CLOSED - Revisiting Cary Towne Center (Feat. JCPenney)
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- čas přidán 8. 09. 2024
- Cary Towne Center. When I visited it back in 2017, I called it struggling. However, two years later, I have come to see that its situation has deteriorated rapidly. Come join me for my second visit to Cary Towne Center, and we'll see just how far things have fallen.
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This mall was my childhood. I'm 23 now and this makes me die inside. RIP.
Me too
same..
This was my mall growing up. I’m so sad that it is going to be torn down, but Southpoint, among other issues, obliterated it. 😢
Regarding the Red Oak Tree, it used to be on a hill- they completely preserved the hill it was on and it was located where the current day parking lot that serves the Food Court and is in between the old Ivey’s/Dillard’s and the old (Thalhimer?)/Hecht’s/Macy’s. There was a terrible storm one night and it was killed when lightning struck it, if memory serves. At the time, the mall was still bustling with all of the mall favorites like Hot Topic, American Eagle, Suncoast, Gloria Jean’s, Cinnabon, the local hobby store, Express, Limited, Limited Too... it had everything you could want right in Cary. So they bulldozed the hill and made more parking.
That department store at the beginning that you peaked in using your camera was Hecht’s/Macy’s. When Macy’s bought Hecht’s they sealed up that entrance and only used the center court entrance (across from Penney’s). It was an attempt to deter theft, but it really cut off a lot of access to that wing!
Thank you for filming this- I just found out that you can no longer access the corridors of the mall. Belk’s and Dave and Buster’s are still open, but you have to access them from the outside. I had planned to try and take one last walk myself. 😢
Mine too
Thank you so much for this final walk through. I'm 29 and grew up in this mall. So many memories with loved ones who don't have much time left. This was a really special place for me and my family. It would have meant so much to be able to walk through one last time. Times when we would sit on the benches at the cookie store and my mom and grandmother would catch up, buying books and magazines, or going around to every shoe store even though they all had the same thing before buying. Very special - thank you again.
I'm 30 and I grew up at this mall too when we used to live in Raleigh and went to Reedy Creek Elementary.What happened?This sucks.
Soon to be a new Epic Games HQ.
Wait, is this the place?
@@foxygames9555same location, but not the same building; the mall has been razed.
It’s like coming back here to put a rose on the grave of this mall. Many good memories here. Rest well, old friend.
This mall was a big part of my childhood. I still go there frequently for F.Y.E because it’s the only place around to find a good selection of music and movies.
Closed yesterday.Sunday Jan.31,2021
1979-2021 I worked at then, Hudson Belk, a year and a half. My first real job after High School.
Things have gotten even worse since you posted this video. Dillards is closing, and the food court lost half of its restaurants, including Chick-fil-A.
There used to be a Greek/Mediterranean restaurant next to it that languished in the mall
I used to go here all the time when I first moved to the United States in 2008... May this wonderful gem of my childhood rest forever in peace.
I worked as a maintenance person at Cary Towne Center around the 1993-1994 time frame. The old oak tree mentioned in this video was HUGE! It was preserved in its own fenced-in area in front of the food court entrance from the beginning of the expansion period from “Cary Village Mall” to “Cary Towne Center”. From what I had heard the age of the tree was so significant that there were various groups that had protested it’s removal. I think it was ‘94 or so when the tree was finally in such a poor condition that it had to be cut down. I still remember being an employee with lots of initiative and having a fellow maintenance person help me pick up a large chunk of the tree and put it into a trash compactor close to the dock in the area of the mall where the new Cinnabon had opened. The chunk of tree landed inside of the trash compactor splashing all sorts of weird juice from Cinnabon drink mixtures that had been thrown away. My fellow maintenance person closest to the compactor caught the brunt of it, and the rest of it splashed on me. Needless to say my coworker did not share my same sense of motivation after that event. His name was Andre in case he ever reads this and has a laugh. 😂😂
I'm 43 and grew up down the road in Lillington. I remember when it was still just Cary Village and when the transition to Care Towne Center happened. We mostly went to Crabtree when I was little but by the time I was old enough to drive, me and my buddies spend countless nights just wandering around here - just because it was closer. Good times.
I have been going to Cary Towne Center since the doors opened in 1979 and it is really sad to watch this video. It's a real shame that the mall is no longer supported by it's citizens as large as Cary has got over the years. I guess everyone shops elsewhere. I know we are going to regret this one day. I certainly don't want to go to Raleigh for everything. The citizens need to fight and bring this mall back to life. I know it needs to be renovated and we need some new shops and big name anchor stores, but it can happen.
Malls are dead. Next gen shops online. People don’t want to be indoor with covid and risk of being shot. Why save something that locals won’t support? Cary has so many Indians who don’t leave their house or shop local. Times have changed.
I had several jobs at Cary Towne Center over the years (Casual Corner and White Barn Candle Company were two of them), and I always loved the community of mall workers. One of my favorite Halloween memories was giving out candy to the kids when I worked at White Barn, and they wiped out our candy supply in less than an hour. I was heartbroken when Cary Towne Center closed.
i’m 20 now, but i remember being 11 and walking to cary mall every friday after school. it’s so sad how dead this mall is now
About the oak tree...it was dying and had to be removed several years back.
Just went there today & was surprised the structure is still there, although the entire area is surrounded by fences with piles of material in the parking lot. Thanks for capturing these memories.
Cary is a high class town. I dont get why it is dying off. Should be room for it despite all the new development elsewhere.
I spent honestly about 90% of my childhood at this mall, I was so devastated when they tore it down :(.
Grew up in Raleigh. Cary towne was alright back in 2006-2012 or so.
Crabtree valley mall is the best in the whole wake county area
Me watching a ghost of my memories before my eyes. Lord, the nostalgia and heartache. I'd go here after class at Wake Tech. My friend and I would go eat and then walk around. Bought my copy of Capcom vs Marvel there. Rip
Cary is a upscale town. This mall shouldnt die but every time I go over there it looks worse. Thanks for sharing this.
Dude I've lived right by that mall since the 90's been their so many times! Crazy how things turned out!
It's sad to me to see this. I went there often in the '90's with my kids. Thanks for the video
Hi Doomie. This was our 2nd dead mall we visited on our recent trip. The only anchor store left was Belk and many of the in line stores in your most recent video are gone now too, including GNC which appears to be a trend as of late. Also, the food court had one open eatery, Little Tokyo, with a woman behind the counter who must have worked a mall kiosk at some time in her life. She was shouting at everyone walking by to came try a sample to drum up business. It appeared to be working but not for us, since we had already eaten at Triangle Town Center. We loved the sky lights in this mall! Too bad they weren't illuminating many customers, just us and a few others along with the ever-present mall walkers. We were relieved to see that Pretzel Twister still has a stand alone location there for when you make a return visit. Hope it's still there when you do. Thanks again for giving us some location suggestions via your videos!
I've lived here for almost 20 years now but i've never known cary towne center's history like this. After the pandemic it's only gotten more and more desolate, the pretzel twister always has music coming from it though
Good video! I've lived in Raleigh for 10 years and I frequent that Dave and Busters 4 times a week. It was announced several years ago that the mall would be shutting down in 10 or so years. It was a conscious decision from what I understand, as it was the subject of lots of articles and didn't really seem unexpected. It's definitely not a "Dead" mall per se, it still sees plenty of traffic and D&D is PACKED Friday and Sat nights. but it's def not bustling. It's strange considering the only real alternative in the area is Crabtree in Raleigh which is extremely busy at virtually all times. I worry CTC closing will overcrowd Crabtree in the future, but that is years away and I will likely no longer be here. Good stuff! I go to the dead wing to hangout and listen to Mallsoft while I walk laps sometimes
Rest In Peace. All the memories of when i was young.
With that much silence. You can perhaps hear a pin dropping on the floor.
Just adding a little story i remember on Crossroads Plaza. They'd planned it to be the biggest indoor shopping mall in the southeast I think, but anyway they started clearing out land for it. It was a forested area at the time and it stopped because apparently there was some guy living there and this little copse of trees just sat there for years while the developer went to court trying to get him evicted. Idk if that's an urban legend but I know that copse of trees sat there for years before it finally was completed.
I just visited this mall TODAY. Dillard's is in the middle of a going-out-of-business sale now.
Opened in 1979 as the Cary Village Mall with main anchors Hudson Belk, JC Penney, Sears, and Thalhimers later Hecht’s and Macy’s that also had Treasury Drugs, Ivey’s later Dillard’s and more than 200 stores and services. On the outside entrance was a Big Star grocery store that was located at the intersection of Maynard Road and Walnut Street. It was expanded in 1991.
Super grateful for this video. I worked there briefly and have fond memories in general of shopping there. It felt to me that Dave & Buster's was the only thing still holding it together. It's sad to see the mall fall unto this pathetic state.
I think the Retail Apocalypse had thrown itself on top of Cary Town Center
This mall takes tray ceilings to another level, Jesus.
Lived here for 45 years and LOVE malls. They're one of the few public gathering places that don't have some purpose like a church. I've made rounds at all the malls in the area at least a few times per year. This one is one of the hardest hit and currently the most depressing. Surprising as it is right near the highway and surrounded by nice areas. Every time I go, it's in a greater state of disrepair and has several fewer tenants. Some outlying structures have been removed (remember the Taco Bell?). I was there opening week. Sad that it went from having a piano player in the food court to the food court now leaking water. The mall near me (Triangle Towne) was on a similar path, but right as it got REALLY bad and empty, it started getting a few new tenants. The food court at TT is actually pretty neat now with lots of interesting stuff. It's still on the verge of being depressing and the outdoor area is all but dead (and literally rotting and falling apart). But the surrounding area is nowhere near as nice as the area around Cary Towne, which doesn't make sense to me.
When I lived in Raleigh this was my favorite mall, for sure. So much easier to get in and out of than Crabtree. SMH.
Good video. Interesting but sad. Good footage. Thanks for filming.
So sad to see this closed now. My mom worked there temporarily to make a living for my family. So many memories of this mall, 🥺
The mall looks alive here... man, it must have gone downhill VERY fast.
It did, especially after covid hit and even fewer people went there to shop.
Graduated from Cary High in 93. Remember when it was Cary village mall. I actually worked for the Chick-fil-A when they first open. I also worked at the KB toys and Burger King. Also if I'm not mistaken the tree that was saved eventually had to be removed because it was struck by lightning and died.
oh my goodness, i remember when burger king was there
There are far better malls around the area, such as SouthPointe and Crabtree. Not only that, but they closed the GameStop and the Chick-Fil-A in the food court. There is no reason to go to this mall, unless you don't like driving on highways.
(The Dave and Buster's sucks. It doesn't count.)
Fun fact; this mall is literally less than a ten minute drive away from the Epic Games HQ.
Just visited today. JCP is gone and not yet demolished, and Dillard's is going out of business.
Dillards??? How u know
@@ajramos2355 I was there Friday night and saw signs showing where it's going out of business.
It makes me sad to see our indoor malls close. It’s a great place for our Seniors, disabled, and others to walk. Bad weather, cold/hot temps, it’s a place to go to. And it’s convenient.
We need to come up with some creative ideas for using those stores for others things and still keep it in tack for walkers. (Some places for ex. Food hall, business meeting venue, open concept office space to rent out for the individuals that need a spot (I think there’s a name for it). Create a water scape where you can go and relax or meet a friend, a place animals to be viewed and adopted. Other trending things. Let’s bring Seniors and the young generation together some how in using this space. “Adopt a Senior” if you will;) There’s a retirement center I believe behind it they could tie it in with as well.
Ive been there a couple of times in the past and really liked it. I felt a lot safer then going to Northgate
I worked at Cobbler's Express in the early to mid 90s. It was the store, second on the right, as soon as the video entered the entrances, edited out though. Had some great times there. Being located at the Sears end of the mall us employees were considered the "un-cool" kids. But brother let me tell ya, we partied. Gingiss Formal Wear, the beauty salon, Glamour Shots, Forever 21, Nail salon, Gary and I at Cobblers. We had our own little clique., a half dozen Sears employees. We meet up after work at Spinakers, have a few.. Weekends we had cook outs. Lots of Drama and fun.
Miss those times and that job.
Oh man, Spinakers ... we ate there SO much back in the day. Almost certain I got my high school prom tux from Gingiss.
@@trenthamilton4240 I worked at Spinnakers at Cary Towne from '97-'98, lol. I was a server & hostess.
@@deannadrake2040 Ha! Small world this internet. I was working at Egghead Computer over at Crossroads around then. :)
@@trenthamilton4240 Wow, Trent, that's really something. Are you still in the area? I've been in the Garner area myself for over 15 years now, but was living off S. Saunders in Raleigh at the time I worked at Spinnakers. Cary Towne was convenient then 'cause my daughter was going to Cary Elementary.
@@deannadrake2040 Nah, I moved out west after finishing up at NCSU. Was living over near Rex Hospital just off Blue Ridge when I was working at Egghead. Worked over at Lily's in Five Points after that for the rest of college. Raleigh's changed so much since those days.
I remember my childhood in this mall especially the stairs- remember sliding down the side of the stairs as a kid anyone else? Lol
Yes..the dreaded 2nd Law of Thermodynamics..is moving swiftly, Entropy sets in as firmly as the Black Mold, Algae, Moss and Lichen!! This mall is wheezing like a Grampus!!
As of this posting, the mall is now closed, with only Dave and Buster’s still running; they’re awaiting a new building being built nearby.
The new building is open now. Looks kind of creepy with dark gray paint.
I was down in Cary last month, went to visit the area, and the mall has been fully demolished.
Good video! I was actually there today at Dave and Busters and it seemed busy but the other parts of the mall are dying
God I barely remember this place. As a kid my family and I would go there to get lunch, usually Chinese food, after watching my uncle compete in the special Olympics at the nearby aquatics center. From my memory I recall the place wasn't doing good for a very long time. I remember the dead wing being pretty far gone in... maybe around 2007? Not sure on the exact dates. We would aways walk through it as it was the closest entrance to the pool. I never really thought much of till the place till I learned it was gone. I suppose its that way with most things though. Growing up is weird. :/
I still remember the carousel that was in the east wing of the mall… I wonder what happened to it when they took it out of the mall..
Glad you are doing some updated videos on your older mall visits. Is a Wilson Mall revisit in the works?
i drove by the mall today nearly 3 years later from when this video came out and its completely gone all whats left is one building and for the rest of it complete rubble
Malls are a thing of the past across the country due to online shopping, i.e Amazon.
When I enlisted in the military this the recruiting center I used to go to.
I hope my boy Tim Sweeny can turn this place back around.
I never understood the demise of this mall until this video because it seemed like it was the only truly mid-range mall near Raliegh. So the area deteriorated? It seems so many malls are undergoing changing demographics these days. I don't know much about the Research Triangle area but are all of these places so close that their malls cannibalize each other to some extent? Four Seasons Town Center is in Greensboro I think and Hanes Mall is in Winston-Salem. Crabtree Valley is upscale as well as The Streets at Southpoint, but it is in Durham.
I used to work at Cary Towne Center back in 2005 and back then it seemed pretty healthy. However, over the ensuing years I have seen that change. I was actually there last week to get my eyes checked at LensCrafters and I think COVID-19 is the final nail in the coffin for it. On a Friday evening, I don’t think I counted 10 other customers. It is even more eerie than your video now. I hope they can redevelop it into something more akin to a North Hills. I imagine the Wegmans across the street will breathe more life into that area.
It's obvious you were there when the mall opened for the day. Maybe next time try going on a weekend, you'll see that it's not completely dead yet. This mall has huge potential considering it's location and one of the reasons for the vacancies is the owner failed to renew a lot of leases when they thought Top Golf, then Ikea was coming.
Seems to have been bought by Epic Games and is slated to become their global headquarters.
Anything to support this claim?
@@DoomieGruntVentures www.epicgames.com/site/en-US/news/epic-games-announces-new-location-for-company-headquarters?sessionInvalidated=true
@@DoomieGruntVentures www.wral.com/epic-games-announces-new-headquarters-at-site-of-cary-towne-center/19455534/?version=amp
@@DoomieGruntVentures A quick google search will solve your question. I'm also here to see how the Epic Games HQ will look like in the inside heh :D
@@nrodriguez3d I see the articles going around now. I just found it hard to believe at first. A very... interesting redevelopment to see. Hope all goes well.
Soon to be Epic Games Headquarters.
The oak tree, unfortunately, was not removed as part of renovation. Lightening struck it back around 1998 and it had to be removed. The mall took great care in making sure that tree was not removed until nature itself required the removal.
Epic Games will replace Cary Towne Center, but I don’t know if Dave And Buster’s will be still here 🤔
The Dave and Busters will remain on-site, but will be relocated to an area across from where the food court used to be.
It's in a separate building where Jump Zone used to be.
Please bring it back
Dillard's is completely empty as of February 2020.
The Dead Malls Discord - Link Removed due to terminated affiliation
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There was a Dinosaur Event called a Jurassic Adventure and The Parking Lot and Mall Was Full of cars and People
What's Next in NC?
@@petraarellano8725 After two more out-of-state malls, I plan on doing the outdoor mall Tri-City Mall in Forest City.
This mall was my childhood 😥
Really enjoying your videos - looking forward to the ones from the Norfolk, VA area!
I went to this mall the most as a kid because it was closer to where I lived, but it always seemed so lame compared to Crabtree or Southpoint. As soon as I had my license I was always going to Crabtree instead. This mall has a really stupid layout that’s partly to blame for why its dying, the different wings always felt so far away from each other.
That tree you mentioned used to be in front of the food court entrance, I remember it was on this hill that was an island surrounded by parking lot. I think they removed it around 2001ish.
The triangular shaped food court was located in that big open area to the left you passed 5:28. This was before my time, I only know this from other people. At some point during expansion that area got converted into a weird island of stores, but they got rid of them around the time Dave and Busters came in.
I will say one nice thing though, I’ve always liked the skylights at this mall.
You need to come back now.. it’s almost dead. Come back before it gets torn down.
I was just there today. Surprisingly, the structure is still there but the entire area is fenced off.
2024 Epic Games still have no plans.
There puting a new Mall across the street
reminds me of Virginia Center Commons. Dead wing there too.
we like fortnite we like fortnite
🤢🤮
The future home of Fortnite
So many clothes. Who buys all this made in China junk? I wear my clothes for 10-20 years.