⁴ᴷ⁶⁰ The CRYSTAL MALL Is On LIFE SUPPORT 🏪☠

#WalkingZen #CrystalMall #deadmalls
My Previous Visit: • ⁴ᴷ⁶⁰ Portrait of a DYI...
Enfield Square will be DESTROYED: • ⁴ᴷ⁶⁰ The Final Days of...
One year after filming my favorite childhood hangout in it's decayed state, I return to the Crystal Mall in Waterford, Connecticut as the last of six anchor stores sings it's swan song. With only two restaurants left in the food court, almost no anchor stores and half the shops empty, how long will the Crystal Mall stay open? What will it's new owners do with it after winning the property in auction last May?
Share your stories and memories from the Crystal Mall in the comments below 👇
Intro photo credits: thecaldorrainbo...
Anchor Store Timeline:
Filene's closed in 2006
Sears closed in 2018
Jordan Marsh became Macy's in 1996, which then closed in 2021
Bed, Bath & Beyond closed in 2023
Christmas Tree Shops closed in 2023
JCPenney will be closed by end of spring 2024
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⭐ Equipment used:
🎥 Camera - DJI Pocket 2, iPhone 13
🎤 Microphone - DJI Wireless Transmitter
💻 Computer - MSI Delta 15 Advantage Edition
💾 Video editing - Premiere Pro
🎨 Image editing - GIMP
🎛 Audio Editing - Studio One 5
🔋 60000Mah power bank
🔇 Some portions of the video may be muted for copyright reasons.
👋 Thanks for watching! Hope you enjoyed the video! :)

[@sinisterisrandom8537]

From New York Queens but it's always saddening to see videos about these abandoned, shutting down, or in financial chaos. These Malls still remind me of Flushing Mall which only stayed around till January 31st, 2015. So a happy 15 years. Since it began in 2000. So I saw its existence from when it was very popular, to when many didn't often come to it, to when it shut down. So I've seen basically all its evolutions and this reminds me exactly what it looked like at the end of its life cycle. The place was always fun to explore, but also scary due to its liminal feeling it had. However even years after, remnants of it still exist, always used to get the Dorayaki Fish which is a sweet dough shaped into a fish with red bean paste, An Asian treat. A lot of fond memories and always made my day. Sadly it eventually disappeared, unsure where. Which is a shame. Besides that, the last remnants remnant i per-se would be a food court, which consists of the former restaurants who worked there. Just a bit to the left of where the former mall once stood. A bit of history that is forgotten by many. If you weren't from the area. Thanks for the memories.

[@WalkingZen8505]

Wow, that's such a beautiful story! It must have been thrilling too see that mall be so popular and so sad to see it fall into ruin. I can imagine the sentimentality. Thank you for sharing this with me, your memories are so meaningful! ❤️‍🔥

[@map3384]

As a Gen Xer back in the 80s and 90s Malls were busy year round. It was the go to place for everything. If the malls were doing well the economy was strong. I don’t think it’s just online shopping which malls are taking a hit. I see many KZbin video of young millennials and zoomers who are upset with grief they are barely making it. This thing is bigger than most people want to believe.

[@WalkingZen8505]

I miss the days when the malls were the places to go for everything. I agree, and I also think it's a lot of different factors combined that are spelling out the decline of malls.

[@DarkpoorM]

Thank you for mentioning for the Hagen daz place, it's closed in 2006😢

[@ambsat]

My favorite memory was shopping at LOFT with my mom. Simple memory, but LOFT is still one of my favorite women's stores and we loved the one at Crystal Mall. Mom's no longer here, so it just feels doubly sad to see this...nothing is forever. Not meaning to be maudlin here...just how it feels watching this. I've seen lots of "dying mall" videos, and only just saw this today, as your video popped up on my YT...you did a nice, thorough walk through and commentary. Tks!

[@WalkingZen8505]

I'm sorry for your loss. Sometimes it's the simplist memories that really mean the most 🥹 I'm happy that you can hold such happy memories and I'm glad to hear you enjoyed my video, I really enjoyed making it! Thank you for your kids words.

[@ambsat]

@@WalkingZen8505 Yes...grateful for lots of happy memories and a long life she had. Thank you. :)

[@darrenp1549]

You are correct about JC Penny. Slow liquidation until the final 2 weeks, then it was pretty much strip mined. Nothing but assorted unsellable clothes and ton of fixtures left with 2 days to go. Now, just a memory.

[@coquetscache]

Heart breaking to me. My first retail job was in the shoe department of JCP when they initially opened. The rest of the little stores weren't even finished/occupied yet. So hard to imagine that no one can come up with a viable use for this space.

[@WalkingZen8505]

It really is, especially seeing the older pictures and remembering how it used to be. I wonder what the developers and builders would think.

[@Cureguy1]

No one back then could have imagined what online shopping on the internet would become.No one even foresaw the internet back in '84. Probably thought this place would be here forever. I like malls and some are still thriving like Westfarms in Farmington,CT which I frequented a lot growing up. But a lot have become zombie malls like this one.@@WalkingZen8505

[@Chad-k4f]

After the eyeglasses place next to cohens it became a headshop called smoke city if i remember and i thought it was kinda insane having a headshop in a mall but hey great glasswork they had

[@WalkingZen8505]

Oh yeah I remember that, if I'm remembering correctly I don't think it was around long 🤔

[@kenm8436]

Man, that's sad. So many great memories from the 80s & 90s.

[@WalkingZen8505]

It really is, the mall was one of my favorite places as a kid in the 90s..

[@arosenweig]

I blame the new owner Namdar for neglecting the mall. Many of the better stores left once Macy's closed about 3 years ago. If you are looking for a better mall, be prepared to drive at least an hour to Westfarms or Warwick, RI.

[@Robert-tj3qq]

It's all about the land it's on unfortunately

[@Picturepurrfekt]

Everytime I see these dead malls I think to myself why cant they turn these into apartments. They could easily keep some business. Coffee shops and eateries. Even a grocery store. That would be super convenient for residents of the apartments.

[@WalkingZen8505]

Apartments were my thought too! Even keeping the food court open, putting apartments above with a mezzanine looking out below. If you're familiar with the old William Seely Elementary school in Groton (now becoming Triton Square Apartments), I thought the existing school building would have made great studio apartments.

[@TomKaszuba]

This video will ultimately end up as an important historical document. Great work.

[@WalkingZen8505]

Thank you, I really wanted this video to be something like a digital time capsule.

[@Makeshift_Mulder]

Great video. I've gone to the Toy Vault many times over the years and glad to see it is still thriving in that mess. Your friend's tabletop center being open "select hours" is part of why the mall is dying in my opinion. He might want to "select" to be open more often... The Toy Vault wouldn't still be there if the owner didn't have the passion for it he does.

[@greffex]

I find I enjoy mall tour videos infinitely more when the person giving the tour is an expert on the location. Kudos for your work here, and thanks for sharing!

[@WalkingZen8505]

Oh wow that's so nice of you! Thank you so much and I'm so glad you enjoyed! 😎

[@ambsat]

Sad. Unbelievable how fast from 2019, my last time to shop there for Christmas, to now. Too bad, man. I mean, some malls (I guess only few) ARE surviving. Don't know why this died. I used to always shop that Macy's, was sorry to see that go. End of an era has happened right under all our noses, pretty quickly. Has happened over time, I guess, but feels like suddenly, overnight!

[@savannahleachsmart4804]

I miss going to the mall back in the day before the tornado and Covid

[@Ashley_Boasso]

I remember when I was little I would always go to the Crystal Mall with my mom sister and grandma before going to the beach. I grew up in Glastonbury but I now live in New Orleans. We would sometimes go to the Burger King back in the mid 80s to early 90s before going to the beach or one of the other places to eat at it and also do some shopping as well.

[@WalkingZen8505]

Wow that's so cool! Thanks for sharing that, I love how much I've been able to connect with former residents! I hope you're enjoying New Orleans and if you ever come back to visit, I hope CT welcomes you warmly!

[@miguelflores1876]

Our spring hill mall in illinois just closed down. A few days ago i remeber a few 6 years ago it was sooooo full people everywhere now its like a haunted mall no wonder it closed down :( thanks spring hill mall for memories and nostalgia!.

[@WalkingZen8505]

I'm so sorry to hear that! 😢 I'm glad you have good memories to look back on though!

[@reizendecamera]

Looks like a great mall! To bad people don't spend their time and money there anymore. What is the main reason for this demise in your country of the malls? Is it to far away or to expensive to park?

[@WalkingZen8505]

It was a really great mall back in the day! I personally believe it's a combination of rising prices and online shopping being cheaper and easier for a lot of shoppers. 😔

[@greatcitysportaction2289]

It would be great if the mall could be replaced with at least an indoor skatepark, at least two restaurants, and at least one retail store.

[@WalkingZen8505]

that'd be really cool too! something new and exciting maybe.

[@allenperreault7825]

Great video. I used to go to the mall back in late 90s early 2000s when I used to work at Foxwoods Casino

[@WalkingZen8505]

Thanks so much, I'm glad you enjoyed! I love hearing how many people also enjoyed the Crystal Mall, it really was a great place in it's day.

[@kippaseo8027]

Sears was one of the few anchors that didn't rent the space from the mall but rather they owned their own building. The stores were built actually independent of the mall structures so the store could stand stand even if the mall is gone. Other stores like Dillard's and Macy's could just open and close a it was a store or even move from one end of the mall the otsir because they were just renters but Sears and JC Penney owned their own structures which made it hard 22 make quick Changes. When you own and are stuck with so much real estate it's like trying to steer the Titanic

[@dantss]

dying malls like these always seem to have a vintage/ collectible toy shop or something along the lines. A mall near me is super dead and 3 out of like 10 stores open in there are collectible shops

[@WalkingZen8505]

I've noticed that too, I think retro toys/collectibles are a very popular niche right now and coupled with malls offering lower rents to bring in stores makes a very attractive environment for store owners and shoppers looking for these kind of opportunities.

[@paddy9449]

I went 2 the food court....... Just ta eat!!!!! I bought a paint brush in sears!!!!!

[@Nothinghere0101]

31:26 Guess the mall will be “Anchorless”

[@johnv8646]

Radio playing "Tin Man" By America at the 11:27 mark. Not the most popular '70s song

[@Burrit0Bandit0]

The tattoo shop was a champs sports

[@WalkingZen8505]

THANK YOU

[@Maddog4x4]

Video and take as many pictures of this place as you can. My hangout mall closed 2019 and is being demolished now Century III Mall. Malls are disappearing

[@WalkingZen8505]

That's a really good idea actually, I'll have to go back and take some pictures too.

[@johnv8646]

Damn. We used to go there from 1998-2003 (when we left CT) and I can at least say that up to 2003 the place was doing great, like any thriving mall. I can't believe it's so dead. Crappy economy? Or is it just that everyone buys everything online now? The record shop upstairs...I bought my copy of Relayer, Tales from Topographic oceans by Yes, in 2000. I bought the VHS of Pink Floyd Live at Pompeii there too, same year. And lots of other CDs.

[@WalkingZen8505]

I think it's a combination of both! Online shopping is so cheap and easy and stores are just getting more and more expensive 😞

[@Ultimatebubs]

Can the Buffalo Wild Wings somehow keep the entire fall afloat? It seems like it's trying to, anyway.

[@WalkingZen8505]

I'm not honestly sure, I've heard mixed reviews about it and for the size of the restaurant I don't often see big crowds there. They first have to worry about if they're keeping themselves afloat and after that if anyone from the restaurant is then visiting the mall (and vice versa)

[@johnv8646]

The spot you said was a Subway was definitely the Burger King in 200-2003

[@WalkingZen8505]

I remember it being one spot over where Pizza Hut was most recently but you may be correct

[@johnv8646]

Oh yeah, back in 2000-2001 there was the kid Mr Sparkles working at the Burger King there. Every time we went into the mall my friends and I would interact with him ha. And the fat short female custodian with a huge mustache we'd all laugh about. She was always there. We were 15 after all haha.

[@chrisbrulotte4179]

The store on the corner was a champs

[@WalkingZen8505]

That's right! Thanks for reminding me 🙏🏻

[@lauriesmith5008]

Is this a Koahn mall.

[@WalkingZen8505]

It was originally a Simon mall

[@lzydaygaming]

Verizon moved across the street where the old Wendy's used to be.

[@WalkingZen8505]

you're so right I forgot that was a standalone store now.

[@lzydaygaming]

@@WalkingZen8505 a lot of stores are moving now sadly. Bath and Body works is moving over to the Best Buy plaza across the street and the same with either lens crafters or Cohen's (can't remember which one though). Rue 21 is gone, it's a ticking time bomb right now.

[@HeatherNicole-q7v]

There actually was a sit in Taco Bell where journeys use to be

[@HeatherNicole-q7v]

Oh and a arcade

[@WalkingZen8505]

really?? what year was this?

[@HeatherNicole-q7v]

Definitely had to be early 90s…lol I just turned 37 👵🏻 I use to go as a little kid and then the arcade and both of those things occupied that space. With the clock tower in the the center of the food court.

[@WalkingZen8505]

omg the clock tower... i remember that and the gumball machine 😂😂 i also would've been that age but don't remember the taco bell

[@HeatherNicole-q7v]

@ maybe it wasn’t tacos bell? Idk 🤪I just remember sitting down inside separate from the food court seats