DEAD MALL - JOHNSTOWN GALLERIA - JOHNSTOWN PENNSYLVANIA - IS THIS THE END OF THE MALL EXPERIENCE?

[@jonathanbuffy3522]

That mall such a beautiful place when I was a kid and a teenager I’m 38 now I remember it being so full of people you could walk in it and there would only one or two empty places in it I was there in the early nineties for the opening with my it was amazing

[@chriswilton9976]

Malls are emblematic of the state of the middle class. Gen X remembers the old life.

[@andykapsar4667]

xennial here. i remember the dark times too. the dark times were good.

[@chm9935]

Boomers, gen x and some millennials---they remember

[@Wild1995]

Thats very true.

[@bannedfreespeech]

​@@andykapsar4667millennial, your generation needs to stop trying to be genx

[@andykapsar4667]

@@bannedfreespeech im not trying to be gen x, it just depends on what source you get youe information from and how you choose to process it. i know im not gen x, but i remember more than most millenials i know about the past.

[@JonathanKine]

Our youth was our innocence. for sure ..

[@Mom2my4blessings]

The middle class is shrinking and I agree that the American dream is gone. We will never get back the way life used to be. In our generation (I’m 47) kids were bored and were immersed in their experiences and had no choice but to seek out others and go places. Now people don’t communicate and are locked in their own little world. Hopefully this owner can save this mall. I would go back in the past. Life was much simpler.

[@denese3164]

Congratulations on becoming a father! Excellent commentary! Everything you talked about rings so true, especially about the smells. It’s the first thing that comes to mind when I think about going to the mall as a child getting my ears pierced at Claire’s until I was a teenager working at Orange Julius in the mall. I’m 36 now. Thank you for making these videos. The culture and nostalgia you talk about is very near and dear to my heart!!! Your videos are the best.

[@seabee73]

Hi Ace. Glad to see another video. I'm 50 and I miss the 80's and 90's. I can still smell Spencer's even though it's been decades since I've been in one. I'm hoping to travel around and see some malls since I'm medically retired. Luckily I can miss up to 2 weeks of treatments. That is a really nice looking mall. I've been following you since 2017 and your videos never disappoint.

[@chm9935]

I miss food court smells.

[@OriginalNethead]

I'm a leading edge GenX. I remember when video games and calculators were brand new cosumer things, and playing games with a 4-function calculator. I still use paper maps and don't have GPS on my phone. My mother didn't have an outside job - we could afford for her to stay home. Malls were a cathedral-like structure where you went to meet people and occasionally find something physical you wanted or needed. People actually got married in the atria as a publicity "thing" and even used them as concert venues. The whole world has turned upside-down since then..

[@williamanderson2203]

I'm a Gen X too, the mall was where you hung out with friends and chase girls...good times. I'm lucky enough to live 10 minutes from a thriving mall that my kids are experiencing. But yeah, we didn't have cell phones, social media or anything remotely close. Malls gave you those experiences where you couldn't get them anywhere else.

[@terrencecarroll4351]

Thank you Ace and best of luck to you and you family!

[@AcesAdventures1]

Thank you too!

[@AcesAdventures1]

Ty!

[@N3PRO-Dave]

Loved the deep thoughts. As a 45 year old in south central PA, I loved the thoughts. I wondered was it just nostalgia, fear of change, or something deeper that bothers me about the death of malls. I'm here for the talk so talk away, ramble. They don't like it, there's a mute. I've watch a few creators talk about the story on the death of third places and how that negatively affected society. We had Work (school) , home, the mall. It's where we decompressed, met friends and new people, where we got lost in thought. Now with work from home we have one place, home. We don't have the place to connect, gather, and decompress.

[@robertmiller2104]

Not good 😢

[@theatomicpunkkid]

Actually as far as this work from home business is concerned so many of us now just live down the hall from our office complete with an office relationship. That's when we can make ends meet.

[@Infindox]

It's something that is affecting all generations atm. Kids and teens have nowhere to hang out anymore, they tear down playgrounds and parks often. There's barely any places for adults to hang out either that isn't a bar.

[@Bookworm214-y3d]

Gen Z wont know nostalgia, because there is nothing nostalgic about 2000s...ive been there and i know. if anything we are nostalgic about the 80s...and we didnt even liv it

[@danielhedrick5886]

I really appreciate what you were saying in the beginning malls are clearly not the same as 70s thru 90s.i went to the independence center and it was sad.the pet store is a shell of what it was and other stores were sadder than that,but I enjoyed the time of being a kid and going trick or treating in the malls of the day.I'm 50 now.thanks Anthony for bringing the knowledge of these places.

[@fawncarnage3951]

My hometown mall!

[@jeffarmstrong3519]

Hey Ace. Good video, I appreciate the insights and I the narration really helps. I appreciate the insights.

[@corytaylor6739]

Great seeing you make videos again. I remember when my mom would take my sister and me to the different malls around my hometown in the 90s and early 2000s. It’s sad seeing these places we enjoyed throughout childhood become just distant memories.

[@kandy-fv3ir]

Nice to see you up and running again I miss the 80s and the malls like they used to be I know those days are long gone but you tube keeps those memories alive

[@KRhythm2013]

Welcome back great video as always. Nothing sadder then seeing the once busy bustling nature of a mall skiwly crumbling around with very few people in it

[@AcesAdventures1]

Thanks 👍

[@danielfoster3642]

To answer your question, yes and no. The peak era of indoor shopping malls may have long past us, and most malls have and are suffering because of that. But those malls that close and get demolished eventually finds new life as an outdoor mall, shopping plaza or outlet center. The Johnstown Galleria is one of those lucky malls that has had a tumultous history to say the least. When Sears and Bon Ton closed in 2018, many people assumed this was the end of the Galleria. But since new ownership took over, this mall has since bounced back. The same can't be said for about 70 percent of the other malls.

[@larrybatzakis]

Thank you for this great video of the Johnstown Mall. Watching these videos have inspired me to go out and take my own photos and videos of malls and other places. I hope this mall can bounce back to life.

[@ilissawalker7051]

I sure hope so he does well. I remember going to the mall as a young teenager it was cool nice place to hang out and get away from my parents

[@AcesAdventures1]

Me too

[@juliehoot3916]

Beautiful! Hope it makes it! I enjoy your talking!

[@AcesAdventures1]

Thank you so much!

[@jgb1222]

Great commentary, really made me think, and feel old. Haha. So many memories I have include malls whether it was going to York Steakhouse at the Chautauqua Mall, (do you remember the water bed store that used to be there? That was the coolest place ever when you're a little kid), finally getting to go to the Millcreek Mall with just my friends, no parents for the first time, visiting my grandparents near Chicago and ALWAYS going to a mall,or as I got older and could drive going to Pittsburgh, Buffalo, Cleveland and Columbus and checking out all the malls. Now as a parent, I'm taking my sons to malls I went to years ago to see them before they are gone forever.

[@AcesAdventures1]

I like to dive deep

[@nathanhan2089]

great episode Ace...yeah my family and I are quite nostalgic for the past, we our families have seemingly grown up going to malls not only for shopping, but recreation, food, martial art schools, lifestyle services etc, very sad to see majority of them slowly or quickly in some cases, die out...many malls in Europe and Asia are still doing quite well (not all of them of course, because some of the malls like in the UK have fallen prey to the same forces as here)...I agree with many of your points on how to potentially save or resuscitate them and would also add - locate malls closer to transport centers, most people don't want to drive 40-50 miles one way to a mall these days...they must be more easily accessible; they have to focus on mixed use and not just retail (ie. medical/ dental offices, business offices, post office, library services, mix of great restaurants and not just mediocre chain stores, entertainment (stages for concerts), games, residential, schools, training centers etc. The days of depending on the major box retailers like Macy's, Sears and Nordstrom's are in the rear view mirror, as many larger retailers are becoming extinct as well; we have to innovate and think outside the box, as you implied in your videos....cheers

[@LisaBarnes-y3f]

I have fond memories of of much simpler times, as you said no cell phones,internet not as much gaming going to the mall was always something I enjoyed.I miss the innocence of those times and although I understand that times change I’m glad to be generation X

[@shortythenut1]

Boomer here, I rember when malls first came here to Phoenix. I've seen the rise and sad fall of almost all of them. You are saying things so well here. I miss the food court and people wawtching, I miss wondering the malls seeing what is new and usulally buying something.

[@jamesmccoy3079]

I really like these types of deep dive videos

[@AcesAdventures1]

Love a good convo

[@JJMHigner]

​@@AcesAdventures1agreed! Over wine, of course.

[@hugemetalfan6664]

When I went to visit my girlfriend she took me to this mall and it was my first time ever going to a dead mall. It was the nicest mall I’ve ever been too. I’ve always wanted to go to that mall ever since I first saw the video of this mall on KZbin. Watching this video brings back SOO many memories, me thinking I actually went to that same exact mall. Watching this video makes me tear up because I actually went to that mall with my girlfriend. I never wanted to leave this mall and I just wanted to keep on walking around that beautiful dead mall.

[@scottbeldi5826]

The biggest problem is when you leave the east cost the further west you go buildings were not built to last no more stone and iron more wood and plastics, so the buildings themselves always had a shelf life. Sad when you think of all the artistry passion and sweat for a moment.

[@unchainedsilver9702]

Great video and thinks for the update and thoughts ...I am the same age to i can relate and it used to be a big deal to go to the mall as a kid , where now it feels more like a choir plus they do not have the same vibe or appeal they once did ... Even the ones that are still busy with high occupancy are nothing like how they used to be back in the day ... Love the look of this place takes me back , hope they save it but it is not looking good ...

[@Motorsportqueen]

Anthony love your pespective on how the cycle of Mall life is. I grew up in the 70s and 80s what a different world we live in today. In Australia there are thankfully only a handful of Malls that have gone through decline. Thank you for sharing this Mall.

[@AcesAdventures1]

thank you!

[@fredoffred]

Believe me! You don't talk too much in your videos, Ace! Everything you say is informative and helpful to learn the history of these places. Thank you for your commentary!

[@AcesAdventures1]

Thanks again!

[@TheHuskyGT]

41 year old man here. To put it in words is very difficult, but I can say as someone who grew up in the same age, I understand. That sense of nostalgia, happy memories. These videos trigger in me an immense sadness. Sadness for a time that will never be back. Life had a meaning. A purpose. There was value in the little things of life. I miss it...

[@chadbollinger2562]

The new owner is really cleaning up the place hope he does well

[@rachelrivera91]

I hope so too. It's such a beautiful looking mall.

[@josephbennett3482]

Before Leo bought it the mall was and the entire property was in very bad condition, he has spent the last year repairing the entrance roads and the roads that wrap around the mall and soon he'll be resurfacing all of the parking lots because they're in desperate need for repair. Leo winning the auction sale of the property was the best thing that happened because he has saved it from possibly being torn down or being turned into something other than a shopping mall.

[@edwardboot3431]

Yeah I applaud the dude big time, I only watched bits of this video. But yeah, new ownership. He's fixing up the roads, and just genuinely gives a crap about the mall. I love the new arcade that moved in. I feel this video gives a very bleak look on the mall, when in reality, it gets very busy some days now, and people are moving bsck in. A couple years ago I moved about 20 mins north of here to be with my wife. I see a lot of potential with this mall and Johnstown as a whole. I think the big cities (like nearby Pittsburgh) are getting too crowded and congested with traffic. And remote work is changing the landscape. I think this is a terrific area to live in and very affordable.

[@mjc8248]

When I used to visit the UAE regularly, the malls were always the highlight of my trips. I still have the Dubai Mall app on my phone, even though it’s been a few years since I was last able to travel regularly. The mall culture in Dubai is on another level.

[@AcesAdventures1]

They have some pretty scary laws though lol

[@mjc8248]

Not really in the UAE. They're very open to tourism, and common courtesy goes a long way. The people are friendly, and it's honestly one of the cleanest places I've ever been. All the signs are in English, and transportation is super easy.

[@markvandermolen7181]

Amazing videos!

[@AcesAdventures1]

Glad you like them!

[@timothywalker4563]

I had heard Johnstown is the last rust belt town to be effected by the old economy, post industrial 🏭

[@george.h5530]

Thanks for another great video. Congratulations to you and your wife on a precious little one coming!

[@zafarshaik3101]

Anthony 🎉 .. insanely stunning video. That beat in the opening and the conversation. On point . You know, interesting to see the usual fonts in abandoned malls... all literally here in this one .. an open auntie Anne's! Gnc , Claire's, hot topic. Johnstown galleria is absolutely stunning.

[@AcesAdventures1]

I appreciate that!

[@AcesAdventures1]

Ty so much

[@SuperBuickregal]

You nailed it with your opening commentary in what has become of the country and the "Dream" Ace. Grew up in N.E. Ohio and I have seen it all. Keep em Rolling!

[@schonkable]

Wonderful video Ace! This mall looks pretty dated but it sure is fascinating. It looks like a giant '90's capsule.

[@rovvt1284]

awesome mall. steve jobs destroyed us all with the i ph thing.

[@deku812]

The issue is i think malls in the US have been overbuilt. Malls can be viable in dense areas. And that's the other issue, suburban sprawl sucks. Our local mall is thriving and they are mostly nestled around transit hubs near high rises. (Canada)

[@ssjjggjj5561]

I remember my mother (who has been dead for 25 years) telling me about an article she read that said the US was "overstored." That's part of the problem. Also, Macy's as a corporate entity is SO much to blame for the demise of so many mall anchors. They eliminated all of the local nameplates and made it pretty much impossible for regional department stores to carry on competitively.

[@frankr3650]

Probably your best video. I’ve been watching for 5 years now. You hit it on the head with this video couldn’t be more true the way you started the video I feel the same way.

[@AcesAdventures1]

Wow, thank you

[@leannefenster6626]

Loved that JCPenny store front , born in '80 so the mall was my childhood and teen hangout , miss it so much !

[@Yesterdays92]

This is all so sad, if you would have told me in 1983 that in the future, the amazing mall we had in Baytown, TX would be demolished and made an abandoned field… I’d say you’re crazy. Yet, here we are in a rapidly spreading dystopian future…it’s as if we are experiencing the result of Biff Tannen’s 1985-A! The mall for us was more than shopping. It was our community center. Remember at Christmas when everyone in town was there during the holidays? Shoulder to shoulder in the halls, food court was packed, saw all your friends, going to the arcade to experience the new Dragon’s Lair video game! Our first job was at the mall, first dates, seeing all the now iconic movies at the amazing new 6 screen cinema! Seeing The Starcourt Mall in Stranger Things brought me to tears! I miss it all so much! I can go on and on. I’m glad for the wonderful memories. To the mall, our old friend: You didn’t deserve this.😭

[@AcesAdventures1]

Ty for ur input

[@cahough2312]

breaks my heart.....my place was Greengate Mall in Greensburg, Pa😢😢😢

[@crystalstevens4638]

I went to this mall many times over the years & it was always just packed with people, especially around Christmas. It's so sad to see it in this state. It was sold for $3 million in 2022, which is crazy considering what it was once worth. The former Sears store is a separate entity & was to become a storage facility, however, the township rejected the proposal. The owner of the rest of the mall was talking about putting in a roller skating rink (another GenX favorite), but I'm not sure what happened there. Thank you for another great video & congrats on all of the big news in your life 😊

[@WhittyPics]

I am 65 and the heyday of malls was in the 70s and 80s. Everything has a life cycle. Same thing happens with all businesses. Things seemed to have really turned around 2000.

[@chm9935]

It went sour starting around 2007-08

[@jenniferjones4102]

As a 44 year old last end gen x er myself, i echo this sentiment. With regards to Raising Canes that you mentioned, one opened here in Midvale Utah, bright pepto bismol pink, post malone came to the ribbon cutting, etc. While it does have success now, like the bubblegum pink the building does, it loses its flavor. Like a lot of shiny new things (malls too) we lose interest and grow. Its the old story, the old lady that swallowed the fly. Maybe one day we might just enjoy the simple joys in life.

[@sondaughter3]

top tier content

[@Thomas-yr9ln]

I had a wonderful childhood I would return to the past in a heartbeat.

[@AcesAdventures1]

Understandable

[@pasadenacatpink]

I really missed the 90s, especially going in the mall back in the 90s since I was a child in the 90s and a teenager in the early 2000s. It is so depressing seeing our mall die as is, but what’s worse is that the current generation and other generations in the future won’t get a chance to experience mall life since they are trapped in their technological world. Technology is good in some aspects, but there is more to life than to look at a screen all day. You do have a point that the world is always changing and the more the world changes, people’s interest in certain things also changes. We can only go back to the past in our fantasies since we are still living the present in reality awaiting what the future is in store for us. I still wish that malls would be around in our lives forever, but like you said, the malls are still dying and we still have to move forward in our lives.

[@DJMetzler337]

I am a March ‘83 baby and definitely know exactly what you are talking about as far as malls. I cried because my childhood mall has long since been demolished and reformed to a strip mall as of 15 years ago. It’s all so sad. But really, that mall was the oddball that was failing 20 years ago, but most of my memories from 83-04 revolve around it.

[@pdxaviation]

Definitely feel that with the malls being from an era of innocence. Glad I didn’t grow up in today’s era of technology.

[@reneastle8447]

I wouldn't say it's the end, I'd say it's more likely a new beginning. The Johnston Galleria will make a retro comeback thanks to the success of a movie idea I have that will feature scenes shot here.

[@davidellis5141]

Have you been to Palmer Park mall in Easton , PA where Spin Me Round is now located ?

[@AcesAdventures1]

I have not

[@SuperBuickregal]

For your time and effort for another informative and entertaining video Ace and Keep em Rolling!

[@AcesAdventures1]

Wow thank you so much!

[@tmlfroggy5338]

Watching yours and Sal's videos on these dying malls really hurt my soul. And I'm not sure why. I was never a mall person. I went to them just to buy what ever I needed and then get the hell out of them. I actually preferred strip malls because I could park in front of the store that I needed and never had to enter a mall. I never window shopped or hung out at the mall. But for some reason I have this strong sense of nostalgia when watching these videos, I guess it's just that so many things of my lifetime are dying or has disappeared. It's the same feeling I have when I watch videos on other things from my past like Sears, Montgomery Wards, A&P Supermarkets etc, going bankrupt and disappearing. I guess nothing hinders nostalgia. Even these beautiful malls that I made an effort to avoid if I could, when they were alive and flourishing.

[@itz_akuma]

This makes me miss home .

[@SaKOTR]

Owner got a fireworks display and outing setup for 4th of July weekend (Friday the 5th). Which is cool and all. That's kinda what that place needs to liven it up honestly. I really thought malls were gonna make a come back after Season 3 of Stranger Things. So many people people were nostalgic after seeing Starcourt Mall. And malls should play to that. Have a "Stranger Evenings" 80's themed event at the mall. Car shows. Food truck days. Movies on a big inflatable screen. Anything to bring foot traffic, and people spend money. Heck Johnstown is the home of Steve Ditko (RIP). They could organize a Comic Con...call it..."Ditko Con" at the mall, section it off for entry , and open up a few of the empty stores for merch and star guest tables. Comic cons are goofy to most people, but they sure do draw in big crowds even for smaller ones, especially if you get a couple big names to come in for autographs/photo ops. Just my 2 cents, to get people off Amazon lol

[@benb8407]

Nice mall glad the owner is upbeat about the malls future but I don't see it coming back. Good luck to the hope he is right.

[@PinkAgaricus]

Also, the thing about Raising Cane's, is that the specialize in one type of fried chicken, chicken fingers/tenders. Along with the colors and artifacts you mentioned.

[@chadburkhart264]

My 2nd hometown mall (Yes I still miss Richland Mall). I see Aeropostale closed. Was up on 2nd level near Italian Oven. When did that happen?

[@doctorgravel8572]

I remember going to see Rocky IV, when it came out, at the Richland Mall movie theaters around Christmas time. My grandfather had a jewelry store in downtown Johnstown, and we'd visit him for the holidays.

[@BigFungus19]

I would recommend ditching caffeine completely. For years, I struggled to switch off at night and had the worst traits of adhd including jitters and a brain that moved in 30 different directions unable to focus on menial tasks. I stopped drinking caffeine in April and it's been a very pleasant two months, I have an easier time focusing, and the jitters have stopped completely. I have also been sleeping alot better and can fall asleep and stay asleep much more frequently than before. The first two weeks sucked but the results were worth it

[@exploringwithjenn5314]

I like your comparison about dying malls to humans. When new born, everybody pays attention and spends loads of money for the new born. When getting older, they're more and more left on their own, I mean the malls. Mall deterioration is a world wide phenomenon, but since I moved to Spain some years ago, I'm happy to report that shopping malls here are not as much affected by deterioration as for example from what I see in the US. Amazon and all the internet shops deliver here as well to your door step, but here, when I walk thru shopping malls, it seems to be still that people are enjoying the fact that they can meet with friends or family, and also, as I see that in my own shopping habit, want to see and touch first what they buy. I hope this mall dying disease is not as contagious like it is in the US or the UK, and people still continue to share and spend their time in malls, even though they might not buy anything or not much, but still go to the mall just for the sake of it and to be there with family and or friends 🙂

[@dw7822]

I love that this mall gets so much attention online I grew up in Johnstown I spent my weekends during the winter at the mall because it was too cold to hang out by the theater/walmart my years at the mall was 2005-2015 and it was pretty much dead then now I live in Washington state and I get so emotional and nostalgic watching these walk throughs of my mall it’s gorgeous I hate to see it slowly fade but it’s kept it’s beautiful charm it used to have a fountain and there were schoolyard rumors that it got removed because a kid tried to jump into in from the second floor and died that definitely didn’t happen it probably just got too expensive to maintain but this mall had local lure around it

[@katetwigg2384]

Hi! So I actually live near here and this is my local mall. I found your video when I was googling my mall so kudos. First I would like to say lovely philosophy lesson. Second. I’d just like to say I feel like you greatly misrepresented the Galleria mall. Not because of some philosophical reason or nostalgia. But you never once considered the people in this. The Galleria stands today as it is because the people of Johnstown had a need for work. The man owning the mall saw that. You see the hospital had offered the last owner a lot of money for the property. And so that owner started raising rent on all the stores to run them out. An empty mall meant an empty building ripe for the hospital to take. All that owner cared for was greed. But then the new owner he came and bought the mall in the name of the people of Johnstown. He put forth action to put the power of business ownership into the hands of the people. Not cooperative greed. He made the mall another safe place for the young people to go and be safely without the fear of violence. He lowered rent values to an all time low. He encouraged the self serve used book store that sells all books there for less than $5 to encourage literacy. So yes. The mall is struggling. But it is not dying yet. By the skin of Johnstown’s teeth it won’t die.

[@atmerchant]

Thank you. Well put. As I watched the video I wondered what day/time he took this video. There are many shops and eateries that were not open. Seems like he purposely took the video when the mall would have little to no activity. Sad.

[@hurricanebob7058]

What a beautiful, well-designed mall !

[@lostcivility9849]

The planters are well maintained and look good. There is a horticulturalist involved.

[@MasonStreamz]

I think that the mall might close in the next two years because the better stores are slowly closing, and I think that because the Hot topic store closed recently.😢

[@JJMHigner]

Some malls are doing well, but few a far between.

[@AcesAdventures1]

Yes

[@charleyanne]

Have you been to Ohio? Elyria's Midway Mall is now being transitioned into individual company's offices. Im not sure if everyone is out yet, maybe if you haven't been there you could make it before they clear everything out...

[@AcesAdventures1]

I have a few times

[@charleyanne]

@@AcesAdventures1 I did find the one from 2020. Thanks

[@dcnascarboy0514]

Great video. I have a music suggestion to use in future videos. Just look up Cruiser by George Clanton. It would fit so well in your videos!

[@bobbiroberts]

Congrats on the marriage and child hun😊

[@ashleybanks-wm4cg]

Your commentary is PROFOUND

[@dgonthehill]

ty

[@ImJustKaren_]

Gen X-er, about a decade older than you, here. My pre teen/teen years WAS the mall. We were dropped off early afternoon and picked up right before closing. No parents, no cell phone. 25 bucks in our pockets and all day to goof off, look at boys, and be kids. It makes me so sad seeing all the malls across the nation. I live about 30 mins from Century III in Pittsburgh and it was magical at Christmastime.

[@AcesAdventures1]

I woulda loved to have seen it then

[@williamanderson2203]

Century 3 was a beautiful mall at one time. My cousin lived in Pittsburgh and we'd hang out there when I would stay with him.

[@chm9935]

​@@AcesAdventures1me too

[@chm9935]

I believe it

[@rainkinggw]

Congrats on the kid!

[@BargBikernes]

The malls near me in Miami FL (Dadeland Mall & Dolphin Mall) are constantly packed, & Dadeland still maintains somewhat of an old school vibe, BUT almost all the stores are boring AF. It's just perfume store after clothing store on repeat, with 1 Lego store, a hot topic & Spencers being the most interesting, and they're all shit now. I miss the record stores & electronics & arcades. I'd buy the fuck out of a boom box if I saw that shit for sale at a mall, idgaf, but everyone is just so boring now.

[@jayogee913]

Along with the middle class getting squeezed, I can say from personal experience that the rent the companies that own these properties charge the retail tenants is completely unsustainable. Rents for even small storefronts in less busy wings could top $10,000 PER MONTH! And go way up from there! And this would be almost 20 years ago! So the stores had to charge ridiculous prices for their products and services just to pay the ransom/rent for the spaces! So many businesses got out of their rents as soon as possible, it was amazing to see. Especially once online retail took over.

[@AcesAdventures1]

Agree

[@SaberTail]

I'm pushing 40. I see malls as part of a transition to where we are now. Malls started getting popular about the same time any sort of collective society was getting hollowed out in favor of individualistic neoliberalism. Yeah, they were an experience, but it was still a consumption-focused experience. People didn't create things at the mall. There wasn't any sort of real community at a mall, just a collection of alien to each other shoppers. Malls were born of the same force that has now killed them. I like deal mall videos not really out of nostalgia or memories, but because they are a great symbol of how the past 50 years or so have gone.

[@kated5159]

People don’t have the leisure time to go hang out at malls anymore, even if they had the money. We shop differently now. Although ironically the mall used to be a “third place” for a lot of people, myself included at this very mall as a teen. Maybe they can repurpose the spaces for non retail stuff like a church group, martial arts, tutoring places or youth group or rec spaces. Right now it’s just a reminder of the past. I used to walk those corridors. Gotta get to the National Record Mart for some cassette tapes, or oh maybe some cds. 😂

[@user-sc1es4wz4g]

My childhood was bad bad. But going to the mall was a little bit of freedom n fun as a kid. I miss my childhood malls. Their all torn down.

[@stephenlee7332]

I hope Raising Canes comes here to Buffalo too

[@AcesAdventures1]

Hell yeah lol

[@loadedfun4764]

I went to school in Johnstown in 2012. A lot of the store fronts were empty. The Macy’s was still open. The lottery spot was open under the elevator. Bonton was open. There was still a lot of life in the mall however in 2 years time there a lot of the eateries surrounding the mall had closed in 2-1/2 years time. A lot of stores had closed in the mall within that time as well. Sears being one of them for starters.

[@mrmonty86]

Malls are just museums of commerce past.

[@the_honey_bagel199]

This one.. this one hurts. I remember going to this mall when I was no higher than my dad's thigh. There was once this attraction they'd hook you up to that let you bounce in the air like you were flying. We'd go there when gamestop was more popular. When discs were the most popular way to get games. I remember getting, at one point, a 360 with one of the assassin's creed games and gta 4. Rest in peace galleria.

[@DrTopGun]

I agree with @melbrown6019. The Mall experience was part of our golden era of rise and the fall of the middle classes. Now, the disparity of wealth is an organized chaos experience in life... Also, I agree with Ace- What American Dream? Intriguing, can the American Dream be an experience, just a fantasy, a stereotypical American concept, a generational dream/goal from a begone eras, or is the American Dream changing an ideal or perception as per individual... Anyways, Ace, buddy, I appreciate your mature reflections and thoughts... An excellent documentary, thank you, and be safe out there.

[@AcesAdventures1]

You also!

[@chm9935]

Malls are like companies---they are born, they mature, and they die

[@creonfredrikson1477]

Malls and manufacturing, mills, steel industry all worked hand-in-hand. Different culture, different economic situation. And like you said "...without getting political. " The "X-cess" culture had more cash in hand and there wasn't Amazon. You saved and bought what you wanted. Society now is TOO INSTANT. Being originally from PA too - it makes me sad to see towns, malls, and community's dying. When jobs leave, so do people. That's why I left. Keep the vids coming! 👍

[@Radagast49230]

You want to know why this is happening? Why all the malls are going away? It's not online retailers, it's not changing tastes, it's not bad business models. You need to go back and look at economic data from the 60s to today. Look at Purchasing Power Index data. Look directly at the non-adjusted prices for rent, electricity, fuel, common groceries, calculate raw non-adjusted increase to current prices. Then look at the relationship between median income and those prices. The simple truth is that real inflation since the 90s has quietly reduced free income of ordinary working class people enough that communities can no longer support malls there isn't enough loose money left in the working and middle class.

[@AcesAdventures1]

Good comment

[@MissMTurner]

Never went to the Galleria. When i left PA as a girl in the 80s, it was still Richland Mall back then.

[@BollingHolt]

There was a shooting INSIDE Eastdale Mall (Montgomery, AL) last Saturday night. Have two videos of this poor mall on my channel: one from 2019 and one from Sunday (05/26/24) before I was forced to quit.

[@christopherguerra6609]

Hi! Can you do a video at Hilltop Mall in Richmond, California?

[@AcesAdventures1]

Isn’t it not accessible?

[@charlestonpinballarcade]

Your conversation style free flow voiceover videos are great. There are hundreds of mall videos with music (most copying your style) and many vids with just sounds of the mall, so why do people tell you to stop talking? I guess having people watch and complain is better than no views… or maybe not! 😂

[@AcesAdventures1]

Ty!

[@NostalgiaFix81]

It’s not worth losing malls over online shopping. These places will be truly missed by more people as time goes on and it will be next to impossible to rebuild malls to the extent they used to exist.

[@garytokar3522]

Back in the day that mall had a big fountain in the middle of it. And the day the mall opened a plate of glass fell injuring some people

[@djking4845]

You gotta explore Eastland Mall in Columbus a lot of people has been exploring it recently. I love to see your spin on it.

[@AcesAdventures1]

Would like to but heard security it a problem

[@djking4845]

@@AcesAdventures1 I don’t think there is security since people are getting in there. I’ve seen photos online and the mall is trashed. Graffiti, and broken glass. It’s very unfortunate Vandals are hitting that place hard.

[@andykapsar4667]

ace, idk if you read the comments, but i think there are a few malls bucking the trend and still thriving. erie isnt far from johnstown and the millcreek mall was bouncing last time i was there. pretty much right down from the now closed cincinnati mills mall, theres another mall called the kenwood mall is doing pretty well too

[@AcesAdventures1]

My first priority is for a Mall to succeed

[@andykapsar4667]

@@AcesAdventures1 you could do a video on at least the millcreek mall to show tbeyre doing well, tbats where i was going with the op i apologize if i left that out

[@Big6Duke]

What was the quote from at the beginning

[@chm9935]

The Fourth Turning by Howe/Strauss (1996 or 97)-----Gen X were born from 1961 to 81.

[@lisaholland9062]

I miss my innocence, malls and the past yet to bring it back in the same way will never be the same

[@hazegrey9580]

Hey Ace, work for an airline, or just the airport? I work for a major hub in the south. That's sweet how you get to travel all over and make your vids.