A Dead Malls Christmas Special - Crossroads Mall Waterloo
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- Опубликовано: 23 дек 2022
- Situated in the heart of Waterloo, Iowas retail corridor lies Crossroads Mall. This historic Iowan mall was the largest and first 2 story mall in the state at the time.. With over 50 stores, 2 MASSIVE big box anchors and several junior anchors and restaurants. This was one of the premier Iowa malls through the years, in photos past you can see it in the hundreds of people bustling about the massive courts. But today, what you find is.. nothing.. Of all the malls I’ve been to this is one I’ve always come back to, and made so many memories at. Over th years I’ve watched stores and anchors leave and Christmas of 2022 I decided I would take it back one last time, and tell the full story of this amazing mall. And where it’s going for one of Iowas greatest lost treasures…
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I spent my whole 80's in that mall...hanging out with friends, trying to talk to girls, and wasting my allowance at the arcade and buying cassette tapes at Musicland! I eventually worked at the Scheels there also. Where the Pac Sun (shown around 1:20 mark) was once a Kay Bee Toys...my go to destination for my G.I Joe and Transformers!! The Mall was even more Magical at Christmas time. It is but an empty relic to a time no longer relevant in today's world....
I’m in my early 20’s and this just hit the spot and it’s hurts bcuz I remember the mall being such a awesome and magical place
Used to go there just for some pretzel makers and stop by the baskin robins on the way out. Shop around and never usually buy much, but I do miss it.
Oh wow, I cant believe this video exists. So many feelings right now. This is my mall. Going there in the 90's to Kay Bee Toys, Bishop's for supper (best buffet ever), the Corn Dog 7 and those bright colored tent things covering the food court. Hanging with friends in highschool, my first kiss in front of the Osco Drug. Working at Sears in my 20's, making some of the best friends I've ever had there, getting drunk at Diamond Dave's. To more recently, walking around and up and down the stairs trying to induce labor, because my son was due in December and it was freezing outside, and most recently taking my 2 year old son there to run around because it is literally dead, open space now, just gotta keep him away from the escalators. Wow, the memories. Thank you for making this video ❤
Never thought I'd witness College Square or Crossroads being dead.. it's almost haunting to go inside and not see any life.. thank you for sparking the nostalgia..80s-90s was the best time for the malls in Waterloo/Cedar Falls in my opinion..
It breaks my heart watching this. The mall brought great memories during my teen years, including working at Spencer in my hometown. Decorations decked out during the holidays, and long lines waiting for Santa to arrive. It was more than just a mall, it was about the community as well. Sad days ahead :(
I wanted to take some time to express Thanks. You and Sal have been great at taking a trip to a mall and expressing its history while showing off the mall in its current state. Thank you.
Your welcome! I’m glad you enjoyed it, I like to really take my time and get as much of the history down as possible
@@NorthCdogg22 Your efforts really show! 👍👍💯
Your uploads are GREAT. GREAT LIKE A TIGER. 🐯
Really sad that big full size carousel shrunk down into a coin-op thing.
I was thinking the same thing🤣
EXTREMELY EXTREMELY fascinating. Malls are not only places to shop..... they are places where MEMORIES ARE MADE! Tysm for this... keep doing what you do!
I love your comment.🤎
@@NicholasShade-eq1ts thank you!
I've grew up going to Crossroads when I was little but it's been a few years I last went. Spending time at the arcade, the carousel, and scheels will always make this place special to me. The architecture is also really special here, there is no other mall anything like it. I'm still surprised that Waterloo/Cedar Falls cannot support this mall, with how little there is to do around here the mall appeared the figure out the balance between entertainment a long time ago. It was very anchor heavy and when those anchors started closing, I guess the mall at the core was forced to close.
It’s almost surprising how this mall has fallen so fast while College Square has started to make a comeback. 3 years ago I would’ve never seen it. But as someone who’s going to be living here soon, I’ll be lost if Crossroads ever closes..
@@NorthCdogg22 This mall has been on death watch since 2016 for me when I noticed that foot traffic was very weak all around despite the mall being somewhat full. The rise of Viking Road and all the other retail around it were way too much for the area. It's good to see College Square make a small comeback as it's probably a better size for the market. Still, I hope to see the structure of crossroads be repurposed into something else. It could be a cool office park or event center even.
Next to pizza place was a electronics store across from it was a few little take out restaurants. The upstairs arcade wasn’t there in the 80 and early 90s it was clothing stores the arcade was 2 stores down from diamond Dave’s after the arcade was a hair studio and real nice one thethis mall went thru a lot of changes you did a awesome job on this video but crossroads was always changes maybe too much idk. What really hurt the mall was Walmart and target and Kmart building building bigger stores. Also some stores that always were relevant were hurt when Barnes and noble came in it hurt Walden books when toys are us came in it hurt kb toys. The list goes on and on. When Walgreens took off it really hurt the oscos. Stores like osco and scheels started to merge stores or make bigger stores. When mp3 took off musicland and the other music store there faded away as no one needed stores like that anymore. As for sears imo in Iowa a big part of their business was catalog sales and pick ups at the store and well internet and people aging out of doing things that way hurt sears and pennys in Iowa at least. Btw in your video there is a lot of original mall mixed in the curret mall, It made me cry a little. thanks again for working hard to preserve this America era of Cold War economic success that made America a fun and peaceful place so much that even in Russia they wanted this fun feel. I travel around the world and malls are everywhere and they look and feel like our old ones.
Agree. With the 80s,90s love everyone has I people will enjoy it again. Especially the kids that are now parents. Both cities need to put in the work to revive em. Coralville mall thrives so it can be done!!
Remember when the main floor was filled with the food kiosks? The corn dog place was amazing.. those were the days
The Christopher and Banks store used to be Palace Clothiers, and it had the appearance of a medieval castle, with stone work, carpet, and a a couple of knight statues.
always had my levi jeans there.
This mall used to bring so much joy for my friends and I. We spent a lot of time at the arcade. Seeing the abandoned pirate ship is so eerie. I haven’t been home since 2020, and seeing even more stores close is so sad. It’s weird seeing this mall become lifeless. Also rip the pretzel stand
I love your comment.🤎
Took a walk though there yesterday with my 11 year old daughter. Showing her where all the stores used to be and explaining how you would barely be able to get through the crowd from one end to the other 2 days before Christmas. There were maybe 40 people there total including employees of the few remaining businesses. It's sad. I took it for granted when it was thriving. The mall was 2 years old when I was born so i grew up with it always there. I still have a plasma TV and some tools from Sears. All of the appliances in my new home in 2012 came from Sears. I bought my first handgun from Scheels there. I remember Arcadia, Musicland, Karma Lou's, Orange Julius, the little tabacco hut thingy, JC Penneys, Osco Drug, Small World toy store, Bishops Buffet. The Dr. Max show did an apisode there and I was there on TV with several other young children in the 70's sometime. I never would have guessed this would ever happen to this place. Meanwhile, Coral Ridge Mall an hour south is as busy as ever.
We all are sickened to see all these once beautiful malls go downhill nowadays. We grew up with these great shopping experiences.
Malls like this in the 90s were packed 100% this time of year. Shame what time has done to malls.
Malls here in Ohio like kenwood are def packed all time
Thanks for your video on This! I was born and raised in Waterloo….my first real job was in the Sporting Goods dept at Sears at the Crossroads Mall from 1977-79. The mall was simply where you shopped for most anything as well as socialized. Back then we couldn’t have imagined that in a few decades later our mall shopping would be replaced by shopping on an “internet” with computers….it’s a different world now.
this is such a haunting opening. there’s so much emotion packed into this video. it’s clear you’re so passionate about this mall that meant so much to you. thank you for sharing this with us
I’m glad you realized that, I guess I really just want others to understand what it’s like to loose something like this mall that was so much to you, thank you so much for watching!
@@NorthCdogg22 i feel like your feelings remind me of how i feel knowing my grandparents house i grew up in has been bulldozed. when i look back at pictures i know it doesn’t exist anymore. i’m so glad for the good memories but it feels sad too.
i went to this mall in today, august 3rd, 2023. it is sad to say only five stores were open, and the athome was having its going out of business sale. also the elite mobile was getting stripped of it branding, since it had closed. there was also an alarm going off in the old famous footwear, which the security payed no attention to, but decided to pay attention to me and kick me out for taking pictures. this mall is sad, beautiful and nostalgic at the same time, even though today was my first time visiting it. its crazy to see that in less than a year a mall can change so much. great work on the video and keep up the good work!
I put 6 years of my life working in stores in this mall. I Managed the journeys, made cookies, sold books, even took and taught Martial Arts at one point.
I knew everyone from every store, and, in some ways, miss it. This video definitely made me nostalgic. Very glad it was made. 🥰
I love your comment.🤎
I used to go to Crossroads (& College Square in Cedar Falls) in the early 70's to the early 80's. Most of the spaces were full of retailers. When I came back to visit the area in the late 80's and 90's I noticed the mall was going down hill even back then. Last time I was there in early 2010's, both malls were pretty vacant. It was always just a shopping mall to me, but I do have fond memories of riding my bike to buy Matchbox cars at the mall. Time marches on.
So depressing! It used to be such a cool mall and so special during Christmas. 😭
I only just found this video due to recommendations- it never occurred to me that someone would make a video on this place. I had no idea how special it was to other people. When I was really young, my dad used to take me here all the time as a Cedar Falls resident. Now that I'm old enough to remember things, the mall has been dead for a long time. I remember he never told me the little kiddie rides could move since he didn't want to spend his money, haha.
Man. Looking through all these pictures and videos makes me sad that I wasn't alive earlier to enjoy it.
I spent a good part of my life in Waterloo and relate to this video and story. Dillards was not an original anchor. It was built in the late 90s and the addition was a big deal.
Something so special about Christmas at a mall
I'm 49, and I've lived in Waterloo my whole life. The mall was pretty fun back in the 80s and into the early 90s. By the late 90s, it had started to fade. It's been more-or-less dead for at least the past 15 years, and just keeps getting worse.
Anyway, the best thing about Crossroads in the 80s was that there were *2* arcades. There was "Arcadia", which was a pretty standard arcade (which allowed smoking!), and then, oddly, *Sears* had an arcade. The Sears arcade was much less busy than Arcadia. Usually only a couple people there. The Sears arcade had maybe 20 games. But the cool thing is that it had the *weird* stuff. It was like the "B-side" arcade. Stuff that was too old or obscure for Arcadia. It was pretty awesome. There were a lot of video games and pinball machines that I only ever saw at Sears. They actually had the "Hercules" pinball machine for a while, which is the biggest pinball machine of all-time. Never saw it anywhere else.
I was there all the time in the 70's when I was a young boy! I am now old and have the memories! Me and my five brothers and mother and father spent many days there both working and playing! All my brothers and mother and father are now dead. My best friend and I would hang out all day there! He has been dead for decades. I am the last but I will always remember Crossroads Mall!
Great tour of the mall. This mall feels warm and inviting, hopefully it can be revived before it is too late.
Doubtful, my brother and me were going to a movie across the parking lot discussing the end of an age. Amazon and social media killed it..
Kind of sad to see how Crossroads has declined in the last 5-6 years. It may seem like a slim chance, but I have been holding on to a glimmer of hope that the expansion at Lost Island and road improvements in that area could be a catalyst for some type of revival of Crossroads. I have lived in Waterloo my entire adult life but was born in Cedar Rapids and lived there as a child. They now have NewBo City Market, which houses seasonal shops that are only open at certain times of the year and has served as an incubator for small local retail outlets. I would love to see Crossroads serve a similar function--and perhaps local shops that are "born" there could be given some sort of incentive to stay long-term. Another alternative might be to redevelop it into an open-air "town center", like Westdale (also in Cedar Rapids). The decline of many regional enclosed malls and redevelopment of some of them into town centers has made me feel nostalgic for Lindale (also in Cedar Rapids) in the 1970's, when it was an open-air mall.
I could tell you so so much about Crossroad's history! The weird food court on risers you mentioned as being the oddest era were actually some of the best years for that mall! So many great places to eat! And the mall had no empty spots!
Also, I believe Diamond Dave's closed sometime in 2011-2012, I went to the closing party the last night they were open! So many good times in this mall!
Corn dog 7
It closed in fall 2014. Worked the last shift there on that Sunday. Just me and Tom talking old times after the doors closed.
Great video 😮
The palm pillars are just the 90s speaking
Ugh, the last piece of our living nostalgia is dying 😭
I'm not even a third into the episode and it's got me tearing up. Christmas, Silent Night being my absolute favorite Christmas song, the usual amazing production of these videos, and I can hear the emotion in your telling of the affects of being there. But mostly because it's such an allegory for what's happened to us. The era of commercialism and retail was already well into the decline, but I feel like the 70's and 80's were the last semblance of family, togetherness, tradition, and anything resembling this country's soul. And like you say in the video, "it's all just gone". But for those of us who lived it, at least we had it.
This video gave me the desire to do a road trip to Coral Ridge in Iowa City, a still very much thriving mall. There were only two vacancies in the entire mall, one store and one stand in the food court. I found it very comforting. Saw the Mario movie at the cinema, for good measure.
Another fantastic upload! Thanks for another adventure.
I’ve lived in Waterloo my whole life. I can remember when this place was full of businesses and packed with people. I miss the good old days.
Your past and present pictures are getting better along with background music. and information about not just the mall but the entire city and how the mall fits in.
I grew up going to this and college square mall. Stores like Sam Goody, Vanity, and Walden Books. I was a frequent customer. My Dad worked for years at the Sears in the mall. And he cried a little when it closed. I wish these 2 malls would come back. I hate strip malls. I don't want to keep going in and out of my car to shop. I miss the old days of this mall when I could get together with my friends on a Saturday morning and spend all morning there. And most of the afternoon. And end the day with a movie at the theater or playing games at the arcade.
I lived in a small town 30 minutes from Waterloo called Independence my whole life. I turned 25 yesterday and remember this mall flourishing in my youth. Diamond Dave’s I wanna say closed around 2015. The place on the outside of the “entrance” with the crossroads archway with the blue and gold trim was a restaurant called Bishop’s, similar to Golden Corral. The only things that the mall really has anymore is the National Guard, Army, Navy, and a few cellular surpluses. Spencer’s closed down last year and moved to a strip area in southern cedar falls, near Target.
Merry late Christmas North. This is Pepsi_Man on an Alt account. I just wanted to say this is your best video as of yet. You set the tone just right. Thank you for your service to honoring the past. May the memories we all shared in these great places of retail live on in our hearts and in our stories to our children and grandchildren. Again, Merry Christmas. 🎄
Merry belated Christmas Pepsi Man! Thanks for watching, I’m glad you enjoyed!
Awesome movie)))
Thanks Red!
Great Video! Merry Christmas! Stay warm as well.
Thanks Matthew!
Merry Christmas ! Thanks for sharing your favorite mall with us !
Merry Christmas to you too Pamela! Thanks for watching!
Excellent video!!!! I absolutely LOVE LOVE your videos!!!! I see why this is your favorite mall!!!! It is such a beautiful mall!!!!
Thanks so very much for all of the wonderful dead mall content all year!!!! We really appreciate it!!!!
Thanks again so very much!!!! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!! Happy Holidays and Happy Hannukah!!!! 👍🏻😃🙏🏻🎄
I was there the other day. There is only basically 3 stores left. Tony's pizza, the Asian restaurant, and bath and body works. I hate seeing my childhood disappear. This video made me cry.
Great video! Merry Christmas!
Thanks Andrew!
I doubt those 2 grumpy dudes have any authority to ban you for life from the mall. 😂 cool video! Love the abandoned Sears at the end!
I loved the video! Being someone born and raised in Waterloo IA I spent a lot of time at the mall, and maybe a lot of money on the brand name clothes :-). I used to take my children there to play on the weekends. And walking both the top and bottom kept me physically fit. Thank you!
I came across this in my recommended feed. I just want to tell you how much I enjoyed your video. This was my mall growing up in the late 70s early 80s. It was the place to go, more than just shopping, a place to hangout with your friends. Awesome memories for sure. I will say I did get a bit sad watching this, to see this once amazing place become a shell of its former self. I also watched the Burnsville Center episode which is another mall I spent many days at when I was in my 20s. My wife basically grew up there working in the food court for many years before moving up stairs to work at The Sunglass Hut. I now live in the Eau Claire Wisconsin area and hope our mall here (Oakwood) never ends up on your channel. Like many malls now it has a few empty store fronts, but seems to still be doing fairly well. On a lot of weekends it can still be a busy and vibrant place, which makes me very happy. My kids don't understand the attachment I have for these malls. They have Amazon and countless other online stores that they shop at. No attachment there at all. Crossroads and Burnsville Center were our Amazon. Thanks again for the videos and looking forward to watching others as well.
I used to manage the pretzelmaker before it got shut down. I got to watch the last couple decent years before covid really killed it. So sad
Love the vid, Merry Christmas
I worked at JCPenney for 4 years it was my first job so I worked there from when I was 16 about till I was 18. I actually built and then worked at rue21 before JCPenney actually. After that I worked at the Dillard's for 3 years. This video brings back amazing memories. PS. funny fact there was a point in time where us JCPenney workers would joke about being lifers like we weren't even aware that one day that the place would just close lol love the video tho broham!
As a Waterloo native i can confirm, Genos Pizza is still the best pizza in town.
Just started watching and already crying. Thanks for this. 😢
Great opening! Merry Christmas and Happy holidays!
nicely done! Great video and narration, really enjoyed, Thank you.....
I too am here in Waterloo, I have been here for 5 years I can understand how you feel. the same is happening with 3 malls in Des Moines which is a shame. I am connected with Mainstreet Waterloo we are working to try to bring business back to downtown. I do internet radio/ The Mid West Plainsman Podcast and Knight Wolf Event DJ
what a nice surprise. loved the video as I always do nice work. can’t wait till the next one
I remember shopping for Christmas gifts here I am crying over it
i really appreciate your videos about crossroads! ive been trying for years to find out its history on a deeper level but you presented with ease so much information i never thought i would get to know.
your insights into why *you* appreciate the mall bring a new beauty to it. i never thought to appreciate it on an architectural level! or how lovingly 90s it is, and was at one point :) now with previous sentimentality attached to it, and appreciation for how it exists as this endearingly rotting thing, that once was a beacon of modernity and innovation, AND old photos to immerse myself in that (former) glory, i have an unorthodox fondness for not just this mall, but for mall culture in general (and local history, of course).
you have such a wonderfully unique way of viewing dead malls, that no other person could ever replace. thank you!
btw: your sears exploration at the end is crazy!! its so terrifying and captivating simultaneously 😭 love it!!
Thank you! Omg that means so much!
Amazing video! I haven’t been in Waterloo for almost 10 years and seeing this video it was so nostalgic to me, full of emotions, so many memories. So sad to see it dying out though but thank you for this regardless I hope one day I return to Waterloo 🙏
back in the 80's & 90's the malls was the place to go. i miss the hustle & bustle of going to the mal. i miss going to kay-bee toy store & radio shack & the video game arcade.
The mall that I think of most as a child was Livingston Mall in NJ. I still have the little manual powered truck that I "drove around" in when I was a little guy (just behind me as I write this post). I remember the terrazo floors and the original mall feel. Sad to think that online shopping and overall lifestyle and/or cultural changes have all but closed the doors of the malls still left in America. Hopefully we are in the beginning of something that will bring at least a little of our past back to life.
Nice one, Merry Christmas mate
You too Keith thanks!
In 6th grade I lost a joint inside the Sears store… 3 of us punks spent the whole day on our hands and knees looking for it as it was our only reefer! Found it the next day in the back pocket of my Jnco Crime Scenes🤓🤣🤪
9:09 This was a Waterloo Community School District classroom named Crossroads Connections for a short while. I graduated high school from this room in 2017. Also, Geno’s Pizza is my absolute favorite pizza in the Cedar Valley. This mall means so much to me. You made a wonderful video!
Before that it was a mens barber shop. It had a bunch of tvs that constantly played sports games...Sports clips maybe not sure.
It's sad to see how dead Crossroads is now. I haven't been inside for a few years but I always notice that empty parking lot when I drive by. Nice video.
The doors are still open as of yesterday 12/23/2023. Have a look and be prepared to be sad.
There’s a mall in cedar falls called thunder ridge mall it’s not only a dead mall its a never lived mall it’s a small indoor mall that had a eagle food store and osco as anchors I was told by the city engineers that the location and more importantly the entryways doomed the mall it’s very frozen in time and in great shape or was due to it never being used
We had a Girl Scout sleepover there when I was a kid. They had the arcade open for us. But I don't remember anything else really in the mall
All 3 area malls are dead. Killed by strip malls...
@@CDewater That arcade was killer. My church had a similar all-nighter there in the early 80's. It actually put the early Crossroads mall arcade to shame. But the mall never really got off the ground. Became the home of Hamilton college for a few years until like everybody else, moved to the Viking Road industrial park/shopping complex area.
@@michaelmalone7231 then Hamilton turned into Kaplan and then Kaplan tuened into Perdue. Perdue left the industrial park area a couple years ago. I cleaned the building until last month.
I remember when the Mall Opened
Crossroads Mall was my fun place in the 70 s and Early 80 s
Really enjoyed my time there
What a wonderful homage to a place that has meant so much to so many of us! I lived in the Waterloo area from 2000-2012 and visited this mall many times. A "dead mall" I would like to know more about is the Vanity Fair Mall in Iowa, Louisiana. In the early and mid 80s, it was bustling with huge crowds every day, especially at Christmas time. It is in the middle of nowhere which I think actually served it well at that time. Look it up if you're interested!
You made my Christmas Day! 🎅 Thank you! 🙂 I am just saddened that this last tour actually was... since you ran into those "grumpy" dolts. The "Waterloo" music in the mid portion of the video was very eerie of a much better time in that area. I and dare I say all that watch this video are forever thankful for your contributions to the dead mall community, up to unfortunate events such as the ban from your favorite mall of the past.
Glad you enjoyed Stot! Merry Christmas to you too! It does make me sad I’ll never get to come back here the same, but I’ll forever be great full for all the amazing memories I made here
@@NorthCdogg22 Just have someone find out when Tweedledum and Tweedledumber aren't working, and go then. I'm still trying to figure out Namdar's business model since it seems to be buying dying malls and doing nothing to revive them.
Merry Christmas to you 🧡
That's a beautiful cover of silent night
Awesome episode!
Thanks Scott!
I live 4 minutes away from this mall. My teen years of the 80s was so much fun. Buying new records or cassettes, clothing or just hanging out before or after a movie at the theatres. Great memories ♥️
I remember going in to buy CD's in the late 80's and feeling like an absolute gangsta for being one of the few who had a CD player in my car at that time, lol.
I have some of the same feelings about my closest mall to where I grew up in the 80’s and 90’s. It opened around 1990 and was an absolute gem, and kind of an oasis of sorts in the rural northern area that I lived. Every store space was filled, it had a large food court (which was newer for malls in my area at the time), the interior had 40 foot high ceilings with skylights in the walkways, along with light inviting colors, and the place was instantly a hub of the community. I’ve lived in central Florida now for 25 years, but each year when I’m back in central Michigan where grew up to visit family, I usually stop by my old mall. This past month in December 2022…it was the saddest I’ve ever seen. I think only about 2-3 regular stores were open, plus a Barnes & Noble and a Target. The rest of the mall was pretty dark and empty, save one set of tables in the walkway selling extremist right-wing flags and memorabilia. Which I don’t think should be allowed in a mall. Whether it’s right or left leaning. Growing up, you’d never have seen that allowed from either side. Saddest still, is that my old mall is still in near perfect condition. It’s just empty. What I would give to go back in time to the early 90’s and revisit it in its heyday. 😥
What a great tribute to this Mall! Great work!!! I moved to the Waterloo area about 6 years ago, seeing a portion of the Mall at that time decline , I always thought of the great potential the Mall has. I hope you continue to update in hopes of someone doing something to benefit the community.
I personally think since it is Waterloo Iowa, and we sometimes suffer through seasons , why not bring some sort of recreational activities inside like a roller skating rink? Ice rink? Miniature golf? Just a thought .....
Wish I could be more positive about the future of this place but the current owner’s past record kinda speaks for itself unfortunately. Another great video your passion about malls is amazing. You would have been over the top if you had been around when there so many malls in the 80s and 90s. Bummer you ran into the bad guys and they banned you from the mall. A lot of that Sears you explored at the end didn’t look too modernized … those ceiling tiles looked old school to me. Will you ever attempt to go back to this mall just to look around and not video record? Looking forward to all of your new content ESPECIALLY what looks to be footage of the C3 mall! Thanks again for sharing all of this amazing content man!
Thanks posse! I’m glad you enjoyed! To answer your question yes I will be back at this mall again, Im not too worried about Tweedledee and Tweedledum, your gonna love C3!
@@NorthCdogg22 I cannot wait for C3 I’m sure it will be beyond awesome! Never thought anyone would be in there again to shoot footage!
Fun fact: the baby Riddles you talked about... the subway there actually is where the Riddles used to be. They ended up purchasing where they were last located, and bought out the old Claire's and a couple other shops. That was back in 2007-2012 time? Not for sure about the date!
Thanks for the tidbit of info!
You mention Riddle's a lot. What is your fascination with this little fine jewelry store?
@@galaga6846 I have a fascination With all mall stores, besides I don’t mention it a lot, I talk about the old location like once lol
I miss that mall, lots of fun family memories there, especially Bisshiops beffet, when my father was dieing of cancer all he wanted was Bisships chocolate pie
I live around there. Used to go there all the time as a kid. I walked back into Crossroads not too long ago and it broke my heart.
Every time I come there it gets depressing because it brings back by childhood and seeing it all gone it's hard to believe
I have so many videos of me and my friends on the carousel 🎠 when it was there. I always think about those memories when I visit there. Haven't shopped at crossroads in two years.
I remember that mall, I'd go there all the time as a kid. The elevator was my favorite.
The large tile compass on the floor (around 8:17) reminded me of Crossroads in Omaha, Nebraska. It had a very similar one in its main court. Unfortunately, Omaha Crossroads is gone.
The Maine Mall in South Portland Maine has one, as well
Seeing this makes me glad Lindale and Coral Ridge are still thriving
Great review of this mall, this is history, very nice.
Loved Walker Shoes, best place to get shoes for the family! Also Happy Wok! Yum. Wish they were still around.
Wow! Phenomenal video! I LOVE how you tell us what the stores used to be! I love dead mall videos, but somehow had never seen yours. You now have a new subscriber! Also, one last thing: Namdar, UGH.
Thank you! And yes, we are all Namdar haters here lol
@@NorthCdogg22 they are as bad as Moonbeam or (shudder) Kohan. 🤬🤮
I spent every Christmas season going there with my family..so sad that Waterloo has gone down so bad. It was so pretty there at Christmas.
I was born in that town, yet raised a few hours away. I took my kids there as they grew up.
The people now a day will never know how nice it was to be able to shop and not have to get in and out of a car.
It's not just the mall that had a down fall. Waterloo became more vilant. I realized that I could never go there and live with out fear of being killed or hurt. I loved that town so much. My whole family is from there.
Man, this all takes me back....I grew up in Waterloo, and Crossroads and College Square were THE hangouts on the weekends in the 90s for my friends and I. Hitting up KayBee's toy store, Walden Books/B Dalton, Sam Goody, the arcade, and then finishing it up with some Pizza at the food court, or some food at Diamond Dave's. Then heading across the parking lot to the Toys R Us (that closed several years ago) and catching a movie at the Theater. Its a shame to see these hollowed husks that used to be such huge pieces of our childhoods. Like part of your past is dying. But I guess its true that no matter how much we want to resist, things change and the march of time moves on as people just move on to other things...
Coral Ridge Mall seems to be alive and well for some reason. It is always busy the few times a year I stop in. Even with the ice rink and kids museum it still is not as impressive as Crossroads was, especially at Chritmas time.
@@scootypuffjr. Big malls like Coral Ridge and Mall of America seem to be doing well, and you see small strip malls everywhere, but so many midsize malls like Crossroads and College Square have declined or even shut down.
@timothysprengeler4071 I don't get the appeal of strip malls. They're all ugly and cheap looking and sprawl out taking up way more real estate
I took a walk through Crossroads last Saturday. I was pointing out to my 11yr old daughter where all the old stores were and how it would be nearly impossible to walk through the crowd 2 days before Christmas when I was her age in the mid 80's, all the way to the early 2000's. I'm just over 50. This time there were maybe 40 people in the entire building including employees. The lights were on, the escalators were running, the heat was on, but no Christmas decorations. I could count the open businesses on one hand. I still don't get it. All the janky strip malls were busy.
@@scootypuffjr. Yeah, Crossroads really is pretty bleak these days, and has been for years. I have such fond memories of the place. Strip malls just seem entirely utilitarian: Convenient, because I'm sure many people just don't like to walk all around the mall, multiple floors, etc, if they just want to get in and out, but Malls to people like us were more of a hangout, than just to grab a few things you need and get out...
@@3Xblade Going to the mall was more of an event. Like sitting down at a restaurant instead of grabbing fast food at the drive up.
Great video. Very interesting. Thanks.
A few years back I took a few pictures of the same area as a liminal space type image as well. It never gained any traction of course. But it’s awesome to see that someone else saw that same area of the mall in the same way I did
It’s so heartbreaking I loved it there so much then everything just left… 😢 out of nowhere..
Fun fact: There used to be 3 claw machines in the little hallway place at the entrance. When I was really young, (Probably 2010 or earlier) they had south park plushies in them. I always begged mom to get me one whenever we would go to the mall to visit my grandma who used to work in one of the stores. Eventually I got the set of south park plushies and not long after they got rid of the claw machines. Ah memories 🥲
Nothing more depressing than watching an entire piece of our childhoods die. THANKS, AMAZON!
I grew up going to that mall. After seeing this video, I was inspired to visit Crossroads during my next trip to Waterloo. It is currently down to only 19 business in the mall. College Square Mall in neighboring Cedar Falls is in a very similar plight but does have anchors that do not rely on mall traffic in Von Maur, a Hy Vee supermarket and College Square Cinemas. The latter two don't have a mall entrance. The main retail action in Waterloo is the areas directly north and to the west of Crossroads as that area is thriving. Also doing well is the Viking Plaza development of big box stores and strip malls on the south edge of Cedar Falls. It was sad walking through Crossroads and College Square today as I came to the very possible realization that one or both malls may have just finished its final holiday shopping season.
Growing Up In Waterloo I Never Thought Such Great Memories In The Mall Would Diminish. I Lived Out My "Glory Years" There, Everything Weekend, Every Event, Hell Even The Book Convention. I Had A Rough Teenage Life, But One Thing I Will Say Is I Did Graduate From My Expo Alternative Class Inside The Mall 🙏🏾 There Was Always An Opportunity To Smile There, Whether Seeing Friends Or Family, Or Even New People And Travelers ❤ It's Sad, But I'm Glad I Had Many Great Years And Thousands Of Great Memories ❤ Thank You Crossroads Mall, For Everything 🙏🏾
I had a crazy thought that this would make a nice retirement community. Tiny apartments, grocery store, pharmacy, clinic, all under one roof. And being able to get out and walk year round would help elderly with mobility. Just an idea I'm speaking out to the world with hope. Maybe even throw in some gardening space inside and out.
I think you may be a visionary
I made a short video of the mall from last summer 2023 and 2022 on my RUclips. Thanks for sharing yours. From what I last heard only 2 stores remain now. @home is gone now. There’s no Christmas decor there anymore as well. I haven’t visited the mall since last summer 2023. My girlfriend grew up in Waterloo said it was very lively and had many stores and booths in the 90s.
I remember visiting the mall for the first time in 2010 and it had almost all stores there. I miss the most in the mall is Gordman’s. Lot of cheap clothings and stuff there. Kinda like TJ Maxx or Homelines.
I had a lot of great memories there with my mom on Saturdays and out to eat after church at Bishops on Sundays. It’s sad what that mall looks like today and what it was for so many people in Waterloo.❤
Looks like it was a nice mall in its day. I guess you are the only one walking around in there?
Pretty much, just hardly anybody to see
Those empty spaces were added on when Dillards was added. Use to have small pop up stores in them before they moved to the center of the mall.
12:17. Former ?? Was the Lids store.
That carousel to nothing shot really evoked sadness in me mannnn that mall was my favorite place to be as a kid give me 10 bucks and pick me up when they close im in there RIP prime crossroads