New Year's Eve at Crystal Mall: A Shockingly Dead Mall! Waterford, Connecticut. 2023 Update!
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 2 янв 2024
- Join me once again as I take a look at Crystal Mall in Waterford, Connecticut. I last visited this mall in September 2022 and it was pretty dead then, but it's so much worse now!
Let me know what you think about this mall in the comments!
This video was filmed in New Year's Eve, December 31, 2023 at about 12:30pm to 1:00pm.
If you liked this video, please don't forget to give me a thumbs up, leave a comment and subscribe to my channel. I plan to have more dead mall videos in the future. Thanks for watching!
Source of information:
www.flickr.com/photos/jjbers/...
thecaldorrainbow.blogspot.com...
www.flickr.com/photos/thecald...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crystal...)
bestattractions.org/usa/conne...
patch.com/connecticut/waterfo...
www.ctinsider.com/business/ar...
www.ctinsider.com/business/ar...
#deadmall #deadmalls #mall #connecticut #waterford #shoppingmall #shoppingmalls #retail #nostalgia #malls #mallshopping #fleabittenadventures #namdar
I was there yesterday....... JC Penny closes for good in 11 days. Nothing but fixtures for sale on the first floor. Second has what little merchandise they have left for sale...... No food court offerings if I remember correctly.... 90% of the open stores in this vid are closed now.
I hate seeing dead malls... They were such a big deal when we were kids in the 70's, 80's and 90's... The music, the food court, the escalators, the neon lights (mainly from the not renovated 80's malls, if there are any left...)... everything is so nostalgic !!
Facts. I loved the mall as a kid. 😥
I went there yesterday and this video already looks obsolete compared to what it's like today. JC Penny the last Anchor Store closed, the Rue 21 was on its final day so that's now closed. Only 2 restaurants in the food court remain now the Chinese and Japanese ones. Seems just a matter of time now
@@BigRedSoxFan is the Prowess Gaming Store still there?
@@AndrewPotate TBH I'm not sure.
When my now deceased husband and I lived in Ledyard Connecticut. I remember the opening. The chandelier was made in Waterford Ireland in the Waterford Crystal factory for that mall
I knew a movie theater that had two elaborate chandeliers in it. Employees would have to lower them once a year to clean them.
There was an article about the chandelier in the Hartford Courant when it was installed. Waterford Ireland? You're probably right. I thought it was the U.K. but I get the details mixed up all the time.
Huh. I never knew why it was called the Crystal Mall. Interesting.
Where are the chandeliers now?
Malls are nostalgic. The reality was.. you parked a half mile away, walked several miles on your visit..and the rent for the stores was insanely high. Now you can get everything online in a few minutes, have it delivered in a couple days and you’re good to go. And the land is way too valuable to be sitting empty. It was great place for us teenagers in the 80s, though.
Malls really are a time capsule. Most of em are still stuck in the 80s and 90s
@@tubby_1278 The Retro Decade Revival Project is gonna bring dead malls back to life.
JC Penny's is only in business because a major mall owner bought them to fill space and make their malls look busy!
The Retro Decade Revival Project is gonna turn the tables around for the better.
Greek, Roman, Medieval are extremely nostalgic. The reality was.... you and me know.... but you and me LOVE to live in a town like this TODAY. ruclips.net/video/-Q_RnUT7rL8/видео.html... so be friendly to your ancestors and don't destroy things you don't like just now... maybe they will have got another opinion/wisdom.....
I remember Crystal Mall being dead when I was in high school, like 2005 lol
My father taught at the United States Coast Guard Academy in New London ( next town over ) in the 80s .
I actually remember this mall being built and its grand opening. Let me tell you it was a huge event. For a couple years, this mall with a huge part of my life.
I haven’t been to Connecticut in over 30 years now .
Just a few days ago, this mall came to mind .
Thanks for posting this, and it’s sad to see a huge part of my childhood and adolescent years dying
I long to say I haven't been to CT for 30 years!
I grew up in Connecticut, and got dragged to the crystal mall at least two dozen times growing up. It always ended with two slices of pizza and a soda at Sabbaros. Then a pretzel from the stall just outside the food court. It’s hard to see it like this now. Harder to think it might be gone for good soon. Malls were, something I didn’t appreciate until I got older. But now it’s too late.
I grew up there. It was the original chandelier. It was beautiful at some point. It so sad to see this now. I have not been there in 20 years.
It’s always a bummer to see this.
Really sad.
That chandelier is made by Waterford crystal, somewhat fitting because it's located in a mall in Waterford CT.
I went there yesterday and spent $17,000
Waterford, Ireland
@@junkboxxxxxx yes 😄 But I remember a friend and I back in the day pondering about the "Waterford" Crystal chandelier. We wondered if there was some deliberate choice to get a Waterford Crystal into the "Crystal" Mall in Waterford, CT.
@@SSNESS 17.000$ in a dead mall. For what bro?
@@AndrewPotate Potatoes 🥔
What a huge retail wasteland. Who knew shopping malls would come and go in our lifetime (for those of us born in the 60’s, 70’s, 80’s). So their existence was quite short in the overall scheme of things…The future of these places is bleak. Malls are dying a slow painful death. So instead of going out and about and being around others people are cooped up in their homes, using social media, buying online, getting increasingly obese?! Sad.
I hate what is happening in this world. People don't want to walk and interact with people.
Huge malls like this should be repurposed into communities. The units on the upper floors could be made into housing. The units on the ground floor made into essential services like a crèche, and satellite doctor and dentist offices. Also a small selection of essential outlets like food stores etc. Something like this could become a viable village. Alternatively, a retired person's village where the residents could feel safe because the entrances would be keypad only. An assistance service could be offered for residents who need help. I could see this being a wonderful older persons village.
That’s a great idea. I’d like to live in a place like that.
Zoning for areas is either commercial or residential. Malls are in commercial zones. There's more to it than simply moving into a mall. If that was the case, the employees would've lived above the mall on the 3rd floor when the mall was packed. But people aren't allowed to have permanent residence on a commercial property.
JC Penny's is only in business because a major mall owner bought them to fill space and make their malls look busy!
A creche? Are you a gith'yanki?
I actually brought my kids to see Santa at this mall a couple weeks ago. They're so young they still enjoyed the visit without noticing the flaws.
While we were there however, the Buffalo Wildwings had a busted septic system, and literally the entire mall smelled like sewage. If it weren't for the fact that we reserved our spot for Santa ahead of time, I would've walked out immediately. Sadly, the experience truly signified that this was undoubtedly the end of an era.
The only other thing that still draws me here on occasion is the fact that FYE sells 4K bluray discs and has some deals from time to time. Otherwise, I don't think I would set foot in this mall again. Very sad.
Omg this is terrible I grew up in Norwich Connecticut in the 1980s we shopped there every weekend, this is not the Crystal Mall I remember, Sad 😢 the mall was so nicely decorated for Christmas, I hate the way things are nowadays
Sad seeing this place so empty. This was my college mall back in the 80s. Last time I visited was about 2017, and it showed stress then.
I worked for Sears on three separate occasions. For the third time, I was hired into middle management. Little did I know at the time 12 years ago, was how much financial trouble Sears was in, and how dysfunctional the work environment had become. The last two weeks before I resigned in disgrace, I cried every night as I drove home. Legacy department stores are dying out, and their level of dysfunction is ramping up in comparison. Maybe it's just time to say goodbye to all of it...
Greed and control do not make for long term success and positive growth; let alone happiness! I don’t know why people can’t understand that? Yeah, if that’s all you are about, you might as well just give it up.
@@brianandrews7099 Precisely. I had great experiences working at Sears in the 80s and 90s; the pre-Eddie Lampert days. He still has his billions, and Sears is down to 13 stores, the last time I checked.
So Sad! I remember the Grand opening, the holiday seasons struggling to find a parking space, Having to follow a shopper loaded with goods to their car to wait for their space. I remember the devastation to the City of New London when first the New London Shopping Center and New London Mall. with the Outlet store taking all their shoppers. Then Crystal Mall with the new Sears took all the business from the smaller less convenient stores.
It is a terrible story of retail sales. I look at the Crystal Mall as once a growing and beautiful rose bush. Bright and plentiful flowers supported by strong and vibrant roots, leaves, and stems. Now everything is in distress, no water, stores closing, no food, shoppers to support the growth. Stores closing like flowers dead on the vine, leaves falling, rose pedals dropping to the soil. The exterior is covered on mold and moss. Moisture is allowed to penetrate the unsealed masonry. The end is near. How can the mall afford to heat the building now and cool it in the summer with no customers. Memories and this great documentary will be all we have left. Memories of opening day, with the officials from Waterford Ireland attending, proud of their Waterford Crystal Chandelier, I wonder who will be the next owner of the beautiful piece.
I have worked at this mall since it opened in 1984 and still do! 😮Hoping we can hang on a little longer🙏
How many stores are open
Incredible! I'm sure you have many stories. Best wishes.
@@Greencloud8 I will have to count sometime. Not many. Maybe 35% still open🤷🏻♀️
@@thefreestylefrEaKthank you
is there still a card shop in there for like magic and yugioh and Pokémon card games like that
Once I waited for someone to leave a parking spot because it was so absolutely full of cars, and after waiting a few minutes for someone just leaving, someone else just showed up and zoomed into my spot because the leaving car was still in my way. That was over 30 years ago. I've never been back.
Another reason why I hate going to modern day busy malls.
It looks like a ghost town inside the mall
The town is between NYC and Boston. Really in the middle of nowhere. Economically middle class so retail must be a struggle.
Happy New Year ! Sad that we are losing are malls.
Thanks! You too! That's why I'm filming as many malls as possible. I don't think I'm going to get to them all though....
Back in the 90s I used to hang out at that mall as teenagers I miss that mall😢
I went there once in about 1995 or so and it was so much busier! It feels like a different mall now.
I’m pretty sure they could demolish all these malls to the ground and those Charley’s Cheesesteak restaurants will still keep operating right where they are
YUP
A day or two after this video was shot, Charlie’s cheesesteak also closed down and it’s gone from the Crystal Mall
Funny you say that, cuz Charley’s just closed at this mall not too long ago
Nice video Tom,if Namdar have got hold of this mall, I don’t feel confident for it’s future, it looked in real rough shape on the outside. A very happy new year to you and your family 😊👍🏻
Thanks! You too!
It seems most traditional malls are on their way to failure with some exceptions. I live in CT and I have noticed The Westbrook Outlet really took a turn for the worst over the past 10 years while Clinton Crossing is doing very well. Had to go up there for back to school shopping for my kids and it was quite the contrast between those two outlets. Consolidation of brands in one place and online retail (this is the main culprit of course) are probably the two biggest reasons for the malls slowly dying. They are a far cry from my childhood in the 90s and I have come across other walk-throughs on here for malls I remember from my childhood and it's mind blowing in just how bad shape they are.
i had great times in that Mall...i know sears is opening again in some spots!we need to bring that Mall back...we can do it!
Oh wow. The last time I was at Crystal mall was in the mid 80s, as a teen. We'd drive up from RI occasionally just to get the cheese fries. 🤭 Blast from the past.
When I was a teenager / early 20's I used to work at The Crystal Mall, and also part time at Home Depot next door. Lot of great memories in that mall. Now I show up frequently to check out Toy Vault and get some cheap Sarku.
10 years ago I read that 1/3 of all retail stores would be gone. It came true and then some!
10 years ago while in Daytona Beach, I was at Volusia Mall and the mall was busy with all the foot traffic, crowded parking lots, and about 90% of the stores were occupied. Today, that mall is dying as about almost half of the spaces are vacant, the food court is basically dead, and some sections of the mall don’t have their lights on.
I miss malls
I don't.
Been coming here since i was a wee lad, used to get dropped off with friends for a few hours on the weekends to hang out, a lotta memories there, sad its going to be gone soon 😐
To make the malls vibrant again, they should only offer select items on line but the real deal is in the stores. That will get people back to the mall. Great places to visit especially around Christmas. Unfortunately that’s not the case and it’s probably too late to resurrect 80% of the malls. Too bad tho
This one hurts, my fondest memories are coming here as a kid.
Love it when you get the candy lol!
It tastes good at the time, but I always end up feeling ill afterwards...
love the bourbon chicken in the last food court stand...wow it is good folks!...try it for sure!
Just the old school sign on the road is wow!
That sign for the mall is actually the newer version put in around 2016 I think. You should've seen the old one that was the original one from 1984.
Kohan, Namdar, and Moonbeam. The trifecta of mall death
Our mall doesn’t even have a JCP any more:(
And it looks as run down and unmaintained. Dead trees , shrubs, trash. Not pretty. Someone dumped a huge trailer in the macys parking lot.
Our mall doesn't even have a See's candy. It not a mall with out one.
Watched this last night and you mentioned the last time you visited this mall was Sept.2022. So I watched the Sept 2022 one for this mall and noticed how much more light was there back then due to more ‘life.’ The mall now seems so empty, deserted, and dark. The owner was the owner of Steeplegate Mall in Concord NH. Guess what? They were bought out by an another company and they are going to demolish the mall except for JC Penny, Zoo gym, and Alpine bouncing park. They are going to build apartments, and a Costco. I think this mall will go through the same in the next few years. A definite foreshadow!
BTW- my son and I went to the Mall of NH this afternoon and he wanted to get some candy like you do in your videos! So awesome! 😊👍
Ha ha! I hope his candy wasn't stale like the stuff I usually get!
solid video thank you.
Glad you liked it! Thanks!
Bed bath and beyond had great stuff but another chain poorly run.
There’s an almost completely vacant mall near me that was recently sold (the Sunrise Mall in Massapequa, New York). I wonder what value the new owner sees in it.
At least Toy Vault's still there.
Spencer's and Hot Topic right next to each other!
Cool beans! How interesting 🤔
Woah! I'm actually impressed that the WOW arcade had Dance Dance Revolution in there. Just about every arcade I've been to either only has Step Mania X or Pump It Up, which don't quiet tickle the nostalgia the same way as DDR. Or they have a DDR machine that isn't working. It's definitely not a classic game, the way Pac-Man or Space Invaders are, but as a game whos original release is 25 years old now its been getting rarer and rarer for me to see it in arcades anymore.
Only been TWICE, once was just shortly after it opened in March of 1985, the last time I was here was sometime around 1987
Crystal Mall's chandelier is 100 percent real Waterford crystal. the chandelier was purchased for $30,000 in 1985, or approximately $60,000 today. While no one would make an assessment on the chandelier without reviewing it, price comparisons suggest it is worth far more than that.
I'll bet it's worth way more than $60,000!
It's such ashamed it's so awlful about these malls they are just going down like this 😢😮😅
Failing malls are depressing!
Gotta love the advancement of the internet and buying at home..we all did malls back then and we were all smaller people as well….now dead malls , and people sitt8ng on their asses at home weighing 300lbs..due to inactivity…used to hafta leave the house when things needed to be done -shopping ,pay8ng bills, eating a lunch /dinner ..now people buy everything on amazon and order on Uber eats..lazy.
@@toddprater14Exactly! I made a similar comment. People went out and about because they HAD to…
About as dead as the Fox Run Mall in Newington NH. Just a matter of time.
This mall is worse if you ask me!!! But yes I can see a resemblance.
I wonder if Namdar owning the mall will lead Simon to close this JCP location so they can focus on the locations where they also own the mall? Why help the competition survive?
JC Penny stores inside of Simon Properties sure could use a lot of updates. Lol I used to have a few restaurants inside Simon malls, most of their JC Penny stores were in rough condition, some didn’t even have A/C in the summertime.
While I am happy to see the 3 major mom/pop stores open (Toy Vault, Ice Emperium, This & That antiques) it saddens me to see all the MAJOR retailers that have bolted in the past 2 years. This mall looked rough then but to lose BBB, CTS, Old Navy AND H&M….and then to see the way this mall is in disrepair 🥺😩😥
JC Penney won’t close anytime soon because it’s keeping the mall open. They let it suffer. I await to see what another 1-2 years wlll bring before they finally decide to pull the plug on most/all of the building 😓😭
what about the game store that's a mom and pop store too cuz its only one loacation. so theres 4 major mom and pop stores in the mall not 3
That was THE place to shop back in the day. Stores like "Wild Bills", "Wilson's Leather".. The food court had some really cool different brands that always had something tasty.
So why is it dead now?
ME.
I don't want to drive anywhere to shop. I can get anything I want ordering it online and never having to put on pants. I go to maybe one or two physical clothing stores maybe once or twice a year.
That Chandalier is real waterford crystal from Waterford in the U.K. It's gross. Needs a wash.
Looks like I need to make a "Goodbye" visit the next time I'm in CT.
I’ve done the Deal or No Deal before. Pretty fun game and the ticket amounts are pretty reasonable too.
You can thank E-commerce and online shopping what’s happening now is just going to get worse
Another one of 2023 but watching this video in 2024 Happy New Year!
Meriden Mall was still relatively popular when I was growing up (late 2000s - 2010s). Going back now, it's just depressing. Pretty much half the storefronts are all gone, and the food court has like 2 restaurants. I still go whenever I can because I support local malls.
There used to be a huge staircase at the front of the BedBath. Also, it's gated off now, but you could take a quick left inside BedBath and there were escalators and an elevator so it wasn't as bad of a walk until CTS shut
I used to go to the Crystal Mall often when I was stationed at the Sub Base from 89-91. I have some great memories. The last time I was there was in 2006, and I thought it was pretty dead then compared to what it used to be.
Noon on a Sunday on Nee Years Eve, no wonder it’s dead. Go back on a Saturday in November
You're assuming it will still be there next November.
I wish I didn't agree...@@fleabittenadventures
I like how it's not all voiceover and you get some live audio commentary
I'll try to do more live commentary. It's difficult though especially if a mall is very busy.
There's something so sad and eerie about a mall this dead. So many memories were made, so many emotions were experienced in that space. That's life, but it's sad and lonely nonetheless.
You missed it by one day but my wife and I visited on the 1st of January and Charley's Philly Steak in food court was closed and being gutted. Menu board blank, register being pulled, order monitors being taken down. I talked to the main guy (owner?) and he said the crew all able to keep their jobs but moved to new location. He shrugged his shoulders and said there just was not enough business left there at Crystal.
I saw that! I can't believe they closed literally the next day!
In my area here in Oregon, we have 3 "malls". One of them is the classic mall with most of the store entrances inside the mall, like the one in the video. A lot of people 'walk' the mall, some use the food court, but not very many people are seen in the stores within the mall. The other 2 malls have all the store entrances on the outside. Those malls seem to be doing very well.
My friends and I still go to the crystal mall every week and sit outside the toy vault playing different TCGs like Magic or Yugioh, it's such a shame that so much of the food court is closed down now, but it's still a good time every Saturday
i remember how much of an event it was to go to the Crystal Mall as a kid in the early 90s. used to love KB Toys the most. My folks would often take me across the street to the Toys R Us that used to be there as well. in 2024, i just go to the mall when i have a Buffalo Wild Wings craving, then pop into FYE to look around. Not much else is there anymore
About the only thing missing during that drive-by at the end was Taps playing in the background.
I'm originally from Mystic but when this mall was built I was gone, having been in the Navy almost 10 years by then. On a visit home my friends cautioned me about going to Crystal Mall because people were being robbed of their purchases in the parking lot. It's common now but was a bit of a shock to me at the time.
Like a number of the commenters here, I never did return to CT except for a few visits while my folks were still around.
Thanks for posting this walk-through. Though depressing it's still nostalgic. Cheers!
My hometown mall. I have a lot of memories here. It's still a shame to me to see how far it has fallen.
It looks like a nice size mall, just really empty...😔
Does Al Bundy still work there?
We have lost a great many malls in this area, and they have been replaced by many who are more of an outlet experience, and online shopping. In fact, we have lost two malls in the past few months, the Boulevard Mall and the Eastern Hills Mall.
I remember going to this mall a ton as a kid when I was growing up, its such a shame to see it like this.
Thank you for pointing out the arcade, I have seen an arcade in my community for twenty years. Home, console, game machines and the Internet have permanently put down arcades across America.
Wow, an FYE? How can they possibly still be open? Haven’t seen one in years!
Yeah, there are a few left in Connecticut.
no wonder with their prices, one in Newington fox run is closing as well no surprise really
I was just at this mall yesterday (a depressing experience) and JC Penny IS, in fact, closing. Very sad, I've been going to this mall since it opened. A huge part of my childhood.
Well you were right about the jcpenny closing it closed rhis week i think.
Tragic and nostalgic. Lots of memories back in 2010.
A few things form someone who grew up here, first the button on that elevator is directly next to the door, like on the frame, but you can go down. Also the state of the place is really bad, but going through there and shoping can be fun if you know where to look. Bc the rent there is so cheap now there are a few hidden gems among the vacant strore frunts lol
Damn. I used to love coming here as a kid. Waiting in line at EB games for a midnight release. Santa Claus pictures. Hell they even passed out candy on Halloween.
What was lost in my mall, here in California, includes Sears, Kmart, JCPenney, Mervin's, Radio Shack, B. Dalton Bookseller, Waldenbooks, Target, Toys'R'Us, the computer game store, and a few other businesses. The 21st century has been hurting retail businesses and malls, in the United States, in a serious way. Walmart (that is not in a mall) has been doing great, they opened up three, brand-new, full-size franchises in my community and surrounding it.
Not sure if you figured it out by now, that glass elevator does in fact work and you do not need a key for it. The call button is on the side of the door as opposed to the front. Just a little note for next time, if there is one.
Really? I did not know that. I'll try it the next time I'm there. Thanks!
Wok Express and Sarku Japan have been in that food court since the 90's when I was a kid. In between them was a Sabaro Pizza.
JC Penney releases limited financial information now that it's a private company post-bailout, but as best can be determined it's in mediocre condition, and that's being very charitable, but it's probably in little immediate danger of failing.
Whenever I go into a JC Penney it’s super dead. I worry about them.
@@ckrtom2, the one in my city never has any staff and the store looks so disorganized. Hell, they can’t even afford to fix their a/c so people always complain about it when it gets hot.
This mall is just massive. I wonder, I assume that Christmas tree shop ran seasonally during its run, or any idea if they had it operating year round? Thank you again for all these mall walk thrus!
It was open year-round. Christmas tree shop wasn’t just Christmas decorations, they sold everything. Every Christmas Tree Shop closed just a couple months ago.
@@srccar Oh, cool! So, it was sort of a one stop shop for a bit of everything, then? It's a shame they've all closed. Appreciate the info. Thank you.
@@LeighDickeyTVyes besides meat. You couldn’t buy meat products more like junk food products only
@@TheRealDee96 Oh, okay. So, almost like a giant convenience store? Appreciate the info. Thank you.
Christmas Tree Shops used to have a lot of deep discounted stuff, but as they grew, and expanded, they had a lot of items made for their company. They sold furniture, garden decor, makeup, food stuffs, giftware, dishes etc. They still had discounted Pfaltzgraff dishware, that was interesting...
Namdar owns both of the malls in my hometown, as well. They're both pretty empty. But here's the thing: the slightly less dead Mall is near one of the three regent Universities in my state, and a lot of students live right behind it, and the other mall is practically right next door to a casino, water park, and amusement park. We could support these malls if they had more interested owners.
This n' That is still worth going to. It's the mall's only saving grace.
Yikes. JCPenney and Macy's are not doing too hot but JCPenney is probably worse of the two. Still seeing the fixtures in BBB is a real bad sign for the future of the mall.
Simon mall has ownership which should help them stay open. JC Penney.
If it’s anything like the mall in my area, nearly every store that closed down built a new location within a few blocks. Very poor planning on the cities part.
Shopping malls started out as a parking problem in downtown shopping districts of the suburban US..
Reminds me of Puente Hills Mall in City of Industry, California
If I ever get out to CA, I'll have to check it out.
All the ramps, and stairs. Can't tell this was built on a hill at all, huh? :)
From what I heard, all existing JCPenney stores are supposed to get a facelift, blocks of them in intervals, wrapping up a few years from now. I guess we'll see if that changes, or if the axes will fall once the work is done.
Sad
Sure, malls are dying but just to put it out there: I don't think New Year's Eve is traditionally a big shopping day in the retail world. Sunday morning is also a traditionally slow time.
I go to East Side Games there on about a monthly basis and it is so depressing seeing more stores in there close down every time I walk through
Looks almost like the Pheasant Lane Mall in Nashua NH.
Yes, the layout is similar
Atleast we don’t have mean tweets! Good job maskers!
Dead malls are so sad, where I live the only store left open in the whole mall is bath and body works, I dont see them lasting into next month 😢
Was here 5 days before Christmas and it was basically empty. They had poor Santa parked next to a broken escalator and a closed down store.
Enfield Square mall has also just lost Cinemark, Now the only anchor is Target.
Yes, I actually did a recent video on the Cinemark at Enfield Square.