I live in Glen Burnie Md,...and just a couple of observations.1) the area became over-saturated with Annapolis and Columbia Mall not too far away siphoning some business.2)the opening of the massive Arundel Mills/Maryland Live Casino/Movie theater complex just a few miles away was too much competition for Marley Station. Though this mall is dead the area is still relatively prosperous and the consumer has just moved their money 15 minutes down the BW Parkway.
When they built MS I think Harundale was still enclosed; Hutzler's was across the street; Murphy's Mart, Jumpers Hole and Severna Park Malls were just south; Glen Burnie mall a bit north; Annapolis and Columbia bit further out. Yeah we had a lot choices.
Thats crazy. I just bought a house in Glen Burnie June of 2022 and the first thing I noticed was how dead the mall was. The Golds is active. One thing I do like about the mall is when I want to watch a movie. I sometimes use there theater cause one one it's cheap like 8 dollars and the theater won't be crowded.
Born and raised in the area I was at this mall the first day it open. I seen a lot of changes over the years but one thing that remains the same and still going strong is Ann’s.
Gold's Gym didn't come to the mall until like the late 2000's. They converted a bunch of smaller store spaces to make it. I worked at the movie theater from 2001-2012. This mall had a strong pulse for most of the time I was there, but I know it has been on life support for a long time and it's so sad to see it like this now.
I grew up with this mall... I went there at least once a week in my childhood. It has been slowly declining until 2020. before 202 most of the shops were still filled/active, but once covid hit, it all just fell. its super depressing and sad to see all the shops just gone and/or dead. There used to be some really cool stuff; like i vaguely remember a neon mini golf place? There used to be a Hollister, Victoria's secret, American eagle, "as seen on tv", jewelry stores, etc. There was a Justice there too I didn't even realize was closed till it was shown in this video hahaha... thats where I got like all my clothes as a kid LO. This was such a fun video to watch because a lot of these stores I recognize like "oh that used to be ___!". This is a really cool video, thank you!
Born and raised in the area, was there on opening day, spent a large amount of the 80's - 90s here so I can provide some additional info: The initial bit about Marley struggling from the outset is flat out wrong. The mall was massively popular and constantly full, and even managed to kill the other malls around it (Glen Burnie Mall, Harundale Mall, Farmer's Market) until Arundel Mills came along and effectively killed it slowly as time went on and consumers drifted over to Arundel Mills. The entrance you walked into is actually probably the least used entrance in the entire mall (even in its heyday). The middle court area had the most extravagant 'Pictures with Santa' area at the time, with people spending hours to get a pic. The end of the mall that gave you the weird vibe was also the first section to really die out and has been empty the longest. Most of the existing stores huddled towards the center of the mall. China Bowl has actually been there since the opening of the mall and it has surprisingly good food! I suspect it will be the last thing to go, it's been there from the beginning. I don't think Sbarro was there at the beginning, but it definitely came early (late 80's early 90s) Central court area was a huge hangout for the kids in the 90s-2000s (before iphones). This mall was a pillar of the late 80s/early 90s and was the go to place for all of the kids in the area. Always sad to see time march on and see once great things crumble to dust.
This is awesome and super insightful, thanks so much! That’s really interesting that you’re saying the mall was really popular at first (that makes me happy to hear!). Numerous articles I found, even from around the time of the mall’s opening, presented the mall as having issues from day one due to various planning/building/store make-up reasons. I ended up cutting out a lot of additional detail I found for the opening bit cause I was rambling too much as it was. I read that the mall was delayed almost 5 years from its original planned open date and that the builders had wanted to get in on the area while it was still growing so the mall could grow with the area, but that by the time it did finally open, the area was already well established resulting in management missing a large opportunity to ingrain itself in the community while it was developing. Similarly the full plot of land all the way out to route 2 couldn’t be purchased, resulting in the house (that was recently demolished) and the hot dog stand blocking a lot of the visibility from the road. Same with the plot of land near the back of the mall. Issues with getting access to that caused the mall to need to be built in it’s more unusual and inefficient shape. Also with the mix of stores offered trying to both get the local blue collar citizens while also trying to pull rich people towards the mall and away from other retail areas. That’s really good to hear that I was wrong and that there was at least an initial burst of energy for the first couple of years around the place when it first opened!
@@michaelmagnus9 This! The outcry from the locals when the mall started it intended to test down the stand was enormous and loud. So loud it got the developer to change their tune, and state how happy they were too have such a well loved landmark like Ann's.
Spent so much time here as a kid, this video gives me so much nostalgia. Thanks for posting! I’ve since moved and haven’t been here in years, was wondering how it’s looking these days
Great channel. I’m from Glen Burnie. I loved this mall when it first opened, but like you said once Arundel Mills Mall opened it has been in a steady decline. Back in the day it was so much fun to bring my kids here to play and shop.
This place was hopping until around the time Arundel Mills was open. A lot of us teens hung out there too. The gym was not originally there. if memory serves correct I I think it was a whole bunch of little stores and then they converted it to a gym within the last 20 years. I take my girls to bath and body works now and every time I go in my heart sinks a little bit. It's like your childhood memories going down the drain... especially at Christmas
Damn right Christmas was awesome there , I used to work at sears in 96 when I went to high school, we would get sent to Macys and JCpenny’s to help wrap Christmas presents both stores had a gift wrapping service and they would use sears stock boys for help . Best job for a kid 👍
The Holiday Train Garden is actually a display. The owner of the space collects model trains and makes an elaborate Christmas village. It’s only open during the month of December to the public. The space used to be a Friendlys according to my dad. You can still see the remnants inside such as the wallpaper and a few of the dining chairs. I believe the kitchen space is still there but empty. If you are ever in the area during the holiday season, I’d check it out. Cool display (I think it’s free) plus it’s a chance to go inside of a practically unchanged Mall Friendlys. Also… the auntie Anne’s closed?? I was just there a little less than a year ago :(
A bunch of members of a church I belong to operate the garden and it's open from Thanksgiving to I believe the first weekend in January. Definitely stop by on the weekends to check it out, when it's open it's probably the most busy part of the mall, and it is free. And your dad is correct on it being an old Friendly's location, my mom worked there in the late 80's before becoming a teacher. A lot of the big chain restaurants leaving the mall did a number on foot traffic, Ruby Tuesday left a few years ago but Subway and especially Chick-fil-a leaving in the past 2 years was the nail in the coffin for the food court. Only a Sbarro's, a Japanese grill, a smoothie place, and a Chinese restaurant are left from what I remember.
@@m1xt4pez11 wow!! Thank you for the great helpful information. I did not know the Train Garden was run by a church; that is great. And yes, hearing about the chick fil a leaving made me very sad. I believe that was the first location I tried chick fil a as a kid, as it was the closest to where I lived. Now there are multiple stand alone ones on Richie Highway alone, and many more in the surrounding towns. I heard that the China Bowl (the sit down Chinese restaurant) has been there since the mall’s opening in the 80’s! Same owners too, apparently. That is just incredible. I hope if the mall fails that they can move out, they deserve it for staying afloat that long.
@@rippepippe I remembered your comment and wanted to let you know that this will be the last year for the train garden at Marley Station Mall, the Mall is increasing rent to an astronomical amount after 2023, I''d imagine the Mall is trying to get many tenants to leave so they can develop the space into something else
Neon lights are timeless. I’m not seeing the problem. There was no “wasted space” when it was packed with shoppers. Those were spaces for people to sit and talk. And for community things like school art shows. The big empty anchor store that faces the highway was originally Macy’s. The smaller space Macy’s occupies now was originally Hecht’s. Sephora pulled out of JC Penny and Penny’s put in their own cosmetics department. Many of the chains that once occupied the mall went out of business everywhere, not just Marley Station. The building itself is still in great shape. The exterior could use a pressure washing and the parking lots could be repaved. Online shopping didn’t kill the shopping mall, but it’s putting nails in the coffin. Arundel Mills is an outlet mall. It’s oppressively big and full of tourists. It’s not community shopping. I’d love to see Marley make a comeback.
All my mid 30somethings Glen Burnie/Pasadena people that used to practically live at this mall. I still go up there every once in a while to shop at the JC Penney and often I'll go out into the mall proper and just think back to when there was literally a store in every single empty space you see now. Electronics Boutique, Suncoast Video, KB Toys. The movie theater there always sucked but there are an absolute shit ton of memories growing up here. Thanks for doing these.
Getting to the mall and back out was a bit problematic for many of us in the Pasadena area. Also, Macy's used to be on the opposite end, and where they are now located used to be Hecht's department store. When it was first built it was shaped like the letter M. That might explain the inefficient floor plan. It got its name from the old Baltimore & Annapolis train station that used to be on that site. As an aside, just north (not even a mile) used to be the Harundale Mall, the first enclosed mall east of the Mississippi. It was dedicated on October 1, 1958 by then Senator John F. Kennedy.
You have a great memory. I remember Macy's being Hecht's and the old location that Macy's used to occupy. I worked Suncoast Motion Picture Company in the 1990's on the 2nd level back in high school so needless to say I have super fond memories of the place. Sad to see it dying but I am happy that it still looks the same. A very nostalgic look that brings back many memories from way back when
I remember as far back as the late 1950s. Ritchie Hwy. was heavily forested on both sides of the road in that area except for Ann's and a Shell gas station. I was in the mall not too long ago and you're right, it's very sad.
I already miss Marley station, I grew up visiting this mall and used to hang out there when I was a teenager. When I was kid, I lost one of my baby teeth at the Friendly's (where holiday train store is now). It's sad to walk around and see how empty it is now.
Crazy. I went to the movies there a lot as a kid/teen in the 80s and 90s. There were times you had to shove your way through the hallways it was so crowded! This was definitely more upscale than the Glen Burnie Mall - Hecht's and Macy's compared to Montgomery Ward and Toys R Us. I remember there was a Banana Republic with a jeep set up in the store window, which really impressed me as a kid for some reason. :) Kind of funny that Anne's Dari-Creme held out when the mall went in and now they will end up outlasting the mall... If you visit, stop by for a cheesesteak and a milkshake!
If I remember correctly the 4 main tenants were Sears, Macy's, Penny's and Hecht's (90's), then in the mid 2000's when Hecht's was bought by Macy's, Macy's moved to where Hecht's was, and Boscov's took over the old Macy's building. The store to the left when you first entered the Mall was a Friendly's at one point. The store were the Kids play place is currently, was originally KB toys, the stores that you pointed at 3:48 used to be a Walden's bookstore, at 4:05 the stores behind the elevator were forever21, FYE, and Lenscrafters, the Lenscrafters at one time was A Kirklands. at 5:05 the store across from the China Bowl was Journey's. to the left of Auntie Ann's was A&W, and to the right was I believe Payless. 11:51 the empty space next to T mobile used to be GameStop. at 12:01 I think that used to be Pac Sun, to the left of Finish Line was The Childrens Place, at 12:48 the store with the Marley station logo on the glass was An EB Games, 15:44 store left of the movies was Boardwalk fries, 15:56 to the right was Taco Bell, further down that strip past the movie theater used to be 2 restaurants One was Ruby Tuesday and other was Rocky Run I believe, somewhere in the upstairs section of the mall was a Sam Goody's I think it was one of the side paths. I used to go to this mall all the time with Family, while I myself didn't live in the area I had a lot of Family that did. I however grew up in the city and we used to come to Marley Station and Glen Burnie Mall all the time.
@@IanMartinExploration there used to be a Kohr Brothers frozen custard right above the play area on the second floor as you leave the steps. I used to play as a kid and then get ice cream when I was done.
This brings back a lot memories of malls, this reminds me a lot of Fair Oaks mall in Virginia..I grew up going to malls..it is sad that they have declined throughout the years
i will always remember the impact both fair oaks mall and landmark mall had on my childhood. grew up running around those malls. sad to see them go into such decline
I just went there last week to take in the atmosphere. It was nice being decorated for Christmas. Also had to eat at the Chinese restaurant that has been open since the 90’s going there as a kid!
Back in the late 80s early 90s i was around 16 years old and this is where all the school kids in the area would bs and talk and have fun, times were really good back then , before i had my driver's license my buddy's mom would drop us kids off and we would just walk around the mall like we were so cool, then we would catch a late movie and do it all again the following week... Miss this old Mall, really enjoyed your vid thanks.
Man, this video really does a number on my head. I am from this area and I was around 10 years old when this mall had its grand opening in late February of 1987. I remember going to this mall with my mother and grandmother and it was jam packed with people. At the time, the mall was state of the art with a lot of stores catering to computer enthusiasts like me -- I remember there being an Electronic Boutique and several other stores geared just towards gaming geeks like me. Hell, even Macy's at the time had a really cool electronic department showing off the latest Apple computers like the IIc, IIe and IIgs. During the 90s, this mall was a huge meetup center for kids to just act as mall rats and roam around the mall with their friends. No social media, no Twitter, no Reddit -- just kids being kids with some of them having cell phones because they came from the rich side of train tracks. Now this mall is dead -- I don't see any life at all. But in my memories, I can see all those old stores where they used to be -- all the foot traffic roaming around every wing of the building -- Waxie Maxie's towards the end next to one of the anchor stores. And now it is all gone -- what a trip. Thanks for making this!
Thanks for sharing your memories. I grew up in Silver Spring and feel the same way about certain malls in Montgomery country. We’re about the same age so when you said Electronics Boutique, I felt that. I believe they rebranded to EB Games. Anyhow, a lot of these malls dont have to shut down. I think the execs or whomever makes these decisions just lose touch with the community. We should dictate what comes and goes. The people are still here, the money is still here.
@@angelaroberts1278 Harundale mall was awesome! I'm trying to remember if it had a video game center when I went there as a kid but I think it did. It is amazing how many malls are dying. The only mall in the area now that sees to be doing well is Arundel Mills but I haven't been there in years, either. They do have a casino now so it can't be all that bad. lol
Great video. Thank you for making it. I wish you had time to visit Ann's Dairy. It's a small restaurant that is aon the corner of the property and refused to sell when construction began in the 80s. Ann's is still going strong!
Wow....this is soooooo interesting for someone who lived in Maryland in the late 80's and early 90's. Early in the 90's, I worked at the Coast Guard Yard in Curtis Bay. I remember going to Marley Station on a couple of occasions. It seemed busy and viable back then....this makes me feel old.
My first visit to Marley Station was in early 1990 when I was newly-assigned at Fort Meade. I went clothes shopping with enlistment bonus money. I used to take my son there in the early 2000s but then switched to Arundel Mills.
The Holiday Train Garden is not a store, it is a model train display that is only open during the holiday season. We just visited on 12/16/22 and it was operating.
This makes me sad, I grew up here. So many memories, unfortunately it looks the same as it did back then. I could probably tell you what each one of those stores used to be and probably knew someone who worked in many of them at one time. My now husband and I had many dates at the restaurants. My friends and I used to get dropped off there and spent hours browsing and just hanging out together. I remember when that train garden was a friendlys restaurant 😳 it had it's time, but times change... and if the owners didn't put the money into changing the mall with it... It was bound to happen. Especially after Arundel Mills opened. They should've taken the neon down 20 years ago 🤦♀️
This is crazy . I spent many a Saturday night here back in the day . Remember waiting in line for new releases at waxi maxis back in the day . That mall had everything you would have ever wanted back in the day .
I used to work at sears in Marley from 1996 - 1999 it was awesome! Back in the day there used to be big water fountains in the lobby and at both ends it was pretty cool , I hope it makes a come back 👍
I remember going to this mall when I was growing up. It used to have the only Macy’s in the area, so that was a draw until Hecht’s department stores were bought out by Macy’s. Since Marley Station already had a Macy’s store, they couldn’t convert the old Hecht’s into a Macy’s, which is what happened to the old Hecht’s in Annapolis. Boscov’s moved in, but that department store chain is mostly unknown outside of the Philadelphia area, and obviously, it failed to draw enough customers. However, this was a really cool place to be in the’90’s and early 2000’s. My sister and I used to shop at a store called Limbo Lounge. It’s sad to see it now, but at least they didn’t get rid of everything that made the place unique and different from Annapolis Mall and Arundel Mills.
MACYS and its corporate FEDERATED DEPARTMENT STORES ruined so many old department stores. I think it was a plot my MACY's to buy up the competition, spending BILLIONS to acquire them...and then shutter them.
I worked up at the Gamestop across from Claire's years ago. They'd moved it from that eerie dead branch of the mall where Dollar Ocean used to be. I can't begin to express how nostalgic this mall makes me. I am incredibly sad to see where it's at now.
Another great video, thank you! I just wanted to say that those "odd" seating areas were very common in the early days of malls. These were designed to encourage socializing amongst shoppers, eating and shockingly smoking in decades past. As malls entered the 90's many were remodeled they did away with most social type ideals and replaced them with kiosks and boring benches. I especially miss water fountains, such a shame. It's like streamlined consumerism.☹️
I moved to Glen Burnie from the DC area in 2007 when I was 13. Marley station was a good mall. Besides Arundel mills which was always congested. I always choose to hang at Marley over Arundel. It’s sad to see it in that shape it was full of life I had some good times and memories in there.
That spot where the data center is and was the old Boscov's - that was Macy's spot originally when the mall opened. Hect's was where Macy's is now. And seeing the shape the Sears is in is sad to me. I know they are out of business, but I worked there for a year and a half in 2001 and 2002. Also, I can say that the decor of the mall hasn't changed since it opened.
I forgot that the Boscov’s used to be the old Macy’s, that’s right! If you worked here 20 years ago, I bet it’s shocking to see the place now. Thanks for checking out the video.
@@IanMartinExploration Yes it is. I left Sears and moved to North Carolina so I'm glad you did the video, and it is shocking to see the state of the mall. Thanks for getting there!
In the late '80s, right out of college, I worked at a store called Britches of Georgetown (very similar to Joseph Banks) which was directly across from the upper entrance to the elevator that goes down to the amphitheater. One weekend they were having a fashion show downstairs and Corbin Bernsen, a star of the popular TV show LA Law, was the master of ceremonies. They staged him in our store before he went downstairs. So I got to hang out with him for a while and talk to him. He was pretty cool.
Ha! Britches....I haven't thought about them in years. Now your comment brings back memories of their radio ads. They were effective (as evidenced by my easy recollection of them)....they used an announcer with a very striking, authoritative voice....the guy also did commercials Oxy10 acne cream.
I also live in Glen Burnie, I still frequent the movie theater from time to time, JC Penneys, and Bath and Body Works. I loved when they had Sephora and Yankee Candle there. Now that those 2 are gone I don't go as much. My fiance who isn't from the area fell in love with Curmudgeon Book Store. Essentially, yes this mall is dead.
It’s sad to see Marley Station like that. I remember Hallmark Store used to be where that China Bowl restaurant is now. I went there with my friends in middle and high school. Definitely has a 90’s vibe still when I went as a kid. I’m surprised Claire’s is still there in the same spot. Love your video. Brought back memories.
I grew up hanging out at this mall and I went there the other day to get a Christmas gift and it really made me almost cry seeing the mall so dead. This place used to be booming and now it's dead
Use to hang out at Marley station back when it opened. It had at the time the latest Movie theaters in the area. Always would go in the food court line see what movies were playing, then wander the mall a bit. Honeslty never noticed the neon, guess was just use to it. The layout was good, plenty of space to walk and not bump into people, spots to sit and hang out and have a snack. Shame its practically abandoned, lower the rents and bring stores back and you can bring people back.
I was living two miles from this Mall when it opened in Glen Burnie from 1986 through 1990. It has really gone down hill. JoAnnes right by this mall has been open long before the mall opened and has great hot dogs and ice cream.
I remember Ann's Dari Queen, there was some question of whether it would remain when they built Marley Station Mall and I was irritated by the notion of it getting bulldozed in the name of development ie getting rid of a cool, one of a kind local things. So, just checking it appears to be still there, happy to see that although it hasn't been a thing for me for a long time, I'll have to make a trip.
Looks similar to the Columbia Mall in Columbia, MD -- though the Columbia Mall is a little more alive. Early in COVID the Columbia Mall inside was closed -- so I went over to take photographs to document the "Keep Out" signs posted on the mall doors, and see if any of the places with outer entrances were open -- and I was told by security that I could not take photos on mall property without permission. Hmmm. When the mall is open I see lots of people taking photos and videos with their phones of the attractions (there's a nice carousel) -- and they are not told to stop....
My mother took me to Harundale Mall on opening day. It was the first east coast mall. At Christmas time it was packed with shoppers and had cafeterias to service hungary shoppers. In the mall area was Kresge's, Woolworths, Hochschild Kohn, and Hutzler's. The mall was always packed and they had a community activity center.
I grew up going to Marley station. I worked there for about a year. I never really noticed all the neon. It's really not a bad mall but as you said, Arundel Mills really killed any hope of a revival.
I have been going to this mall since I was about 9 or ten and it's still a good place to be it used to be packed every weekend with kids from school and the movies was always crowded I hooked school to get wu tang album from there when it came out lol love thisall to this day still go when I need something small
So weird. Marley Station was the move on Saturdays-they had Contempos and trade secret, NY and Co, Cinnabon…CVS…and the really nice furniture store that started with a B…my bf at the time worked at radio shack. But that let’s you know…
This looks exactly like the now-shuttered Lakeforest Mall in Gaitherburg, MD, or at least how it looked in the 80's-90's. Lots of geometric ceiling things, same tiled floor, plus it still has that elevator pit area that Lakeforest leveled out in the late 90s.
I live 10 to 15 minutes away from this mall. Though it is pretty much a dead mall people go there to walk around as a safe place to excercise. In the mornings you will find small groups of ladies speed walking around the upper floors! Big, not crowded and air conditioned, what more could you ask for in a place to get your steps in when its hot humid and miserable outside!
I stopped going there at least a decade ago when I was kicked out by security for sitting on a bench. They said the benches weren’t allowed to be sat on. And I also couldn’t come with more than 1 person. This was before malls had curfews and age/group limits. So it struck me by surprise and I didn’t bother going back (I was over 18 at the time so it wouldn’t apply to me anyway). But as you said, it had too much competition as well. I had a lot of good memories there. Sad that management let it go to 💩.
@@IanMartinExploration God forbid you'd shine a light on the location, perhaps thus encouraging others to visit and maybe buy something. Good strategy Mall Guys.
I think it's really great that you take the extra step to blur people's faces. It's so much more than privacy - it's safety too. You just never know who might not want their whereabouts made known, and who is looking for them. Anyway, you make great videos! I've been enjoying watching them
I use to manage a store in that mall. The last time I was there was 2002. Maybe 2003. And it was really busy. Even with Arundel Mills. I use to manage a store there too. They were both busy. What I see is the general collapse in discretionary income of the middle class, which can not longer support so many suburban malls. Arundel Mills. is probably the best mall in Maryland now. I'd say with Christiana is second. Potomac Mills would be third. Then Tyson's. Columbia, Towson and White Marsh will go the way of White Flint, the Gallery, and Owings Mills eventually.
I've lived in Glen Burnie for 3r years now. I spent so much time just hanging out here when I was a teenager and I have alot of good memories here. It's makes me sad to see how barron it is, it used to be every single store was filled. I spent alot if time when I was real young before it closed at the arcade Champs.
I used to go to this mall when I was younger, they really should demolish it and turn into a town center but keep the gym, JCPenney, and Macy’s, like Bowie Town Center.
I believe people like me still go there because you still have the essential stores and you don't have to leave the area so much to get some shopping done. Also, you can avoid the crowds at other more popular shopping centers.
I wonder if they are moving stores around to more active areas? My mall did that years ago. Sent a notice to stores that they needed to move to the other end of the mall They gave them 10% off rent for a year to move and within 6 month told everyone to vacate because the mall was closing. Made a lot of retailers mad!
In 1997 I was outside of Macy's getting out of my car when a man came up to me with a double barrel sawed off shotgun saying "give me your money or I'll blow off yer fu*king' head" I laughed at him as the shotguns barrels pressed into my gut. I was having a string of bad luck and was unemployed at that time (November 1997) the police caught him that night with my wallet. He was 19 years old and was sentenced to 17 years for the shotgun. Have not been back since.
I watch videos like this because I work in a dying mall at a bath and body works. I grew up going to the mall I work at; it’s sad to walk the mall and remember all the stores that used to be there.
There’s a mall in the Atlanta area named Southlake Mall and that used to be active back in the 90s/early 2000s but it looks just like Marley and strange.
I used to spend a ton of time there as a teen and kid. Fond memories of seeing Santa as I went down that elevator. I think a lot of divorced parents/ supervised custody visits with kids happen there as well lol.
That upper part where the dress shop is did have a rue 21, Victoria’s Secret, American eagle, Aeropostale, Champs and bath and body works right up until covid and then they all shut down.
The holiday train garden isnt a store. Its an actual holiday train garden that they display every year at Christmas time. Its free to go in and walk around the train garden and there are a few buttons to push that make it interactive. Edit: Back when the mall was first built, up until it started to lose business there was a Friendlys located where the train garden is.
I am not from Glen Burnie, but currently live in Glen Burnie and while Arundel Mills mall is conveniently close, it's too overcrowded for my taste. I much rather shop closer to where I live if I could mingle with a moderate crowd. My suggestion to the new owner. Renovate. The mall needs a complete overhaul makeover that provides a modern layout with a real food court. Then bid for new stores and restaurants to come. People will then shop. It's not just the retail, it's the experience and no one wants to shop in a dated looking mall with a food court that's in the center of an aisle.
I also live in Glen Burnie MD and we shop the mall a lot! I would disagree with your statement that it was doomed from the beginning. It wasn’t until around 2010 that it began to lose stores. I worked a part time job since the 90s at several stores within the mall. The train garden is only open during the holiday season (used to be a Friendly’s when the mall was open). There is rumor that the mall was recently bought and the new owner is trying to bring stores back. The China Bowl has awesome food. The end of the mall where the Boscovs was, had a Fredericks of Hollywood (downstairs), Zales, Turkes (leather goods). Sephora has left JCPenney and moved to Kohls. JCP brought in their own beauty lines. All the black and white Sephora stuff had to be removed. The hat/sport shop is linked to the sport shop on the second floor. They had a Santa for the Xmas season. The Golds Gym bought part of the mall for several million a few years ago and expanded their original floor space. The Gym has been at the mall prior to 2010. Maryland Live did recruitment and and dealer schools. We were at the mall a week or so ago and there are a couple non name brand shops that have opened up.
I once squatted in a dying mall, along with a few others. We lived in the abandoned store fronts, kept to ourselves. Unfortunately the sheriff’s department forced us out. After we left, the local junkies moved in after the mall was closed for good, gangs moved in as well, fought over the place. The SWAT team had to flush them all out and the building was demolished.
Here's the thing about the "Data Center": If you look through the glass doors, where the paper has fallen away, the building is almost completely empty. No data servers, unless they're all consolidated to the third floor where you can't see. It's a very strange situation, that building.
I live in Glen Burnie Md,...and just a couple of observations.1) the area became over-saturated with Annapolis and Columbia Mall not too far away siphoning some business.2)the opening of the massive Arundel Mills/Maryland Live Casino/Movie theater complex just a few miles away was too much competition for Marley Station. Though this mall is dead the area is still relatively prosperous and the consumer has just moved their money 15 minutes down the BW Parkway.
The whole area just seems totally saturated with retail options. Thanks for watching and for the additional info!
When they built MS I think Harundale was still enclosed; Hutzler's was across the street; Murphy's Mart, Jumpers Hole and Severna Park Malls were just south; Glen Burnie mall a bit north; Annapolis and Columbia bit further out. Yeah we had a lot choices.
I think the mall could succeed if rent wasn’t expensive for stores.
With the thousands of new homes going in and around harundale you would think they would lower the rent and bring back the vendors
One advantage, it's on the bus line; Arundel Mall isn't.
The Curmudgeon is one of the few bookstores that buys books; Sunday afternoon.
Did you stop at Anne's Dairy Cream on the way out, at Ritchie Hwy? Famous footlongs and treats, a local tradition!
Thats crazy. I just bought a house in Glen Burnie June of 2022 and the first thing I noticed was how dead the mall was. The Golds is active. One thing I do like about the mall is when I want to watch a movie. I sometimes use there theater cause one one it's cheap like 8 dollars and the theater won't be crowded.
Born and raised in the area I was at this mall the first day it open. I seen a lot of changes over the years but one thing that remains the same and still going strong is Ann’s.
Gold's Gym didn't come to the mall until like the late 2000's. They converted a bunch of smaller store spaces to make it. I worked at the movie theater from 2001-2012. This mall had a strong pulse for most of the time I was there, but I know it has been on life support for a long time and it's so sad to see it like this now.
They should lower the rent for shops to get more people wanting to rent in the Mall?
It used to be Champ’s , I used to work at sears in 96 when I went to Glen Burnie high school, and your right it’s sad
I grew up with this mall... I went there at least once a week in my childhood. It has been slowly declining until 2020. before 202 most of the shops were still filled/active, but once covid hit, it all just fell. its super depressing and sad to see all the shops just gone and/or dead. There used to be some really cool stuff; like i vaguely remember a neon mini golf place? There used to be a Hollister, Victoria's secret, American eagle, "as seen on tv", jewelry stores, etc. There was a Justice there too I didn't even realize was closed till it was shown in this video hahaha... thats where I got like all my clothes as a kid LO.
This was such a fun video to watch because a lot of these stores I recognize like "oh that used to be ___!". This is a really cool video, thank you!
Born and raised in the area, was there on opening day, spent a large amount of the 80's - 90s here so I can provide some additional info:
The initial bit about Marley struggling from the outset is flat out wrong. The mall was massively popular and constantly full, and even managed to kill the other malls around it (Glen Burnie Mall, Harundale Mall, Farmer's Market) until Arundel Mills came along and effectively killed it slowly as time went on and consumers drifted over to Arundel Mills. The entrance you walked into is actually probably the least used entrance in the entire mall (even in its heyday). The middle court area had the most extravagant 'Pictures with Santa' area at the time, with people spending hours to get a pic.
The end of the mall that gave you the weird vibe was also the first section to really die out and has been empty the longest. Most of the existing stores huddled towards the center of the mall.
China Bowl has actually been there since the opening of the mall and it has surprisingly good food! I suspect it will be the last thing to go, it's been there from the beginning. I don't think Sbarro was there at the beginning, but it definitely came early (late 80's early 90s)
Central court area was a huge hangout for the kids in the 90s-2000s (before iphones).
This mall was a pillar of the late 80s/early 90s and was the go to place for all of the kids in the area. Always sad to see time march on and see once great things crumble to dust.
This is awesome and super insightful, thanks so much! That’s really interesting that you’re saying the mall was really popular at first (that makes me happy to hear!). Numerous articles I found, even from around the time of the mall’s opening, presented the mall as having issues from day one due to various planning/building/store make-up reasons. I ended up cutting out a lot of additional detail I found for the opening bit cause I was rambling too much as it was.
I read that the mall was delayed almost 5 years from its original planned open date and that the builders had wanted to get in on the area while it was still growing so the mall could grow with the area, but that by the time it did finally open, the area was already well established resulting in management missing a large opportunity to ingrain itself in the community while it was developing.
Similarly the full plot of land all the way out to route 2 couldn’t be purchased, resulting in the house (that was recently demolished) and the hot dog stand blocking a lot of the visibility from the road.
Same with the plot of land near the back of the mall. Issues with getting access to that caused the mall to need to be built in it’s more unusual and inefficient shape.
Also with the mix of stores offered trying to both get the local blue collar citizens while also trying to pull rich people towards the mall and away from other retail areas.
That’s really good to hear that I was wrong and that there was at least an initial burst of energy for the first couple of years around the place when it first opened!
@@IanMartinExploration "the hot dog stand blocking a lot of the visibility from the road"
Ann's Dari-Creme is the best thing in the area! Heresy.
@@michaelmagnus9 This! The outcry from the locals when the mall started it intended to test down the stand was enormous and loud. So loud it got the developer to change their tune, and state how happy they were too have such a well loved landmark like Ann's.
I used to live there many years ago. Is Ann’s still there?
@@blaster-zy7xx It was standing when I went by a month or so ago. But it was too early in the day to see if they are still open.
Spent so much time here as a kid, this video gives me so much nostalgia. Thanks for posting! I’ve since moved and haven’t been here in years, was wondering how it’s looking these days
My grandma took me cloths shopping here at JCPenney
Great channel. I’m from Glen Burnie. I loved this mall when it first opened, but like you said once Arundel Mills Mall opened it has been in a steady decline. Back in the day it was so much fun to bring my kids here to play and shop.
Cap. I was born in 1999 and I remember it popping in the mid 2000s
This place was hopping until around the time Arundel Mills was open. A lot of us teens hung out there too. The gym was not originally there. if memory serves correct I I think it was a whole bunch of little stores and then they converted it to a gym within the last 20 years.
I take my girls to bath and body works now and every time I go in my heart sinks a little bit. It's like your childhood memories going down the drain... especially at Christmas
Damn right Christmas was awesome there , I used to work at sears in 96 when I went to high school, we would get sent to Macys and JCpenny’s to help wrap Christmas presents both stores had a gift wrapping service and they would use sears stock boys for help . Best job for a kid 👍
The Holiday Train Garden is actually a display. The owner of the space collects model trains and makes an elaborate Christmas village. It’s only open during the month of December to the public. The space used to be a Friendlys according to my dad. You can still see the remnants inside such as the wallpaper and a few of the dining chairs. I believe the kitchen space is still there but empty. If you are ever in the area during the holiday season, I’d check it out. Cool display (I think it’s free) plus it’s a chance to go inside of a practically unchanged Mall Friendlys.
Also… the auntie Anne’s closed?? I was just there a little less than a year ago :(
A bunch of members of a church I belong to operate the garden and it's open from Thanksgiving to I believe the first weekend in January. Definitely stop by on the weekends to check it out, when it's open it's probably the most busy part of the mall, and it is free. And your dad is correct on it being an old Friendly's location, my mom worked there in the late 80's before becoming a teacher.
A lot of the big chain restaurants leaving the mall did a number on foot traffic, Ruby Tuesday left a few years ago but Subway and especially Chick-fil-a leaving in the past 2 years was the nail in the coffin for the food court. Only a Sbarro's, a Japanese grill, a smoothie place, and a Chinese restaurant are left from what I remember.
@@m1xt4pez11 wow!! Thank you for the great helpful information. I did not know the Train Garden was run by a church; that is great. And yes, hearing about the chick fil a leaving made me very sad. I believe that was the first location I tried chick fil a as a kid, as it was the closest to where I lived. Now there are multiple stand alone ones on Richie Highway alone, and many more in the surrounding towns.
I heard that the China Bowl (the sit down Chinese restaurant) has been there since the mall’s opening in the 80’s! Same owners too, apparently. That is just incredible. I hope if the mall fails that they can move out, they deserve it for staying afloat that long.
I think the fact you haven’t been there in a year explains why Auntie’s closed.
@@rippepippe I remembered your comment and wanted to let you know that this will be the last year for the train garden at Marley Station Mall, the Mall is increasing rent to an astronomical amount after 2023, I''d imagine the Mall is trying to get many tenants to leave so they can develop the space into something else
@@m1xt4pez11 oh no! If I visit the area again I’ll have to check it out one last time
Neon lights are timeless. I’m not seeing the problem.
There was no “wasted space” when it was packed with shoppers. Those were spaces for people to sit and talk. And for community things like school art shows.
The big empty anchor store that faces the highway was originally Macy’s. The smaller space Macy’s occupies now was originally Hecht’s.
Sephora pulled out of JC Penny and Penny’s put in their own cosmetics department.
Many of the chains that once occupied the mall went out of business everywhere, not just Marley Station.
The building itself is still in great shape. The exterior could use a pressure washing and the parking lots could be repaved.
Online shopping didn’t kill the shopping mall, but it’s putting nails in the coffin.
Arundel Mills is an outlet mall. It’s oppressively big and full of tourists. It’s not community shopping. I’d love to see Marley make a comeback.
Subtract the neon and Maryley Station looks a lot like Lakeforest Mall. Then I looked them up and realized they were both built by Taubman Centers.
All my mid 30somethings Glen Burnie/Pasadena people that used to practically live at this mall. I still go up there every once in a while to shop at the JC Penney and often I'll go out into the mall proper and just think back to when there was literally a store in every single empty space you see now. Electronics Boutique, Suncoast Video, KB Toys. The movie theater there always sucked but there are an absolute shit ton of memories growing up here. Thanks for doing these.
Getting to the mall and back out was a bit problematic for many of us in the Pasadena area. Also, Macy's used to be on the opposite end, and where they are now located used to be Hecht's department store. When it was first built it was shaped like the letter M. That might explain the inefficient floor plan. It got its name from the old Baltimore & Annapolis train station that used to be on that site.
As an aside, just north (not even a mile) used to be the Harundale Mall, the first enclosed mall east of the Mississippi. It was dedicated on October 1, 1958 by then Senator John F. Kennedy.
You have a great memory. I remember Macy's being Hecht's and the old location that Macy's used to occupy. I worked Suncoast Motion Picture Company in the 1990's on the 2nd level back in high school so needless to say I have super fond memories of the place. Sad to see it dying but I am happy that it still looks the same. A very nostalgic look that brings back many memories from way back when
I remember as far back as the late 1950s. Ritchie Hwy. was heavily forested on both sides of the road in that area except for Ann's and a Shell gas station. I was in the mall not too long ago and you're right, it's very sad.
I already miss Marley station, I grew up visiting this mall and used to hang out there when I was a teenager. When I was kid, I lost one of my baby teeth at the Friendly's (where holiday train store is now).
It's sad to walk around and see how empty it is now.
The Curmudgeon is awesome and it's grown! It used to be around the corner in a much smaller space. So much great stuff in there
Crazy. I went to the movies there a lot as a kid/teen in the 80s and 90s. There were times you had to shove your way through the hallways it was so crowded! This was definitely more upscale than the Glen Burnie Mall - Hecht's and Macy's compared to Montgomery Ward and Toys R Us.
I remember there was a Banana Republic with a jeep set up in the store window, which really impressed me as a kid for some reason. :) Kind of funny that Anne's Dari-Creme held out when the mall went in and now they will end up outlasting the mall... If you visit, stop by for a cheesesteak and a milkshake!
I'm not in the area any more but I'll drive 50 miles for Anne's foot longs.
If I remember correctly the 4 main tenants were Sears, Macy's, Penny's and Hecht's (90's), then in the mid 2000's when Hecht's was bought by Macy's, Macy's moved to where Hecht's was, and Boscov's took over the old Macy's building. The store to the left when you first entered the Mall was a Friendly's at one point. The store were the Kids play place is currently, was originally KB toys, the stores that you pointed at 3:48 used to be a Walden's bookstore, at 4:05 the stores behind the elevator were forever21, FYE, and Lenscrafters, the Lenscrafters at one time was A Kirklands. at 5:05 the store across from the China Bowl was Journey's. to the left of Auntie Ann's was A&W, and to the right was I believe Payless. 11:51 the empty space next to T mobile used to be GameStop. at 12:01 I think that used to be Pac Sun, to the left of Finish Line was The Childrens Place, at 12:48 the store with the Marley station logo on the glass was An EB Games, 15:44 store left of the movies was Boardwalk fries, 15:56 to the right was Taco Bell, further down that strip past the movie theater used to be 2 restaurants One was Ruby Tuesday and other was Rocky Run I believe, somewhere in the upstairs section of the mall was a Sam Goody's I think it was one of the side paths. I used to go to this mall all the time with Family, while I myself didn't live in the area I had a lot of Family that did. I however grew up in the city and we used to come to Marley Station and Glen Burnie Mall all the time.
This is amazing, thank you!
@@IanMartinExploration there used to be a Kohr Brothers frozen custard right above the play area on the second floor as you leave the steps. I used to play as a kid and then get ice cream when I was done.
12:01 was a Hollister
This brings back a lot memories of malls, this reminds me a lot of Fair Oaks mall in Virginia..I grew up going to malls..it is sad that they have declined throughout the years
i will always remember the impact both fair oaks mall and landmark mall had on my childhood. grew up running around those malls. sad to see them go into such decline
I'm from VA, and live 10 minutes away from Marley Station Mall, and seeing Marley Station Mall is like seeing Virginia Center Commons Mall get closed.
@@The.S.M.Evans.91 You can throw in Regency Mall and Stony Point on the Southside. Last time I was there SP was depressing.
This was my childhood back in 2010 I would always come here with my mom and hang.
Back in the 90s my dad would come here with my mom
Such good times
I just went there last week to take in the atmosphere. It was nice being decorated for Christmas. Also had to eat at the Chinese restaurant that has been open since the 90’s going there as a kid!
Back in the late 80s early 90s i was around 16 years old and this is where all the school kids in the area would bs and talk and have fun, times were really good back then , before i had my driver's license my buddy's mom would drop us kids off and we would just walk around the mall like we were so cool, then we would catch a late movie and do it all again the following week... Miss this old Mall, really enjoyed your vid thanks.
Man, this video really does a number on my head. I am from this area and I was around 10 years old when this mall had its grand opening in late February of 1987. I remember going to this mall with my mother and grandmother and it was jam packed with people. At the time, the mall was state of the art with a lot of stores catering to computer enthusiasts like me -- I remember there being an Electronic Boutique and several other stores geared just towards gaming geeks like me. Hell, even Macy's at the time had a really cool electronic department showing off the latest Apple computers like the IIc, IIe and IIgs.
During the 90s, this mall was a huge meetup center for kids to just act as mall rats and roam around the mall with their friends. No social media, no Twitter, no Reddit -- just kids being kids with some of them having cell phones because they came from the rich side of train tracks.
Now this mall is dead -- I don't see any life at all. But in my memories, I can see all those old stores where they used to be -- all the foot traffic roaming around every wing of the building -- Waxie Maxie's towards the end next to one of the anchor stores. And now it is all gone -- what a trip.
Thanks for making this!
Thanks for sharing your memories. I grew up in Silver Spring and feel the same way about certain malls in Montgomery country. We’re about the same age so when you said Electronics Boutique, I felt that. I believe they rebranded to EB Games. Anyhow, a lot of these malls dont have to shut down. I think the execs or whomever makes these decisions just lose touch with the community. We should dictate what comes and goes. The people are still here, the money is still here.
It is crazy I lived in Pasadena and was 15 when this mall opened, crazy seeing it now.. I loved Harundale mall too
@@angelaroberts1278 Harundale mall was awesome! I'm trying to remember if it had a video game center when I went there as a kid but I think it did.
It is amazing how many malls are dying. The only mall in the area now that sees to be doing well is Arundel Mills but I haven't been there in years, either.
They do have a casino now so it can't be all that bad. lol
Great video. Thank you for making it. I wish you had time to visit Ann's Dairy. It's a small restaurant that is aon the corner of the property and refused to sell when construction began in the 80s. Ann's is still going strong!
Wow....this is soooooo interesting for someone who lived in Maryland in the late 80's and early 90's. Early in the 90's, I worked at the Coast Guard Yard in Curtis Bay. I remember going to Marley Station on a couple of occasions. It seemed busy and viable back then....this makes me feel old.
My first visit to Marley Station was in early 1990 when I was newly-assigned at Fort Meade. I went clothes shopping with enlistment bonus money. I used to take my son there in the early 2000s but then switched to Arundel Mills.
The Holiday Train Garden is not a store, it is a model train display that is only open during the holiday season. We just visited on 12/16/22 and it was operating.
This makes me sad, I grew up here. So many memories, unfortunately it looks the same as it did back then. I could probably tell you what each one of those stores used to be and probably knew someone who worked in many of them at one time. My now husband and I had many dates at the restaurants. My friends and I used to get dropped off there and spent hours browsing and just hanging out together. I remember when that train garden was a friendlys restaurant 😳 it had it's time, but times change... and if the owners didn't put the money into changing the mall with it... It was bound to happen. Especially after Arundel Mills opened. They should've taken the neon down 20 years ago 🤦♀️
That is a beautiful mall that is worthy of a visit and to spend money. I’m going to schedule a trip.
We started calling it Morbid Station when it opened because it never seemed to be busy compared to Annapolis mall. Anne's was always busier.
My girlfriend and I nicknamed it “Camel Toe Mall,” due to the the prevalence of that wardrobe quirk.
I agree but last time I was there it even seemed like Annapolis wasnt as busy as when I was a kid
This is crazy . I spent many a Saturday night here back in the day . Remember waiting in line for new releases at waxi maxis back in the day . That mall had everything you would have ever wanted back in the day .
As a near local of this place. It upsets me at the decline of Marley Station. I grew up going there. Makes me upset..
I used to work at sears in Marley from 1996 - 1999 it was awesome! Back in the day there used to be big water fountains in the lobby and at both ends it was pretty cool , I hope it makes a come back 👍
I remember going to this mall when I was growing up. It used to have the only Macy’s in the area, so that was a draw until Hecht’s department stores were bought out by Macy’s. Since Marley Station already had a Macy’s store, they couldn’t convert the old Hecht’s into a Macy’s, which is what happened to the old Hecht’s in Annapolis. Boscov’s moved in, but that department store chain is mostly unknown outside of the Philadelphia area, and obviously, it failed to draw enough customers. However, this was a really cool place to be in the’90’s and early 2000’s. My sister and I used to shop at a store called Limbo Lounge. It’s sad to see it now, but at least they didn’t get rid of everything that made the place unique and different from Annapolis Mall and Arundel Mills.
MACYS and its corporate FEDERATED DEPARTMENT STORES ruined so many old department stores. I think it was a plot my MACY's to buy up the competition, spending BILLIONS to acquire them...and then shutter them.
I worked up at the Gamestop across from Claire's years ago. They'd moved it from that eerie dead branch of the mall where Dollar Ocean used to be. I can't begin to express how nostalgic this mall makes me. I am incredibly sad to see where it's at now.
Another great video, thank you! I just wanted to say that those "odd" seating areas were very common in the early days of malls. These were designed to encourage socializing amongst shoppers, eating and shockingly smoking in decades past. As malls entered the 90's many were remodeled they did away with most social type ideals and replaced them with kiosks and boring benches. I especially miss water fountains, such a shame. It's like streamlined consumerism.☹️
I moved to Glen Burnie from the DC area in 2007 when I was 13. Marley station was a good mall. Besides Arundel mills which was always congested. I always choose to hang at Marley over Arundel. It’s sad to see it in that shape it was full of life I had some good times and memories in there.
That’s their new logo! Lol! “Straight outta the 80s”. I have literally never noticed the neon. Probably been 100+ times. Used to work at the gym lol
That spot where the data center is and was the old Boscov's - that was Macy's spot originally when the mall opened. Hect's was where Macy's is now. And seeing the shape the Sears is in is sad to me. I know they are out of business, but I worked there for a year and a half in 2001 and 2002. Also, I can say that the decor of the mall hasn't changed since it opened.
I forgot that the Boscov’s used to be the old Macy’s, that’s right! If you worked here 20 years ago, I bet it’s shocking to see the place now. Thanks for checking out the video.
@@IanMartinExploration Yes it is. I left Sears and moved to North Carolina so I'm glad you did the video, and it is shocking to see the state of the mall. Thanks for getting there!
I love seeing/hearing about the old Department stores...the 'what once was' portions of these videos.
In the late '80s, right out of college, I worked at a store called Britches of Georgetown (very similar to Joseph Banks) which was directly across from the upper entrance to the elevator that goes down to the amphitheater. One weekend they were having a fashion show downstairs and Corbin Bernsen, a star of the popular TV show LA Law, was the master of ceremonies. They staged him in our store before he went downstairs. So I got to hang out with him for a while and talk to him. He was pretty cool.
Britches had the best clothes! 🔥
Ha! Britches....I haven't thought about them in years. Now your comment brings back memories of their radio ads. They were effective (as evidenced by my easy recollection of them)....they used an announcer with a very striking, authoritative voice....the guy also did commercials Oxy10 acne cream.
The train store is usually only open around Christmas and it’s actually real cool to see all the models they have
I also live in Glen Burnie, I still frequent the movie theater from time to time, JC Penneys, and Bath and Body Works. I loved when they had Sephora and Yankee Candle there. Now that those 2 are gone I don't go as much. My fiance who isn't from the area fell in love with Curmudgeon Book Store. Essentially, yes this mall is dead.
It’s sad to see Marley Station like that. I remember Hallmark Store used to be where that China Bowl restaurant is now. I went there with my friends in middle and high school. Definitely has a 90’s vibe still when I went as a kid. I’m surprised Claire’s is still there in the same spot. Love your video. Brought back memories.
I definitely remember that mall from my childhood.
I grew up hanging out at this mall and I went there the other day to get a Christmas gift and it really made me almost cry seeing the mall so dead. This place used to be booming and now it's dead
I just came here, in fact, i just left the mall, its sad that basically most of the front is the only alive part
Use to hang out at Marley station back when it opened. It had at the time the latest Movie theaters in the area. Always would go in the food court line see what movies were playing, then wander the mall a bit. Honeslty never noticed the neon, guess was just use to it. The layout was good, plenty of space to walk and not bump into people, spots to sit and hang out and have a snack. Shame its practically abandoned, lower the rents and bring stores back and you can bring people back.
Heard Amazon bought Marley Station recently.
From that area originally and live in TX now. It is definitely scary to see a place that I hung out in as a teen looking like that.
I lived in Glen Burnie , I remember when it was open sad but thank you
The gym, macys and jcp is the only things keeping it alive
I was living two miles from this Mall when it opened in Glen Burnie from 1986 through 1990. It has really gone down hill. JoAnnes right by this mall has been open long before the mall opened and has great hot dogs and ice cream.
I remember Ann's Dari Queen, there was some question of whether it would remain when they built Marley Station Mall and I was irritated by the notion of it getting bulldozed in the name of development ie getting rid of a cool, one of a kind local things. So, just checking it appears to be still there, happy to see that although it hasn't been a thing for me for a long time, I'll have to make a trip.
Looks similar to the Columbia Mall in Columbia, MD -- though the Columbia Mall is a little more alive. Early in COVID the Columbia Mall inside was closed -- so I went over to take photographs to document the "Keep Out" signs posted on the mall doors, and see if any of the places with outer entrances were open -- and I was told by security that I could not take photos on mall property without permission. Hmmm. When the mall is open I see lots of people taking photos and videos with their phones of the attractions (there's a nice carousel) -- and they are not told to stop....
When wanting to go to a mall I go to Columbia
That space next to Macy's used to be a racecar store. I used to go there from time to time
My mother took me to Harundale Mall on opening day. It was the first east coast mall. At Christmas time it was packed with shoppers and had cafeterias to service hungary shoppers. In the mall area was Kresge's, Woolworths, Hochschild Kohn, and Hutzler's. The mall was always packed and they had a community activity center.
I grew up going to Marley station. I worked there for about a year. I never really noticed all the neon. It's really not a bad mall but as you said, Arundel Mills really killed any hope of a revival.
Wow, my father grew up in Glen Burnie. Thanks for this post!
I can’t believe outta all the stores to come and go .. “JOEYS” out lasted em all 🤯 👏🏽 😂
I remember seeing Last Action Hero with Arnold Schwarzenegger back in 1993 at Marley Station...man I'm old...
It's been 30 years since I lived there and remember the mall in its heyday.
Took me down memory lane i coulda name almost what ever store was
I have been going to this mall since I was about 9 or ten and it's still a good place to be it used to be packed every weekend with kids from school and the movies was always crowded I hooked school to get wu tang album from there when it came out lol love thisall to this day still go when I need something small
I worked at Spencers, Sweet Factory, Zakks frozen Yogurt, CVS & the Halloween Store. Good times back then, thanks for the nostalgia!
So weird. Marley Station was the move on Saturdays-they had Contempos and trade secret, NY and Co, Cinnabon…CVS…and the really nice furniture store that started with a B…my bf at the time worked at radio shack. But that let’s you know…
This looks exactly like the now-shuttered Lakeforest Mall in Gaitherburg, MD, or at least how it looked in the 80's-90's. Lots of geometric ceiling things, same tiled floor, plus it still has that elevator pit area that Lakeforest leveled out in the late 90s.
Amazing video! Marley station is definitely a mall I really want to get to here very soon!
Thanks! You should definitely make it out if you can. It’s so cool to see all the neon in person.
Me and my buddys used to go there every weekend as kids as way from the city just to find girls and go to movies lol so many memories 😢
I had a gym membership at that Golds back in 2004 so it's been around for at least that long.
THE PIT! 🤘 (fellow Glen Burn-outs will know what i’m talking about)
I live 10 to 15 minutes away from this mall. Though it is pretty much a dead mall people go there to walk around as a safe place to excercise. In the mornings you will find small groups of ladies speed walking around the upper floors! Big, not crowded and air conditioned, what more could you ask for in a place to get your steps in when its hot humid and miserable outside!
I stopped going there at least a decade ago when I was kicked out by security for sitting on a bench. They said the benches weren’t allowed to be sat on. And I also couldn’t come with more than 1 person. This was before malls had curfews and age/group limits. So it struck me by surprise and I didn’t bother going back (I was over 18 at the time so it wouldn’t apply to me anyway). But as you said, it had too much competition as well. I had a lot of good memories there. Sad that management let it go to 💩.
Macys still good in this mall. I go there a lot.
Another fascinating video Ian.👍 Can't believe security chases you out guess they have nothing better to do 😀
Thanks as always for the continued support!! Does it make it better that they just sent the janitor to get on my case this time??? Poor guy haha
@@IanMartinExploration 👍😀
@@IanMartinExploration God forbid you'd shine a light on the location, perhaps thus encouraging others to visit and maybe buy something. Good strategy Mall Guys.
Chasing out Ian probably made the guards month!
I think it's really great that you take the extra step to blur people's faces. It's so much more than privacy - it's safety too. You just never know who might not want their whereabouts made known, and who is looking for them. Anyway, you make great videos! I've been enjoying watching them
I use to manage a store in that mall. The last time I was there was 2002. Maybe 2003. And it was really busy. Even with Arundel Mills. I use to manage a store there too. They were both busy. What I see is the general collapse in discretionary income of the middle class, which can not longer support so many suburban malls. Arundel Mills. is probably the best mall in Maryland now. I'd say with Christiana is second. Potomac Mills would be third. Then Tyson's. Columbia, Towson and White Marsh will go the way of White Flint, the Gallery, and Owings Mills eventually.
I've lived in Glen Burnie for 3r years now. I spent so much time just hanging out here when I was a teenager and I have alot of good memories here. It's makes me sad to see how barron it is, it used to be every single store was filled. I spent alot if time when I was real young before it closed at the arcade Champs.
I used to go to this mall when I was younger, they really should demolish it and turn into a town center but keep the gym, JCPenney, and Macy’s, like Bowie Town Center.
Many malls open earlier for the scant mall walkers, so stores sometimes don't open till noon.
The Holiday Train Garden is open during the Christmas season, from about Black Friday to New Year's
Arundel Mills basically killed them. Used to be packed with teenagers on Friday night.
I was one of those teenagers
This Mall is so Vaporwave.
It's Lowkey layed out like white marsh mall except white marsh is very busy and active
I believe people like me still go there because you still have the essential stores and you don't have to leave the area so much to get some shopping done. Also, you can avoid the crowds at other more popular shopping centers.
Debbie Gibson called! She wants her mall back!
Golds was added latter, and took up several store fronts and an expansion.
I wonder if they are moving stores around to more active areas? My mall did that years ago. Sent a notice to stores that they needed to move to the other end of the mall They gave them 10% off rent for a year to move and within 6 month told everyone to vacate because the mall was closing. Made a lot of retailers mad!
That is a solid point I hadn’t even considered. Maybe they’re in the middle of consolidating stores into one area and that’s what’s going on. Thanks!
Gotta love mall owners who change their minds like that... 😡
In 1997 I was outside of Macy's getting out of my car when a man came up to me with a double barrel sawed off shotgun saying "give me your money or I'll blow off yer fu*king' head" I laughed at him as the shotguns barrels pressed into my gut. I was having a string of bad luck and was unemployed at that time (November 1997) the police caught him that night with my wallet. He was 19 years old and was sentenced to 17 years for the shotgun. Have not been back since.
I watch videos like this because I work in a dying mall at a bath and body works. I grew up going to the mall I work at; it’s sad to walk the mall and remember all the stores that used to be there.
Do you still get customers in this dead mall? Why do your employers keep the store in a dead mall?
There’s a mall in the Atlanta area named Southlake Mall and that used to be active back in the 90s/early 2000s but it looks just like Marley and strange.
I used to spend a ton of time there as a teen and kid. Fond memories of seeing Santa as I went down that elevator. I think a lot of divorced parents/ supervised custody visits with kids happen there as well lol.
That upper part where the dress shop is did have a rue 21, Victoria’s Secret, American eagle, Aeropostale, Champs and bath and body works right up until covid and then they all shut down.
The holiday train garden isnt a store. Its an actual holiday train garden that they display every year at Christmas time. Its free to go in and walk around the train garden and there are a few buttons to push that make it interactive.
Edit: Back when the mall was first built, up until it started to lose business there was a Friendlys located where the train garden is.
I am not from Glen Burnie, but currently live in Glen Burnie and while Arundel Mills mall is conveniently close, it's too overcrowded for my taste. I much rather shop closer to where I live if I could mingle with a moderate crowd.
My suggestion to the new owner. Renovate. The mall needs a complete overhaul makeover that provides a modern layout with a real food court. Then bid for new stores and restaurants to come. People will then shop. It's not just the retail, it's the experience and no one wants to shop in a dated looking mall with a food court that's in the center of an aisle.
It's sad, because I actually like Marley Station Mall. At this point, they should work to get more businesses and restaurants in the space.
All they have to do is lower the rent but People are just too greedy
They should redo the whole mall maybe Westfield can buy them out then they would definitely be good
@@EastcoastCittyboy That's true. Especially since they would get more foot traffic that way too.
I could see this entire mall becoming an office complex...
I also live in Glen Burnie MD and we shop the mall a lot! I would disagree with your statement that it was doomed from the beginning. It wasn’t until around 2010 that it began to lose stores. I worked a part time job since the 90s at several stores within the mall. The train garden is only open during the holiday season (used to be a Friendly’s when the mall was open). There is rumor that the mall was recently bought and the new owner is trying to bring stores back. The China Bowl has awesome food. The end of the mall where the Boscovs was, had a Fredericks of Hollywood (downstairs), Zales, Turkes (leather goods). Sephora has left JCPenney and moved to Kohls. JCP brought in their own beauty lines. All the black and white Sephora stuff had to be removed. The hat/sport shop is linked to the sport shop on the second floor. They had a Santa for the Xmas season. The Golds Gym bought part of the mall for several million a few years ago and expanded their original floor space. The Gym has been at the mall prior to 2010. Maryland Live did recruitment and and dealer schools. We were at the mall a week or so ago and there are a couple non name brand shops that have opened up.
I once squatted in a dying mall, along with a few others. We lived in the abandoned store fronts, kept to ourselves. Unfortunately the sheriff’s department forced us out. After we left, the local junkies moved in after the mall was closed for good, gangs moved in as well, fought over the place. The SWAT team had to flush them all out and the building was demolished.
Here's the thing about the "Data Center":
If you look through the glass doors, where the paper has fallen away, the building is almost completely empty. No data servers, unless they're all consolidated to the third floor where you can't see. It's a very strange situation, that building.
Good job.
not getting updated since the 80s is a plus