Monroeville Mall - Monroeville, PA

[@Simon_Electric]

He said GC Murphy's and I burst into tears. Last time I was at GC Murphy's was the downtown location in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania back in 1992. They had a restaurant in the basement and always sold fresh popcorn at at their lunch counter upstairs. I will never forget the smell. And I will never forget the taste of those corned beef tips we get from the deli.

[@jfz313]

My favorite store was Wander Sales electronics back in the seventys and seeing that beautiful Yamaha receiver in the showcase window with a christmas bow wrapped around it for $700.00.

[@AndyMenarchek]

The Pittsburgh accent in this video really adds to the experience. It’s like I’m touring it in person.

[@WallieB26]

Well, I am a local. Haha

[@iflip_pizzas5539]

my grandmother used to take me here around Christmas every year for the ride-able train set up they had. usually got grub from a restaurant up the road or from the food court after. the Mr. Rogers play ground was always a fun place to play on an empty weekend. although i will never experience they joys I had when i was younger, it was nice to know that someone cared enough to make them small memories for me. love ya grandma :)

[@miltoncallan1471]

Being that I am older than dirt, I just wanted to point out that the correct store name is either Joseph Horne, CO, or just Horne's. I was taken back when I heard you say Joseph Horne's (without the "Co."). My Mom worked there in the 30's and 40's. It was a quality store, and just a notch below Gimbel's and on par with Kaufmann's. Horne's was my favorite. My parents bought a Hammond Organ there is the late 50's and I took "organ" lessons in the downtown store for many years. It was memorable time I spent every Saturday with my Dad. I still have the organ.

[@NortheastAndRetired]

Growing up in Churchill the Monroeville Mall was practically just down the road and I always loved shopping there. My first car loan as a teenager was from Equibank in the Monroeville Mall branch. Current I live in Eastern Pennsylvania but love knowing Monroeville Mall is still around. ❤

[@PraveenSrJ01]

I was born and brought up In monroeville

[@jfz313]

Will never forget the wonderful new muscle car show along the aisles on the first and second floor the dealers would show back in the 70s.

[@FidelCashflow13]

❤ Early Sunsets Over Monroeville ❤️

[@toddament8035]

You nailed it. The Ice Palace is greatly missed. The rink was bad for hockey but the best for public skating, learn-to-skate classes and figure skating shows. The rink was packed for every session on the weekends during the fall and winter months. After morning hockey I would make my mom take me to Daisy Donuts.

[@ChickenLips412]

WallieB, Thank you. I was in elementary school when I saw this mall being built. I can still remember tossing a coin in the dancing water fountain (illuminated red/green at Christmas), the meticulously mulched live plantings under the staircases, the koi pond, and the clock tower marionettes as if it were yesterday. I spent many pre-teen and teen hours at the ice skating rink and adjacent concession stand (a footlong and large pop please), pinball arcade (formerly a stock/investment firm and then Monroeville Mall Ministry), the movie theater (later the Best Buy building), or simply hanging out with friends on a Friday/Saturday night. Heck, I even worked in the nearby McDonald’s (before the fire) and K-Mart (pre-HomeGoods) store. So many memories. I’ll never forget the fitting rooms in the middle of the Merry-Go-Round clothing store. The “doors” were simply thin pieces of fabric hanging from a curtain rod. The sales girls would wait just long enough for you to take off your pants; then throw open the curtain and ask you loudly if everything was fitting ok. I swear that was part of their training manual. WallieB, Thanks again for letting me take a fun walk down memory lane.

[@jv-ep2tc]

my elementary school was pitcairn 3. where did you go?

[@supergolfdude]

Hey, thank you for posting this. I lived in Monroeville from 1995 to 2001. I loved going to Monroeville mall and the surrounding restaurants.

[@DavidLLambertmobile]

Do you recall John Harvard's Brewery 🍺 or Evergreen's?

[@PraveenSrJ01]

I lived there in monroeville from 1983 through 2000

[@jackifoxx9031]

I have been to this mall in my younger days. I lived in Pittsburgh in the late '70's. Thanks for the walk down memory lane. So glad it is still open, but sad to hear about safety concerns. I really appreciate your energy & the dedication you put into your videos. Enjoy watching. Keep up the great work Wally.

[@tylerkostich6203]

I wouldn't say it's dangerous. I worked there last year, and I never felt my safety was threatened or anything. I did see fights break out, but it's not like the people just targeted any random person. I do remember how the mall was when I was a child though.

[@TJX1138]

Just wanna say...those are some fantastic shots of the exterior and interior of the mall...especially at that time of day...really well done...felt like I was actually there...

[@WallieB26]

Thank you! That was my intention with the video! To make it feel as if you are there! I'm really glad you enjoyed. Thank you for the kind words!

[@shonseibert48]

Grew up going to this mall almost every weekend, even remember when the Taco Bell it had had 79 cents tacos.......👍

[@cadillacguy1890]

I remember when this mall opened. I believe it was around July 1969. The traffic jam just to get into it would take 10-15 minutes. There was a Pup-A-Go-Go on the upper level. My dad and I would go out to the mall to get a hot-dog and watch the skaters. I bought my first stereo system at the Radio Shack on the upper level just down from where JC Penney is now. Back to school shopping always meant a trip to JC Penney. But if I needed extra dressy clothes like a suit, it was either Gimbels or Joseph Horne Co. That Firestone in the back parking lot was where my parents took the family car for “front end alignments”. They said it was the best alignment in the area. The first Saturday or so in December was Christmas shopping day at the mall. We’d get there late morning and stay until dinner, sometimes eating at the Brown Derby that was there. Those were good days. Thanks for the great video!

[@RyanGMcElroy]

My mom always took me to Lazurus for school clothes. I grew up and lived in Monroeville from 1983 to 2019. Thanks for checking this one out. You gotta make your way down to Miami and check out Aventura Mall.

[@andylucas8262]

When you think about it , this could be the original "dead" mall.

[@peggyokelly2118]

I love this Mall...location location location. The highlights are Mall walkers and people able to sit and relax.. Clean, well maintain and friendly staff throughout the whole mall. Wide variety of stores and restaurants. Transportation easy come easy go! I am grateful you remain for the surrounding area. EXCELLENCE MONROEVILLE MALL.. Thank you for a well done video...

[@eric1weecw001]

Monroeville brings back memories of my family's overnight stop off the Turnpike. we almost always stayed here on the way from my grandma's house in Akron to our home near Baltimore to break up the drive. there used to be this hotel with an indoor water slide pool and an indoor tiki bar with torches lit all around it. i can still remember the smell of the tiki torch oil burning throughout the hotel 😂

[@paulabiggs4392]

That was the Conley Inn 🙂

[@eric1weecw001]

@@paulabiggs4392 oh cool. Yes!! That was the name definitely. There was also a Pizza Unos like right next door we used to walk too on some evenings

[@MsGail61]

That was my childhood mall in the 60s and early 70s before my dad got transferred to Florida. I used to watch people ice skate in a rink they had in the middle.

[@NikoKourouklis]

CBL is a good property manager. They somehow are able to keep a crime-clad ghetto mall alive. Westmoreland Mall is so beautiful with its 90s design. CBL has left it intact, and it feels so nice to be in possibly the only live mall with a good design.

[@WallieB26]

I agree. Westmoreland Mall is very nice and nostalgic. I love visiting there. Looks very similar to how it did when I was a kid and my parents would take us out there.

[@radar_the_fox]

they shouldve got century III mall

[@NathanDavisVideos]

@@radar_the_fox That I can agree with!

[@NathanDavisVideos]

If CBL bought Century III Mall instead of Moonbeam; I could see it lasting a lot longer. Hell it probably would still be open today!

[@angelalinderman9985]

I love this mall! My dad was one of the xtra zombies in Dawn! I want to visit again soon I'm not far, just to at least go to the Living Dead museum! Thanks guys great vlog!👍🎃👻🕸

[@angelalinderman9985]

Sorry Jay! My phone is messed up 😭😢 this comment was for another vlog...my bad ( obviously about Monroeville Mall) LOL keep up the great work...💕👍

[@angelalinderman9985]

Holy crap it did get to you Wallie! Ugh this phone😂 😳😰

[@gorymarty56]

There is an event every June celebrating Dawn of the Dead and other Romero films

[@TerrysOdyssey]

I love monroeville but I haven’t been there in 20 years. They use to have suncoast video and some music stores. It was the place to be back in the day. Awesome history on this

[@DavidLLambertmobile]

I lived near by: Penn Hills, Wilkinsburg area. 1996-2000. I knew the area since the 1970s. I remember John Harvard's Brew House & Evergreens Buffet. 🍽

[@johnmonteleone6173]

thank you great job

[@WallieB26]

Thank you.

[@WallieB26]

Glad you enjoyed.

[@itrack4u]

Loved this video, Wallie❤️❤️❤️ I was in high school when this mall was built. The former Hornes was a rich person’s store. Next to it was the classy jewelry store, Bailey, Banks & Biddle. At the opposite end was the poor man’s store, Gimbels; my personal favorite store. In the center was the infamous, Ice Palace. The restaurant, Stauffers was across the rink with a wall of windows overlooking the rink. It was pricey. On the opposite side of the rink was a grill that served the best hot dogs I’ve ever eaten. They had the natural casing style. They snapped or crunched when you bit into them. There was also an S. S. Kresge. Of course most people know this was the predecessor for KMart. All in all this was considered a classy mall. When I returned to the area for a visit in the mid 1980’s, the rink along with many other stores were gone. I was very sad. Good memories of the past still remain.

[@BoratWanksta]

Sounds like this mall has slipped just a very slight bit, since it's glory years after it opened in the late 60s through(I'd guess) the 1980s. I wish they hadn't had removed the ice rink, which to me just sounds like yet another way to push profits(for the mall operator) over fun things to entertain shoppers while they were at the mall. And while the inside decor isn't as bad as a Hull(Storey Gibson, now mostly referred to as just Hull) mall, it feels like it was slightly blandized by CBL sometime in the 2000s or 2010s. That said I'm glad this mall still has a good occupancy rate, though the signs are there that it has slipped a little bit vs. years ago. And I worry this mall easily could start to really struggle, if it loses one or more anchors in the future. Hope we don't see a repeat of the decline of Century III here, but part of me worries that might happen down the road.

[@nickypoundtown9568]

Seeing as you're from the time and area, can you tell me what Bach's Arco Pitcairn was? A zombie in sawn of the dead is wearing a baseball tee shirt with those names on it

[@StaticTeaz]

This mall is actually pretty nice. kinda surprising in 2022, when so many others have long since failed

[@DavidLLambertmobile]

M's mall & 22 was very busy for that side of Pittsburgh, suburbs. I lived in Pine Hills-Wilkinsburg 1990s. Chain stores & QSRs 🍕🌭🌮🍔🥤 were always along the 376, 22 areas.

[@PraveenSrJ01]

Very beautiful and busting back in 1999

[@chrissasandlin8344]

Love to see a mall celebrating its history!

[@jeremyud]

I genuinely feel that the community and the management really do care about this mall, and that made a difference why they're managing to keep this one alive.

[@StantonsJourneys]

When you mentioned an Ice Skating Rink it reminded me when my home town mall In Ft. Wayne, Indiana use to have one. Glenbrook Square Mall, the Renovated it into a giant food court and has a 2 story carousel 🎠 now. So many memories of that Mall as well. Thank you for sharing this and always will support you, have a good holiday season.

[@SchardtCinematic]

Watch the original Dawn of the Dead and you get to see the ice skating rink.

[@snomans]

Great video. I love that you did this mall. It’s been at least ten years since I’ve been there. Glad to see it’s not dead. Please consider doing a Ross Park Mall video as well. I’d love to see it too.

[@pamelamajor1019]

I used to drag my parents to this mall in the 70's. It was one of my favorite malls.

[@DaChooch24]

Yes, a mall video, + Boscovs! Happy Halloween

[@draff1662]

It is a bit dark in portions of the mall. Sad they couldn’t implement a fresher design. I liked what I saw and this was a good video. Thanks.

[@trentpettit6336]

The building nearby which now has a JO-ANN FABRICS store in it (and previously also a BABIES R US store) was a MONTGOMERY WARD store originally, but the Wards store closed in 1983, long before the chain went out of business in 2001. I guess maybe the store would have lasted longer if it had been attached to the mall…

[@diamonddave45]

It has changed so much since I used to go there in the 80s and 90s. So weird seeing JC Penny being only one level now, and Dicks where Gimbel's and Kaufmann's used to be. Thanks for the update on the Expo Mart and about the ponds disappearing. I also remember the skating rink in the middle where the food court is now. Great memories. Thanks for the video!

[@danieldolle7008]

Q

[@diamonddave45]

@@danieldolle7008 ????

[@news89]

Those news ads at the end are wonderful. I wish more places would do that.

[@WallieB26]

For real!

[@news89]

@@WallieB26 I hope people in the future appreciate the history on the things in the past. Especially retail, roads, highways and many more things I'm sure someone will ask I wonder what was here at one time. It would have been wonderful to document Hills and Ames along with retail places back in the day. I guess we are very fortunate to have the technology today to capture and preserve the rise and decline and unfortunate closure of business.

[@WallieB26]

@@news89 oh I agree. I so wish we could go back in time and document Hills and Ames during their heyday. My particular Hills at North Hills Village Mall I would revisit daily if I could. That place was the best.

[@news89]

@@WallieB26 the Calcutta, OH Hills was mine. Salem, OH was mine Ames. Till 98/99 till we know what happened. Even back in 1998 (at age 12) when I learned Ames was buying Hills I sadly thought this may not last long.

[@patriciagray4085]

We went to that mall years ago on a bus shopping trip. It was hopping then. I enjoyed it.

[@BETTERWORLDSGT]

The first Mall I ever remember going to around 1969.

[@flywrightdrones]

Great video, I’m so jealous I’ve been wanting to go to this mall for years.

[@SportsSharp412]

Loved this, thank you

[@WallieB26]

Of course! Glad you enjoyed.

[@barbaraweidenhammer7644]

I was at this mall many years ago when my sister lived in Pittsburgh.

[@PraveenSrJ01]

I really miss monroeville mall

[@tichdaddy1]

Great work here Wallie. I admire your respect for your home town mall, and I understand and can totally relate to growing up spending weekends at the mall! That looks like an awesome mall, with still lots of nostalgia. I’d definitely check it out. 👍

[@fernandoscrenci4874]

69 was a Very good year, for a lot of things !!!!! 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@cynthiarose7534]

This mall is awesome. Three Auntie Anne’s in one mall. Wow. I also didn’t know Dakota watch place and Claire’s are still around. Happy Halloween Wallie and Kayla. Thanks for the beautiful and informative video. Very well done and I enjoyed it.

[@WallieB26]

Thank you for watching! I'm glad you enjoyed!

[@ambikawolf664]

This is one dead mall. Wow. Thank you for your channel. They just reopened the theatre here. It is 97 years old. There is a restaurant I love that is 100 years old and still going. The abandoned restaurant is still abandoned... I looked inside one strip mall that is abandoned and it had peeling paint all over. I have long forgotten what used to be there.

[@Frank-Discussion]

This was a great video, thank you. I'm sorry to hear about the fountains and fish ponds

[@PraveenSrJ01]

I moved out of monroeville to Raleigh Durham, NC 22 years ago in August 2000 at age 16

[@thegreatindoorswithedandmi7880]

Cool video. I'm from Cleveland area however I can relate to your nostalgic memories. Good job.

[@a.h.s5152]

Thanks for these beautiful mall views I enjoy watching mall videos ♥️♥️♥️♥️💗💗

[@JasonPlays22]

Great video! Always love the mall videos the most. Really like how you put them together. Keep up the great work.

[@WallieB26]

Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed.

[@misterhat5823]

I saw a CBL sign. Surprised it isn't a mess of massage chairs and stupid kiosks blocking the walkways.

[@shelbychurchisbeautiful614]

It So Great Too See Alive Mall That Is Not Dead.

[@simonpetrus1981]

Thanks for all the mall info 👍🏻

[@jaimienichols5649]

Awesome Wallie Happy Halloween

[@Lisa.G412]

I live here in PA and that's only 10 mins from my house, I was just there yesterday and there is a few more new stores.

[@gorymarty56]

I always felt safe there. Security is good

[@davidurban6813]

I'd love to take the ultimate road trip and drive out Pennsylvania. Visit Monroeville Mall and of course Evans City and the Cemetary. Along with a bunch of other non-zombie sites. Hopefully one of these years I'll be able to do that. Have a great day everyone.

[@DavidLLambertmobile]

2023 is now 10yr since I worked on the low budget film: Be Afraid Imdb 🎬🎭🍿. Mostly in Clarion, Clarion County.

[@brucesumter4327]

wow so cool mall i rember the movie i also saw outher youtube too ty for showing this video

[@1bentradio]

song at the beginning is a banger

[@WallieB26]

Thank you!

[@Landonthethomasfan3]

5:14 As a fan of Thomas and friends this was cool to see.😀

[@nancydarling4918]

Great video. Loved it! Thanks.

[@DalmationProductions]

Hey Wallie Great video Happy Halloween

[@neilcasabuena6617]

THIS WAS THE BEST MALL EVER!! I REALLY REALLY ENJOYED IT!!! HAPPY HALLOWEEN WALLIE

[@chm9935]

Not a dead mall but a struggling mall

[@Disabledguitarist1985]

This is awesome . This is the mall from dawn of the dead . ( the 1970s one )

[@khunopie9159]

A belated Happy Halloween to you too Wallie!

[@davidsquires154]

Hi Wallie, Excellent Video, and a Happy Halloween!

[@drscopeify]

Great tour of the mall, I have seen a few malls like this where a modern outdoor area was added but it makes sense as a lot of these older malls don't have the space to attract restaurants, in one instance it was by building a new tower next door and adding pedestrian bridge between the two buildings (both owned by Simon) a bit of a dead area during the day but busy at night. While I think that many malls remove fountains, planters and attractions like the skating rink to follow the modern clean look and also avoid legal issues and maintenance cost, I also think they want to remove areas that provide a place to be out of public view. The mall I go to from time had a cool unique outdoor large balcony seating area with planters, you could be very out of view there, it was all gutted some years ago and turned in to a restaurant outdoor seating area and the rest is closed off.

[@GhostTweeHubBub]

Totally digging the music! Thanks!!

[@WallieB26]

Glad you enjoyed!

[@GhostTweeHubBub]

@@WallieB26 I hope Kayla gets feeling better!! You 2 are so totally cute together.

[@xXSpectre0Xx]

Fond memories of that mall. Located on Miracle Mile or Miracle if you could make a mile in it's hey day!

[@rickruiz5872]

I LIKE YOUR MILLS UPDATE. KEEP IT UP.

[@jjryan1352]

I came hoping to see the fish pond, plant and fountain area. Especially the area that connected to the food court. You could sit there. It was like the rendezvous point to meet back up with the folks at a certain hour.

[@JoeyTABoy-k9l]

i don't mind this mall i use to go there with a friend of mine 2019-2021 (just a month before you filmed this) he had a movie pass for its cinemark and we went to random stores and restaurants from the food court i miss doing those things! now i believe monroeville is next becoming a dead mall due to lots of shootings! other than that i love the video as well :)

[@alwaysasleep]

Love the intro footage/music.

[@WallieB26]

Thank you!

[@lionboyTx]

You should go back to midway mall, I want to visit it. Never been to it before and I've heard things have changed in it for the worst.....

[@AnthonyGentile-z2g]

Used to work at a restaurant on the upper level, near the main entrance and the skating rink.

[@jet34thehawk]

Awesome

[@ram76921]

this mall used to be arguably one of the top 3 malls in pgh about 13 years ago, ever since that shooting happened, the mall made quick haste to close the barber shop as they suspected it was related to gang activity/drugs. but alas, the damage is done, its hard to recover from an active shooter incident, one happened recently at Ross Park Mall and I couldn't believe how dead Ross Park Mall was... that place used to always be packed.

[@cheaplaughkennedy2318]

I saw that movie at a drive in theater in Laurel Maryland many years ago .

[@ronb8052]

I left West Mifflin in 1970 to start a new life in California. I remember this Mall was a special place...especially Kaufman's and Hornes. I know you said this Mall is busy on weekends, but this video was sad.....probably 100 people in the whole place. I'm just wondering how long small businesses can survive solely on weekend traffic?

[@uncledavestoychannel]

great video!

[@claudespeed277]

Yea, them choosing to keep this jc penny's ment the location in my city's 2nd of 3 malls was forced to close, loosing the 3rd of its 4 potential anchors. Also loosing its movie theater. Only has Macy's now, and the whole top floor is abandoned, food court gone, no elevators, or escalators. Smells like mold and bird crap, occupancy is at 30% all stores being discount. Violent crime has always been an issue there, being in a bad area that is an economic decline. Its a 950,000 sqr foot mall, built in 1965 or so, has a weird interior styling, it was doing fine till the recession of 2008, then when the states economy when tits up the city struggled, and it only hindered the place further. The promenade of tulsa, ok is doomed.

[@nicolemacpherson3908]

Happy Halloween and Trick or Treat! 🎃🎃🎃🎃

[@charlestonpinballarcade]

No way! Burlington moved out of the strip behind the movies?! Also… that little block of pixel burn glitch on the 22 sign has been that way long before we left Pittsburgh almost 4 years ago.

[@1badjesus]

btw.. that IS a good angle camera shot! probably has to do with grey kids ride target grill pointing at camera.

[@RetroGaming-gp2ef]

It’s incredible the mall is still going strong 50 years later

[@jadecervantes2371]

May I ask what that old school R&B song is playing at the end of the video? Great video by the way, you definitely got my Sub and a like!

[@jerryr7641]

Cool vlog on channel KZbin

[@gorymarty56]

I like the seating

[@johnnymidnight2982]

"Jesus Christ... What is it?" "It looks like one of those indoor shopping malls."

[@toumbalou]

I would like to spend my vacation there and stay a few weeks.

[@gorymarty56]

Wish someone had kept the clock.

[@IggyStardust1967]

If you don't know why this mall is so famous, you just might be a zombie.

[@juliebove6237]

Great job..I can't say I been there..have been to Ross Park and Robinson Town Centre..Monrieville mall looked like a bland contemporary with no character..but clean tho..u need to come to youngstown n do Southern park..new bogeys is getting ready to open with indoor golf area..curious to see what it looks like even tho it's only 20 min from me..don't get out that much sine rona hit..

[@Jessicanyc]

Do a Night of the Living Dead locations too 😀🎃

[@ErikVince]

It still seems to be a beautiful maldo Wally but it was beautiful or back in the day from hell you're describing it

[@BoratWanksta]

Thanks for the walkthrough video of this mall. At least the occupancy rate still for now is good, but I see those small signs that make me worry that down the road more stores might leave here. Hopefully that doesn't occur in the end, but part of me worries that may occur down the road. Like today, I'd probably say it's a B grade mall(maybe at B+?) instead of an A grade mall. It's a big shame they removed those koi fish ponds on the 1st floor, and also the ice rink where the food court is now. BTW did find a clip of the old Monroeville Mall ice rink, here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bWS6ZJygmbKhl9E

[@daveq1279]

I'm sure it will be busier now that holidays are here. I would hope