The Decline of Retail - Southwyck Mall - Toledo, Ohio - DEAD MALL (Demolished)

[@kevinthrun8262]

The Southwyck Mall was great. I worked at the Lion Store from the fall of 1972 until early fall 1976. My wife and I met there. The mall was very special and Christmas time was the best. I understand time marches on, but it is really too bad time had to take away the Southwvck Mall.

[@lieselotteschmidt9126]

I lived there in the 80-90s. It was a very nice mall. Loved Christmas time there. I am shocked to here how things have changed.

[@CFav7]

I remember going here as a child with my mother in the late 70s and early 80s. Old Towne felt like a magical place. There was a really nice ice cream parlor there if i remember correctly. I participated in a city-wide spelling bee championship there when i was in 5th grade. It's so sad to see how run-down so much of the Toledo area has become. I moved away in the early 2000s. Now when I go back to visit family, do much of Toledo looks post-apocalyptic to me. :(

[@kevinismawayoflife4660]

As a preteen in the early 80s I remember feeling like I was in a whole different world when I went down that long hallway into Old Town.

[@havasubooo8840]

That hallway was soooo long. I'm surprised nothing weird ever happened in it.

[@tomshiba51]

I lived fairly close to the mall. I witnessed it's construction and partook of it's amenities once it opened. I left Toledo in 1984, and visited the mall only twice before it's demise. The last time we visited the mall was a few years before it closed, and the visit was depressing. It was half-lit, and I recall seeing only a hand full of businesses in there. Walking out of there, that day, was like leaving a bedridden dying, old friend.

[@shofar4118]

I grew up in south Toledo, my second job was at AMC theatres on the inside across from red baron, AMC also had an outside part, many memories from that mall, good times, thanks for posting

[@joeshipley8454]

Watched Star Wars like 7 times at Southwyck. Bought a mood ring there. Hung out at Red Baron and played Foosball. Fell asleep on carpet under glass dome for about an hour. Lol. I loved that mall as a teen in the 70's.

[@derrickmagallanes]

I use to love coming to this mall as a kid. Because it had a KB Toys. Franklin Park Mall did not. lol Living in Texas now, memories are still fresh.

[@rjfernandez7]

Same!

[@humanvideosponge4529]

Southwyck was a fixture for me when I lived in Toledo up until the time I moved away in the early 90s. What I loved about it was even though it had a 70s aesthetic, it was very clean and well taken care of (or at least I personally felt that they really kept it looking good).

[@williamfinney6660]

I practically lived in this mall. My mother worked at this Montgomery wards from the late 70s all the way up till 99. And when I was a kid she would being me to work with her to save on a sitter she would let me hang in the mall until her shift was done. Luckily this was the mall heydays of the early 80s. And by 1990 I had gotten my first job as a janitor at this mall. I still am flooded with the memories, walden books, the hobby center, red baron arcade, the tic tac toe chicken at old town. Old town had a live chicken in a enclosure that would play tic tac toe with you. You just don't see this kinda stuff anymore

[@phillipstankey8881]

Southwyck's arcade became a hang out spot for kids in the 1980's...there were fights in the parking lot that drew some media attention. That was the beginning of the end

[@carolpettit5072]

you forgot to mention that it had a carousel at one time.

[@joshshoop2313]

These pics bring back so many memories. There was a big bronze lion outside the lion store (my grandmas favorite store) and I lived in red barron arcade, ate lunch at coney Island then went back to more ninja turtles and simpsons in red barron

[@lelamcclanahan5720]

I loved Southwyck Mall!! It saddens me so bad that its no longer with us. I really hate the way the retail world has turned. Maybe one day, somebody will reopen or build malls again. Maybe. They say history repeats itself. Thanks for sharing!

[@mr.nibblenips4231]

I saw a lot of classic 80s movies at the movie theater there.

[@j.michaelsearle9304]

In its prime Southwyck had a McDonalds INSIDE the mall. The mall was a retail shopping magnet.

[@sgt.pembry9688]

Ironic that Amazon is now on the site where this mall existed.

[@kennethfink7060]

Southwyck was a great mall. Back in the mid seventies, going there from Bowling Green after a week of Jr. High School was like a vacation. It was just fun.

[@dueythawicked1528]

My favorite mall ever. I was so sad to see it gone when i came back for a visit

[@amygraveldinger6868]

Does anyone know what became of the beautiful carousel that was in the mall? I was super young but I still remember it. My favorite horse was named Racer. ♥️

[@wowhaha4871]

It was moved to East Hills Mall in St. Joseph, MO.

[@jenniferlenz578]

When I was young I grew up on the south side of Toledo Ohio I was 6 years old when southwick Mall opened up and spent many years especially my teenage years always at southwick it broke my heart to see it close and then to be demolished but I will always have fun memories of this very special place thank you for this video

[@wowhaha4871]

Of course! It always makes me happy knowing that I documented someone’s childhood mall.

[@bridgettewilson3036]

Use to hang at the mall me and my friends on the weekend go to the movies shop just had nice time Southwick

[@tbrown6480]

Used to love coming home from College at Christmas Break and hanging with my friends in Olde Towne drinking cold draft beers and listening to David Browning play and sing...it was magical. Fond memories indeed. I miss those times.

[@wowhaha4871]

I love hearing about all of the memories people have at these places!

[@kennypeshlakai2416]

I have delivered packages at Levis, fallen,spring meadows, southwyck, Franklin, northtown, Woodville mall,BG, and many more classified as strip malls. I remember southwyck’s downfall was gang violence. Especially the fights around the movie theater we’re getting more deadly.

[@wowhaha4871]

Crime probably did have something to do with it. I’m not from Toledo so I don’t know how that area near Southwyck is perceived, but from what I researched, the neighborhood isn’t particularly dangerous. However, I know this doesn’t necessarily turn down the possibility that crime could’ve played a part in the mall’s downfall.

[@jenXMAGA]

Some folk used the mall as a babysitter for their little punks that should've spent time in juvi instead of wreaking havoc on the mall & paying customers.

[@mr.clean419]

Miss this mall from back in the 90s. Now it’s an Amazon fulfillment center. Weird

[@dodgeman338]

Amazon sucks

[@darleneseiling9866]

Loved it and still miss it.

[@estuder32anthonywayne98]

Old town had a head shop😎😎😎

[@paranormalprincess6607]

I miss all our malls. Now there is only 1 Franklin Park which I'm not fond of.

[@rl1800]

Franklin Park was great before the big redesign. Red Baron, Spencers, Farrell's. Once they took off that giant glass cube on the roof, it lost its identity.

[@MydirtyRat1]

They just recently completed an Amazon Fulfillment center there.

[@NickelPlateDave]

Remember riding the Carousel taking a photo with Santa and telling my mom why the person is shaking the photo was a Polaroid

[@harisharun1180]

Southwyck was the closest mall to my apartment on Airport Hwy. I use to go there for Sbarro's Pizza.

[@jonathanfreedom1st]

I went here as a kid. 1980s and 90s.

[@adamsensabaugh1417]

I remember that mall as a kid, it was a very pretty mall. The arcade was really nice , two story I believe. Now it's an Amazon fullfillment center.

[@carrielynn2748]

No upstairs

[@Myers419]

@@carrielynn2748 yeah it did have two floors

[@rjfernandez7]

Hmmm I know the Red Baron at Franklin park had two floors. Maybe the Southwyk one was only one story?

[@adamsensabaugh1417]

The mall itself I know was one story, but swear the arcade had an upper level

[@rjfernandez7]

@@adamsensabaugh1417 I can't even be sure anymore. is it a Mandela Effect?

[@michellehaywood9781]

Loved hanging here in the mid 90's.. was awesome...❤..I miss it..😔

[@RDEZtinationsCreations]

I grew up around that Mall. Lots of memories, Sadly its completely gone.

[@NMercy]

It was a cool mall to go to. I seem to remember the reason we stopped going to it was the news stories about people getting pulled under the cars and robbed... I was younger at the time, but since the mall had a steady decline after that point I tend to believe the stories had something to do with it. I recall going there when I was in my teens to a card shop, but the mall was already in its strong decline by then... The follow-up story of the land is also interesting ranging from a planned horse park to most recently an Amazon distribution center.

[@SarahB1863]

There's an Amazon distribution center being built on the land right now - in fact it's almost done.

[@NMercy]

@@SarahB1863 That's good to hear... Haven't been out that way since March.

[@zpppp7606]

My brother poured the concrete their it huge sq footage

[@CT-uv8os]

Southwick was cool. It and Akrons Rolling Acres were the bomb!

[@postbreak]

I worked at Coney Island there for a short while, my aunt owned it.

[@danlaunder673]

i dont even understand why it closed and torn down

[@stelthy100]

WE USE TO GO TO SOUTHWYCK IN THE 70S IT WAS GREAT ITS A SHAME ITS GONE

[@staticfanatic6361]

Wow, sanitized for your political correctness. We who lived here know the real reason they lost business, they failed to show police coverage and the " local indigenous personnel" took over and shoppers fled for safety!!

[@wowhaha4871]

I don’t talk about politics on my channel and I’m not going to disclose my political or religious beliefs. Also, please don’t spread hate ❤️

[@foxbodyblues6709]

@@wowhaha4871 telling the truth isn’t hateful. Hiding the truth to benefit one group over the other is hateful. Why are you so hateful?

[@foxbodyblues6709]

I said exactly the same thing. One party govt in Toledo drives out everything good. Waterville and Whitehouse are booming for a reason. 13/50 is the reason.

[@rl1800]

It's sad but true. The management gave up on this mall in the 80s and the predators flocked in for easy pickins.

[@CFav7]

​@foxbodyblues6709 And when white people commit crimes, is that because of their race? The majority of sex offenders, child predators and serial Killers in the US are white males. Should we blame all white males for that? Or do you only think that all black people should be blamed when a black person commits a crime?

[@MalachiReds]

I never been but I think it deserves to be open much longer

[@wilstjohn]

Magical time.

[@raymondroberts8709]

Very sad; this was a super cool mall........

[@Floyd_Payweather]

Southwyck used to be the shit I miss it 😢 this brought back so many memories

[@wowhaha4871]

I loved researching about this mall. Seems like a really cool place. So sad that it had to close :(

[@Floyd_Payweather]

@@wowhaha4871 yea man as kids we catch the bus out there and go to the movies or just walk around really

[@missamae34]

I was a teenager...memories

[@theresamarvin1220]

The failure of the mall was due to absentee owners. There were too many of one kind of store, such as shoes. I worked at Lion/Dillard’s and people preferred to shop in a mall that had a variety of stores

[@wowhaha4871]

That makes sense.

[@lynnecarroll9953]

Due to a poor Mall manager Glen Anderson, it went to piss and a hand basket

[@bobbyright2010]

How big is your tv?

[@wowhaha4871]

?

[@mastergrampsiscool]

How did i found you on my covid 19 news😂

[@wowhaha4871]

LMAO

[@havasubooo8840]

The music is so annoying, it either needs to be lower or gone. You don't need it whilst you are speaking. I want to listen to you, but all I hear is music.

[@wowhaha4871]

I apologize. I will make videos with lower music in the future.

[@havasubooo8840]

@@wowhaha4871 Thank you! I would listen to you without music if you didn't want to use any! I promise!! I know its difficult. I have a friend who does KZbin and they always have issues with the music, voices, etc.

[@wowhaha4871]

@@havasubooo8840 it’s alright I’ve had a lot going on in my life recently so I haven’t posted much. Going to get back to it soon.

[@carrielynn2748]

Debssss

[@jimw4995]

What happened to that oh that's right black people tear up destroy Northtown too

[@wowhaha4871]

Please don’t make racist remarks on my channel.

[@foxbodyblues6709]

The problem with all the malls in Toledo is the Democrat dominated govt stopped enforcing the law and keeping out the criminals. You know exactly what I mean.

[@Noclevername54]

Elaborate more please

[@foxbodyblues6709]

@@Noclevername54 first: are you from Toledo? Do you live there now?

[@TrustNone35]

That seems like a simple explanation but there is much more to it than lack of law enforcement. The surrounding area starting going down in the later 80's. People were making more money and moved to the suburbs. This took away much of the business the mall needed to survive. I really liked this mall in the 80's but by the mid 90's it was a shell of it's former self. Sad to see it go but we all knew it was coming. Same goes for Northtowne and Woodville malls. Franklin Park kept expanding but even as the sole survivor I can see that closing up in the next 10 years.

[@foxbodyblues6709]

@@TrustNone35 but why did regular people want to move out of the city? Crime was the reason. It affects everything: Property values go down employers don’t want to have their business in crime areas

[@hottoddy6757]

Very sad that Southwick, Woodville & Northtown all closed. Shopping destination & Movies. Old Towne was a meeting place for teens & young adults. I just went for a ride last week. The Fallen Timbers & Town center Levis commons in Perrysburg are not doing well. I saw less than 50% occupancy of the stores are. On cold wet wintery days in Northwest Ohio I don't want to walk outside. Last time I was outside of Toledo area. Malls are closing in Detroit, Cleveland area Columbus area. Sandusky Mall is still there.