Dead Mall: Pt. 2 Oak Mill Plaza - Niles, Il

[@saturdaisy8576]

I used to shop here in the early 90’s, I came here just to go to European Imports. They had an incredible selection of collectibles, Precious Moments, Hummel figurines, etc. That store was super busy, the rest of the mall was fairly quiet

[@258windows]

Originally on this South-West corner, was a Sinclair gasoline station, built in the fifties. Across Milwaukee Ave was the second (Corporation owned) McDonalds Dive In. A Henry's Dive In was on the North side of Oakton St. Next to Henry's was Riggio's Italian Restaurant. I worked there as a bus boy in the early sixties, while going to Maine East H S.

[@Hans_Gerber]

I grew up near this mall in the 80s. My grandparents lived walking distance from here. It has always been basically a very quiet mall. There used to be a hobby shop on the second floor in the 80s which was cool. There was a bakery in there, but this mall has almost always been kind of dead. It hasnt changed much in over 30 years, which is cool. Thanks for making a video about it 🙂

[@sz5876]

Summer Garlic, we used to buy model rocket engines and wick from there and then make our own fireworks lol. There was a magic shop on the first floor and then that German food shop with real German Gummy Bears. I'm amazed that this hasn't been knocked down for a car dealer or apartments/senior living. This was a 10 minute bike ride from the country club area in PR, I remember along Oakton there wasn't even a sidewalk in the 80s, we had to ride on a trail in the grass or go down side streets.

[@GetFitEatRight]

The hobby shop survived into the 90s and then closed down. I used to bike here from my parents for their $0.25 vintage baseball cards.

[@robstravelsadventures]

When it opened it had a great Ice Cream place called Maloney’s. Plus they had a Flipside records, Oak mill Bakery, candlelight Jewelry and Radio Shack.

[@marklck]

I was born in 1961, i used to live in Niles when i was a kid, i moved to Niles in 1974 at 12yr i seen this mall get built passing it riding the school bus past it daily, ground breaking to this mall started in spring 1975 NOT 85, it opened up under a different name in late 1975 it was called "candlelight courte", the name changed in 1977 to "oak mill mall" there was a radio shack etc. i used to hang out there heavily when i was age 16,17yr, in 1974 oak mill used to be a open field with a steinburg bawn store located on the northwest wing of the mall.

[@spongemonkeysooz]

Yep, Steinberg Baum dept store... I remember it well

[@paulj6756]

I remember when this place was called "Candlelight Court". I always wondered why this mall was built. It never seemed to be successful. And I remember the hobby shop.

[@PatrickElliottChi]

Wow can’t believe this place is still open. My parents met each other while they worked at the Jerry’s grocery store across the street on Milwaukee.

[@UrbexAPeakInside]

That's interesting. Thanks for sharing.

[@missybaker1608]

I've seen Golf Mills loved that Mall but Oak Hills Mall is quite elegant! Beautiful mall froze in time in 1985. Love the outside of the mall especially! The Golden Shoe looks nice. Glad there is a small food area!!!!

[@earthling1984]

Lived near here growing up. This mall was always dead. Had more stores in the 90's, but basically nobody went here. You'd see a couple people looking around, and that's pretty much it.

[@sprkl5d]

Great video! Absolutely love this Mall! What a beautiful place. I love the fountains and all the plants. And especially the 70's aesthetic. I hope this Mall does well for years to come.

[@UrbexAPeakInside]

Love this too that's why filmed it the 2nd time. Didn't look like it changed much. It stays relatively clean only found one store empty compared to the last time visit.

[@SportsMusicCars]

its still there

[@AroundIndiana]

Such a unique layout. Reminds me of a big 70s hotel lobby

[@UrbexAPeakInside]

It is. Glad you liked it.

[@pilotgrrl1]

Love the water features, you don't see them much anymore.

[@UrbexAPeakInside]

Agreed. Wish the new malls did those. Maybe design a modern twist to the idea.

[@retailadventures6]

Urbex- A Peak Inside Did you go to golf mill, it has gotten way worse.

[@NoBody-zr4ue]

I went to a medical office here after ejaculating blood a few years ago. I also found the old-style décor of the interior to be remarkable.

[@jeee1074]

This property is a pretty awesome place. If I lived nearby, I would chill here often. I wonder how this place looks at night and if it is open after dark.

[@johannvonleers5758]

Greater Chicagoland is full of properties with similar design aesthetics. Deerbrook Mall - what remains of it - is similar. Chicago is a timewarp in many ways; lots of 20th century ephemera that you don't find in other big cities and satellite towns, suburbs.

[@jameswajda6619]

There was a retail/discount store on this property called TOPPS through at least 1975. Then the mall was built. It started as candle light court but that went out of business and remodeled into This Mall

[@marklck]

CORRECT i grew up passing and hanging out in this mall

[@mr.phelixhoneybadger4648]

I grew up in Park Ridge. I also worked at the Jewel connected to this "mall". In the 90's that's what they called it, not a "plaza". This place always seemed to cater to the older generations. It's amazing that this place looks the same as it did when I was kid 20 years ago. Thanks for the videos.

[@sz5876]

In the late 80s it was always Oak Mill Mall and it was dead then as well. Grew up in PR also and this was a ten minute bike ride. Once I could drive, I never went back lol.

[@mr.phelixhoneybadger4648]

@@sz5876 it was the same for me. I used to ride my bike to Golf Mill until I could drive. Started going out to Woodfield and rarely went back to Golf Mill. I went to Oak Mill only a few times and only with my grandma to go to European Imports for the ceramic Christmas houses and accessories.

[@SportsMusicCars]

we live on oakton, literally a 5 min walk or 1 min car ride from oak mill

[@donnadecicco]

Wow I haven’t been here in years

[@SynchroSk8]

I bought a music box for my grandmother here. I love the look of this place so much. I hope it never gets updated, just maintained.

[@UrbexAPeakInside]

I fimed the mall 3 yrs ago, the last video was so cringey. You mentioned in that one you bought a music box for your grandmother. Thought that was so touching.

[@SynchroSk8]

It’s so interesting how we hold such specific memories, especially when it comes to malls.

[@UrbexAPeakInside]

You're absolutely right. Never thought about it that way but it's true. You're right though hope it never gets updated and just continued to stay clean.

[@JJ-wk5wy]

I love the 70's-80's aesthetic of this plaza. I wish malls had kept that, instead of making everything look so boring and modern. I do like how they've kept this place going instead of seeing it become abandoned and vandalized.

[@jodyerdman1498]

@@SynchroSk8 ~~ You are so correct on that! Some of my best times ever were at our Mid Cities Mall, in Wisconsin (then called the Lakeview Center -- now nothing but an old parking lot for seagulls to frequent). Times were so simple then and we did not realize it. To this day, I like to buy things in person and NOT on Amazon or eBay unless I have to. I think Amazon really did a lot of damage to the malls... and I really like to go to a mall or store when I need to get something. Not buy on line!

[@Soan]

I lived near here for 20+ years and I never even knew there was a mall existing inside until last year! I thought the doors went into some offices that were for the stores themselves. The name "plaza" just made me think it was just the stores outside as you can tell the parking lot is full for mostly the Jewel and other stores.

[@storm9685]

My Dr used to be here! The Golden Shoe, Bonjur Madam, Botique Unique are gone now. Also that YMCA is closed now too!

[@SHADOSTRYKR]

Seems tailored for seniors, do your mall walk, get a medical service, and then shop at the shops (that seem to cater to older tastes) also the display case is just the nearby boutique showcasing some of their items. We stage in madison had similar display cases for the few retailers that were left to show featured items or seasonal items.

[@UrbexAPeakInside]

It def does seem that way. If you mean the Westgate mall I did a film there a while back and it does look like a place that had that type of display.

[@SHADOSTRYKR]

Urbex- A Peak Inside yes westgate my phone autocorrect decided westgate doesn’t exist much like Madison’s shopping community! :D

[@cardinal8268]

Woman's Workout World was in there. I'd go there all the time. Boutique Unique and there was a bridal store there too at the time.

[@MidwestMomma17]

There used to be a cafe, a delicatessen and a European gift store. So sad those are now gone. :(

[@djs2356]

yes...that European gift store had some fantastic things in it.

[@sz5876]

Yes, we used to get the authentic German Gummy Bears from that store in the 80s

[@maryczerwinski2437]

The German bakery in here was so good. We used to get cakes from there all the time.

[@jacobarbittier]

So cool-- I love how so much is left, nothing's gutted out

[@UrbexAPeakInside]

No kidding it was so awesome is it in it was one of my favorite malls to film.

[@DJMontanaTana1]

Thank you for this always drove by but I’ve never been inside. I would like to know more about the history of retailers that were in this mall.

[@turtleislandlac1490]

I'm from the area and I think I never heard of this. But it looks very familiar, like I could have went here as a kid and forgot about it.

[@UrbexAPeakInside]

It is Niles best kept secret. Highly reccomended to visit.

[@sz5876]

If you were from the south side of PR you would never know it, like how north side kids like me never had Perry's. Riggio's across the street was the best pizza and worth a trip into Niles.

[@spidey677]

@@sz5876 barnaby's off off Caldwell down the street has bomb pizza

[@motorized2304]

Check out Golf Mill Mall one last time! I heard that they are knocking down the whole mall. I found that out since Shop & Save closed last minute with only a weeks notice and talked with some of their employees.

[@UrbexAPeakInside]

Just filmed there last week. It's night and day difference of what was there when first filmed.

[@MrKrakowian]

I’m not surprised to hear about Golf Mill. That mall has been struggling for at least a decade.

[@motorized2304]

Urbex- A Peak Inside Can’t wait for the video!

[@danh2134]

What a shame , when I visited back in the 90s it was crowded

[@johannvonleers5758]

Golf Mill is particularly odd - I wandered in there in 2011 and played some arcade games, which as of then were still operating. It was essentially deserted even then.

[@GetFitEatRight]

Oak mill will out live us all, the mistake is thinking of it as a mall at all. Its a glorified professional building.

[@everyhandletaken]

Cool place.. would love to see what it was like back in its’ prime, with occupancy & shoppers ⏳ Thanks for sharing with us

[@UrbexAPeakInside]

No prob. It seems worse than in 2017 when I last visited.

[@everyhandletaken]

Urbex- A Peak Inside ..hopefully someone will put money into it and it doesn’t just become abandoned

[@g99se9]

I lived less than a mile away. It was always “dead” 😄

[@sz5876]

I went there many many times as a kid in the 80s in neighboring Park Ridge and it was crickets even then when it was barely ten years old. I don't think it ever was busy, just a constant trickle of people.

[@everyhandletaken]

@@sz5876 well there goes my fantasy then 😂

[@maylano5283]

Thanks for this! Such a really nice place. Hope it does well despite the pandemic thing

[@UrbexAPeakInside]

Me too.

[@jeffjay2323]

This is NOT a dead mall. just a very quiet mall. Most of the tenants are medical professionals. so, people go in the office and then leave when done. not a lot of walking around like a traditional mall.

[@SportsMusicCars]

we live 2 min from here lol can walk there in about 8

[@CosmicFishbowl]

This place was a dead mall in the 80’s.

[@sz5876]

Exactly, we rode our bikes there from PR often and it was a ghost town back in 84-89.

[@larrym7141]

This mall was essentially dead back in the mid-late 1970s.

[@maximusprime3459]

This place was never an anticipated stop while growing up. It always looked dated and dead.

[@marissasmusic1074]

hey i live 2 min from here

[@DjJokerr]

I still don't know why it's called a mall. Place is tiny, and always sucked for past 20+ years..

[@Gameking760]

First