What Was it About Malls in the 1970s?

[@timfankell4242]

I especially miss malls during the holidays. As a kid growing up in the '70s/'80s, a trip to the mall to go Christmas shopping was a big part of the holiday experience: the music, the decorations, the hustle and bustle, kids waiting to see Santa, the kiddie train, etc.

[@nickadamson6053]

I seriously miss that so much, too. And you didn't see Christmas stuff until after Thanksgiving, just made that time of year so special. Seemed like everyone in the mall was "in the spirit".

[@jackilynpyzocha662]

The former Eastfield Mall(now demolished) on Boston Road, Springfield had it all; movies, restaurants, shops, and socializing! In temperature-controlled comfort! We saw "Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory" during the Christmas season of 1963, fifty years ago last December, two screens. That "Wondrous Boat Ride" was terrifying to a ten-year-old me! We still have Holyoke Mall, thankfully! Both in Massachusetts. I also checked out electronics, mostly computers, 1992, at Eastfield Mall, Radio Shack. Eating places were "The Flaming Pit", "Friendly's" and the ubiquitous "Orange Julius"! I am going to miss this mall!

[@AngelAPAVLOVSCornDog]

😢 life will never be that good again

[@LanielPhoto]

I don't miss them - I still go to them for all my shopping trips (and they have free parking!). Guess I'm lucky - 5 large malls all within a 15 minute drive.

[@tommurphy4307]

we had a jewish-owned mall where i grew up, so we didn't have a santa there. we had a huge talking snowman with scary red eyes- i survived it.

[@ieattofu68]

Mall bookstores always made me so happy!

[@JanieBean]

Oh yes...I worked in a mall bookstore in the mid to late 70s. Sold lots of romance novels, poetry books and of course, the iconic Farrah Fawcett poster! Those were the BEST days ever!

[@snowmountain2007]

Oh yesss! Always loved going to the bookstores! Never left without a purchase! 📚 😊

[@alangrant5684]

Yes a real get-away for me to get lost in other worlds.

[@timfankell4242]

Waldenbooks, B Dalton, Paperback Booksmith...

[@scotsmith2391]

Same. I used to drift between Waldenbooks and B. Dalton all the time.

[@lavernedofelmier6496]

I enjoyed the malls with their extravagant holiday decorations.

[@gerry-p9x]

And thefts cars getting stolen

[@jackilynpyzocha662]

The former Baystate West(now Tower Square), the now-demolished Eastfield Mall, on Boston Road in Springfield, MA. Holyoke, Hampshire and nearby malls had everything under one roof! You had to remember where you parked your vehicle, especially if you had a snow storm while you were "in" the mall!

[@ericwilliams9440]

I grieve the loss & closing of malls. As a kid who grew up in the '70's & '80's, it was the ultimate place to shop.

[@Dan0__]

Never thought that was something that we would eventually lose.

[@joeyank2451]

Thanks To Amazon They Ruined It.

[@SamhainBe]

The mall was such a fun and exciting place on Friday and Saturday nights - just plain fun! And at Christmastime - WOW!

[@texaswunderkind]

It was a golden age for child molesters.

[@MagnumMike44]

SamhainBe - We used to hang out at a large mall when we were high school teen-agers just to check out the girls.

[@michaeljohnotoole2647]

I remember not having any money and yet walking the malls and enjoying the lovely scenery !

[@texaswunderkind]

Today the jack-booted rent-a-cops would harass the teens and the Boomers would clutch their pearls at the dangerous gangs.

[@Traindude7777]

I enjoy it today

[@jimjones9740]

Didn't need money to enjoy it mom had the money for lunch and what ever 😊

[@kat35lulu88]

My parents would let me buy a few things but I never asked for much. Maybe a record, or shoes for school, maybe a tee shirt or sweater......

[@ReapingTheHarvest]

Just enough money for the food court

[@KellyODo]

Wow the design of the malls in the '70s was really cool.

[@Albert-777]

You really don’t realize how good times were,until you compare to this present time.Wish I could go back to live it again,even if it’s for a day.👍🏼

[@jackilynpyzocha662]

There was a well-known department store chain, "Albert Steiger & Company" here in Western New England. (Massachusetts), it figured prominently in the area. For decades. It was sold to other buyers, a shame. The Eastfield Mall, Springfield, MA, has been demolished. Holyoke Mall, also in Massachusetts, is still going strong! the locals called it "Steiger's" it was everywhere! In all malls.

[@cherrybomb2600]

I would give all of my tomorrows for a single day. Seriously.

[@tonystevenson26]

From Jimmy Carter to Joe "lobotomy " Biden

[@goofygrandlouis6296]

Also.... EVERYONE WAS THIN !! So obvious. wow what happened, America ?

[@Albert-777]

@@goofygrandlouis6296 😂 so true

[@glennstone178]

Malls had everything. Girls, frozen coke, hot pretzels, arcades, record stores, and much more. It was my hangout for years.

[@0ooTheMAXXoo0]

Malls are still around, at least around Chicago area they are seemingly doing well...

[@tommurphy4307]

don't forget ice cream joints and model trains

[@steveludwig4200]

" Record stores." Worked at Sound Town in Ridgmar Mall in Ft Worth 78-79. Should have married the sweetheart I knew that worked across the way at Morrows Nuts and Candy.........RIP Stacy....

[@s.patrick6136]

With the emphasis on girls and arcades. I could spend the whole day there.

[@MsZoombye]

As a kid without a car, it was a way to see a lot of people I knew, eat some delicious junk food, see a movie, and it entertained entire towns.

[@jennifernordlund2691]

I loved malls in the 70s and 80s! Even if you didnt always buy a lot, it was fun. They were such an integral part of life, it never occured to me the possibility that fairly soon they would all but disappear. I'm still not over it. 😢 Thanks for the memories! 😊

[@tommurphy4307]

the most common problems were malls located in marginal, low-income neighborhoods- many of these failed just because of the logistics.

[@lisasimons5848]

I AGREE!

[@joeyank2451]

No You’ve Gotta Blame Amazon To They Ruined It For Everyone.

[@felix121984]

I loved fantasizing smelling guy's feet who wore Sperry Top-Sider Boat shoes with no socks . Now can you just imagine the smell.

[@nickdonovan1447]

Nothing but good times and great memories.

[@marthabonelli3093]

I used to love Spencer gifts.Picking out a tee shirt silk screen was fun .

[@mikes1686]

We still have a Spencer's in our mall. I think it's the only original store in the mall besides Penny's. I'm in my early 60s and still have to go in there and look around if I'm in the mall maybe once a year just for the memories😊

[@doorswhofan]

The Methuen Mall (Methuen, Mass.) circa 1975: Spencer's Gifts (if you remember that retail chain) was painted all black inside and lit only with blacklights and strobes. You could smoke in stores back then -- and not all of it was tobacco. 🙂 The rock music was ROARING in that place, sometimes 104.1 FM-WBCN out of Boston, other times tapes, but it was constantly Led Zeppelin, the Who, the Stones, etc. They sold blacklight posters, water bongs, incense, novelties, etc. It was a huge hippie-fest. 7 years or less later it was just plain white lights, the male clerks wore collared shirts and ties, the gifts sold were far more mainstream, there was no smoking allowed. The entire culture had changed. In the late 80s, the whole mall closed, was torn down, and the property turned into a housing development.

[@mikes1686]

@@doorswhofan We had another store in our mall next to Spencer's called the Moon Fun Shop. They had pipes and bongs and all the related supplies. Lol !

[@tulip2084]

They had mugs that looked like boobs.

[@tommurphy4307]

i used to like showing pictures of that chubby pin-up girl bridget to my mom and it would totally disgust her.

[@alicelong8028]

Born in 1963, growing up in the 60s and 70s it was fantastic! No computers no cel phones you could leave you back door unlocked and open during the summer. Music, movies, actors, cars, fast food, restaurants, concerts, malls were the best. My entire childhood was great, and no shootings at church, or schools or movie theaters. YOU WERE SAFE WHEREVER YOU WENT. Im glad im the age i am because i do not envy anyone growing up in this violent world, I got to live in it before it went to shit.

[@jimmyReesby]

@@alicelong8028 Me too! Born 1961. The world today stinks! Thank God I have a Savior in Jesus Christ.

[@clwnprnce1837]

I'm not sure computers and cell phones are really the issue when it comes to things getting bad over time. After all, in previous decades they thought we were watching too much TV. I DO think you're absolutely right about the violence in today's world. We need to feel safe again.

[@ellessandraramsay1841]

I wish I could go back to those times. Things were simpler then.

[@pc8134]

People were so much thinner then.

[@ljprep6250]

Simpler, more honest, and much, much cheaper.

[@joejones9520]

go a few days living your life as if the internet doesnt exist...that's the first step toward recapturing those times...bet youll decide this is best!

[@Tropicaya]

Less humans, less problems.

[@doorswhofan]

You're far from alone. The world is a much, MUCH darker place now.

[@fob1xxl]

Malls were a comfortable, safe place to shop even when the weather was bad. Everything was in one place. You could meet friends, have lunch, see a movie and in the early days some had ice skating rinks and pet stores where you could go see the puppies. We had this in North Hollywood, CA. When video games became popular, every teen in town was there. It was a wonderful time. Now, it's just ANOTHER THING THE INTERNET DESTROYED !

[@LaurenMirandaG]

Laurel Plaza?

[@Number6_]

Malls were already on their way out in the 90s before internet was a thing. It was a failing economy that killed off the malls along with other social factors. Don't let your hatred of internet and computers cloud your reason!

[@louc4130]

Yep! Lived in North Hollywood with my aunt during the early to mid 1970's. The mall was a fun place to go, and then at night cruise Van Nuys Blvd. in my 69 Roadrunner. Great times.

[@ljprep6250]

No, the internet didn't destroy malls. Greed did. Land got expensive, rents went up, stores charged more, and we stopped shopping there. Simple.

[@ljprep6250]

@@LaurenMirandaG My local mall was the May Company Mall at El Camino Real and Highway 78 in Carlsbad, CA. May Co is gone from there, but the mall remains, amazingly enough.

[@angelcitystudio]

Before we shopped online and before mega corps bought out all the smaller retailers...... ALL the stores you could imagine all in one place. Plus food and arcades and music and books... It was a BLAST! I miss those days.

[@tommurphy4307]

big-box operations were also a big factor in killing off the malls.

[@JimJones-gd2jy]

Born in 1965, the 70’s were great ! Don’t get me started on the music 🎶

[@JeffKopis]

Same here, October 1965. So in the 70s I went from age 4 to 15. Great time to be a kid, except for the gas shortages, the 55 mph speed limit, and lethargic, bloated, smog era cars. But the music ruled!

[@leospring6264]

born in '64 and feel the same way

[@MichaelSellers5691]

I was born November 1965. I feel you brother.

[@invisiblerevolution]

Born in 1977..... culturally I'm a 80's Baby, but can fully RESPECT the 70's!

[@sawboss216]

Same here. 1965 baby. We didn't realize back then how great the times were. Glad to have lived it!

[@Hillers62]

I am 61 years old...I grew up in Dallas during the 70's...there were many malls all around us...but the mall all my friends went to was in Mesquite, Texas, (we all lived in the eastern part of Dallas next to Mesquite)...The Mall was a three level circular megamall called Town East...And we did far more socializing than shopping...meeting together, eating at the food court, going to the movies, perusing book stores, or even buying the latest clothes or records...every Friday or Saturday, It was the place to be, and be seen...I look back now and am sad at the demise of this once community center...malls are now dead...killed by the Internet and laziness...there is no community now...just people fighting each other on "Social" media...I am thankful I lived during those times...but I cry for my children and grandchildren...

[@alfx5432]

I'm with you on that , I'm 62 I remember going to the mall with my sisters and her friend when I was a kid it was something to do. The internet and on-line shopping killed it.

[@aaronworley8177]

The Almighty Town East Mall...Mesquite, Tx...right down the road from Balch Springs, and Seagoville...the Good old days...miss them. What about Bruton Terrace Movie Theater? Back then everybody knew everybody. These kids today numb from the neck up.

[@scott-in-dfw3005]

Wasn't Big Town out that way? I grew up in Denton. I remember finally getting our mall, Golden Triangle in 1980. Before that we had to go to the Galleria, Valley View, or that one just north of those that had an ice rink. There was the Tandy Center downtown Fort Worth. It had an ice rink too.

[@sharonh2991]

You’re my age and our mall was Cinderella City. It had everything including an arcade just for teens (Funway Freeway) as well as a wing resembling a dark British alley where the head shops were located. This section of the mall was completely secluded so that families weren’t accosted by the noisy shops selling bongs, pipes and incense. If you were in Cinder Alley you were specifically looking for drug paraphernalia. We, and all the kids from school as well as kids from neighboring high schools lived at that mall. There were probably 5 or 6 large high schools in the area so there were lots of us. At that time it was the largest mall west of the Mississippi.

[@nickadamson6053]

@@scott-in-dfw3005 Oh my gosh how could I forget the Tandy Center! Thanks for that reminder. Last time I went there was in the 2001 I think, it was starting to fizzle out at that point sadly.

[@ljprep6250]

I miss the Orange Julius stores. And the smell of the Cinnabon stores. I get fat thinking of them.

[@porkbeans4792]

Orange Julius 😋😋😋😋

[@christinescott5002]

You can get them at some Dairy Queen joints.

[@0ooTheMAXXoo0]

All the malls still have cinnabon stores... The malls are all still around, just a bit less crowded... Around here they are growing, expanding...

[@tommurphy4307]

they had great chicago dogs at OJ. if a chick in a hot dog-on-a-stick uniform looked cute- she really WAS certifiably hot.

[@tommurphy4307]

@@0ooTheMAXXoo0 not true- they are having a tough time of it. ask a management person like one of the higher-ups like westfield or simon bros.

[@tomsisson660]

If only I could go back to the beginning of the mall era (1950’s to 1960’s) and live through it all, and shopping the whole time! Tom Sisson

[@tommurphy4307]

there were no indoor malls in the 50's

[@NOTREALLYHANKAARON]

@@tommurphy4307 wrong.

[@MH-fb5kr]

i didn’t know how much i missed by not ‘malling’ … truly a consumers paradise!

[@texaswunderkind]

It wasn't. You would walk around for hours, looking at overpriced crap, and then grab some cardboard-tasting pizza on your way out the door.

[@tommurphy4307]

@@texaswunderkind youre calling sears a store with overpriced 'crap'- on the contrary- if that were true, they would probably still be around. i agree with you on the food- only the finer department stores had decent eateries. sears had a better-than-average coffee shop with great desserts.

[@dougrogers956]

As a 70's teen, the Mall was a great place to meet girls beyond your current high school class. I miss those day. Great times.

[@CharlesJendrzejczyk]

Loved going to the mall. The stores, record/ music stores, food court, meeting friends, and enjoyment of it all. True, some prices were outrageous, but it was a nice clean enjoyment.

[@sammyrothrock6981]

The girls where so slim and beautifully put together back then! Right down to their hair and shoes! Loved those 70s

[@joejones9520]

even now the rare slim girl can blow up in literally months, ive seen it...they never come back down either, bizarre stuff, i dont know if it's fast food or no exercise or both but fast food's been around since 1950s and used to be no diet sodas.

[@scotsmith2391]

At least the models for the photos, LOL

[@raross6119]

And hoes were very rare

[@YAMISOOLD2009]

Very true!

[@mtlicq]

@@joejones9520 _"even now the rare slim girl can blow up in literally months"_ 9 months ? 🤭👶🏻 Anyways, maybe it is because the inflammatory chemicals (sodium phosphates etc etc) plus the use of GMO HFCS in everything (including mustard and meats) instead of regular sugar, and everything back then was "organic" - no gmo. HFCS prevents feeling satiated so people just keep on eating/drinking without ever feeling full. PS - artificial sweeteners cause weight gain and diabetes

[@coyotterestoration1754]

It was a place for the Older and the younger generation to hang out, shop talk to friends and people they may have not seen for a while. restaurants. NO CELL PHONES either. Great era to have experienced miss those days.

[@0ooTheMAXXoo0]

Was? nothing has changed. Malls are still where youth come to hang out...

[@tommurphy4307]

no- but a lot of us kids got CB radios when we got our first cars.

[@tommurphy4307]

@@0ooTheMAXXoo0 once again- a lot of them are gone. in the past 7 years- nearly 8000 US indoor shopping malls have gone under.

[@MsJamiewoods]

Today's youth cannot believe that in the 1970s and 1980s entire families SHARED a single phone line.

[@ReapingTheHarvest]

​@@MsJamiewoods No caller ID either. So many prank calls... and 3 way phone calls

[@Alsayid]

People who didn't grow up going to the mall in the 70's, 80's, and I would say even into the 90's, just don't understand what it was like. Not only was it THE social scene, but it was safe. Malls weren't dodgy places with roving packs of thugs shoplifting the stores, attacking women in the parking lots, or brawling in the food court. You didn't see a bunch of empty store fronts, either. Those spaces commanded a premium.

[@tommurphy4307]

if that were only true- a lot more of them would still be vital....

[@russellmarsden6316]

@@tommurphy4307 It was true.

[@jimjones9740]

Amen 🙏

[@MagnumMike44]

Alsayid - I totally agree!

[@zerogrey3798]

@@tommurphy4307 It was true.

[@cody3134]

The mall had everything!! Great way to window shop. Miss that era.

[@NikkiDeJonge]

I'm a real 80s buff..& I liked buying (cassette tape)📼 magazines, going to the movies, eating in the food court-grabbing a burger or getting a Coke Slushy..I could have a hay day in a Drug Store or card store-where people actually bought cards. And, people also saved them. One more thing, I like to buy the occasional stuffed animal..& getting a coffee ☕ ❤ 😍 Those are my 80s days, favorites!!👍👍 😊Great Times!! 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉

[@kl0wnkiller912]

I still have all my records of 70s and 80s rock music that I bought back then. Still play them on the weekends... loud!

[@ImaOkie]

Yeah the food courts were always nice , a variety to please every palate !

[@tommurphy4307]

they didn't have food courts in the early mall years- the eateries were spread all about the mall to make the competition seem less apparent. and BTW- the word is 'heyday'.

[@crownauer7714]

Wow. That brought back some memories.

[@jpturner171]

Another great video thank you! I spent 18 months in Vietnam from 73 to 75. While it’s sad the malls are declining. Remember, the malls took the place of the town Square shopping. They were needed because of all the development that we lived in. Everything changes

[@SteelHorseTexasTwangExchange]

They were great. Indoors with air condition and heat and all the stores in one place.

[@patriciaclark7342]

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

[@MichaelSellers5691]

And the movie theaters

[@0ooTheMAXXoo0]

Were? Malls are still around, still have similar features...

[@SteelHorseTexasTwangExchange]

@@0ooTheMAXXoo0 some around DFW are gone. Some are open with just a handful it stores. Search youtube for abandoned malls and find them around the country empty but with electricity and AC still running.

[@tommurphy4307]

who could forget leaving the mall at closing time and walking thru the slush and snow to our car?

[@joescambait]

I was 13 in 1978 and going to the mall was the place to be

[@Jasmine215100]

I was 22, so every weekend my friends and I would hit the local discos! It was SO MUCH FUN back then, AIDS had yet to hit the culture! People weren't so afraid to date back then (NOT sleep around, just date)!

[@-Nicolas-]

Between 1965 and 1995 life was amazing.

[@purplepanther2771]

I think that the major decline can be traced to 9/11. Things really started to get worse at some time after 2012, so maybe the Mayans were right.

[@texaswunderkind]

The only thing that changed is that you got old.

[@goofygrandlouis6296]

And *globalism* kicked in... and the US was destroyed. Then the neocons, then more wars.. THE END.

[@goofygrandlouis6296]

@@texaswunderkind Nah. This is decadence, just like with Rome. Asia, yes, they are factually on the rise, especially VietNam right now.

[@julieerin115]

@@purplepanther2771 And let's not forget March of 2020---wondering if we're on our last legs.

[@Tropicaya]

I was waiting for an image of Radio Shack with the TRS-80 in the window along with Electronics Kits.

[@TheUtuber999]

Heathkit!

[@tommurphy4307]

the problem with mall-based radio shack stores was they usually had fewer parts and lots more expensive appliances, hi-fi, and TV's

[@jamesross3939]

Yep!!! Fun times. My first computer was a TRS-80 Color Computer w/ 4K RAM I bought in 1981,

[@mode1charlie170]

Yes!yes!

[@MarleyHenryBinx]

Loved all the malls.

[@ccpbux]

Great vid!! Born in 1968, I remember these indoor mall’s being so busy in mid to late ‘70’s and into the ‘80’s. Oh, the memories!! Lol

[@fredWaxBeans11111]

Personally, I love the darker woods and Earthly tones of the 70s. Give us back our Earthy tones!!

[@tommurphy4307]

i love earth tones- always in style on the west coast. i also love earthy smells like when i'm chiefing out in front of the tube.....

[@fredWaxBeans11111]

@@tommurphy4307 Earthy smells are the best 👍👃

[@jamesmilburn7569]

I would like to see a return to the earth tone and funky style of "mcgillicutties edibales and drinkatorium" that whole funky style of barnstorming 70's restaurants that made things fun. There was a chain of ice cream and dinner restaurants called O'farrels that epitomised that concept. Ladies swinging off the rooftops and sirens going off.

[@ColeYounger16]

ahh, I'm 55 this is my generation! Love it.

[@byteme0000]

God, what I wouldn't give to go back to the golden age of the mall era. I love malls. There is now only one good mall near me, and it's located in a rather upscale area. It makes no sense to me why so many malls failed.

[@bunion8579]

I live in Australia and malls like these are as popular as ever here. I'm curious as to why they declined in the U.S.

[@byteme0000]

@@bunion8579 Many folks here blame the Internet, but I don't think that would explain it completely.

[@byteme0000]

After thinking about it, I’m going to blame lazy and greedy management. It’s looking more and more to me like a management issue.

[@VideoInvasion]

The malls here still thrive in high trust areas @@bunion8579

[@joejones9520]

@@bunion8579 your nation doesnt have something that we have lots of and theyre drawn toward group settings like malls...

[@billgus1967]

I think the women in the 1970s were absolutely beautiful

[@jimmyday9536]

That was before tattoos, body piercings, and fishhooks in the nose.

[@charlesming7875]

That’s because they are of normal weight, not obese

[@tommurphy4307]

and theyre all grannies now

[@danityvanityinsanity]

Naturally so too!😃

[@billgus1967]

@@danityvanityinsanity I agree girlfriend

[@davidfinch7407]

Thanks for including the Oxford Valley Mall in Langhorne PA. Loved going there as kid; I loved running up that ramp in the picture. I saw Gerald Ford there in 1976 when he was campaigning against Jimmy Carter. Ford was on a stage opposite a huge office building associated with the Mall with the words emblazoned on the side of the structure in glowing letters ten fight high reading "Oxford Valley One." Ford began his speech by saying, "Welcome, everyone, to the ORCHARD Valley Mall!" The whole crowd groaned; "look at the damn sign, Jerry!" we all thought. Still rooted for him in the election (wasn't old enough to vote yet.) The Mall was still open two years ago although it was starting to look run down. It may be closed now.

[@recycleman2900]

Still open, but barely. Same for Neshaminy Mall. Sad, such great memories.

[@tommurphy4307]

gerald ford had to climb steps?? OMG!!

[@rosesmith6925]

Ahhhh, the 70's! We certainly made our mark in history 😂❤☮

[@joeyank2451]

The Music God The Music.

[@catea2551]

thumbnail is off. 70's was "natural" era. long straight hair. minimal makeup. jeans we aged to perfection through wearing, embroidery. we made our own cut offs. in high school we weren't trying to look like a hoochie. people were a lot more innocent n innocence wasn't a bad thing. yes young girls are beautiful but a lot of us didn't know it because the culture wasn't so focused on looks 24/7. people had crooked teeth, imperfect skin, wore mostly only clothes your mom ok'd. endless credit cards/$$$$ were not spent on us. not everyone was "cool". if you had a few friends and the basics, a lot of us were pretty happy. yes farrah fawcett hit the scene in 76 but none of us looked like her. malls meant independence. you got dropped off with your friends and got to buy what you'd saved for and eat what you wanted. it was a treat. i still remember the smell of a bottle of tangerine oil in a shop with stuff from india, baskets, posters, plants, sheer paisley batik fabric we used as bedspreads, incense galore and going record shopping and then memorizing all the words of the songs for a few days. we had a lot of fun.

[@Thelake9667]

And Patchouli!! And Spencer Gifts!!🙂

[@sammyrothrock6981]

The girls where mostly all slim and took care of themselves! Beautiful jeans 👖 and fit like a glove!

[@davidnec571]

Is that Farrah Fawcett in the thumbnail?

[@stevenpivornik9982]

The women then were real women. Nothing fake. All natural. Wish I was born in that era

[@joejones9520]

fashions varied a lot more back then according to which area of the country one was in....in 1976 delaware straight leg jeans were in and bell-bottoms were embarrassing but in 1978 Arkansas full on 70s bells were still in style and straight leg were unheard of.

[@lavapix]

We had several of those older original malls in the Detroit metro area when growing up in the 60s and 70s. Macomb Mall was where our family went every Saturday. Sears of course. Then in 76, the first huge mall was built. Lakeside Mall in Sterling Heights, MI. Located on M-59 (Hall Road). It was the place to be back in the day. It's still around in 2024.

[@joanofarcxxi]

I liked the smells at the mall. It was perfume, like Eternity from CK, mixed with freshly baked pretzels. My favorite store was Contempo Casuals. Hot pink walls, bright red carpet, loud music. They had such artsy style, fishnets, spiky jewelry, neon-colored accessories, stuff Cindy Lauper or Madonna would wear, jacquard longline blazers, black satin vests, corsets and bustiers, lace dresses, spandex jumpsuits, ruffle white swashbuckling shirts, with a little bit of a gothic flavor. And then, there was the books stores.

[@tommurphy4307]

my fave was lane bryant where all the big women went to buy clothes

[@cynthiafroley4415]

I loved going to the Mall as a young person. I met my friends, ate, shopped and just had fun!!!!! Movies were also a must. Loved it at Christmas, with all the decorations. Those were the days!!!!!!

[@Nunofurdambiznez]

We had 3 malls here in Central Ohio in the '70s.. all identical to one another.. Eastland, Northland and Westland. Fun times at each one!

[@Davett53]

I moved to Columbus, Ohio in 1977 and was a regular shopper at Northland Mall. Once and a while at Westland, too. They were fun, & useful.

[@franks2910]

That's funny. Here in the Detroit area we had Northland, (see my previous post), Southland, Eastland and Westland too.

[@tommurphy4307]

my family used to go to the state fair every fall- the oktoberfest in columbus' german village was awesome.

[@lisamoran6742]

I can remember the local malls were jam packed!

[@HappyHands.]

It was always a treat when i was young to go to Hanes Mall in Winston-Salem NC.back in the late 70's early 80's

[@volocty]

Thanks for the cool pics and easy narration!

[@cyclenut]

During the 80s I use to live near Orange Park, FL. And Orange Park Mall was a great place to meet girls and have lots of fun, video arcade, theater, food court. I was a teen and 20s then.

[@Hilighted]

Thank you very much! Liked, subscribed and shared. My absolute favorite KZbin channel by far.

[@johnwatson8323]

👍👍👍👍👍 Thank you!!!

[@gearmaestro]

Great music in this video! Thanks for the trip down memory lane.

[@fishchick72]

I still miss malls

[@tek438]

Another great one! Thank you!

[@lestatangel]

Basically they were fun. Can't have any of that can we WEF? I remember pumping gas and not paying until after you knew how much your tank held.

[@joejones9520]

when they first started making people pay first several times i paid and then drove off forgetting to get gas

[@paulhare662]

At my first job, 1974, I did that for you, washed your windshield and checked under the hood. 14 years old with $1200 in sales in my pocket, one of those 4 tube change dispensers on my belt. Never worried about getting robbed.

[@lisamh9037]

​@@joejones9520lol yes it became confusing haha!

[@tommurphy4307]

@@paulhare662 i worked at a honda car dealer when i was a sophomore in HS. i used to get paid straight commission selling 1973 honda civics- had to be the easiest sell in the world. i used to sell about 5 cars a week- if we had them on the lot.

[@morthedgebuckle227]

There are still thriving malls where I live. They built a bunch of super malls at once and the excess closed down while the popular ones remain open and busy. London, Ontario.

[@joejones9520]

there's a key reason but it cant be said here

[@tommurphy4307]

the race team i used to crew with (nelson ledges, summit point, mid- ohio) would drive their van from akron up into ontario at the peace bridge and buy 9 cases of labatt 50 ale, 9 cases of labatt blue beer and 18 cases of molson golden ale and we always brought them 432 empty bottles in trade. wow did we ever stay pasted during the summer. i didn't grow cannabis back then, but we could usually find something in canada for the ride back.

[@jeremiahjohnson9908]

I think this abundance of abandoned malls would make great retirement homes with some planning...apartments, gyms, restaurants, social areas, on site health care, movie theatres, libraries etc. Turn the parking lot into vast gardens with small ponds with birds and such...could be nice.

[@petrobull2560]

Great video, brings back many happy memories.👍🙂

[@johnsmith-ug5tp]

Great memories going to the Meriden Square in CT. during the late 70s, 80's and into the early 90's.

[@lisasimons5848]

I'm from Ct I went to Chapel Square in New Haven😊😊😊

[@johnsmith-ug5tp]

@@lisasimons5848 Hi, actually remember going there with my mother and her friend as a small boy at Christmas time, must have been 1970. When I started going to New Haven in my late teens/early 20's I immediately remembered the front of the building. ha 😊😉

[@alzeNL]

i dont usually like music on commentary videos, but the wah at 2:26 is epic ! Interesting video, as a brit its interesting to see the influence that malls had on the UK. Personally I dont like that style of shopping, but I like the orignal concept of having a community based around a mall.. still, nice video - and that WAH :D

[@ghw7192]

I loved malls and am sorry they have declined. Shopping online is convenient, but I like to see what I am buying and some things, like shoes, must be tried on to insure a proper fit. I cold spend hours in Sears drooling over the tools!

[@owend4358]

I just bought shoes on-line and they fit perfectly. Free shipping and returns.😅

[@tommurphy4307]

i don't know what to say to you- maybe call the snap-on guy and perhaps you can walk thru his truck- it will change your thoughts on the quality of craftsman tools....

[@ghw7192]

@@tommurphy4307 I also have Snap On.

[@joeyank2451]

Hey Love My Craftsman Tools Loved The Life Time Warranty .

[@sammyrothrock6981]

Lycoming mall in Williamsport PA will always be my favorite growing up as a kid in 1978 I was 15 and 16 those beautiful days!

[@mark-xx1lt]

Maybe if the malls didn't charge such an exorbitant amount of rent for shops/spaces, they wouldn't have shut down. Greed has a way of ruining things.

[@byteme0000]

True. Many merchants I got to know complained about how greedy the mall owners were as time went on.

[@Agwings1960]

Mail order also did a lot to take malls down

[@wingitprod]

Demographics killed my mall (which still operates somehow with barely 30% occupancy) A shooting, pushy Gypsies operating kiosks, and White flight ruined my attendance. A chick-fil-a, movie theater, nail salon, and a cosmetology school is what dominates.

[@wingitprod]

@@Agwings1960Not an efficient use resources when you analyze it. It certainly contributed but malls were dying in the 90s.

[@Matthewseven13]

Maybe if government wasn't so greedy with wanting more and more in taxes and quit increasing overbearing regulations then malls could have charged less rent.

[@JamesCook-u9h]

Great time to be alive

[@DreamMonster7X]

Not so much anymore.

[@joeyank2451]

Yes It Was Great.

[@You-Be-The-Judge]

I love see all of the different stores they had back then and seeing if they are still in business. Like Basket House is no more but Buddy Squirrel is still around so I ordered some stuff from them.

[@grizztough4091]

The malls were great. For teens, for families, just a day out. Fun. Festive at times. A break from summer heat. Loved them. Hope they come back, online shopping is lame. It was a meeting place, a gathering place.

[@bunion8579]

I live in Australia and malls like these are as popular as ever here. I'm curious as to why they declined in the U.S.

[@crossbow3539]

@@bunion8579on line shopping is what most people say. People today would rather look on line pick something out and have it delivered to your door in a day. Amazon is killing all of the stores, that and everybody is too damn lazy to get in they’re car, drive to the store, find what they want, and buy it and go back home. It started getting real bad in the 2000’s and stores began closing everywhere. Won’t be long the only stores you’ll see are grocery stores, a few home improvement stores, and Walmart. I guess kids born in the late 90’s never went to the malls and all the kids are addicted to they’re phones, they would rather stare at they’re phones then meet somewhere and socialize with other kids. We had two malls here where I live one turned into an outside shopping center the other has no big anchor stores left and maybe ten women’s clothing stores where they used to have about 100 and in the food court only one bender is left. It’s just an eerie ghost town oh there is also a Planet Fittness that’s not accessible from inside the mall and that’s it. Cell Phones and the internet have changed everything some ways good many ways not so good!

[@newdefsys]

@@bunion8579 Blacks, its the blacks.

[@robin_verona]

@@bunion8579 Same in Italy.

[@tommurphy4307]

@@bunion8579 read some comments- maybe you'll find out.

[@Graphicxtras1]

Superb video, really loved watching this - really loved that 70s style of the mall (here in the UK as well)

[@MysticRuler-n4j]

Just one more thing kids today will never get to enjoy. I thank God that I was born when I was.

[@joeyank2451]

Me To Born In 65 It Was Great.

[@willswords7373]

New subscriber here. I’m binge watching right now. Thank you so very, very much.

[@chucknchar]

Can you believe before the now decaying Malls, there were downtown business districts and we loved them. We called it, going "downtown".

[@JBG1968]

Malls seemed like the way to bring the walkable shopping districts of downtown to the burbs .

[@MitchellConner-xb6jx]

I really enjoy these videos....thank you 😅

[@yellowboot6629]

Thanks ❣️🤗

[@noellewestfield6849]

I used to love being in the mall when it rained!! The rain on all the skylights sounded wonderful to me.

[@azmike1]

The Internet destroyed the Malls.

[@jec1ny]

Along with a lot of good stuff.

[@doctordetroit4339]

no, people acting like fools and slobs did. Malls are huge in Asia and they have better internet than we do.

[@-Thauma-]

​@@doctordetroit4339"better internet" What does it even mean? 😒

[@doctordetroit4339]

@@-Thauma- they can order stuff faster, their tech is better and has been for decades. Go live in Japan for awhile, you'll see. Same all over Asia. The malls in the US failed because of animalistic feral behaviors primarily. People in the US have become disgusting in dress and conduct. Which is why most vote left demcrap. Go to Asia and visit a mall...you will see what it used to be like here.

[@johnsmith-ug5tp]

Amazon was the death nail in the mall coffin.

[@howardcrosby4388]

Record stores & Spencers, loved those places! And of course The Food Court!!

[@schizoidboy]

I vaguely remember a mall when I was very little in Minnesota. I just remember it was large with walkways and that aspect just stuck with me.

[@tommurphy4307]

mall of america

[@schizoidboy]

@@tommurphy4307 Could be...

[@ANACAD]

Loved seeing the Deptford Mall in this video...I was not expecting to see the local mall! I was there on the day it opened - August 7, 1975.

[@filippocorti6760]

I wish in my heart of hearts I could go back.

[@zerogrey3798]

You and me both.

[@sammyrothrock6981]

Such a beautiful time in history! Love those times in the 70s hang out with friends go to the listening booth or sam goody to check out new music . So many cool places to eat and even catch a movie on a Saturday night! Great for bad weather also !

[@drjlrust]

It was a sweeter time. People were more trusting and trustworthy. They actually dressed up to go to the mall. You didn't see a lot of bratty children and shoplifters.

[@captaintrips2980]

We left our kids at the mall arcade while we shopped. Put the oldest (14 yrs) in charge of the younger two. No worries at all. Not bad parenting then, but I'd not try that today. I don't even want to be alone in a mall, lol.

[@Tr0nzoid]

I could wander off to the arcade, a music store, a toy store, or a different department. It never occurred to me to do anything wrong or to leave the place. We would just have to find each other. However, that was my parents. If I was visiting my grandparents, they wouldn't let me out of reach. Weirdly, my parents became closer to "helicopter parents" as I got older and well into adulthood.

[@tommurphy4307]

they were a lot more naive then, too.

[@joeyank2451]

@@tommurphy4307No We Weren’t At Least I Wasn’t.

[@M60gunner1971]

This soundtrack is sublime!

[@MW-xm1rc]

I remember going to Woodfield Mall outside Chicago at Christmas time in 1970. The Mall was the attraction and it was packed with people.

[@Hardwareman1343]

As I recall Woodfield was THE biggest mall for a while.

[@natehenson71]

Woodfield Mall in Schaumburg was epic! Old Chicago Mall was great, too!

[@TheMoogleMaster]

It was absolutely gigantic, perhaps the biggest mall I've ever been in, would go there all the time. I forget of Gurnee Mills was bigger, didn't got there as much, maybe once or twice.

[@janine5540]

Vallco Fashion Park, Cupertino CA was my childhood!!! I remember standing in the very place the video shows! A regular hangout for me and my friends in the 70's.

[@Davett53]

In 1968 a big Mall was built near my house, out in suburban Cleveland, Ohio. I began high school in 1969, and me and my friends loved hanging out at the mall. We bought our bellbottoms, and wide leather belts, and leather sandals. We ate fun mall foods,....Orange Julius,....big soft pretzels, slushee....shaved ice with Coca Cola over the top. We'd ogle the pretty girls, from our school, who were there in droves. We shopped for cool items for our bedrooms, at Spencer Gifts, which had the latest Hippie/Counter culture decor. Black light reactive posters, posters of the sexy female stars of the day. Mobiles with Op Art & Pop Art imagery. Strobe lights, incense, plastic beaded veils that could hang in a doorway. By 1970, many people were smoking weed and getting stoned, and it was a hoot to go to the mall, to people watch, in that altered state of mind. Malls started exhibiting real art made by local community members. In high school I was already making art, and I was in a couple exhibits, sponsored by a local art gallery. Crafts-workers had stand-alone kiosks,....you could find smoking pipes made of animal antlers, & people who manipulated colorful sand within glass bottles. Tons of unique hand made jewelry.

[@meatballmagoo6134]

Randall Dark Mall ?

[@Davett53]

@@meatballmagoo6134 No. Eastern suburb one, called Severance Center. Named after some rich family. Same family had something to do with the Cleveland Symphony music hall at University Circle.

[@ronhoover5516]

@@meatballmagoo6134 That one opened in 1976 and was torn down years ago.Anyone from around here gets the reference. It wasn't wrong BTW. I'm guessing this one was actually Richmond Mall.

[@doorswhofan]

The Methuen Mall (Methuen, Mass.) circa 1975: Spencer's Gifts (if you remember that retail chain) was painted all black inside and lit only with blacklights and strobes. You could smoke in stores back then -- and not all of it was tobacco. 🙂 The rock music was ROARING in that place, sometimes 104.1 FM-WBCN out of Boston, other times tapes, but it was constantly Led Zeppelin, the Who, the Stones, etc. They sold blacklight posters, water bongs, incense, novelties, etc. It was a huge hippie-fest. 7 years or less later it was just plain white lights, the male clerks wore collared shirts and ties, the gifts sold were far more mainstream, there was no smoking allowed. The entire culture had changed. In the late 80s, the whole mall closed, was torn down, and the property turned into a housing development.

[@Davett53]

@@doorswhofan Yay for Spencer Gifts!...Ours, in Cleveland Ohio and other close by cities was not "as hep" as your was. They did sell all the black light posters & strobe lights, other things to simulate a "psychedelic trip",,,or enhance the one you might take. I wasn't a cigarette smoker until I was 30,...but I began smoking weed at age 17. We were too paranoid to smoke weed in public,....but had all sorts of rituals and places to sneak off to. In our cars, in friend's basements, out at parks. Cleveland, Ohio, & Columbus, Ohio, and all colleges in Ohio, were flush with weed. College towns always had plenty of "Head Shops" & record stores, that sold pipes, rolling papers, bongs, water pipes, backlights & posters. It was pretty funny,...back then I began growing some pot plants, on a small outside porch, outside of my bedroom, at my folks house. My folks were oblivious, and knew nothing about such matters. This was before people grew pot indoors with grow lights. I was a senior in high school at the time. (my asshole older sister busted me,....ratted me out, to our mom.) My mom was a teacher, and was somewhat aware of the emerging recreational drug culture. I wasn't punished,...but I had to give my plants away to a friend, to grow in their house. It was a low grade Mexican weed, hardly worth the effort. Much later, after I graduated from Grad. school,....my Mom was very curious about trying weed herself. She was open minded, and let me explain & educate her about weed, & hashish. She seemed genuinely curious about it, and who knows, she may have even tried it. She & my Pop were not drinkers,...not beer, wine or anything. They didn't smoke cigarettes, either, though my Pop smoked a tobacco pipe, and a once-in-a while cigar.

[@davidwhitney1171]

Brooklyn got its first mall in 1970, anchored by Macy's and Alexander's. I was 12 and was there the morning it opened, with my mom, we were there for the ribbon cutting. I grew up in the Marine Park section, within walking distance. Spent pretty much all my weekends there in years to come, hanging with friends, as well as spending time with my family particularly my older sister- we'd go to Sam Goody and pick out an LP together just for fun. I had my first date there. Just wonderful memories!..

[@RTDF516]

King's Plaza I'm guessing by your description! Took organ lessons there- and was always cool getting new stuff for the train set at the hobby shop! The delights of being 8....

[@biffalverado1024]

Love this video. My only critique is the picture for the record store is from 1980's. The posters show Missing Persons and Queen's "The Works" both from 1984.

[@captaintrips2980]

Great catch! You should edit your comment and add the time. I rewatched it to see.

[@tommurphy4307]

what are words for?

[@pauljoseph2400]

I was a teen in the 70's when malls were the place to be. While online shopping has played a role in the decline of shopping malls, crime and safety concerns were ultimately their undoing. We are not allowed to talk about that though.

[@kjk7611]

Love this mood music.🎼

[@MarvinLambert-y6h]

The late 70s and 80s was a great time to be Young

[@mimihealy5046]

Mom and I would sit on the benches at Southdale and people watch. It was a wonderful time with Mom.

[@tooniemama6959]

Sad to see all of the stores that are no longer around. The 70s and 80s were the best Era, in my opinion. The internet certainly changed everything. We are such a throw-away society now.

[@joeyank2451]

Indeed True

[@tooniemama6959]

​@joeyank2451 Women were naturally beautiful--the hair, makeup & clothing. I still remember my favorite clothes & makeup from the 70s & 80s. People acted differently back then, and Women were more feminine and lady-like. Social media has changed the way people behave.

[@tooniemama6959]

​@joeyank2451 Women were naturally beautiful--the hair, makeup & clothing. I still remember my favorite clothes & makeup from the 70s & 80s. People acted differently back then, and Women were more feminine and lady-like. Social media has changed the way people behave.

[@kristycartwright4743]

These were the days!!! Best times of my teenage years!!! If only..........

[@aaronworley8177]

The internet caused alot separations in family and togetherness.

[@nicolee2649]

No doubt true words!

[@SearchIndex]

Tik Tok has an actual “Parental Estrangement Phenomenon”

[@tommurphy4307]

only if people let it happen.

[@strongdelusion9442]

I think that's called "Divide to conquer"?

[@joeyank2451]

Plus It Brought About Amazon.

[@D.Frasure]

They were massive! Valley Hills Mall was my stomping ground as a teen in the late 70's.

[@j.sterling9167]

Watching these videos of things that existed in the seventies & eighties brings back many fond memories, now in 2024 most malls not only have closed but the buildings they were in were levelled into nothing. Shameful loss of a once good time era.

[@jimg7318]

Just look at all the people. No cell phones, no iPads, and no over weight kids. And they all took pride in themselves. I miss the malls but that isn’t what changed society.

[@stevehoppe3488]

Thank you for the trip down memory lane. Long time resident of New Jersey (South) good to see the Deptford Mall. Ahh, the memories. Fun fact, also the town is the first hot air balloon landing in America.

[@calfolk7381]

Here is the time line: malls killed main street, big-box killed malls, the internet killed big box.

[@captaintrips2980]

What would you predict is next? Where is there to go now that most anything can be delivered to your door? I'm so hooked up, I don't have to shop anywhere. Introverts and loners have never had it so good.

[@calfolk7381]

Not sure what’s next but you’re right that it is convenient to shop online, except when we have to return things lol

[@captaintrips2980]

@@calfolk7381 Therein lies the rub. Thanks for replying. ✌️

[@tommurphy4307]

@@captaintrips2980 just remember when you order something delivered, part of that carbon-footprint is YOURS.

[@joeyank2451]

Like How You Laid That Timeline Out Calfolk.