Genesee Country Mall - Batavia, NY | dead mall with black mold and 70's aesthetics | ExLog 96

[@sal]

Subscribe or I'll send Ace after you.

[@poltergiestrowe461]

Cool how's life sal

[@BGNOLA]

Reminds me of the Plaza in East New Orleans; that place would've been a great log if it hadn't been wiped out by Katrina.

[@OffendingTheOffendable]

Ace and his trash flashlights 🤣

[@sal]

Actually it was the janitor working the flashlights. Ace rocks.

[@ArumesYT]

No way. I will never sub your channel again. Unless you give me a good reason to unsubscribe first. Been here since log 12, and don't plan on leaving. :-)

[@latentskies]

Roxy's Music wasn't a record store but an instrument store. They later moved in next to the Burger King but that instrument store recently closed up for good (with an online auction in a few days to sell the backlog of instruments). In the 90's I remember seeing an abandoned Orange Julius restaurant front in the mall (I think it was in front of the flower shop) and there used to be a golf store in the mall too. There used to be chinese restaurant near the move theater.

[@thomasball3658]

What was the record store in this mall?

[@icecreamforcrowhurst]

There’s always a Chinese restaurant in dying malls lol

[@wmarkdyer]

I stopped in Batavia in 1991 to get some lunch and stopped at what I think was this mall because I needed to use the bathroom. It was a dump 31 years ago. The bathroom didn't have doors on the stalls in 1991.

[@RickSerra]

I’m impressed with everything you put into your Ex Logs. Superb editing, great research, and tremendous narration. I’m not worthy.

[@sal]

You’re the man, Uncle Rick. We need to hang again soon.

[@RickSerra]

@@sal I’m all for that. I’m near Tampa now. Any plans to come down? Soon? Be back holiday time.

[@92Pooky]

You're worthy Rick 💕 I love it when you guys hang out with Dan. Those podcasts were good 👍

[@TheCubeTube]

This is the dead mall to end all dead malls! Crazy! Loved your reaction to Ace’s footage! Priceless!😂

[@nicolasdesle7541]

If David Lynch was a mall it would probably be this one. Great interaction with Ace there, I litterally laughed my ass off 😂

[@morriganwitch]

Totally xxx

[@SweetHeart-vc6zy]

I know him and he would NEVER destroyed the amazing old main street. Never.

[@tendraftsdeep]

I love watching these videos after midnight before slumber and dreams. Great video as always Sal!

[@danirusso469]

YES! I live an hour from this tiny little mall, in Buffalo - and my friends first took me here back in 2013 to see just how wild it was.

[@RoseC89]

I live in Buffalo, Ny myself. Nice to see some stuff that's local.

[@nicholasfarrell8403]

I live in buffalo as well

[@gingerkat74]

Pretty much everything in Batavia has a 70's aesthetic and black mold lol.

[@thomasball3658]

I loved Batavia back in the day I want to visit again some day.

[@sabres6481]

What an interesting history. I've driven through Batavia and have seen the JC Penney, I didn't even realize it had a mall attached.

[@feltongailey8987]

I live on the gulf coast and we see A LOT of black mold. The most interesting fact about black mold that many are unaware of, is that it is not particularly toxic until it is disturbed. Great job Sal! I truly appreciate your effort on these expeditions.

[@AphelionDusk]

Man I really gotta say just how much I love your videos. I really love the narrative content you put into your videos, and the historical information you put into it! It really makes your videos stand out, and I’m always so excited when you upload something new.

[@sal]

I get people telling me to kill myself because of my films. But you? Your comment is the kind of comment that keeps me creating. Thank you so much. Lots more on the way, bae.

[@AphelionDusk]

@@sal I get told the same thing for posting my art online. It's really hard being a creative/content creator online. But please know, you do make a positive difference for the people who love your content. Your dedication and hard work really shows in the quality of your content. C: Keep being amazing, man! We'll all be here to enjoy it.

[@allent7118]

Missed the premiere but just finished watching this. @AcesAdventures and @Sal, great job guys!!!

[@jennifer_keely]

My dad was one of the engineers on this project when it was initially built. The city tore down beautiful, historical buildings for this monstrosity. Lately there have been improvements made and it is now partly used for city offices.

[@antiquesrestoration3874]

Of course we'll indulge you. Your historical narratives are fantastic.

[@cris_261]

The 70s time capsule nature of this mall reminds me of how little the interior of the Ogden City Mall in Ogden, Utah changed before it shut down in the early 2000s. The Ogden Mall was more of an 80s time warp though, sans black mold. It was demolished not long after it closed, but the lot sat empty for a while, as Ogden is basically little Detroit. However, the city cleaned itself up a bit, and a open air shopping center occupies the former mall site.

[@iworkout6912]

Great video, I live in the Rochester area and have never been to this mall. Batavia is your typical small city with lots of retail mostly just outside the city limits. Its a rather nice city with a Vets home and the area around the city is mostly farms. Its also the home of a very old historic race track. The city itself is quite nice with lots of middle class homes. But like most smaller cities in the USA the downtown has faded and I guess this mall was built (in a strange way) in hopes of keeping some retail downtown, which never works.

[@markjamesmeli2520]

I'm a native Rochesterian too. Reading your last sentence here, I am sure you're just thrilled that Rochester is getting 10 million from some government hopefuls to revitalize downtown!! As a lifelong resident, people are only in the downtown area to work and wait for busses. After avoiding that area since 1971, downtown Rochester is such a "non" issue, it's ridiculous.

[@iworkout6912]

@@markjamesmeli2520 I have traveled the eastcoast, midwest over the past 5-8 years. Large cities, cities and villages. I see the same theme I have seen for the past 40 years. Spend the money downtown and they will come? From Newark NJ, Albany, Poughkeepsie, and all of the other cities in NY, NJ, PA on and on. And into the south including Georgia, Florida and west. I have seen only one city in the NYC area that had a real downtown, and that was West New York, NJ. Most of its inhabitants are now Hispanic and they run countless shops and stores along the main street. Its even hard to find a parking spot there, and most of the buses are small 'dollar' buses, which stop almost anywhere to pickup people. Traffic is sort of chaotic, but it all works somehow. I saw a similar city in N. Carolina which I don't know the name, but was run the same way. Maybe Rochester and its river/falls and hotels and convention center will keep it alive. Never see retail in the inter-cities again, anywhere. Maybe the huge cities with large apartment complexes will help them. Just my two cents....

[@mikehough5717]

I remember going to the mall as a small child. It was bustling with people in the 80s. How badly I wanted to eat at gentleman Jim's! But we always had food at home. Our karate school did a presentation on that wooden stage. I got my braces done at the mall orthodontist. Many christmas gifts bought at that jc penny's over the decades, a purse for my mother, and jewlery for my wife. We rented a saxophone from Roxys for school band, and my dad bought his work shoes from disalvo. The movie theater was always a treat. I still remember going there for my first movie, the land before time

[@R32R38]

Dan's Tire and Auto at 2:44 ... a couple of years ago a family member's car (which I own) got towed there when it broke down in Batavia as she was driving from Long Island to Ohio. They did a good job on a complex repair, in a rather short time, at a good price.

[@lklpalka]

I love you guys both equally. You with that sardonic razor wit and Ace the deadpan foil, totally disparate takes... Great stuff

[@sal]

I wish more people were like you.

[@TylerMiller87]

The buckets are obviously there because the roof leaks, meaning water does not properly drain off. Each rainstorm brings the roof one step closer to collapsing, be careful! Love these types of videos though, keep up the good work xD

[@ChrisPopkin]

these logs got me through quarantine. What a vibe. Please keep the series going!

[@sal]

No end in sight, friend.

[@BGNOLA]

A store called Roxy's Music? Someone was a Brian Ferry fan.

[@stevelang6342]

If there should be one place on Planet Earth that is completely uninhabited, it's a city government owned mall in Western New York. May as well have the Soviet national anthem blaring on the PA and old copies of Pravda glued to the walls next to city hall.

[@sal]

Preach

[@Δημήτρης-θ7θ]

@@sal Seriously though, how did they end up with that weird ownership structure? I can't even tell who is the one being shafted here: The shop owners (who own shops inside a mall that has been clearly left to rot by the city government), or the city government (that paid for the mall's construction and is paying for utilities but doesn't own the only thing inside the mall making a profit aka the shops)? I guess it depends on whether the shop owners pay rent and how much.

[@justadude5547]

As always. Great job Sal. Thank you for the time you put in

[@silverfoxmckeand1125]

Love your videos!!! I watch every Sunday morning while I have my coffee. I grew up in Cincinnati so my malls were forest fair and tricounty. I'm 44 so grew up right in the thick of it.

[@srarcade]

Wow what a time machine- The main hallways look a lot like how Greece Town Mall used to look in Rochester from what I remember. Same colors, materials, same benches. But then again I guess that was most malls of this era.

[@kellylermasprague5417]

1970s esthetic and black mold . Greg Brady and Tabitha and when us 70s kids thought a theater with two screens was the coolest thing ever . Love everything about this ! Great footage

[@YanickFM]

YES I WAS JUST WONDERING when there would be a new video and here is one right now

[@Rossturnerphoto]

Good video and I loved the '70s aesthetic of the mall. As a fan of both yours and Ace's channels, it was neat to see the collaboration of both of your efforts.

[@singingchef23]

I grew up 45 mins away, never been to this mall and only too Batavia a few times. Crazy to see this. It's not like there is an abundance of things to do

[@Tractors101]

I live close by the city of Batavia and have for all my life. Been inside this mall a few times myself. I love to watch other people explore abandoned places but it's interesting to know that this is right near me.

[@markjamesmeli2520]

Off of Main street in Batavia, my dad used to help out in an office supply / office furniture store from the mid to late 1970s. It was across from where this mall was being built. I didn't get to it until 1984 and I went to the music store you mentioned. It was a hurtin' place by then, I'd say about 20 percent unoccupied. The music store, and most of the other mall tenants were local "mom and pop" shops. The anchor type stores that would have been built there (along with the 80s "trendy" boutiques) were all going to Marketplace Mall near Rochester NY, starting in 1982.

[@Jfizz66]

Sleights Book Store owned by Vincent March

[@bopedersen3996]

Another great Log, and also thank you for introducing me to Caspro, went ahead and did a little music shopping :)

[@paulcarroll3436]

I subscribed and also joined your member ship keep up the great work me and my parents like your work and research done !

[@sal]

Hey thanks Paul!!! So much more on the way…

[@VivianMakin]

I love the sign on the door that looks like it was printed on dot matrix using Print Shop on something like a 286.

[@mikerobinson8981]

Really enjoyed this tidbit of history from a city near where I grew up. Great narration also! Hey, check out the Batavia Library, book called History of Batavia NY, in there it says the mall was renamed the “City Centre” but it doesn’t reference where that info came from, although about every paragraph has a proper citation and source reference. Will check out some more of your works. Take care, Mike, now from Arizona.

[@AnimeJSaysBah]

Great video Sal! That mall reminded me of the former Midlands Mall (now Omni Center) in my hometown of Council Bluffs, Iowa. That corrugated concrete outside and the way the center court columns were designed mirrored the ones at Midlands. Both malls were built at the same time in 75 so that esthetic must have been somewhat common. Again, great video!

[@AnthonyMenegoni]

Another awesome video!!! I can't wait for the next one!

[@savagesn]

Sal you should check out the Finger Lakes Mall in Auburn NY. Opened in 1980. When I was a young kid in the late 80's the interior upper level was a roller rink which circled the mall. I can recall watching skaters fly by through the windows above me while traversing the mall.

[@nsmith1388]

I grew up in Batavia. I worked at that movie theatre in high school. 🤣. It’s kind of sad that it died such a horrible death. I’ve got a lot of good memories in that mall.

[@yelapa999]

I was unexpectedly moved when you lifted the display cover on the mall map to expose the handwritten names of… what? Maybe the original stores was my thought. And the store names were so period correct. Very cool shot.

[@eileenmaher2101]

Ahh built back in the days of the Independent Book and Record Shops.

[@HenryRoss-wu4lo]

❤ these shots

[@cgimovieman]

Sal, if you’re looking for a few new locations, I have a couple of my old haunts for your future adventures. One is the Fashion Square Mall in Orlando. It’s one of the oldest malls in the area, not far from downtown. I used to go to it very regularly in the late 90’s and it was super vibrant and thriving. But having visited it just weeks ago, it’s almost completely dead now. Very sad. Another is from my younger years in Michigan; the Midland Mall. I was there when it opened around 1990/1991, and the place felt like a palace upon opening, in an area without many malls. It stayed that way for at least its first 10 years, and isn’t completely dead now, but nothing like I remember it from the 90’s.

[@sal]

Noted! Thanks for the tips

[@cgimovieman]

@@sal Looks like Ace stopped by Fashion Square recently too.

[@mascara1777]

I have the Sunday Scaries as usual but this video is very calming so it's helping, thank you.

[@thomasball3658]

I remember going to this mall during the Summer of 1978 while attending the Batavia school for the blind and visually impaired.

[@luisvalles8999]

Oh wow no way! I was just in Batavia in August. My wife is from Attica and we went to this mall. I was wondering if you were going to do a video on it ever. Cool to see that you actually did lol

[@lloyddragon2036]

bruh this mall has such a weird assortment of businesses. several medical offices, a church, an escapeology, a yoga place, what sounds like a sweet shop, a salon, a jc penny...??? imagine going to the orthodontist and then there's escape rooms right next door. like, very weird but actually kinda cool dude imagine going to escapeology or hanging around jc penntly or a candy store after church that's literally so cool

[@xenongaming1992]

Except only the ortho and dentist are open in there lol

[@Starscreamlive]

I love that old 70s style.

[@trybebill7865]

This mall had an arcade in it in the 80's. It was filled with kids everyday.

[@Pieceofchocolate1]

makes me sad because it looks so similar to how it did when i would go there as a kid in the early 2000s. i remember walking out of those doors shown in the beginning. my dance studio was in this mall, so i was there multiple times a week. we had recitals in the mall. my girl scout troop held an event at this mall. there was a christmas festival every year that the mall participated in, and i used to love going into this one store that had one of those miniature christmas village displays with a train that i loved. i hate seeing a huge part of my early childhood dilapidated like this. and it makes me feel old lol.

[@Pieceofchocolate1]

And now that i’m listening, i recognize many of the names of the companies/businesses because they were owned by distant relatives!

[@bentstrider]

One of the videos I watch repeatedly. Mainly for the off-color clowning you give Ace. "YOU ARE THE MR PEANUT GUY!!". Now I can't get the image of Ace dressed as Mr Peanut out of my head after hearing that.

[@L3monh3ad0]

The Mario Bros. Ad was from a Cleveland network. You rep NE Ohio so much, TY TY TY.

[@ItsaRomethingeveryday]

Great Video Sal, It Really is a shame what this mall is, I could really feel how run down and depressed the feel of it is, Have A Great week

[@lisarussell2797]

I grew up in Batavia and going to this mall. So sad to see it now 😢

[@kristinesmart3134]

You did a great job and put a lot of time & effort into something that I remember fondly as a child. It's sad to see the future transpire as it does. It all comes down to online consumerism. I can't blame myself or others for that. We save gas, mileage, and a lot of precious time purchasing EVERYTHING online. I'm not religious, but there are even bigger things that make me think about when we think about new technology on the horizon...."It's the end of the world as we know it," and I'm scared crapless.

[@barron204]

I like this place with the 70s features.

[@tat2momma823]

Local...use to work at the Pediatric office shown in the video as well as a tattoo shop that is no longer there in 2000/2001. The whole place is a hot mess. The tattoo shop had NO heat so working there in the winter was awful. I grew up in Batavia and now live 15 min away. I remember the mall being popular in the 80s. There was a dollar store in there at one point as well as an arcade, restaurants and candy shop. As for an update, our local theater is doing AMAZING things in at least one section of the building and it will be wonderful. Overall it is a hot mess of a building but there are still some who hope for bigger and better things.

[@LounoirRecords]

dark, moldy aaaand abandoned?? fun times abound!! well, if you're into dead malls that is ^^

[@JRHILL40]

Nice video keep up the good work

[@sal]

Thanks!!!

[@ValleyWestCinemasPodcast]

So, uh, anyone notice wildly inappropriate (and expensive) menu item at 20:35?

[@sal]

Yeah…

[@TobynaNakhorn]

Lmao, someone else must have gone in since closing

[@Daveissocool]

So much more creative than randomly breaking glass or spray painting the walls. I give them credit. Beef on….

[@gordontaylor2815]

And the conversation around it probably went something like this: "You realize that there aren't going to be that many other people that see this, right?" "I don't care, it's funny to me and it's not graffiti so I won't get in trouble for it... I think. :)"

[@tomrogers9467]

I had to go back and check. Price seems reasonable for a big city!

[@AKATenn]

always interesting seeing places built 50+ years ago that still have some original carpeting and signage and stuff, while modern doesn't look bad, it's often a lot more sterile... lots of greys, less wood paneling.

[@d-rg.karamitev9796]

I think Genesee Country Mall epitomizes all the empty, eerie, dead malls scattered in the USA. The mold and the dead plants are just awesome. I love the shabby walls and the objects from the 70s - Genesee Country Mall is pretty much like a museum of the Dead US Malls. I hope they don't have any plans to demolish it, it will be a huge loss for all the explorers and people who appreciate the dead mall aesthetics.

[@bingebuilds]

We call it an eyesore total fing mess . Batavia wants to keep a dead mall alive . Live 10 mins from there

[@johndufton9686]

I loved seeing the Dr Who Jon Pertwee intro.

[@Decade8Media]

Tuxedo Junction! We rented tuxes from one of their stores In Vegas for my brother in law's wedding!

[@suchcone]

That exterior concrete is fantastic in a grimy but somehow optimistic 70s way

[@egold1006]

In my area a Mall survived since 1975 and gets updates. True that it lost an anchor store at one end, it could be disaster if the last major anchor would shut down. My friend lost a home for the development of this mall.

[@corinnecerminaro9753]

The creepy elevator music adds a nice touch.

[@tjsynkral]

20:35 nice menu

[@jackiev7148]

Sal, my uncle owns Classic Optical in this mall. He is very successful, unlike the mall itself, and has been there I believe since I was born in the early 80s, if I'm not mistaken. He could answer a lot of questions about the history if you're interested!

[@gordontaylor2815]

It is my personal opinion that the only reason the city doesn't want to seal up their section and knock the rest of the building down is because the businesses that ARE still there are successful ones. I DO think the building will come down eventually because of its condition, but as long as there's money left to squeeze out of it the city won't do it.

[@lklpalka]

'... the other benches were sold at Sotheby's' lol omg

[@keiththorpe9571]

That place looks dangerous. I can't believe they let people in there. Someone's beggin' for a lawsuit.

[@daboz8753]

We drove through Batavia maybe 100's of times (I forget what for, usually was when my mom was taking me to KB Toy Works), there were also various events we'd go to that were in that neck of the woods. Too and from we'd always pass by this mall...aaaand I honestly didn't KNOW it was a 'mall'. I mean it had the word 'mall' in it, but it was shoved between so many other things I recall. Wasn't anything like Greece Ridge, Midtown, Marketplace, Eastview, Irondequoit...so I never thought much of it. Eventually, we DID go in there like, once...I honestly have no recollection of anything in there. This was maybe the late 90's, early 2000's, someone mentioned an orange Julius...I recall maybe the outline to that logo on a shuttered store front? there was literally nothing there that I can recall, I was so disssapointed. I *think* the theater was still kicking (but it was definetly on life support.) I am grateful you took the time to document whats...left of it though. I moved away from NY back in 2018 (after nearly 40 years living there) to live in Phoenix...and it has its own plethora of depressing dead malls. But I miss the ones back in NY, and brief though my experience of this one was, it was still... a thing that happened in my life that I think about when I've exhausted more interesting life events I normally think of lol

[@trybebill7865]

Kb toys and Toys r Us were the sh*t back in the day. A child's paradise in Rochester NY.

[@scott7119]

Nice job!

[@peterantonsen3539]

Damn u good sal.. love your movies👍👍

[@farmninja6653]

Love the Don Vito reference

[@sal]

Good ears :)

[@alixsanders7945]

Amazing commentary

[@EquityCall]

This may be a new record for drip buckets

[@meepthirteen]

Eclectic!

[@Jfizz66]

In the early 90’s during the Dance craze, there was a night club on the West side of the place called Zants. The guy who started it put a ton of money in it and really did a great job. However, that lasted about 6 months after fights started to break out and literally ruined it. That mall does have potential for the right developer with vision. Parking is not an issue there snd it’s easy to get to. Too bad tho

[@pepsipoint]

I drive by this every week

[@mst3kanita]

I love your commentary on ace's video, lol. Most of the time I just mute dead mall videos, honestly. There are just some people who don't have the right voice for youtube videos.

[@pepsipoint]

I don't believe the movie theater opened back up. Oddly they had another set of screens across the street on main that became a church.

[@andrewb4584]

Welcome to WNY. We still do the Disco, believe it or don't. And it's a huge charity event. ;) It's basically an excuse to consume alcohol, and raid a Salvation Army for your Grandfather's old polyester. Stop by the McKinley Mall in Hamburg next time you're up here, before it gets to the same shape, and I have an in for the Summit Park Mall in Niagara Falls. You want a tour we can make it happen...

[@antoniohidalgo9707]

great idea man Sal will thank you for this go do it sir

[@VandalDecaProductions]

Absolutely loved this episode! 24:17: nice ad for "A Career in Corrections"! Especially appropriate because the two-tone institutional green vestibule in the very next shot looks like it belongs in a prison.

[@kona0197]

Suggestions? Lloyd Center in Oregon.

[@cindyOC1]

How sad that they just didn't give a damn and ignored this mall. To just not care one single bit and allow it to rot is tragic in it's own right. 😟

[@MrDan708]

Missed this premiere because I spent the day at the PA Renaissance Faire in Lancaster County. This place looks like it just needed better maintenance (or ANY maintenance) to at least keep it alive. With it being this far deteriorated, I'd be surprised if it ever made a comeback. It needs a sugar daddy. Oh, and nice work Sal and Ace!

[@azmax623]

damn, I missed the disco. Even had my multi-colored wig ready to go.

[@Karen_of_Kanada]

Once again the flashbacks...channel 17 and 29 were HUGE when I was a kid (no "crappy Canadian TV" for us, no sir!). It makes me wonder how different it is for people who came up after us, when we were young we LIVED in the US malls, because the dollar was pretty even, and most importantly, crossing the border was pretty easy. There was a lot of flow back and forth, so we were there quite a lot. Different times, I guess. I'd still kill to have a US Target up here though!

[@tomrogers9467]

“It’s 11:00. Do you know where your children are.” You’re welcome, Irv Weinstein!

[@taimaishu-nao1922]

11:40 I’d wager the only thing even remotely “Hawaiian” about that place is the fact they serve everything with either pineapple or coconut…

[@ericlang1461]

Their food is actually really good, as for whether it is truly authentic.. I'm not sure, but their spam musubi is delicious.

[@paulzaky3121]

How sad. That was a great mall. 😢

[@gordontaylor2815]

Some cities lost whole neighborhoods to the false promise of "urban renewal", while Batavia got a crumbling time capsule that really DOES need to be torn down...

[@OriginalNethead]

Jon Pertwee! I loved the third Doctor! Not so fond of the five year-old mentality banter, but .... I'm an old lady (all of mental age 12 some days).

[@paullindsay1622]

Go to the clock tower. And please go into some more stores.

[@dianeleone1634]

Hugged it out💕💕💕💕

[@texasborn2720]

Wow when malls all over the U.S. were about to enter the glory years that will last about 25 years. This mall was on the rocks from the start ?

[@Abigail_Wyatt]

Loved you narrating over Ace, best part. Whenever you guys reach 100k subs you two should do reaction videos on each other’s vids on a mall you both went to separately and just comment on the different things you notice in each other’s vids etc. Cause those moments of this vid was super entertaining. 😁

[@sal]

Good idea!