Malls Past Their Prime aka Ghetto Malls (A blog)
Grafwritah
4,184 Posts
I read a blog recently about "Ghetto Malls" and "black malls" as they termed it, or malls past their prime. I think every city has at least one. I don't think the term ghetto malls or black malls is really a fair description, though, as they are really just used to describe malls that aren't doing well. Is this how failing malls are described wherey ou are? Do you see this going on where you live?
Comments
Yeah, I've heard it. They're never really "black malls" though - ifa mall has hit "black mall" status, that just means that it's on it's way to closing. I've never seen a fully functioning and viable "black mall" before, although maybe they have them in that mystical world called Atlanta or something.
That seems to be common, I think.
well said...AND they got that I'm haunted vibe...I always wonder why there aren't more psychotic people around every corner...
I don't really get that. I'm more relaxed at the mall above than regular malls - there's nobody there!
I know at least one so-called "black mall" here in Chicago - Evergreen Plaza (known amongst some African-Americans as "Everblack Plaza"). In the space of a decade (let's say '74-'84) I witnessed the demographic go from white to interracial to black. But that's not due to neglect, it's more about gradual white flight. It's still as clean as it was in the 70's.
Somebody mentioned older malls that are just hanging on as having that "haunted" vibe. Reminds me of the old Englewood strip mall on Chicago's south side. No one has done anything with it, and it's definitely got a "ghost town" aura about it. Everything is more or less the way it was left the last time it was used. Even worse: as recently as five years ago there was a functioning Goldblatt's in the interracial Uptown area (previously known as a hillbilly ghetto - not all neglected stores are in black 'hoods[/b]). By then, it had devolved into being a glorified thrift shop (minus the cool old records). It was a sad sight. The old neon sign from 19-hundred-and-God-knows-when was still up, but this was obviously not the same Goldblatt's that bluesman Jimmy Reed (and later the Yardbirds) boasted about having a charge account at (in the song "I Ain't Got You"). The neighborhood is now being slowly gentrified, and Goldblatt's was eventually put out of its' misery (it's a Borders' bookstore now).
The mall I spoke about above was considered a "black mall" from about the mid-90s up until the early 00's, and now it's a "nobody" mall.
Yep, that's the Englewood strip mall, all right (on 63rd & Halsted).
And while we're on the topic of shoddy stores, I know of one convenience store which continued to sell backstock of PDQ chocolate drink for years after Ovaltine stopped making it...I'll bet there were some kingsize maggots running through those cans...
I'm an old-ass dude and I can't even remember Eastmont before it was derelict, M/B either. Shit's so bad you got Richie Rich rhyming "We ain't even got no mall and we still gon' ball."
I beg to differ, at least in Maryland
Arundel Mills
PG Plaza
Beltway Plaza Mall-Greenbelt
and Iverson Mall also in PG County
Both malls slowly started dying. Typical malls with 5 stores in it with mad walking space between each store.
We got one over in Concord California. Used to be the spot. Now it has a small movie theatre, a fabric store, kitchen appliance store, a bowling supply store, a Dollar store and some other shit. Used to have a huge discount clothing store that went under.
The problem came when they built a new freeway in the area which become the official split between the ghetto part of Concord and the middle and upper class area. A new strip mall opened up a few blocks away and then this old place went to shit.
They're remodeling everything now so hopefully it'll get better. Only mall I've ever been to whose lobby was made of cement.
Yeah, that would be my next guess after Atlanta.
I guess that makes sense in a place with a large wealthy minority population like DC or Atlanta.
But anyway, I think the overwhelmingly common scenario is the other way, as many areas, particularly smaller cities, don't have enough of that population to support a mall based on that population alone.
don't forget about Ras Kass.
And now my mall memories.
At one time Del Amo Mall in Southbay (los angeles) was the biggest mall in the world. ChikFillet and Julius for days, know what I mean? We're talking DJ'z (sp?) Oaktree type hype. Then things started slipping. Mall of America took the title, some chains closed, moved out. Then things got interesting when the mom and pops moved in, one of which was Downlow Hookups, a one stop hip hop shop where you could get your jeans airbrushed (by Ink), battle somebody, by a hoody, whatever. If any of you remember the "Black Owned" sweatshirts (as seen in the regulators video if I remember correctly) I remember the day Down Low hookups rolled those out, they originated that ish. I began hanging there REGULARLY after school everyday. The mall was clearing out though, rent slipped on everybody, and needless to say, that wing of the former Del Amo is now condos. I miss Alladin's Castle arcade heydays something terrible. Gauntlet 4 player anyone?
unfortunately many malls, and debbie gibson tour plans for that matter, are
The day Copelands sports closed down, was the biggest nail in Del Amo's coffin.
In my town, it's the South Forks Plaza... Shit is dead, but it still has the Kmart attached to it... Sears is gone. Bingo Palace is up in there. A Radio Shack... an asian market... Barry's Collector's Corner (comic shop), a stone gate pet shop, a key maker, a dude that fixes watches, and a craft store. There's a shitty bar called Rumors that my friends seem to like.
And it's big... and old, and dark. I like it. It's the underdog. I used to work there simply just a great janitro. There was a big area they used to use for a flea market once a month, and I would ride a bike around there for hours. Also, there was an upstairs storage area with the Christmas shit, marquees and various garbage... I liked to chill up there until another old janitor who was homeless started squatting there.
Peace...
FNM
Oh shit. Santa Rosa Plaza up north was the Aladdin's Castle for me.
As a kind of side topic to this mall talk, I was thinking recently about the death of arcades in general. I feel like I don't see them around anymore. Now it might be that I'm real out of the loop since I'm not really looking for them, but at the same time I definitely used to like them and I feel like I'd notice if they were still common.
Is it playstation and all that that sent kids home to play? So now where do the kids cutting school and the shady twenty and thirty something dudes go during the day?
It's good to see my town ain't the only one.
What's wrong? This shirt costs 20 dollars
I said, "Mom, the shirt is plaid with a butterfly collar"
The next half hour was the same old thing
My mother buyin me clothes from 1963
Until she lost her mind and did the ultimate
I asked her for Adidas and she bought me Zips!
::MEMORIES::
Northland Mall was one of the first in the country, wasnt it?
That's where I bought my first record:
And if/when they ever decide to bulldoze that place, PLAESE save the statue of the little kid on the elephant's back. I will always remember seeing that thing.
This is what Northland looks like now:
Will always be known on the low for the place to pick up girls that are too young to be picked up... several times I've been approached by girls that should be in school but instead got a big brother talk like you need to not be so fresh girl, you'll regret it one day...
Seriously, it looks like summer vacation 365 days a year for kids at the Gallery. I thought the classrooms were underground or something and that's where they spent their lunch hour! TOO crazy.
first we'd start at South Bay Galleria... it had no arcade but it's all good cuz it was brand new when i started going there so it was a little fresh and exciting..
then there was Old towne mall down the road.. it had a decent arcade and also used to have a cheap ass haunted house ride that was kind of fun....
then further down hawthorne you had the grand daddy of them all DEL AMO!
Aladdins's castle, dope theaters and these really dope kids (including my lame ass) who'd bring cardboard and wear cool sneakers w/ fat laces... they used to spin on their heads ( i never came close to that!) and do these cool dance steps... breaking... yeah! that's what it was all about!
-o
WHOAH!
ALLADINS'S CASTLE IS GONE!?