store with Sam goody signature. All the movies I saw there. Trips to Finish Line, GameStop, JCPenny, even grabbing a pretzel. I don't forget the place. It could happen again with the mall to bring back the thrill once again. I've spent a lot of time in Peru, IL with living 20 minutes away. I still occasionally go to Peru not as often, all the memories are with me