Incredible ABANDONED Mall Frozen In 1990

[@JeffGrosse-s2b]

As soon as you went into the call center, I realized I’d been there. I went back in my photos and found two pictures from the day I went to that call center to observe employees taking calls so I could design their new case management app. I took screenshots of parts of your video and compared them to the couple I took. That was really cool to see. Thanks for posting it.

[@emilioazcarraga2024]

isn't this the New Radicals mall? from the video

[@shunk826]

@@emilioazcarraga2024 No, that was the Staten Island Mall.

[@emilioazcarraga2024]

@@shunk826 ohhh the thumbnail reminded me of the video, you only get what you give whoaaaa

[@Malak-Attack]

i used to work there! it was called protocol when i worked there.

[@kalemegdan6566]

Allorica call center use to be called "NCO" and prior to that, Protocol Global Solutions. It had an "outbound" call center for CIBC called "Aegon". Outbound = call out to people on an automatic dialer. In bound CIBC ran from 4PM to 1 AM. How I remember.

[@andrewkowalczyk1156]

I have to feel bad for cities that gutted their downtowns for these sorts of malls, only to have the trend end in the last two decades and end up with these broken downtowns, where if they kept the original character and space that could easily be improved upon and brought into modern use. No way they could've known

[@wg7644]

Absolutely. Literally malls went up and down in less than 20 years,

[@fable23]

My town had a really interesting relationship with its mall. It started as a simple downtown street with stores that lined both sides. When malls became in vogue, they closed the street, put a roof over it that spanned from one set of buildings to the other, sat a fountain in the middle, and called it the Downtown Mall. It lasted almost two decades. When it started to die, the town voted to just remove the roof and the fountain and put a road back in. Tada! Downtown Mall just becomes Downtown again, and as a result, local businesses moved back in, and it's still going strong to his day.

[@JennieAndrews-l8j]

Whats incredible about something abandoned. Grown men and women couldn't keep up with the bills and maintenance. Why is this incredible. U all need real jobs. This isnt entertainment. Thumbs down brugh

[@DeadFlowersForDinner]

Everything is relative. Once upon a time there were drovers and monthly barter markets.

[@ivettispaghetti8895]

I believe the death of car culture contributed to the death of mall culture. For that matter, I believe there has been ample evidence of what has been coming for a long time, which includes most humans being priced out of living on every square of dirt in the country (Grants Pass v Johnson, Boise v Martin) while breathing in toxic fumes and eating microplastics.

[@oddlyoaktree]

Wow, this one hit me. This was the first video of yours where you went to a place I've been to A LOT... and boy was it a bit heavier watching this than I'd've thought... I went to High School right around the corner from this mall in a huge building that's also now abandoned, and my friends and I used to skip class to hang out here quite a bit. Later on, I worked at the call centre and, holy moly, you literally stopped at my old desk. 😳 My job there was to sell people insurance for their home furnaces as they were calling in for their broken furnace. I kid you not! People called in angry about the service guy not showing up, and I had to try and upsell them insurance... It was... well, it was a terrible job! 😬 While it's sad to see something so nostalgic go-you are totally right-it was so closed off to the rest of the neighbourhood, this building was always doomed. Honestly, I find it difficult to understand why people thought it would succeed. It's like Robert Moses-style thinking in the era of Jane Jacobs. The new building proposed has much better cohesion with the neighbourhood, and even reestablishes some of the lost streets from this development but as pedestrian-oriented streets! ...I will say though, the new proposal does have an abysmal lack of bell towers! 🙃

[@iseeu-fp9po]

I was actually thinking "I wonder who placed that pair of headphones exactly like that so many years ago and were they left like that until he picked them up again?", and maybe that person was actually you? :P

[@tsriftsal3581]

Weird. In some places service is provided by purchasing fuel.

[@TheSpartan451]

That pile of receipts! Old records always fascinate me. Meticulously recorded details of things that no longer are.

[@tsriftsal3581]

Just wait until you find out about the "Sumerian" accounting clay tablets. Mind blown!

[@michaelangeloh.5383]

*me who just found a model kit from 1997 in storage* 👀

[@-fuk57]

You would love the basement levels at the old hospital that I used to work at.

[@theDurgaLove]

You mean, the past two years? It closed 2 years ago.

[@Goldenkitten1]

@@theDurgaLove Some of those rooms have OBVIOUSLY not been touched in decades. Some of the stuff on the third floor might be from the last two years but some of that is a clear time capsule to a different decade.

[@the_argonau.t]

Any day we get a BSF vid is a good day

[@Gmastergun]

Fr

[@longiusaescius2537]

Real

[@caydenbates2115]

So right

[@Alistair.Althea]

Honestly, as someone who worked in a retail store who had a normal thief who kept stealing HUNDREDS of merch (We couldn't do much except have someone descretly follow them and give CCTV footage to police who did NOTHING) having a wall of shame is rather brilliant.

[@justmeandthethree]

I visited a store where they would make photocopies of bad checks as large posters and hang them near the front door. I bet THAT was a major deterrent.

[@stacythomas9916]

I did that at one of the stores I was a manager at. I had taken over a store with a really high theft issue and needed to put a stop to it. We were discrete about it though, because corporate felt weird about blatantly posting people as thieves. So I just started asking all sorts of regular customers if we could take a photo of them for our "customer appreciation display". Then I started putting them up on the wall by the doors leading to the back room, under a sign saying "Our valued customers". The ones on the bigger section to the left of the door were actually valued customers, the ones on the right of it were suspected shoplifters we wanted employees to watch closely. It was always entertaining seeing the scummy ones pose and smile really big, thinking we were complimenting them by asking to post them lol.

[@Novusod]

Theft and crime is a major reason why inner city malls don't work. Inner city District attorneys won't prosecute petty crimes and the cops don't care. The streets and retail areas become unsafe and are taken over by crime. If you are going to operate a mall it is better off doing it in the suburbs.

[@Envirotech]

When i worked at Sobeys they had something similar to that, only upstairs for only Employees to see and i guess memorize faces(?).. Much of it didn't matter anyways.. Because policy was to: "witness the theft occur . Not take your eyes off the person.. But then inform a supervisor. ..." and a few more steps I think, but the step 2 and 3 always seemed so counter intuitive cause you gotta take your eyes off them to find a manager, and even worse since I worked nights, so there was no manager! Shrugs....

[@stacythomas9916]

@@Envirotech Yeah doesn't sound like that would work very well. We would sometimes follow that same procedure on the first go around ourselves in order to 100% confirm the person was an actual thief and not just a suspected one. That's because a false accusation is a huge liability issue that can cost way more than the value of whatever they stole, so you have to be super careful they don't ditch whatever you saw them conceal. However we always had at least one manager on staff at all times. So once an employee would report what they had seen to the manager, they would review video and pull copies and take a statement from the employee about what had just occurred if they were unable to get the manager's attention on the first incident. All employees would then be informed that person was confirmed to have been caught removing merchandise from the store. When that person would re-enter the store again we didn't wait for them to start stealing. The manager would be notified as soon as they were seen coming in, and the employees would then visually watch them while the manager actively tracked them via cameras and called the police. When they exited the second time with unpaid merch it would be to find the cops outside waiting for them around the corner, not visible from the doors. Sometimes the footage allowed us to press charges for both thefts on the second shot if it showed them concealing stuff and was clear the employee maintained visual on the first, but either way we caught quite a few with at least one charge.

[@martinnasom5864]

I remember visiting this mall near its end and saying to my then girlfriend that this place wont be around for long and that we should admire it before it becomes a memory of the past. Soon enough this day has came and I'm glad you made a video of this mall.

[@suave-rider]

at least it's not a memory of the FUTURE

[@jamesbensch6]

Same. Closed shortly before I left Hamilton. Glad I got to walk through this place so many times and admire the nostalgia

[@SanchoPanza-m8m]

Did she let you poke her before you broke up? Or did you follow the relationship through?

[@suave-rider]

@@SanchoPanza-m8m she died you callous bastard

[@SRW_]

@@SanchoPanza-m8m I wanna kno her response. “Your a kind of different guy eh? Most guys just take me to bars or pool halls”

[@time_to_teaparty]

Its such a crime that they demolished the old city hall. That was such a beautiful building. I must agree that the inside of the mall looks pretty but its such a shame that so many nice buildings got sacrificed for such a failure of a project.

[@tsriftsal3581]

It's how we do. We build on top of what was before and permit pride.

[@BarfusWOW]

the old city hall was knocked down long before this mall was built there was a eatons store on that site before the mall and after City Hall.

[@kld70]

We’ll be saying the same about this place in 30 years. Regretting that we demolished a lovely useful building. That atrium is stunning and the entire thing looks well-built. What a waste to build something so grand then discard it in 3-4 decades. I would love to see these malls converted into redone senior centers. Reuse escalators, elevators, mechanicals, food courts. Just covert the larger anchor stores into hundreds of multi-unit studio apartments. Use smaller stores as service providers: medical, dental, cellular, insurance, cinemas, small retailers like pharmacies, etc. Food courts for food. Seniors could have essentially indoor-cities they would not have to leave often to get their needs met. If you could put 500 apts in there, you could get 5 million/month just in apartment rentals, let alone rental of small retail spaces. I’d pay 10K per month rent to run a small deli-counter out of there. If you give the retailers an exclusive contract within the space, you’d have lots of entrepreneurs take those spots. Say one to two of each kind of service. The idea of being retired and living in a retirement village is desirable to a lot of older citizens, especially when it is more economical than owning a large single-family home, and security can be provided for the whole community. No one gets in without badges or being buzzed in, like most senior centers. If we give older citizens safe, attractive, affordable living options, many would give up their single family homes and there would be more housing available for families.

[@AlekWheeler]

What makes this doubly interesting is Jackson Square, right next door, is actually still doing pretty well

[@sacvideo1998]

Yes, Jackson Square is a bit rough around the edges, but it's actually a useful place. People who live or work in downtown Hamilton can go there to buy groceries, or eat at the seemingly quite popular food court or watch a movie, or buy something at one of the dozens of stores. It isn't the fancy mall it was originally envisioned to be, but it's in better shape than most similar downtown malls I've seen in America (Main Place Mall in Buffalo, for example). The real mistake was building a second mall

[@williestyle35]

​@@sacvideo1998 building a second mall rarely works out well. Tho... here in Orlando it did work for a while, in two separate areas. The Colonial Plaza "shopping center" was converted to a true "mall" in the mid 1960's, then a decade later a much larger from the start mall was constructed about half a mile away. Fashion Square Mall still stands with a couple of anchor stores and lots of sad empty spaces. The site of the first "mall" was redeveloped in the very late 1990's into an open air, spread out, shopping center as "Colonial Marketplace" and is still mostly there. One of the large "legacy" malls near the tourist area had a open air "outlet mall" built less than two miles away, as well.

[@YunoSR]

nah. The only thing it really has going for it is the theater and nations market.

[@negevsareforpros9250]

I would disagree, Jackson Square has also been on the decline especially since COVID.

[@jamesw5126]

Jackson Square needs to go as well.

[@ThomasFarmer21]

The office section had to have been updated at some point after 2000. The computers are Dell Optiplex Series 2 Midnight Gray computers were manufactured between 2000 and 2004.

[@Tardisntimbits]

He's hamming it up. This place was still in operation for years and years, they only shut down Dec. 31st, 2022.

[@danmoney9932]

​@@TardisntimbitsYes agree, interesting to see but one minute these clothes are from 1990, then next this board is from 2005. And clearly mid 2000's PCs 😊

[@QuintusAntonious]

Came here to say the same thing.

[@benjaminrobinson3842]

@@Tardisntimbits I think the only way this would have made sense is if some parts of the mall closed up early, and were just boarded up. If they were in use, then someone likely would have refreshed the offices with newer computers.

[@Tardisntimbits]

@@benjaminrobinson3842 Yeah, thinking on it, when I was working in there, it was already in decline, but I worked for one of the stores. I never got to see the offices. Then again...if the pcs were doing the bare minimum, who knows. I worked at a call center elsewhere in Hamilton, and those pcs were...not...new.

[@map3384]

In 1990 I was in my early 20s and in college engaged to my wife also in college. This was when the mall was in the center of Gen Xers coming of age. There was so much hope and optimism for the future. To see malls like this in such a dilapidated condition is just depressing. I wish the younger generations could feel and sense what those times were like. It really was a chilling time.

[@314jrock]

I was born in 1990 and I remember most malls that were built in the late 1980s and 1990s had similar architecture style as this mall. This brings back so many memories of my early childhood. When I became a teenager is when malls were a starting to decline in popularity.

[@danieldaniels7571]

You’re just a couple years older than me, and I feel the same way about malls similar to this, particularly Metrocenter in Phoenix. It’s something younger generations will never really understand.

[@allocater2]

In the 90s you felt safe forever. Nothing was going to threaten you in your life time, because you were lucky to be born at the end of history and the ultimate utopian victory of democracy. It was only onward to space from here on out. I was there, I remember it.

[@mimii444]

gen x interests me so much. im gen z but growing up there was never an optimism like that for the future. I really wonder how it must feel to grow up in a time where the future is something exciting instead of something to fear

[@williestyle35]

​@@mimii444 actually it is not that dissimilar. The "optimism" was mostly attitude and some degree of privilege. The 1980's and 1990's had higher average crime rates, more poverty, and slightly more unemployment (and less choice of everything). It gets harder to explain that it was easier to... "buy in" to hope for a better future, and / or a self deceiving "utopia" at those times. Some aspects of daily life have changed - there are far more "mass shootings" today in America, there is far more divisiveness, and the 24 hour news cycle with social media means we know far too much about far too many negative things all around us in the world (which is probably the biggest driver of overall unhappiness for many people). The world has changed, but not as much as people, their perceptions, and their... "hopes" (or what they hope for, and peoples' ability to find hopefulness, because they know too much that now drains hope away).

[@austinyang3253]

It's eerie to think that while the rest of the world has moved on, there are tiny interior spaces that are closed off from the rest of society that have effectively become time capsules. No one has been there for ages, but everything inside is from the time it was sealed and forgotten. The modern tomb.

[@theDurgaLove]

Not really tiny, is it?

[@firestarter1888]

​@@theDurgaLove450000 square feet.....

[@Riccoh21]

It's only been closed since December 2022, how is that a time capsule? Don't believe everything you hear on KZbin, I currently live in Hamilton. The guy who made this documentary is just making you think their more to this, to make it more interesting. The developer who owns this mall, is going to make it into condo's, as they are doing through out most of downtown of Hamilton.

[@foxy6481]

I'm still devastated that glass blocks fell out of style. I love the way they look.

[@danieldaniels7571]

Me too. I wish developers and architects would bring them back.

[@lclnbm]

Still used in Mexico

[@manmaje3596]

Heathen.

[@jgood005]

They live on as a useful and well insulated way to do basement windows, but that's about all they're used for today.

[@QuentrixMovies]

I'm thankful my dentist office still has some lol

[@declanlacey337]

I seriously will watch any video you upload within hours, the production quailty is top notch. Keep up the great work Jake.

[@BrightSunFilms]

Thank you so much!

[@Omar_E11]

I live in Hamilton and I always drove by this place but I didn't know it was abandoned. Talk about incredible

[@295g295]

Do Canadians go shopping in Niagara and Erie counties in New York?

[@JamesBond009]

Same here. I live a 5 minute drive away. 😂

[@BearsBack2Back]

​@@295g295Yes

[@kevinhover461]

All the time

[@alltheusernameswastaken8936]

"drove by this place but I didn't know it was abandoned" that is why it is bankrupt and abandoned. I had the same deal with a chocolate that went of the market, I was surprised and upset, until I though about when last I purchased one...

[@linksbro1]

If you think the story of this mall is infuriating... Oh *_boy_* does the City of Hamilton have multiple documentaries' worth of historical administrative incompetence for ya xD

[@snackler6102]

Id say corruption and lobbying, but yeah…

[@fireshorts5789]

I used to work at the call centre just over a decade ago, though back then it wasn't called "Alorica". Pretty crazy to see how much they left behind. Lot of memories in that dead mall, been waiting for you to do this video ever since the place closed. Amazing work.

[@martinedwards4522]

cool thanks

[@radar_the_fox]

omg there was a prc call center that became alorica near century iii mall in west mifflin pa

[@BexWoodz]

Hahaha who didn't work there 😅

[@fireshorts5789]

@BexWoodz fair enough, the place was definitely a revolving door haha

[@ryanglaser5336]

Who was it before Alorica swallowed the place?

[@Aesurii]

The emptiness and near quietness is so insane, It’s crazy how it’s just left there to sit for years

[@ComplexMotivations]

But it wasn't, it was literally open up until 2024. It hasn't even been a year since they closed that side off.

[@Tardisntimbits]

​​@@ComplexMotivationsThey closed it Dec. 31st, 2022, my friend. But you're right, barely two years, and people act like it's a forgotten, ancient relic.

[@jonathansaraco]

​​@@ComplexMotivations I'm glad others are commenting to clarify. This video is very misleading, suggesting that the city of Hamilton has left this mall to rot for 30 years. It's totally wrong.

[@iseeu-fp9po]

@@jonathansaraco Wow, ok. It certainly looked like most of it could have been abandoned for a long time.

[@BunnyWatson-k1w]

The mall only closed 16 months ago.

[@Pigness7]

I'm impressed he licensed Lola

[@295g295]

> 21:34 < Lola

[@thirdcoast5755]

I’m not sure of the connection. Lola came out in like 1970 not 1990.

[@kidjayhawk]

Came for this. I got to think the licensing isn't that cheap. You thinking under $10k?

[@JulieCaptivatedinFl]

Lalalalaaa Lola. Had to sing out loud!

[@jarrodjob]

$38 per the link in the description.

[@dlloyd6300]

I will never...... ever.......... for the life of me understand how people allowed developers to convince the populous that OUTDOOR, UNPROTECTED, UNCONDITIONED shopping centers were somehow superior to a heated, cooled, sheltered one stop shopping center experience. Shopping malls were the BEST and that's not just my nostalgia.

[@Revkor]

especially in the northern areas, you know.. *WITH SNOW*

[@davidmcgill1000]

Heating and cooling costs money. Gotta make money to stay in business.

[@kh-ro5su]

online shopping is what killed the mall. those ugly big box open air malls did pull some of the customers away but they're not exactly the same. they're just giant parking lots with a bunch of huge stores around the perimeter. it's online shopping that totally decimated traditional retail. the big box stores like walmart and costco killed mom and pop small businesses (aka killed main street) and online, overnight extremely cheap shipping with usually hassle free returns killed a lot of the mall traffic. some still thrive, especially like mega malls where the sheer size of it is what draws people there, but the days of every neighbourhood having its own mall like this complete with the awesome 1990s aesthetics with teal/pink/white colours and lights everywhere are simply a thing of the past now. zoomers will never understand what hanging out at the mall truly means haha

[@guysabol8743]

you said it all my query is..where is the parking for the clinets ?

[@kicksledkid]

​@@guysabol8743 it's transit oriented design. You're not really meant to drive.

[@Swamphunter]

Some of those black desktop computers in the office part are Dell Optiplexs from the early/mid 2000s, so not quite untouched since 1990 but still rather close.

[@theDurgaLove]

It closed less than 2 years ago. He is misleading people for shock value. Pretty obtuse of him.

[@Trunp]

That water damage and peeling paint is relatively new. The mall was kept in shape very well until it closed 2 years ago.

[@Mewandhismeowmie]

I was gonna say I was shopping there like 8 years ago.

[@jeremy8189]

That was always my favorite part and why I dislike vandalism so much , the intact files and maps and little bits of life that got left behind and history from the people who lived it.

[@devonkelly44]

the transition at 1:02 was so creative. from being outside to inside

[@anxioucoffee98]

I always love how you do these videos as part exploration/part Abandoned episode

[@KB-313]

with some history mixed in! love it

[@Caisadilla]

Pictures of the office being constructed while you're exploring the long abandoned shell of itself is excellent environmental storytelling that's crazy

[@walton609]

ngl, if I saw that in a video game I'd think it was lazy writing. And then he found pictures of the office's construction in the office. That's me told, ig.

[@JMarsh939]

Just watched Closed for Storm. It was just as great as your videos! Keep it up!

[@dallindragon6562]

Every abandoned-type video I've seen is fascinating to me, but this one hit me real hard. Seeing you walk around by yourself, completely silent with no one around, looking at history...incredible.

[@theDurgaLove]

History, from less than 2 years ago it was only closed 2 years ago

[@meg4458]

lol you don't get out much do you?

[@Dan-ji4db]

That place would have been incredible during Christmas as a teen when it was jam packed with people shopping and hanging out

[@repressednerd1449]

It was tbh only went a couple times mostly during Christmas and it was great to see it full. Even if it was outdated

[@istankimjong-unbutcantstan3398]

Christmas made even working at Walmart fun..........

[@bradlevantis913]

I worked for Eatons in the early 1990’s. There was a lot of hope put on that project back then. But location and access always seemed to work against it. And a lot of us in other stores could see it was always in the bottom group of stores. It’s sad the original City Hall was demolished for what turned out to be a white elephant. And sad that Hamilton is having a tough time getting the redevelopment off the ground On a different note It’s interesting to look at that food court. Almost identical to the Path under the Sheraton Centre in Toronto

[@NatalieRabuzin]

Soon as I saw it...they definitely took design elements from toronto eaton centre

[@leighmaesaka5880]

This was a fun look inside an abandoned mall, but for me the most fantastic part was the cinematography! Some of your shots were STUNNING! Especially the bits at the end! I don't know much about film, but I was very impressed.

[@SanchoPanza-m8m]

I don't think he uses film at all. It's all digital capture. Technology has advanced!

[@patientallison]

​@@SanchoPanza-m8mthe art is still called "film". That's why Hollywood movies shot on digital are still called "films"

[@icosthop9998]

I usually don't care for crap like this. But he had me interested in it from start to finish. In the beginning, I looking for someone to tell him to, "get out of here".

[@isabee7775]

This is exactly like the 5th Avenue Mall in Anchorage Alaska. When I moved there in 2008, I'd say it was at its highest plateau but quickly declining. It' anchor store, Nordstrom, closed its doors in 2019. That's why I went there to shop. The mall was gorgeous, a great overpass, had to take an elevator to get to the top floor food court, it was the heart of shopping down town. I just hope that space gets repurposed to serve the community.

[@j.r.5931]

HCC looks just like Towson Town Center in Baltimore, MD! It’s amazing because all three malls were built by different companies. Same architect maybe? Towson Town Center is still going strong but i don’t know for how much longer.

[@TheCriminalViolin]

I'm used to Escalators here in Oregon for the Mezzanine. Isn't it strange how malls seem to universally put them on the second or third floors? I've always wondered why that is.

[@averyeml]

I haven’t been there since I lived in Alaska in 2018 but I will say that that mall in particular gave strong “could be a dead mall one day” energy even before the pandemic

[@TheCriminalViolin]

@@averyeml A classic mall vibe honestly.

[@KT-bj5ys]

I was about to say the same thing! I grew up going to 5th Ave for all my shopping and this is definitely in the same style, with the glass elevator in the center and the long corridors.

[@kriscynical]

I'm starting to feel like my local mall - The Parks at Arlington in Texas - is one of the last in the country that's thriving, and even then I think it's on the _cusp_ of beginning the downward trajectory because it's feeling less and less safe. As a 5'2" woman I certainly don't go there alone anymore. The last time I DID go in there was to have an eye exam and get new glasses, and it seemed to be at probably 85% occupancy? 90%? It opened in the late '80s when I was three, and my mom said she took me there on opening day. I've only ever left the DFW area to go to college, so that mall has been a major presence for my entire life. And I remember it looking a LOT like this place when I was a kid. Those chairs especially... _woof_ they are _gloriously_ early '90s. 😂

[@kriscynical]

@dizzieblonde Same issue here with the teens. There's been a couple shootings because of teens, so I avoid weekends and I'm NEVER there after dark.

[@ProBreakers]

I’m near San Francisco and we still have lots of safe, thriving malls.

[@kanna-san.]

New England has a few.

[@marqbarq5977]

I graduated high school in 1993. I worked in a mall that looked exactly like this. Those chairs unpacked so many memories.

[@lostlegend2197]

Love me some 1990s mall nostalgia 😁

[@zainmudassir2964]

Setting of an indie horror game

[@icosthop9998]

Yeah, "Let's go down this long dark hall" . 👀 👻

[@KyoushaPumpItUp]

Go to the Philippines. Malls still thrive here.

[@randomrazr]

5:50 the real crime is demolishing that gorgious city hall

[@horseathalt7308]

BINGO! Whomever was responsible should have been criminally charged for negligence when the studies were done as to whether or not a mall would be truly viable there. Historic buildings like that should NEVER be demolished, where were the preservation societies in this???

[@Bookwhiff]

Classic North America. Demolish old architecture and neighborhoods for parking lots

[@olivier2553]

That was a suburban shopping center in the middle of the city! Shops with direct street access would have been such a prime space!

[@TheCriminalViolin]

When I think of suburban shopping centers, I think of Strip Malls, and their giant, oversize, sprawling, parking laden cousins, Shopping Centers (now branded as "Lifestyle Centers"). When I hear Mall, I think of actual malls, ones where though they still had multiple massive parking garages and/or endless sprawling parking lots, they are all self-contained into one giant building. Think Lloyd Center in Portland, Oregon, Mall of America in MSP, or if you want to get far more local to where I'm from, Washington Square in Tigard, Oregon.

[@olivier2553]

@@TheCriminalViolin To me, parking garage would be less an issue than multiple connections to public transport.

[@TheCriminalViolin]

@@olivier2553 Ironically, Washington Square has both, though the transit is strictly local bus routes, and not multi-modal (stares at Europe and Chicago)

[@olivier2553]

@@TheCriminalViolin as long as the local buses conveniently connect to some train or other transports that reach outside of the city center. One can not really expect using public transport without the need to connect two routes, but as long as the connections are close enough and do not request a long wait, it is still OK. I guess.

[@yvonneplant9434]

The same thing.was tried in downtown Philadelphia. It did work for a while. It was redone and did seem to be working...then the pandemic happened. Sigh...

[@foxy6481]

I would love to work in an office at a mall. Just browsing stores after a day at work would be so chill.

[@benjaminrobinson3842]

Yeah, I was thinking this mall would have been a pleasant place to work if you were an office worker, rather than retail. Even if it were just a few stores and a food court on the first level, the atrium layout had a nice atmosphere.

[@foxy6481]

@@benjaminrobinson3842 all I would need would be a candle store, so I could spend all the money I made every day before I even made it to my car. Ha

[@pkcell]

There’s an indoor/outdoor mall near where I grew up that has office space and apartments either right near the mall or on top of some of the outdoor stores. Said mall is also doing really well as far as I know with loads of activity and consistently full parking lots, so it is a model that can work.

[@MrHeyitsadrian]

Thank you for doing this man. I remember as a child visiting my grandma in Hamilton fondly and being in this mall as some of my earliest memories. It really seemed like the capital of the world to me from that perspective at that time.

[@lukewilliams7994]

It is so weird to be watching a BSF video and see your actual apartment where you are sitting as you watch this on video...

[@tehjamerz]

Resl and true I saw my old one

[@roweproductions9424]

It was sad seeing something that people enjoyed fall into ruin but the thing that got me was seeing the photographs in the office of them painting the walls and moving in. They were so proud of what they were making, kinda wanna know what happened to that firm 😔

[@User_NL]

So sad to see the decay. In the mid 2010s it was basically empty outside of a few stores but still well maintained. The difference between it and Jackson Square was stark then but now ... what a disgrace to have this at the "center" of the downtown

[@Cursalock]

The entire complex is due to be demolished shortly and the rebuilding with all new stores, and shops, residential space, Park space, etc.

[@italianlifestyle7911]

It looks like the 90's were good fun times to be alive and enjoy life🤩

[@henriklarssen1331]

It realy was. Not perfect of course, but far less political divided, same with culture. Was a time where it felt like things and people were getting together and mostly had fun. But it also depended on where you lived of course.

[@map3384]

God they were. Great times.

[@dmacpher]

Tonnes of fun! Futuristic without the downsides of constant online everything

[@MiddleOutdoorsman]

They were. Compared to the present day? It was the freaking golden age.

[@Etaoinshrdlu69]

2000 was the peak. 2001 the first sign of weakness. Further down in 2008. Further even more in 2020.

[@jstephens2758]

The main surprise is seeing all of the abandoned furniture and equipment. At least some of it must have had some value and could have been sold. It looks like something from the Twilight Zone, abandoned when a poison gas cloud was about to descend.

[@DF-et4gs]

Gosh this reminds me so much of Portage Place in downtown Winnipeg. It hasn't hit Abandon status just yet though

[@JamesLawner]

18:20 This looks and feels straight out of The Shining! Imagine if Jake saw himself in the photo 😂😳

[@martinedwards4522]

its really sad looking at the state of malls today... one time where we all went to shop and hang out as kids these places deserve better

[@icosthop9998]

Not so, with today's kids.

[@Digimess88]

One of the two malls I grew up with got demolished a few years ago. Was the one with a gaming LAN center across the hall from a pizza parlor. It’s a weird feeling to realize the places I formed lifelong memories literally don’t exist physically in this reality anymore. Just ephemeral memories that will distort/decay as I get old without any trace of its existence. “C’est la vie”

[@martinedwards4522]

@@Digimess88 true, the malls i grew up w are still there physically but mostly crappy 99c stores pic n saves, etc

[@justacrab2925]

Seeing Brain Quest on the table brought back some real childhood nostalgia.

[@ThatGirl61]

I use to work downtown Hamilton from early 1980's to mid 1990's. The third floor was suppose to have retail stores, but that never happened. It was a white elephant from the beginning. When Eaton's closed, the mall was doomed.

[@1sonyzz]

Don't understand the American thinking of abandoning buildings and letting them to rot instead of repurposing them to something else or demolishing and building something else...

[@ericmazon1121]

This is literally in Canada bro

[@Sparkbomber]

It's a stark contrast between the interior and exterior to be sure... but wow! What were they thinking? It doesn't fit with the rest of the city centre, it replaced far more beautiful buildings and it's an untended mess that's just a few winters away from collapsing. Still, nice to see some things from the 90's that were the same as over here.

[@northernvideo]

I remember as a kid when they built this, and I used to go down there with my mom. But we stopped when the area got pretty dangerous. That whole area up until about 10 or 15 yrs ago was a place you just didn't visit let alone shop. Jackson square is equally less desirable and if it wasn't for the arena and market most of that place would be unused. Downtown Hamilton needs a massive clean up in this block area. Such a prime real estate.

[@Nick-ue7iw]

Like many urban centers, crime drove out the business.

[@toddjones1480]

@@Nick-ue7iwThe story of most of the malls of this style is the exact opposite of that. They were built to be separated from the "scary" downtown by a fortress-like exterior, and that was supposed to be their appeal. But then downtowns became cool again and being isolated became a bad thing that caused them to fail.

[@williamsmith-gk1kj]

Hey man i love your content ive been watching since 2018 i have always appreciated your attention to detail in your videos which i hope to one day be able to do myself thanks man and keep up the great content

[@Allister2000]

Glad your covering something back in Canada again.

[@295g295]

10:10 - Wall of shame - shoplifters / thieves.

[@istankimjong-unbutcantstan3398]

That dollar store looked out of place for a mall like that. I thought it may have shown up as the mall was losing it's original tenants.

[@gorrozolla]

The mall was actually open to the public until a few years ago. At the end, it was mostly liquidation/dollar store type businesses, and some ethnic supermarkets.

[@TJ-bu9zk]

lots of counterfeit items and tacky junk

[@tomashartvig4022]

Love this new format where you visit yourself and have the history in voiceover. Great work!

[@johncase1353]

This mall has no history. It always had less than 50% occupancy since it opened.

[@freetolook3727]

All that time and money spent "revitalizing" the downtown and they end up killing it instead.

[@spaceshiplewis]

Jake you're the best modern history teacher. BSF uploads are always a treat. That last part I can't help but think how much city government forced gentrification played a part in this urban development, seeing how shortsighted and defensive feeling withthe lack of street access the development seemed to be. I wonder what shops and livelihoods were "relocated" in order to build this giant "safer" mall.

[@craigtrent2410]

in 1982-83 cadillac fairview also developed and built the esplanade mall in kenner, la (right outside new orleans) it too is a complete time capsule with very similar interior finishes. it is also closed, never reopened after hurricane ida. you’d love it jake!

[@michaelsteven1090]

We once gathered in these places, and now, in our AI run minds..

[@johncase1353]

Blame one stop stores like Walmart not the Internet and high crime rate.

[@horseathalt7308]

Remember HAL 9000? AI mustDye.

[@Squirrel9777]

AI is slavery

[@k-aw-teksleepysageuni8181]

I live and grew up in this city. Many visits as a kid when we visited downtown, especially during the holidays to see Santa at the atrium in the thumbnail. Before it closed I went to take some photographs, and document its final days. I have it on my insta page, and even edited a bunch to give that vapourwave/90's nostalgia aesthetic. It's getting torn down in the coming years... Super glad to see it immortalized on such a fantastic channel. I hope we get to see the 'glass bridge' on the 3rd floor! 😅TYVM Bright Sun Films!

[@Jarretthicks12]

Hey what’s your IG? I would like to see

[@wdwexploreandchill]

This was hauntingly beautiful at times, I’m always excited to see a video from you pop up because you just keep getting better and better.

[@ricd5553]

Been watching your videos since 2016, first time my neck of the woods has been seen. That place really was a time capsule. Would have been cool to see a video on the old Centre mall as well, met its fate around the same time as rolling acres.

[@cr-cg7kn]

the last great decade.. so happy i got to grow up in the 80’s -90’s

[@SamanthaEatsCookies]

I really loved seeing this mall. It is so crazy to see such an abandoned mall in a decent state like this. I was expecting much worse especially vandalism wise for being in a urban environment. Also, I really loved the touch of Lola at the end there. My family sings it to our dog Lola all the time. I just let her inside and that really tickled me.

[@ItsaRomethingeveryday]

Brilliant job as always!!❤❤ We absolutely love all your vids and have been regular viewers for a very long time around 2014 ,,for those who don't know, that Wall of shame is pictures of people who got caught shoplifting or writing bad checks, businesses around here have them also

[@CaptainSouthbird]

I was slightly amused that those shamed had one more spontaneous, unexpected chance of being shown. I wonder if any of them will ever see this video.

[@bobdobalina838]

That's why I don't really have much respect for North America.They jus think it's okay to destroy a beautiful city hall like that and put up some crappy Cathedral to consumption that is now a dump.

[@kaitlin9288]

I was hit with such a blast from the past when seeing this thumbnail. I remember skulking around this mall back in like 2014-2015 when we'd go to ConBravo at the nearby convention centee. It was still open, but even back then it only had like 5 stores. Actually walking the place felt surreal, like I was stepping into a time capsule every time we went in. I had no idea it closed completely (I'm not from the area). Thank you for covering this; it feels really bittersweet to see the place as it is now.

[@ClassicGamer74]

I'm a bit older than you, I'll be 50 this year. I've seen highs and the falls of malls. This one seems to have been doomed from the start. Great video, as always.

[@johncase1353]

I think the reason my local is doing "fine" is because it's one story. All the malls that were two stories or 3 were doomed.

[@kylenadeau9257]

Ironic that the old abandoned derelict mall is probably the cleanest and best looking thing in Hamilton

[@Mewandhismeowmie]

Downtown Hamilton yeah.

[@wastelander138]

The office you were first in, must've been still active into the early to mid 2000's. Those Dell computers were office and school staples until the mid 2000's and maybe even a bit beyond. I certainly remember them in my high school in 2004.

[@Itheman123456789]

One huge benefit of Detroit was how they were too broke back then to demolish many of their old buildings and sites, unlike many other cities. Now, many are being restored to their former glory, knowing how valuable they are now.

[@the_lone_photographer]

That transition from outside to inside with the danger sign *Chef's kiss*. Great video as always

[@RickL_was_here]

That mall looks almost exactly the same as Bay Centre Mall in Victoria, BC. Obviously the same company.

[@kaitlea403]

it’s crazy that all those old computers are still in there. man i’d like to boot up one of those for nostalgia’s sake i also love the old signage and ads. i’m a graphic designer and 80s/90s/00s design always fascinates me.

[@LarryTheButcher]

That mall was doomed the moment it was conceived. Jackson Square, equally as problematic has always had better tenancy I guess tied with the offices and the motel, and theoretically being closer to Copps Coliseum. If it was built with the idea of residencies on upper floors, not an idea of the time and I guess unfeasible now, even as interest rates are going down. One thing I didn't notice in your walk through was a sales centre! There was a store in there, back in 1995 that was an agent for a kitplane, I think it might have been the Quicken Q200 or something like that. Jackson square is still there and somehow the entrance to Levity comedy club is horrible!

[@tcbgarage2845]

Is there a lot of Dead Malls in Canada? Here in Australia it's very uncommon. But Dan Bells fantastic Dead Mall series shows its quite common in the US. This is one of the best abandoned Mall videos I've seen.

[@emmasusan1997]

the inner-city ones like this tends to be where it happens. Most of our suburban malls (at least in the area of southern ontario this video was filmed) are going strong!

[@JDXWrestling]

Depends on the area. One hour north from my town there was one very dead mall that was converted into a strip mall (its still dead regardless). One hour south from my town theres a mall that's thriving and is still packed (with a low vacancy too, only like a handful of shops are vacant in there)

[@hungrywallaby]

Not as common as in the US. We've been fortunate to find alternatives uses for a lot of spaces. Downtown Edmonton turned a space similar to Hamilton Place Into a “ last chance” High School (geared specifically to dropouts who now want to get their diploma). A few communities moved their library to the mall and, as Jake mentioned, a lot mall spaces were converted to offices,, call centres, etc.

[@nicelol5241]

I think it's because australia didnt overbuild them

[@RavennaRamos]

Jake and Dan Bell have collabed on many previous videos!

[@mbergamin16]

Pasta was $3.99 in the 90's That dish would likely cost us $15.00 today 😂

[@istankimjong-unbutcantstan3398]

Restaurants and fast food can go the way of the dinosaur for all I care. I'll just eat at home of buy some microwaveable items.

[@PXAbstraction]

Someone desperately needs to save those CRTs.

[@mr3urious]

LGR would most certainly appreciate those!

[@PXAbstraction]

@@mr3urious So would I. 😟

[@thenerdbeast7375]

It kills me that they couldn't do _something_ with all that space.

[@snypa-ck7hn]

17:40 lmao "imma big boy im not afraid of the dark hall" that cracked me up

[@TheUltimateBlooper]

As a European - I am horrified by the lack of pedestrians anywhere there, both in the old photos AND the modern footage. How can anyone expect a downtown - and a mall on top - to be lively and financially sustainable when all I see is a 4-lane road everywhere? 4 lane roads are not pleasant to walk next to - they are noisy and dirty, there's no easy way to cross, etc. Honestly, North American city planning is abhorrent. All you have to do there is take OUT the roads, pedestrianize the area, add a bit of greenery, small shops and dining - and watch the people come back! We do this all over Europe (after past car-centric mistakes), so North America should really give it a try too.

[@jistone7851]

It is actually quite a stunning building looking at the escalator central section

[@_Kittensworth]

It's weird for me that malls like this are a now a ruined relic of the past. To me it feels like we were just there.

[@matthewbloom3869]

17:40 see you in the backrooms

[@michaelrmurphy2734]

Incredible. Its no different here in Nova Scotia. The two major malls here in Halifax and Dartmouth seem to be doing OK. And like Hamilton, downtown Halifax has Scotia Square. Its busy in the day because it has office towers and a food court, but after six PM its dead. Not even Tim Horton's is open late! I would hang out till midnight in the food court with the wifi and my laptop. Before I moved and got internet at home. Why were they ever built?

[@MusicLover2Eternity]

"a consumerist, capitalist cathedral"

[@EvaristeWK]

Could you do a Bankrupt episode for Just for Laughs? They just filed for bankruptcy and cancelled their Montreal and Toronto shows

[@janedoe3043]

I wish I really could be stuck in the 90s forever. I never was happy outside of the 90s

[@IrishAnnie]

There are two former GREAT malls that were just demolished in Cincinnati. Northgate Mall where I used to work. Then Tri County mall was leveled. Makes me sad, but they are building “shopping centers” instead.

[@JackSpatchcock]

I lived in Hamilton and went to McMaster U. I knew this dead mall well. Used to be a movie theatre there too. I saw SAW II there in 2004, heh.

[@DionLackner]

That would have been on the Jackson Square side that's still open, this mall was added on to that and now closed and sealed off from the rest

[@2000jago]

0:40 - "Completely preserved..." Perhaps I don't understand exactly what "completely preserved" means, but this is not what I picture when I think of something that has been "completely preserved"...

[@Envirotech]

Wow never realized it went from dead mall status to fully abandoned.. But i guess the fencing at some entrances should've gave me a thought.. Mind you, I thought it was just so homeless weren't sleeping next to the building anymore.. Wow.. I really _vaguely_ remember Eatons in there. For me, Eatons was always EastGate Square, and heck, I even remember Robinson's at Centre Mall before it became the Zellers!! But yeah, downtown. :\ finding it hard to remember "there was an Eatons there!?" I do remember, though, walking through there with my nana. She'd take the bus downtown, meetup with her friends and sometimes I'd get to come along when i was a wee kid in the early 90s/laaate 80's... The main food court with Miss Vanelli's pizza, and closer to the market & library entrances was where she'd take us. Only a few times remember strolling through the "newer" section of mall. The transition from Jackson Square to City Centre was always sooo weird.. that looooong ramp and different architecture. I think I've taken that elevator at least once or twice!! i remember one bargain/dollar store in the basement, I prolly still have that toy car somewhere in a box of old stuff. I do always recall it being very "empty" and not as lively/warm as the rest of Jackson Square, probably didn't help being not as well filled with tenants..

[@CraigPerry]

Those dell PC cases around the 5.5 minute mark are circa 2002 I think. At any rate I think they’re much later than 1990.

[@pikeyMcBarkin]

I've always found your videos fascinating. Thank you for your work.

[@WorldsGreatestAdventures]

Hello. We give you a shout out at 23:40 of our video titled Ybor City Pride. Thanks for serving as an inspiration. :) 👍

[@bearlamb5026]

It is very sad that this mall is closed. I was there on the opening day, and I was there three days before it opened. I had a private tour. I used to skip school and walk around in that mall as I used to go to the library next door constantly. It's one of the best in Canada. At that time, there was a cool Farmers Market underneath the library. I don't know if it exists anymore, but I used to help out and make a few bucks ,..... Hamilton, Ontario. This was an exciting moment, but many problems in the beginning were its biggest downfall. I can tell you the real reason why this mall closed is because of the people of Hamilton, Ontario. This city has a huge drug problem and theft problem, and it was one of the first places in Ontario to throw their mentally insane people on the street. When this shopping mall opened, it was actually amazing to look at. It was something new and clean. There are many shops, and everyone was happy to work there. However, theft problems were the main issue. Another problem with the shopping mall were the high rents; they were one of the most expensive in Southern Ontario. Many of the stores couldn't make any money as Hamilton is such a poor city. What is really funny is that they want to tear down this shopping mall and put up condos that no one can afford. No one's going to move to Hamilton in the downtown core with Junkies. It is money wasted. When I was 13 years old until I was 16 years old, I lived in Hamilton, Ontario. I enjoyed it, but a few years ago, when I went back, I was very shocked. I don't know how anyone can live there, and I live in Winnipeg.

[@ergosteur]

I was there in 2022! Had no idea it was going to be closed so soon, even though it was mostly empty at the time. They were shooting a movie there and I believe the Christmas decorations you still see up are from that movie shoot. Really hits me to see it like this. Hadn’t been in years but used to go there all the time as a little kid.

[@chadclay1643]

Dude clickbaited us into thinking this was a 1990 time capsule

[@poofygoof]

I can't be the only one thinking the property owners should collect all the 90s computer tech (CRT monitors, computers, floppies) and auction off the lot.

[@snackler6102]

Hamilton Antique Mall on ottawa street… its 3 stories as well