Center City Mall: Is It a Dead Mall? Paterson, New Jersey. September 2023.

Join me as I take a look at Center City Mall in Paterson, New Jersey. Based upon all the articles I've read, this is hands down the most dangerous mall I've ever visited. I probably should never have gone!
Is it a dead mall or a deadly mall? Or is it both?
What do you think about this mall? Let me know in the comments.
This video was filmed in September 2023 on a Tuesday around 12:00pm.
If you liked this video, please give me a thumbs up, leave a comment and subscribe to my channel! Thanks!
Source of information:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Center_...
www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/...
catlowmovers.com/blog/moving-....
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paterso...
www.patersonnj.gov/egov/docum...
patersontimes.com/2017/04/06/...
www.northjersey.com/story/new...
www.populationu.com/gen/most-...
#deadmall #deadmalls #mall #newjersey #paterson #shoppingmall #shoppingmalls #retail #innercity #city #citylife #crime

[@mets137781]

Was wondering when you would get to this one. This is actually courthouse parking and you’re pretty safe since you’re near the courthouse. I did jury duty hear in 2018 and as long as you’re here during the day it’s fine.

[@gra-emed3617]

The entrances to the mall and a lot of the stores look straight out of the 70s. Those metal frames. Totally baffled by this being built in the 2000’s! Very strange layout.

[@TMacGamer]

What a terrible floor plan. That has to be one of the worst designed malls I have ever seen.

[@ronhoover5516]

As I've commented before, your malls out East anecdotally seem to be more multilevel "vertical" malls, while ours in the Midwest are more spread out. I'm sure it's a real estate/space issue, as the malls you've covered tend to be in more densely populated areas. It's always a treat seeing a different layout such as this.

[@betornween]

Not even 30 minutes away from this mall is the more suburban, much larger Willowbrook Mall. That's where most people go to shop. Mass transit (bus) is easily available to get there.

[@DarkSpiderZero]

I can't believe the designers of the mall chose.....that...for the mall's look. I bet the mall looked like crap from Day 1.

[@betornween]

They definitely had failure in mind retail wise when they built it to me. Cheaper conversion into office space if it did go under.

[@lalaland2107]

I’ll admit, I was 13/14 the day we drove by it when it was done and I was displeased with it because it just looked so…. Bland and ugly.

[@charlestonpinballarcade]

Thanks for posting this one! I am a 4th gen central jersey guy, but luckily moved away many years ago after realizing NJ is a relentless hamster wheel of aggravation and expense. While I wanted to find something negative to focus on with this mall, I think it serves the community with function versus form. The highlight was definitely the faux facade of the movie theater entrance. They easily could have just had a marquee with the name, but they went the extra mile and made it look great! The grand center court staircase was also a highlight but only because it belongs in the disgusting parking decks at the old yankee stadium… 😂😂😂

[@SSNESS]

Kevin Maas still shops there

[@charlestonpinballarcade]

@@SSNESS I remember when his rookie cards were hundreds of dollars!

[@phedingsfield]

The shopping carts have to be a total headache for stores and people

[@MrHaicken]

The school year starts shortly after Labor Day on the East coast. Many uniformed schools require you to buy the uniforms, hence the moms and kids.

[@OriginalNethead]

One good thing about Patterson - nobody chasing you off for using a camera in the mall. Patterson used to be a nice working-class city, but not any more.

[@Oz_Darkr1d3r]

If you want to see a truly dead mall visit Lebanon valley Mall in Lebanon, Pennsylvania.

[@patrickgomez4572]

Or Park City Mall in Lancaster Pa , dead too, except for the Apple Store.

[@user-xz8jv1pm4d]

i grew up in paterson nj from 1974 to 2023

[@Steve.Cutler]

This is the least "mall" feeling mall I've ever seen.

[@fleabittenadventures]

It was very odd.

[@lindagoreham2238]

Hi Tom, This mall seems so much like a bus terminal than a relaxing atmosphere. The noise level for me would not have me coming back. Thanks for sharing this one!😂

[@AmbroseChamberpot]

thank you. I had no idea which shops were in there since the mall hasn't updated their web site in almost 3 years. I had assumed it had shut down.

[@castoner]

Even though the mall has a lot of vacancies the Marshalls does a lot of business which is why Burlington recently moved in. The design of the building is very odd but I think that's because of the way the land is on a hill.

[@MVee8]

Thanks for doing this video…..this mall is near my job and I’ve never been. I knew of it but due to the high crime area I never ventured to check it out. Well done!

[@zraker7]

Looks clean and busy for a Tuesday afternoon. Not a dead mall at all.

[@nonyanonya4443]

It's not I go here at least twice a month it's always busy, childrens place, marshalls, Burlington, supermarket, models used to be there, but I shop here with no problems finally don't have to leave my city to buy something I want or need

[@nonyanonya4443]

The lines in marshalls always long as hell, the ihop sucks real bad, there's a hair store, but it's in the middle of downtown so everybody is stretched out not couped up in the mall

[@Braga_18]

100 millions in Paterson means maybe 20 millions to the actual construction lol

[@apone8425]

Wow so I used to work at this mall. The blacked out windows to the front of the Burlington store used to be a Modells Sporting Goods. The uniform store used to be in one of the smaller vacant stores right after the Marshalls. The vacant spot right after the AT&T was a Verizon I believe, moved out of the mall while I was working there. Rest of the mall is exactly how it was. Same vacancies. There is a higher class restaurant with its own entrance outside the mall.

[@97nelsn]

I usually go to Downtown Paterson to thrift at the Unique located there and I haven’t really seen much crime that I know of. Then again, I’m only there for a thrift store and the the thrift stores I go to in the area are located away from Downtown Paterson.

[@BigWiLL_973]

If you want to see it really busy you should visit it at the first of the month.. but is not dangerous at all love my city 👊🏽

[@larryk731]

As a rule of thumb, the lower ranking of the public schools, the more likely it is to require uniforms - at least in NJ. There are exceptions for certain programs in magnet/vocational schools for certain programs.

[@betornween]

Think Catholic schools before you assume rankings dictate a uniform mandate next time.

[@larryk731]

@@betornween I specified public - not private.

[@jamess.9743]

i’ve seen way more dangerous malls than this.

[@kingteros]

At minute 10:37 looking out the window is the location of Westside Story film.

[@fleabittenadventures]

Really? I didn't know that.

[@kingteros]

@fleabittenadventures parking lot and city hall was used to film scenes.

[@JohnWilson-wg4gk]

This is Jets territory. If you look closely at right center screen, you can see Tony & Maria's Italian Puerto Rican Ristorante.

[@robertf7610]

After Fleabitten commented about the decreased crime rate in the area for the third or fourth time, I was half expecting him to be attacked within 5 seconds. Glad you weren't 😉

[@rl8429]

Seems fairly busy for a weekday, not really dead. Burlington opened in this mall last year & there’s a sign saying that Marshalls has been there since 2011.

[@madmerlot841]

The mall looks like very worn being built in the early 2000s.

[@sutterpark]

Paterson USED to be nice about 60++ years ago one of the beautiful areas in Northen NJ but sadly the area is no more! I am an ex-Ringwood Pasic and I always love the area but no more HIGH crime very sad!

[@AlAl-wu7mp]

Been in that mall many times in P town safe but a bad interior design. Good to have inside parking because street parking is tight.

[@blerdrotic]

Schools don’t provide uniforms. That store probably sells uniforms for multiple school districts. And I’m not surprised how empty that mall is. I’m not traveling to Paterson to go to a mall.

[@WatchMeBURNFuel]

Where the hood, where the hood, where the hood at! Man...I don't miss living in this area much! The only thing I miss is the convenience....and my view of the NYC skyline from my house.

[@jamesemerson3414]

The mall does give the appearance of never having been finished construction wise. The center staircase looks like an afterthought with basic structural steel and exposed pipes. It probably ran well over budget and elevators were left out. The mall is not very handicap friendly, probably just meets ADA minimums. Hard to believe someone would build a mall in 2008 with all of the other abandoned ones in the country.

[@cdcVintage]

Thanks for the update. Why is the mall dangerous?

[@fleabittenadventures]

I explained that in the video. According to many articles, it's a dangerous area. The crime rate is 83% higher than the rest of New Jersey. Etc

[@anotherone-xp9ox]

u kno y

[@SSNESS]

@@anotherone-xp9oxDMTBKA

[@j.j.9748]

Why? Cause Paterson is a shithole

[@Tarotakii]

The mall isn't dangerous... the outer area is. I've never heard of any crime happening in the mall honestly.

[@counterinsurgencyadvisor4289]

I know that place well. Look how much you had to move out of the way of the other oblivious people.

[@ladynightqueen5667]

@4:24 That used to be a Verizon Fios for home cable internet etc. Many people go there to pay their Verizon bills.

[@betornween]

Didn't know this mall existed. I am about 45 minutes North of Paterson. In actuallity I am 45 minutes away from every large mall on both sides of NY/NJ border. This mall is definitely for people who don't drive. Less than 30 minutes west from there is the Willowbrook Mall. The highway (Rt.46) there is filled with strip malls and some big box stores the entire way. East will take you to the *Westfield Garden State, Paramus and Bergen Town Center malls. Paramus is just North of the other two and that highway (Rt. 17) is also full of strip malls of stores and stand alone box stores. The area, if you have your own transportation, is saturated with retail choices. The light traffic you saw was likely because of these other malls. September, after Labor Day, schools start up again here. So that may have actually been busy for the Paterson mall at that time. Oh, was that echo from recording or was it like that to your ear too? *Newest area mall (Expensive!)

[@295g295]

1:56 - Is this "Price Rite", the grocery by Wakefern/ShopRite?

[@BukraMefail]

So excited

[@Stumblebum-lc4zu]

How do the physically disabled get around? There must be whole batch of ADA violations.

[@emeraldkimble7602]

It’s on I 80 across the George Washington bridge

[@RoadTripTelevisionNJ]

I was born in Paterson, New Jersey. I can vouch that the city is indeed a 100% 💩🕳️. 👌

[@judah2217]

So you were born in a s#ithole…Got it

[@blakiniknorguild142]

Looks like Irving Mall in Irving Tx

[@GureiFokkusu84]

Still miss paterson.. at least pre 2011 era

[@rickflash91]

It’s not dangerous in that mall at all

[@BukraMefail]

I like the 1st 2nd and 3rd flooors

[@melbrown6019]

Patterson is pretty scary. I’m from south NJ originally but my grandmother lived in Jersey City and for a time my mom lived in Patterson. It was not a good experience for her or my stepfather. I give you a lot of credit for going there to film this mall. I went to college in north Jersey and went to a restaurant once in Patterson. That mall looks very confusing and not practical. It looks very busy on the first 2 floors and has mostly major brand stores. I moved out of NJ the year this mall was built. I can’t foresee myself ever moving back.

[@christophermoshier]

You just described every mall in the United States in 2023.

[@SSNESS]

Rubin “ Hurricane” Carter

[@isaacsparodys2007]

1:10 i thought that was a publix for a sec

[@liliesrnice]

Oh my,this mall seems so dangerous. 🙄

[@erikt81a]

NPCs are wild around there. Be safe man!

[@reyy568]

For real lol

[@overbanked]

Paterson, NJ; birthplace of the rapper Fetty Wap

[@MrBreezeLI516]

Paterson, as the kids would say, is the "straight up hood" .. I doubt you'd disagree 🤪

[@wytdmikey]

this mall is considered dangerous? the mall is a ghost town yes but to my knowledge and many of my first-hand experiences of going here, i've never experienced anything that can cause harm to a person

[@terrypi4758]

The fact that you actually had the audacity to say that center city is a dangerous place is absolutely ridiculous! There’s nothing there in the first place

[@jedi69outcast]

Should add paintball and rock climbing spot

[@SSNESS]

They shoot each other enough there already

[@judah2217]

Only thing useful there is MAYBE the Marshalls for some quick pairs of socks/undies’…. And the overpriced “convenience” store 😂

[@BukraMefail]

Yo ive been there before!

[@nole8923]

You couldn’t pay me enough to live in New Joysey. I’d rather be poor and living in a trailer in Florida than live in Jersey.

[@happyhermit476]

Holyoke mall Holyoke,Ma has stairs in the middle

[@AdriannaGarner-yr7nc]

Square one mall Saugus ma as well

[@SSNESS]

So does Milford, Conn

[@eddielester3589]

This isnt dangerous. Dangerous is the streets outside of the building I would feel safer inside here than on the streets. I can't wait to return to the city to visit.

[@GardenerEarthGuy]

Thank you for this- we planned a vacation in Paterson, and changed our mind after watching this.

[@liliesrnice]

That's... really dumb.

[@GardenerEarthGuy]

@@liliesrnice You think we should reconsider vacationing there?

[@cashbrooks6375]

It's next to social security they'll make money at the beginning of the month

[@cjones3710]

Find thr alive malls. White Marsh Mall.

[@restlessmind5770]

Poor people. Low wages.

[@FunboyMacphallush]

I know why there's so much crime in the area.

[@minimalvrc2544]

Yeah umm the mall is pretty safe. I would know just saying

[@crnocommentary]

I used to buy heroin in the parking deck area there very dangerous area indeed

[@BukraMefail]

Eeeeeeeee!

[@frenchbrit5098]

Paterson is dangerous mall or no mall.

[@rocketcat2]

That mall has absolutely no style and looks like a multi tenant Walmart. Also why are two Burlingtons in the same shopping mall.

[@nonyanonya4443]

It's a two floor Burlington

[@montyb10009]

🙄

[@richardgrobertson5293]

gross mall and gross place to live. I do not go to Paterson and when I have it is usually driving through

[@fleabittenadventures]

I don't plan to go back anytime soon.

[@reyy568]

😂😂😂 brah no hope

[@saltydroog854]

yeah...That's mall is ratchet AF.

[@R32R38]

In Paterson, that's just the way things go If you're black you might as well not show up on the street 'Less you want to draw the heat

[@SSNESS]

Bob Dylan

[@ericharrison619]

I'm starting to see why they call Jersey "The dumpster of NYC".

[@anotherone-xp9ox]

its a...cultural mall

[@erikt81a]

🤮

[@1_BlackDog_23]

This mall is weird i think its because they never finished the ceiling off, HVAC duct work like that visible is ugly in my opinion.