Hudson Valley Mall: A Surprisingly Dead Mall! Kingston, New York.

Join me as I take a look at the Hudson Valley Mall in Kingston, New York. Is it a dead mall? Yes, it sure is! Let me know what you think in the comments!
This video was filmed in September 2023 on a Tuesday around 4:00pm.
If you liked this video, please give me a thumbs up, leave a comment and subscribe to my channel! Thanks!
Source of information:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hudson_...
www.deadmalls.com/malls/hudso...
#deadmall #deadmalls #mall #newyork #shoppingmall #shoppingmalls #retail #kingston #hudson #hudsonvalley #hudsonvalleyny

[@banesbox]

I don’t know about anyone else but we had no idea how good we had it in the 70’s & 80’s. I miss the whole mall experience.

[@thebros2866]

Last time I was in Toronto, their malls were packed right around 2018. They even still had payphones! Felt like an alternate universe 90s.

[@cathynewyork7918]

I agree. We just accepted it as "normal life" to have a mall to go to. None of us ever dreamed that some day it would just die.

[@JimAllen-Persona]

I don't miss it in the least. Crowds, overpriced items, parking. Only time I go near the mall is to the Apple Store because I have no choice.

[@lovesallanimals9948]

Me too I miss the 70s and 80s period 😢

[@cathynewyork7918]

@@lovesallanimals9948 I am older - I miss the 60s, which truly were even better than the 70s and 80s. Our current times are very stressful and not as happy.

[@Marbles471]

I'm from the town right across the river. When I moved to NYC in 2007, the mall was still fairly active. When I had to move back home (long story) in 2015, I was shocked. In those eight years, the mall had gone from being alive to being on life support. It was jarring. And today it's about ten times MORE dead than it already was at that point. (In 2015, they hadn't even gotten around to covering up all the dead stores with pictures and murals yet, so even though it technically was more alive then, it LOOKED even worse.) I didn't realize it being there in person recently, but watching this video, on a screen, it almost reminds me of the Backrooms. 😑 It really is such a strange feeling to see a place that was so prominent in your childhood become a sad, ghostly shell of itself.

[@JimAllen-Persona]

It really is a shame.

[@joeperez3299]

It a nice mall. I hope they do something to bring back. It would be disgusting to knock it down. We wast to much and I'm sure they can figure out what else they could use it for. It would be a lot of land fill.

[@mcc9040]

Hussein-O destroyed as much as he could then, and he's still at it now.

[@finster1968]

The only redeeming thing to note is the place looks very clean and well cared for. It doesn’t look dilapidated or unsafe to walk around. I’ve seen empty malls in far worse shape.

[@Nirvashtype]

When I watch your videos. I get a nostalgia vibe of how things used to be so simpler back in the day. Now things look dead or just long gone.

[@fleabittenadventures]

Thanks! I'm glad you like them!

[@HorrorWorldx]

I feel the same way🥲 ughhh

[@HorrorWorldx]

10:59 lmao this part made me laugh. but other than that, i find these exploration videos relaxing somehow. it puts me at ease taking me back to simpler times. Thank you! ❤

[@osterkenn]

This had to do with Pyramid Mall management. Pyramid was greedy and also had bad credit themselves. . The rent got outrageous for the traffic and potential sales the mall was capable of. They would rather have a vacant store than give a tenant fair rent. They then started asking for a higher percentage of sales etc. Real professional companies like Mcdonalds, Burger king, Friendlys found it impossible to even converse with these idiots any longer so they left. Vacant stores bred more vacant stores. It's a shame to see it now as I hung out there a lot in the 90's.and worked there for a bit in late 90's for a guy that paid 3k in rent for a small kiosk. Like otheres, he packed his shit and left like a thief in the night breaking his lease and not giving them another dollar. By the time rent got cheaper all there was were a bunch of shit shops that sold black tshirts or vapes.

[@Mike1064ab]

That’s because the malls that used to be owned individually or by families had to sell out to the big retail companies that had no respect for the tenants that were there like the original owners did. I doubt there are any privately family owned malls anymore they’re all run by these filthy retail firms. That’s why they all became cookie cutter versions of each other rather than the unique experiences they were when they first opened.

[@NineInchTyrone]

Sounds like NYC Same management mentality

[@lilyd1010]

Interesting info

[@TheKarateKidd]

Sounds about right! They own and run the infamous Palisades Mall which was plagued with structural defects from year 1 and is still sinking. The mall is falling apart and slowly becoming a ghost town as well.

[@NuNugirl]

@@TheKarateKiddThe PCM is bankrupt.

[@aislingmairead4939]

It’s sad to see this mall in the state it’s in, now. I was a kid in the 80s and 90s when it was thriving, and remember every store that ever was in there. So crazy to see it on KZbin lol!

[@shaynak745]

Same here!!

[@guyhurley9417]

The HVM was directly across 9W from IBM Kingston where 7000 people worked, about half on first shift. I'd bet that nearly 1000 BM'ers were at the mall most noon times - and I was one of them! Besides KMart, Hess, Pennys, Sears, and Radio Shack. there were book and record stores, clothing stores, shoe stores, card shops, dental offices, and more. After eating in the food court, or one of the many restaurants, we'd take a leisurely stroll through the mall, stopping at places of interest and chatting with friends. It was still going strong when I left IBM in 1992, but traffic fell off considerable when IBM closed up shop in 1995. I haven't had much reason to visit there in 20 years, so I was saddened to see what became of it. Thanks for the nostalgic video!

[@dojocho1894]

Growing up as a kid in the 60's and 70's in the town was just a great time in america its all gone now....My father was director of New Products Div at IBM then was moved to IBM headquarters in Manhattan on Madison Ave .Most people never really knew what went on at the IBM Plant today most dont know they were building a secret radar system for the defense dept to track incoming ICBM's turns out it was a total waste of taxpayer's money for once they developed it there was no way to intercept a missile system to engage and destroy the incoming missiles. my father was former Navy intelligence in WW2 that's how he became involved working for IBM.

[@kwilliams2239]

I worked in Poughkeepsie from '74 to '93, when the three IBM sites in the Mid-Hudson Valley imploded. The number of employees dropped from something like 30K to 12K in a year. Fortunately, I found a liferaft in Burington Vermont, where I was able to put in another 13 years to get my full retirement (at age 54). I remember going to the Kingston mall (I lived in Hyde Park), a few times a month. The Wappingers Galleria was nothing by comparison.

[@fixpacifica]

I worked for IBM there in the early '90s, also. Left IBM in the summer of '93. Haven't been back since. We always had group lunches at the mall.

[@guyhurley9417]

I had 24 years in when I took the ITO-2. I got a good severance package, 5 years credit toward the pension, and worked as a paramedic while waiting on it. Less pay, but a hell of a lot more job satisfaction!@@kwilliams2239

[@guyhurley9417]

I didn't work on any radar systems, but most of the projects I DID work on were losers! It's no surprise that IBM nearly went belly-up!@@dojocho1894

[@beverlymerkel6522]

That mall is really deserted. Im surprised they didn't move all tenents to one area. Thanks for sharing.

[@SSNESS]

This is Gerald Celente’s mall

[@jimpanza1]

From what I have herd they are doing. Is that they are letting all there tenants rental agreements run out and not reassigning them again.

[@fleabittenadventures]

Thanks for all the views and upvotes on this video! It's my first 100,000+ view video! That's crazy!

[@guyhurley9417]

This was a popular mall back in the day, and your video was very well done!

[@pauly260]

Local here. Used to frequent that mall. Even worked there. The Hudson Valley Mall did considerably well under Pyramid. Once the mall was sold to Hull Management, everything closed. I’ve heard a rumor that Hull is forcing the Mall to fail so they can tear it down & turn it into condominiums. Bad idea knowing that the town dump is a half mile away. If you’re reading this and know what’s going on, feel free to chime in.

[@user-hr1km9ww7o]

Their stupid security staff chased the kids away - soon they would not only not go by themselves- they would not even go with their parents - then the parents didn't go, of course.

[@pauly260]

@@user-hr1km9ww7o The graffiti by the food court entrance said it all; "Don't waste your life here."

[@blueringoffire]

It had nothing to do with the security… I worked here for over 10 years… HULL had a 3-5 plan to start the year lockdown hit… they sold part of it to the hospital (Jc Penny) and were goin to start with the parking lot then within 3 years have stores start to move back in with it being full by 2025… LOCKDOWN DESTROYED THE LAST OF THIS MALL… our own fn government caused this❗️

[@user-hr1km9ww7o]

exactly - and so they stopped coming@@pauly260

[@Mike1064ab]

That’s the master plan of all the corrupt corporations that own malls now. They bought them so they could dismantle them and turn them into condos or affordable housing. Companies should not be able to buy retail space if their sole intent is to dismantle it and displace the workers there.

[@bebobebo4407]

This is one of the fanciest dead malls that I had ever seen.

[@RSMMD]

I lived in Kingston in the mid 1980s and frequented this mall. It was relatively new then, before the food court. At the time, the anchor department store was Hess's. I recall the mall being fulling occupied and pretty busy, but it was the go go 80's! Sad seeing this now, and prefer to remember it as it was then.

[@Mlogan11]

It's a guess, but the medical facility was likely separated from the mall because the medical group bought that portion of the property outright- so they manage their own building rather than lease at the mall. They may have been forward thinking and didn't want to pay to sustain the mall with decreasing stores rather than just take care of their own building.

[@BrettLesPaul]

13:20 The wall to the left originally was The Ground Round restaurant and bar with a glass sunroom dining area jutting through the outside wall.

[@AshleyBubbles27]

If I recall correctly, I'm pretty sure some got murdered here when I was a kid. They closed the restaurant after that which was a real bummer since I liked that place : /

[@jimpanza1]

@@AshleyBubbles27 That is correct. I don't remember much about the incident as I was a kid

[@popperfrozy]

My favorite part of the Hudson Valley Mall is the beautiful mountain view from the parking lot outside Target!

[@shaynak745]

Yes, the sunsets are always amazing!!

[@petev.9357]

I lived in Shokan NY, for maybe 3 years, left in Sept. 83. Sure I've been there but can't remember. So sad to watch these dead mall videos. Malls were the social media of the time. Catch up on things, meet girls, lose all your money at the arcade, go to the movies, eat, shop, good times. I miss the 80's. I'm now in PA. the Schuylkill mall here got leveled and a warehouse went in. They didn't even get anybody to move in for years.

[@notyourconcern17306]

I didn't know a warehouse went into the Schuylkill mall, sad was a nice mall.

[@Jacob630account]

2:57 This mall used to be my place to be as a kid when I mostly go there for haircuts, I'm not happy it fell to it's doom. I'd be happy to give you a list of them, though I'm just going to list the chain stores/restaurants that used to be in this mall. 1. Claire's 2. Citizens Bank 3. Gertrude Hawk Chocolate 4. Yankee Candle 5. Bath and Body Works 6. Victoria's Secret 7. AT&T 8. H&M 9. Foot Locker 10. Payless Shoestore 11. The Children's Place 12. Lenscrafters (MOVED) 13. Justice (I'm sure it was there too.) 14. Go! Calendars & Events 15. Charlotte Russe 16. Journeys 17. Spencer's 18. Hot Topic 19. Zumiez 20. American Eagle (I did not know it used to be there.) 21. GNC 22. KAY Jewelers (MOVED) 23. ENCORE The Shoe Dept. 24. Aeropostale 25. Hollister (Yeah, that was another one I didn't know it was there either) 26. FYE 27. Best Buy Mobile 28. T-Mobile 29. Hallmark 30. Old Navy (MOVED) 31. Buffalo Wild Wings (RELOCATED) 32. Friendly's

[@handle-schmandle]

33. Ground Round 34. Papa Gino’s Pizza 35. Burger King 36. Sbarro 37. Playland Toys 38. Kay Bee Toys 39. Waldenbooks 40. Radio Shack 41. Rumford Pets 42. Deb Shop

[@Jacob630account]

@@handle-schmandle Thanks for the rest, I never ever knew they were also part of this mall probably except for Sbarro which I used to eat their pizza a few times a long time ago.

[@brian56]

43. Post office. 44.A&W. 45.Walden Books. 46.Blimpies. 47.Barbara Moss. 48.Teepeedashery (that's going WAY back)!

[@brian56]

Oops! Let me trade Waldebooks for Littmans Jewelers

[@melissam8041]

49. CVS 50. GAP 51. Pretzel Time 52. Barista's (Coffee Shop) 53. Namco Arcade 54. Piercing Pagoda 55. Journeys 56. Kanz A$$ City (Hooters knockoff, briefly replaced Buffalo Wild Wings in the Ground Round location.) 57. Rave

[@fixpacifica]

I worked at the nearby IBM plant in Kingston in the early '90s, and the mall, while not exactly bustling, seemed to be doing OK. I'm actually surprised the mall lasted so long after IBM moved out.

[@map3384]

Yeap. When IBM pulled out it hurt the Hudson Valley. Then GM and GE. Cuomo helped force industry out of the state. They taxed the hell out of us upstate to give it to the welfare in NYC. That’s how Cuomo bought votes. On the backs of the NY working class.

[@maryyung1994]

It looks beyond dead. All those stores are empty. What is the point of even keeping it open ?

[@fleabittenadventures]

Good question

[@Kyle_Riel]

Malls: fascist jails of the future. They're huge jail facilities ready to go. Keep your guns. Be ready to defend your neighbors. And do NOT comply

[@ISheolraver]

I was present for the grand opening of this mall. Back then we only had a medium sized strip mall down the road called Mammoth Mall, eventually renamed to Kings Mall. When the HVM opened it was like the world came to Kingston. (Town of Ulster. ;) ) A Pizzeria Uno inhabited the space directly across the entrance from the theater at one time. (Became Coyote Cafe and then Rolling Rock Grill.) I had several commercial contracts at this mall in the 90s. Fun to see the swirl finished metal bands still on the walls of the Muay Thai studio I installed back when the Namco Cyberstation was put in. Oh so many of those tiles I replaced now covered by carpet. lol I think the leg where the K-mart resided was an excellent little anime-manga shop tucked in the corner a few doors down from the Hallmark store. Got my 1st "Akira" OVA VHS tape there in '90-'91 ish. So many memories.

[@frothe42]

Kings Mall has reinvented itself and is doing well. Across the street which used to be the old Montgomery Ward is another strip mall, which is doing OK. LL Bean is opening there.

[@coastlinecruiser8429]

That one store with the triangle shaped “sign mounts” and the large hanging circle type light looked like a former FYE, and the store directly across from it with the brick style walls with the arch is a former Hot Topic

[@fleabittenadventures]

Thanks for the info!

[@todaresq]

@@fleabittenadventures Definitely was FYE.

[@CaptainMcKayRandom]

Absolutely right, the FYE eventually downsized and moved down near the corner with the GameStop. I believe the big location became a shoe store, if I’m not mistaken.

[@kevbo7733]

There was a little coffe shop that went in next door to hot topic in the early 2000s.

[@BrettLesPaul]

17:23 The door next to the STANDPIPE CONNECTION sign used to and may still open into a long narrow hallway that you could use to get to the theatre before the 1989 expansion. The theater entrance in the 80’s was really only from the backside of the mall.

[@kevbo7733]

Oh yea... weren't there bathrooms there as well?

[@user-vd8bu3sj2g]

There is so much stuff about hudson valley on the walls, its like a museum almost

[@larryk731]

I went to college in New Paltz in the mid to late 80s, about 25 minutes from Newburgh to the south, Kingston to the north and poughkeepsie to the east and when we went to malls Poughkeepsie always was wher we went. The malls there always had a much better selection of stores than the other "local" malls.

[@edwardglowacki4495]

I am so surprised that the Hudson Valley Mall took such a dramatic nose dive . There has been so much commercial development along that strip in the last 20 years . Every time I go further down than Walmart I see new businesses and new buildings. Unfortunately for some strange reason seemed dead already 20 years ago. Even back then there were many vacant stores. That was also prior to any of the new stores along that strip . Honestly, the last time I actually went into that mall was when Sears was still open. It was hanging on by its fingernails then and am very surprised that it’s still open today !

[@smoothlyrough512]

I mean, ALL malls across the country have nose dived. Mainly online shopping

[@melissam8041]

From what I heard working in more than one of the stores there, management was pretty miserly. It was cheaper for a lot of businesses to set up shop in the surrounding plazas and strip malls.

[@edwardglowacki4495]

@@smoothlyrough512 I know that , but what is shocking is that mall was dying years before Sears closed and many of the new stores along the strip .

[@MrTheHillfolk]

First time seeing this guy, wonder if hes hit the Fishkill mall

[@BrettLesPaul]

6:12 the indent on the right was a Friendly’s restaurant throughout the 1980’s into the 90’s

[@dojocho1894]

the little hallway there led to the bathrooms...they weren't open that much so you then had to make you way back to the food court bathrooms lol

[@loonafan1118]

I remember the mall being bigger back then The Arcade was there Sears, JCPenny Macy's Funny Farm Verizon Etc I missed those days

[@Smoking_Hot_Scott]

Kingston is my hometown. I remember when they built that mall. I worked at the Burger King there in ‘91. There used to be a store called Taste of India. I remember hanging out with the owner’s daughter. There was a Kmart where I got my first boom box in 1985. There was a JCPenney. There was a Ground Round restaurant. There was a Deb clothing store. There was a candle store. There was a cinema there too.I saw Police Academy 2, Gremlins. My brother literally scared a woman by loudly farting next to the pay phones. I stole a pair of jeans once. And a Stryper tape. Lots of good memories at that mall.

[@ericheatmiser2099]

LMAO! "I stole a pair of jeans once and a Stryper tape." I worked at Rumford Pet Center next to the DEB clothing store. My boss was weird and used to ask out the mgr. of the DEB store and she would tell me how much she despised him.

[@Winston_Smith_84]

@@ericheatmiser2099 I dated a girl that worked at Deb lol. She was also in my grade at Kingston high school. Her name was Dawn and I remember there was a blood drive at our school and she couldn’t donate because she didn’t weigh enough lol. She was a tiny little thing but super cute.

[@larrytaylor2692]

It’s crazy that kids these days won’t know what it’s like to go to a mall in the 80s and 90s. Malls were such magical places. The smells of the food courts and the stink of smoke in the arcades. And then becoming a mall rat once I was old enough to drive me and my friends

[@shaynak745]

I grew up going to this mall (80s & early 90s)and then went as an adult with young kids in the early 2000s. Even at that point, the mall was still very busy. I used to take the kids to Friendly’s for dinner and dessert sometimes. Lots of great memories there! Target and maybe Dicks are probably the only stores keeping it alive at this point. I’m actually surprised that they haven’t sealed off the mall entrance to Target yet. What I find so strange is that even though this mall is now a dead mall, there have been several “strip malls” built right down the road that seem to be very busy! It’s like we went back in time to pre-mall days with these strip malls. I always preferred shopping inside a mall to get everything done at once and also to avoid the nasty weather.

[@groupwbench]

That part of the mall was most likely cut out to comply with zoning issues. A medical building is a different zoning class than retail and it would have to be a free standing building to get the variance and proper zoning.

[@thoughtfuloutrage5563]

I think you're spot-on. I've done a lot of site development work, and you were evaluation I believe is correct. I'm glad I looked through the comments before spending time writing it up myself! Thanks! 😊

[@BrettLesPaul]

6:49 The glass and metal store front was a record store in the 1980’s. Bought many vinyls and cassettes there. It changed hand a couple of time and I believe FYE eventually took that spot for a short period before it moved to the bigger location where the “marquee” was mentioned.

[@BrettLesPaul]

7:21 the corner spot on the right where the riverboat photo is was a pricey candy store throughout the 1980’s into 90’s.

[@spooky3120]

Thanks. You saved me a trip to Kingston.

[@fleabittenadventures]

Glad I could help!

[@josephboyce4522]

I have fond memories of going to the local mall on the Saturday before Christmas with a group of friends in the early '70s. It would be wall to wall people, and we would drop acid and try to find the store with the black lights and lava lamps. Crazy fun!

[@toriwolf5978]

Wow love these mall walks so interesting ❤lots of channels are now doing these so fun to watch……

[@Kelly30stm]

The same owners bought Mt Berry Mall in Georgia. It's covered in pictures and is about as dead, they even walled off an entire wing of the mall. When they first got it, they took out the merry go round, the kids play area, the fountain and all the benches. It doesn't seem like they want the mall to survive.

[@Oz_Darkr1d3r]

How does the mall even afford to keep all those lights on?? That's just shocking. This is probably the most deserted mall I've ever seen!

[@mike_vocal]

I’m from here. It’s wild. We grew up as kids with that mall Live! To know it sits there and has 3 stores open is criptic. Kingston is the first capitol of NY and the economy is on the rise in a major way. This won’t last much longer. It’s such a sad show as of now and I feel bad for the kids that are teenagers now because that place was like a club for a few schools lol.

[@brian56]

I actually still get my haircut there. Try walking the halls at 6or 7 pm in the winter. There is NOBODY around. It's like that show Life After People

[@fleabittenadventures]

Good question.

[@thingserik7269]

....and climate control

[@christianlarson2933]

The common demonimator with many of these dying malls seems to be stores that sell eyeglasses. I wonder how they stay open?

[@Mike1064ab]

Maybe they sell other things on the side besides just eyeglasses. 😉

[@timothymallon]

Savona's Pizza, one of the restaurants in the food court, is open in a few other locations. They aren't primarily a food court pizzeria. They're actually a local chain of pizzeria's in the immediate Hudson Valley. I haven't seen either of these particular restaurants open in quite a long time, it the mall.

[@votaws]

Nice review of the Mall ..camera shots are good and info interesting

[@thejoe5722]

When I was growing up the place was packed on the weekends. So sad to see it like this smh

[@Talendale]

I worked here for like a year or so back in the mid 1990s. At this point, it's unrecognizeable- nothing from when I was there remains, other than the closed anchors. That being said, what little remaining looks to be taken care of. Hull remodeled the place so much, it basically erased everything I knew.

[@freddy_the_fish]

This is our mall and I still love going here and walking around. I’m only 19 but I remember when I was a kid how busy it used to be and my mom remembers it back in the 80s and 90s when it was extremely popular. Sad how much of Kingston is like this now. Edit: at one point there was also a shooting in this mall, idk how long ago or how many were killed but that’s a fun little fact about the mall. Edit 2: I looked it up, there was a shooting in 2005 in the Best Buy and the hallway outside of it, there were no deaths but 2 people were injured. In 2006 someone was stabbed to death in the food court.

[@thiscorrosion900]

Imagine being that pissed off that your cheesesteak sucked, that you had to like, stab a dude!? It's a tough room! LOL

[@melissam8041]

The stabbing happened after hours at The Ground Round and there's a sad backstory; it was not random.

[@thiscorrosion900]

@@melissam8041 That does sound sad. We used to have a really good Ground Round down here on LI in Hicksville at the mall for years, went there constantly in 70s and 80s, we never had any issues there at all. Plus kids would love to go there etc. I think it finally closed down around 1998.

[@freddy_the_fish]

@@melissam8041 I was only three when it happened so I really have no idea what the backstory was or where exactly it happened. I’d love to know though!

[@michaelcraft6381]

In the 1990s and 2000s this was my mall, especially for DVDs, CDs, theater films and quick meals at restaurants. Bought my engagement ring here! All gone.

[@mrm64]

The "Big 3" malls of the New York Capital District in Albany were Crossgates Mall, Colonie Center and Latham Circle Mall. The first two are still here (Sears-less now) but Latham Circle died and became a Walmart and nearby apartments. I remember being a kid in the 2000s when it was so lively and then it became this ghost town almost overnight..😅 How times change...

[@alb12345672]

Crossgates and colonie are still very busy.

[@JimAllen-Persona]

@@alb12345672 Last time I saw Colonie was a few years ago on the way to E.J. Audi down that road (I was going for furniture polish, Stickley furniture is out of my price range these days) it seemed to have taken a serious step down in appeal since the first time I saw it in 1987 on the way home from my honeymoon. I'm glad it's still alive. A lot of malls are on life support.

[@billridings3153]

@@alb12345672Crossgates has its issue with kids just hanging around. As in the malls and city’s like Albany and Troy, the retail business is just gone to the internet. I too miss going to the malls with my kids and going to an arcade and going to the food court… Those days are long gone.😢

[@alb12345672]

@@billridings3153 Costco will fix those problems. Everyone fights it but it will solve alot.

[@everforward8651]

I lived in Cohoes from October of 2012 till September of 2020. I remember when they built the present Walmart, but I don't remember the Latham Circle Mall. Was it an enclosed mall?

[@kakarotvegeta5095]

I grew up in Kingston ny, and I went to the mall everyday. 4:04 the store was F.Y.E.

[@jameshopkins5702]

So creepy and sad and weird at the same time

[@GJM866]

The Shining thing was awesome! Many years ago, back in the 80's, I worked in a large mall anchor store in NJ which is still there and still gets very busy. Fun working in a mall, there was always something going on, lots of girls, and plenty of places to eat!

[@fleabittenadventures]

Ha ha. The Shining thing was my favorite part of the video. The timing was just too perfect.

[@victoriahanke5086]

I think these empty malls would make a great place to roller skate again! Music and lighting and I think kids and adults would enjoy the hallways! Just a thought!

[@kellyashcroft9227]

When I was a teenager in the 90s I used to visit the Hudson valley mall all the time! In the video you asked for comments on what stores used to be here. This is the list of stores/restaurants I remember: Sears, Macys, JCPenny, Hot topic, H&M, Old Navy, Payless, Claire’s, Hallmark, FYE, Victorias Secret, Yankee Candle, NY & Company, Dress Barn, Famous Footwear, Coyote Cafe, the Ground Round, and Buffalo Wild Wing. They also had a great arcade. What a shame!

[@KimDreamcatcher]

I live in Kingston, and even before then, my family would go up to HVM when we went across the river to visit my grandparents during the 80s and 90s. I remember stores that used to be there when I was a kid, like there was a K-Mart at the end where Target, Dick's Sporting Goods, and what used to be Best Buy. There used to be a Burger King in the middle of the mall near where Friendly's used to be, the martial arts studio by the old food court was the arcade, FYE used to be a much larger store where the Shoe Dept was; they later relocated to a smaller location near GameStop, the Boy Scouts of America used to be RadioShack, and there was a KB Toy Store. And not part of the Hudson Valley Mall, but the strip mall near Burger King used to be Montgomery Wards, we had a Caldors where Big Lots is now, and Aldi's used to be a Grand Union.

[@ericheatmiser2099]

Monkey Wards... Walbaums food store in the Caldor parking lot.

[@BrettLesPaul]

7:52 The wall to the right of the Macy’s entrance was a hair salon well into the 90’s or later.

[@Kenneth_Mac_Pherson]

"The Shining" bit that you threw in @ 10:57 had me in STITCHES, ROFLMAO! SERIOUSLY, though ... that TRULY WAS a bit creepy!

[@fleabittenadventures]

The timing was just too perfect

[@ethanyukoweic9159]

Use to go to this mall all the time growing up!

[@blanton1624]

I agree, it is a dead mall. I started working for a mall in the Dallas/Ft Worth Texas area in 1997 called Grapevine Mills. It was booming on opening and slowed down but never stopped doing business. I left the mall in 2011 and even today it is still going strong. The amazing thing about all of the dead malls around the country is a majority of them are closing or closed but then there are a few still open and doing well. I can understand why they would be in decline since internet commerce is so popular, but I am not sure that this is the only answer. Very strange! I still love these mall videos. It brings back a happier time for me. Thank You for taking the time to record and post these!

[@nicks1266]

Just a Buck, which was the dollar store... The arcade in the food court next to the movie theater entrance that went out of business around 1995 or so when they started charging admission just to enter, and .10¢ per game to play. Namco opened up on the opposite corner of the food court (Sears side) around 1996. I haven't been there since 2000. This so called remodel reminds me of an Airport terminal...

[@thiscorrosion900]

I never went here, and didn't know much about the mall until I heard Graham Parker's great 1989 song "Big Man on Paper," the lyrics of which discuss the mall and the usual metalheads and mulletheads and poseurs that would frequent it back then. Graham lives near there so he would know: "Then I drive into town and go to the Hudson Valley Mall And look at the youth in their Whitesnake T-shirts They're wearing a poor man's version of the haircut Man they might as well be from another universe I'd like to live In one world or another Baby one world or another Would almost seem right I'd like to see Peace on earth for my brother But I'm just a Ooooooh Big man on paper ooooh Big man on paper Oooh la la la la la la la la bop bop bop Oooh la la la la la la la la bop bop bop"

[@NaanProphet]

What's interesting is that this mall and so many others are so dead. I've been to this one as I lived in New Paltz and worked in Kingston for a time. I've also lived in NJ and seen the Shore and Hamilton malls slowly die as well. But I currently live just outside Baltimore and I've been to about 5 malls in Maryland and they are thriving, no closed stores, packed food courts. It's fascinating how they do so well here compared to other metropolitan areas.

[@ceejay6553]

I moved to Kingston around 2004 and frequented this mall often. However, even back then it was already starting to have many vacant store fronts. The store with the "distinctive front" I believe was FYE. The brick store across from it was Spencer's Gifts. Once IBM left in the 90s, I heard many businesses started to leave. When a city loses 10k+ people who would pass through the town all at once things start to die. I worked at a local business that opened up at one of the IBM buildings and we employed a few thousand each year (temporary positions) but even our business closed by 2014. I remember roaming this mall on a daily basis in between college and work.

[@BrettLesPaul]

8:30 This was the Albany Saving Bank 1980’s into the 90’s. It was a good bank. But when they got taken over by a bigger bank doing banking there immediately got stupid. A lot of locals miss Albany Savings Bank.

[@Anon-vc5jr]

During the very late 90s and through the 2000s, I used to go here all the time as a kid! My mother worked at the Taco Bell that used to be at the far right corner next to the Thai boxing boxing place. Fun fact, that Thai boxing place used to be an arcade cave. It shutdown around early 2010s sadly. The food court… it’s really sad to see once a vibrant place, now so empty. There used to be a few pizza places there, convenience stores, and much more. At least ya height, I’d say at 10+ food places. Hot topic, Spencer’s, yankee candle, etc. this place is dead now. It really make me sad to see the mall like this. But hey, at least the movie theater is still open.

[@melissathomson7193]

I grew up in kingston, ny (55 years), and I know and remember this mall well. It opened in 1981, and as my friends and I were (budding) teenagers, this became our hangout place!! During your video, you asked, "If anyone knows more about this mall, to let you know!" Well, I know some things about this mall!! 🎉😂😮

[@fleabittenadventures]

Cool. I assume it looks nothing like it did in the 80s.

[@melissathomson7193]

@@fleabittenadventures of course not!!

[@BarB2-90Nine]

Death Of The Malls something I think about every time I see a video of the Use to be Malls Thanks for the tour

[@ttmmddff]

My Aunt Uncle and Cousins lived in the area. I’ve been here more than once. I Was here back in the early 2000’s. Brings back memories. There was an FYI. I bought the Hannibal DVD 📀 from there. Thanks for the Video. I appreciate it. Unfortunately my Uncle Passed away in 2011. My One Cousin still lives in that area. The other 3 have moved. I just shared this with my Aunt. She said it used to be a Busy Place.

[@neillowy]

At 22:01 that was the location of Hess dept store, one of the 3 original anchors in 1981. I worked in the 80's in that mall at the "Record World" store. We were next to a Tom McAnn and across the hall from the Friendlies. Still had Caldours and Montgomery Ward right across 9W from the mall.

[@guyhurley9417]

Don't forget "Big Scot" at the Kings Mall right down the street!

[@dojocho1894]

The Kings mall ( where marshall's is today) was built in the 1970's its anchor store was called mammoth mart and the mall was called mammoth mall. There used to be a walter reed drive in movie theater there in the 1960's I went as a kid with my parents. The Mavis tire store across the street was a indoor movie theater owned by walter reed which was next to montgomery wards.

[@ISheolraver]

Big Scot's was originally in uptown Kingston where Romeo Ford/Kingston Nissan now reside. At the ramps for Rt. 28 and Rt. 209. @@guyhurley9417

[@ISheolraver]

A Weis supermarket. The original town of Ulster video game arcade. Sizzler. Tony's Pizza next to the Arcade. Mammoth mall and memories.@@dojocho1894

[@ericheatmiser2099]

I worked at Rumford Pet Center. Loved working there while in High School. I got to see most of my friends as they shopped in the mall to pass time away.

[@caellumwoodward]

I live in Hurley, NY and born in Kingston, NY and I literally been to that Mall a lot and still have and when I was in Dayhab, we eat lunch at the food court with our lunch and then walk around this entire mall and it was not the same seeing every walls and dead stores that literally used to be stores that we liked but not anymore because it literally makes me think about all of the stores in the Hudson Valley Mall all over again way back in the past before it got shut down permanently because I literally wish we had a Time Machine so we can travel back in time to 1990's, 2000's, and Early 2010's to revisit all of the stores in the Hudson Valley Mall and also the rest of the stores like Blockbuster, Toys R Us, Best Buy, Radio Shack, Gander Mountain, Office Depot, etc. all over Town of Ulster way before Shut Down Again, it would be the Bomb and I'll make me very happy again someday in the future.

[@davidb5474]

Interesting video. That has to be the nicest well kept dead mall in all of America.

[@ryadtlr]

I grew up here, this is so sad. There was a Burger King, not in the food court. Also there was a papa Gino’s pizza where you had to walk up steps to get into. I miss the memories. Thank you for the video.

[@catskillmtnsmtb6147]

Fun Fact, I'm pretty sure there is a loose diamond on the floor in the Kay Jewelers store. I go to this mall twice a week for Innate Movement Parkour with my kids. I probably put 10 miles a week of walking there.

[@azieg9ygeb]

Secret side quest!

[@CharcoleGrill]

This mall was my childhood it used to be packed everytime I went. There used to be a whole tropical themed Mr Smoothie stand near that GameStop at the food court entrance

[@FSAPOJake]

Wilton Mall in Wilton/Saratoga NY is shockingly dead. It was struggling pretty badly by 2019 or so, and the lockdown period did not help. The entire food court is deserted except one restaurant, the movie theater is gone, several big stores are gone, and it's empty most of the time. Really crazy to me cause it was always so bustling when I was a kid. It certainly lasted longer than Clifton Country Mall which was dead by the mid-2000s. Also, don't forget Aviation Mall in Queensbury NY. That one has been dead for almost 20 years and yet is somehow still standing.

[@alb12345672]

Yet crossgates and colonie still thrive. Crossgates may get a Costco soon.

[@FSAPOJake]

@@alb12345672 Crossgates is having problems with gang violence and stores are starting to desert it too. Colonie Center is in way better shape.

[@MATTKBAN]

I’m from Saratoga and this video immediately made me think of the Saratoga Mall which used to be right beside the Wilton Mall. So odd to think of that now having two malls next to one another. I’d guess it was around ‘99 the Saratoga Mall was torn down to make Home Depot and all the other stores next to them. Only the Price Chopper/Market 32 was there during the same time.

[@lponm]

I didn't think it could even get more empty the last time I was there about 6 years ago. They had the Best Buy open and that was a big anchor store. The NCG cinema changed ownership a few times. Target is definitely what is keeping it alive.

[@frankanon4450]

I live in southern NJ and we have a mall here (Hamilton Mall) which is also now completely dead like the one in your video. My favorite time being at the mall was Christmas season. Malls made Christmas seem so real and exciting (except when you were last minute shopping and picking through leftovers - that was stressful) ;)

[@damrgee8279]

Believe it or not my friend and I used to cut firewood, right where the mall is today just before construction started. I have photos that used to be the greatest place to be on Friday nights me and the boys out looking for girls. The mall was packed just a great time.

[@brian56]

We used to hang out there on Friday nd Saturday nights back in the late 80s. It always was packed back then.

[@brianmoore6490]

I can remember when HVM opened! I was 8yrs old, but went there for years and years. I saw a lot of movies at that theater...Goonies, Top Secret, Baby-Secret of the Legend, Planes Trains and Automobiles, and I can't even remember most of them...Sad seeing this...

[@BrettLesPaul]

11:35 The corner straight ahead was a jewelry store.

[@hellcatredeye-g6582]

I grew up there 😂I remember when they were just beginning to clear the property behind Kingsmall, which is in front of it. I also remember the day it opened up. I used to go there when I was a kid all the time that brings back memories. Haven’t even been up there since I’ve moved to Georgia in 2006 . thanks for the memories.👍

[@spencerblais2539]

Not familiar with this place, but man... There are so many opportunities for studios to move on in and renovate this place top to bottom but it's wasted. Kind of a shame, really. As mall culture is going to be on the way out sometime in my life, I'd say it's best to renovate on what works and remove or restructure what doesn't.

[@charlestonpinballarcade]

A hull mall is better than no mall. Down here in SC, Hull is doing a really good job at the Prince of Orange Mall in Orangeburg and also Sumter Mall. Both towns would not have a mall if it wasn’t for Hull doing their bland refresh, keeping out flea market type stores and having security watch the malls. Admittedly, they are both high vacancy, but I doubt there’s many other property companies that want these malls other than for the land value. Good video Tom! You always do great work! 🎉

[@georgef551]

Talk about a single design for everything, it's exactly the same as Whitney Field, what Hull did to it. Lights, carpet, fake walls, the "We are (Town name here)" motif. You can put both videos together side-by-side, and you'd think it's the same place, outside of original architectural elements. It's almost time for my annual Black Friday walk-through of Solomon Pond Mall (Their directory claims a comeback, I'll see), and the yearly X-mas Eve at my home mall, Whitney Field (as us older people still call it, "Searstown"). I'm a Leominsterite, so it's about as local as it gets. :)

[@andysorensen1737]

Yeah, I feel like Whitney Field pulls the Hull renovations off WAY better than HVM. I get what Hull tries to do in these renovations in theory, but you can only paper over so much before it becomes the creepy maze HVM is.

[@georgef551]

@@andysorensen1737 It doesn't help that the covered-up dead stores is what was dead when they were done, and there's many new dead ones. Whitney has just a few that died post-renovation. This place, ouch.

[@ruby055]

The spot where stopped and looked thru a grating to a wall with a service window was a Cohens Fashion Optical in the 80s

[@fleabittenadventures]

Thanks for the info

[@jaysonovo4778]

The deaths of malls doesn't surprise me... idk the last time I purchased something in a mall. Used to be the place for most of my shopping needs. Now I mostly shop online when I need something, seeing that I usually find a better deal, and the malls around me have gotten pretty ghetto (the mannequins have sagging pants, thick chains on lol). It's a shame really. The days of bustling malls was fun, especially around Christmas. Last black Friday I went out, the malls were DEAD. I used to love going to a bar in the mall, getting a buzz and just people watching all day.

[@positivefactor8312]

I vaguely remember this mall when was a kid. Can’t remember the stores but remember going here. Holy smokes

[@bladeddt00ify]

I was there from 2000 up to 2002, there used to be a Nathan Famous where I used to work, on my lunch there was an arcade place where I hangout with some of my good friends at the time, had fun 😢😊 so many memories 😢😢

[@rickc303]

Coyote Cafe used to be across from the cinema with a lot of outdoor windows, still have a matchbook from them

[@supralapsarian]

Woo hoo! 1000th like!

[@fleabittenadventures]

Thanks!

[@thegerm574]

Stores Food court had Subway,McDonald’s Namco Arcade coyote Cafe. The Anchors were Sears,Macys,Old Navy,Jc Penny. A wing was added in the 2000’s adding Best Buy,Dicks and Target. Best Buy closed a few years back. There was a shooting in the mall a few years back and a unrelated murder of a restaurant employee that was Ground around at the time.

[@angelgirl7321]

you forgot nathans and ground round

[@thegerm574]

@@angelgirl7321 I don’t rennet a Nathan’s but I do remember Ground around and Friendly’s.

[@angelgirl7321]

@@thegerm574 nathan's was where mcdnalds was in the food court

[@handle-schmandle]

The Macy’s spot was Filenes, and before that it was Hess.

[@angelgirl7321]

@@thegerm574 burger king was also in the mall it was next to the kitchen store.

[@moflow99]

So happy i grew up a gen X-er when i see this. I lived in Danbury Ct. and we got a fantastic mall when i was a teen in the late 80's. Fun place to work and hang out, and since it was built on the old fairgrounds it got a fair theme... including a full sized carousel in the food court! Oh, and my belief on why they carpet dead malls is... yes, you don't need to polish the floor, but also you don't get that eerie echo when 1 person in heels is walking through a deserted hall with no other people to buffer the sound.

[@brian56]

I love the signs on the ceiling that say "shop the Hudson valley mall".

[@fleabittenadventures]

Yeah, that's kind of difficult when there are almost no stores left.

[@monochrome_sea]

Grew up here! I could probably help map out some of the old stores if pressed. It really used to be something, it's amazing how quickly it died off

[@QueensNativeNYC]

I used to frequent that mall in the early 2,000's and it was hustling and bustling.. Me and a close friend would take the 90 minute ride from Queens NY.. Great memories there.. Sorry to hear it's going down the tubes..

[@thediecastguy8535]

Hull Property Group also owns the Richmond Mall in Richmond, IN and it also looks like that inside with all the empty stores walled off

[@johnburke1317]

Nice video

[@fleabittenadventures]

Thanks

[@dreamgirls1358]

I have to say WOW.... Thanks for sharing the walk-through it was shocking and interesting at the same time. I have to say though what the Mall people did was stupid. Instead of adding new building onto the Mall, they should have put Target where Kmart use to be or some other unused store vendor section of the Mall. This is crazy right? But yet stupid people, do stupid things 😀

[@t.m.sasphaltmaintenance6409]

i grew up there in Kingston and remember the mall opening. It was the place to be on a friday night as a teen.

[@CaptainMcKayRandom]

At about 3:00, the hallway you’re walking up used to have an FYE, a big shoe place, and a jewelry store on the right. On the left was a Hot Topic. Those are the most recent ones I can recall, and the huge storefront at 4:35 was the old FYE before it downsized and moved over to the corner by GameStop. There used to be a musical instrument store (Abrams, I believe?) if you made a left at the center intersection, but that was back in like 2003 so I don’t know how long they were around. The Best Buy used to be right by Target, across from Dick’s. I BELIEVE it was Buffalo Wild Wings at one point across from the post office at 13:25. I couldn’t believe it when the entire thing got carpeted. I was in the mall a few months back and filmed a little for one of my videos, it’s basically a liminal space now. Crazy to see how far it’s fallen.

[@ISheolraver]

That certainly was an Abrams Music store. I worked there. Carpet covers many a tile I replaced when the kiosks got moved around or tiles got broken. I had several commercial contracts in that mall back then. Cyberstation arcade interior paint and wall treatments as well. Pyramid was a terrible outfit to subcontract to. I also was there at the malls grand opening in '81. Memories.

[@kevbo7733]

Who remembers the Ground Round. Was there for the Bulls championship game when there was a power outage in Saugerties in 96. I'm pretty sure a young lady was murdered there a few years prior.

[@shaynak745]

I vaguely remember The Ground Round. I believe it was across from the Post Office. I also remember lots of popcorn, everywhere!

[@ISheolraver]

Sharon Inger, 42 years old, the night manager at Ground Round, was stabbed to death by a lunatic employee trying to steal back his personnel file. He also stole $4000. He died 2 weeks later jumping from a moving car while highly intoxicated.@@kevbo7733

[@nickmonaco960]

I worked in the Town of Ulster from 1990 to 2010 and still live in the area. This mall was a bustling metropolis during the 80's and 90's. I remember was it was first built and one of my first jobs was in that mall. I worked in a little kiosk in the mall center. There were a ton of stores in there from the usual like LensCrafters and CVS, Spensers and the like. The Anchor stores were BestBuy, Sears, Macy's/Filenes, Target, Dicks, Kmart, JC Penney. Some of the restaurants were Friendly's, Rolling Rock, Papa Ginos, Ground Round. During the holiday season the place was packed, you could hardly get near it. That's where all your holiday shopping was done. There was no online stores or Amazon to buy from, just the mall. The skyrocketing cost of rent in the mall and the surge in online shopping is probably what put the Kibosh on the HVM