Northtown Mall - 2nd Tour (Blaine, MN) - lively 1970s mall

Northtown Mall is still chugging along. I return with much more watchable footage!! :) This time around I go more in-depth in the mall's history and show changes to the mall between September 2020 and July 2022.
I made four different trips to the mall's new food court, too. Come check it out!
Northtown Mall's past: www.blainehisto...
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[@kppd41]

Our grandchildren will see these malls as relics. Just like Gen X lost drive ins.

[@bradkrekelberg8624]

Northtown was my home mall when I was a kid. Many happy hours were spent there at the Applebees. Best Buy, Ward's, Pet Ranch, Musicland, Spencer's, Woolworth... I see in your video there's a pet store there again! That made me happy. I remember it before the remodel. It has a really cool sailing ship theme. Those conversation pits were super cool, and we loved the aquarium too. I'd really hate to see it turned into a soulless lifestyle center. Does anyone remeber that we live in a cold climate?! They don't make sense! I even didn't like when they tore down the Ward's.

[@notlostjustwandering218]

This was my mall growing up in the 70s and 80s. As a youngster, I remember Woolworths, a little restaurant attached to Woolworths, and the aquarium in front of the store beging my favorite part of the mall. I also remember a model of the Titanic being in the mall, but can't remember where it was located. Possibly near Woolworths??? The dark brick floors are the only thing I recognize in your video. Seeing them immediately brought me back to being in the mall, and I could remember the sound the brick floors made as you walked on them, and the way the mall smelled 🙂 I can't believe how much the mall has changed!

[@b.lloydreese2030]

Same! The titanic model moved around. I recall one time it was near where best buy is currently. Thst did used to be woolworths. Woolworths also had a restaurant in it Also, right on that big open space in the mall by best buy, they used to have an aquarium! I loved it!

[@timpalmer7934]

I remember that restaurant attached to Woolworths - it was Harvest House. And the Titanic was just inside gate 4 on the left as you came in, just before you got to Woolworth's! Also, is Karmelkorn still there? I think I saw it in this video. That's noteworthy, because they were there in 1972 when that mall opened. Incredible that they're still there in their original location!

[@tanyaz6729]

I hung out, at this mall, back in the early 80's. For some reason... just tonight... I thought about that place. Typed it in the search, looked for any videos, and have come across YOURS. Leaving a message here, before even watching it. Here I go...

[@mattnovotny6888]

Mom and pop shops are EXACTLY why you should shop at Northtown! Support small businesses or soon all you'll have left is retail juggernauts who's only concern is maximizing profits, and keeping their shareholders happy (who don't give a shit about you, just profits). Northtown may be beyond it's "prime" but it's still a great destination for shopping & otherwise. It's not run down, it's not half empty. It's as good of "mall" experience ad you'll find without going to MOA.

[@taramisu9978]

Lots of memories from this mall, as I spent a lot of time there in the 80's and 90's. I too remember Woolworth's, the aquariums and the Titanic display near one of the entrances, and Montgomery Wards, Carson's and Mervyns. And each entrance had numbers across the top too. I don't get there any more, but it was fun to visit back in the day. Good video.

[@torger8305]

This was my childhood mall. A bit of this and MOA growing up in the 2000s. But most my mall memories come from this place. It has a special place in my heart

[@patdickson6740]

It's personally my favorite mall in the twin cities metro now. Northtown has stores i go to sometimes and their foodcourt is really nice.

[@marcussmith4913]

80s was FANTASTIC... God I wanna go back so bad.

[@YodelingLoonRetail]

I wish there were more 80s photos of Northtown!

[@truck_dude]

I live not too far from there and I used to go there almost everyday when I was younger. I loved going to the eatery and have Subway and just walk around and look at some cool stuff. I've always went to look at some animals at four paws and a tail. I've went there recently and I was sad how they changed the eatery. That store brought me some good memories.

[@jen7662]

As a teen in the late 90’s this was my hangout, carefree memories are housed within Its walls. Think I’ll go there this weekend.

[@ewinmn]

I was surprised to see it get remodeled. Every time I go, it just seems a bit more ‘sad’. Rosedale Mall is basically Northtown Mall 2.0

[@MicheleJean]

After seeing this mall, and so many other malls in Minnesota, I am really surprised to have not seen a Eden Prairie Center on the playlists.

[@YodelingLoonRetail]

I do want to make an Eden Prairie video, but it’s always been busy. I may have to take off a quiet weekday morning for a video.

[@jolenehendrickson8915]

Lived blocks from northtown and would ride bikes to there in the 70's

[@mstiefan6996]

I used to come here all the time in my teenage years back in the late 90's/early 2000s, but remember stuff like that aquarium from when I was a small child. I used to head down to this mall area in my teenage years once a week at around 8:30am and could be there until after 1:00pm as there used to be so many places I enjoyed going to. We had Media Play, Sam Goody, Suncoast Pictures, Best Buy, Shinders, Toys R Us, the movie theater, and a number of other places. As time went on though, the stores I enjoyed to go to started to all close one by one, the movie theater closed like most of the smaller theaters once Showplace 16 was opened, and the mall was getting chopped up for businesses that were closed off from the rest of the mall. The last time I went into the mall was sometime earlier this year just to see how things were doing...I think I spent less than a half hour there. There's just...nothing really there that made me want to spend time there. Oh, one thing about the food court. It USED to actually have two entrances. One on the Best Buy side and the other over by where Kohl's was. It had a hallway full of small businesses like travel agencies and stuff. Then they closed up that side to build a big GAP in the spot.

[@PaleOpal21]

I was surprised at how modern this mall looked. The food court reminded me of when they had Revolution Hall at Rosedale which lasted about six months before it flopped. People didn't care for having to download an app or using a kiosk for orders and their refusal to accept cash. I also don't blame the residents for the pushback. There is already too much empty office space and who can afford $400,000 townhouses in this economy.

[@felix121984]

Maplewood Mall and Rosedale were bigger and better even in the 1980s.

[@contax50mm]

This was my mall is the 80s and 90s. I remember the titanic model. So many memories

[@rehpotsirhc21]

Best Buy is even gone now

[@YodelingLoonRetail]

I happened to be there a few days before it closed. The guard was sick of people asking “When are closing?” and pointed at a sign.

[@brooksrownd2275]

Oh hey a newer one - I put comments in the old one :D

[@davidellis5141]

Good Luck to the mall which now must deal with a recession.

[@roberterickson9956]

Put a sporting goods store inside the mall again like there was in the 70s and early 80s

[@bjmcfarland1]

Used to take my granddaughter there to see Santa

[@guyfawkesuThe1]

This mall has declined further and is approaching dead. Best Buy is a shell of its former self there.

[@R.J.1]

The mall is allegedly busy yet you walked thru an anchor store with no shoppers or employees. Look, I get your passionate, but at least be honest.

[@theverybestyoutubeaccount]

You are not from MY STATE stop acting like you are