Solomon Pond Mall: A Dying Mall Overrun With Electric Animal Scooters! Marlborough, Mass.

[@milkiski]

What this mall has over other “dying” malls is that its just sooo comfy. Not too big, not too small, its perfect, really. Sarku Japan’s food is amazing, too.

[@Leomom88]

Memories. We used to spend a fair amount of time here in the early 2000’s when we were in the area for hockey tournament weekends.

[@user-bi8qf6dx8c]

I visited this mall a few weeks ago. I did a quick count of the empty storefronts. I would say about 30% of the storefronts are vacant (a few have been replaced with those 2 or 3 small arcades and there is a sitting room taking up a former storefront) and 3 of the 11 spots in the food court are empty. I remember when this mall was built and how it used draw large crowds up until the 2010 (when I moved out of state). When I moved back a few years ago, I was shocked to see how much things changed (especially in the last 1-2 years).

[@Guppusmaximus]

Fun Fact(s): '@4:56 In the 90s 'Oriental City' used to be an arcade and there was a pet store to the left of it (when facing). Eventually, in the aughts, the big space right across from it next to the escalator @5:34 became an even bigger arcade with rides, laser tag, miniature golf and mini-bowling lanes called Tilt Studio.

[@NotFadeAway]

Debbie’s pet land!!

[@biohazard737]

​@@NotFadeAwayomg I knew it 😅. This brings back memories! I swear there was a pet store there

[@hbk42581]

I played WWF Wrestlemania in that arcade damn near every week of my teen years.

[@Asaptoad]

And next to the pet store i believe there was a radio shack

[@JimMu12]

As of april 2023 morningstar reports simon properties surrendrred the mall back to its lender. In 2013 it was valued at 200 million. Now is valued at 30.4 million as of 2023. Thats an 85% drop in value.

[@jessejames586]

I live nearby and it's not dead but a lot of stores left some time ago when they raised rent and Bertuccis recently closed which is a bummer. There were plans to expand at one time but it never happened. I also think part of the mail is in Berlin. I've been coming here since it was built. Sears closed some years ago which is too bad. Used to have a radio shack and pet store. Stores are always coming and going. I miss the Sears auto center. This video is a great record of the mall at a point in time for future generations. There was never any playground equipment outside and no theatre entrance from inside the mall.

[@fleabittenadventures]

Yeah, I don't think I would call it "dead" yet, but it's getting close. Most of the stores that were around in the 80's and 90's, like Radio Shack, Sears, etc, are gone and it's too bad. Thanks for watching!

[@6cansshort]

@@fleabittenadventures Definitely dead. This place was really hopping 10 or 20 years ago. Parking lot was loaded and quite a bit of inside foot traffic in the good ol' days. Sad.

[@raymondjones5909]

Dead mall it's even worse now in the food court

[@macedawgy]

Resident of Hudson here: Locations really have come and gone. I would say there are about 4 to 5 vacant stores as of 2024.

[@macedawgy]

They used to have a fun interactive floor thing where you would walk and the trail would go behind you. It was in the corner of the mall where Claire’s used to be before permanently going under as a whole company.

[@robertabray-enhus3198]

I usually go to the Regal movie theater there. Haven’t been in the mall in awhile. Yes,It was always a very clean mall.. It hasn’t changed too much in the last year…

[@jaypab]

Man I’ve been going to this mall since I was a kid, I’ve never really thought of it as a dying mall, but it definitely doesn’t have the same “charm” that it used to. One of my favorite stores there is the Newbury Comics. I may be wrong but I remember there being this new retro shop with all sorts of cool videogames, toys, manga, etc.

[@robertsoares7607]

Newbury Comics closed. 😢

[@connorbowen8867]

Even 10 years ago my friends and I would talk about how numbered the days were for this place. The expansive natick collection took a ton of business away from Solomon pond and I’m surprised it looks this busy! There’s still a lot of vacant storefronts and places closing, so who can say when it will all finally shut down. It’s a small-ish mall in a not great location and it’s notorious for fire alarms going of frequently (for decades now!) so it’s got its detractions…but it’s my hometown mall and holds a special place in my heart.

[@fleabittenadventures]

I totally understand having a place in your heart for your hometown mall. Sadly, my hometown mall, The Farming Valley Mall, was torn down 20 years ago and replaced by a boring strip mall. Oh well. Thanks for watching!

[@MargDBX]

Who would drive to Natick? I would not drive to that mall for anything

[@darktoylord]

17:13 Shout out to The One Stop Shop. This is where I get my comics. You uncovered your camera just in time to see their logo :)

[@MydogIsfluffy-io6fo]

I live pretty close by and visit the mall quite often because I get my eye appointments there at LensCrafters (pictured in the video), recently lots of the shops in the video have been closed (including the Bertucci’s). No, that wasn’t a normal amount of people, usually there is more people, lastly curiously the children on moving animals are usually there only around the holiday seasons

[@ADCar]

You caught it on a good day. It's usually not that busy. It's still holding on but is a shell of what it once was. Most of the restaurants have closed down. The food court is struggling. Sears is gone as well as many of the larger old stores and book stores. Taking their place are things like nail salons and psychics. It used to come alive at Christmas with beautiful decorations throughout the mall. Sad to see what's happening to these places.

[@mapex311]

Yeah - when we went on a week day, almost had the place to ourselves it was crazy. My 6 yo daughter went on one of those electric scooters and the whole setup is just wacky. They have some silly waiver thing and the indian dude said it doesnt matter what you write as long as you put a check on the box. Then they just let the kid have at it and drive wherever they want! I had to kinda run to stay by her side but saw a couple other kids where the parents just did their thing....kid could have just run into the wall, in a store, hit someone else. Nuts. And yeah we used to go years ago when the food court was better. Really miss the Auntie Annes pretzel station. And you hit it on the head with the indian/ asian trinket stores taking up the bulk of the vacancies.

[@darktoylord]

25:28 Ha. That used to be parking when I worked there. Went all the way up to the door.

[@bautistapwns]

There used to be a underground sports store in the basement of this mall. The escalator to the basement was located near Macy’s.

[@jakereed525]

Thunder Sports!

[@bautistapwns]

@@jakereed525 yesss, I wonder if they use that space for storage nowadays. Wish I could back to those days.

[@LucillePalmer]

i was little when that was open and in recent years ive been so curious as to what it looks like now. i have a hard time finding records of that basement floor at all, i keep imagining a huge voidspace below the mall. even when it was open i remember half the space was blocked off

[@LucillePalmer]

@@jakereed525 OH MY GOD thank you. ive been trying to find the name of the store for years

[@HonestT11]

It was last a golf store, and now is a dingy basement used for storage for tenants, extra fixtures, and Christmas decorations

[@gster5113]

FYI: Express store/American Eagle just closed months ago. I used to work on the first floor where it had dark paneling on the walls on the corner (where the kiddie rides were). It used to be Gloria Jeans coffee. I really don't know what people are talking about the mall being run down. It has always been clean even when I worked there.

[@doommaria]

This was my childhood mall in the 90's. We'd go there at least twice a month. Last time I went there half the stores were closed and only burger king was open in the food court. I couldn't believe it was the same place.

[@hbk42581]

Definitely a dying mall and , like most of its era, a far cry from it's heyday in the late 90's/early 2000's. The Apple Store and Old Navy are the two biggest draws in there now aside from the great retro collectibles/toy store on the second floor. This definitely looks like a busy day. My wife and I take our daughters there once or twice a month. They love it in there. I worked there for 3-4 years at a sporting goods store called Thunder in the late 90's. It was actually located in the basement along with Wayland Golf and accessed by an escalator right at the left corner at 00:58 next to the WOW Arcade, but it's all sealed off now. The only other access I remember was a service/delivery elevator. It was a HUGE space down there. When Solomon first opened, it had a ton of amazing 90's era stores including Suncoast Video, Boston Acoustics, HMV, Circuit City Express, Hot Topic, Abercrombie & Fitch, American Eagle, CVS, PacSun, Linens N Things, Walden Books, Orange Julius etc. I pretty much remember where they were all located, too. I can also tell you that Burger King and Sarku Japan are the only two original food establishments left from when the mall first opened. Initially there was an Arby's, an A&W, D'Angelos and Pizzeria Regina. There was never an entrance for the theater inside the mall but I do remember everyone thinking that there would be. While the theater was being built (it came a few years after the mall opened) there was a HUGE wall sized advert for it (Hoyts Cinemas when it first opened) on the second floor and lots of people assumed a connecting entrance would be inside the mall where that advertisement was. Great vid. Thanks for visiting!

[@mangapuff2299]

Yes, I remember the big sports store in the basement, I remember purchased some clearance items when it closed down a few years ago. Too bad now even the above ground stores have many vacancies.

[@rogerthatt3959]

There used to be a KB toys on the right at around the 4:21 mark

[@madmerlot841]

The layout of this mall reminds me of Emerald Square Mall except that Solomon Pond mall has 2 levels and Emerald Square has 3 levels. The anchor layout is the same. This mall looks more alive since the foot court has more active restaurants, all the escalators are working, there are more open stores, and the roof doesn't look like it's leaking. The Sears closed a few years ago at Emerald Square so I think stores near the Sears closed shortly there after. This mall also has cinemas and Emerald Square never had cinemas. The Emerald Square Mall also has a lot more parking decks (what scares me is the condition of the parking decks).

[@fleabittenadventures]

I wouldn't be surprised if the same architects designed these malls. Sounds like I need to check out Emerald Square Mall. Everyone seems to be saying it's a bit of a dump.

[@pvater]

@@fleabittenadventures I worked for the company that built those two malls [late 90's]. they owned/managed about 40 malls in the NE area. I actually got to go to this particular mall while under construction.

[@wincent..]

THE defining mall of my childhood/teen years. I remember when I was a kid, I used to think it was called "Salmon Pond Mall." I've rid on the carousel in the food court three times in my life, and I remember all three: the first time, I mustve been about 4 years old, I was with my grandma, and I think it was around Christmas. second time, I was in middle school, early teens, hanging out with my best friend (i had just bought a kingdom hearts tshirt at hot topic too, and I was wearing it over my other clothes. I mustve looked like such a dork but I felt like the coolest kid in the world at that moment, lol). the last time I rode the carousel, I was in high school. We had just finished reading Catcher in the Rye in english class and for the project, we had to include some visual element. So I got myself a red hunting hat and had my mom take pictures of me posing as Holden Caufield at various thematically appropriate locations, one of them being that carousel. Truth be told, I never actually read Catcher all the way through, but I knew something important happened at a carousel at some point. Shrugs.

[@richardwhite2344]

Thanks for posting this!!!! I sure hope that in years from now this mall does not meet the wrecking ball. It is so very sad to see beautiful malls like this destroyed. It was a shame to see the Greendale Mall destroyed. Part of the reason that mall died is in my opinion how difficult it was to get to the mall entrance. The architect really messed up doing that. As far as it being run down, that is not true as you mentioned. They said the same thing about the Greendale Mall and that was not true either. JUst a rumor mill. Enjoyed your video!!

[@Amk_Ultra]

Does anyone remember what was in the shoe department store before? I vaguely remember shopping with my grandma and they had homegoods type things. Maybe a bed bath and beyond? It was probably 15 years ago that it would have closed. This was my hometown mall growing up. I still stroll through around thanksgiving each year when visiting my family.

[@ilessthan3cats]

Linens N' Things! They had all the household gadgets and towels piled to the ceiling lol.

[@Amk_Ultra]

@@ilessthan3cats thank you so much! It’s been bugging me all week haha. I knew it wasn’t a BBB but I couldn’t think of what it possibly could have been called.

[@xargos]

I used to go to Solomon Pond at least a couple times a month during the 2010s. I would pick up my comic subscriptions at Newbury Comics and eat in the food court. When things closed for the pandemic it broke that habit.

[@K1ll3r84]

My childhood mall was Trumbull and Milford, they seem to be doing pretty good from what i understand.

[@OmarNaqvi]

There is a really fantastic Mexican place in the food court called El Sombrero Taqueria, highly recommend!

[@chrisbenavides3176]

The food there is outstanding, especially for a mall food court.

[@Matt_Dagostino]

This mall is fairly obscure. It was built in 1996, almost 2 decades after most of the malls in New England were built. It's on a stretch of road that is a mixture of retail and corporate business parks, and the road it sits on extends into residential zoning just a mile or so away. It's bigger than the Auburn Mall (which this will almost certainly outlast) and smaller than the Natick Mall.

[@LucillePalmer]

wait no way, 13:00 that charley's is ALREADY closed? i hope not, i just found out it was there after trying them in NY in january. another video showed it was there in 2021. also huge loss that Regina pizza is gone. me and a friend sometimes drive out to the other mall that has it or even all the way into boston, its that good

[@michaeloptv]

Some Charley’s were closed and then reopened. Their a weird establishment.

[@lProN00bl]

Think the movie theater Mall/Combo keeps it relevant. A little more active than usual but never seen so many of those animal scooters in use.

[@HarrisonHanson-hy7or]

Thank for the upload I’m quite a mall rat & I don’t think I’ve been here but it’s on the list now. & I really don’t understand why they’d stop you from filming bc if anything ur giving the mall free advertising. Seems like it’s more a positive than a negative thing for the mall & its tenants.

[@georgef551]

Got it wrong. The seems the hallway to nowhere on the 2nd level was to be a Jordan Marsh, but they were shutting down as the mall was being built. In stead of making an anchor store there, they make it a parking lot, and you got that weird hallway on the upper level to nowhere.

[@Jeez001]

FYI in Sears parking lot circus usually sets up shop during summer time.

[@Ericsportstechpro]

I haven’t been to this mall yet but I plan on it soon, although I think I have been to the target near by to check the recycling bins

[@MikeFoley]

I remember when that location was all farmland. The only reason I go to that mall is to go to the Apple Store. But only if I need something quick. If I buy something over a couple hundred bucks I'll drive up to Nashua and save the sales tax. About once a year we will see a movie at the cinema there because it will show stuff we can't get locally in north central mass.

[@georgef551]

(1) I've done videos here, and yes, the crowds seen here are typical. (2) There was a 4th anchor to be built, a Lechmere, but It was cancelled when the store went bankrupt. This is why that weird 2nd floor path to nowhere Exists. (So I've been told, as I wondered why the weird U-shaped hall to noplace existed.) PS: I also did a few Sears closing videos here, last being their final 2 days.

[@alex1vid]

Miss the "Tilt Studio" arcade and Sears. But used to take my then toddler Sears sometimes & even got some baby pics there & my mower & tools. The then toddler loved some of the games at the little arcade. There was even I think a Kay-Bee Toys back in the day. It was also I think one of the only places in Massachusetts that had an Arby's! But that's long gone now. And these days the best thing about this mall is it has a Cinnabon. Since this video several stores have come and gone, including the TGI Fridays and Fanzone you see at the beginning. But gone are the Gymboree, Children's Place & stores like that too. The Old Navy in there used to be a little up the road next to a Sports Authority & the Newbury Comics at about 15:00 is gone now too. The maintenance part is the escalators. Usually by the Sears side one or both tend to be out of commission. But I can't speak to the bathrooms in the mall. Those Sears signs are still up. It's a little sad sometimes seeing the empty Sears.

[@Newfell]

This is the mall I grew up at! At 25 min in, I always thought there should be some kind of park or gazebo there. Alas, it has always looked like that!

[@fleabittenadventures]

Yeah, I think they do call it a "park", but it looks like a vacant lot. Kind of depressing. Thanks for watching!

[@TheGirmanator]

There used to be a large kiosk with tv screens by the food court that played a loop of upcoming movie trailers.

[@Ericsportstechpro]

I finally made it to this mall for the first time a few days ago! It was actually quite interesting and doing well

[@santiagocolon8729]

Nice mall thanks for the video.

[@deeppurplefan]

AFAIK this is this the only real mall in that part of the 495 loop / metrowest area, off 290. Safe area, drive to only. There's a good number of populated towns surrounding it. Otherwise people would need to go to Burlington, Lowell, Worcester, Natick, Nashua etc. It may be struggling but it has a geographic demand advantage that will keep it hanging on.

[@mindweb6706]

Worked here for years. I miss it

[@lisa9867]

I went to this mall the weekend it opened. I was living in Clinton and was so happy to live near a nice mall. I also lived in Marlboro for a few years and used to frequent this mall in the in the early 2000's. Then I was living in Natick so I would go to the Natick Mall. I was driving by this mall on Wednesday and decided to go in and check it out as I haven't been here in years. What a huge disappointment it is. It still looks nice but has lost many stores, Sears, Bertucci's and even a lot of the places in food court. There really is no reason for me to shop at this mall again which I think is sad. It never had an entrance from the mall into the theater. I always parked near the Macy's in the covered parking area so I'm not sure what that area near the school buses was like.

[@fleabittenadventures]

Thanks for the info! This mall felt "OK" to me. I've seen a lot better and a lot worse. It seemed like a very generic 90's type mall. Thanks for watching!

[@289cobra9]

I was there on opening weekend. I lived in Marlboro at the time. I'm in Framingham now and the Natick mall is the mall I go to when I have to. Sears, JC Penney, Radio shack are all gone 😢. JC Penney became a Wegmans and they closed last August.

[@AgeEighty]

I don't know about calling it a dying mall. Most of the units seem to be occupied and there are plenty of shoppers. There's obviously a major void where Sears was but that's literally every mall that had a Sears. I've been to this mall before and I believe its proximity to 495 makes it the most convenient mall for a lot of people along that corridor, plus during the holidays it was extremely busy.

[@andrewcummings5023]

Soloman Pond Mall Was My First Mall to Visit When I Moved To Ma From Texas 15yrs Back

[@psychorabbitt]

When that place opened it marked the end for the Greendale Mall and the Worcester Common Outlets. Greendale and WCO had both been on the decline for years and shoppers going to the shiny new suburban mall just hastened it. Which is crazy because the Outlets had JUST been renovated from being the Worcester Center Galleria a couple years before Solomon Pond opened. And then The Shoppes and Blackstone Valley put the final nail in the coffins of Greendale and WCO, and kicked off the decline of Solomon Pond. Meanwhile, Auburn Mall is just... doing its thing. LOL

[@bostonwarrior4824]

Yeah it’s just all these malls around here ever since post Covid is just really struggling. I mean the only mall that’s doing well is the one in Natick. And it can be less busier there sometimes as well. I got a feeling that most of these mall in the next 5 to 10 years will be shutting down they are losing money and often times they’re not getting the amount of people they did say even five years ago. Most people like to buy stuff online now

[@BruceSilver85]

I remember there used to be a large sporting goods store in the basement, there were escalators going down right near where you entered at the beginning of the video.

[@qqslp]

Olympia Sports

[@HonestT11]

Olympia Sports was on the second floor where the airsoft place was and closed in 2019. Golf Galaxy was the one in the basement.

[@qqslp]

@trevorhansen7681 Olympia was 1000% in the basement for awhile back in the early 2000s. I remember riding down the escalator dozens of times and buying shoes there at least once a year.

[@BruceSilver85]

@@qqslp there definitely was a sporting goods store in the basement in the late 90s/early 2000s but I think the name was Thunder Sports

[@HonestT11]

@@qqslp they must’ve moved upstairs once the golf place went in. I’ve only been going since 2015 and they’ve always been upstairs since then.

[@sherrielynn5761]

Just found this channel i appreciate the videos i grew up in Oxford ma malls are definitely not the same anymore

[@TheHighlightHub-h9c]

I visited this mall pretty recently and most of the stores are now closed and there isnt many options in the food court to eat other than sarku japan and another resturaunt. My uncle used to work at the sports store underneath the 1st floor of the mall which they have now closed off because of the store closing i believe it was called thunder sports. Other than that ther are some new larger scale arcades and at one point a spirit halloween in there as well where the other large arcade used to be as well.

[@dpguinee]

Reminds me a lot of Freehold Raceway Mall in NJ (my home mall) based on ambiance and the type of stores there are, as well as traffic level. FRM has ups and downs but I feel like it's making its comeback since covid. but definitely has lost a lot of stores and traffic over the years. have never been to this mall, but it would be interesting if you visited FRM and compared them!!

[@JudyCoggins]

I take my granddaughters shopping here and it seems pretty busy on weekends. Opens later than it used to. Sign of the times I guess.

[@fleabittenadventures]

That makes sense. It seems that most malls make most of their money on weekends and then are fairly dead during the week. Thanks for watching!

[@SavSpdDemon]

Went to this mall in 2019, when I heard a fire alarm go off, but this is a mall I have to re-visit next year.

[@Frank-hi5wx]

Not dead yet, but definitely it's in the ICU already. I was a store owner in the Library Tree Mall several years ago You can have a video there too.

[@charlestonpinballarcade]

Driving under the parking deck had that c3 feel.

[@fleabittenadventures]

I should probably know this, but what is c3?

[@GABEsCHANNELPANELS-MOTOR9999]

I remember this mall I think I do

[@sethmay7187]

I'm a former employee at SPM. That section you pointed out, right around the 17 minute mark, was where there was going to be an additional wing or anchor store. They decided last minute not to add it, I guess. Overall, the mall is definitely quieter than it used to be, but I don't think it'll go anywhere for a very long time.

[@fleabittenadventures]

Could be, but I'm not sure about the "very" long part. I give it 15 years. Let's check back here in 15 years to see if I'm right. Thanks for watching!

[@darktoylord]

I worked here. Electronics Boutique. How long has that company been gone for? I was 18. I'm 46 now 🤣

[@Matt_Dagostino]

Well the mall opened in 1996, so it must not have been open for very long

[@nickcata1465]

Those Kids, lol... we have these same scooters with kids on them everyday at Sarnia, Ontario's Lambton Mall, too. Lambton Mall is a half dying, half ok type mall in my hometown, you should of seen the mall we had downtown. It opened August of 1982, called Bayside Mall. Eatons and A&P was the only anchor stores. When our Eatons closed back in I think 1997, that mall all went down hill. Was a very dead mall i went to, to renew my driver's licence & get a snack.

[@owlflame]

I used to go to this mall cuz my mom liked it. Never thought I’d suddenly see it in a KZbin video

[@TheGarrett27]

this mall has been one from my childhood, and its sad to see the state its in today. used to have a disney store, newbury comics is gone, gamestop as well, everyone from within the city knows that its on its last legs. covid is what truly finished it off in 2020, 2019 and prior it was doing fairly good

[@CommanDOH-JKU]

I'm also a Local, Not Dead, but dying a long slow death... The Anchors are just JC Penny and Macy's now that Sears is toast. The food court closes as many restaurants as new ones come in. Some stores still do good business, Apparently, rents are still pretty high, but some can achieve it. I'd probably say that on any given visit, about ⅓ of the stores, but about ½ of the food court are "Closed" or "Coming Soon". (EX, One side of the food court has 6 positions and only 3 are taken, Burger King, a Thai, and Dunkin Donuts, the other side has 5 slots, and only 2 are running, Saku and a new Taco place (Jersey Mikes managed only 6 months!). Now closed is also a stand-alone Aunti Annies Pretzels)

[@MajorBill]

There was never a park in that random area outside, just benches. Occasionally fenced, but nothing beyond that. The movie theater has no entrance into the mall, have to venture outside to get into it.

[@TailsGaming1999]

So the whole movie theater thing I never understood, why cant you get to it through the mall, because the buildings are connected, My mom swears she used to be able to, but it could have been a staff door

[@fleabittenadventures]

That's weird about the park, because it does say it's a "park", but it kind of just looks like a vacant lot with grass. Not very inviting.

[@fleabittenadventures]

It would be fun to try and find where the entrance would have been. I'm not familiar enough with the mall to know where the entrance should be in the mall.

[@Jambalaya0103]

That Claire’s has also been there in the same spot since the beginning.

[@ilessthan3cats]

And if you're at Claire's, you're smelling the Cinnamon behind you that's also been there forever!

[@VincentMurphy000]

The Dunkins and Arby's in the Food Court are gone. Newbury Comics is gone, TGI Friday's is gone. I'd say a good 30-40% the storefronts are closed. The Apple Store and the Toy Vault are really the only stores I go to in the mall. It's so much worse now in the year an a half since this video. Oh, I forgot, the last two times I've been there, the air conditioning was off, and stores had AC units in the store.

[@bostonwarrior4824]

Yeah I went there before Covid in November 2019 all those stores were flourishing and they were still there. Like I loved Arby’s it was the only Arby’s basically in the whole state. They had a lot of good stores there that I enjoyed. There were so much people there too. Fast-forward to even this year and the last few months I can’t believe how dead it is. so many stores are gone it’s taken so many steps back.

[@cliffordmarusich4111]

Next time you're at the mall go look on the floor you'll see diamonds though diamonds shapes in the floor that divides them all between 2 towns that is sitson and what I'm seeing right now looks like a fairly typical Sunday it is somewhat busy it tends to be busier Friday and Saturdays and I don't know if the dying mall or it's a mall that's just has reached its Peak

[@fleabittenadventures]

Interesting. Thanks for watching!

[@BurntOutAlien]

Fun fact: The purple area that was closed next to where Sears used to be an actually pretty big arcade at one point. when it closed down, those two small arcades replaced it :/

[@BurntOutAlien]

Another fun fact, the arcade only closed in the last 2 years. Along with that, Newbury Comics was closed, Candy Time used to be a giant toy store (with lots of toys aimed for teens like anime board games), 1 Stop Shop used to be Game Stop also all since 2020. And though a long time ago, the prom dress store used to be a Hot Topic. So suffice to say, part of why the store might be dying is because of how often they change/get rid of shops that are marketed specifically for 12-18 year olds

[@fvmace]

broo i remember that it used to be so fun

[@BurntOutAlien]

@@fvmace fr! i still have a card with points on it LMFAO

[@willstewich]

You missed the newbury comics when you covered the camera but I worked there at the time this was shot lol I might’ve even been there that day. That newbury has actually closed since. A lot of people came to the mall because of that newbury and the week before we closed everyone was telling us they have no reason to go to the mall anymore. I haven’t really been back since, it’s probably a lot more dead now than it was in this video

[@LucillePalmer]

oh man when was that closure?? that stinks. gamestop and newbury was my core and now theyre both gone. i guess most times i checked it the inventory wasnt too different so besides occasional few pokemon cards i wasnt leaving with anything. sad to hear its gone since i was last there. at least we have toy vault for now

[@willstewich]

@@LucillePalmer sometime in February I think, cuz of rental dispute with the mall

[@Dave_Langer]

@@willstewich Yup, I talked with some of the employees a few days before it closed. The mall was trying to stick them with a 3 year lease, when before they were going year to year.

[@TabbyTimeOut]

I was there this week. Was pretty bummed to see the Newbury Comics gone.

[@ACmaxheat]

The Newbury Comics and GameStop have left it is so over for the mall

[@JadielGQGoalkeeper]

lol now they are both gone

[@patrick-is-so-cool]

I don't live insanely close to marlborough but I never even knew there was a mall there until now.

[@hannahshatto3171]

That arcade is new. Thwy actually used to have a giant one next to were sears was. I think apex put it out of bizz

[@rm-dc6tx]

It looks like 30-40% of the food court stores were empty. That is a good indication that the Mall is dying. Also, this Mall would be considered a "has been"all that has seen better days. It is a secondary Mall that is in a somewhat off the beaten path, metro-west located mall. Considering the fairly close proximity to Route 9 in Natick/Framingham ( which is the suburban mecca for shopping and home to almost every retailer and restaurateur) it is only a matter of time before this mall closes.

[@Cw802]

Great work very entertaining 👍

[@jonathanst.thomas31]

By the way, when you was coming from the entrance of the J.C. Penny Store on the ground floor you went by a CINNABON store which was opened without saying anything about it.

[@bostonwarrior4824]

I mean let’s face it these malls are in some serious serious crisis. Ever since Covid it has gotten significantly worse for every mall around here. It’s just crazy how much of a different world it is now. And people would rather shop online because it’s easier, especially since Covid. I was there in November 2019 and I went back a few weeks ago. I couldn’t believe how much things changed.. so many stores are gone like my favorite restaurants.. and new and a lot of other cool retail stores are just gone. It’s honestly honestly sad I mean this small is doing well compared to others. But still sometimes it’s kind of dead. It’s just the reality of what this world is. Malls are dying

[@Plasma_Weapon]

When I first moved to Hudson it was a pretty lively place. Most of the good things have moved out of the mall. Pretty sure the Newbury Comics is gone.

[@brotherernest5993]

I almost leased a location at this dead mall. The rent increases during holidays even while the mall is absolutely dead.

[@calvinmeyer7740]

Check out the walpole mall in Walpole MA

[@fleabittenadventures]

Stay tuned.

[@berlin1926]

I believe the original tenant was G. Fox & Co., which became Filenes.

[@felix121984]

Bigger rivals like Natick Mall and Pheasant Lane Mall.

[@fleabittenadventures]

True. I hope to check out Pheasant Lane Mall sometime this year. Thanks for watching.

[@briansaxby5357]

I remember when pheasant lane mall was built

[@TheRach995]

1:11 It doesn't look totally dead but it's definitely not as busy as when i was a kid

[@MylindaElliott]

For a Sunday afternoon it looks empty. It is a beautiful place I would just expect more people.

[@fleabittenadventures]

Yeah, it definitely could have been busier, but on the other hand it's doing a lot better than some other malls. Thanks for watching

[@darktoylord]

No theater entrance in the mall.

[@salvatoreturieo5803]

In this day and age no one wants to leave their house these days, you dont need too, plus the prices are way too high in this mall, they have to be, there is nothing here any more.

[@bannedfreespeech]

Warwick mall has a carousel in the food court

[@jamesc9853]

I live in the area, I would have never guessed it.

[@stevensatter3231]

you wanted the window i think that was an entrance to the movie theater

[@megthe_misunderstood_rebel9779]

I haven’t been there since last June!

[@JDonahue79]

I can tell a bunch of the food court vendors were empty.

[@anthonyjordan830]

It's not THAT bad. Compared to Natick it's floundering but look at every other mall around. Greendale, Auburn, Whitney Field, Midtown, Fashion Outlets, they are all either entirely defunct or desperately clinging to life.

[@littledb26]

Greendale mall is long gone

[@faithnardella442]

I live near here and have been here a few times. This mall is dying Monday through Friday. It's good if you wanna get excersise and walk around get a bite to eat. The store is so.dead there putting all the kiddie ride stuff. This is an indication the mall is desperate for business. The worcester common fashion outlet started like this year's ago.

[@j0kerr1]

As the economy worsens people will spend less and the mall will not lower its rent...thus its got maybe 2-3 years left.

[@Steve.Cutler]

All malls, even the ones that seem to be doing well, are on borrowed time. This recession we're in now, with no sign of easing or ending, will kill off all the weaker malls in the next year or so.

[@fleabittenadventures]

You are probably correct overall, but I'll bet it lasts a little longer than 2-3 years. The Enfield Square Mall in CT has been 75% vacant for at least 6 years and it's still going, somehow.

[@fleabittenadventures]

I would say in 15-20 years, indoor malls will be fairly rare. We'll see though. Hopefully I'm still making mall videos in 15 to 20 years.

[@danteferraro23]

i think solomon still has a chance

[@creichart18]

Its not too bad theres usually more people but only a little love the food court

[@ctd7121]

Still a popular mall in Mass, this one and the Natick mall

[@289cobra9]

I wonder at times how the Natick mall stays open. Wegmans is gone & Macy's is closing the mall store.

[@markstrouse3101]

Great video like always. Stupid question, how much does it cost to rent one of those stupid, dangerous animal scooters?

[@fleabittenadventures]

Thanks. I'm glad you liked it! I'm actually not sure how much they are to rent, but I would guess it's got to be under $5 per ride. I doubt they are very expensive.

[@Spucky50]

Looks low end to me. Losts of non-brand name shops. Winter in New England - people walk around malls to get out of house, bring kids to run around and burn energy. They don't shop.

[@reginaldvanengelshoven5732]

Dead mall? Because a few shops are empty? I still see a lot of people walking around.

[@ha63]

I wonder if this mall was a contributing factor to the downfall of the downtown mall in Worcester. I think it was called Worcester Center Galleria

[@chrisc380]

Some new stores have opens there

[@spaceprincess8372]

the rent for having a store here is near nothing. that's why there are so many small businesses

[@bostonwarrior4824]

But also a lot of business has moved out because they haven’t been making much money Arby’s Dunkin’ Donuts there have been so many restaurants and countless of other stores that I’ve just left. But that’s the way it is I guess

[@StephenGoated]

This mall looks a little bit on the small side