For those of us that grew up in the last half of the 20th century, these malls were our “Main Street”. At least we’ll have the videos to remember them.
That intro with ponderosa brought back some great memories! We always went there growing up when we had the extra money and could afford it. Last time I went was probably 17-18 years ago, it was when it started going downhill and soon after it closed near our home in Akron Ohio. This mall is so cool though love the vintage look!
I feel your pain of losing a childhood mall. A few years back we lost my favorite mall from childhood. It's strange how we grow attachments to places like a mall hahaha great videos by the way.
Those 90s songs go so perfect with this video. They really tell the time in which the era that the mall was built in. The 90s were some good old days👍👍👍👍😉😉
Wow! Those brown frosted glass light fixtures on the light polls blasted me back to 1982 on sight! Totally retro and beautiful. Too bad it's going into the history books with the demo, and of course, Ace is there to record it one last time. Your getting better with each new episode. Thanks as always! 😉🤘
BaldMaxx this mall is not going to be demolished... I live 15 minutes from the Warren mall and it has a new owner as of 2015, and he actually plans to bring the mall back. It actually just got a new massive sports store, which is doing great!
that whole mall is a legend of older mall buildings...if those walls could talk....and if you believe in the paranormal that mall is super active it was built on an old oil refinery that essentially blew up in the early 1920s if my memory serves me right and many lives were lost, i can tell so many stories of experiences i have personally had there
Hey! I live very close to this! This mall was thriving in the late 70s, 80s, 90s, and died around the early 00s, Kmart went out in 2014, and Big Lots did in about 2011 I believe, but the mall is coming back, they have a new Sports store called Dunham's, like Dick's sporting goods, and it's an anchor, and it is doing very well so far. Contact me for more info on this amazing mall! And yes it's all original from the late 70s
Do you know the opening date of the Warren Mall? I was one of the original employees of the mall before I was injured in an electrical explosion there and am now trying to remember the start date so I can write down some of my personal history.
What a great job you have done with these malls. That Ponderosa ad flashed me back to my [misspent] youth. I have many fond memories of places like these. I would so play bocce with those guys...but I think they'd fleece me! lol So happy to learn of the revitalization plans.
Yes, he is talking down to his audience, assuming we are all a few cards short of a deck. I suppose these dead malls get to him just like they get to us. In one of the OWings Mill videos he makes up questtions as if they were sent in form listeners and provide simplistic answers. If he i going to do that , just as soonhe just show the videos.
Grew up in warren and lived about a 10 min bike ride from this mall. would always come here..... NAPOLIS pizza had the best calzones I ever tasted. I remember standing in line at the game store for many first day releases. there was also a bakery right next to the kmart that i remember had the best Snicker-doodle cookies... Warm and soft with almost a chewy/moist center......yum. there is still a nice fishing spot behind the movie theatre next to the mall. So many memories.
Many malls are being replaced by "open air centers". Now while I certainly can't speak for everyone, I kinda prefer my shopping experience to be under a roof and out of the weather.
I agree with that statement. I worked construction for 25 years. I’ve been out of the business 15 years. Most of the buildings I was involved with are gone to redeveloped.
I feel the pain, I look at series about dead malls and it brings me back to the 90's when there were good stores still around and malls were more friendly feeling. now a days the malls go for either really bad archetecturing, or trying to "fit the urban area there in", keep the nostalgia, it's bad enough where I live now has a problem with arcades and is slowly developing from farmland...
Wow, such a feeling of antiquity. It really does take me back to those halcyon days of the 80s when I liked spending a couple of hours strolling around the mall. My old mall was a victim of the local megamall and just lost their last retailer. Yours obviously isn't exactly the same mall, but it's close enough to give the same atmosphere. It's almost like all mall developers of the 1960s through 70s used the same architects. They all look the same. I really like the old covered arcades on this blog page: shoppingmallmuseum.blogspot.com/2010/08/ (look in the arcade section). Those old arcades are gorgeous. They had character and class back then.
Alright, maybe this is the place to ask in identifying an old mall, especially since there are some PA people here. I have memories of walking through a Philadelphia-area mall when I was five years old, in 1976 during the bicentennial. It was a multi-level mall with an arcade on the upper level. It may have been a Space Dock but maybe not, it was too long ago. I remember the play area downstairs that had giant things to crawl on, they were painted different solid colors, maybe cartoonish quasi-dinosaurs? I remember getting Icees there and patriotic bald eagle flair hanging above the escalators but not too much else. I lived in Berwyn at the time so King of Prussia Mall would have been closest but by no means a given. Is this sparking any memories in anyone? Much love to my fellow 70s/80s/90s culture junkies out there.
Thanks for the update. I never saw the original video. Also, it's nice to see that this mall isn't being completely demolished. That said, the decor in the rest of mall needs an update (in my opinion, at least).
Eren JaegerDarkness it should be kept all original... from 1978.. I don't know where you heard it was going to be demolished at all. That's not truth, the current owner is actually trying to bring it back to life.
What is that track you used at the beginning of the video. I've been looking for it for a year and a half almost. My friend (who has a good ear for this stuff) had trouble finding it. So if she can't find it, I'm sort of stuck.
I may be a year late, but I hope you read this. The song used in the beginning of the video is a slowed down version of "Step Into The Light" by Toshiki Kadomatsu from his album "After 5 Clash". czcams.com/video/y9AQYPDOCts/video.html
I bring a message from the future. On 9/6/18 it was announced that holding company CSC Generation had bought The Bon Ton in it's entirety and is resurrecting it at the time of me typing this comment.
Why do they think that tearing the roof off or tearing the fornt off of a mall will suddenly bring it back to life. Aren't most of the stores fronts designed to be inside from severe weather? (I don;t claim to be a mall expert).
Many one-time indoor malls have been or are being reformatted into outdoor malls. Many malls built in the 50s and 60s started as outdoor malls. The department stores were freestanding and strips of stores were on both sides of a wide sidewalk. Then when an enclosed mall opened in a metro area the outdoor malls were enclosed.
Yes, the idea of the indoor mall was to protect the shopper from the cold, snow and ice of winter as well as the heat and humidity of summer. Two malls both opened about the same time make the claim of being the first. One was the now defunct and demolished Valley Fair Mall in Appleton, Wis. This was a small mall originally anchored by a WT Grant discount store and a Krambo supermarket. In 1979-80 Valley Fair Mall was remodeled and new the anchors were Koh's Department stores' first store outside the Milwaukee metro area, a Kohl's grocery store, a Food Queen (Krambo location) and one of Marcus Theaters first tri-screen operations. Yes, this is where the national expansion of Kohl's Dept. Stores started.
The other original indoor mall was in Edina, Minn. and is better known. It was the genus of enclosed malls to come. It was designed by Victor Gruen and was his first mall. It was anchored by department stores, had two levels and was much larger than the original Valley Fair. This mall is still in operation.
Sounds like the redevelopment is going to be like Camelback Colonnade in Phoenix. Opened in 60s as Sears-Rhodes Center. It was a single story dumbbell with the two anchors at each end. Became Colonnade Mall and had a new little wing with Marshall's in the basement. Surface dwellers had a single story Mervyn's. In the mid 90s, Sears closed and divided. Rhodes lower level became a new Marshall's and Old Navy. The original mall's northern half was demolished while the rest were given new store fronts that made it a power center. Mervyn's is Floor & Decor and the mall entrance is partially open. Nordstrom Last Chance is now in the basement. This area is what's left of the mall.
Not to mention one of the coolest Jackson's stations, new In-n-Out and Fry's. This land was redeveloped pretty well. Can't believe I was there and my friend didn't introduce me to Last Chance. :(
Ben Rippel They did. It's such a busy place. Christown was also redeveloped and is busy, too. I had been to that mall before it was redeveloped. Metrocenter and Fiesta both need help!
This was my mall growing up. I started kindergarten the year that it opened (1979), and I even worked there in the early 2000s. It cannot be overstated how great this mall was in the 1980s; although it was small, it was packed with a robust variety of stores and restaurants. Pennsylvania for the longest time had significantly lower taxes on food and clothing than New York, so a lot of people from the Jamestown, NY area would come to Warren to get cheaper goods, which helped keep the mall afloat. I remember the parking lot during the holiday seasons being so jam-packed that it was nearly impossible for latecomers to find spaces. It was a popular hangout for the youth during Warren's notoriously harsh winters. Although it may not look it from these pictures, at the time of its opening it was an incredibly futuristic building, but because it never got a proper revival during its lifetime the decor aged rather poorly. I attribute the mall's decline to three things: 1.) New York reformed its tax laws making the trip to Warren less financially sound. 2.) The federal tax incentives that allowed the "mall" business model to boom in the 70s and 80s expired and were not renewed, leading to the owners of this mall to charge more for retail space while not contributing *anything* to upkeep (there was also a persistent rumor in town that the mall's profits went "up the guy's nose" if you know what I mean, which I cannot confirm). 3.) The arrival of Walmart in Warren took shoppers away from the mall experience, and it never recovered. Anyway, it's all but gone now, half of the building is torn down, part of what remains is slowly rotting away, and it is quite sad to see in its current state. Still... Thank you for posting!
@@WinterSolstice-ip3gp They tore the front half down and divided the rest into new units, effectively making it a plaza. There is no indoor concourses that customers can access, although there has to be some remaining space in the back near "Dunham's Sports."
@@WinterSolstice-ip3gp Well, if you want to visit a near-dead mall that still has an interior, I suggest the Chautauqua Mall in nearby Jamestown, NY. Most of the stores are long gone, and it's pretty sad, HOWEVER it still has a J.C. Penny store (rare in and of itself), a record store, a (pretty pathetic) arcade in the old Hot Topic, and a decent Sakura Buffet. It's only like a 20 minute drive from the Warren Mall.
I used to live in St Mary's/Johnsonburg PA I used to come up here once a month I lived only 25 minutes from here. The Big K-mart there used to be a knife store right across from K-Mart. There used to be a Big Lots, Goodwill, Big K-Mart, Radio Shack, a auction house right by Big Lots, The Bon Ton right across from that there used to be a collectable store right across the way and a hair Salon as well.
The economic situation in the Warren area may have been the main factor in the mall going in completely to hell, but it didn't help that Zamias Services developed and owned it, either. Like the Warren Mall, almost every one of their other holdings failed for various reasons. The Warren Mall was built in the 1970s, and throughout its entire history it showed, as it was never once renovated or updated to keep pace with the changing times. The mall itself, its parking lots, and the overall mall grounds were poorly maintained. Nationally-known retail chains would go under or leave, and the mall would either replace them with discount stores, specialty stores selling items that people either couldn't afford or didn't need, or worse yet, nothing at all. My final trip to the Warren Mall (in its original state, that is) was sometime in late 2008. Throughout the entire mall, basically all that was left was Kmart, Big Lots, Bon-Ton, Napoli Pizza (which is still in business today on the property), a bank, and maybe two or three other stores. Everything else was vacant. I was just there over the summer, and it's completely unrecognizable compared to the way it was in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Thanks for doing this video I grew up in Bradford and went to the Warren mall with my mom a few times growing up. At least Warren lasted a few more years than bradford mall.
SCWP514 there was a couple Ponderosa places (freestanding restaurants) in Des Moines IA that was going in the 70s up to the early 80s. Ate at one off and on when i was a small child.
SCWP514 - I also remember Black Angus Steak House, I don't know if they're still around or not? But I remember Ponderosa, and there was another restaurant/diner called Friendly's, don't know if anyone ever heard of that place either, but they were kind of popular in the 90's.
The Ponderosa Steak House (at least in LaCrosse WI) became the North Country Steak Buffet. It is still a great place to eat...and not all that expensive. So if you have a North Country Steak Buffet near you, chances are it was probably a Ponderosa at one time.
Love these videos. I live near Century III Mall in Pittsburgh. Totally off the mall topic here, but what is the song played in the video. I was a club DJ back in the day, I know this song, but am having a total brain fart. Please help. LOL
Just discovered your videos yesterday, loving them! Dunno if this has been answered anywhere but how do you go about filming these? Do you hide a camera on your person or do you just straight up film until some mall cop asks you to stop? I'm just curious haha, I don't really plan on doing a series like this myself but I already feel awkward enough taking photos in public so I can't imagine filming these is easy! Anyway, looking forward to more!
I've never videotaped in malls, so can't answer that for you. I've been meaning to ask Anthony(Ace) or Dan that in a facebook PM, since I wonder how they pull off these vids in still alive malls(both struggling and dead) without getting caught. Honestly though, I've never had problems taking pictures in malls as long as I was discrete, and only used a cell phone camera. Sometimes I'll pull out my regular handheld Canon camera, if I feel security won't jump on me for doing that in a super dead wing of a mall though. Charlestowne Mall in Saint Charles, IL(west of Chicago), is btw one of those rare malls where you could get away to some extent with doing that in the mall's hallways. Usually I don't have the balls to pull out my regular handheld Canon camera and take pics(and only I do smartphone pics inside malls usually, since security in malls traditionally frowns on that), but it's nice when you get those rare opportunities to do that. I have occasionally heard a few stories of other people getting caught taking pics or vids inside Charlestowne, so don't blame me if a guard yells at you there! For whatever reason the several times I've visited that mall, I've only seen the security guard sit in their car outside that mall, and not inside. Not sure why that is? Knock on wood, I've only had one run in with mall security(at the now dead Lincoln Mall in Matteson, IL, except for Carson's, and very soon to be demolished) at a struggling or dead mall taking pics. That time, I white lied and got him off my back by telling him I was doing a long texting conversation with someone. I chose to leave right after that, since I'd gotten all the pics I wanted to take that day.
What year was The Bon-Ton and Ponderosa commercial because you noticed it's not a disturbing commercial with revolting music that you want it turn off immediately
I don’t remember it looking this alive even☹️ My parents lived just across the border in NY, but when I’d come visit, I’d go down to Warren to pickup my Payless orders😂 The last time I was there was to get my shoes, and pop into Claire’s...that musta been b4 this vid. Loved the Bon Ton💗 I think malls will resurrect after Covid ...people all wanna just be around other people and everybody is sick to death of Amazon (for many reasons). It would be great to see this place spring back to life💗
Well at least their doing something with it instead of converting it to a dirt lot that in 10 to 20 years would become apartment buildings or just an empty lot
I will be sad when they tear the front off. I was personally wanting them to keep it and make it more of a nostalgic feeling when visiting. Also, how many folks out there know how haunted this place is with spirits?
That they did...but they are planning on making it more like an outlet mall. Pretty much where you walked inside will be an outside side walk to get to store to store
I am a cofounder of W.A.S.P.,we have done several investigations there after closing hours,site was originally a refinery many years ago,supposedly they had a large fire resulting in several deaths including children from a nearby orphanage who worked there (this was before labor laws)
What was once a very special mall, dies, will it return (ever?). History proves that what was..... will be again (eventually). Will we ever see the return of the "mall" (as we knew it) ?
No. Malls existed as a tax shelter starting in the 1960s, and developers used that to create the boom of malls all across the country. Those tax benefits were left to expire, and the remaining owners put whatever profit they could squeeze ahead of any property upkeep, hence why many malls today are falling apart.
@@ARCWuLF Agreed, I was born in '56 and we delivered the "paper" (St. Louis, Springfield, Columbia, etc) where we lived. I do understand about money and how the malls were a tax benefit. I am just sorry to see them gone. We had a blast (seriously, we did) when we could get a weekend day off, we saved up money and took quarters and played those silly games for hours. Remember the paper was everyday deliver (argh), Springfield was Saturday print, Columbia was Sunday print, St. louis was (argh, double argh). I am rambling on.... be good, be safe !
My local Ponderosa became a church it's disgusting that this church got a property for some kind of back taxes or a free program to give properties away to churches ...I would have rather seen it become an Asian buffet or a place that serves food and I would still patronize the place even if it wasn't a Ponderosa but for a church to get that property for free is disgusting.
For those of us that grew up in the last half of the 20th century, these malls were our “Main Street”. At least we’ll have the videos to remember them.
That intro with ponderosa brought back some great memories! We always went there growing up when we had the extra money and could afford it. Last time I went was probably 17-18 years ago, it was when it started going downhill and soon after it closed near our home in Akron Ohio. This mall is so cool though love the vintage look!
I feel your pain of losing a childhood mall. A few years back we lost my favorite mall from childhood. It's strange how we grow attachments to places like a mall hahaha great videos by the way.
Those 90s songs go so perfect with this video. They really tell the time in which the era that the mall was built in. The 90s were some good old days👍👍👍👍😉😉
Wow! Those brown frosted glass light fixtures on the light polls blasted me back to 1982 on sight! Totally retro and beautiful. Too bad it's going into the history books with the demo, and of course, Ace is there to record it one last time. Your getting better with each new episode. Thanks as always! 😉🤘
BaldMaxx I know huh?
BaldMaxx this mall is not going to be demolished... I live 15 minutes from the Warren mall and it has a new owner as of 2015, and he actually plans to bring the mall back. It actually just got a new massive sports store, which is doing great!
that whole mall is a legend of older mall buildings...if those walls could talk....and if you believe in the paranormal that mall is super active it was built on an old oil refinery that essentially blew up in the early 1920s if my memory serves me right and many lives were lost, i can tell so many stories of experiences i have personally had there
Jake Rodoski That is totally awesome!
damn I miss ponderosa and the 80s
Hey! I live very close to this! This mall was thriving in the late 70s, 80s, 90s, and died around the early 00s, Kmart went out in 2014, and Big Lots did in about 2011 I believe, but the mall is coming back, they have a new Sports store called Dunham's, like Dick's sporting goods, and it's an anchor, and it is doing very well so far. Contact me for more info on this amazing mall! And yes it's all original from the late 70s
Never shop at Dick's sporting goods.
They are anti-gun rights.
@@mushroomcloud1 Duhnam’s is not associated with them.
@@mraj9002 Then you are not too bright.
Warren mall was tore down COMPLETELY a few years ago 😞 sorry!
Do you know the opening date of the Warren Mall? I was one of the original employees of the mall before I was injured in an electrical explosion there and am now trying to remember the start date so I can write down some of my personal history.
What a great job you have done with these malls. That Ponderosa ad flashed me back to my [misspent] youth. I have many fond memories of places like these.
I would so play bocce with those guys...but I think they'd fleece me! lol So happy to learn of the revitalization plans.
like I said this guy is the next Dan Bell....man you are awesome!!! keep up the good work.
Justin Davidson I hope he's not gonna be as cocky as dan is lately.
Leah Conder never have I ever heard Dan bell be cocky...plz tell me where you come to that conclusion?
Yes, he is talking down to his audience, assuming we are all a few cards short of a deck. I suppose these dead malls get to him just like they get to us. In one of the OWings Mill videos he makes up questtions as if they were sent in form listeners and provide simplistic answers. If he i going to do that , just as soonhe just show the videos.
Is it more like he is condescending or like you said...assumes we are all a few cards short of a full deck?
There is only one Dan Bell! I was definitely getting that Dan Bell vibe from this video though, I don't know how I feel about that> :(
Grew up in warren and lived about a 10 min bike ride from this mall. would always come here..... NAPOLIS pizza had the best calzones I ever tasted. I remember standing in line at the game store for many first day releases. there was also a bakery right next to the kmart that i remember had the best Snicker-doodle cookies... Warm and soft with almost a chewy/moist center......yum. there is still a nice fishing spot behind the movie theatre next to the mall. So many memories.
Napoli's Pizza is still located at (what remains of) the mall, and their pizza and wings are still among the best in town, in my opinion.
Those seating area with solid wood benches are the best.
The best!
ACE you have the best music of all the dead mall filmers
Malls were so awesome back in the 80s
Many malls are being replaced by "open air centers". Now while I certainly can't speak for everyone, I kinda prefer my shopping experience to be under a roof and out of the weather.
Now open air are going abandoned as well
And open air centers existed prior to Mall explosion.
I think we're one of the few countries that has to be constantly tearing down the old and then updating things
I agree with that statement. I worked construction for 25 years. I’ve been out of the business 15 years. Most of the buildings I was involved with are gone to redeveloped.
I like the music you use in your video's
The music goes so well with these videos.
What are the two songs on here?
What a cute mall-glad they are doing something with it,but I'm hoping they keep a lot of the retro features as well.
I feel the pain, I look at series about dead malls and it brings me back to the 90's when there were good stores still around and malls were more friendly feeling. now a days the malls go for either really bad archetecturing, or trying to "fit the urban area there in", keep the nostalgia, it's bad enough where I live now has a problem with arcades and is slowly developing from farmland...
Been to that mall plenty of times growing up. Still live in the area. Love seeing videos of how it used to be before becoming a plaza.
Had alot of good times there especially if you know the true history of the grounds 😳
@@jakob5635 I know some of the history of the grounds.
Wow, such a feeling of antiquity. It really does take me back to those halcyon days of the 80s when I liked spending a couple of hours strolling around the mall. My old mall was a victim of the local megamall and just lost their last retailer. Yours obviously isn't exactly the same mall, but it's close enough to give the same atmosphere. It's almost like all mall developers of the 1960s through 70s used the same architects. They all look the same. I really like the old covered arcades on this blog page: shoppingmallmuseum.blogspot.com/2010/08/ (look in the arcade section). Those old arcades are gorgeous. They had character and class back then.
Great work on this one! I keep seeing improvements in every video. This is probably my favorite so far! Looking forward to more as usual!
Viking Poodle thank you!
I love the back in the day look better then now a days malls I wish stores and malls would stop changing things around so much
I always think it's interesting when you see these fancy shopfronts. I always wonder what they used to be
Weird, my mall had an arcade named Aladdin's Castle. Must have been a franchise?
+Torrie Starfrost I saw one of those in another mall long ago so I guess they were.
They had a chain of arcades from the late 70's to mid 80's. It was owned by Bally, an arcade machine manufacturer back then.
we had one in Lafayette, LA
There was one in McCain Mall in Little Rock, AR. Stayed there til about 2010
There was one in Rolling Acres from what I've heard
Great video, very nice decore, I really like the lamps in the planter.
That's sweet for the little old people are they still gonna have a place to play when the renovations are done?
Update 2022: No.
Love the music!
Alright, maybe this is the place to ask in identifying an old mall, especially since there are some PA people here. I have memories of walking through a Philadelphia-area mall when I was five years old, in 1976 during the bicentennial. It was a multi-level mall with an arcade on the upper level. It may have been a Space Dock but maybe not, it was too long ago. I remember the play area downstairs that had giant things to crawl on, they were painted different solid colors, maybe cartoonish quasi-dinosaurs? I remember getting Icees there and patriotic bald eagle flair hanging above the escalators but not too much else. I lived in Berwyn at the time so King of Prussia Mall would have been closest but by no means a given. Is this sparking any memories in anyone? Much love to my fellow 70s/80s/90s culture junkies out there.
Our Garden City Shopping Centre in Winnipeg was built in 1979, and reminds me of this Mall, and GCSC is thriving and was just renoed
Great video, Ace! Really enjoyed it.
notsoseriousmoonlight thank you very much, more coming soon!
been watching mall videos and ran across yours. very cool. Love the music. Can you tell me who this is? Thanks.
Thanks for the update. I never saw the original video. Also, it's nice to see that this mall isn't being completely demolished. That said, the decor in the rest of mall needs an update (in my opinion, at least).
Eren JaegerDarkness it should be kept all original... from 1978.. I don't know where you heard it was going to be demolished at all. That's not truth, the current owner is actually trying to bring it back to life.
What is that track you used at the beginning of the video.
I've been looking for it for a year and a half almost.
My friend (who has a good ear for this stuff) had trouble finding it.
So if she can't find it, I'm sort of stuck.
I may be a year late, but I hope you read this.
The song used in the beginning of the video is a slowed down version of "Step Into The Light" by Toshiki Kadomatsu from his album "After 5 Clash".
czcams.com/video/y9AQYPDOCts/video.html
The second song?
Can you do any photos of then compared to now?
According to Wikipedia The Bon-Ton chain was made defunct as of yesterday 4/17. Honestly the only BonTon I ever heard of were the chips.
I bring a message from the future. On 9/6/18 it was announced that holding company CSC Generation had bought The Bon Ton in it's entirety and is resurrecting it at the time of me typing this comment.
I live near this mall and my mom and grandma always talked about that arcade I've been in there many times before the remodel and miss it as well
I miss going to a real mall😢
Why do they think that tearing the roof off or tearing the fornt off of a mall will suddenly bring it back to life. Aren't most of the stores fronts designed to be inside from severe weather? (I don;t claim to be a mall expert).
Many one-time indoor malls have been or are being reformatted into outdoor malls. Many malls built in the 50s and 60s started as outdoor malls. The department stores were freestanding and strips of stores were on both sides of a wide sidewalk. Then when an enclosed mall opened in a metro area the outdoor malls were enclosed.
Yes, the idea of the indoor mall was to protect the shopper from the cold, snow and ice of winter as well as the heat and humidity of summer. Two malls both opened about the same time make the claim of being the first. One was the now defunct and demolished Valley Fair Mall in Appleton, Wis. This was a small mall originally anchored by a WT Grant discount store and a Krambo supermarket. In 1979-80 Valley Fair Mall was remodeled and new the anchors were Koh's Department stores' first store outside the Milwaukee metro area, a Kohl's grocery store, a Food Queen (Krambo location) and one of Marcus Theaters first tri-screen operations. Yes, this is where the national expansion of Kohl's Dept. Stores started.
The other original indoor mall was in Edina, Minn. and is better known. It was the genus of enclosed malls to come. It was designed by Victor Gruen and was his first mall. It was anchored by department stores, had two levels and was much larger than the original Valley Fair. This mall is still in operation.
5:40 is VERY typical late 70s mall. That looks a lot like Westland Mall (also dead) in Columbus did, with those smoky post lights.
There’s a Westland mall in Westland, mi too that is also dead and jcpenny is the only thing keeping it open
it's hard to believe now but eventually all of these classic malls will be gone. It's awful really to think that.
Andrew Plantagenet Not in Winnipeg
This reminds me SO MUCH of the Indiana Mall in Indiana, Pa. You should definitely come check it out, cause it's a quickly dying mall as well.
Sounds like the redevelopment is going to be like Camelback Colonnade in Phoenix. Opened in 60s as Sears-Rhodes Center. It was a single story dumbbell with the two anchors at each end. Became Colonnade Mall and had a new little wing with Marshall's in the basement. Surface dwellers had a single story Mervyn's. In the mid 90s, Sears closed and divided. Rhodes lower level became a new Marshall's and Old Navy. The original mall's northern half was demolished while the rest were given new store fronts that made it a power center. Mervyn's is Floor & Decor and the mall entrance is partially open. Nordstrom Last Chance is now in the basement. This area is what's left of the mall.
Not to mention one of the coolest Jackson's stations, new In-n-Out and Fry's. This land was redeveloped pretty well.
Can't believe I was there and my friend didn't introduce me to Last Chance. :(
Ben Rippel They did. It's such a busy place. Christown was also redeveloped and is busy, too. I had been to that mall before it was redeveloped. Metrocenter and Fiesta both need help!
This was my mall growing up. I started kindergarten the year that it opened (1979), and I even worked there in the early 2000s. It cannot be overstated how great this mall was in the 1980s; although it was small, it was packed with a robust variety of stores and restaurants. Pennsylvania for the longest time had significantly lower taxes on food and clothing than New York, so a lot of people from the Jamestown, NY area would come to Warren to get cheaper goods, which helped keep the mall afloat. I remember the parking lot during the holiday seasons being so jam-packed that it was nearly impossible for latecomers to find spaces. It was a popular hangout for the youth during Warren's notoriously harsh winters. Although it may not look it from these pictures, at the time of its opening it was an incredibly futuristic building, but because it never got a proper revival during its lifetime the decor aged rather poorly.
I attribute the mall's decline to three things:
1.) New York reformed its tax laws making the trip to Warren less financially sound.
2.) The federal tax incentives that allowed the "mall" business model to boom in the 70s and 80s expired and were not renewed, leading to the owners of this mall to charge more for retail space while not contributing *anything* to upkeep (there was also a persistent rumor in town that the mall's profits went "up the guy's nose" if you know what I mean, which I cannot confirm).
3.) The arrival of Walmart in Warren took shoppers away from the mall experience, and it never recovered.
Anyway, it's all but gone now, half of the building is torn down, part of what remains is slowly rotting away, and it is quite sad to see in its current state. Still... Thank you for posting!
Is the mall still there?
@@WinterSolstice-ip3gp They tore the front half down and divided the rest into new units, effectively making it a plaza. There is no indoor concourses that customers can access, although there has to be some remaining space in the back near "Dunham's Sports."
@@ARCWuLF Thanks for the info. I'm going on a camping trip to Kinzua next weekend, and I wanted to check it out.
@@WinterSolstice-ip3gp Well, if you want to visit a near-dead mall that still has an interior, I suggest the Chautauqua Mall in nearby Jamestown, NY. Most of the stores are long gone, and it's pretty sad, HOWEVER it still has a J.C. Penny store (rare in and of itself), a record store, a (pretty pathetic) arcade in the old Hot Topic, and a decent Sakura Buffet. It's only like a 20 minute drive from the Warren Mall.
@@ARCWuLF Thanks, I appreciate that info!
I used to live in St Mary's/Johnsonburg PA I used to come up here once a month I lived only 25 minutes from here. The Big K-mart there used to be a knife store right across from K-Mart. There used to be a Big Lots, Goodwill, Big K-Mart, Radio Shack, a auction house right by Big Lots, The Bon Ton right across from that there used to be a collectable store right across the way and a hair Salon as well.
the Big Lots was originally a J.C.Penney when the mall first opened
Ponderosa was yummy! 😋
Yeah Ponderosa was an awesome place to eat I wish I would have eaten there more often during the 1980s and afterwards before the chain closed
I've not seen a Ponderosa in years.
What is the name of that last song?
Does anyone know the name of that last jazz song playing?
Nice blog on the mall. There is a mall called Metro Center here in Phoenix that is being closed down. I need to go and get a blog done with that.
So sad I used to shop there often
You seem to focus on the northeast rust belt like Pennsylvania, NJ, etc. Do you have any dead mall videos from the southeastern United States?
The economic situation in the Warren area may have been the main factor in the mall going in completely to hell, but it didn't help that Zamias Services developed and owned it, either. Like the Warren Mall, almost every one of their other holdings failed for various reasons.
The Warren Mall was built in the 1970s, and throughout its entire history it showed, as it was never once renovated or updated to keep pace with the changing times. The mall itself, its parking lots, and the overall mall grounds were poorly maintained. Nationally-known retail chains would go under or leave, and the mall would either replace them with discount stores, specialty stores selling items that people either couldn't afford or didn't need, or worse yet, nothing at all.
My final trip to the Warren Mall (in its original state, that is) was sometime in late 2008. Throughout the entire mall, basically all that was left was Kmart, Big Lots, Bon-Ton, Napoli Pizza (which is still in business today on the property), a bank, and maybe two or three other stores. Everything else was vacant. I was just there over the summer, and it's completely unrecognizable compared to the way it was in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Thanks for doing this video I grew up in Bradford and went to the Warren mall with my mom a few times growing up. At least Warren lasted a few more years than bradford mall.
man i miss Ponderosa
SCWP514 there was a couple Ponderosa places (freestanding restaurants) in Des Moines IA that was going in the 70s up to the early 80s. Ate at one off and on when i was a small child.
SCWP514 I didn't know they were gone
SCWP514 - I also remember Black Angus Steak House, I don't know if they're still around or not? But I remember Ponderosa, and there was another restaurant/diner called Friendly's, don't know if anyone ever heard of that place either, but they were kind of popular in the 90's.
The Ponderosa Steak House (at least in LaCrosse WI) became the North Country Steak Buffet. It is still a great place to eat...and not all that expensive. So if you have a North Country Steak Buffet near you, chances are it was probably a Ponderosa at one time.
Marth Still a lot of them in Pennsylvania! Eat at one every week.
What are the songs on this video? Love them. Thanks!
Love these videos. I live near Century III Mall in Pittsburgh. Totally off the mall topic here, but what is the song played in the video. I was a club DJ back in the day, I know this song, but am having a total brain fart. Please help. LOL
Does anyone know what that last jazz song is??
I opened that Ponderosa it was new design
Any pics?...also what more can you tell us about the mall?
Just discovered your videos yesterday, loving them! Dunno if this has been answered anywhere but how do you go about filming these? Do you hide a camera on your person or do you just straight up film until some mall cop asks you to stop? I'm just curious haha, I don't really plan on doing a series like this myself but I already feel awkward enough taking photos in public so I can't imagine filming these is easy! Anyway, looking forward to more!
I've never videotaped in malls, so can't answer that for you. I've been meaning to ask Anthony(Ace) or Dan that in a facebook PM, since I wonder how they pull off these vids in still alive malls(both struggling and dead) without getting caught. Honestly though, I've never had problems taking pictures in malls as long as I was discrete, and only used a cell phone camera. Sometimes I'll pull out my regular handheld Canon camera, if I feel security won't jump on me for doing that in a super dead wing of a mall though. Charlestowne Mall in Saint Charles, IL(west of Chicago), is btw one of those rare malls where you could get away to some extent with doing that in the mall's hallways. Usually I don't have the balls to pull out my regular handheld Canon camera and take pics(and only I do smartphone pics inside malls usually, since security in malls traditionally frowns on that), but it's nice when you get those rare opportunities to do that. I have occasionally heard a few stories of other people getting caught taking pics or vids inside Charlestowne, so don't blame me if a guard yells at you there! For whatever reason the several times I've visited that mall, I've only seen the security guard sit in their car outside that mall, and not inside. Not sure why that is?
Knock on wood, I've only had one run in with mall security(at the now dead Lincoln Mall in Matteson, IL, except for Carson's, and very soon to be demolished) at a struggling or dead mall taking pics. That time, I white lied and got him off my back by telling him I was doing a long texting conversation with someone. I chose to leave right after that, since I'd gotten all the pics I wanted to take that day.
This damn song though omfg
USDA Inspected--like that was a big deal! What we believed!
Cool video :)
I would definitely hung out playing bocce with the seniors!
What year was The Bon-Ton and Ponderosa commercial because you noticed it's not a disturbing commercial with revolting music that you want it turn off immediately
Spent some of my happiest times with me then girlfriend at the mall in Visalia Ca sad to see it dead😪
The Sequoia mall?
In Visalia California bout 40 min south if Fresno
Ace I understand my mall
I'm water bury ct. Nagatuck valley
Mall not big but a hang out
I actually think i was at that mall back in 2001-02
sounds like dub step lol
was there a red baron in that mall too? i think the millcreek mall had both a red baron and aladdins castle.
The Warren Mall only ever had Aladdin's Castle. The Millcreek mall used to have three arcades: Red Baron, Tilt, and Aladdin's Castle.
Something was moving inside that Patti's store in the beginning of the video as he's walking down the hall towards it
Creepy that the building material is the same as Indiana Mall!!
I don’t remember it looking this alive even☹️ My parents lived just across the border in NY, but when I’d come visit, I’d go down to Warren to pickup my Payless orders😂 The last time I was there was to get my shoes, and pop into Claire’s...that musta been b4 this vid. Loved the Bon Ton💗 I think malls will resurrect after Covid ...people all wanna just be around other people and everybody is sick to death of Amazon (for many reasons). It would be great to see this place spring back to life💗
Alas, it's not to be. The parts that made this mall a "mall" are long gone. It's just a dilapidated shopping plaza now.
Is the Ponderosa still there?
Do a collab with Dan Bell
please go back to rolling acres and get some demo footage in. would really like to see that
Well at least their doing something with it instead of converting it to a dirt lot that in 10 to 20 years would become apartment buildings or just an empty lot
I miss Ponderosa too, idk why...same crap as Golden Corral but better ice cream! lol
Matt Hanlon Hey Matt do you wear Sperry Topsider Boat Shoes without socks ? If so I want to smell your stinky white male feet !
What's the song in the beginning?
Well summer 2020 they tore half of the place down. Still some businesses there.
The Manager Beats The Meat
Me: I Beat My Meat
Funky music
gotta play Tom & Jerry -maximum style- nasty jungle remix 1994
Mall music, or muzak
All the malls are open air....main reason is the ac costs.....get solar indoors is the future ppl. Chemtrails will make it true soon.
Didtheyteardownthecinemastoo
...what happened?
I will be sad when they tear the front off. I was personally wanting them to keep it and make it more of a nostalgic feeling when visiting. Also, how many folks out there know how haunted this place is with spirits?
Warren areasocietyofparanormal oh I do!! lol
Warren are socety of paranormal I don't think they are tearing the front down, they just put a new store called Duhman's up front
That they did...but they are planning on making it more like an outlet mall. Pretty much where you walked inside will be an outside side walk to get to store to store
I am a cofounder of W.A.S.P.,we have done several investigations there after closing hours,site was originally a refinery many years ago,supposedly they had a large fire resulting in several deaths including children from a nearby orphanage who worked there (this was before labor laws)
@@leebaldwin6015 dropping truth bombs :)
No one beats Bonanza's meat! Except perhaps Bonana... ;)
Hey Ace I sent you a PM :)
What was once a very special mall, dies, will it return (ever?). History proves that what was..... will be again (eventually). Will we ever see the return of the "mall" (as we knew it) ?
No. Malls existed as a tax shelter starting in the 1960s, and developers used that to create the boom of malls all across the country. Those tax benefits were left to expire, and the remaining owners put whatever profit they could squeeze ahead of any property upkeep, hence why many malls today are falling apart.
@@ARCWuLF Agreed, I was born in '56 and we delivered the "paper" (St. Louis, Springfield, Columbia, etc) where we lived. I do understand about money and how the malls were a tax benefit. I am just sorry to see them gone. We had a blast (seriously, we did) when we could get a weekend day off, we saved up money and took quarters and played those silly games for hours. Remember the paper was everyday deliver (argh), Springfield was Saturday print, Columbia was Sunday print, St. louis was (argh, double argh). I am rambling on.... be good, be safe !
It feels so weird to see a commercial with white people in it again.
at least they're doing something with this mall they need to do this to all the dead must give it new life and name of song please
krlm2280 it's a creation of my partner, look up d e a d m a l l s on soundcloud
Ace's Adventures thank you boss do you do dead malls in California?
Ace's Adventures thank you he's good at mixing
@@krlm2280 he did a tour of vallco in cupertino before it closed
A lot of malls close from a blk.out.
Very white bon ton advert. Yikes!
My local Ponderosa became a church it's disgusting that this church got a property for some kind of back taxes or a free program to give properties away to churches ...I would have rather seen it become an Asian buffet or a place that serves food and I would still patronize the place even if it wasn't a Ponderosa but for a church to get that property for free is disgusting.
Ponderosa has the best meatballs on the buffet
First!
You know a mall is really dead when you see those cheap plastic trash cans everywhere.
I prefer to shop on line .. Don't go to Malls any longer
So dated need a redo bon ton is coll tho this mall needs help and mabe a thare down is it oepen
Second and no one cares.