Towne West Mall ||| Wichita, Kansas

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Travel with a Wiseguy

Travel with a Wiseguy

2 ай бұрын

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Dead malls are becoming more commonplace around this country mostly because of online shopping. Towne West Mall in Wichita is headed that way as well. For a few decades it was a nice compliment to Towne East Mall, but lately it has become the mall equivalent of a ghost town. It was a very strange experience walking around a mostly deserted mall - but a familiar one for those who follow this channel. Glad I went and checked it out!
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Пікірлер: 605
@mechaswool
@mechaswool 2 ай бұрын
God, I remember going to Towne West so often. Sad to see it like this.
@TravelwithaWiseguy
@TravelwithaWiseguy 2 ай бұрын
😔
@gh2687
@gh2687 2 ай бұрын
We used to get dropped off at the mall in 1980 as high school students. It was a real treat
@common_c3nts
@common_c3nts Ай бұрын
The east won against the west in the great war of Wichita.
@Nooblex3-ru9jy
@Nooblex3-ru9jy Ай бұрын
@@gh2687which one because towne west was built in 1981 🤨
@TheLoreKeep
@TheLoreKeep Ай бұрын
I remember going to see frozen and Zootopia there
@starmouseking9310
@starmouseking9310 Ай бұрын
As a Wichita resident, I have to say, that even though the mall is dead, it's very much worth a stop into. Go to OZ, that little card store, it's really neat inside and they have a lot of cool vintage stuff. The Vintage Stock store also has some neat stuff. All of the employees are really kind in every store. Also, the movie theater has really cheap food and tickets, and it's almost always empty, so it's a nice way to watch a movie.
@TravelwithaWiseguy
@TravelwithaWiseguy Ай бұрын
I agree. I’ll be back!
@SaintZombie1
@SaintZombie1 24 күн бұрын
The theater closed down.
@starmouseking9310
@starmouseking9310 24 күн бұрын
@@SaintZombie1 Lol no it didn't, I just bought tickets to go see the new bad boys movie
@OnlyBrand420
@OnlyBrand420 17 күн бұрын
Oz is an awesome shop! Ramiro the owner is such a genuine guy, he gives the best deals for pokemon in all of wichita! 10/10 recommend to anyone to check it out
@charlestonpinballarcade
@charlestonpinballarcade 2 ай бұрын
As a dead mall enthusiast for several years, I gotta say I really enjoy seeing the unique hobbyist stores in this place. Typically, the only opportunity local hobbyists ever get to have a store is when there are dying malls like this and the rent finally becomes affordable. But many dead malls have management that doesn’t know how (or desire) to connect with hobbyists and they just wind up with junky nail salons, sneaker resellers and flea market type vendors with homemade sale signs before they finally shut down and rot away. Much respect to these mall vendors in the video, these stores all look very interesting and well taken care of! This is the type of mall I would love to open a pinball arcade, but unfortunately my two local malls don’t want that. Great video!
@TravelwithaWiseguy
@TravelwithaWiseguy 2 ай бұрын
It’s certainly a fascinating place to walk around and explore. It will be interesting to see what happens in the years to come!
@charlestonpinballarcade
@charlestonpinballarcade 2 ай бұрын
@@TravelwithaWiseguy I just looked at the mall webpage and this is a Kohan owned property. Unfortunately that’s not a good sign. I wish good for the tenants of this mall, but Kohan has a well documented record that does not typically trend into good things…. Just my opinion, but you will see multiple posts and videos offering similar opinions about this owner. Sad.
@alanunruh7310
@alanunruh7310 18 күн бұрын
they need to tear out most of its inside and turn it into and indoor cart track that rivals other indoor tracks. make a couple different courses. and have one that is a two tier track with bridge. leave the theater in and remodel open the food court area back up. and put the old arcade back in that used to be there. but cherry ontop is now that the casino went in out of town you could try and get a section also open to betting. mayb even have a horse race setup but for the cart races where you can bet on car #'s with a random driver draw so no one can cheat the system. its only after the race is over that the driver knows what # he was racing for.
@sammyhammy78
@sammyhammy78 2 ай бұрын
New Market Square was the beginning of the end of Towne West. The owner needs to relinquish ownership and let a different, more responsible group take control of it. So sad, because this wasn't a bad mall to go to back in the day.
@michellereeves5281
@michellereeves5281 Ай бұрын
I looked up the current owner. What is happening at Towne East is a pattern for the guy who owns it and other malls across the country. Sad to see it close unless there's some kind of intervention.
@anonymous071985
@anonymous071985 Ай бұрын
I was just about to comment on New Market Square. You beat me to it. At this point it just needs to be bull dozed. Or turned into a party district
@kristiparry2383
@kristiparry2383 27 күн бұрын
Actually it was the 4 year closure of kellogg and west, that was only supposed to be closed 1 year
@alanunruh7310
@alanunruh7310 18 күн бұрын
id actually say new market wasn't the beginning but the final nail in the coffin. town west was already dying by that time. infact by 2005 town west was all but done for, it was just a matter of trying to hold out as long as it could.
@alanunruh7310
@alanunruh7310 18 күн бұрын
@@kristiparry2383 yea that certainly didnt help. but even before they started that project town west was well on its way out the door
@wesmiller2793
@wesmiller2793 2 ай бұрын
I feel strongly I don't leave post and comments much. I was born in 1977 in Wichita Kansas and I am very familiar with Towne West Mall when it was busy and a bustling business. It does break my heart to see t mall in its current state. When I was younger it was not too uncommon to find me at Aladdin's Castle or watching a movie at the movie theater. I don't know how my Wichita Piers feel. I would love to see you tomorrow West come back again 💗. But I do understand economically why is it so difficult to do that. But it bears saying Towne West Mall will always have a special place in my heart
@TravelwithaWiseguy
@TravelwithaWiseguy 2 ай бұрын
Thanks for your comment!
@sybilstrum4269
@sybilstrum4269 2 ай бұрын
I use to take my kids to town West but now it a ghost mall just and the guy refused to pay his taxes and pay his utilities ! That's just a shame on him!
@wackadoodle12
@wackadoodle12 2 ай бұрын
The owner doesn't want it . He is in default at the bank . Basically he is telling the city if they want it take it. He probably is smart enough to legally separate himself from it if it is just one owner. More likely it's a type of co-op . These things litter the American landscape. Personally, I don't think there are nearly as many Americans in the USA as we are publicly told. I traveled all over the lower 48 states for 32 years. Even if I squint real hard there simply are not 350 million people in the USA. It's probably well under a 100 million people. Our nation is being ghosted by its own citizens. Welcome to New Zombiemerica'.
@chrismason7066
@chrismason7066 Ай бұрын
Yeah. I have only counted 13,213 people in the US. And they're all at adult bookstores...
@scarpfish
@scarpfish 27 күн бұрын
​@wackadoodle12 The owner, Kohan Retail Investment Group, is pulling this "collect the rent, but don't pay the utilities, taxes or maintenance" crap at several malls they own all over the country. They're vulture capitalists. Look up Tulsa Promenade for an example.
@SauvvyB
@SauvvyB 19 күн бұрын
It’s actually a big company that bought it out and is known for this across the country. They have a lawsuit for it
@amorrow1983
@amorrow1983 Ай бұрын
And those cars at West are probably 90% belonging to the employees there. Would be a great place to film movies, especially a Dawn of the Dead type.
@jvever4904
@jvever4904 Ай бұрын
Hell yeah to the ladies doing Mexican karaoke, good on them for having fun while waiting in the salon.
@colingeorgeh
@colingeorgeh 2 ай бұрын
Ghost mall? I enjoyed this video. It’s a sad story. But you did a great job. Thanks.
@TravelwithaWiseguy
@TravelwithaWiseguy 2 ай бұрын
Yes basically! Felt like a ghost town of sorts.
@mr.cheesegoat2413
@mr.cheesegoat2413 4 күн бұрын
Towne West holds so many memories for me. Such a nostalgic place despite going like twice a year. The most I remember about it is the smell I can't identify in it that I haven't smelled elsewhere that is super nostalgic
@TheMikester307
@TheMikester307 10 күн бұрын
I was in High School when Towne East opened, and going there was an event! I still have paperbacks I bought at the bookstores! Town West opened when I went to College (Newman University) just down the highway and I rode my bike (didn't have a car yet!) to TW to scope out books and records and issues of "Rod Serling's Twilight Zone Magazine." In the late 80s I worked in a store at Towne East and met my best friend there and 30-some years later we are still best friends! I'll always have a soft spot for that damn mall for that!
@HeidiRobey
@HeidiRobey 2 ай бұрын
Thanks for sharing, this is absolutely heartbreaking. We were raised with this mall, spent our teenage years hanging out with friends and raised my daughter frequently visiting there too. Soo many precious memories.. makes me so sad. I have tons of memories of this place.. this was such a happening place! It's sad to see it this way..
@NatLWms78
@NatLWms78 8 күн бұрын
I grew up in Wichita and Towne West used to be one of my favorite places to go and it's sad to see how much it's changed, but now that I'm back I'd love to visit it as I love exploring dead malls and such :D
@PartyMasterBoss
@PartyMasterBoss 12 күн бұрын
I remember 6-7 years ago when I was in high school, my friends and I go to the West Mall every weekend to shop or watch movies there and it was so busy.
@sethrice9939
@sethrice9939 14 күн бұрын
Woah! That’s bonkers! Never thought I’d ever see town west so empty. I can smell the 90’s food court. Even remember the mirrors in Saboros
@rambofan334
@rambofan334 14 күн бұрын
I went to this exact mall quite a bit when I was a kid, so many nostalgic memories.
@christianstrella4549
@christianstrella4549 Ай бұрын
As someone who grew up on the West Side, I cherish the countless memories I have of seeing Santa riding the train, playing by the water fountain in the center, and enjoying the bustling food court. While I hold onto these memories dearly, there's a part of me that longs to experience it all over again.
@user-sm2wk3cw3u
@user-sm2wk3cw3u 2 ай бұрын
I remember taking my Daughter and friends out to mall every weekend. Shopping and a movie. 🎶
@juliogonzales5441
@juliogonzales5441 2 ай бұрын
I..THOUGHT YOU WERE GONNA DANCE 🕺 WHEN THE LADY WAS SINGING 😅😅😅
@TravelwithaWiseguy
@TravelwithaWiseguy 2 ай бұрын
Hahaha I didn’t want people to immediately turn off the video
@ronfullerton3162
@ronfullerton3162 2 ай бұрын
Your first shot said it all. The look at that nearly empty parking lot with the blacktop surface decomposing and full of holes and long cracks. On the inside, I was impressed by how well kept and clean it seemed to be. Other dying malls I have been at have had dirty areas where a leak hasstained the floor and fell ceiling tile. And dark ares where several lights are out and haven't been replaced. Our lival mall had reached thar point, and eventually led to the board of public safety shutting it down. It since had sold to a developer. Mist of rhe mall was torn down except a section that was in good shape. That is being made into a large workout shop, as well as other small shops. And the cleared area has an apartment complex being built. The movie theater was in another building with other small shops, and it is being rejuvenated with the theater open now, and a family style diner soon to open. We have lits of hiusing out here, but have had to run across town to shop for years now. This could be a rather good. Hange for us. It was a rather good look at the changes happening in our Midwest. It is the same thing as our small communities have been through, just mire recent historically. Very interesting. And I would not of had the foresight to of even seen this as a worthy video to make. Way to go, Wise guy!
@TravelwithaWiseguy
@TravelwithaWiseguy 2 ай бұрын
Thanks! When I went there for a movie earlier this year, I walked around late at night and it was really dead. That gave me the idea for the video :)
@dirrt5011
@dirrt5011 2 күн бұрын
I remember going to the Vintage Stock in Towne East and getting a copy of Dead Rising for the Xbox 360, then I heard about Towne West declining. Really cemented my fear and morbid fascination of malls like this. It’s so surreal seeing it abandoned
@TheMikester307
@TheMikester307 10 күн бұрын
Oh, thanks for the music!
@TheMikester307
@TheMikester307 10 күн бұрын
One of my buddies, Terry Jones worked in the Towne West bookstore in 1981. He's been gone for thirty years!
@troyjenkins2332
@troyjenkins2332 2 ай бұрын
Used to go to both those malls when I grew up in Kansas. Mostly went to Town West as it was on the side closest to Hutchinson and right off the freeway.
@CaptainSeamus
@CaptainSeamus 2 ай бұрын
Hutch Mall is this way on the inside (but a lot of businesses facing outwards). Cheers from a moved back Hutch kid.
@cowboydiecastracing
@cowboydiecastracing 2 ай бұрын
I have been to Town West numerous times! It is sad to see how much the mall has deteriorated over the years! You are right, it’s a strange feeling walking around that dead mall! Great video!
@TravelwithaWiseguy
@TravelwithaWiseguy 2 ай бұрын
Thank you! Very sad indeed.
@rosiemcnaughton9933
@rosiemcnaughton9933 2 ай бұрын
I like the comparison between the still successful mall and the last one. It says everything. Thanks!
@TravelwithaWiseguy
@TravelwithaWiseguy 2 ай бұрын
The drone shots of the parking lots told a lot about that comparison!
@rosiemcnaughton9933
@rosiemcnaughton9933 2 ай бұрын
@@TravelwithaWiseguy Yes, they did.
@davebuser
@davebuser 2 ай бұрын
The old oil money has always been on the east side.
@spellfireforge
@spellfireforge Ай бұрын
I graduated from Northwest in 2000, so I spent my childhood and teenage years visiting Towne West during its heyday. I'd heard about the issues with power and water, but had no idea things had gotten so bad. It was actually really depressing to see this. Just another part of my childhood disappearing... Still, thanks for sharing this! I might have to go visit before it inevitably gets shut down for good.
@campingman2156
@campingman2156 2 ай бұрын
Thank you for making this video. As a “west sider”Towne west will always be close to my heart. Growing up with many b-day parties at the McDonald’s..had an indoor play area with real wood chips that I can still smell to this day lol. There was a Chick-fil-A as well during the early 80s. I could ramble on but you get the gist.
@SusanHL
@SusanHL 2 ай бұрын
I grew up in NW Wichita, and this brought back SO many memories. I remember when Towne West opened - the thing for many of us little elementary-school girls to do was "hang out" there on Saturdays. My friends got to go pretty much every weekend, but my sister and I didn't because Mom didn't believe children that age should be dropped at the mall to wander aimlessly for hours. We were angry at the time, but if I'd had kids I probably would have done the same thing - and, when we were allowed to go, it was a real treat. Great memories of watching "Rocky Horror Picture Show" in that theater (NOT in grade school)! My first job was at a clothing store in that mall. The whole place was always so BUSY, parking was a nightmare. Surreal to see it as it is now, this pristine, deserted little indoor city. So nice that we got your lovely drone shots in this video, they provided interesting contrast between the two malls. This was such a GREAT idea for a video!
@TravelwithaWiseguy
@TravelwithaWiseguy 2 ай бұрын
Interesting to see how things have changed within our lifetimes - I didn’t move to Wichita until 2006 but even since then the changes have been significant- mostly positive.
@SusanHL
@SusanHL 2 ай бұрын
@@TravelwithaWiseguy I completely agree. I'm hard-pressed to think of any significant changes that haven't made this an even better place to live and work.
@brendakonicki6011
@brendakonicki6011 2 ай бұрын
So sad to see Towne West like this. It was my "go to" mall for so long. It was very convenient for us west siders...
@gwa3584
@gwa3584 Ай бұрын
THE MINIGOLF AND THE TRAMPOLINES ARE SO NOSTALGIC
@troywatson9184
@troywatson9184 2 ай бұрын
We used to wrap Christmas gifts at Towne West from Thanksgiving til Christmas for customers. It was a busy mall back then. Made some pretty good money for our church youth group to help with youth trips. Its hard to believe how empty it is now.
@gigimead7898
@gigimead7898 14 күн бұрын
It’s so sad, I was at Towne West yesterday. It breaks my heart. I worked in all the malls in Wichita back in the 70’s and 80’s. I worked for a shoe store chain. I helped open the store at Towne West and transferred there from Towne East. Working in malls back then was fun. We all were kind of family, especially in the 70’s. The JC Penney store was a nice surprise. Clean, well displayed, lots of stock and friendly employees. It felt like I was the only person in the store so shopping was quite pleasant. 😊
@peterconlon8234
@peterconlon8234 2 ай бұрын
As we in the area might remember...there were some lean years over at Towne East, too...but never as bad as Towne West has been. It did used to be a pretty cool place
@fin9453
@fin9453 9 күн бұрын
I used to go to towne west almost every couple weeks with my parents and for some school trips and i can remeber some stores closing down but i havent walked around there recently only to watch some movies but i just felt so sad watching this because this mall was my childhood :(
@pamelacrowe4971
@pamelacrowe4971 2 ай бұрын
I believe a lot malls across the country are losing people coming through. In my area se Missouri the mall has really lost a lot of stores. Jc penny, old navy and Barnes and noble are about all that is left. Barnes seems to do well. Thanks for sharing.
@tmay092698
@tmay092698 Ай бұрын
I grew up my whole life in Wichita but have been stationed in California for 5 years. Every time I go home on leave I always stop at town west to see what’s left. It’s a tradition that reminds me of home
@greggcollins4215
@greggcollins4215 2 ай бұрын
I was last there a couple years ago. There were more mallwalkers than shoppers.
@ahmedshehab1286
@ahmedshehab1286 18 күн бұрын
Did anyone else notice the small detail at 5:23? It’s so cool!
@juliecook5165
@juliecook5165 Ай бұрын
I miss The House of Egg roll. Those were so good
@CampThinWallet.
@CampThinWallet. 20 күн бұрын
Reminds me of Bannister Mall in South KC.... I've seen it flourishing as a kid in the late 80s to being demolished in 09...WOW.... I have nothing left to say😢😂😂😂
@wickedwanderlust1602
@wickedwanderlust1602 12 күн бұрын
I’m a resident of Wichita too. And I remember going there with my family. It’s sad to see it like this. It used to be so busy. Online shopping killed a lot of things and I don’t think a lot of places recovered from Covid
@escurtsinger
@escurtsinger 29 күн бұрын
I used to work in a decor shop where the mini-golf place is now when I was expecting my son and shortly after he was born. The trajectory the mall has taken since blows my mind.
@JasonBurger-zi4dk
@JasonBurger-zi4dk 3 күн бұрын
Me and my grandma used to go over there all the time last year. We watched moves at bolivard in the mall, that and the dillards are the only thing keeping it running. Now the only enterence is Dillards and you can’t go into the open mall area it’s closed off. They should turn it into a cosino because it just needs a little renivation.
@88samWOW
@88samWOW 14 күн бұрын
My dad liked to take me to the old movie theater. Or stop by after the zoo. This is churning up a lot of memories from my childhood.
@gabepickle
@gabepickle 2 ай бұрын
Grew up in West Wichita and went shopping at Towne West so much growing up. CRAZY to see it like this!
@Lycanthromancer1
@Lycanthromancer1 15 күн бұрын
That was a great mall when it was still alive and kicking. Very nice place to go every morning for a nice walk, especially in the winter when it's nasty outside.
@Mrfreedom2299
@Mrfreedom2299 13 күн бұрын
Ayyyyyy heck ya good times
@SaintZombie1
@SaintZombie1 24 күн бұрын
It use to be very busy. There were times it was hard to find parking. I've had to park in the far North west lot next to Maple Street back in the day.
@scarpfish
@scarpfish 27 күн бұрын
Simon Properties once owned both Towne West and Towne East, plus the Hutchinson Mall in Hutchinson. Today they only own Towne East and you can tell the difference between it and the other two. That being said, the other two malls dwindled due to both faltering fortunes of anchor stores and demographic changes of the neighborhoods around the malls. One thing to me that always plagued Towne West was it's seemingly ideal location at the junction of two major highways, but not having any immediate access in or out to either, especially I-235. When the overhaul of the 235/54 interchange was taking place in the late 2010's, it just added complication to an already bad situation.
@user-su8hk9rg5v
@user-su8hk9rg5v 2 ай бұрын
Town West used to be a busy mail, shopping, Food court, and movie theater 🎭 🍿
@JoAnneSmith-di8ok
@JoAnneSmith-di8ok Ай бұрын
I used to live on the West side in 1978-1979. This used to be the drive in movie theater. We went there in the 1970's when I vacationed here. I moved away in October 1979. I never experienced Towne West. I used to frequent Towne East. It's nice to see Towne East is still alive. Back in the day Towne West was a great place to go according to my family. I live in PA. We had the third largest Mall in the world here. It is in my neighborhood. We have been here 20 years. Stores started closing about 2017. They have begun demolition in the past month. The owners didn't pay their bills or maintain the property. The parking lot was totally dilapidated. This is sad. Many memories in these malls.
@hatefacethegoatmonster4674
@hatefacethegoatmonster4674 15 күн бұрын
I remember I went there all the time when I was a little kid
@thoward4051
@thoward4051 2 ай бұрын
A very familiar sight all across the USA, dead (or dying) malls and shopping centers.
@janfeuerborn2707
@janfeuerborn2707 2 ай бұрын
This was nostalgic for Alan- he has memories of both of those malls from when he lived there in the 1970s!
@TravelwithaWiseguy
@TravelwithaWiseguy 2 ай бұрын
He would've seen it change multiple times good and bad!
@Nibrinyion
@Nibrinyion 16 күн бұрын
i’ve lived in wichita most of life, born in very early 2000s and never once stepped foot into the west mall. growing up it was always called a “dead or ghost” mall. even in the early 2000s if i can recall correctly, there wasnt much in the mall.
@honestdave
@honestdave 2 ай бұрын
I live right down the road from the mall. It was so booming back in the day.
@tinman7130
@tinman7130 2 ай бұрын
You could run cross country run indoors there John on a snowy day. Those wheels gave me flash backs to the 60's, psychedelic, peace love and keep the baby faith
@TravelwithaWiseguy
@TravelwithaWiseguy 2 ай бұрын
Absolutely! I feel like this is a good place for a workout 😊
@dudersification
@dudersification 2 ай бұрын
I lived a 10 min walk from town west, growing up I used to go to town west all the time, mr. Bulkys the candy store was a fav of mine, hot topic was another, it's sad that town west has gone from a thriving mall to a ghost town
@kansasbeals
@kansasbeals 22 күн бұрын
Having grown up in Wichita I can say that the ONLY times my mom ever took me to Towne West was just before the Riverfestival to look at the bathtubs that would be raced in the river before they stopped doing that. Otherwise we always shopped at Towne East and Eastgate. At this point, I don't know what would be the best course of action for the property, but it is just a betting game on when it closes for good.
@louispaparella5766
@louispaparella5766 2 ай бұрын
Lived at 935 Crestline Dr. in Westlink. Left for Tulsa in 79. Work deal... Lotsa great friends in Wichita from the 60's and 70's. After KU did Grad work at WU...those were the days
@Wolfethyst
@Wolfethyst 28 күн бұрын
Spent a ton of time there as a teen, it was full then. Have a lot of good memories. Sucks to see the West Mall like this.
@UnknownVans
@UnknownVans 15 күн бұрын
It really is sad what happened to town west, I remember going there pretty frequently.
@jacksonguldner3556
@jacksonguldner3556 Ай бұрын
Man, I was just in there today looking for music at Vintage Stock. It’s so sad to see what that poor mall has become
@Mrgraduation
@Mrgraduation 19 күн бұрын
Did not expect to see hometown content in my recommended 😭 Used to go town west all the damn time and it was just as popular as town east I really don't know what happened, really wish they'd close down and do a grand reopening or something because everyone knows town west is still open and there but know its dead so no one goes there, so sad to see one of my favorite places as a kid so hollow and a shell of what it used to be
@UnknownVans
@UnknownVans 15 күн бұрын
eyyyy they got that scheels going on now at town east. I go there all the time.
@0miemain2313
@0miemain2313 Ай бұрын
I live in Kansas and i remember going to Towne west with my parents and grandma all the time. Kinda sad to see it so empty
@Ufos4dahoes
@Ufos4dahoes 16 сағат бұрын
Turn it into a paintball arena and keep the food courts.
@wezmez
@wezmez Ай бұрын
i live here and didnt notice the diffrance thank you
@sueelliott3206
@sueelliott3206 2 ай бұрын
So sad! Personally, I'd like to see downtown stores again with 3 or 4 levels. The beautiful windows decorated by professionals for various holidays. I really miss that where I live. I have awesome memories of going downtown with my family.
@Banjogoose
@Banjogoose Ай бұрын
I remember roaming this mall in the 90s. Crazy to see what it has become
@Der-Schnitter777
@Der-Schnitter777 19 күн бұрын
When I was in high school from 2002-2006 the west mall was where it’s at. We always went there because it was something to do. I went a few years ago and there was nothing there. Crazy how much it changed!
@ChiefsFan4Life
@ChiefsFan4Life Ай бұрын
It's so sad what has happened to Towne West I used to go there alot as a kid & used to get my video games at EB Games /Gamestop. / used to shop at Superstars & I was in there a yr ago for 1st time in 10+ years & I left in tears childhood memories gone. Have a feeling 10 yrs from now Towne West will be extinct atleast we have Towne East which is still in great shape! R.i.P Towne West :(
@devinparry7906
@devinparry7906 28 күн бұрын
I love this mall. It is great to walk in. It makes me so sad that it has gone this downhill. Every store owner is amazing and I wish things would look up
@RobertDodrill
@RobertDodrill 17 күн бұрын
Lots of good memories in that mall. I worked as the projectionist at the movie machine from 2005-2008, still one of my favorite jobs just sitting up in the projection booth. This was also in the days before digital projectors so a lot of memories splicing film reels together. There was a place in the food court called Greek Plus. I went there everyday that I worked and ordered the same thing to the point that the guy that worked there would just ask "the usual?" when I walked up.
@SnowChickenGod
@SnowChickenGod Ай бұрын
Walking through Towne West, it reminded me of the mall in St Charles, IL before it was abandoned. Shame that a lot of these places end up being like this.
@blueroanspecial
@blueroanspecial Ай бұрын
I would of thought Wichita was big enough to support 2 malls! Living closer to Topeka, our mall looks like Towne West! Thanks for the video!
@TravelwithaWiseguy
@TravelwithaWiseguy Ай бұрын
It definitely did support it for a while. But malls are hard to keep going these days.
@sirenfan97
@sirenfan97 Ай бұрын
I’m surprised it’s lasted as long as it has. Its days are numbered for sure.
@chocolatestraw3971
@chocolatestraw3971 Ай бұрын
Grew in a small farming town south of Wichita. Towne West was the goto mall for my friends and me for movies and shopping in the late 80s/early 90s.
@bchadwick6469
@bchadwick6469 Ай бұрын
I moved to NW Wichita in 87 and away in 96 … sad to see it go down hill … back then it was a great mall
@timezone8876
@timezone8876 2 ай бұрын
That music would keep me out of that mall even if all the stores were open.
@TravelwithaWiseguy
@TravelwithaWiseguy 2 ай бұрын
😂
@richardchilders5522
@richardchilders5522 19 күн бұрын
I live in witchita, I didn't know there was singing going down, I'm going to give it a shot. 😎
@TravelwithaWiseguy
@TravelwithaWiseguy 19 күн бұрын
😊
@OnlyBrand420
@OnlyBrand420 17 күн бұрын
Oz is the best, the owner is such a good guy, best deals on Pokémon products around, I absolutely recommend checking out his store
@chriscosby2459
@chriscosby2459 2 ай бұрын
I lived in Wichita from 1987 to 2008. I lived on the west side of Wichita. The differences between west and east Wichita are dramatic. Seems like the streets, commercial areas, and landscaping in east Wichita is much nicer.
@patrickbateman00
@patrickbateman00 Ай бұрын
@5:55 that space in the back used to be an arcade. I played Dance Dance Revolution there a bunch of times!
@scarlett9506
@scarlett9506 26 күн бұрын
It's always been in a terrible location! Yes it's located near major highway but there's never been direct route to get from said highway to the mall. When I moved here in 1990 I was mind blown at how you had to squirrel around through different roads to get to the mall from the major highways. Town East is located on the corner of two major highways with the direct exit.
@HistoricallyMarked
@HistoricallyMarked 2 ай бұрын
I sure miss the old vibes of malls. I think all of us who were kids in the 80s and 90s could write a chapter about how malls were a thing and what Gen-z is missing out on! lol There's a couple very active malls in the STL area...one of them you'll be going past on your Route 50 trip in Illinois (St. Clair Square) but most of them dead. I thought about doing a couple eps but it always seems that they're worried about KZbinrs coming in there. Anyway, great for you to do a video on this subject!
@TravelwithaWiseguy
@TravelwithaWiseguy 2 ай бұрын
Thanks! I didn’t sense anyone was worried about me but then again there wasn’t many people there! 😂
@alexandermiller5898
@alexandermiller5898 Ай бұрын
I used to live in Wichita how nice
@TheBigBenji890
@TheBigBenji890 Ай бұрын
I grew up going to Towne West in the 90s. I have a great memories of the old cookie shop. Man it's sad how it's fallen off.
@robogod5433
@robogod5433 Ай бұрын
We have the same issue here in Topeka. The West Ridge Mall, the only one that’s open since the White Lakes Mall was torn down a few years ago, is lacking a lot of stores though it used to be so popular when I was little. The new owners are trying to bring back more businesses to it, but so far it barely looks like it used to back in the early 2000’s
@UncleThor
@UncleThor Ай бұрын
Got asked to leave from there once. For going up the down escalator all day. I used to work at Spear's, so I was sometimes at the Towne West mall between shifts when I was pulling doubles. I'm kind of sad to see it go, I would love to take my wife there one last time one day.
@EvilDarkCow
@EvilDarkCow Ай бұрын
I went to Towne West all the time as a kid, and as recently as the mid-2000s or so, it was the place to be. I still pop in every now and then (well, when they have electricity) to hit up Vintage Stock, and it seems to be just a little emptier every time. More tenants are leaving due to the disconnections, and I heard at one point that the theater is looking to move (possibly to where the Old Town Warren was). It's beyond life support, almost like they're just letting it die off. It's nice to see at least Towne East is having a bit of a resurgence.
@theprocraftinator9814
@theprocraftinator9814 2 ай бұрын
I just went to West Ridge Mall in Topeka today and it kinda looked like this mall. They also have the trampoline.
@kelleyhoffman2706
@kelleyhoffman2706 2 ай бұрын
I still go to Steve's Jams amd Jellies for all their product and local Kansas products...
@philtrich6001
@philtrich6001 16 күн бұрын
21st and Maize has everything the town west mall used to have
@Mikejo2603
@Mikejo2603 Ай бұрын
Towne West Square when I was a kid in the 90s was always busy. Not a vacancy to be seen and especially during the holidays, it was such a fun place to go because of how busy it was. My childhood and teenage years were there almost every weekend just hanging out with family and friends enjoying the old Sbarro's and I really liked visiting Electronics Boutique, Third Planet, and B Dalton books. Many of my family's shoes were purchased at the Payless there and we shopped at the Montgomery Ward and Sears quite often. After I graduated high school in 2007, it just stopped being the place to go. It would be years between visits. I can count on one hand how many times I have been to Towne West in the past 10 years. Anymore it just became a place to go to see how dead it had become.
@chuckwilson2301
@chuckwilson2301 2 ай бұрын
Use to shop there 25 years when I lived in that area.
@Chronicler177
@Chronicler177 Ай бұрын
After coming here all the time going up, seeing this is surreal
@jesusdal4299
@jesusdal4299 18 күн бұрын
Idk how town west is still open, especially after town east got scheels. Scheels put town east over the top! Love that store!
@Carzom
@Carzom 18 күн бұрын
They really should put all the Government buildings in this Mall, like the post office and the DMV and such, would be a perfect spot for it!
@2DWRLDD
@2DWRLDD 13 күн бұрын
wait what i used to go here all the time, used to watch movies at the movie machine all the time bro.
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