Neonopolis: The (Kind Of) Neon Dead Mall | Retail Archaeology
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- Опубликовано: 24 янв 2020
- In this episode we take a look at Neonopolis, a dead mall in Las Vegas, NV.
This episode's music is from NINENINENINE:
nineninenine.bandcamp.com
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I'm gonna be honest, when I walked down freemont street, i had no idea that area even existed. Thats probably part of why its so dead.
I guess with so much to do, and see in Vegas it's hard to catch people's attention unless you market the hell out of it.
Fremont St. One e.
Me too. I wish I would have known about this place.
Was a local and didn't even know about it.
Sounds to me they need some NEON SIGNS to let people know there's a mall there lol
This looks like it would be a good cyberpunk dystopia setting.
Granted it would be better if all the neon lights were working, then again some of those dead lights still stand out so with the right editing program an amateur film maker might be able to overlay some neon colors over those dead lights.
Then again with that top level so empty I bet you could use it as the set of a movie, that playhouse might be good for interior sets if there's enough space...
@@12Mantis Exactly I was thinking while watching the video, it reminded me of Big Trouble in Little China from some reason.
@@phantommeister7504 A~nd now I'm thinking of that scene towards the end of the movie where most of the bad guys are gathered together to watch their supernatural boss marry the two girls in that stadium like structure which has a bunch of neon lighting.
I love that aesthetic. Let’s make the 2020s one giant cyberpunk decade
@@gigilaco Heh, that comment sounds like the lead-in for a story where a person or a group of people suddenly find themselves in a world that has been warped by some Random Omnipotent Being (ROB) to follow a cyberpunk aesthetic.
Escalators don't break, they magically turn into stairs.
When I walked through this place...probably in 2010...they had the thing as boarded up as could be. A down grade from stairs to...death trap warning.
If you live in the UK, outdoor ones turn into waterfalls! :D
Terrible 'joke', as escalators can kill you if the brakes fail. Escalator brake failures have happened before.
@@SweetBearCub Well, it's fine if nobody's on it when it breaks.
@@DeevDaRabbit I saw one clear out the whole third floor when it brakes failed. That old lady never saw it coming.
Its so dark in that mall. People probably think its closed
7:05 "two bad decisions back-to-back" lol
This place looks awesome, yet sad at the very same time. I think they could replace the neon with LED neon strips that would give near the same look, yet will last many many times longer, and that would really help dress up the place.
Jonny, the owner of The Toy Shack, use to be one of Rick Harrison’s “experts” on Pawn Stars.
Until he beat up his girlfriend.www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/pawn-stars-expert-johnny-jimenez-jr-arrested-for-domestic-violence-20151211/
Did Gold and Silver really stop using Jonny as an expert, on the show Pawn Stars? If so, that's sad to hear. I'll admit I haven't watched the new episodes as much, but if they really stopped using him as a toy expert, that is sad. I always enjoyed seeing him, whenever he made an appearance on Pawn Stars.
@@kenkobra But did he beat his girlfriend? Dosen't really look like it according to the article.
I went here a couple years ago and was also surprised by how empty it is. My friend and I went to The Nerd, did the zipline, and went to the container park. PETA was protesting outside the Heart Attack Grill when we were there lol.
>PETA outside of the Heart Attack Grill
I wonder what would happen if the Heart Attack Grill told PETA that "our meat is killed more humanely than your dogs"?
You think with a name like "Heart Attack Grill" that, in PETA's eyes, would be a problem correcting itself, but then again, this _is_ PETA. Rationality need not apply.
PETA has no leg no leg to stand on protesting. They should instead protest itself.
What is the container park?
@@mysock351C😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊
Hendrix was indeed a superhero.
Thank you, I had to agree.
I love how he panned to it at 4:20 lol
I kinda feel that one reason why this mall is mostly dead is, why would you come here, when you can go to the other awesome place across the street?
It's a vibe
Neither place is awesome.
@@Expressionistix But at least there's two spots across the street to see gigs. Neonopolis used to have a place years ago.
There used to be a movie theater here as well.
@@Expressionistix well I've never been to either. But that other place is packed, there must be something about it
I think the problem is despite being right next to Fremont Street, there's not a lot of reason to leave Fremont Street to come in here. it doesn't look like the good restaurants are buried within, and most of those going to Fremont Street aren't looking for the same sort of shopping experiences that they can get at home. Even worse, a lot of the resort-scale casinos have their own shopping and often boutique shopping, so that further reduces demand for more retail for visitors.
The place might have cool neon if it all worked, but it's not as cool as what's on Fremont Street, and yet it's not different enough to be worth seeing otherwise. It's vestigial in that sense.
You know it’s a dead mall when it has an art gallery...
That is the only Heart Attack Grill left.
With a name like that, and reputation it has I can fully understand why.
Finally, a place I can eat for free
There's only ever been one HAG. It moved to different locations in its history. Three spots in the Valley and then, Vegas.
There was a Heart Attack Grill here in DFW area. However, when it opened, it drew a lot of criticism. It ended up closing in October 2011 due non-payment of rent. Likely, that was because there was so much backlash, that no one wanted to eat there.
@@sonicmoremusic1 , I use to live in Vegas and was about 15 pounds shy of the eat for free mark.
Heart Attack Grill. Karaoke. Bad cheap jewelry store. Two wedding chapels and a dive bar. Wow, how many bad life choices can one mall hold?
So I have lived in Las Vegas my entire life and loved taking my kids to the neonopolis when it opened! It was never very full with tenants but it had a great movie theater there. The city owned the parking below the actual mall and I believe is contracted to care for the facility. I have always been at a loss as to why it has not fared better. But when the movie theater pulled out there was no draw for locals to go there with their families. That’s all I can think of. That and outdoor malls in Las Vegas suffer horribly from the heat in the summer. Any way just wanna day thank u for your content! I love all of the video and interesting commentary! Keep up the good work sir!
Justa Mannn but the best priced parking!!!!
Last time I was there, Nerd was a Drag and Bowling club. Drag queens would perform every 20 minutes on those counters between the lanes
That place was screwed since before it was even built. While under construction, the Mann Theater chain, which was to be the anchor, went out of business. Then the Galaxy theaters moved in but never did any kind of business despite being the only place downtown. Even at that time the second level was mainly empty and the place has yet to pull it's weight to justify the tearing down of an entire city blocks worth of local businesses The bars and the food places are the only things there that really attract people off of Fremont St, but that still isn't saying much.
Totally agree, also like, Krave moved in, but the owner was running the night club without a liquor license, then Krave closed; the Drag Queen bowling moved and went out of business, and now became the Nerd bar.
They hold wrestling events down there once every few months. Mostly during the spring and summer though. The Nerd does good when Fremont street is busy though like for Halloween and New Years and all that.
I was going to mention the movie theater being there also. Couldn’t remember the chain. I think the theater was supposed to be one of the nicer places of the time (back when regular theater houses were just starting to install stadium seating). Even still, the movie theater was never a big draw with locals-why deal with finding and paying for parking downtown to go to a movie, when almost every locals casino had a theater by that point (and free parking). I think that can also explain why locals didn’t really frequent the mall itself-other more accessible and better options in the burbs.
Neonopolis is also a victim of Fremont Street’s reputation. When constructed, the Fremont Street Experience was still relatively new as a redevelopment effort of the city, and this Neonopolis was another effort. By the 90s/early 2000s, more of the new “Vegas” Experience that really drew tourism was all about the Strip, and Fremont Street just was “old Vegas” and had a more “seedy” reputation. The Fremont East District came several years later, and has really come to prominence in the last 5-10 years as a nightlife area-the adjacent Neonopolis wasn’t able to capitalize on the Fremont East rise, and the nearby Container Park later managed to attract the mall-like interest in a more unique development.
George knapp was screaming on ktlv that it was mobbed up i remember...
@@williamshea9799 I remember The Drink and Drag LOL
Shame, looks pretty aesthetic
Of course, it wouldn't be Vegas without Wedding chapels and people getting married
We’re in Vegas this weekend. I’ll check this out tomorrow if not for just the arcade and axe throwing.
Sean Langley post updates when you do it!
Wang Computers it was...ok. We realized we had been there before and it wasn’t super memorable the last time either.
@@splangley lol
Sean Langley hahaha!!!!
That was neat. I really liked the vintage toy store, arcade and bowling alley. I am also a fan of old school pinball .
That’s a lot of neon for early 2000s.
Would love to have a time machine and go back to 2003 to see this place in its heyday...
I actually felt that, regardless of the year when it was opened, the aesthetic is mostly 90's. That was just my impression
@@Rogue849 - Ahhhh yes.. More themed attractions for adults.. Between the gender neutral wedding chapel, the tomahawk throw and the homeless shooting gallery, there's plenty of fun to be had by all.... 😜
@@Rogue849 I got more of a mid 80's to early 90's vibe myself with all the neon. Sad they can't hire a company to go in, and replace all of it with cheaper, and longer lasting LED neon strips that would really help it out ALOT!!
@@CommodoreFan64 ... That's funny, I don't care who you are! LED neon!
arcades in america really does depress me, i look at japanese arcades and i'm like "OH WOW I WANT TO PLAY ALL OF THESE ARCADES ALL NIGHT LONG!!!" but i look at arcades here in the states and i'm like "oh nice, a few arcades i've seen in every mall corners they try to hide from public view"
Yep, and 90 percent of the time when you do find one outside of a decided fun center, or Dave & Busters, it's full of Sugar Loaf crane games, and such just looking to take your money, or at least that's how it is here in my neck of the woods in the southeast.
@@CommodoreFan64 i live in dallas texas, and we have 0 arcades now just toddler cranes and sticker machines
@@mmoarchives2542 I'm on the SC side of the SC/GA Border, and it's the same here unless you go to someplace like Putt Putt Golf, and Games, or Chuck e Cheese with very limited selection, however they are building a Dave & Busters across the river, but I can't stand them as the games mostly suck, the food is crappy, it's all over hyped, and over priced.
@@CommodoreFan64 exactly, i went to japan at age 21, never wanted to leave because i loved the entertainment there, i spent most my 2 weeks just wondering around the arcade blocks, being back here in the states i don't even have incentives to even get out anymore, i just sit at home on my free time playing online games or watching movies digitally, it's hard to get out when there's no where to go, malls are dying, arcades are dead, retail is closing up shops and going online, parks are just homes for the hobos, and clubs is where you go if you want to go to jail or get stabbed
@@mmoarchives2542 In my area we only have 1 fully open mall "Augusta Mall" but it's still not someplace I want to go anymore with prices so dang high, and retail here is being taken over by stores like Walmart, Target, Aldi, Kroger's, ROSS, TJ Maxx, etc.. blah blah bland, so you are right I don't go out unless I'm doing the bi-weekly shopping, or other real needs, as for me, it's a 30 plus minute drive to get too those stores one way. So my free time off work is spent at home gaming, watching movies, pro wrestling, etc.. I don't even go to the movies anymore as for me, my girlfriend, and her daughter by the time we got tickets, and snacks for a single movie that's nearly $40 bucks that can be spent on paying the ISP bill, or other needed things.
4:25 Jimi Hendrix and Weed are superheroes I guess 😁
U OG THTAT RIGHT ..LOL
Holy shit
yeah i just had to re-wind that part I was like wtf? I mean, I guess hendrix and weed ARE superheroes, to some :D
I miss playing Street Fighter in the arcade as a kid. Those were amazing times. Kids today will never know
To answer your Tekken question yes it's still going the lastest one is Tekken 7 which is in season 3
I was checking it out on STEAM last year, and I was like WTF for the price they wanted for a complete package you really need to be dedicated to playing Tekken these days.
That’s nuts, I spent an evening on Fremont street maybe in 2008 (they didn’t have zip lines back then), and had no idea this outdoor mall was within eyesight. Great walkthrough! This was really informative.
This place looks absolutely phenomenal! It has a really nice aesthetic to it
Never even knew it existed. I found Vegas to be the second grossest city I ever visited (Hollywood is #1), but I would definitely check Neonopolis out if I had the chance. It looks very Blade Runner.
if they fix all the Neon, and have more steam coming from the restaurants I would for sure have to agree.
Been to san Francisco lately? Downtown smells like a Porto potty but I havent been to Hollywood in years.
@@brutalbasspro I was thinking more of the junkies and crackheads that seem to infest Hollywood like rats. I haven't been to the bay in over a decade but I don't recall it smelling too bad. Traffic was a nightmare though.
Dude so much public pooping its bad!
Someone else may have commented, but the 3rd floor used to be the movie theater. If I remember correctly it was a fancy one before fancy ones were trendy. Back then there were a lot more shops. If I remember correctly one of the owners had problems paying bills and the AC didn't work, which caused a lot of stores to exit, or just die off. There was a small window when it was a cool vibrant place.
The Toy Shack is owned by "Johnny" , the toy expert on Pawn Stars. I believe the sports memorabilia store is owned by another Pawn Stars expert.
Those are my buddy’s who know everything there is to know about anything.
looks like a good place to get mugged. anywhere off fremont/the strip is vegas gets gnarly FAST
My friend and I visited there last January, mostly because of the parking garage underneath. To this day, she still calls it “that sketchy mall across from Fremont.” The only thing that kept us there longer than we needed to be there was that toy store, which had an unusually large selection of animation production cels. (I bought one with MC Skat Kat from Paula Abdul’s “Opposites Attract” video from there!)
BTW, maybe I’m wrong, but it kinda looks like they’re playing Tekken 7 on the bar TV around 8:35 ...
Thanks for this, Eric. Really enjoyed it, as always.
Always feels like I'm there with you cruisin through a cool place, love your vids dude thank you for everything you do
I wonder if the mall could attract more people if they got all the neon working.
Connor Katz that and more drugs
I miss the days of neon everywhere...restoring old signs is my hobby so I keep my shop loaded up with old commercial neon ...one customer of mine said it right when he first came into my shop: “well, a guy sure couldn’t be depressed in here!”
I LOVE neon light signs!!! I wish they would make a comeback
3:50: "Murica". Lol! That art gallery around minute 6 is pretty random there, I think
9:17 that mural thing from that angle made me think on pinball machines the escalator as a ramp to go on its 2nd "floor" (the ball can be at the same XY coordinates at 2 heights).
Another great video, thanks for the content
“I always thought ET looked kinda creepy.” Thank you!! Glad I am not the only one that feels this way!!
That pizza look so very nice. I love the neon lightning it's so awesome. Unfortunately i haven't been to this Absolutely Fabulous mall as i live in Australia but watching this video it give me some idea what this open air mall looks like at night with the really cool neon signage but the best part of the video was the view from the 3rd floor it's absolutely fantastic. Thank you for up loading this video it's absolutely fantastic.
I love your videos. Plus, you have a good voice for this. Nice job!👍
Great video as always! I love the vibe of this mall, it would be a dope setting for an apocalyptic movie or video game 🎮 📺
Love the neon signage,
Thanks for the tour.
Amazing walk! Loving it! Thanks so much! : )
Great video!! Thanks.
Wow, I did the same visit on Dec 23rd. I also enjoyed walking in this dead mall, and also wondered why it was so empty despite being well located.
Stayed at the Four Queens (which doesn't charge those rip off resort fees).
Eric, from snowy Montréal
I wish you could do a video on the Toy Shack.
But as always great video. Please keep them coming.
Thanks for posting! I've lived in Vegas 16 years and I always pass it, never knew how cool it actually was. The 3rd floor is a cool spot to smoke a joint lol.
There used to be Jillian's which was on the first and second floor. The bowling alley is left over from it and the sign for Heart attack Grill is the old sign. The movie theater was on the second and third ffloor.The ticket booth is or was right in front of Denny's. Was pretty nice when it first opened.
Neon Beauty
Another Great Video, Erik
Being born and raised in Vegas, I remember when this place first opened up. It was exciting at first. It had a Dave and Buster’s, and movie theater. As a local you tend to stay away from Freemont, or the strip for that matter. Yes Freemont is always packed 24/7 but most people walking there aren’t there to shop, or bowl, they’re there to drink and party.
cool vid Yes was there in 2017 but only to toy shack. We looked around on first floor just little only in day time. Love it keep it up.
America has built too many retail space.
So has just about every country. Hong Kong for example.
@@michelleevans5531 Busier cities in the Philippines as well.
Look at the South China Mall and come back to me on that
Well, we're working on that. Some of it's turning into experience space, which is awesome.
I had the Star Trek bridge set and all the mego characters in 73. Best Christmas ever, almost everything was star trek. Even all the models. Yes, it was a blast to play with.
Having lived in Japan nearly half my life now, but growing up in The Bay Area Norther California in the 90s it’s always heartbreaking seeing how mall culture is completely dead back there especially here in Osaka where they are seemingly never ending and never empty until midnight when they shut the metro down. Always a laugh tho for what Americans call ‘arcades’ too 🤣
Great video. I cant believe I was here and missed this
0:48 I’ve been to that Toy Shack store when I was younger. The owner used to be the toy expert on Pawn Stars.
I love your channel not only because we're both in AZ so I recognize places you go to, but you also have vids like this. I love Fremont, been twice within the past 6 months for family trips (my fam + aunt/uncle and cousin, and another cousin). We wanted to go to the Nerd but they didn't let us in because my MOM didn't have her ID with her. So F that place lol. That collectible shop has so many cool model cars, I made myself not spend money because I could get it cheaper online. Also that brewery next to Heart Attack Grill is awesome, a staple of Fremont. Anyways, GREAT vid! I'm missing Vegas and want to go again soon
The 3rd floor reminds me of Westfield Horton Plaza.
Wish I knew this was here when I went to Vegas. Would have been worth it just to see the Tekken cabinet.
You got me with the two bad decisions back to back. That's funny.
Rode a bicycle through here a few times when running through town a decade ago. Felt pretty surreal.
Wow, has this mall revitalized itself. If I even had my footage uploaded, I'd link to it when it was REALLY a dead mall. Talking a broken escalator that went to the only open business and a creaky elevator that seemed to be ready to fail. Back then, it was dead to the world and felt like a hang out for muggers. This is a million times improved, despite the broken lights and equipment, mentioned.
I have been to the area tons, including last month and did not know it was there.
I've went there on my first trip to Vegas just after the mall re-opened and with all of the neon lights working, the place was beautiful. I usually use it as a place to park while I hang at Fremont, but I still like to make regular stops at Toy Shack, almost always something new when I go there and I think the owner appears on Pawn Stars from time to time.
I didn't even know this area existed. Next time I'm on Fremont St, I'm definitely checking it out. Thanks for this vlog. The Nerd looks cool.
Oh,man! I was planning to visit that mall when i visited vegas for a short 3 day vacation. I thought they would have fixed up the lighting and improved it. It's unfortunate that they let this mall become so dilapidated and didn't fix it up. It's a Shame too...Thank you,Retail Archaeology,for showing us the mall. Keep up the awesome work! :)
I remember coming here before the closure in 2010! I just remember the movie theater and food court on the upper levels. I wasn’t old enough to remember where it was or even the name of it, so it’s been driving me insane. It’s kind of sad to see what it’s become, but I do remember getting out of the parking garage being a PAIN.
Definitely going there if my wife and I can get to Vegas one day. Just for the vintage toy store if nothing else. I love going into those types of stores and seeing the toys of my childhood. :)
Love your channel.
Oh I remember you made a live stream on this mall, it looks like a beautiful mall though
(This is Coming from an LV guy) I've been there before many times, that Tekken 6 board ran on the Namco 256 (PS3 Based Arcade System). it was released in 2008. today Tekken 7 runs on a PC based arcade system since 2017 (which ironically you'll see at 8:34 running the PS4 Version.) the arcade had alot of older games before since the last time it was ever renovated. NBCUniversal Still owns the Space of the 3rd floor for KBLR Telemundo 39 since 2009.
I've been there ones a long time ago, I was visiting my aunt who used to live there before she died.
This is one of my favorite lesser known spots on Fremont st. I always hit up the arcade to play the Jurassic Park shooters and world's largest pac man. The vintage toy store on the first floor is rad as well. The narrator is right when he says how dead this area is compared to the rest of Fremont, I dig the lack of tourist congestion here. My other favorite spot on Fremont is the 18th floor of the Plaza, the end of the hotel hallways open up to the outside and you can look out on Las Vegas. It's a cool spot to go at the end of the night to relax an see all the city lights from high up.
When I was last in Vegas in 2016 I wish I would have known more about this place. I do not recall any of this on Fremont but then again it was New Years and everyone was wasted lol.
Great vid!
Oh man, somewhere I had seen a pic of that place and it had much more neon. Sad it's not all working but still cool to see. That shit down Freemont Street is amazing. Also wanted to shout out to Emerald Computers that I see as one of your patrons, Jason there is a cool guy and I love going there to get some older computer parts or machines.
This place is beautiful. The neon is awesome. Gives me a 1980 vibe.
I think the whole attraction towards Neonopolis is if you want to have a more calming experience with a less crowded experience.
That why that place may still be open, a place to wind-down
those arcades were pretty cool, and definitely dug the retro toy store! shame about all that dead neon, though. :(
Ah, when I'm back in Vegas for the Trek Convention at the Rio,I'm checking that toy store out (If it's still there.) I'm fascinated by semi open retail spaces...I'll consider it an away mission!😹
Thanks for sharing!
I've been there a couple of times every time I've been able to visit Vegas. You kinda undersold the toy store because it's the main reason to check the place out, and last time I was there around May 2019 The Nerd pulled off an indie wrestling show in the middle of the place and it was an incredible venue at the foot of the remaining neon lights.
I worked across the street from there frkm March to September and my coworkers and I would go play the arcade once in a while. I also took some pictures from the bridge... I think you missed the collectible sports cards shop, its pretty cool too.
Did you get a change to go to the Primm Fashion Outlet Mall, it's pretty dead too, but very well maintained and they have street art all over the inside of the mall.
Used to come here so much growing up. Downstairs is where Jillian’s used to be, a music venue/arcade. Saw so many shows there but it unfortunately closed in ‘08. I miss it so much. Feel like that really was the start of the decline of local music venues here.
So weird! I remember seeing the toy store but had no idea it was a deal mall! There were no neon lights on when I went over there!
That crust is dope!
I think I might of went there before in 2010. I really don’t remember. My brother was stationed in Las Vegas and we were there to see my niece who had just been born a few week prior. It was also around my birthday. So we walked around and went and saw a show.
This place looks awesome
Wow this is is a nice mall also those neon isosceles triangles screams 80s vibes
I really miss mall shopping in the 90s
That Denny's is the best Denny's Ive been to(3 times). Ive never had to wait and the food comes out rather quickly and its clean and affordable.
It was so weird looking at this video since Iv lived in Vegas all of my life and didn’t even know it was a mall and to make it even weirder I work on the Zipline so seeing my co workers on camera was so trippy at 1:55 (cool guys btw) anyways Thxs for the new info I might check it out when I go on break next time great video btw 💕
I remember there used to be a movie theatre on the third floor, saw Wall-E there when it first came out, then came back many years later to find out its not there anymore.
It has changed a ton since it originally opened. It had a movie theater and a La Salsa Cantina at one point, and also I think a pretty popular bar. I lived across the street in 2018 and it was pretty much always dead, except the Denny's full of people after the've been drinking and The Nerd and the axe place sometimes on weekends.
Looks like a place I would love to visit.
I was just there last month and it is very easy to miss. The only reason I even realized it was there was because my dad (who goes to Vegas a lot to see friends) suggested it. Didn't even realize it was supposed to be neon-themed (probably because everything in Vegas is neon), nor that it was supposed to be a mall.
That mall has always been dead. I saw the movie "Narc" in 2002 at that mall when the movie theater was open. One problem I remember and experienced: There was always a strong "sewer smell" that was a problem for quite a while. That may have kept people away.
I want that air hockey table for my garage!!! Our arcade that used to be in our mall had the same one. I looked into buying a used one but they run like 3-5k