DEAD MALL - LAKEFOREST MALL - GAITHERSBURG MD - THE FINAL DAY

DEAD MALL - LAKEFOREST MALL - GAITHERSBURG MD - THE FINAL DAY

[@amandagilliams5306]

So glad you are featuring this mall-its glory days are far gone, but good memories remain! The Christmas decorations were amazing here~

[@user-dp5tv8ze7y]

Yeah, in the city of Lakewood we used to have the Lakewood mall until it was torn down for downtown Lakewood witch still is doing well.

[@chellastation]

I miss the days when the Malls would be filled with people no matter you went. Now in days, you have to be lucky to find a functioning mall. 😢🛍

[@bmstylee]

I actually work in Beachwood Place in Cleveland. It's got slow times but it's still doing well. Having Saks and Nordstrom probably helps it.

[@chellastation]

@@bmstylee That is awesome 😎👍

[@bmstylee]

@@chellastation it really is. I love my merchants and they definitely are more than just my banking customers after 4+ years working in the mall. Trust me as a banker we know more about our customers than we may care to know. We're like bartenders at times.

[@TimTim-dj4zr]

Polaris Mall in Columbus was very busy yesterday. The weird thing is it looked like this mall in 1988. I wonder when Polaris will decline?

[@carolk5770]

Very, very sad. I agree…😢

[@Joelsef]

Thank you for doing this, Ace. This was my mall growing up. I’m from Montgomery Village. We had it really good back in the day. Sad to see it go.

[@AcesAdventures1]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@TheStncld357]

I lived in Town Crest and used to work and spend a lot of time there. Fond memories for sure.

[@ClandestineSnowman]

Watching these dead malls, and even the dying ones in my own city...it's like watching the Roman Empire fall. They used to be so great, so untouchable - but now they're all these shambling husks of their former greatness. Both nostalgic and sad...

[@user-dp5tv8ze7y]

Malls die every day.why?

[@troymyatt]

I think this is probably my favorite Dead Malls video. Great editing and perfect song Hazy to match.

[@JASMINENICOLE5]

The introduction of this video with “hazy” playing in the background was hella dope!! Your editing is amazing

[@user-dp5tv8ze7y]

I love your how you make videos!

[@leannefenster6626]

Excellent video Ace , perfect music selections ! Ain't gonna lie, the last part brought a tear to my eye .... and that lady ..that was a new one 😂

[@shawnmalone3980]

That old footage was awesome 🥺 loved hearing that Hardcastle mall music too!

[@pdxaviation]

That 88 flashback, back when life was simple and oh so enjoyable

[@alyc5205]

Loved the song. Added to my playlist.

[@AcesAdventures1]

Ty :)

[@sal]

This footage made my loins moist, great effing job brother

[@melbrown6019]

I was born in 1976 and the mall was the place to be! It’s devastating that they’re closing. The last part with the announcement almost had me in tears 😢. That lady stealing the signs 😂 that was hilarious! Great video Anthony!

[@ericskifton3513]

I don't think you could have chosen better music for this video, nicely done Anthony!

[@PsicoShadow84]

Best video so far about Lakeforest Mall closing, love the tunes and editing! Thanks for making this excellent content.

[@AcesAdventures1]

Ty :)

[@jenniferrinaldi8808]

That lady taking those signs.....no words lol. Thanks for another great one Ace!

[@AcesAdventures1]

My pleasure

[@benb8407]

Yeah, that lady taking those signs LOL I doubt the mall cared since it was the final day and would get thrown out anyways if no one took it. I'm sure her family & friends will talk behind her back if she talks about taking the signs from the mall's last day LMAO. I don't get why anyone would take stuff from a dead mall but I guess they want a piece of the mall.

[@Crackrzz]

​@@benb8407 Yeah that's how I see it too. But... signs. I mean a plant would probably be better, but keeping it alive is a whole other thing. Shrug. Maybe someone asked/is paying her to do it. Who knows.

[@TheReasonsImBroke]

Probably an eBay flipper

[@RoundenBrown]

Used to go here all the time back in the late 1990s and early 2000s, was very alive and bustling then. Sad to see it go. My ambitious plan to save the mall would've been to extend the WMATA Red Line to Lakeforest and build a metro station underneath it. The former carpeted pit area could've been excavated to make the entrance to this metro station. Extending the red line northward makes sense since the center of population of Montgomery County has shifted northward since that station opened 40 years ago. Commuters can shop at the mall on their way to and from DC. It would've been ambitious but I think it could've saved it by attracting more foot traffic and giving a potential customers an extra incentive to go there. Lots of ample parking available too.

[@fastmail55]

Having grown up in the 60's and early 70's, I never would have imagined these places would fail and cease to exist. In my state the malls moved in and decimated the downtown retail business cores of neighboring small towns. Now the malls are gone and some small towns have managed to rebuild their retail business districts. But many have not. Everything has a beginning, a middle, and an end. The circle is complete...

[@amandagilliams5306]

Thank you very much for your gorgeous filming of Lake Forest…so many memories.

[@umdcaps]

Once again thanks for this video, a year later. Especially for the 1988 footage. That was a good year and I wish I could go back in time. Although I frequented Montgomery Mall in Bethesda more, I do remember some happy trips to Lakeforest.

[@matthewkeefe1377]

I've never been to Maryland, but this episode reminds me how much I miss 80s mall culture. And "Hazy" just got me By the way, that tiered seating area looked so cool

[@AcesAdventures1]

Great song :)

[@paposwing2925]

It's simple. Back in 1988, we didn't have internet, smartphones, social media, movies, and music streaming. So, the malls were our only place to shop and hang out. Other than that it was just the arcades and movie theater. Once all those things first mentioned appeared in our lives, it was the beginning of the end of all these malls.

[@AcesAdventures1]

I agree, sucks

[@plushtimetv]

Although I am from Pittsburgh, it is very sad to see this mall closed, as it was a large mall. The final announcement was very upsetting, the lady stealing the signs was hilarious though. Great video!

[@bmstylee]

The Sinatra at the end was 🤌

[@jonfreeman5494]

This was extremely well done, thank you for this. I grew up going to this mall. It's heart wrenching seeing it go 😢

[@Lauren-ro4ll]

Early 2000s-2010s…this was THE mall to go to coming from 270 north. So sad. I drove to this mall during a break-up in 2010 and walked around Macys for some distraction. So sad to see it go.

[@IndianapolisGerry]

Really love the music selection....This mall would have been magnificent! Skylights are awesome

[@AcesAdventures1]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@TheRedRose1001]

I really like the music choices for this video, especially Hazy. 🎶🎼🎵🎧

[@user-dp5tv8ze7y]

I miss the old days of in store shopping.

[@antonioquevedo2114]

The day I watched this is exactly 35 years from the date of that archival footage.

[@seabee73]

I loved the 88 clip. Those conversation areas were cool. We didn't have those in our tampa malls. Our debartolo mall in Tampa is reduced to a food court with demolished anchors. Thanks for another great video.

[@jessicaallen9473]

this intro with the music is awesome!

[@AcesAdventures1]

Ty!

[@osamabindiesel3389]

My family moved to the DMV at the turn of the century and I have a lot of childhood memories going to this mall on the weekends. Crazy how times changed and malls just have no purpose like they did before. This used to be the spot to hang out when you’re a teen, I wonder what that might be now these days.

[@pdxaviation]

Teens just wanna hang out on their iPhones haha

[@osamabindiesel3389]

@@pdxaviation not their fault we built the country completely reliant on personal vehicles and discourages people from going outside.

[@jimmyp.6180]

I'm in the general area. They have fenced in the whole mall parking lot. I might be able to get you photos at some point.

[@justinmorrison321]

This was a masterpiece, Ace. Thank you!

[@billbloom7710]

Those sky lights!!! 🤩

[@trentisoncool1594]

American Dream nice tunes🎵 80s kid 😎

[@Dro40]

Born and raised in DMV on the VA side. Watching this video, Lake Forest looks very similar to Fair Oaks Mall. They were both developed by Taubman Centers.

[@OriginalNethead]

I remember conversation pits in malls. DANG I am old. Looks like the only place still open was that food place. I guess the workers closing the place needed somewhere to eat. Even the Bath and Bodyworks was kaput, but the plants looked healthy.

[@morriganwitch]

Once again a moving photo documentary xxx thank you

[@PeterBellefleur]

30 seconds of the inside and I know this was a taubman mall without even looking it up. The ceiling detail the massive art pieces near the anchors, the conversation pits....

[@vics.diecast.garage]

One of my favorite videos!! Loved how you got the final minutes and final announcement!! 🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@dennisklaustermeyer373]

Great video as always; love the intertwined footage from years past that you included. Definitely had better days and as always, sad to see yet another mall closing. I've seen expersts indicate that they think by around 2030 there may be at most 75-100 malls in the US still in existence when we used to have thousands. That would mean on average two malls per state; that just seems so unreal to think about; I hope that they are wrong and malls can somehow be re-imagined and still thrive.

[@pamelaaverrett5848]

Your uploads never disappoint! Great work especially getting the last closing announcement!

[@AcesAdventures1]

Thank you very much!

[@andreanicole8459]

The mall looked so much better with the waterfall features

[@phanindra2008]

The fountains stopped working...and the water used to stink...good thing it was removed in 2013

[@chrissasandlin8344]

Excellent mix of music & vlog. Really wish some of our local malls had received the same attention prior to their demise/repurposing.

[@Progearspec]

I use to live around the gaitherburgs area in the mid 80's.I had no idea it closed down recently after all this time.When i was a kid i use to walk down to the lakeforest mall all time to buy a video game etc.Definitely a sign of the times when malls in general across the county have been going out of business.Well i guess i shouldn't be surprise when the internet has taken over when it comes to shopping.

[@mikefobfan101]

It was such an amazing mall. It's so sad because fairly recently back in like 2018, it was so busy. But crime and COVID really killed it.

[@Switchitup2000_heisthebest]

Ace if you ever get a chance you should go to the Midway Mall in Elyria Ohio. That mall is dead all the department stores for the mall are gone but it is still opened for now.

[@rogerkint3684]

Who do i talk to about claiming that big twisty red sculpture? I wanna put it in my back yard!

[@eastender74]

I loved the video from 1988 ❤️ the wedding couple was really the icing on the cake. It’s hard to believe that mall weddings were a thing back then. Honestly all I could think about was the game show Sale Of The Century with their little stage and both very good looking like models admiring what could have been an item up for bid. Yours for the taking If the price was right 😅 btw I almost lost it when you started playing the Sinatra song near the end. I honestly stopped watching the video at that point. I’m emotional enough as it is when watching your videos and a tune like that will surely start the waterworks 😂

[@Ozzy_2014]

Better than Paul Anka's version!!

[@Crackrzz]

Ok I'm not the only sap here. Hehe I shed a tear or two myself. But I did finish the video.

[@horrorbuff7803]

It makes you wonder if the couple in that video ever came back to there wedding place now that it is closing. It must be emotional for them if they are still together and alive.

[@renegarza23]

Good day to all. I am always nostalgic of my late 80s and early 90s Mall experience. Anyways, Ace, what are the so-called married actors or couple doing at the gathering fountain? All right, overall, I liked this deadmall documentary, thank you.

[@rainkinggw]

This main song is 🔥

[@benbrown9053]

I used to buy my cds there and skip school in the early 2000s. Looked like a fairly new mall, pretty sad.

[@RyDawg084]

Wow! I passed this abandoned mall the other day and wondered if there was any dead mall videos on it. Gaithersburg has so many people and stores and restaurants its crazy that it couldn’t survive. They should of put a Costco directly in the middle lol. That place is packed like a old mall

[@johnburke1317]

Nice video

[@bob5074]

As a kid I fished in Lake Walker. They bulldozed it to build this mall. I learned to ice skate at this mall. I shopped here all the time. I stopped going in the early 2000s.

[@ECFE]

I ended up staying 30 minutes past closing and got locked in. Somehow security didn't notice me on the cams

[@mikefobfan101]

Damn 😂 Wish I could have been there during closing. Last time I went was in February of 23.

[@appleiphone69]

As a poor kid growing up in the 70’s and 80’s malls were always a reminder of bad feelings of being able to look but not buy. When i went with my parents to buy, stuff was sold out. So frustrating.

[@FWIENZY]

R.I.P malls 😢

[@Jackie0516]

Nice video but the eater was a movie theater not an ice skating ring.

[@benb8407]

Great seeing that 88 video, can't believe that there were mall weddings was a thing I wouldn't want to have a mall wedding. I saw Sal's video on Lakeforest last summer with more small businesses than anything else which was from a few years ago.

[@Thriftyfitnesschick]

Dang. My mall is still pretty hopping. Some weird, obscure stores nobody has heard of. But, pretty full nonetheless. Just not the same as it used to be, FOR SURE. My teenage boys could CARE LESS about the mall lol

[@dianem7346]

This looks identical to fair oaks mall in Fairfax Virginia.

[@pkmnan00bis]

Lakeforest, Fair Oaks, and Marley Station were regional malls built around the same time by the same developer; Taubman. They have similar design elements but are different sizes.

[@gregd4633]

Hmmm 1988 the year I gave my middle school love her first pie……..if you know what I mean lol 😂. And she looked like “Salt” from the rap group “Salt And Pepper” oh my gosh every guy wanted her but she had a crush on me. I got jumped after school because they were jealous that I was dating her. Now my middle school love is a celebrity stylist and she owns several salons in Atlanta and Brooklyn

[@andytaylor5476]

I loved when most malls had fountains! Why were they so often removed? Were they high maintenance? Did they break down often? Were they expensive to run?

[@Joelsef]

Lakeforest had great ones. I assume the new owners just didn’t want to maintain them. It was sad when they took them out.

[@benb8407]

The Crossroads Mall had an awesome fountain when I was a kid at the center of the mall but took it out in the late 80s may have been 90, I remember a kid got hurt jumping on the wood area around the fountain not a stage even know there were signs saying don't go on it or jump the kid had a bloody nose may have broken his nose blood was gushing not a good sight to see. My dad got the kid tissues to stop the bleeding his mom told him not to do it and never did see him again.

[@bmstylee]

If you can find some pictures of Randall Park Mall they had some awesome fountains.

[@DavyB81]

Expensive and high maintenance cost, probably.

[@stylesmcfly8170]

Another banger Mr. Ace

[@AcesAdventures1]

Ty sir

[@LaNyxie]

If you’re in the NY/NJ area soon might wanna check our Livingston Mall. It’s for sure dying now. Simon sold it off to a different company. Only 2 anchors left. 2 food court stores. It’s sad to see.

[@appleiphone69]

This mall should be used in Stranger Things final season.

[@danc3488]

Damn shame to see it go. As of today, the mall is still standing and is completely fenced off. Private security both on foot and by vehicle, along with Gaithersburg Police and Montgomery County Police are very visible in the area (there's a GPD precinct not far away). I HIGHLY recommend people do NOT try to trespass and get inside. Funny thing is they actually have a carnival set up in the parking lot this week for some reason. Quite weird seeing a vibrant carnival next to an abandoned mall. There's also a mobile food bank that uses the lot.

[@MuneageDaydream]

Top notch, Anthony. You know a mall is done for when the Rainbow is closed. I just discovered after commenting about the fact that all six escalators in one of our local malls were out of order that Namdar owns both of them. (Chapel Hills and The Citadel.) They're doomed.

[@user-pe7gf9rv4m]

Damn. I remember buying my Wii here so many years ago.

[@meepthirteen]

⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[@Ozzy_2014]

Ok old Question if you had a time machine, when do you go the 1980s. Most assuredly. As an adult. So many places I never knew of. Could never go. Now I would.

[@user-dp5tv8ze7y]

I been to a semi-abanded mall in Russia and it a lot of people go to the last stores that are still open. I tried to explore one of the abanded stores a couple of times and once I done well. On the visit 2 I was nearly arrested but, I am back in Denver and I am safe there at my mom's house sending this comment at 01:32 am on a school night while she is not watching me. Will you like and reply to this comment within 5 days for me?

[@brucesumter4327]

rest in peace's mall ty ace's video

[@GryphonLady2007]

As long as you don’t set fire to or vandalize a mall or any other abandoned places and do it as safe as possible I don’t see any problem with people exploring. You don’t have to be a member of an club or someone who documents them for social media to explore these places. Maybe some explorer might find some potential to that property and has or finds a way to save it. And that lady taking the signs. Maybe she was given permission to take them.

[@jimmyp.6180]

That food court, after it was an ice rink was a movie theater. They foolishly took out the theater and put in that food court. Section 8 wet up across the street and the bus stop on the edge of the parking lot became a frequent place of stabbings and thefts. And so, the mall declined.

[@benbrown9053]

You're making Gaithersburg seem like a dangerous place to live, it's a clean and safe area compared to other cities in the country. The mall declined because of online retail, businesses like Wal-Mart and the new outlets that opened up really added to the struggling mall. The mall does not define Gaithersburg, it is well located in the metro area of MD DC and VA. If you live here you are near everything. It's a great place to grow up. If you wanna talk dangerous there are places in pg County and in dc

[@bella9282]

The way I’m gonna hyperfixate on your TV show even more intensely than your KZbin videos haha

[@AcesAdventures1]

It’s gonna be dope

[@bella9282]

@@AcesAdventures1 Oh I believe it! Excited to see what you do with a bigger budget since your videos here are already of such high quality.

[@Alizatina]

I saw this mall on Reddit a few weeks before it closed and I was hoping I’d see a video of it before it fully closed

[@gordontaylor2815]

I honestly thought you would run into Dan Bell at some point. Isn't he based out of the Maryland area?

[@AcesAdventures1]

Baltimore

[@jerseytomato100]

Dan hasn’t filmed a Dead Mall in a while.

[@BDBD16]

@@jerseytomato100 Dan Bell uploaded his video of this exact mall a month ago.

[@Xmetalfanx]

have to say i know its the last day and its not abandon in this video but overall that mall looks nice ... mis-managed anchor stores dying kill all the small time stores inside of these malls (in addition to online shopping)

[@WhitfieldProductionsTV]

let me know if you ever get into indy for one of these.

[@user-jw8mh2ln8q]

James chapter 5 Woe to the rich.

[@solarpixiejournals]

There are so many ways malls could still be popular or profitable. The demise of so many malls are a result of so many short sighted decisions and seems to be more an American problem.

[@brianmurphy2695]

Sinatra singing "My Way" great ending theme for this mall

[@JazzyBabe56]

friggen vultures ravening a corpse......she was disgusting IMO....but the vid was wonderful!

[@AcesAdventures1]

Mall was amazing in 88, too bad they gutted it

[@taimaishu-nao1922]

The lady taking the signs… I can only guess what she has plans to do with all of them. But hey, she does make a point: why let them be forgotten land waste if you can hold onto them to document that it was once a thing that existed?

[@AcesAdventures1]

I just thought it was funny lol

[@gianpolignano2632]

Was a pardon granted?

[@AcesAdventures1]

Nope

[@bruno8241]

😢😢😢

[@bmstylee]

The guy saying the mall has closed after 44 years was a bit sad. Almost like the end of the Ames HQ documentary where he played the final voicemail message.

[@robertmiller2104]

the 14th was last day?

[@AcesAdventures1]

No, 3-31

[@robertmiller2104]

​@@AcesAdventures1 Oh ok so 2 weeks ago any plans for site yet?

[@ashitomarisu]

The final day of this mall ends with some woman taking every sign and attempting to leave with it. LOL

[@AcesAdventures1]

Lmao

[@UltimateGamer34]

o7

[@AJ-bp9th]

What are they putting in its place….Amazon Distribution Center?!

[@AcesAdventures1]

Idk

[@charlestonpinballarcade]

Not sure I can link articles without getting deleted, but if you search Lakeforest redevelopment you will find lots of great info for the mixed use plan.

[@gabrideen]

Right now the plan is some type of town center and apartments

[@pdxaviation]

If you ever make it out to Oregon, Lloyd Center deserves a video

[@AcesAdventures1]

Already did

[@taimaishu-nao1922]

Already did, my dude. Search the channel. I know; it’s sad. I have fond memories of that mall.

[@appleiphone69]

Woman is probably a hoarder or watched too many episodes of American Pickers and think she is going to score

[@alphathefearlessgamer5054]

So sad

[@JenniferinIllinois]

That footage from 1988 was epic!!!! The quality was a bit rough though. I mean no 4k or image stabilization? Come on! 🤣🤣🤣 Wasn't this the mall where Sal rescued Alfred? 🪴

[@loritheghostpainter6722]

If anyone knows: Was the Lakeforest Mall designed like other malls across the country? It reminds me of a mall in my region - Cherryvale Mall in Rockford, Illinois. Lakeforest had more escalators, but the two look so similar.

[@anthonyxavier6300]

I kind of wish that they can use that elevator at someplace else. But I guess it belongs there 🥲.

[@lostcivility9849]

Get NHL 23. Goat.

[@gregd4633]

Hey where did you get that emoji from? I have a iPhone 14 Pro Max but I haven’t seen that emoji before

[@BDBD16]

@@gregd4633 Its a youtube emoji in the web chat on youtube.