Taunton is gone, Swansea is gone, Harbor Hall is gone, Emerald Square is on its last legs. Never would have bet this would be last mall standing in the southcoast.
Probably because of all mentioned (aside from harbor mall which was a mall in name only) it's the smallest and also because it sits in the Faunce Corner retail mecca. Nevertheless Preit which owns the Dartmouth Mall has filed bankruptcy.
The North Dartmouth Mall is still standing the Cape Cod Mall is going. It is becoming a mixed usage property with apartments and retail stores. It is currently in the permitting process.
I would of never believed this mall would've survived. It's usually pretty busy there especially during holidays. The fact this out lasted the silver city galleria blows my mind.
This is my local mall! If you had told me 20 years ago that the Dartmouth would outlast the Silver City Galleria, I would never believe you. Thinking back about how much the Dartmouth mall has changed is wild. There used to be hills in there basically, way worse than it is today (ask the locals) and the halls were carpeted.
My local mall growing up. "TILT" Was originally called "The Dream Machine" which was a fantastic arcade growing up. I still can hear the sounds of WWF Wrestlefest and the TMNT Arcade Game when I walk by that spot I swear it. We had a Child World in that mall as a kid which was essentially our big toy store because toys r us was late to getting to this area. Stunned this mall still survives as their business practices are quite questionable in terms of how they treat their stores and vendors. Thanks for doing a walk thru. The mall holds a lot of great childhood memories but it's so sad to see them that dead right before xmas. (Btw: the poster vendor is just a seasonal thing. You are 100% correct he sells reprints and mixed media *colorized prints of black and white movies*. Thanks again for the nostalgia trip. :)
@@bbybap4729Had hundreds of tickets as a result of their $5/10 unlimited tokens parties from the early 90s. Never quite found anything worth trading it for sadly.
The floor is uneven because the property was formally a golf course. During the renovations they replaced the carpeting with tile and leveled out the grade somewhat. It was A LOT worse. Literal hills. They also removed the stage In front JC Penny where they used to have events and Santa. I worked at that mall most of my life from Chess King during the 80's in high school to Ruby Tuesday during the 90's to 2014 as an adult. It has always been busy. I think because they never got too large. It's a very walkable mall. You can find a complete history and documentary of The Outlet on the NBC 10 WJAR's YT page.
Having been formerly the site of a golf course really shouldn’t have anything to do with the uneven floors. If that were the case there wouldn’t be any level floors.
@@christinehutchins123 They didn't do much leveling at all when it was first built. They just plopped the building down and put down wall-to-wall carpeting. It literally had hills and dips in it. It wasn't until the renovation that it is now somewhat flat. But till this day there are no really level floors. It was a running joke among us older Dartmouth residents that we had to climb a hill to go shopping.
I am 56 and grew up in New Bedford. I used to love the hilly parts as a kid. Woolworth's was a great store and had everything. Child World was the go to toy store until Toys R Us came around. There was a Newport Creamery and a Friendly's Ice Cream in the mall. I remember going to Dunkin Donuts as a kid with my Grandmother and the Pipe store with my Dad when he used to smoke, Also, no one mentioned the Hickory Farms store that always was handing out free samples of cheese and sausage. But my greatest memories was as a teen hanging out every Friday at Dream Machine arcade with my pals and trying to meet girls. Good times. I go to Aldi's now for groceries but have not been inside the mall in years. Might have to do a walk through for old times sake. The only store that is still there is Spencer's but it is in a different spot. Other than that, everything else is different. Thanks for the video.
I'm a little older than you, and yes i worked at Child World when it was open, We would eat at Woolworth's restaurant. Also we would go for drinks at PJ Kelly's bar/eatery up near Zales. Good times, best years of my life.
Wow, I haven't been there in YEARS! I went to college at Umass back in 2004 back when they had the pet shop I used to love to check out. In fact, I used to work at the Sears.
Been going to that mall since raionnis was a sit down pizzeria near where Burlington currently is as a kid..lots of memories and great times then and now.
I'm a 32 year old guy who's lived in Westport all my life & I've been going to this mall ever since I was a kid. I remember when AMC was just on one side & you would get tickets from the window to the right if you go through the first set of doors of the back of the mall. I remember the Food Court having a McDonald's & Tilt being called "The Dream Machine There was even a Pet Store next to where Toy Vault is at now & I remember buying my 3rd dog there for free & crickets for my 6th grade lizards. It may have lost Gamestop/EB Games, the Pet Store, & the better Food Court, but Five Below, Toy Vault, & those stands that sell anime figures/merch on the left from the inner entrance of JC Penney have been welcoming replacements. Hell, I still can't believe Jason David Frank (the original Green Power Ranger) went to this mall for a Meet & Greet at Toy Vault in July of 2023. Celebrities never really go to Dartmouth to do events. They usually go to conventions in Boston or Providence instead.
In the 80s and 90s, the movie theater was just the part you drove around at the back of the mall. The lobby was just on the right side (if you were walking in those doors) where there is now "Dartmouth Mall" signage followed by AMC. (It did not used to stretch over the hall. That whole corner you drove around by the back, though, as long as I can remember, has always been the movie theater.) Going in those doors by the AMC sign, it used to just be a vestibule and then that hallway that goes back to where the food court is now. In that hall, there used to be an air brush business on the left, just after the movie theater entrance, and then after that, on the right, there was a Dream Machine arcade and then a restaurant called Le Garlic or La Garlic. I think there might also have been a news & gifts shop somewhere in that hall. (I'm trying to remember from my childhood, so the memory's a little fuzzy now, but I do remember those things.) Also, to the left of the mall entrance to what used to be Zayre's, there used to a be a bar & restaurant called PJ Kelley's. Walking from the old Zayre's, that first hall on the right, would have taken you by a pet store at one point, and there also used to be a pipe and tobacco store (I can't remember the name of either anymore) and I can still remember the musky, strong smell of tobacco every time we used to walk by. Where you walked past the place where there used to be a Woolworth's (again, I'm thinking about the 80s), there was also a Woolworth's diner (I think, or it might have been Newport Creamery, and there might have been a small diner also inside of the Woolworth's store itself?) across the main hall on the opposite side which had stools and a counter and you could sit there and watch the mall traffic while you had lunch or an ice cream. Near there (somewhere in the center of the main hall) there was also a Child World toy store, a Waldenbooks book store, and a Radio Shack (that had Tandy computers and those wonderful cheap robotic toys in the front and aisles of electronic parts in the back.) Near the Sears, there used to be one of those Hickory Farm stores that had the farmhouse entrance and at the first corner (with that hall that leads back of where the Five Below is now) that corner used to be where the Rainoni's pizza place is that's now in the food court. I also remember there being an Orange Julius stand in the center of the main hall somewhere near the Sears side of the mall. As other people have commented, I do also remember the floors being way hillier than they are now.
Definitely a far cry from when i was growing up, this mall used to be popping, kids in dream machine playing video games, movies were a big part of it as well, but its definitely fallen off, since then, the mall was built on an old golf course, thus all the hills and bumpy terrian.
I think this Mall being right in-between Fall River/New Bedford and still having some pretty solid stores so people don't feel like they gotta go brave Providence for some shopping and can just go here instead, is probably a lot of the reason why it's still successful.
@@gemh663 That's what I mean, this Malls good enough so people don't have to. Otherwise if you wanted to hit a large shopping Mall you'd be stuck going to Providence.
This sort of shocks me because it was a bit sad back in the day. That said, its smaller but 'big enough' and very walkable size, simple layout, lack of other major malls in the area, and decent flagship stores work out in its favor. What seemed too small back in the day is probably just right for a functional suburban mall today.
When I was a kid, not only were the floors uneven, but they were CARPETED. And full of cigarette burns - yes I'm that old, you could smoke in there. People would trip and fall all the time.
This mall was always worse than the Silver City Galleria in Taunton when that opened in 1992, but now that mall is closed and somehow the Dartmouth Mall is not only surviving but thriving like never before.
Dartmouth was constructed perfectly to be a shopping hub surrounding the mall which draws more shoppers. The silver city was kind of out of the way by itself, I attribute poor location for its downfall
The Dartmouth Mall has survived every financial downfall and possible adversity (including the pandemic)...and still stands. Back in the 80's, that was the place to be up until 1993 when the Silver City Galleria in Taunton just up the road. It was dead for years after...but still endured. When Providence Place opened around 1999/2000, it made this place go even darker. Where Spencers is today, used to be the Rainoni's Pizza shop, the location of the now 'Pandora' and 'LIDS' was a big 'Child World', which was just below the old Woolworth (lower half of the present-day Old Navy). The JC Penney has always been there since my earliest memory, and also the anchor SEARS (before it became Burlington). The Macy's used to be 'AMES' sand before that 'Zayre'. But I was just at this mall a couple days ago...and there was plenty of people in there so it don't seem like it's going anywhere anytime soon.
I grew up with going to the Swansea mall, I was so sad to see it shut down but I am so surprised this one is still up, me and many others from fall river still go to this one
That Newbury Comics used to be FYE. I remember going there to buy concert tickets. The Five Below used to be a Ruby Tuesday which is wild with how different it looks now.
Before the renovation in 2000, the floor was actually carpeted. There also used to be a McDonalds where the Bank 5 is outside on the five below wing. Tilt closed I think 2018-2019. I think what people mean when they say it's "boring" is because there's no food court, and is a lot smaller than other malls.
@yummisoap I've visited the small since the 80s and it wasn't carpeted. Before 2000 it was that tacky gray tile with the occasional cranberry red color tiles scattered about
This is my local Mall. My father was a manager for Sears when it opened. I even ended up working there for my first job. The old 3 theatre movie area was in the same location. Where you said in in your video, this section looks like it could be it, you are right. The kick out that makes you swing right around the AMC area was the newer addition added in the earlier 2000's. I have seen this mall go through many changes over the years. My friend & I play a little game of naming the stores and their locations from years past.
Awwww that mall holds so many memories for me! My bff in high school would shop at the merry go round almost weekly at this mall. I bought my 8th grade evening dress from there. I worked at a cell one stand there. Used to go to that theater almost every Friday w friends I haven’t seen or heard from in decades. Time is a bitch!!! It’s so true that you don’t realize the greatest parts of your life are just a bunch of small moments you had when you so much younger.
I'm from New Bedford MA next to Dartmouth. I'm just happy we still have a Mall. Young people need something to do. Also it gives young people people good first jobs. I remember back to the 80s somewhat lol. It has always been a nice place to visit and shop. Love the Pizza from Raoini, just saying it tasted better back in the 80s to 90s. Yeah it's always been uphill down hill. Thanks for showing the Mall. Cool video I just subscribed and looking forward to watching more of your videos.
This was our playground growing up. I grew up less than a half mile away, well within walking distance. The mall was the center for all high school social life in Dartmouth back in the late seventy's early eighties. This is where everyone would meet to find out where the party was going to be on any Friday or Saturday night or if anything was going on at the N. Years before BJ's, Home Depot and the old Circuit City Plazas were built, we had campgrounds at different locations in those long gone built over woods. During summer vacation from school we would camp out in those woods, get drunk and then wander around the mall until it closed. Then we would go back to camp, hang out by the campfire and drink some more beers. What a different time it was back then. That was a sad day when the bulldozers came to clear those woods for all the new stores.
The Outlet was a big department store on Weybosset Street in downtown Providence. We used to go there for back-to-school shopping in the '60s. They went out of business sometime in the '80s, after which the building burned down. It was sad; the Outlet was a magnificent store.
I also remember going to Dream Machine as a kid before it was Tilt and how the food court used to be on the left. There was a McDonald’s in there at one point. I’ll be devastated if this mall ever meets the same fate as the Galleria in Taunton.
My parents and I went to a graduation party in Dartmouth, and, ironically enough, I was looking around Dartmouth Mall on Google Maps before we left. To my surprise, where the graduation party was to the mall was walkable to me. I'm looking to visit this mall again, hopefully this year.
Am I the only one that remembers Discovery Zone as a kid in the *NORTH Dartmouth Mall.. I'm born and raised in New Bedford unfortunately I still live here.😂
I was 11 when this mall opened and went to the grand opening. Got a balloon from Kinney Shoes, which is a store long gone. The mall was originally carpeted, but always had hills.
When I saw that you were at the Dartmouth mall before I clicked on, I was wondering if you would notice the uneven floors! It’s been that way forever lol
My friend lived across the street from there. All the High school kids hung out there. They had the "Dream Machine". The area's first dedicated video game/air hockey/pinball arcade. Many quarters were happily dropped there.😅 Great times when Mom went shopping and we got to hang out there. Thanks Mom !!! Macy's isn't where Zayres was. The Macy's was an add on expansion they built.
Great video! This is the surviving mall in the area. The Outlet was similar to Macy's. Original store in Providence. That's where I met Tony Conigliaro of the Boston Red Sox. He was a sportscaster for WJAR at the time, which was located on the top floor of the building. He was so handsome and kind. Very sad to lose him so young.
Shopping Malls were very oversaturated in the 80s and 90s as many of them have closed or are still in process of closing the ones that are left and are in a decent location will thrive for decades
Burlington & ALDIs are a great addition to the mall. Plus the way they changed their movie theatre. It’s the only one we can go to, we now have to go to fall River for the nearest movie.
The arcade that’s on the right used to be an even bigger large larger arcade when I was a kid called dream machine. It was awesome and the pizza place has been there forever and it’s wicked famous in the area.
this is my local mall and yeah it’s definitely not dying soon haha!! it’s not as busy as it was when i was a kid but compared to a lot of other places it’s busy
I live in Fall River only two towns over from Darthmouth.. I watched two malls die in my area.. the Swansea Mall in Swansea Ma. and the Harbor Mall in Fall River Ma... this is what happened.. the Swansea and Harbor Malls invited Wallmart to join them which if you look into it, Wallmart will only join a mall with an iron clad contract that when another businesses closes, they get to decide what new business is allowed to move in.... that killed off two malls in my area.. the Dartmouth Mall never had Walmart so they got to keep deciding to allow any new business they wanted.. Walmart is a mall killer..
Food court came and went...it was always just a few restaurants. Ruby Tuesdays. Friendlys. Buffalo Wild Wings now. But Ranonis, they have been through it all. Moved in 3 different locations as far as I can remember. They supplied the town elementary schools with their once a month "pizza day"
Fall River guy here. Just providing some updates. Between the time you went and my last visit on Thursday the Native Crafts was gutted, I believe the store closed shop after the holiday season, not sure why. That store used to be a sports clothing store (and I got a US soccer jersey from the 22 World Cup for half off when they had their closing sale); Native Crafts was on the site of the Hyper Zone before moving into that place. Before that, I believe that used to be an Olympia before they went out of business in 2023, either that or where the Shoe Department sits now. Swan Framing and Gifts is also shuttering, the family that runs that store is retiring so they're having a sale there. As of right now there's two (soon to be three) vacancies at this mall. The other one is next to the King Barber where you entered, that used to be a Santander bank. Compared to other malls in the southern New England area, that's still very good. I'm sure those vacancies will be filled very soon. Edit: Oh and I forgot about Party City. Make that four vacancies by next month I bet.
Oh man! If this was the weekend you would have caught me in costume at AMC as Sonic! Lol you can spot one of the employees we made a Tiktok with walking by.
Thanks for posting. I’ve lived relatively close to this mall my whole life and it’s always been a good environment and has survived all of the overkill from competition over the decades.. saturation is key to Mall Survivability. 👍 this mall and now the south Coast Plaza in Fall River are the among the only remaining movie theaters in the region. In the 70s, The Dartmouth mall used to include a big department store up the middle called the Outlet which was a two story store which had an escalator and “talking Christmas tree” where you would go and visit Santa. As stated the original anchor store on the opposite side of Sears was Zayres. There was also a very successful 70s eatery which was 50s style soda shop with jukeboxes etc and that might have been the Woolworths The Mall had good book and record stores. .the original theatre was in the same location as the current one. The carpet from the 70s was pulled out during renovations. The hilly mall was due to original golf course.
My first "real" job in MA was back in 1995, at a Christmas shop inside this mall called Christmas By Frank's, which was run by Frank's Nursery and Crafts. Back then, where the Old Navy is now, there was an animatronic dinosaur attraction, and the Christmas store was next door. Ever wonder what dinosaurs roaring to Christmas music would sound like? Also, I worked at the Spencer Gifts from 1997 to 1998. At that time, it was next door to Claire's. The mall in the '90's was different than it is now. Where H&M is now, there was a kid's play place called The Discovery Zone. There also was a Friendly's in the center part of the mall, around where Victoria's Secret is now. Rainoni's used to be where Spencer's is now, and there was a Harley Davidson shop next to it. There was a store called Etco's Follies - the store's owner, Ernie, was a really sweet old guy, and he'd talk to me every time I visited. He moved his store to the Swansea Mall, and I visited him there. He sadly passed away in the early 2000's. I remember another shop called Crafty Coyote, and Hallmark, Payless, and Yankee Candle used to be there too. There was also a small cafe across from where Spencer's is now/where Rainoni's used to be, and I ate there quite often. I'm dissapointed that Tilt/Dream Machine Arcade is no longer, I remember playing Skeeball there and winning enough tickets to get a ceramic unicorn. I guess the bouncy play area near the movie theater isn't there anymore, either. We go there every year to JC Penney to have my daughter's birthday pictures taken at the portrait studio. I like perusing the kiosks of Lady & Gentle. They have a wide variety of anime figures. Thanks for taking up on another one of my recommendations.
Hey hey, I live down the street from this mall! It’s a surviver. Burlington was a great addition a few years ago. Also, I go there for my watch repairs.
This has been my local mall my entire life. I'm 38. Back in the late 90's early 2000s this was the place to go as a kid to hang out with your friends. The movie theatre was more than a 3 screen theatre a lot sooner before the switch to AMC. Although it's a helluva lot nicer now. Your assumption was correct though, that side was the original theatre. Rainoni's Pizza is a Dartmouth staple. It used to be on the opposite side of the mall where Spencer's is now. The mall has gone through a ton of changes and its shocking it's still seemingly flourishing. There was definitely a point in time where it seemed it was done for. I don't know if it was bought out and fixed up financially. There used to be a pet shop where Toy Vault is. Which was great, until it wasn't. My mom got a job there at 1 point and reported it for selling sick and injured animals. Reports of dogs dying days after purchasing etc. Animals vomiting blood in the back rooms and being told to put them out on display anyways etc. Really awful awful stuff. My grandfather before his passing was a Sears junkie. Everything he ever bought for his home was done through Sears. From underwear to snowblowers lol They also used to have an auto center in a separate building in the parking lot(which has been empty for 20 years and is going to be made into a Chik Fil A soon.) Woolworth was great because it was split. Half was a diner and the other half was the department store. They sold parakeets and they'd be let loose by kids. So you'd see them throughout the mall flying around chirping. Ames was a great store. That's where Macy's is now. The food court is a joke. There's an Auntie Anne's in the center in a kiosk. Also used to be a Starbucks, which they took out for some reason. There used to be a center area with something that resembled staging. The local radio station would bring in new artists trying to break big before the internet really took off. I remember boy bands being advertised. Also Brooke Hogan had a concert there lol
When you walk in the door from the outside the movie theater was on the right. The mall at one time had a Dunkin Donuts, Friendly's, Orange Julius, Child World, Thom M'can(2), Anderson Little and a few banks.
My great uncle worked at the Outlet Company. There was a talking Christmas tree which was neat as a kid. The original 3 screen Cinema was right before the Macy's like you suggested
Woolworth’s had a lunch & dinner restaurant adjacent to the store. Friendly ice cream and Newport Creamery also served food. Orange Julius was the best kiosk.
Why would anyone go to the mall when you can just order everything from your house, so sad. I miss malls and all the good stores that closed. I miss actually trying on clothes and shoes.
One of the big changes in the mall to me is where that Christmas photo setup there used to be a multikevel fountain of sorts that a lot of coins for thrown in. It was across from jc penny under the skylight
Great Video, the floor is very uneven. The Outlet moved to down near Sears where the Hyper Zone is and remained there for a few years before closing. Woolworths closed in mid 80's. The three screen theatre was right next to Macy's, the building with the small AMC sign about the door. Thanks for highlighting this!
Yes, I’m from the area. I mentioned the mall to you in one of your previous videos. This mall has been open since I was a kid and before that and I’m 38 now and it’s still going strong even still has the original pizza place in it from when I was a kid which is extremely good
I’ve noticed in all the videos I’ve watched so far, you do not mention a mall staple. KB Toys or Circus world. Smaller stores I know but I’m always on the look out for those previous locations. If you could start adding that in somewhere, I’d really enjoy that. Otherwise enjoying your content so far. Thank you
Huh, so that’s where the Newbury Comics (near the former Papa Gino’s) moved to! Not only a far more sensible location, but always worth a check-in once in awhile to look for some film score deals and suchlike!
Haha the floors, never seen that anywhere. Rarely go there. Used to be a lot of teenagers on a Friday night. I remember going there as a kid with my mom and we’d go for lunch at woolworths .
Only 3 anchors now - originally there were 7 or 8 Sears. Gladdings, Outlet, Woolworths, Zayre, Cherry's and Anderson Little also a huge Child World which later became Peerless. All those other big stores have been subdivided. There was no food court originally. Eateries were scattered about. Friendlies, Newport Creamery, Orange Julius, a Pizza joint, and of course Woolworth's had a restaurant.
Woolworths had its lunch counter, Friendly's and Newport Creamery, one was directly across the hall (about where the Claire's is now) the other where the Five Below is now with the interior/exterior access iirc, that spot was for many years a Ruby Tuesday as well, Rainoni's was on the wing corner that is now Spencer's
@@antonsmith9788 Sure. Everything was downtown once upon a time. Malls killed most downtowns. Woolworth had a very short tenure as a mall store - they went out of business in 1983.
Hi the Dartmouth mall has been around about as long as I've been alive. I can guarantee you it is not going anywhere. It is a vital part of the South Coast community. Though stores have come and gone it has not been for a lack of shoppers at the mall but more so corporations that have gone under . I do miss the days of when I was a kid and we had Woolworth and Hickory farms and Child World and Cherry and Webb Department store. The arcade dream machine. But one store that's been there as long as I can remember is Spencer's. I remember as a kid we were not allowed in the back end of the store cuz that's where all the naughty items were lol. Also yes the floors have always been hills and valleys. It makes it great for indoor walking exercise. We don't trip, we know where every elevation is. My sister worked at The Outlet it was a more upscale department store but Cherry and Webb was the more high end store. One of the other Staples of the Dartmouth mall was an Orange Julius. I moved away in 1987 so I missed a lot of the changes. I live in the area again and I still enjoy just walking up and down the mall. Oh and I almost forgot there used to be a fabulous upscale restaurant called PJ Kelly's. If you're looking at Macy's it was the left hand wall it was dark and fancy with wrought iron lanterns. Also on the other end of the mall on the side hallway there was a high-end kitchen store equivalent to Williams and Sonoma and it was called Habitat.
I lived in this part of Dartmouth for years. I lived in Dartmouth most of my life. It's a nice mall to go back and visit from time to time, but I'm shocked it's still standing.
Literally last mall I expected to survive. It was on its way out until the renovation and is the mall of my childhood. Still bring my kids there to this day. Also prior to Burlington on your right, Rainoni’s used to have an Italian sit down restaurant.
Yooo, I remember going to this mall a lot with my cousin long time ago in 2019, and I always wanted to find a video of this mall but I can’t really find one, so I’m glad you went to the mall!
Haven’t been to Dartmouth Mall since graduating from UMass-Dartmouth back in 1995/96! It definitely looks better than it did back then! 😊 oh the memories of going to that mall on the weekends and the movie theater…I believe I saw Billy Madison there 😂 …and the theater was indeed in the same area…looks like they just increased the size to accommodate for the additional theaters.
The outlet company was a staple in the Providence Massachusetts area until 1980 when they sold the Namesake store to focus on Broadcasting according to Google
Dartmouth Mall is a good solid mall. It has most major retailers and will be adding new stores in 2025. Great classic mall with many things to offer shoppers
Wow. Rainonis used to be by the sears. That place has been at the mall at least since the early 80's. I remember my mom taking us to eat at Woolworth's in the 70's. Think they left in the 80's. The floors have always sloped down towards sears. I'm glad to see the mall is still going strong. Its a shame parents turned them into daycare centers in the 90's. It was one of the reasons I stopped going. Unattended kids causing problems everywhere. It got to the point it wasn't worth going. Too bad. I liked having all the stores in one place and out of the elements.
Wow, can’t believe they even officially called this two vendor area a food court. To me, I don’t even call it a makeshift food court unless it has a cluster of at least three food vendors. At the Natick Mall, there is a “makeshift” food court near Macy’s that consists of Auntie Anne’s, Milk Shake lovers, and a Bubble Tea, with an additional food vendor selling South Korean food right above on the second floor. The official Natick Mall food court consists of 9 vendors including Charlie’s steak subs, Monster Wok, McDonald’s, Taco Bell, Thai Kitchen, Sarku Japan, Cajun Cafe, Sbarro, and a Brazilian vendor.
Dartmouth was the 1st mall around. All tried to be bigger and better are gone now. Woolworths was another original anchor with its own restaurant . Sears early on had a restaurant too. PJ kellys was on the left heading into Macys. They had rock bands play there til 2 am with a outside entrance.
I remember that Woolworth. I wanna say it closed in the early to mid 90's but I could be off. Also the arcade was called the dream machine and it was epic.
This Mall is the most successful Mall in the area. It is still the North Dartmouth Mall. They have expended recently with the movie theater being added, I like to visit it. The Cape Cod Mall has been loosing money, and is going to be closed. It is being turned into mixed usage apartments and retail stores. I like the North Dartmouth Mall personally. The problem with the floor is because of the lot it is built on. The spencers in the North Dartmouth Mall has always been thier as long as I can remember. The pictures shown in the video clip are from the mid to late 80's around Christmas time. I used to visit the Mall back then. The Woolworth store was their until around 1988 or so. It was their when those pictures were taken. Just before they expended the Mall and they expended the movie theater. The 3 screen theater was just around the corner from the old theater. They just made it bigger when they expanded the Mall. Their was a smaller mall entrance behind were they expended the theater.
I still have a collection of tickets and ticket cards from the Dream Machine arcade circa 2004 (before it was Tilt). It was nice and close for the UMD crowd.
Dartmouth has very little to do. It was always either going to the mall or going to Caddyshack when I lived there. That, or hanging out in the previously abandoned parking lot that is now Stop & Shop.
My guess for the floors is that it's following the hill it's on, but to make the entries to the stores even, they exaggerated the "Hills" before, and after the store entrances so you don't trip, ironically.. There was a mall in Boston that was a corkscrew, where it just climbs up a counterclockwise loop over itself, and you'd have the flats where the store openings were, exaggerated "Hills" in between. I think it closed many years ago, and I don't remember what it was called. It was one of those places as a family I was dragged into. The corkscrew layout was the only interesting thing.
There’s a mall in Boston built in a former parking garage (literally called “the garage”) that has stores on the sides of the ramp going up. It’s a neat set up.
I spent my weekends walking around this Mall during my early Teens... in the early 90s. When Malls started to close due to online shopping, The Dartmouth Mall out lasted them all. Crazy... RIGHT?
Taunton is gone, Swansea is gone, Harbor Hall is gone, Emerald Square is on its last legs. Never would have bet this would be last mall standing in the southcoast.
Probably because of all mentioned (aside from harbor mall which was a mall in name only) it's the smallest and also because it sits in the Faunce Corner retail mecca. Nevertheless Preit which owns the Dartmouth Mall has filed bankruptcy.
West gate mall is dying but south shore Plaza seems lively
The North Dartmouth Mall is still standing the Cape Cod Mall is going. It is becoming a mixed usage property with apartments and retail stores. It is currently in the permitting process.
@@VickyGeagan I hadn't heard that. (CCM) where do cape codders shop then? Oh I guess they just keep making Bezos richer.
@@BG-sl9lv Warwick Mall is still thriving! Even more so than this one.
I would of never believed this mall would've survived. It's usually pretty busy there especially during holidays.
The fact this out lasted the silver city galleria blows my mind.
Not really. Taunton was too small to support it on its own and other communities had malls nearer home.
the Dartmouth Mall owners were smart.. they never invited Walmart in to kill it
This is my local mall! Cool to see this video randomly pop into my recommended. This mall is always busy!
This is my local mall! If you had told me 20 years ago that the Dartmouth would outlast the Silver City Galleria, I would never believe you. Thinking back about how much the Dartmouth mall has changed is wild. There used to be hills in there basically, way worse than it is today (ask the locals) and the halls were carpeted.
Yes , and it got tiresome walking the Mall, especially if you were elderly
The hype about Silver City opening was insane!! And I agree, who would have imagined that this would be the one to survive!
Was fun to skateboard down those hills inside and get chased by security back in the day.
My local mall growing up.
"TILT" Was originally called "The Dream Machine" which was a fantastic arcade growing up. I still can hear the sounds of WWF Wrestlefest and the TMNT Arcade Game when I walk by that spot I swear it.
We had a Child World in that mall as a kid which was essentially our big toy store because toys r us was late to getting to this area.
Stunned this mall still survives as their business practices are quite questionable in terms of how they treat their stores and vendors.
Thanks for doing a walk thru. The mall holds a lot of great childhood memories but it's so sad to see them that dead right before xmas.
(Btw: the poster vendor is just a seasonal thing. You are 100% correct he sells reprints and mixed media *colorized prints of black and white movies*.
Thanks again for the nostalgia trip. :)
Yes, I remember the dream machine fondly.
@@bbybap4729Had hundreds of tickets as a result of their $5/10 unlimited tokens parties from the early 90s.
Never quite found anything worth trading it for sadly.
The floor is uneven because the property was formally a golf course. During the renovations they replaced the carpeting with tile and leveled out the grade somewhat. It was A LOT worse. Literal hills. They also removed the stage In front JC Penny where they used to have events and Santa. I worked at that mall most of my life from Chess King during the 80's in high school to Ruby Tuesday during the 90's to 2014 as an adult. It has always been busy. I think because they never got too large. It's a very walkable mall. You can find a complete history and documentary of The Outlet on the NBC 10 WJAR's YT page.
Having been formerly the site of a golf course really shouldn’t have anything to do with the uneven floors. If that were the case there wouldn’t be any level floors.
I found the documentary. It's called: The Outlet Story chronicles Providence department store. On the NBC 10 WJAR channel.
@@christinehutchins123 They didn't do much leveling at all when it was first built. They just plopped the building down and put down wall-to-wall carpeting. It literally had hills and dips in it. It wasn't until the renovation that it is now somewhat flat. But till this day there are no really level floors. It was a running joke among us older Dartmouth residents that we had to climb a hill to go shopping.
@@Rusty_Shackleford-y9y I can remember in my mind where some of the big dips were in the concourse.
I am 56 and grew up in New Bedford. I used to love the hilly parts as a kid. Woolworth's was a great store and had everything. Child World was the go to toy store until Toys R Us came around. There was a Newport Creamery and a Friendly's Ice Cream in the mall. I remember going to Dunkin Donuts as a kid with my Grandmother and the Pipe store with my Dad when he used to smoke, Also, no one mentioned the Hickory Farms store that always was handing out free samples of cheese and sausage. But my greatest memories was as a teen hanging out every Friday at Dream Machine arcade with my pals and trying to meet girls. Good times. I go to Aldi's now for groceries but have not been inside the mall in years. Might have to do a walk through for old times sake. The only store that is still there is Spencer's but it is in a different spot. Other than that, everything else is different. Thanks for the video.
I'm a little older than you, and yes i worked at Child World when it was open, We would eat at Woolworth's restaurant. Also we would go for drinks at PJ Kelly's bar/eatery up near Zales. Good times, best years of my life.
Wow, I haven't been there in YEARS! I went to college at Umass back in 2004 back when they had the pet shop I used to love to check out. In fact, I used to work at the Sears.
i grew up with this mall, and even though it's much smaller than a lot of malls nearby, it's nice to see it do pretty well
I'm a 90s kid from dartmouth and we hung out here every Friday night...good times..
Been going to that mall since raionnis was a sit down pizzeria near where Burlington currently is as a kid..lots of memories and great times then and now.
I'm a 32 year old guy who's lived in Westport all my life & I've been going to this mall ever since I was a kid.
I remember when AMC was just on one side & you would get tickets from the window to the right if you go through the first set of doors of the back of the mall.
I remember the Food Court having a McDonald's & Tilt being called "The Dream Machine
There was even a Pet Store next to where Toy Vault is at now & I remember buying my 3rd dog there for free & crickets for my 6th grade lizards.
It may have lost Gamestop/EB Games, the Pet Store, & the better Food Court, but Five Below, Toy Vault, & those stands that sell anime figures/merch on the left from the inner entrance of JC Penney have been welcoming replacements.
Hell, I still can't believe Jason David Frank (the original Green Power Ranger) went to this mall for a Meet & Greet at Toy Vault in July of 2023. Celebrities never really go to Dartmouth to do events. They usually go to conventions in Boston or Providence instead.
In the 80s and 90s, the movie theater was just the part you drove around at the back of the mall. The lobby was just on the right side (if you were walking in those doors) where there is now "Dartmouth Mall" signage followed by AMC. (It did not used to stretch over the hall. That whole corner you drove around by the back, though, as long as I can remember, has always been the movie theater.) Going in those doors by the AMC sign, it used to just be a vestibule and then that hallway that goes back to where the food court is now. In that hall, there used to be an air brush business on the left, just after the movie theater entrance, and then after that, on the right, there was a Dream Machine arcade and then a restaurant called Le Garlic or La Garlic. I think there might also have been a news & gifts shop somewhere in that hall. (I'm trying to remember from my childhood, so the memory's a little fuzzy now, but I do remember those things.)
Also, to the left of the mall entrance to what used to be Zayre's, there used to a be a bar & restaurant called PJ Kelley's. Walking from the old Zayre's, that first hall on the right, would have taken you by a pet store at one point, and there also used to be a pipe and tobacco store (I can't remember the name of either anymore) and I can still remember the musky, strong smell of tobacco every time we used to walk by.
Where you walked past the place where there used to be a Woolworth's (again, I'm thinking about the 80s), there was also a Woolworth's diner (I think, or it might have been Newport Creamery, and there might have been a small diner also inside of the Woolworth's store itself?) across the main hall on the opposite side which had stools and a counter and you could sit there and watch the mall traffic while you had lunch or an ice cream. Near there (somewhere in the center of the main hall) there was also a Child World toy store, a Waldenbooks book store, and a Radio Shack (that had Tandy computers and those wonderful cheap robotic toys in the front and aisles of electronic parts in the back.)
Near the Sears, there used to be one of those Hickory Farm stores that had the farmhouse entrance and at the first corner (with that hall that leads back of where the Five Below is now) that corner used to be where the Rainoni's pizza place is that's now in the food court. I also remember there being an Orange Julius stand in the center of the main hall somewhere near the Sears side of the mall.
As other people have commented, I do also remember the floors being way hillier than they are now.
was built over an old golf course was the legend.
Definitely a far cry from when i was growing up, this mall used to be popping, kids in dream machine playing video games, movies were a big part of it as well, but its definitely fallen off, since then, the mall was built on an old golf course, thus all the hills and bumpy terrian.
I think this Mall being right in-between Fall River/New Bedford and still having some pretty solid stores so people don't feel like they gotta go brave Providence for some shopping and can just go here instead, is probably a lot of the reason why it's still successful.
That’s one of the main reasons why for sure
People in this area have a lot of stores to go to, I don't know of anyone that feels that they have to go to Providence to shop.
@@gemh663 That's what I mean, this Malls good enough so people don't have to. Otherwise if you wanted to hit a large shopping Mall you'd be stuck going to Providence.
@ we also have the Cape Cod Mall. Providence is unnecessary. There are many stores in south eastern Massachusetts. Whether you go to a mall or not.
It helps that UMass Dartmouth is right there too.
This mall had a Discovery Zone in the 90’s was lucky to go there a few times as a kid.
I used to work at that Discovery Zone. I was working the day it closed.
This sort of shocks me because it was a bit sad back in the day. That said, its smaller but 'big enough' and very walkable size, simple layout, lack of other major malls in the area, and decent flagship stores work out in its favor. What seemed too small back in the day is probably just right for a functional suburban mall today.
I move from this area 25 years ago, but I do remember how great Rainoni's pizza was. It was an institution. Nice to see it’s still there.
Oh they have GREAT pizza N Y style
They used to serve us Rainoni’s pizza at Dartmouth public schools. Obviously, we loved those lunches!!
When I was a kid, not only were the floors uneven, but they were CARPETED. And full of cigarette burns - yes I'm that old, you could smoke in there. People would trip and fall all the time.
This mall was always worse than the Silver City Galleria in Taunton when that opened in 1992, but now that mall is closed and somehow the Dartmouth Mall is not only surviving but thriving like never before.
Your are right. Then there was a point where the some stores left Silver City and moved to Dartmouth. Once that happened, Silver City was done.
Dartmouth was constructed perfectly to be a shopping hub surrounding the mall which draws more shoppers. The silver city was kind of out of the way by itself, I attribute poor location for its downfall
The Dartmouth Mall has survived every financial downfall and possible adversity (including the pandemic)...and still stands. Back in the 80's, that was the place to be up until 1993 when the Silver City Galleria in Taunton just up the road. It was dead for years after...but still endured. When Providence Place opened around 1999/2000, it made this place go even darker.
Where Spencers is today, used to be the Rainoni's Pizza shop, the location of the now 'Pandora' and 'LIDS' was a big 'Child World', which was just below the old Woolworth (lower half of the present-day Old Navy). The JC Penney has always been there since my earliest memory, and also the anchor SEARS (before it became Burlington). The Macy's used to be 'AMES' sand before that 'Zayre'. But I was just at this mall a couple days ago...and there was plenty of people in there so it don't seem like it's going anywhere anytime soon.
I grew up with going to the Swansea mall, I was so sad to see it shut down but I am so surprised this one is still up, me and many others from fall river still go to this one
That Newbury Comics used to be FYE. I remember going there to buy concert tickets. The Five Below used to be a Ruby Tuesday which is wild with how different it looks now.
Before FYE it was a Strawberries Records going back to the 80s, which that whole company shuttered in 2006
@@The_Alexandra_B I re when it was record town and different spot
Before the renovation in 2000, the floor was actually carpeted. There also used to be a McDonalds where the Bank 5 is outside on the five below wing. Tilt closed I think 2018-2019. I think what people mean when they say it's "boring" is because there's no food court, and is a lot smaller than other malls.
@yummisoap I've visited the small since the 80s and it wasn't carpeted. Before 2000 it was that tacky gray tile with the occasional cranberry red color tiles scattered about
This is my local Mall. My father was a manager for Sears when it opened. I even ended up working there for my first job. The old 3 theatre movie area was in the same location. Where you said in in your video, this section looks like it could be it, you are right. The kick out that makes you swing right around the AMC area was the newer addition added in the earlier 2000's. I have seen this mall go through many changes over the years. My friend & I play a little game of naming the stores and their locations from years past.
Steve
Awwww that mall holds so many memories for me! My bff in high school would shop at the merry go round almost weekly at this mall. I bought my 8th grade evening dress from there. I worked at a cell one stand there. Used to go to that theater almost every Friday w friends I haven’t seen or heard from in decades. Time is a bitch!!! It’s so true that you don’t realize the greatest parts of your life are just a bunch of small moments you had when you so much younger.
Love the design of the Dartmouth Mall. Would like to visit it.
I'm from New Bedford MA next to Dartmouth. I'm just happy we still have a Mall. Young people need something to do. Also it gives young people people good first jobs. I remember back to the 80s somewhat lol. It has always been a nice place to visit and shop. Love the Pizza from Raoini, just saying it tasted better back in the 80s to 90s. Yeah it's always been uphill down hill. Thanks for showing the Mall. Cool video I just subscribed and looking forward to watching more of your videos.
used to chill here all the time in the 90's its still kickin dream machine 4-life
Remember Captron (Nintendo demos and sales) just outside the JCPenney’s?
I went to UMASS Dartmouth from '14-'18 and I do remember it being pretty dismal. Looks better now for sure
Did you ever wear Sperry Top-Sider Boat shoes ? Makes me want to smell your feet.
This was our playground growing up. I grew up less than a half mile away, well within walking distance. The mall was the center for all high school social life in Dartmouth back in the late seventy's early eighties. This is where everyone would meet to find out where the party was going to be on any Friday or Saturday night or if anything was going on at the N. Years before BJ's, Home Depot and the old Circuit City Plazas were built, we had campgrounds at different locations in those long gone built over woods. During summer vacation from school we would camp out in those woods, get drunk and then wander around the mall until it closed. Then we would go back to camp, hang out by the campfire and drink some more beers. What a different time it was back then. That was a sad day when the bulldozers came to clear those woods for all the new stores.
The Outlet was a big department store on Weybosset Street in downtown Providence. We used to go there for back-to-school shopping in the '60s. They went out of business sometime in the '80s, after which the building burned down. It was sad; the Outlet was a magnificent store.
I also remember going to Dream Machine as a kid before it was Tilt and how the food court used to be on the left. There was a McDonald’s in there at one point. I’ll be devastated if this mall ever meets the same fate as the Galleria in Taunton.
@@The_Alexandra_B me too since 82 to 2000 when here back December of 82
@The_Alexandra_B I remember and duke's bakery gluten free in food court then next to fiesta restaurant Plaza but close too it only I'm fall river now
My parents and I went to a graduation party in Dartmouth, and, ironically enough, I was looking around Dartmouth Mall on Google Maps before we left. To my surprise, where the graduation party was to the mall was walkable to me. I'm looking to visit this mall again, hopefully this year.
Am I the only one that remembers Discovery Zone as a kid in the *NORTH Dartmouth Mall.. I'm born and raised in New Bedford unfortunately I still live here.😂
I was 11 when this mall opened and went to the grand opening. Got a balloon from Kinney Shoes, which is a store long gone. The mall was originally carpeted, but always had hills.
When I saw that you were at the Dartmouth mall before I clicked on, I was wondering if you would notice the uneven floors! It’s been that way forever lol
I know, I was wondering if he was going to say anything about the uneven floors.
I remember when Ames was there.
My friend lived across the street from there. All the High school kids hung out there. They had the "Dream Machine". The area's first dedicated video game/air hockey/pinball arcade. Many quarters were happily dropped there.😅 Great times when Mom went shopping and we got to hang out there. Thanks Mom !!! Macy's isn't where Zayres was. The Macy's was an add on expansion they built.
They tore Zares down, think it was Ames at that time. Built 2 story Macy's in the same spot. I did the finish work there in 2004.
Great video! This is the surviving mall in the area. The Outlet was similar to Macy's. Original store in Providence. That's where I met Tony Conigliaro of the Boston Red Sox. He was a sportscaster for WJAR at the time, which was located on the top floor of the building. He was so handsome and kind. Very sad to lose him so young.
Interesting. Thanks for the info!
Shopping Malls were very oversaturated in the 80s and 90s as many of them have closed or are still in process of closing the ones that are left and are in a decent location will thrive for decades
Burlington & ALDIs are a great addition to the mall. Plus the way they changed their movie theatre. It’s the only one we can go to, we now have to go to fall River for the nearest movie.
Those floors drove me crazy in the late 1970’s when this was a favorite haunt. Hard to believe it has survived while Emerald is failing.
The arcade that’s on the right used to be an even bigger large larger arcade when I was a kid called dream machine. It was awesome and the pizza place has been there forever and it’s wicked famous in the area.
this is my local mall and yeah it’s definitely not dying soon haha!! it’s not as busy as it was when i was a kid but compared to a lot of other places it’s busy
I live in Fall River only two towns over from Darthmouth.. I watched two malls die in my area.. the Swansea Mall in Swansea Ma. and the Harbor Mall in Fall River Ma... this is what happened.. the Swansea and Harbor Malls invited Wallmart to join them which if you look into it, Wallmart will only join a mall with an iron clad contract that when another businesses closes, they get to decide what new business is allowed to move in.... that killed off two malls in my area.. the Dartmouth Mall never had Walmart so they got to keep deciding to allow any new business they wanted.. Walmart is a mall killer..
I live in New Bedford and I go here 2 or 3 times a week, good place to shop.
Dartmouth Mall and Warwick Mall both small malls that have survived the retail apocalypse over the years
Food court came and went...it was always just a few restaurants. Ruby Tuesdays. Friendlys. Buffalo Wild Wings now. But Ranonis, they have been through it all. Moved in 3 different locations as far as I can remember. They supplied the town elementary schools with their once a month "pizza day"
Fall River guy here. Just providing some updates.
Between the time you went and my last visit on Thursday the Native Crafts was gutted, I believe the store closed shop after the holiday season, not sure why. That store used to be a sports clothing store (and I got a US soccer jersey from the 22 World Cup for half off when they had their closing sale); Native Crafts was on the site of the Hyper Zone before moving into that place. Before that, I believe that used to be an Olympia before they went out of business in 2023, either that or where the Shoe Department sits now.
Swan Framing and Gifts is also shuttering, the family that runs that store is retiring so they're having a sale there. As of right now there's two (soon to be three) vacancies at this mall. The other one is next to the King Barber where you entered, that used to be a Santander bank. Compared to other malls in the southern New England area, that's still very good. I'm sure those vacancies will be filled very soon.
Edit: Oh and I forgot about Party City. Make that four vacancies by next month I bet.
Oh man! If this was the weekend you would have caught me in costume at AMC as Sonic! Lol you can spot one of the employees we made a Tiktok with walking by.
Thanks for posting. I’ve lived relatively close to this mall my whole life and it’s always been a good environment and has survived all of the overkill from competition over the decades.. saturation is key to Mall Survivability. 👍 this mall and now the south Coast Plaza in Fall River are the among the only remaining movie theaters in the region. In the 70s, The Dartmouth mall used to include a big department store up the middle called the Outlet which was a two story store which had an escalator and “talking Christmas tree” where you would go and visit Santa. As stated the original anchor store on the opposite side of Sears was Zayres. There was also a very successful 70s eatery which was 50s style soda shop with jukeboxes etc and that might have been the Woolworths The Mall had good book and record stores. .the original theatre was in the same location as the current one. The carpet from the 70s was pulled out during renovations. The hilly mall was due to original golf course.
My first "real" job in MA was back in 1995, at a Christmas shop inside this mall called Christmas By Frank's, which was run by Frank's Nursery and Crafts. Back then, where the Old Navy is now, there was an animatronic dinosaur attraction, and the Christmas store was next door. Ever wonder what dinosaurs roaring to Christmas music would sound like? Also, I worked at the Spencer Gifts from 1997 to 1998. At that time, it was next door to Claire's. The mall in the '90's was different than it is now. Where H&M is now, there was a kid's play place called The Discovery Zone. There also was a Friendly's in the center part of the mall, around where Victoria's Secret is now. Rainoni's used to be where Spencer's is now, and there was a Harley Davidson shop next to it. There was a store called Etco's Follies - the store's owner, Ernie, was a really sweet old guy, and he'd talk to me every time I visited. He moved his store to the Swansea Mall, and I visited him there. He sadly passed away in the early 2000's. I remember another shop called Crafty Coyote, and Hallmark, Payless, and Yankee Candle used to be there too. There was also a small cafe across from where Spencer's is now/where Rainoni's used to be, and I ate there quite often. I'm dissapointed that Tilt/Dream Machine Arcade is no longer, I remember playing Skeeball there and winning enough tickets to get a ceramic unicorn. I guess the bouncy play area near the movie theater isn't there anymore, either. We go there every year to JC Penney to have my daughter's birthday pictures taken at the portrait studio. I like perusing the kiosks of Lady & Gentle. They have a wide variety of anime figures. Thanks for taking up on another one of my recommendations.
They used to have 2 friendlys in the mall back in the day 😅
Hey hey, I live down the street from this mall! It’s a surviver. Burlington was a great addition a few years ago. Also, I go there for my watch repairs.
This has been my local mall my entire life. I'm 38. Back in the late 90's early 2000s this was the place to go as a kid to hang out with your friends. The movie theatre was more than a 3 screen theatre a lot sooner before the switch to AMC. Although it's a helluva lot nicer now. Your assumption was correct though, that side was the original theatre. Rainoni's Pizza is a Dartmouth staple. It used to be on the opposite side of the mall where Spencer's is now. The mall has gone through a ton of changes and its shocking it's still seemingly flourishing. There was definitely a point in time where it seemed it was done for. I don't know if it was bought out and fixed up financially.
There used to be a pet shop where Toy Vault is. Which was great, until it wasn't. My mom got a job there at 1 point and reported it for selling sick and injured animals. Reports of dogs dying days after purchasing etc. Animals vomiting blood in the back rooms and being told to put them out on display anyways etc. Really awful awful stuff.
My grandfather before his passing was a Sears junkie. Everything he ever bought for his home was done through Sears. From underwear to snowblowers lol They also used to have an auto center in a separate building in the parking lot(which has been empty for 20 years and is going to be made into a Chik Fil A soon.)
Woolworth was great because it was split. Half was a diner and the other half was the department store. They sold parakeets and they'd be let loose by kids. So you'd see them throughout the mall flying around chirping.
Ames was a great store. That's where Macy's is now.
The food court is a joke. There's an Auntie Anne's in the center in a kiosk. Also used to be a Starbucks, which they took out for some reason.
There used to be a center area with something that resembled staging. The local radio station would bring in new artists trying to break big before the internet really took off. I remember boy bands being advertised. Also Brooke Hogan had a concert there lol
When you walk in the door from the outside the movie theater was on the right. The mall at one time had a Dunkin Donuts, Friendly's, Orange Julius, Child World, Thom M'can(2), Anderson Little and a few banks.
Yes!! These were the good days!! lol! I miss the old mall!!
That was a lot of the stores that were in Westgate mall in the early 80s
Looks like it's hanging in there quite well! Thanks for the video
It’s right next to UMass Dartmouth. That is why it’s still there and thriving
My great uncle worked at the Outlet Company. There was a talking Christmas tree which was neat as a kid. The original 3 screen Cinema was right before the Macy's like you suggested
Woolworth’s had a lunch & dinner restaurant adjacent to the store. Friendly ice cream and Newport Creamery also served food. Orange Julius was the best kiosk.
I use to go to that mall multiple times a week when i went to school at umass Dartmouth pretty close to campus
As a kid I practically lived at the Dream Machine arcade every weekend. Before Tilt was around and it was right beside the movie theater.
Loved that arcade. Spent many an hour there between classes during college.
Why would anyone go to the mall when you can just order everything from your house, so sad. I miss malls and all the good stores that closed. I miss actually trying on clothes and shoes.
One of the big changes in the mall to me is where that Christmas photo setup there used to be a multikevel fountain of sorts that a lot of coins for thrown in. It was across from jc penny under the skylight
Great Video, the floor is very uneven. The Outlet moved to down near Sears where the Hyper Zone is and remained there for a few years before closing. Woolworths closed in mid 80's. The three screen theatre was right next to Macy's, the building with the small AMC sign about the door. Thanks for highlighting this!
My hometown mall. This brought back a lot of memories, and I’m shocked that it kinda looks great!!
Yes, I’m from the area. I mentioned the mall to you in one of your previous videos. This mall has been open since I was a kid and before that and I’m 38 now and it’s still going strong even still has the original pizza place in it from when I was a kid which is extremely good
I hate those floors. My wife says they were worse in the 90s/00s. Also that Rainonis is the pizza anchor. Been there forever.
I’ve noticed in all the videos I’ve watched so far, you do not mention a mall staple. KB Toys or Circus world. Smaller stores I know but I’m always on the look out for those previous locations. If you could start adding that in somewhere, I’d really enjoy that. Otherwise enjoying your content so far. Thank you
Huh, so that’s where the Newbury Comics (near the former Papa Gino’s) moved to!
Not only a far more sensible location, but always worth a check-in once in awhile to look for some film score deals and suchlike!
Haha the floors, never seen that anywhere. Rarely go there. Used to be a lot of teenagers on a Friday night. I remember going there as a kid with my mom and we’d go for lunch at woolworths .
We used to go in Woolworths to but candy before going to the movie theater, and sometimes for footlong hot dogs!
Gen X'er who spent many quarters at the old Dream Machine arcade ..in the 80's
I bought all my clothes from Merry Go Round and Chess King in the late 80's/ early 90's
Yes, you have to enter Aldi from outside. Payless shoe's used to be where hyper zone is
They used to have a fountain too it was my favorite part growing up and I remember one day I showed up and it was gone
That's probably why its uneven
I remember when I was a kid the Woolworth's closed and they had a dinosaur exhibit in it's place for a bit. Salute to all my 80's babies/90's kids! 🙌💯
Only 3 anchors now - originally there were 7 or 8 Sears. Gladdings, Outlet, Woolworths, Zayre, Cherry's and Anderson Little also a huge Child World which later became Peerless. All those other big stores have been subdivided. There was no food court originally. Eateries were scattered about. Friendlies, Newport Creamery, Orange Julius, a Pizza joint, and of course Woolworth's had a restaurant.
Dream Machine was the first video game place next to the cinemas. Played a lot of pac man there (pong before that)
Woolworths had its lunch counter, Friendly's and Newport Creamery, one was directly across the hall (about where the Claire's is now) the other where the Five Below is now with the interior/exterior access iirc, that spot was for many years a Ruby Tuesday as well, Rainoni's was on the wing corner that is now Spencer's
Wow…a Woolworth’s inside of a mall! I come from Long Island and I grew up seeing them a part of main street or downtown.
@@antonsmith9788 Sure. Everything was downtown once upon a time. Malls killed most downtowns. Woolworth had a very short tenure as a mall store - they went out of business in 1983.
Hi the Dartmouth mall has been around about as long as I've been alive. I can guarantee you it is not going anywhere. It is a vital part of the South Coast community. Though stores have come and gone it has not been for a lack of shoppers at the mall but more so corporations that have gone under . I do miss the days of when I was a kid and we had Woolworth and Hickory farms and Child World and Cherry and Webb Department store. The arcade dream machine. But one store that's been there as long as I can remember is Spencer's. I remember as a kid we were not allowed in the back end of the store cuz that's where all the naughty items were lol. Also yes the floors have always been hills and valleys. It makes it great for indoor walking exercise. We don't trip, we know where every elevation is. My sister worked at The Outlet it was a more upscale department store but Cherry and Webb was the more high end store. One of the other Staples of the Dartmouth mall was an Orange Julius. I moved away in 1987 so I missed a lot of the changes. I live in the area again and I still enjoy just walking up and down the mall. Oh and I almost forgot there used to be a fabulous upscale restaurant called PJ Kelly's. If you're looking at Macy's it was the left hand wall it was dark and fancy with wrought iron lanterns. Also on the other end of the mall on the side hallway there was a high-end kitchen store equivalent to Williams and Sonoma and it was called Habitat.
In the 90s the arcade was called the dream machine good times
I lived in this part of Dartmouth for years. I lived in Dartmouth most of my life. It's a nice mall to go back and visit from time to time, but I'm shocked it's still standing.
Literally last mall I expected to survive. It was on its way out until the renovation and is the mall of my childhood. Still bring my kids there to this day. Also prior to Burlington on your right, Rainoni’s used to have an Italian sit down restaurant.
Yooo, I remember going to this mall a lot with my cousin long time ago in 2019, and I always wanted to find a video of this mall but I can’t really find one, so I’m glad you went to the mall!
Haven’t been to Dartmouth Mall since graduating from UMass-Dartmouth back in 1995/96! It definitely looks better than it did back then! 😊 oh the memories of going to that mall on the weekends and the movie theater…I believe I saw Billy Madison there 😂 …and the theater was indeed in the same area…looks like they just increased the size to accommodate for the additional theaters.
The outlet company was a staple in the Providence Massachusetts area until 1980 when they sold the Namesake store to focus on Broadcasting according to Google
Dartmouth Mall is a good solid mall. It has most major retailers and will be adding new stores in 2025. Great classic mall with many things to offer shoppers
Spent a lot of time there as a teen back in the late 80's early 90's.
Wow. Rainonis used to be by the sears. That place has been at the mall at least since the early 80's.
I remember my mom taking us to eat at Woolworth's in the 70's. Think they left in the 80's.
The floors have always sloped down towards sears.
I'm glad to see the mall is still going strong. Its a shame parents turned them into daycare centers in the 90's. It was one of the reasons I stopped going. Unattended kids causing problems everywhere. It got to the point it wasn't worth going. Too bad. I liked having all the stores in one place and out of the elements.
Wow, can’t believe they even officially called this two vendor area a food court. To me, I don’t even call it a makeshift food court unless it has a cluster of at least three food vendors.
At the Natick Mall, there is a “makeshift” food court near Macy’s that consists of Auntie Anne’s, Milk Shake lovers, and a Bubble Tea, with an additional food vendor selling South Korean food right above on the second floor.
The official Natick Mall food court consists of 9 vendors including Charlie’s steak subs, Monster Wok, McDonald’s, Taco Bell, Thai Kitchen, Sarku Japan, Cajun Cafe, Sbarro, and a Brazilian vendor.
Dartmouth was the 1st mall around. All tried to be bigger and better are gone now. Woolworths was another original anchor with its own restaurant . Sears early on had a restaurant too. PJ kellys was on the left heading into Macys. They had rock bands play there til 2 am with a outside entrance.
I miss the Dream machine. Still have a bundle of tickets from the place
Who used to hang out at the Dream Machine lol?
Compare to malls here in st louis area this mall is doing better than a couple of them here i love ur videos very entertaining and informative
Very well organized
I remember that Woolworth. I wanna say it closed in the early to mid 90's but I could be off. Also the arcade was called the dream machine and it was epic.
This Mall is the most successful Mall in the area. It is still the North Dartmouth Mall. They have expended recently with the movie theater being added, I like to visit it. The Cape Cod Mall has been loosing money, and is going to be closed. It is being turned into mixed usage apartments and retail stores. I like the North Dartmouth Mall personally. The problem with the floor is because of the lot it is built on. The spencers in the North Dartmouth Mall has always been thier as long as I can remember. The pictures shown in the video clip are from the mid to late 80's around Christmas time. I used to visit the Mall back then. The Woolworth store was their until around 1988 or so. It was their when those pictures were taken. Just before they expended the Mall and they expended the movie theater. The 3 screen theater was just around the corner from the old theater. They just made it bigger when they expanded the Mall. Their was a smaller mall entrance behind were they expended the theater.
I still have a collection of tickets and ticket cards from the Dream Machine arcade circa 2004 (before it was Tilt). It was nice and close for the UMD crowd.
Dartmouth has very little to do. It was always either going to the mall or going to Caddyshack when I lived there. That, or hanging out in the previously abandoned parking lot that is now Stop & Shop.
Yep, it’s pretty gross.
Mann’s…
My guess for the floors is that it's following the hill it's on, but to make the entries to the stores even, they exaggerated the "Hills" before, and after the store entrances so you don't trip, ironically..
There was a mall in Boston that was a corkscrew, where it just climbs up a counterclockwise loop over itself, and you'd have the flats where the store openings were, exaggerated "Hills" in between. I think it closed many years ago, and I don't remember what it was called. It was one of those places as a family I was dragged into. The corkscrew layout was the only interesting thing.
There’s a mall in Boston built in a former parking garage (literally called “the garage”) that has stores on the sides of the ramp going up. It’s a neat set up.
@@therealiniles Haven't seen that one.
I spent my weekends walking around this Mall during my early Teens... in the early 90s. When Malls started to close due to online shopping, The Dartmouth Mall out lasted them all. Crazy... RIGHT?