Crystal Mall: Then & Now (Waterford Connecticut 2023)

[@Lindsay-nx5sv]

The red brick floor tiles are still there just under the new floor plan. When they renovated in 2012 and were pulling the previous renovation tiles from the late 90s off the floor, the red brick tiles were still there. I was working at the mall so I was able to see them. I was so happy.

[@glenndavis1665]

i had so many good times there in the 80's!

[@mcseforsale]

As a young man, I did a BMX freestyle show INSIDE that mall. Probably in '86 or so. We had our quarter pipe up against the escalator/belt thing. MAN, I wish I could find footage of that. The guy who did the videoing disappeared years ago.

[@sardu55]

Very good video. One of the best I've seen on the Crystal. Good job, like the reference to historical info too.

[@motorheadmatt79]

Good video! I used to work at Sandella's Coffee Cafe, where Spencer's is now. I have so many memories of that place, and spent a lot of money, and time there. Remember Charlie's Restaurant?...and the stairs that used to wrap around the elevator near the food court?

[@rickyray2794]

Holy shit, I used to go to this mall when I was a kid.

[@RonnieRaechel]

I watched this mall die gradually after I moved here in 2010. Seeing the old red tiles in the video made my jaw drop since I hadn't even known they existed. They look so pretty and remind me a lot of the streets in Philadelphia, but I digress. I do want to say that the mall is seeing some increase in activity, but its not helping with revenue, since most of the incoming visitors are kids with no money going to the mall to hang out and not shop. If the mall hangs on for a few more years, the kids will have jobs and allowances and might start shopping. Its unlikely, but I want to look at the bright side as my favorite mall falters. Updates from my recent visit. I power has been cut to escalators and the elevator and the spirit halloween across from Rue21 is basically a mini anchor store now, since this is now the closest spot for all of Ledyard, Montville, and Stonington's Halloween and costume needs, with the other one being far past Norwich.

[@jackmontmeat9173]

Sorry @user-fu7kn9ez6b, I don't know why your comment didn't show up when you posted it, all fixed now though. Thanks for your comments about your Crystal Mall memories, and about the red tile reaction--I actually haven't been to the mall in about a month I have to admit, so now I need to go see what you are talking about about the power being cut in certain areas. thanks

[@toastercartridge]

I miss the red tile :( after the remodel it never felt the same.

[@motorheadmatt79]

Remember the ashtray/garbage cans when you could still smoke indoors?

[@toastercartridge]

@@motorheadmatt79 Those where the light blue garbage cans right? I was born in 93 so smoking indoors was a little before my time haha, the earliest I can remember an indoor smoking place was Bee Bee Dairy

[@DoJoDiL]

I used to go to the Burger King. I always remember it being a Burger King and never a McDonald’s. I’m pretty sure there was a pet store next to or a store or two down from the BK.

[@DrLeroyGreen]

BK was like the ONLY food place NOT in food court. Just membered~ It was like on the opposite end and ALWAYS busy.

[@groton27]

@@DrLeroyGreenCharlie’s also was not food court ( where BWW is now). It was a nice steakhouse / bar & Grill

[@DrLeroyGreen]

@@groton27 THAT'S RIGHT! It was always too nice for us. We could only afford the Ponderosa on rt12 in Groton.

[@OmegaVideoGameGod]

Very interesting

[@moe9730]

Great video! I used to work at Prints Plus near Sears. Actually met my husband there. They just made it into a wall years later. Right next to Eblens. We used to visit our wall when we would walk the mall 😂 I also worked at Recordtown. That was a cool job.

[@jackmontmeat9173]

thanks--was Prints Plus the poster store? I remember going through the bins of posters when I was a kid--or was Prints Plus a different store? About Recordtown, that is FYE now right? Every time I'm in there, memories of Recordtown come back to me, as the store is essentially laid out the same way. I remember where the cassette singles were for like $1.99 etc.

[@moe9730]

Yes! Prints Plus was a poster store where anyone with $20 could get their poster plexiglass framed in the back room and have a work of art. Loved those giant plastic folders that held the prints for sale. There was also a nicer quality art/framing store on the top level but that was for real artwork, I think. Recordtown was at FYE near the elevator. So cool. Also, thanks for sharing info about the original flooring. I knew the mall was darker in my memories! Sorry for long post but that mall deserves good words. Thanks again!

[@jackmontmeat9173]

@@moe9730 Cool, yes I vividly remember the red tile, I was wondering if other people did-my Mom worked at night at J.C. Penney through the 1980's so I was there all the time-anyway, I had always liked the design of the tiles, and I wonder if things had gone differently, and they decided to keep that flooring, and the lamp posts, whether the mall would have sort of a unique charm now...anyway, good memories, thanks

[@chrisbrulotte4179]

The place with the Spanish tile roof was Abercrombie, also across from Starbucks I remember there was a popcorn store that had like 50 different flavors and colors of popcorn

[@motorheadmatt79]

I got popcorn from there too! It was right next to what was Charlie's Restaurant

[@erpbridge]

Where Champs (below FYE) is, used to be Taco Bell and had a sit down dining room (left side used to be kitchen, right side used to be sit down dining). That was my first job, back in mid 90s, while they were demolishing a restaurant in Groton and prepping the site to become the Groton Taco Bell.

[@motorheadmatt79]

right across the street from the old IHOP right?

[@relaxshacksDOTcom]

Absolutely remember that (when it was sit-down)

[@groton27]

As someone born and raised here in Eastern CT. The malls mistreatment by Simon real estate just pisses me off honestly. That was where the Original Burger King was by the way then it moved for a while to the food court where Arby’s and Taco Bell used to be.

[@motorheadmatt79]

does "Au Bon Pain" ring a bell?

[@michaeloptv]

Guess this mall is quickly becoming a ghost mall. Shame 😥😪

[@bensmith7212]

Well I can say that I bought shoes there like a month ago ago

[@ChronoTrigger-jz6gk]

Burger King used to down the hallway to the right of Sears on the first floor. It got remodeled to a Tweeter and then eventually Eblens and the Burger King got relocated to the food court. There used to independent restaurants in the food court but I remember when Simon took over it went corporate. The mall lost most of it's charm when Simon took over. I heard from some the employees they were pretty religious and would ban the sale of certain items that didn't meet their Christian requirements(body piercing's come to mind). I'm sure the mall was doomed when other retail space was cleared up slightly down the road and definetly online retailers but to me the mall died when KayBee Toy Store filed for bankruptcy.

[@groton27]

The mall was holding it own for ages with all that . I really feel when Simon did the half way remodel in the early 00’s and put the second mortgage that’s what doomed it. Not long after that rents started going up. They went way up after the recession of 07-08. Was not long after that places like TJ sports and other local places moved out to other spots

[@jenniferodonnell2394]

😢