Dead Mall - Union Station, DC | the full history - 1907 to its demise in 2021 | ExLog 86

⚓Catch up on the full Expedition Log Series!⚓
⭐Support the Expedition Log on Patreon, if you like!⭐
/ salvatoreamadeo
⭐Join my channel as a member, and become an Elite Explorer!⭐ / @sal
Second Channel! - / quitestudios
💬 Chat with me live on the DMOD Discord Server here ( click the link below)💬
/ discord
📱 Check out my Social Media!📱
My Website: www.salvatoreamadeo.com
Facebook Page! - / quitestudios
ExLog Series Playlist - • Expedition Log Series ...
Twitter - / salvatoreamadeo
Instagram - / salvatoreamadeo
Thank you all so much for watching my video tour through Union Station! Having the opportunity to tell the history of this incredible place, along with showing the vintage footage along side my own 2021 footage is a treat, and I'm grateful for your investment watching this. Please stick around for the upcoming films in the ExLog, and make sure to catch up on my older stuff so you get all the inside jokes, buddy. Thanks for watching!
#exlog #dmodfam #salguido

[@sal]

Thanks for watching, buddy! It's my pleasure to bring this pleasurable content to you all, and I can't wait to show you what's next. If you see the "Mall PA Lady" on the street, shove her in your car and get her over to the Mazza Gallerie in Chevy Chase, MD so she can get to work recording my next announcement for ExLog 87...Love you all. Please subscribe and ring the bell, and join me on my various social media platforms: kzbin.info twitter.com/salvatoreamdeo instagram.com/salvatoreamadeo patreon.com/salvatoreamadeo discord.gg/g4tKbpu

[@natejennings5884]

At 38:20 no, Jan 6th wasn't an "Insurrection", CNN commie. Jan 6th had 4 deaths. The BLM riots of 2020 had 40 deaths. 911 had almost 3k deaths. Jan 6th was "deadly"?

[@Satoshi9801]

Ah, Mazza Gallerie! I went there every now and then when I lived in Chevy Chase during my parents' sabbatical.

[@allysonalt5291]

When did you film this? Pretty sure that H&M is closed now, too.

[@allysonalt5291]

Also why am I a walking encyclopedia of like, retail stores in DC?

[@garesonc9672]

@@natejennings5884 Well said...was a fan of this channel until "Sal" revealed his partisan bias. Literally no mention of widespread BLM riots that went on for days but "Jan 6...wow it did in Union Station". Hilarious.

[@meloapa]

This building isn't dead, it's dormant. It's got at least another century iin it. It's too good, too smart, too well positioned to go away forever. It will be back.

[@sal]

I seriously hope so…but I’ll stick to what I said in the ending, and they might take this opportunity to redevelop the property and construct “Burnham Place”

[@Rickdotfeltdotcom]

@@sal Burnham Place would be over and around the yard between the existing platforms and the maintenance facilities. No reason that the retail and dining can't make a comeback.

[@sal]

Absolutely correct. I have the utmost faith in this whole area rebounding.

[@tomg1776]

Nothing will change until the leading political party stands down the fences lock down . . . time has shown its been an over reaction to nonexistant threat . . And Union Station suffers closed businesses and lost jobs

[@Rickdotfeltdotcom]

@@tomg1776 I will say I was a bit puzzled by the comments about DC being changed and under some kind of fear cloud, I work in Chinatown and the reaction to the June riots was worse than the insurrection. Not dismissing the severity of either, but there is no dark cloud over the district and certainly nothing that would retard the comeback of union station. Last time I was there I noticed the "validation rate" was up to $5.95 for 2 hours, it used to be $2. Lowering the short term expense of going there would be an easy way to get non-riders to use the shops and eateries there.

[@KeithRCrook]

We visited Union Station last week. While not back to what I was used to seeing before the pandemic, the stores are coming back and the food areas are getting busier. The station was fairly busy as a whole, again, not 2019 levels, but the station is coming back.

[@bwcbiz]

Thanks for the update. Considering that all the fall-off came from the pandemic and the resulting work-from-home movement, I was wondering how much would come back as travelers returned.

[@nikjoyner]

I travel thru Union Station quite often. I was wondering what time the video was made. That could be important because DC is not NYC. It slows to a stop. I believe the railways(Amtrak) operate 24hrs but that's it. Neither the commuter trains nor the subway run very early or very late.

[@johnfoltz8183]

Some say Union Station has been a hangout for the homeless

[@justinsayin3979]

@@bwcbiz Rail travel still hasn't recovered anywhere close to pre-coronapanic levels and new pro-crime policies are scaring away both retailers and foot traffic. Starbuck's closed only a few moths ago, well after this video was made, because in the company's words, it was a "high incident location".

[@angjbrownwhisper]

I agree it's 2023. I've just been there and all those empty shops are now leased and business thriving. Also there are more ppl going through there spending money than most malls in America special breakfast and lunch crowd. It's not dead just went through a pause due to the pandemic and lock downs.

[@michaelwasiljov8633]

I worked for Amtrak out of the Washington Crew Base between 93-97 and after that, I worked in DC for close to another ten years and Union Station was absolutely wonderful back then. I drive for a limo company now and I recently picked someone up who was coming in and their train was late and I walked around the station for the first time in years and it was really sad.

[@maxB2262]

Did you know or hear of Jay Stearman?

[@michaelwasiljov8633]

@@maxB2262 It doesn't ring a bell, but I've forgotten the names of so many people that I worked with at Amtrak, it's not funny.

[@aidanquartana8989]

I love this building and didn’t realize how far it had fallen in the past year. Thank you so much for sharing this. Really beautiful video.

[@roseprevost8081]

It was heartbreaking to see what this beautiful building has become. I REALLY hope they can redevelop/save it.

[@michaelimbesi2314]

The building will be fine, because it’s a train station, not a mall. It’s not going anywhere, because train travel isn’t going anywhere. The dead mall might have to be ripped out, but the building will continue to serve as a train station pretty much no matter what.

[@IMakePeopleSaltyApparently]

Its always looked this way to me so I dont see anything wrong with it. Especially considering its only half closed due to covid.

[@dtj9923]

This is crazy to watch. I grew up in DC and actually experienced the Union Station revival. I can vividly remember when that space was at 100% occupancy and absolutely filled wall to wall with people. There are/were a lot of beautiful retail renovation projects in that area that just didn't demonstrate long term viability. Georgetown Park and The Post Office Pavillion immediately come to mind. I haven't seen Georgetown park first hand in a while but it was is serious decline the last time I was through there. The entire Baltimore Washington area is now dotted with failed ghost malls.

[@johnfoltz8183]

And Lakeforest Mall in Gaithersburg is all but dead

[@nairbvel]

@@johnfoltz8183 It was just announced that it officially IS dead -- it will be shut down for the last time on March 31st 2023, to be torn down and replaced by the usual undefined "mixed use development."

[@skyninja301]

I worked next door to Union Station for 2 decades, and I left in 2018. Then, the place was bustling and full of tourists, events, and retail establishments. I know every spot you caught on video. I saw movies when the theatre was there, and the food court had great offerings, but post 9/11 up to around 2010-ish, rents went up and few businesses could afford to be there except the big chains. And FYI, I watched some filming of "Hannibal" being done at Union Station, and then watched that movie in Union Station's theater, which was a surreal! Thanks for doing the walkthrough and excellent historical perspective. I really hope it comes back asap!

[@christopher88719]

I really cannot understand how Sal doesn't have a million subscribers. His Expedition Logs are the best-produced, edited, and filmed documentaries on malls I have seen.

[@sal]

But the subscribers I *do* have are all a bunch of quality individuals with tons of class. Thanks for the kind words, Christopher.

[@randomcommenterfromdownund8949]

That's exactly how I felt after seeing a couple of his videos some time back. I became a Patreon because he should have more of those than he does, too. Unfortunately, the pandemic eventually hit me economically and I've had to step back from Patreon'ing for a while, but I'll resume once Ive got a gig again.

[@sal]

I appreciate your support Patreon or not! Thanks :)

[@charlestonpinballarcade]

I’m surprised also, but the dead mall topic is very specific and the amount of videos in the genre on KZbin are now beyond saturated. Sal provides a superior level of professionalism, research and production. Even Dan’s videos have lost subscriber steam, even with the new remasters. The subs that are there are very hardcore focused on the topic, but the base is not growing like it did a few years ago.

[@tonypauzz]

He will eventually. I didn't know about this channel til someone told me about it. I'm about to tell others about his channel.

[@thomascropper2865]

I was there just a month ago and its seemingly roared back to life , not nearly as much as there was prior to CoVid but it’s certainly not as dead as depicted in this video

[@finnchellovefromwattpad4729]

I was in Union Station three hours ago and it’s so depressing. Most of the restaurants in the food court were close by 8:30 and I didn’t even look at the shops. I remember going there years ago and you couldn’t find a place to sit. Coming from a small town, it was exciting to see so much happening at a train station. I really hope life can return.

[@davidfegan9804]

I'm watching this from inside union station, I live about 3 blocks away and am taking a walk. Theres currently a homeless camp on the lawn out front. Just inside the front main entrance there is a homeless guy screaming throwing signs and trash cans around. November 30, 2021.

[@map3384]

Let’s face the facts. DC is a lawless district with a mayor who’s eyes are blind to the crime brought on by her community. No one wants to visit DC anymore than they want to go to NYC near me.

[@kulwicky]

Great video. The only issue is that George Washington only had two terms, not three.

[@audacityofagay]

This is really shocking to me. I was there just days before lockdown on March 8th, 2020 having arrived on a train from Newark, NJ and Union Station was absolutely packed, even with the nascent virus knocking at the door. All the storefronts in the concourse, all the food stalls, even the small shops between the main hall and mall area were packed. The absolute plummet of the retail here is really sad to me, it is a gorgeous building and deserves better

[@animeshock2006]

Well makes sense since its dependent on travel and business in dc. Since travel by business was limited and remote working increased

[@paulw.woodring7304]

I go back further than most who've commented. I was first in Union Station in 1977, when "The Pit" was there and still working. Yes, it was dreadful. Metro was new, and only ran on the Red Line from DuPont Circle to Rhode Island Av. Then I moved to DC in the mid-'80s and soon thereafter went to work for Amtrak in on-board service out of Union Station for 14 years. I was at the grand reopening in '88. It was a wonderful day. The station work went on for more than a year after that, creating high-level platforms on the upper level. It was not air conditioned during the heatwave of Summer 1988. Just brutal. In '97 I helped the Amtrak Historical Society host a convention at Union Station, and gave a tour of it as part of that event. I left Amtrak for CSX as a conductor and engineer in '99, and then left the industry in '08 and returned to Ohio. I was at the 100th anniversary event in '08 which was another great day, I saw a lot of people I knew. The last time I was there was in June of 2016 for the Farewell to the AEM-7 electric locomotives fan trip to Philly and back. I really didn't see much other than the parking deck and waiting area that day, very hectic. It's sad to see the food court as vacant as it is. I really liked eating breakfast at Johnny Rockets occasionally after having been up all-night working trains back to DC from Boston, and there was an Indian place there that had great falafel. I had a chance to tour the Amtrak corporate offices upstairs when they first opened in the late 1980s. It was considered a major advance, getting all of Amtrak in DC in one place. They had been at 400 N. Capitol St., next to where C-SPAN has their HQ. This video was taken during the worst of the pandemic, hopefully it will come back.

[@nancyjones6780]

This is so sad. I was in school in D.C in the 80s and worked for the architect in charge of the Renovation. It was an exciting time. This is terribly sad.

[@RazielXSR]

George Washington served 2 terms as President. He was actually the precedent setter, and the emphasis behind the decision to constitutionally limit a President to 2 elected terms in office after FDR broke the precedent and was elected to 4.

[@bevolson7619]

Two terms

[@RazielXSR]

@@bevolson7619 24:00

[@kimb.9205]

Sal, this might be your best work yet. That Jhoon Rhee "Nobody Bothers Me" commercial really took me back. Sadly, I remember the local D.C. news reporting when Jhoon Rhee got assaulted by a D.C. 'crew.'

[@rickrandall3174]

I visited Union Station a couple of times in 2022 and once so far in 2023. It isn't dead. About half of the businesses in the food court were open on the days I was there. Chik-Fil-A has a booming presence in the food court, with about 30 to 40 people standing in line at a time in the afternoons.

[@IMakePeopleSaltyApparently]

Yeah people have to remember this video took place DURING covid. So of course its empty.

[@bjonsax]

DC Native here and work on the Hill. We used to see movies there in my teens. Union Station is alive. I go there a couple of times a week. I’ve even performed a jazz concert in one of the halls. Union is here to stay.

[@annmariemarino4867]

WOW! I was there in the early 90’s. It was bustling. It is unrecognizable in this video.😥 Thank you for this video.

[@Portugal2025]

I remember the renaissance of Union Station with the multiplex, restaurants, and bars/cafes. We used to go there almost every weekend in the early 90s. It was truly an entertainment destination

[@SinCityMel]

I grew up in DC (graduated high school in 1996) and as a kid, I loved and hated going there. I loved union station because there was so much good shopping and interesting things to see. I hated it because the crowds were insane and if we drove, it was a painfully long walk back to dad’s car. As a teenager, and young adult, we used to have food before we went to 9: 30-club or whatever else we were up too. Plenty of good memories. I just giggled thinking of the time my mom “left” my middle school self and friends because we were late to our meeting spot. She’s been gone 20 years, but I know she would be heart broken to see one of her favorite malls so empty today

[@infiad1275]

9:30 Club! Yea. Some place called the 5th Column, too. Fun times.

[@kanon1964]

Good, informative video. I used to work on the Hill in the 90s and commuted from Baltimore to DC daily. I spent many a day in Union Station for a happy hour, dinner, shopping or a movie. I recently parked at Union Station and was struck by how dead and empty it was. I was already saddened by the fencing and barbed wire around the Capitol. That whole area has changed so much, bit by bit, since 9/11.

[@mekanix1968]

Back in the 90's, union Station used to be the place to go for shopping, food, movies, clubbing, pick up spot for women. Damn that covid 19...

[@wamom1212]

That Jhoon Rhee commercial sent me back to my childhood growing up in Silver Spring. I remembered every single word. Thanks for that trip down memory lane.

[@adventureswithjose9739]

I remember first going there in '93 and being in awe of the place. All the upscale stores and restaurants. It was reminiscent of Houston's own Galleria. Last time i was there was August 2011 and I remembered seeing the renovations from my last visit in '9 5. It's hard to see it like that. Union Station was one of my favorite places to visit in DC.

[@KOMET2006]

UNION STATION is very much alive. I bought lunch from there earlier today (January 23, 2023). I speak as someone who has patronized Union Station since the early 1990s. Frankly, I think it'll likely take another 3 to 5 years before Union Station is fully occupied and bubbling with life again.

[@christinalillbellspark8284]

Oh my so much has changed here I remember in the basement back last decade there was different food choices and the upstairs just shocked me to

[@keiththorpe9571]

I was last at Union Station in 2019, and that joint was hopping. I can't believe it's gone downhill so fast. I guess Covid-19 just did a number on us all.

[@NathanDavisVideos]

That and also that deadly Trump backed insurrection on the capitol on January 6...

[@missslick207]

@@NathanDavisVideos what insurrection lol. The world knows. But a few Americans still clinging to this. Maybe it was the Russians. 🤣😌

[@jeffumbach]

MSM and leftards still trying to make "insurrection" a thing. That protest was so peaceful it didn't even have any fires and the only people killed were killed by cops.

[@sebastianfeliciano1596]

@@NathanDavisVideos Before the insurrection it was doing pretty bad, I don't think no one cared about that ... I was in Southeast DC that day and it all looked like a regular ass day.

[@B-and-O-Operator-Fairmont]

@@NathanDavisVideos That was a one-day event. Union Station's mall has more long-term problems. It doesn't help that a lot of tourists avoid DC because of crime fears (real and perceived) and the economy.

[@LilyBrownlivingforEGG]

I remember I developed my first real crush in this mall during a school trip to DC. it did not work out but he was my first ever boyfriend, lol

[@cbloom82]

I live in the DC area and want to thank you for covering this space, as well as Crystal City. They are fading places that mean a lot to folks like me and you documented them in ways that are a credit to what they once were. Also, I'm stealing "voluntold" from you. That explains more than half of what goes on in this strange place to live.

[@oliviapullen3651]

I remember eating in the food court and just running around this place while on our school trip to DC. I can’t remember what year but between 2014-2016. This place was and still is so beautiful

[@larrypicard8802]

I worked at Amtrak from 1986 thru 2017 so I've experienced this magnificent building during that time. While it's not looking too good right now I believe it will rebound. The movie theater was not where Walgreen's is located but at the other end.

[@dmsdms215]

I live in DC. I was at Union Station several months ago. The place was busy. I got some pizza and bought some clothes at Uniqlo.

[@the-bon]

I was in DC in Feb 2020 before everything took a turn and went to this mall several times during my stay. It's crazy viewing this video and seeing how quickly everything in Union Station has deteriorated. When I was there, the food court was packed with seating and people. That Best Buy vending machine at 28min was fully stocked with travel gadgets and electronics. Everywhere was busy, including the bars and restaurants operating on the now mostly abandoned mezzanine level. Popup tourist concessionary shops were dotted throughout. There were no signs of this being an underutilized station or a future dead mall. It's depressing.

[@WilliamCrew]

Yeah I remember the Best Buy vending machine as well. It was the first and only time I ever saw one

[@stephensardos6418]

I'm kind of surprised that you didn't mention the famous January 15th, 1953 Pennsylvania Railroad train wreck that destroyed a small portion of the station...

[@leomartin8497]

In 2022 I passed through Union Station en route to trains and some locations including the CAVA have reopened. Union Station is still a transit hub located close to busy areas including the Capitol and Office Buildings. It might not reach its old status but it will probable return in some ways.

[@richcampbell7635]

My last visit here was December of 2018 with my kids. It was wall to wall people. We rode the MARC train down from Baltimore and I took the kids to the Smithsonian. This is a STARK contrast to that day. This building is a rich piece of American history. It sits now, in quiet repose. It will fill up again.

[@MinistryofOtaku]

It will fill up, with chain stores. Small businesses will never come back. No one wants to start a business in a area where it will be ordered to close again without compensation

[@savagesn]

Growing up in Northern VA, I remember the last renovation fondly. The concourse was beautiful, the shops were plentiful, and there were countless options in the food court. It was a fun place to wait to catch a train to NYC.

[@DanielleGillmoreJohnson]

I was born and raised in D.C. I remember when the Metrorail system opened in 1976 with the Red line. I lived near that line, which took me directly to the then-titled "Union Station-Visitor's Center" subway stop. I also remember when Union Station was renovated and how it was always bustling, swarming with people! I worked downtown for years and occasionally took Metro to Union Station to dine and shop. At lunch time, you needed to get there before 12pm if you wanted to get a table in the Food Court. You could wait until 1:30-ish, but some of the places closed after lunch; so, you had to move quickly. There was so much to do and see. I haven't been in a few years, but even then, there were still people everywhere. Wow! It saddens me to see it look like a ghost town. I hope that there will be a turnaround and another redevelopment. 😔

[@AUTISTICLYCAN]

I had a college internship at the Department of Labor Bureau Of Labor Statistics Building right across 6th Avenue from Union Station. I used to go through Union Station everyday to get to my job. I used to eat lunch at Union Station in 2000 and it was a bee hive of activities. I remember the posh stores and just wall to wall peopleduring the day. Union Station was always clean and nice. The food was not great but was not bad either. Lunch was not super expensive but I was making ok money back then. Parts of the Station were being fixed up I remember. I think it was the ceiling repairs. I loved Union Station. I've seen Union Station recently. It's ALL dead now.

[@trainsupporter9088]

I am so heartbroken after seeing this video. I was there when Union Station reopened it's doors in 1988 and for a few years afterwards, I spent many, many happy hours there...watching people, looking around the shops, watching trains. I miss the "Great American Train Store" that was there. The whole complex seemed to have it all in those years...I hope it can come back.

[@michaelcjgreenway4788]

Great job covering all of these changes! I lived in DC from 86-89 and again from 97-2001. I visited union station during the former and still have old pictures showing some of the food court, a model train layout, etc.

[@gregoryferraro7379]

I checked this place out on Google Maps - what an amazing location! Does make me wonder how anyone thought showing a slide show of all the amazing monuments literally across the street would attract anyone's attention. "Hey? Wanna sit here for 20 minutes and watch a slide show of these buildings we came here to see, or spend those same 20 minutes walking through the National Mall and actually seeing those same buildings?"

[@vinesauceobscurities]

I'm fascinated by the number of ways you describe 2020 in these videos.

[@sal]

It was a complex year to say the least…

[@billthomas4312]

I took the train in and out of DC in the 1990's for a job downtown. Union Station was amazing during that time --- lots of shops and great restaurants and food in the lower level. Like you said, it was always crowded and busy. Only now do I understand and appreciate what a great time that was.

[@vitamindrop1]

This is so well done! As a DC native Union Station was my stomping ground. I have so many great memories of this place. I truly still miss that movie theatre, I was so sad when they got rid of it! it's surreal how different it looks now. I remember it being jammed packed with people prior to 2020. I hope they can bounce back to how they were before

[@mcitaly07]

Definitely a well researched and presented masterpiece. One of my favorites for certain.

[@cheyenner.horner4443]

I’ve been in there before. My Junior High trip to Washington DC, in the late 2000s.. The Mall area back then was super busy, and full of stores… It’s really sad to see it like this now

[@whodat6195]

Wow, what memories. I was born in 1949 and lived in DC. On the hot summer nights, my grandmother would take me and my brother down to the water falls surrounding the outside of union station and we would enjoy the coolness of the splashes of the fountain, if security wasn’t around we would splash our hand in the fountains. Since we are blacks before the integration when ever we would catch a train to NC we had to carry our bagged lunches since we could not eat at any of the eateries available to the white Americans. Even as we took school trips to New York and Pennsylvania we had to bag our lunches. I loved the big wooden benches, they made you feel so small and we would play hide and seek in the station while waiting for our trains departure. Its amazing how that although there were issues with segregation/intersection my family lived so we were sheltered and never knew the tremendous dangerous times we were living in. I never understood what was going on until I was around 17 yrs old and that was when I realized how I was not as privileged as I had grown up believing I was. Any way, a 73 year old black woman is truly thanking you for the memories. They are good memories.

[@theOlLineRebel]

Great to see Jhoon Rhee, the master, again!

[@qadiva56]

Excellent video as always Sal! I went to college in DC in the early to mid 90s and was at Union Station all the time. It is absolutely shocking to see it look like this. I hope they can bring it back to what it was.

[@kenb3552]

I was in DC in the early 1990's and loved this place. It was so nice. I can't believe it has fallen on such hard times. What a shame.

[@QuietJ0Y]

I have always wanted to attend a concert at The Kennedy Center. Thanks for what you do and for bringing fantastic music in your content and soon to a live audience!

[@johntrent1712]

I had forgot about Master Ree, used to see that right before Creature Feature on channel 20!!!

[@ChrisBrown-od3eb]

last time i was there the food court was packed and all the stores were open, but this was back in the 80/90s

[@judithmohr5265]

Damn. I was there last in 2016 and it was great. Had lunch at that Uno's, and it was fun to shop. 2020 ruined everything.

[@JJ-wk5wy]

2020 was the worst! FU Covid 19

[@bevolson7619]

Wow this was pretty darn nice in the 80’s.... 2021, hardly anyone there...of course there is covid... WHAT A BEAUTIFUL BUILDING... THIS NEEDS TO BE PRESERVED... HISTORICAL. There are too many malls looking like this, but this is historical, 🙁

[@PGHammer21A]

This is my home train station; why the mall is dead (as with malls all over) is due to the combination of COVID-19 and "cheapskate thinking" inspired by that same virus. I caught AMTRAK here, MARC, and WMATA subway trains (all three stop here), and also came here to shop. You could eat here, however, you wanted - from fast to gourmet.

[@dmsdms215]

Yeah, this place isn’t dead. There are quite a few stores and restaurants open.

[@tumadre50]

I lived in the DC area from '87 - '01 and loved going to Union Station. I lost count of how many movies I saw there and how many meals I ate in the food court or in one of the nicer restaurants. I even attended an inaguaral ball for Clinton in '97 at Union Station. I have a lot of memories there. It is sad to see it like this.

[@DMS20231]

Man that Jhoon Rhee commercial is so cool to see. I grew up in DC in the 70s/80s and remember that! Sad to see Union Station has gone to crap. Was such a cool place. Used to leave from there on Amtrak to see my grandma in Connecticut way back then. Most recently went about 18 years ago to take my now-wife to Montreal on the train.

[@DGShackleford]

Aw man, this is so sad. I spent a good chunk of years during and after college in DC, and always made a point to arrive to the station early to just walk around and take it all in. Really enjoyed eating at the Asian restaurant on the 2nd floor shopping wing and having a meal under the grand ceiling. The last time I took the train into Union Station was around 2017, and things seemed to still be booming. Thanks for the memories, Sal.

[@johnbarker5686]

I spent a good chunk of 2019 going in and out of this station working for Amtrak in DC. Great vid- thanks.

[@bryanb2014]

I'm watching this seeing places I used to walk myself over 5 years ago. Compared to then and now, back then it was more active, stores were not empty it almost looks like a ghost town.

[@davidblee819]

I was last at Union Station in 2019, after a Capitals hockey game. I don't know why we decided to eat Chipotle of all places but it's what it was. I think we were trying to eat at Shake Shack but ended up in the food court. Strange to see all of the tables down in that food court gone and not packed as usual and just the state of things in and around Union Station because of COVID19. When I used to intern for a Washington Times owned magazine, their shuttles would pick us up in front of Union Station and I usually grabbed a Starbucks or a Le Pain Quotidien beforehand after jumping off the Metro. It's crazy how DC looked the day after the inauguration. I hope to be able to get back down to DC like old times again.

[@njunderground82]

Only been there once in the early 2000s. It was such a cool place! It was so crowded too. Much like the old WTC mall. Can't believe how far its fallen. What a shame.

[@brucesumter4327]

ty sal i was nevery been to DC before i am so glade you show this on this video on youtube

[@NinjaBooKitty]

I was in DC from 1981998, and we used to go to Union Station just to hang out and eat because it was such a gorgeous space. This is really sad to see. 💔

[@stetson999]

I live in D.C. and will take a train out of here next week. I’m definitely showing up an hour early to walk around based on this video.

[@bryfii]

Wow! I remember before the pandemic it seemed like it was on it's way up! We got a new Chick Fil A, Wendy's and Walgreens.

[@roki5337]

This was well done, thank you. I am a DMV resident and work in DC; I have not heard of some of the information you gave in the video. I appreciate your research and classy way you film.

[@paulhunter6742]

There's a Union Station Terminal in St.Louis, Missouri. In 1988-97 it was a shopping & restaurants center with Union Station Hotel. In early 2012 the place rehabbed into Aquarium and Entertainment Center with giant Ferris Wheel behind Trainshed.. Millions have been spent keep this landmark open.

[@djm5k]

When I worked for the US Navy, I got to go back to DC yearly in the early 2000’s, and remember going to the mall to eat in the food park. Back then (last time I was there was probably 2008), the mall was somewhat busy. It’s so sad to hear it is turning into a dead mall. There is no reason the mall part of building can’t be reimagined into other uses, say mostly dining, entertainment, maybe some office spaces. I’m sure this building is too important to let just die. A refresh should help bring back business as people are always looking for something new to explore and use.

[@mattjk0919]

Thank you. What a great video and how a sad to see Union Station on a down turn. I moved to the DC area back in 1995 and one of the first buildings I saw in downtown was that station. Wow was the first thing I said waking into the main hall. Busy and crowded. Times have definitey changed.

[@craigbytwerk4210]

Found this video fascinating. From 1985 to the summer of 1988 I worked on Capitol Hill. I used the Union Station Metro stop nearly everyday. The station itself was under construction the entire time. I wasn't from the area and moved back to my hometown. I never saw the inside of the station.

[@issacbrown7485]

This is great to watch right now, I love seeing stuff about DC.

[@naturalbluti6823]

Union Station has been like this for years! I moved to DC in 2010 and the only time I've seen Union Station pop is during lunch time. 🤷🏾‍♀️

[@mouchiecat1]

So stunning to see it look this empty. I had no idea. Hopefully by now more business have returned.

[@gale212]

Wow. I've not been there since 2019. I hope it comes back! It's so beautiful inside.

[@keeweefroot2692]

Uploaded on my birthday hah. I've lived in DC my whole life (a little over 25 years) and never knew Union Station had such rich history. Great vid

[@LavaLahaie]

4:36 “Taekwondo!Those who use it, take command! Those who don’t, DIE!!” I’m sold 😮 👍

[@Tuhueleamierda1991]

not the one person disliking the video even thought it hasnt been premiered yet

[@ArthurAllen2]

I visited DC in 2006 and I remember the theater closer to the Metro entrance. I checked my pictures, and the entrance was next to Johnny Rockets. I could actually line my photo up to yours and see that the theater entrance was right at Wendy's and the white walled off area with a door. Wallgreen's is taking up the space, but used a different place for their entrance.

[@tumadre50]

Thank you. I had the exact same thought. I saw countless movies in that theater so I knew the original entrance wasn't where the Walgreens is now. Honestly I am shocked to see a Walgreens. When I moved from DC there was only CVS on every block in the city it seemed.

[@ArthurAllen2]

@@tumadre50 The weird thing is, the retro styled entrance to this theater was featured in a book I bought about movie theaters back in 1998. I forgot about it and where it was located when I took a vacation in DC in 2006, and there it was in front of me by surprise.

[@gjtube37]

Another excellent video! Your work just gets better and better! Thanks so much!

[@crustyrash]

This video turned up as I was surfing KZbin, I love it!!! I live in DC and it's such a shame that Union Station has fallen once again. I moved to DC in 1988, just as it was coming back to life. It's a hideous shame that it's once again rather empty. I think the federal government needs to take a hard look at its workforce post-CoVid and figure out the likelihood of folks going back to work downtown (the foot traffic from commuting helped made Union Station a hoppin' place) and how to re-imagine the Station. I think waiting for things to go back to pre-CoVid is a lost cause--we like working remote. I am required to go in once a week and the place is a ghost town (I work in a building just behind the Mellon Auditorium, the old 15 foot ceilings, long corridors, etc.).

[@albertchenaultjr2044]

Dude! You just made my UBER driving job a lot more pleasant and you've provided really cool info, that some of my passengers will enjoy and find useful as they visit the Nation's Capital. You Rock! Thanks...

[@zollar98]

This is shocking, I went through there about 6-7 years ago for the first time and it was very busy. I was impressed. Such a shame to see it half empty.

[@Lexi-eu9vq]

As a broker and DC local, I deal with commercial insurance daily. Covid was the catalyst. What happened with the late Spring/early Summer 2020 looting will effect the District for a long time. It persisted, day after day in front of officers who weren't allowed to properly protect and defend retail establishments. Insurance companies see the mayor's response as a risk. (From a retail/risk standpoint, the Capital incident didn't effect rent/occupancy/insurance rates.) No one wants to, or can afford to, pay what commercial rates have risen to now. I've seen some of my clients relocate to Texas, Florida, Missouri, even the Dakotas to escape the expense and risk of doing business here. What that means for the future of DC retail, including Union Station, is whole lot of uncertainty

[@Greco4915]

With the amount of foot traffic that goes through Union Station in DC. It's bound to return back better than before. Amtrak and Metro both use it as a stop and a lot of people still go to shop there.

[@tumadre50]

This is what blows my mind. I figured with Amtrak, Marc and the Metro all having stops their this would be one of the few "malls" that would do well in the age of internet shopping.

[@justinsayin3979]

@@tumadre50 All forms of rail travel are still way down and the DC authorities have enacted new pro-crime policies which will discourage retailers and (non-criminal) foot traffic from returning. The Starbuck's open in the video was closed in mid-2022 because it was a "high incident location" in the words of the company.

[@robertsilva8097]

Thank you for the Great video

[@DCrjrjr1]

Crixus here , I worked there in 89, 90 & 91 , after the reno, The place was the it spot on the Hill

[@Satoshi9801]

I visited back in 2013, when my parents were on sabbatical in the DC area. Was a very hopping place back then, and even if there's not much going on now, the brilliant architecture remains. For Spring Break, we wanted to take the train from Union Station to Penn Station, but the prices were outrageous.

[@eyestoenvy]

Frequent visitor to DC here and always arrived and departed from Union Station. The place was always alive and thriving prior to COVID, and accessible 24/7. McDonald's and Au Bon Pain (if Im spelling that correctly) welcomed you at off hours for a bite and a place to sit prior to your early departure. Now only McD's is left. And good luck being allowed in much earlier than your scheduled morning departure, not allowed anymore. But this video fails to mention one major contributor to Union Station's success and patronage to its businesses prior to COVID .... the buses! Yes, Union Station is NOT just home to Amtrak but to Greyhound, Megabus, Peter Pan, Bolt, Academy, Martz, and many more bus lines serving the east coast bringing passengers too & from DC and Union Station's shops eateries. Most of my trips prior to COVID were on Megabus or Greyhound to Union Station as opposed to Amtrak due to the time saved traveling (yup, the bus wins from NYC) and costs for last minute trips. Plus the flexibility of the bus scheduled with late night nearly hourly departures, cannot be beat. I do hope they manage to turn it around, but its the same case in most downtowns across America (NYC included) with small business getting the shaft in the name of slowing the spread. Whatever happened there. Thanks for the clip.

[@DC4Life77]

I remember going to see Home Alone with my brother at Union Station.

[@morriskevinm]

Please keep in mind that this video was filmed in Jan. 2021… 10 months into a global pandemic that disrupted everything. At the time of filming, the COVID vaccines had only been out one week. It should be no less shocking than if filmed an office building at the same time. Union Station is still a glorious building and will be just fine.

[@sal]

Someone just commented that it was super depressing a few days ago…I do hope it bounces back.

[@firesurfer]

@@sal This needs an update in the summer or fall when people will be around. In NY it's like nothing much happened. People everywhere. During the holidays it was crowded in lots of places or even more. I saw crowds deep into the evening when usually before covid it was thin.

[@sal]

I’ll be revisiting after the proposed renovations. I’ve heard it’s really bad now…

[@funghazi]

Ha, I've been going to Union Station for decades and I've never once seen that water fountain operational. @36:00

[@joelwright4317]

I can’t believe how dead this place is. I loved going here in the 90s, it was absolutely bustling with people, shops and restaurants.

[@jasoncarskadon6809]

Thanks sal I really enjoyed this. The history and architecture is truly amazing and interesting.

[@hollyarmstrong2293]

This was so good I watched it 3 times. It reminded me of being a kid and watching movies on repeat. I never do that anymore. Thanks for another great ex log!

[@marcuscooper4601]

I'm sad to see Union Station like this. In the late 90's I use to come here all the time with friends and family. We would go to the movies, eat at Uno's and shop. Coming here after school it would be a mad house of teens hanging out and eating in the food court. It's wild seeing it as a ghost town.

[@bjv93]

It'll bounce back, this place was doing very well just a short while ago. I think once the virus settles down, new shops and restaurants will move in when they feel confident people feel safe enough to visit indoor places at full capacity.

[@MinistryofOtaku]

No one wants to open a new business in a area where it can be ordered to close by executive order with no compensation.