SoCal mall featured in 'Back to the Future' looks like a ghost town

Locals say they remember how busy the Puente Hills Mall used to be, but now customers are greeted with signs saying stores are closed. Full story: abc7.com/puente-hills-mall-ci...

[@trouble9939]

I'm glad I was able to witness how fun life was growing up in the 80's & 90's. Not only did we shop at malls but it was also a place to socialize, I will definitely miss.😢

[@luigivincenz3843]

Same. One day, I'm lining up at Ticketmaster to see Guns N Roses or Metallica, now I have to buy Taylor Swift tickets for my kids. Aging blows..

[@ninadaly7639]

Those were Americas salad days!

[@moiramccleary5306]

The 70s were fun for me could go out and go to school without fear of being shot or assaulted. 80s and 90s my kids could do the same. Sad times we live in now 😢

[@trouble9939]

@moiramccleary5306 totally agree.

[@madero-jb5ri]

@@moiramccleary5306 The 70s had the deadliest serial killers.

[@tkong6465]

I’ll never forget walking around the mall in the late 90s during Christmas. Some of the most nostalgic and a irreplaceable aesthetics we will never get again.

[@1inchpunisher715]

Sheesh

[@NauerBauer]

Where else could edgy mall goth kids give you the stink eye while you ate a disgusting sugar roll. FYI. I was that edgy mall goth kid.

[@bravobravoh1344]

And the late 90s wasn't really that nostalgic.

[@rabd3721]

​@@NauerBauer And now you're a middle aged man eating a disgusting sugar roll as you scroll youtube 😂

[@sugeary4248]

I think they should install a “Back to the Future “ museum of sorts. I imagine a lot of people don’t know about the mall’s history. They could design some fun photo options for patrons. It could be a draw for fans from all over the world.

[@Dahmer_Jeff]

If you think it would be a success why don't YOU build it 🤔

[@jonfreeman9682]

Totally agree. This is a legendary mall and they need to put money in restore it to its glory days. Unfortunately too many mall operators let it go.

[@Goleon]

@@Dahmer_Jeff- Well duh they don’t live there. How can you build something when you can’t even get to that mall?

[@Doug87969]

@@Goleon where there is a will there is a way

[@billger5710]

copyright Universal

[@SLone3251]

Online shopping is not the culprit. I wish people would stop using that as a scapegoat. I grew up going to this mall--it's the management and owner, Kam Sang, that has made the mall decline. The nearby West Covina, Brea, and Santa Anita malls have all thrived for the past decades. Malls thrive on the stores and overall experience. This mall needs to be sold to Westfield or Simon for redevelopment.

[@cachetona4794]

Yup

[@Michael_Beanflip]

I bet you're a trump supporter

[@khoa2610]

LOL online shopping the MAIN culprit. people are realizing it's easier to buy things at a cheaper price online than fight through traffic and hordes of people to purchase something with a higher than avg markup

[@SLone3251]

@@khoa2610 You're thinking of this time of year. Any average day/weekend of the year isn't as bad. There is an organic experience in buying stuff (whether for or others) in-person. Some things like color and size and defects also cannot be accessed online. And not everything is cheaper online (this varies), and some things even if purchased online, are cheaper if you pick up in-person since it omits shipping.

[@SLone3251]

@@Michael_Beanflip Outlandish. And there's always someone who brings politics into any damn subject.

[@TheLaymanCollector]

In 2021 I went to a Kmart that I used to frequent as a child over 35 years ago. There used to be an arcade there and a pizzeria, and it was very busy and fun in the late 80s. When I went everything was shut down. The Kmart was open but it was completely deserted and looked barren. It was so sad to see - a clear reminder to people in mid-life now that some places they remember from childhood completely fade away.

[@dave23024]

I grew up close to an Alco, and it was the same thing. They're probably all closed by now.

[@renatayuuki5705]

Just like life fades away

[@andrewczski1969]

Ever have those super cheap submarine sandwiches? K-Mart used to have a small deli, long ago. They were so good, for being cheap.

[@TheLaymanCollector]

@@andrewczski1969 Unfortunately I've never had those subs.

[@TheRealCrimdor]

Nobody addressing that malls closed because teens started using them as turf war sites?

[@RAFAKAUST]

I live in the area and let me straighten some things out. Crime is not the reason for this mall being so dead. This mall has been dead since 2007 when my family moved to the San Gabriel Valley. The fact that it has stayed open at all since then is absolutely mind boggling. It's really the lack of notable retail names and the god-awful food court that have kept people from coming here. The surrounding population is huge and they still prefer to drive 20 minutes north to the nearest Westfield Plaza in west covina. Puente Hills has always been a depressing ghost town.

[@TheDumontShow]

Wow. Thank you for that information. This is why it's always better to ask the people from there about the locale and never leave it to the media to tell the story.

[@TaLeng2023]

Guess it's too late for them? I don't think those big retail names are gonna open in such a mall. Heck, even they are moving online.

[@highwaystitchercoletteking5633]

I lived in Rowland Heights about 10 minutes from Puente Hills Mall for 46 years. I think the high point years for that mall were in the early seventies when they first opened to just before Back to the future was filmed there. Then they went through a slump but bounced back in the 90s when they opened a big theater complex and Borders books. Eventually the bookstore folded and the theater aged and the mall slumped again. There were several changes made hoping to capture more customers but nothing worked. We left the area in 2010 and I wondered whether the mall was still even open ( until I saw this newscast)

[@captaindestruction9332]

@@1stamendmentrightsyour going to get high taxes virtually anywhere in California. Crime while it can deter businesses it’s usually the Malls inability to accommodate the businesses/more security etc.

[@ctaylor8003]

@@captaindestruction9332 The shopping mall as a concept is dead. No amount of extra security will change that.

[@chefpete12571]

I grew up going to that mall. Back in the 80s I remember it being so busy one Christmas season that I parked my mom's car at my friends house and walked 5 blocks to the mall. I still made it to the mall before the car that was in front of me in traffic. That mall had everything.

[@sal2975]

It's just like my dad used to say, "The mall has it all."

[@frauwolftherehorse]

Thanks for sharing your story.

[@lifeonmars03]

That's wild

[@waltchan]

It's the very expensive housing costs in Rowland Heights and Diamond Bar area now that birth rate is declining sharply. More kids are now found in Moreno Valley, CA and Perris, CA malls.

[@josh24441]

No…. It’s not solely because of online shopping. It’s because the mall management charges way too much for rent, and most stores don’t have what you want. They need to make the rent much cheaper and invite business that sell to ALL walks of people. Not just skinny men and teenage girls.

[@harvey4067]

Are you paying their property tax and interest? 😂

[@rdrd9676]

maybe shoppers dont want to have to deal with smash and grab robbers ,that police refuse to arrest

[@Tripwire_Desire]

The 2 things keeping the mall "alive" is the AMC theater and the Bowling Alley. The fact of the matter is, this mall has been "dead" for years. 90% of the shops are now closed. And the ones that choose to open, open late and close early. Given it's current state, I doubt this mall has what it takes to "survive" much longer.

[@chisan3354]

It’s opens late, because Asian have this weird thing, about opening their stores late

[@Teolulz]

@@chisan3354 because of the Mexican gangs shooting each other in the area. 81% hispanic. what could possibly go wrong?

[@juanbotello1]

Here in Houston it’s the same. The malls are dying. But if you go on the weekend to the Mexican flea markets, they’re jam packed. Those don’t die.

[@profit4rmpain]

Well it's because they're a place you can get more for your buck not mention you can bargain there at mall what you see is what you get

[@NiddyGritty]

River Center Mall, and North Star Mall, South Park Mall are always packed in San Antonio

[@PatriciaHINE]

What is the purpose of buying anything to make your place look nice when you can lose your job at any moment and the pigs come in to take it and resell what you bought at their second hand stores or you see them refurbishing what needs to be fixed back up and then then turn it around and try to sell it for a few dollars off of what is new . Look how the cheap products they make are also costly and then those landlords go ahead and take them income and buy new stuff . So who the hell would want to buy anything in these times from people who is just going to take it away from you the following year . Their is no point of buying you like no more because the owners are living off of human suffering . People were meant to get wealthy off of making others wealthy where you now see them getting rich off of crippling society . They put price tags on life including trees .

[@juanbotello1]

@@PatriciaHINE I don’t know what you just typed, but whatever. It’s Saturday here and I’m having a great time at the flea market. Happy New Year.

[@Metal0sopher]

Move them to the mall. Vacant malls while people selling shit on the street. America is nuts. Small towns are dying with thousands of vacant homes, while big cites are too expensive and full of homeless. America is nuts. Where's American ingenuity at? You have empty malls and empty cities while people selling and living on the streets, and no one can put two and two together. America has become a nation of nitwits.

[@The1emerican]

I used to work at a gnc and a cellphone store at La Puente hills mall. Man those were the good ol’ days. The smell of popcorn, the sound of arcades, and people just hanging out. It truly was a cool place to socialize and make friends. I truly miss those those days.

[@theDavidChannel1]

The Twin Pines sign featured in the movie is still at that mall. I'm surprised the report did not show it.

[@stanford-nf4jk]

My uncle used to take me here whenever my parents got into an argument. He lived with us at the time and we’d go hang out here until storm passed. I don’t live in SoCal anymore, but my local mall is slated to be refurbished and turned into housing.

[@Marbella125]

Hopefully your uncle will have a place to live now

[@tonebone2895]

LMAO WUT@@Marbella125

[@gridley]

Fans of the movie "Back to the Future" apparently annually visit the parking lot of the Puente Hills Mall to commemorate it as the setting of the fictional Twin Malls Mall. For the sake of nostalgia (& as a tribute to Doc Brown & Marty McFly), it shouldn't be torn down. But for economics, it pretty much has to be. Meanwhile, several miles to its west, YT vlogger German in Venice about a month ago posted a vid of the Citadel factory outlet mall in the city of Industry. It was surprisingly busy. For crowd control, some of its stores even had lines of people waiting to get in. So good or poor business trends are all over the map.

[@julievanderleest]

Hope your family is doing well too. Sounds like it was a little rough for you as a kid.❤

[@medic1937]

​@@gridleyThat Citadel mall is usually busy for some reason.

[@QuietgalSeeya]

This is the perfect mall I’d love to visit! I don’t have to worry about a big crowd 😊

[@aztekwarriorhr]

Well go tomorrow

[@Bidenfriend]

Biden destroyed everything fast

[@Cmon-Man]

@@aztekwarriorhrlet’s all meet at the Orange Julius

[@teetaunjj7894]

Trump won 2020

[@AlAnsikk]

i'm like you but Puente Hills is sad. not a fun time.

[@stevenkaiser6253]

I grew up in West Covina. When Puente Hills Mall opened in 1974, we used to love going there. We could/would spend the whole day there. It was like going to Disneyland for us who rarely got out of the East San Gabriel Valley. Even into the 80's I would go there. That mall was so much better than the one that opened in West Covina a year or two later. Good memories of a lost time.

[@etrent2829]

For those of us in the SGV, it was more than just a mall... Fridays nights were packed with teens at the movie theatres, Malibu Grand Prix and the Showboat video game center. Great memories for sure.

[@waltchan]

It's the very expensive housing costs in Rowland Heights and Diamond Bar area now that birth rate is declining sharply. More kids can now be found in Moreno Valley, CA and Perris, CA malls that continue to give good birth rates by the immigrant population.

[@NetScourge]

I'm so sad that kids today won't experience what malls were like in the 80s and 90s. I made so many friends and even met a few of my girlfriends there. The internet destroyed one of the best places to be a teenager.

[@stpedro-ht9ng]

When I was an 8 year old kid in 2006 at the mall with my older sister I would always look forward to when I was older and could have those mall experiences you mentioned. But then as I grew older and the world changed, I realize no one in school I know is going to the mall regularly at all :/

[@lokokrz.gaming]

​@@stpedro-ht9ngwhy not? Any idea why they don't like it?

[@vanguard812-vf7hr]

Internet is never the reason. It's USA's fault how it is designed.

[@vanguard812-vf7hr]

I go the the mall in my country almost every day because it's free. lol Walking and biking is nearly free. USA's malls is just located and designed horribly.

[@stpedro-ht9ng]

@@vanguard812-vf7hr Yeah most malls here are surrounded by a sea of gigantic parking lots and basically no sidewalks or bike lanes to get to the mall.

[@TeamDaemon1980]

This was my hangout mall from 1999-2002 before moving to OC. Back to the Future was one of my favorite movies ever and I didn't realize Puente Hills was in it until years after I got the DVDs for them in 2002 and when my friend told me about it and wanted to visit it in 2009. I used to frequent GameWorks there. Then I saw the midnight showing of Revenge of the Sith there at AMC and lines all over the place. Fully packed theater. I think one of the last movies I saw there was maybe Bolt in 2008. Then I read it started dying out by the early 2010s. It's a shame. My closest mall is Brea Mall and it's becoming a ghost town too.

[@Cassie00111]

Brea mall is packed

[@RoIIingStoned]

Yea brea mall still has pretty good amount of people. This mall looks dated in general

[@frauwolftherehorse]

Gameworks STUDIO (smaller format / footprint). And Brea Mall is still Packed.

[@TonyMarselle]

Damn, I grew up there and those were my favorite. Brea mall was great. That sucks

[@bludika]

thank Bidenomics and Gavin Newsome

[@HeroineOfTwilight]

The malls in my area are actually pretty busy. Perhaps not as popular as they once were, but I did my Christmas shopping WAY early over a month ago and the whole place was hopping. The parking lots aren’t usually up to the brim full, but I’ve rarely if at all felt lonely in a mall throughout recent years. However, as someone who spent most my life in SoCal before moving away, I think the real problem here may be related to the money people have as well. I haven’t lived there in almost a decade now but back then the local brick and mortars were already taking a fall, hence why I noticed how lively the malls in my own area are. Sales tax in SoCal was 10% back when I left; that’s A LOT. And we’ve had a poverty rise for a long time just in general. When people need to shop with a tight budget, Amazon offers products with a VERY low price compared to other sellers, and the real cost is that you cannot see the product before it gets to your door. Plus with gas prices spiking again, that’s an added expense of getting to the mall. But like I said, even if malls are less popular, I do think the truly dead malls have more to do with the financial state of the people living around them than just online shopping.

[@Livnglrg]

All the malls in my area are packed… I guess it’s some markets that can’t support multiple malls.

[@shimersun6272]

Maybe Amazon is cheaper but you have to pay taxes+shipping. And at the store you can buy stuff here and now not wait until it arrives. That's sad. Stores shouldn't close. Some people dont know how to order online they need to go to the store...

[@stanbalo]

Upon reading comments, i think Americans have the tendency to move all the time like in your experience. I live in Asia and it is rare to move from one city to the next. With this, loyal clientele gets lost in the process.

[@waltchan]

It's the very expensive housing costs in Rowland Heights and Diamond Bar area now that birth rate is declining sharply. More kids are now found in Moreno Valley, CA and Perris, CA malls.

[@kevinp8108]

I lived in West Covina from 1991 to 1998 and the Puente Hills Plaza was the closest mall to our house. The area around the mall was the place to be on weekends because of the shops and restaurants nearby. I have a lot of fond memories and I will always remember it busy with shoppers.

[@waltchan]

It's the very expensive housing costs in Rowland Heights and Diamond Bar area now that birth rate is declining sharply. More kids can now be found in Moreno Valley, CA and Perris, CA malls that continue to give good birth rates by the immigrant population.

[@jasonsimpkins9069]

I love malls/stores. You save so much on shipping, and you can INTERACT WITH PEOPLE.

[@George-dy3pt]

These Hobbits don't know how to socialize! They're to lazy to even leave their house!

[@e92e36]

you realize some people don’t want to interact with others right? I would love a fully autonomous mall where i don’t have to talk to any employees

[@anonomyss]

I hated going to the mall when it was crowded. Also, there's a 90% chance the mall doesn't have the specific thing you're looking for (if you were looking for something), and then you just wasted all that time, only to walk out without the one thing you needed.

[@Mel-vb5pj]

@@e92e36yes yes, everyone is aware there are introverts and antisocial people. You all have the internet to shop if you don’t want to interact. Us social folks LOVE interacting, and shopping malls were FUN places for us to do that. They will be missed.

[@shaunsteele6926]

the internet has made people antisocial. No one wants to interact with people in person

[@user-dw1ls3rp1l]

Amazon is only partly to blame. Other factors include increased crime and violence from unaccompanied minors, and the fact that lots of these malls were built in areas that had young families in the 70s-90s. As those folks age, they stay in their houses, but no longer want to walk hundreds of yards around a mall. I do think there is a way back to prosperity, but it involves beefing up security, not allowing groups of minors in without a guardian, and waiting out a demographic shift in the neighborhoods.

[@renatayuuki5705]

A lot of physical stores have to close because of all the looting and stealing

[@tonebone2895]

So no blacks?

[@lawlkings]

Disagree, Amazon is a big factor imo. I've done all my shopping online, the last time I went to the mall was pre-covid. Amazon and online shopping removed any incentive on why I need to drive to the mall and physically be there

[@ca8944]

@@lawlkingsthat sucks that you would give money to Amazon

[@carterclaire8862]

No

[@davediamond9436]

in the mid seventies when this opened, this place was just awesome ..

[@alexanderbanos8125]

It's sad that such a legendary mall like Puente Hills Mall is falling into severe decline. The mall originally had Sears, J.W. Robinson's, JCPenney, and The Broadway as its original anchor stores when it first opened in the mid-70's. The mall became famous in the mid-80's when the movie Back To The Future was filmed, giving it the fictional Twin Pines Mall name. In the 90's, Robinson's became Robinsons-May (later became Macy's) while The Broadway and JCPenney closed. With The Broadway and JCPenney closed, the mall started coming to decline in the late 90's. Then, the mall got busy when The Broadway became AMC Theaters and JCPenney became Burlington Coat Factory, Circuit City (later Toys R Us), and Linens N Things. But now, Sears is gone since 2018 while Macy's is gone since 2022. At the same time, many specialty stores have also closed. At least, the mall still has AMC Theaters and Round 1 Amusement Center (former Linens N Things).

[@vanguard812-vf7hr]

Malls are designed wrong. Main designer of malls hated his own creation. That says a lot. He wanted it to be a third place for people of any age. It got worse because how it is designed and located. Main reason is you need a car to get to the mall and second reason is its mainly shopping or eatery other than that there is nothing to do for older adults (entertainment isn't free). If your a teenage, or kids then you can't really go there because its too far to walk or bike there. I'm aware there is playgrounds or mini park in a mall but its mainly for younger kids. Malls can be for any age. It suppose to be a hangout area. They need to make it multi purpose and easy to access for everyone. Imagine mall is located 15 mins away from homes at walking distance. In my country when I wanted to go to the mall I could there every day because it's free. How is that? Because I could bike there. When I was in the US I rarely go to the mall at all because its simply far, there is nothing to do, and its expensive because driving is simply expensive.

[@waltchan]

It's the very expensive housing costs in Rowland Heights and Diamond Bar area now that birth rate is declining sharply. More kids are now found in Moreno Valley, CA and Perris, CA malls.

[@tvera110]

I’m literally at this mall for every movie premiere. I live over the hill in La Habra… but my parents would often take me here to exchange us kids (children of divorce) I remember the fountain that had dolphins in it. I used to sit there and wait with my mom while my dad was on his way to pick us up. I have a ton of fond memories of this mall and will be sad to see it go.

[@DialloMoore503]

It’s like this all over America. Lloyd Center Mall in Portland is the same way. Shopping malls are becoming obsolete.

[@rushnerd]

Yeah, which is crazy. It used to be so busy there I didn't even want to go. Clackamas mall is doing better, but still kind of a shell.

[@DialloMoore503]

@@rushnerd Last I heard about Lloyd Center was that some real estate firm in Seattle was going to purchase the property and try to revitalize it.

[@flyingjew2994]

I've been to some close to me that are always packed

[@jogmas12]

Back up to the 1950’s downtowns were the places to shop those were replaced by malls that are now being replaced by online shopping

[@scotchfike21]

Lloyd center and Portland in general has been declining. Used to live in PDX and plan never to return.

[@sting114]

It’s mind boggling to know that Amazon is making shopping centers close left and right and they pay zero dollars in income taxes while doing it

[@MoreEvilThanYahweh]

It's cheaper to bribe the government than pay proper taxes, how shocking!

[@sampathgk6195]

Taxes are passed on to customers ! if you did not know

[@tibedog5629]

There's open gang shootouts at the malls around me lol. Amazon ain't the reason they are dying here. People just don't feel safe anymore

[@orders69pizzas30]

or crime but okay keep yelling at amazon, at least i can order online and not worry about being shot

[@donlee.4308]

@@orders69pizzas30the only problem is porch pirates are busy this times of the year.

[@dante340]

It seems like the only malls still thriving in LA are the ones that have switched to being more upscale centric and geared toward affluent crowds (Century City, Santa Anita, Del Amo, Glendale, etc). All the malls for working class folks are either dead or dying a slow painful death sadly.. Puente Hills, Westminster, Carousel Mall in San Bernardino, the list goes on. It's really sad.

[@serialkilla23]

stonewood center, lakewood center and los cerritos center not really upscale..but there busy too.

[@dante340]

@@serialkilla23 Cerritos is still fairly busy yes, but the other two, eh debatable... they are definitely MUCH quieter compared to the other malls I mentioned.

[@jmnjj5213]

Brea mall and Victoria gardens is packed too. Has a nice apple stores and Rolex and Fashion stores. Also Ontario mills.

[@TheVideoEditorGuy6579]

@@serialkilla23 Cerritos is fine and Lakewood to most extent. Stonewood is not there yet but has symbols of being a dead mall.

[@waltchan]

It's the very expensive housing costs in Rowland Heights and Diamond Bar area now that birth rate is declining sharply. More kids can now be found in Moreno Valley, CA and Perris, CA malls that continue to give good birth rates by the immigrant population.

[@neferazure]

Most of the reason stores at PHM are empty is because they vacated when the mall's owner announced a renovation which ultimately never materialized. I can recall even in 2012/2013 the mall was doing fine, maybe even up till 2015, although stores were beginning to vacate due to the owner's announcement. So the idea was to move out while the place got renovated and then they would move back in once complete. But unfortunately I'm guessing the owner ran into other financial issues and so the reno just never came to fruition. So now it's just kinda sitting there. It also doesn't help that a young boy got molested in the restrooms near the foodcourt by what turned out to be a Disney employee. They got a lot of bad press from that situation. Only thing really keeping the mall going now, is Round 1/SpoCha, AMC Theatres, and interestingly enough, the Ross Store downstairs is still booming. There's no security manning the mall anymore; on any given day you can see teens skateboarding and trying to do tricks on the midway. Security desk is vacant. There are security hired directly by Round 1, but they are there for that specific detail. I believe AMC also has its own security. But the mall itself has none anymore. Doesn't sound like the owner can afford to pay for it. The pandemic definitely worsened things, but this reno announcement happened all the way back in 2015/2016 which is when more of the stores began to vacate. The Twin Pines Mall sign can still be seen downstairs near the vacant Hollister store, which is pretty neat.

[@ricardocastillo2435]

There are no stores to shop at they are all closed.

[@joeyflowers5071]

Part of the issue of the puente hills mall is the owners! The mall has been going down hill for years. A few miles down the road is the West Covina mall and that place is popping every weekend and has many big retail stores.

[@patrickfreeman8257]

When I was in high school this was THE mall. Over the past 40+ years the demographic in that area changed and the mall didn't change with it.

[@BiggestRedditor]

Oh trust me the mall changed with the demographics, there’s not a single thing that doesn’t change for the worse whenever the demographics change from white to brown. I remember the packs of people walking around yelling at customers, stealing and fighting. This mall was already dying before online shopping became so big. So the mall did change, good people stopped bringing their families there because there were constant fights and people getting arrested.

[@BlowitAllUp]

City of Industry is probably majority Chinese by now.

[@waltchan]

It's the very expensive housing costs in Rowland Heights and Diamond Bar area now that birth rate is declining sharply. More kids can now be found in Moreno Valley, CA and Perris, CA malls that continue to give good birth rates by the immigrant population.

[@dustindodds4827]

It's crazy, back in 1998 when I worked at a mall, a guy told me that one day malls won't exist, stores will close, and everything you buy will be delivered to your front door. I thought he was nuts.

[@rkgaustin9043]

Back in the mid 90's I started saying the pinnacle of technological development will be when you never have to leave your couch for anything.

[@tednguyen7258]

u should of asked for lottery numbers

[@soniagalindo7589]

I lived nearby and worked there, when I was younger, sad to see that. So much changes and we just adjust to the times. Maybe one day there won't be any malls and we can only look back at the good old days. 🤔 There were some good times there. 🤣😂

[@dylanwong6065]

So very sad. I often visit Puente Hills Mall with my uncle ever since I was a kid to teenager. Even back when I was in college, I still visit that mall. But right now, Puente Hills Mall sadly went downhill and kinda empty while the Santa Anita Mall in Arcadia is still in good business.

[@waltchan]

It's the very expensive housing costs in Rowland Heights and Diamond Bar area now that birth rate is declining sharply. More kids can now be found in Moreno Valley, CA and Perris, CA malls that continue to give good birth rates by the immigrant population.

[@susanmark2000]

We all mourn what is no longer. Usually our youthful memories. When malls became all the rage, the generation before was mourning the loss of their downtown shopping adventures and all those stores and locations that went out of business because of malls. There will always be something new displacing what was. Sad but true. I was a young adult in San Francisco and used to love going to the downtown stores. I don't live there any more but I know downtown there is a ghost town these days.

[@DF-et4gs]

Totally. We have an old shopping district that people would go to near downtown. It's been dead for 40 + years but I would still hear people talk about that area as a booming shopping district.

[@kristoonz]

Anybody else remember when they had koi ponds at the center of the mall!? Wow, good times. Definitely was really active there when I was like 12 and before then. Now I’m 27 and it sucks to know it’s a ghost town. Even my favorite chinese food place Tokyo Grill closed down during the pandemic and never reopened. I still wish I could eat there again. *sigh* 😔

[@carltonlong1985]

I would always eat at Tokyo Grill back in the early 00's before seeing a movie with friends. Good times.

[@rmsc9127]

1:24 the escalator isn't even turned on. So sad to see empty stores and areas. Here in the Philippines, online shopping is very popular, but many malls are still thriving. I think one reason is because many people like the free air conditioning due to the heat.

[@stickynorth]

All malls should be turned into their originally intended purpose of being mixed-use, mixed-income town centres. Victor Gruen the original mall architect conceived them to be complete places to live, work and play however the developers that ended up building his designs always cut them down to single-use retail sites and now look what's happening...

[@garyh4458]

You don't know what you are talking about.

[@fiarandompenaltygeneratorm5044]

@@garyh4458 But he does. Just because you don't like it, doesn't mean it's not true.

[@PatRiarchy-qw6cp]

California should be converted to free market capitalism. It was never intended to be a soft tyranny of meddlesome government

[@garyh4458]

@@fiarandompenaltygeneratorm5044 No he doesn't, and here is why. Malls were booming in the 70s, 80s, and 90s. The business model was perfect back then. It wasn't until the internet, social media, online shopping and crime started making places like malls, skating rinks, movie theaters, bowling alleys and similar places somewhat antiquated. People don't go to malls because there is nothing there but the same old tired clothing stories and nothing fun to do. Outdoor/mixed use malls have existed for some time and are generally not popular due to parking being a hassle plus weather being a factor. They may be good for the people living and working there but they won't draw enough outside traffic for the reasons I mentioned. But like I said, when the malls were built 50 years ago, there was a huge demand for them. The type of thing stickynorth mentioned would not been as popular because (1) there was a lot less population and job opportunities in mall areas back when they were built so it would not have worked. The people going to malls were not apartment dwellers who worked in high tech companies who rented space. They were rural and suburban americans who wanted something to do. So, explain how I am wrong now or apologize.

[@birdsfan57]

They tried that at a once iconic mall in South Jersey (Echelon Mall) and it's failed miserably. Except for a still-standing Boscov's department/ anchor store, the rest of the mall is a virtual ghost town, with no retail sites whatsoever. The remaining food court closed several years ago. A county government store that moved into one of the retail spots closed because it was not viable in that location. Vacancies at the condos that were built around the now "town centre" are numerous, as young professionals want to be closer to "new gen" towns and nearby Philly, where there's more entertainment and nightlife. And to think that that mall once hosted a concert by a little known singer named Paula Abdul, and in May, 1972, it's expansive parking lot was the site of a popular Philly radio sponsored all weekend outdoor concert, featuring the likes of Redbone, Harry Chapin, Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show and Frigid Pink. Really sad...

[@tonygonzalez305]

I remember as a teenager that mall was busy, Southbay Galleria in Redondo Beach also looks like a ghost town compared to back in the day

[@serialkilla23]

ppl just go del amo center at torrance.

[@joshuabuchanan1141]

It's unbelievable

[@waltchan]

It's the very expensive housing costs in Redondo Beach, Rowland Heights, and Diamond Bar area now that birth rate is declining sharply. More kids can now be found in Moreno Valley, CA and Perris, CA malls that continue to give good birth rates by the immigrant population.

[@jangelina]

I still go to this mall to this day, hopefully more people will go 😢

[@gregorycasterline6060]

I grew up in Rowland Heights so this was the mall we went too. I worked there as security as well. I remember the mall being packed and the stores being plentiful. When i had my first car as a teenager we tried to get up to 88mph in the parking lot too lol. It has been going down hill for a while sad to see.

[@chasedownblocks1736]

Puente Hills mall at one point had more excitement than foot traffic than the West Co mall. In HS I had a temp job at Linen N Things, and in college I worked The Good Guys across the street.

[@JP-sb6ll]

The truth is that the demographics have changed in the area where the Puente Hills Mall is located in. Its been an Asian community for sometime now. Asian folks rather shop in the block’s known as Puente Hills East, because there are a-lot of stores on those blocks that are Asian owned, like TS Emporium, Superco and many more stores, which know how to cater to their community better. Not to mention all the other Asian owned stores, on the other side of the mall, where Daiso is located. The only place in the mall that shows a good amount of activity is Round 1.

[@kifacorea]

Asian AMERICAN in 2023, please.

[@user-dc1jg3zu6i]

Yea u right bout Asian dominance in that area Rowland heights / la puente . Twin pines aka LA puente HILLS MALL. BUT DNT FORGOT MAN LA PUENTE IS BLOWING UP RN THE COMMUNITY IS STRONGER THAN EVER . MORE CLOUT N THE CITY OF DA BRIDGE US MEXICANS WILL MAKE LA PUENTE HILLS MALL GREAT AGAIN . THEY NEED TO FILL N THEM STORES AND BRING SOME FOOD FAVORITES . THEY USED TO HAVE HAWAIIAN BBQ MC DONALDS TACOS MEXICO , PIZZAREA AND 2 CHINESE RESTAURANTS THAT WE'RE FIRE . LIKE I SAID BRING IN SOME FAN FAVORITES , MICHOACANA CHICK FILA , CHIPOTLE, WABA GRILL, JOLIBEE , PEPES, PANDA EXPENSIVE...SEESH ITS OVER AFTER THT .

[@JP-sb6ll]

@@user-dc1jg3zu6i I helped my uncle install security camera's at the Tacos Mexico, inside that mall, when that Tacos Mexico was barely going to open for business. The reason that Tacos Mexico location started struggling and closed, along with many other Tacos Mexico location's, is because the owner of Tacos Mexico passed away and his family (wife and kid's) did not want to carry on with the family business. His family sold the remaining restaurants to individual's who were non-related; and closed down all the other location's.

[@MayaState]

@@kifacoreaI think the difference between terms essentially comes down to accent. If you sound American, and look Asian, you’re Asian American. If you look and sound like you’re from Asia, however, you’re Asian. And a LOT of people living in the area do have an Asian accent.

[@noneya936]

​@@MayaState not just an accent, some if not most barely speak English. The Asians won't shop in "American" shops. They only shop at the "Asian" shops so the mall is dying being that the whole area's demographics are changing.

[@joet7136]

My siblings and I grew up with a mall within easy walking. Spent our days going to the YMCA to play basketball and then head over to the mall to hit the arcades, pet store, bookstores, food court, and play on the Atari/Colecovison displays at Sears. Orange Julius was my favorite mall beverage.

[@eileengalindo4949]

I remember going Black Friday shopping at the malls and getting an orange Julius and a pretzel 🥨 (Wetzel over Anne’s) was the pit stop.

[@robserrano8971]

This mall needs to be redeveloped. Redesign and theme a whole wing after the icon film franchise Back to the Future. A DeLorean Ride, Malt Shop, Western Saloon, Biff Tanner Hotel Tower, Enchanted Sea Ballroom and Courthouse Clocktower facades.

[@AzureRook]

The mall in my neighborhood has the benefit of new businesses constantly moving in, when I was a teen there were far less variety of food shops or Asian based stores, I’m surprised this happened in SoCal

[@rjlong89]

This is HEAVY!

[@low_re8094]

Is there something wrong with the earth's gravitational pull?

[@Enzo-tg8uo]

The SoCal malls in the inland empire were so freaking busy this past holiday weekend it was crazy!!! Packed was an understatement

[@waltchan]

It's the very expensive housing costs in Rowland Heights and Diamond Bar area now that birth rate is declining sharply. More kids can now be found in Moreno Valley, CA and Perris, CA malls that continue to give good birth rates by the immigrant population.

[@h__8792]

I come here all the time for the arcade! There and the movie theater are basically the only places that are really active, especially after dark.

[@seekingknowledge4698]

This is happening to malls around the U.S.!

[@andrewczski1969]

Springfield, IL Mall is not doing too hot.

[@timeout...4nva]

Malls were destinations where you’d shop, eat, and take in a movie. All day thing to do

[@krane15]

I loved malls so much I got a job there. I went from going every week, to going every day. Shop at all the stores, eat at the food courts, play video games, watch movies. You could spend the entire day there.

[@jercasgav]

Considering it has been 40 some odd years since the mall was featured in the movie (almost half a century), I would say it is understandable that the place is not as popular or "the in thing" anymore...decades have passed at this point, and styles change. I was born in 1985, and I just don't feel a ton of nostalgia for my childhood, other than the fact that the economy was a lot better/easier. I love having access to the world's library of information via internet, being able to stream movies/music, have a virtual doctor visit the same day, and overall better tech. The things that were cool about back then socially you can still recreate by just calling up some friends and doing things together. I like to combine the good things from the past with the good things in the present to make something better than either time period overall.

[@vdcg2010]

So sad, I used to go to that mall when I was a kid, I went back about 3 years ago and it was already a ghost town 😞😔

[@Fox68602]

happy birthday mrbeast wish you a happy birthday king!!

[@suzz1776]

I miss malls. They were the place to be when i was a young teen. Now the malls that r still open have no loitering signs. Its like wtf, malls r meant for teens to loiter and meet one another. I guess times have changed in the past few decads. Its sad.

[@BiggestRedditor]

Bad crowds started hanging out at malls and ruined the fun of hanging out there. In like 2007-2010 a lot of malls started getting huge groups of people hanging out walking around harassing people and stealing. It got bad enough at some malls to cause people to look for malls further away and some malls went completely out of business just because of the people there

[@bandido7994]

She is wrong, we are not busier, gone are the days that we needed to make time to go to the bank to cash a check, make utilities payments in person, pick up take out food and groceries. We have more time now because almost everything is done online.

[@robserrano8971]

Businesses around the Puente Hills Mall parking lot are thriving. Guitar Center just opened Fall 2023. This needs to be redesigned into a TOD Center. About 10 Foothill Transit lines stop at the mall.

[@donaldwilson2620]

As a former resident of Montebello, CA, I remember going to the Puente Hills Mall quite frequently when I was a kid. It's just sad to see it be a ghost town now.

[@JustBree716]

Im not a mall person anymore. Much older now but it is sad to see. The one by my house only has a few stores and restaurants left. However the one across town is still lit and they are very strict about teens and such being unsupervised. I take my 14 year old and his friends and im never far behind and security y will hold them until i come if i let them walk around by themselves.

[@krane15]

I have so many good memories growing up during the mall era. I would frequent them all across the city. Each with its ow special vibe and atmosphere. They were like my second home. I even got a part-time job at one to save money to buy a car. What was suppose to last 6 mo. turn into 3 years and I enjoyed every moment of it. There was mail order a hundred years ago, but no Amazon when "Back to the Future" came out.

[@marcbuisson2463]

Meh. Malls tend to be destroyers of wealth in general, and the symbol of american small business decay. It's just places full of brands and franchises that manage to destroy all the downtowns small pop and mom's shops, corner stores and other business that relies on proximity with customers.

[@cub1009]

1985 was nearly 40 years ago. Times changes and malls are gone.

[@brockman562]

Westfield mall up north in San Francisco recently closed. really sad :( I remember many many times going to the mall with my mom, family, friends, and by myself to buy toys, gifts, clothes, eat at the food court, and play video games. glad I wasn't raised as a kid in the early 2020s.

[@moozillamoo2109]

Puente Mall has been dead for more that two decades. The "New" owner was smart and developed outside of the mall, building strip malls on what used to be the enermous parking lot. The outside shopping areas are doing very well.

[@LIN_RS]

Everyone's broke!!!😢❤ Much love too you all and the World!!!

[@Kevin-bb9qz]

Consumerism is up, but people shop online these days

[@reviewithme9913]

They forgot to mention they are going to build condos there and have a few businesses at the bottom floor.

[@luluramos2981]

The shops in that mall were mostly gone and so many changes throughout the years. I grew up going to Puente Hills mall and if it is going down, sad to see.

[@jesusdeniz116]

Maybe 13,14 years ago that mall was still strong when they lost the OLD NAVY everything started to change them they lost JC PENNY, MACY'S and the final nails were on the coffin they used to have a little train my son would get on all the time good happy memories, sad to see it going down

[@jph4852]

Ouch. I grew up in the area and used to work at the old AMC Puente 6 that stood out in the parking lot by the 60. I visited last year and the mall was in such a sad state. I miss that place of old.

[@frauwolftherehorse]

There was an AMC Puente 10 on the OTHER side of the 60 Freeway (as well).

[@jph4852]

@@frauwolftherehorse Right. First, the AMC Puente Mall 6 opened in the Puente Hills Mall parking. Then the AMC Puente East 4 opened across Albatross. Then the Mann Puente Hills 6 a few blocks on down on Castleton. Then, the AMC Plaza 10 opened on the other side of the 60 on Gale. After all those closed down, the current AMC Puente Hills 20 opened within the mall structure.

[@frauwolftherehorse]

@@jph4852 Take care. I forgot there was an AMC 4 on the other side of Albatross Rd. I knew about the Mann Theatres 6 (across from Speedzone, but I never visited it. I wish I did visit the Mann 6 so I could say I at least visited one Mann location. : )

[@sirgoodboy]

I grew up going to this mall early 2000s. I always remembered it not being as busy as West Covina mall. It did have Pyro Skatepark and a movie theater. Goodtimes.

[@annette4833]

It is sad. Happening all over the US. The younger generation has helped to make this happen unfortunately. 😢

[@EdgarinoEv]

Not really, I blame the older generation for not letting their kids go out

[@msolupi]

Sad 😢I remember this mall was always packed.

[@niagarawarrior9623]

1:50 there's no time to visit stores anymore, when the new trend is to work two jobs just to keep a roof over your head.

[@jermaineallen2879]

What a shame. Keep the malls and stores alive.

[@EricRosete]

People used to shop and socialize in malls. Today they do both online. They used to go to the arcade, movies, and restaurants. All of those things they do from their smartphone now

[@Kingdennissinned]

I wish i could go back to 1990

[@fatbart8551]

You mean you don’t like being forced to accept men dressed like women?? 😂

[@madlyn792]

I used to go there back in the day, which used to be a happening place. I think indoor malls will be a past thing soon.

[@chrisklest1238]

Randhurst Mall, in Mount Prospect IL, was walking distance from the house I grew up in. It dualed as the city's nuclear shelter. I used to go there a lot from the late 80's until the late 90's and it just seemed like all of the good stores eventually closed and all that was left were places that I wouldn't shop at. The excuse given was that everyone was shopping at a more uppity mall called Woodfield, but I didn't buy it. They needed more unique tenants, but I guess the consolidation from mom and pops stores to Walmart had already been in full swing.

[@beanpasteposts]

Ironically, malls are the reason malls are closing. They were never planned for sustainability, even in the 50s. They kill main street mom and pop places, and now that online shopping has replaced their primary function (serving as a third place as they were originally intended was sadly always secondary for mall developers), they can’t keep up and are beginning to die out. There was a mall I enjoyed going to as a little kid in the late 90s. In the early-mid 2000s, they removed the arcade and replaced it with a phone store. The last time I went there was when they still had a bookstore, but they got rid of that too, so now, it’s mostly just clothing stores, phone stores, and a food court. There’s very few hang out spots or photo booths like it once had. With all the “fun” elements of a mall removed, how do you expect it to attract new generations or draw in new crowds? That mall is still operational and fairly busy, but that’s because it’s NY and it’s a bit harder for malls to die here, due to the dense population. For smaller towns and suburbs though, it’d be much more difficult to keep a mall like that going.

[@olt4919]

As one who had worked retail for years; that is a good post you made about mall sustainability.

[@marks3680]

With violent crime, theft, prices, and ECT the malls have been hurting all over. Use to shop at the mall in Westminster CO and they eventually shut it down and flattened it. They made a new mall 30 miles north of there and made it all outside style. But even there the theft is high and people just don't want to endure risking getting hurt trying to stop a shoplifter. Pretty sad it's come to this. Online is just more convenient and you can find more gifts for cheaper. But I do miss the nostalgia the mall use to be.

[@JP-sb6ll]

They are planning on remodeling the Puente Hills Mall. They want to make it more in the style of the Citadel in the city of Commerce, which is doing pretty well with customer's.

[@BigJim5754]

Puente Hills Mall been this bad for couple years now. The Imax theaters attached are top notch theaters w a bar and all yet the malls still dead. Brea Mall and W. Covina Plaza malls were both busy this week when I popped in during the week in the afternoon for couple last min gifts.

[@mrxxbrian]

Don't blame the customers. Blame managment. Other malls and shopping areas do just fine during the holidays for a reason.

[@pearlescobar9449]

The mall is so slow the food court is becoming a study lounge and people even bring their own food

[@jyc313]

Wow. Used to go here in the 90’s as a kid. It was booming. Sad to see the sight.

[@General_Zod99]

why would stores stick around in an area where theft is legal?

[@josephgaviota]

It's not "theft," it's "reparations." Get with it. [/sarc]

[@theedspage]

Where is theft legal?

[@General_Zod99]

@theedspage la Frisco they no longer will prosecute theft unless it's ovet a grand. They tell stored to not even call the cops. So as long as you don't take over a grand worth of shit it's legal. Because you aren't going to get in trouble

[@josephgaviota]

@@theedspage _Where is theft legal?_ In Democrat controlled cities in California, theft is without punishment. You can take up to $950 _per transaction,_ each and every day. Note that I say "per transaction." So, you can hit Target for $950, then WalMart for $950, then Nordstrom for $950, then the Sun Glass Hut for $950 ... then go for lunch. The police won't even come. [edit: fix typo]

[@George-dy3pt]

​@@josephgaviota not just California but damn near every large city in the United States! The demonrat cult members and leaders have taken over every state in this country! And it's disgusting!

[@ngkindig]

Not from the area but same scenario here. The mall I used to go to is now closing down and all I can remember is the arcade and the groups that would form playing the same games. I get it times are different but this is something I’m happy I got to lived through.

[@frauwolftherehorse]

I remember back when I was in high school in the early 90's, during select Christmas month, certain days the Montebello Mall Some stores would be open until 1am / 2am.

[@jeffgrant4234]

The King of Prussia Mall right by me, just expanded and is still expanding. It all depends on geographical location.

[@SA-hz1rs]

several LA malls are doing great. This one is in a weird area and its a old mall. Theres def older malls dying around philly like anywhere else

[@twinpinesmall7510]

That’s a darn shame. Before Puente Hills Mall used to have great business back in the 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, and 2010s but now their business are not as good.

[@waltchan]

It's the very expensive housing costs in Rowland Heights and Diamond Bar area now that birth rate is declining sharply. More kids can now be found in Moreno Valley, CA and Perris, CA malls that continue to give good birth rates by the immigrant population.

[@kaycamayd8819]

I went to this mall every weekend when I was teenager from 2000 to 2005. So many wonderful memories 😊

[@Dreamkushh]

This mall was my favorite place to go with my friends in middle school. This is sad lol

[@Michelle-qj3tt]

Bring back concerts at the mall, better anchor tenants, and a Hello Kitty Cafe!

[@jolli4116]

Different story in our city. Our mall is packed and you have to go somewhere else to shop.

[@SA-hz1rs]

wow, one mall? LA Has like 75

[@chiehlilee9224]

I use to visit there in the weekends with my sisters when we were young. Such memories!

[@JuniorTheAnimatorLegacy]

If this mall closes i want this to still be a historic landmark

[@direwolf6234]

at some point society will need to ask what are we going to do with all these empty malls all across the country .. perhaps turn them into residential 'villages' like an outpost on another planet ..

[@Cassie00111]

Malls are weirdly designed with a lot of glass ceiling prone to leaking.

[@JonasC22]

But the whitehouse says the economy is booming!

[@whatwhome6914]

I am grateful that our mall is still open and seems to be doing well.

[@frauwolftherehorse]

Which mall are you referring to?

[@adrianleusink1970]

Years ago (before home wifi, smartphones, and flat screen TVs etc) - we had to go to the mall in order to become engaged with what's new, what's cool etc. Today, we create our own entertainment and shopping and social environments via technology. And we don't have to meet at the mall to visit. With texting all but removing voice conversations - younger generations don't seek out that sort of company or socializing anymore.

[@nojuanatall3281]

Who would go into a mall whe your car gets broken in the parking lot.

[@psfca]

Hundreds of malls have closed over the years thanks to Amazon and online shopping

[@user-rd9gv5gy1s]

Uh huh. Thanks to the pandemic.

[@ShinjiKataoka]

One of the best news stories I've ever heard! No bustling crowds

[@conrad1478]

“I remember when this was all farm land as far as the eye could see. Old Man Peabody owned all of this. He had this crazy idea about breeding pine trees.” -Dr Emmett Brown