Westfield Garden State Plaza: Definitely NOT a Dead Mall! Paramus, New Jersey!

Join me as I take a look at the Westfield Garden State Plaza mall in Paramus, New Jersey! Is it a dead mall? Not a chance! This is one of the liveliest malls in the United States! Let me know what you think in the comments!
This video was filmed in May 2023 on a Thursday around 12:00pm.
If you liked this video, please give me a thumbs up, leave a comment and subscribe to my channel! Thanks!
Source of information:
en.wikipedia.o...
mall-hall-of-f...
www.northjerse...
mall-hall-of-f...
#mall #malls #newjersey #shoppingmall #shoppingmalls #retail #paramus #paramusnj #gardenstate #nostalgia

[@evelish8309]

I don't normally comment, but I remember going to this mall so many times as a kid. My cousin used to work at the carousel there and in high school my friends and I would go there to hit to food court and have some Panda Express. I haven't been there in about 13 years but this sure brings good memories back. Its good to see there is at least one mall around that isn't failing. There was a mall not far down from where this mall is called the Bergen Mall, not sure if thats still around but it was another place I would go to quite often growing up. I would hope that mall isn't dead either.

[@johnseah957]

The Bergen Mall is still there. Nordstrom Rack is one of the anchor stores there, with Saks Off Fifth being a second anchor store. It has expanded somewhat, with stores and restaurants opening up behind it (so those stores and the parking lot is even with the second floor of the Bergen Mall) in an outdoor mall format. There used to be a location of one of Bobby Flay's Burger Palace restaurant chain, but it closed down at the start of COVID and never reopened.

[@purplesprigs]

Yeah! I worked at Ohrbach's (long gone) at the Bergen Mall on Route 4, just East of Garden State Plaza in the early 80's. My Orbach's is now a Target, and beautiful, historic (supposedly one of the first malls in the US) Bergen Mall is Bergen Town Center outlet mall. Now let's go bowling in Fair Lawn, just up the road from Nabisco...then pizza.

[@jedi69outcast]

Who remembers Arcadia Gardens, Child World and the Christmas display with Santa in the light pole?

[@fleabittenadventures]

I saw old pics of the Santa on a pole. I think I saw somewhere that they still do this. Is that correct?

[@MrSloika]

@@fleabittenadventures Santa is still in the parking lot except they took away his pipe.

[@oldatarigamer]

Had a bowling alley in the basement that I think closed sometime in the late 80's/90's. South of the Nordstroms and down a flight of stairs.

[@kkrazy2263]

This is one of my favorite malls, if not my favorite.

[@johnseah957]

The standalone empty building in the parking lot (right by the AMC theatre) was a Best Buy until a few years ago, when it closed down. They have a second location about two miles away off of Route 17N, right near the Paramus Park Mall, and it is still open today.

[@jnfr2424]

That building was originally The Wiz it’s about to be torn down for more parking

[@seer6961]

They sure took their sweet time demolishing it after kicking out Best Buy.

[@jnfr2424]

@@seer6961 they used it for Halloween over the years

[@ddvaia]

Did some work here, too. A kiosk for a major cell phone vendor. The challenge was making it ADA accessible because their model was to allow customers to walk through the kiosk rather than serving over a counter. It needed a ramp to accommodate the raised platform we needed to accommodate the under floor wiring for power and the data cable for the POS system. Due to blue laws in Bergen County, even the contractors could not work on Sundays while the mall was closed.

[@dmp612]

This was my childhood mall! They definitely did expansions in the early 2000s. If you haven’t already, check out the history of The Bergen Mall, but it’s called the Bergen Town Center now. Lots of cool history there too!

[@fleabittenadventures]

Maybe on my next trip down that way. Thanks for the suggestion.

[@michaelseymour7211]

I love malls but I don't get out much so I walk these malls vicariously thru. you Tom thank you.

[@fleabittenadventures]

Glad I could help! Thanks for watching.

[@bkhollyr]

This mall is heaven. Grew up in Brooklyn lived in NJ for school and LIVED in this place. Now years later back living in NYC and I still only do major shopping at GSP.

[@renardfranse]

I know this mall intimately. I lived in Bergen County for 20 years. It is mostly a teen hangout on weekends. I saw my first IMAX movie here. Avatar! LOL They used to have Laura Ashley clothing and home stores, AND a SONY store similar to the apple store setup. Bought my first laptop and replacement battery there. Also got my sleepnumber bed there. Still have my london fog raincoat from Neiman Marcus. Also had a Continental Airlines ticket office on the lower floor, ate at legal seafood many times

[@johnseah957]

The funny thing is Garden State Plaza has an Apple Store there, with a Microsoft Store right across from it (or it did a couple of years ago, not sure if the Microsoft store closed down or not). It's been a year or so since I've walked around there, although I was at the Garden State Plaza about a month or so ago.

[@MikeJ2023]

Like wise I grew up in Bergen county taking the bus with friends from Ridgewood town center was my Friday night Sam goodie paparazzi restaurant and the movie theater Best Friday night ever

[@renardfranse]

And next to Papa Razzi was Joes American, owned by the same company and actually shared the bathroom in the middle@@MikeJ2023

[@MrSloika]

Not a teen hang out anymore. The mall has a new policy in place. No one under 18 unless accompanied by an adult chaperone.

[@dougward1969]

I worked on this mall as a carpenter in 2000's framing ceilings and sheetrock at intersection of AMC Theaters and the interior construction of AMC Theaters when it was attached to rest of the mall. I have pictures of rough framing before sheetrock went up in one of the more challenging areas we had to build, Timestamp is the area, because of the curves 12:15

[@danielflynn8530]

I’m from Jersey he he he. It’s the most wonderful place on earth. For those unfamiliar it’s from a sketch with Joe Piscapo of SNL back in the 80’s. All I can think of is him eating iced cream oddly and looking around there in awe.

[@Raygun-lf5wy]

JCPenney had a total of 4 entrances, no exterior entrance since it’s directly inside of the mall, surrounded by stores. At the lower level of the former department store, there’s old navy and champs on one side, & the other side is soon to be a hasbro themed entertainment venue called planet playskool. Upper level entrance across the Apple Store contains aerie, offline by aerie, lululemon, under armour, and adidas. Other side has Arena Stem and soon Nerf Action Xperience. Nerf plans to also take up the 3rd level too.

[@fleabittenadventures]

Cool. Thanks for the info.

[@carringtonpageiv6210]

Actually, went there for a little shopping trip on Friday. I grew up with the garden State Plaza so it kind of shocked me knowing how many malls are out there that are failing seeing how this was my local mall

[@YTLawnGnome]

I have visited this mall many times and it always has a crowd here. It also opened a few new attractions in the mall just this year. The movie theater here is one of my personal favorites and the best part is...this is a great place to get a really good walk in!

[@johnburke1317]

Nice food court 😋

[@melbrown6019]

I used to attend Montclair State University in the late 90’s. I met a friend from Paramus and we would go here sometimes. I barely recognize it now. It’s definitely a high end mall and doing well. I just remember it was huge and it was difficult to get through in one day.

[@TomAnthonyV]

The hallway with AMC was opened in 2007. The section with Starbucks on the second floor was added in 2014.

[@johnseah957]

The pet store used to be just to the right of the mall entrance into the AMC theatre. The reason that a pet store can be in this mall is because they are asking ridiculous prices for their puppies, so they are catering to impulse buys from well off shoppers that frequent this mall. I remember once a few years ago they had a Shiba Inu puppy and they wanted $6,000 for it, and they were asking $5,000 for a Pomeranian puppy. This is why the store primarily has the popular toy breeds like Malteses or Shih Tzus or Poodles, or the more popular breeds.

[@fleabittenadventures]

Thanks for the info!

[@fleabittenadventures]

Those prices are ridiculous

[@jnfr2424]

The Toys R Us used to be in that area of the mall

[@ebueno862]

You should review the Riverside square mall in Hackensack N.J.

[@Bro-iq5po]

The .original section was the street level (upper level) between Macy's ( Bambergers) and Nordstrom (Gimbels). In the 1980s, the mall was expanded to wrap around the JC Penney, which could now only be accessed from the inside of the mall.- In the late 90's it became a two level mall , as well as adding Nieman Marcus and Lord & Taylor. The mall not only attracts people from New Jersey but also nearby Rockland County, New York, as well as The Bronx and Manhattan due to its close proximity to the GW Bridge.

[@mapsports324]

I used to live nearby and came here all the time. I now live in PA and still come here from time to time. Very good mall

[@fleabittenadventures]

Yeah. Seemed like a nice mall.

[@MrSloika]

The mall was originally an open-air mall anchored by Bamberger's and Gimbels. When it opened in 1957 it was the second largest mall in the United States. It was enclosed in the 80s and expanded several times since then. The owners of the mall are about to break ground on a massive apartment complex in the mall's west parking lot.

[@EnlightenedRogue]

One of the biggest improvements has nothing to do with the mall infrastructure, traffic was always out of control with the outdated Rt.4/17 cloverleaf & it was finally eliminated in early 2000. Blue laws remain on the books in Bergen County with no clothing transactions on Sundays. Paramus has even more restrictions. This greatly benefits neighboring Passaic & Rockland Counties (Willow Brook Mall & Palisades Mall) since they’re allowed to stay open seven days a week.

[@jennic.548]

Happy to see this! Looking forward to return!

[@Snowboarder16]

My mall of choice - and on sales even more amazing that is closed on Sundays

[@LuigiSimpatico]

What a beautiful mall

[@BennyHarassi]

I just don't understand why you don't visit these malls on the weekends when actual people are there

[@fleabittenadventures]

I go when I have the time

[@georgedoolittle9015]

King of Prussia still King of Retail along East Coast urban not downtown. Mahwah NJ and Long Island were the two most impressive I visited as stand alone "Malls" in that Region both greatly aided by massive Bridge expansions one into Staten Island (Goethals Bridge) the other across the Hudson (Tappan Zee.) Battery electric vehicles continue to have a major impact on retail in a positive way across all of the USA. Great content!

[@georgef551]

Definitely can tell Neiman Marcus is a different building than the mall it's attached to, as the upper levels don't line up, hence the ramps. (Similar to some stores at Burlington Mall, as you know, didn't have a 2nd floor until later on.)

[@tenjed4224]

I used to go all of the time, before and when I was in college. I also picked up customers there, while i drove for a car company.

[@jimd2791]

Paramus supports both Paramus Park & Garden State Plaza malls which you’ve done videos on. You say here & there they are both doing well. I’ve been to both but not since the 90s. I used to do my Black Friday shopping/walking around at those malls. GSP is way more high end than I remember it being.

[@rajsun3379]

Fav mall of mine in whole US. Resident of Bergen county for 12+ years and weekends will visit this mall for best amc theatre in the entire NJ. Seen so many closures and opening of stores . Mall Is closed on sundays barring f restaurants and movie theatre. Ruby Tuesday was part of this mall for a very long time before they closed .

[@fp5495]

R.H. Macy's is actually the original owner of the land that this mall sits on, originally a celery farm, just outside of Manhattan. After Macy's acquired Bamberger's, Macy's most profitable division when it existed, there was a need for shopping in Bergen county that was rapidly growing post-WWII, and they wanted this to be the very first Macy's in NJ. But Bamberger's protested, and said that Macy's was for New York, and Bams was for NJ, and they agreed to keep it Bambergers. It was the center of what became the rest of the mall over the past half century. The Paramus zip code, where this mall is, registers the highest retail sales in the nation, all with one less shopping day, due to Blue laws that keep businesses closed on Sunday due to the immense traffic that surrounds this area. 43:17 This area will be part of a new development across the street from it, where new condos and shopping will be built in the old parking lots that are no longer necessary. JCPenny never had an entrance from the outside. It was in the core of the mall. Since the mall was a continuous circle, you could enter JCPenny from the north end of the mall or the south end, where you are seeing. The north entrance used to have the shortest escalator in the world before they eliminated it a few years back. Look it up.

[@MrSloika]

Macy's acquired rival Bambergers in 1929. Macy's didn't want to 'cheapen' the Macy's brand by opening stores in the suburbs so they used the Bamberger's name for suburban stores.

[@fp5495]

@@MrSloika LOL. I love the internet; people can just say what they want with reckless abandon. What you just made up is an absolute lie. Macy's were spread throughout suburban New York way before this, in Westchester county and Long Island. What I said is stated fact. Do better research.

[@mikebrownstone7500]

An episode of Sopranos was partly filmed there.

[@mikegallant811]

Yeah I think it was the episode where Richie aprile had run over beansie , and Tony was giving him hell for it.

[@ES-zw8cb]

The Toys R Us used to be right next to the AMC theater.

[@johnseah957]

Toys R Us was oversaturated in the area. It might have been after Toys R Us left the Garden State Plaza, but there was a standalone location about 2 miles north on Route 17N, and a second location about 1 mile east on Route 4E.

[@fleabittenadventures]

Thanks

[@jnfr2424]

That store was the only one that reopened when Toys R Us closed down. There were 2 locations in Paramus previously Route 4 East and Route 17 North

[@jaredtalavera4710]

Have you considered going to the Willowbrook Mall in Wayne?

[@DavidSmith-sb2ix]

Some malls are still doing well. The Valley Mall herein Hagerstown Maryland is doing good. We still have a nice Penny's store.

[@DavidHaft1970]

Garden State Plaza is in a good location so it has a lot of traffic.

[@Jonny4384]

Thanks for the video; I enjoyed it very much! Was the parking garage part of the mall?

[@fleabittenadventures]

Thanks. Glad you liked it. Yes, the parking garages l belong to the mall.

[@Raygun-lf5wy]

I’m surprised you didn’t touch on the whole redevelopment plan the owners have in mind. They’re going to convert the large parking area near Neiman Marcus into new apartments, offices, stores, etc. Sort of like a whole new downtown for Paramus. There’s also the parental policy that was just implemented this year because there were fights going on, damaging business in the mall.

[@fleabittenadventures]

I saw that. Maybe I'll go into that if I do a follow-up video. Thanks

[@MrSloika]

They are going to break ground on the apartments soon. The current plan is for 500 "luxury" units. If they can fill those apartments they have an option what will bring the total up to 1,400 units.

[@decepticonleader316]

Saturday its rocking. Been going for years now.

[@jnfr2424]

I’m watching this video as if I don’t live 10 mins away. Then again I haven’t walked around it and if I do visit I park near wherever I’m shopping/dining. I remember when it was open air mall and the wind nearly blew you down in that chunnel area(if you know you know) and I remember when Child World closed (where the Microsoft store is located now. )I think one of the first renovations as they broke behind that area and built the mall all the way back that’s when they enclosed JCPenney‘s, and they open the mall from that point, which is where the Lego store is now all the way back to Nordstrom and then they added the Neiman Marcus at the time, Lord and Taylor’s not sure if it’s still there, but they also had a Tesla dealer. Crazy things that happened at the mall a rapper( I forgot his name) he dropped money into the food court from the first floor. There was an active shooter there once he didn’t hurt anyone except himself as he hid in one of the construction areas at the time and you do see occasionally Celebrities shopping in the mall as they live in the area. Also the parking garage had a car wash(not sure if it’s still there) as well as Valet parking

[@ChuckTornetta-TortugaRanch]

Please visit the Hamilton Mall in Atlantic County. It’s a ghost town bro really I don’t know how they’re still open . Hrs are 10-6 weekdays . Even around Christmas it’s weak .

[@fleabittenadventures]

I'll add it to my list. Thanks.

[@sethdaartist]

Damn. This mall is packed. Whats this mall doing right? Busiest mall ive seen in 20 years.

[@darealpapajon]

Good location near a residential area alot of foot traffic. This mall is way more popular than the American dream mall.

[@rl8429]

⁠​⁠​⁠​⁠​⁠@@darealpapajoneh, more or less I’d say both malls can get really busy. GSP appeals more for locals while American Dream gets the tourist/NYC crowd.

[@darealpapajon]

@@rl8429 American dream bearly gets that. I live near the mall

[@jimkontos4221]

It's a pretty big mall with lots of different stores

[@user-bd3gt9jt1x]

Probably the only mall that's not going to be dead with it often being busy with teenagers on weekends afternoons hanging out despite a requirement that they're chaperoned by an adult. The stores do well financially despite also being close on Sundays due to body laws.

[@carnel73]

Toys r us was inside macys 2nd floor

[@Delirious365]

13:01 there was a movie theater By 4 & r 17 Driving in movie theater. Where Ikea is now.

[@fleabittenadventures]

Cool. Thanks for the info.

[@Delirious365]

@@fleabittenadventures kzbin.info/www/bejne/jGLRkIydbb14r6cfeature=shared

[@BarB2-90Nine]

Drive in gone but not forgotten lol

[@MrSloika]

The sight where the IKEA is currently located was Alexander's Department Store. It was famous for the large abstract art mural that was on the side of the building. The artwork was created by famous artist Stefan Knapp.

[@WeatherManAP]

Would you also consider Apple to be an anchor store? A lot of the malls I see either doing ok or just fine happen to have an Apple Store in it. Most of the dying or dead malls don’t have an Apple Store. I know the Apple store at this mall is almost always busy.

[@fleabittenadventures]

Personally, I would not consider Apple an anchor store, just because it's too small. I usually think of anchor stores as large department stores.

[@WeatherManAP]

@@fleabittenadventures I gotcha. Anchor stores being a larger square footage percentage of the mall overall.

[@ivandesantis858]

Have you ever done the Roosevelt Field Mall on Old Country Road in Long Island NY ?

[@mvl9591]

There was a school run by Bell & Howell for repairing electronics on the top floor if I recall correctly.

[@MrSloika]

Evelyn Wood Speed Reading also offered classes at the GSP back in the 60s and 70s.

[@JohnSmith-gi3nl]

You should check out Westfarms mall in CT

[@fleabittenadventures]

Yes. I actually did last year. I may do it again soon. Stay tuned.

[@dojocho1894]

is the short hills mall still open?

[@Dafuqboom3910]

Go back to Square one Mall massachusetts new shop please

[@SSNESS]

He WALKS malls on Dunkin’

[@fleabittenadventures]

Maybe next year. It's pretty far from me and I need to get to the rest of New England first. Thanks.

[@Dafuqboom3910]

@@fleabittenadventures 😊

[@deborahdesanto2313]

Tom this is s very nice mall. Did you ever go to the Freehold mall in N.J.?

[@fleabittenadventures]

No. Never been there. Is it still open?

[@deborahdesanto2313]

@@fleabittenadventures hi it's a beautiful mall in Freehold NJ I believe it is still open, I like the shopping malls.

[@Nothinghere0101]

6:00 That was Burlington Mall

[@carnel73]

The mall closes on sundays

[@111danish111]

Is the Gloria Jean's Coffee place still there ?

[@tonymanzo3766]

I noticed that you did not enter but steered clear of the anchor stores, like macys and Nordstrom, is there a policy against taking video on their premises, some stores don’t want you spying for other stores to see how their displays Ashe set up

[@darealpapajon]

Gsp>adm

[@jimkontos4221]

Would you check out Paramus park mall

[@fleabittenadventures]

Already did a few months ago

[@BarB2-90Nine]

A open mall and people It was The Thing back in the day I know Jeff and his billions is happy he did it his way all the returns the Amazon gets and resells them cuz who can try anything on? Music playing back then when wit friends thanks for sharing alive Mall lol toys r us closed early 2000’s IDK I didn’t go in them they were all around and another toy store Bees ?

[@cameronheidelauf9623]

Westfield was founded in Melbourne Victoria Australia 🇦🇺

[@JeffreyPiatt]

You should visit the Steamtown mall in Scranton, PA it's basically dead and functing as a parking lot for the National Historic Site it's connected to.