The Boulevard Mall: A Vintage Vegas Gem | Retail Archaeology
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- Опубликовано: 30 апр 2022
- In this episode of Retail Archaeology we take a look at the Boulevard Mall, it's a vintage Vegas Gem!
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#deadmall #retailarchaeology #thrifting 
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A free magic show AND a Goodwill? SOLD!
I would love to see more malls do this. Instead of focusing on just national brand stores diversified with local retailers also. Think it's may be the best way forward for malls.
Yes I would love to see more small businesses in the mall and the Mercado thing with market stalls is a fantastic idea I reckon!
This mall is doing it right ! Most of these dead malls should be open to letting local businesses rent. The idea of the thrift stores inside is awesome. Love the the quick "thrifting with RA" thrown in with this mall review, gives it a cool nostalgia vibe.
This was my childhood mall. I am still heart broken that Sears, Dillards, Macy’s, and JC Pennys is gone. I had so many good memories. I had seen the fountains and when they had Christmas I use to sit on Mall Santa’s lap. I am glad to see bath and body works is there now. I hope they bring back some of the major stores. This was my favorite mall when I was young. If I see more there this might be my favorite spot again.
In the 1970's and 80's, they had a restaurant named the Vineyard, a two floor smorgasboard type thing. It was wonderful.
Looks like the owners found a way to help this place survive rather than letting it rot and selling the land to someone else.
This was THE mall for locals back in the day.
I worked at Gap (1998-2001) and business was strong. We helped so many young families (holiday season was a zoo) and college students were a large part of the workforce (UNLV is a few miles South on Maryland Parkway).
General expansion of the Las Vegas Valley and newer, more diverse (high-end mixed with entry level and contemporary) shopping negatively affected the Boulevard. Green Valley (where LV and Henderson meet) and Summerlin (NW Vegas) now have malls of their own and (what seems like) an endless supply of houses (not a lot of property development happening in older parts of the city), and the Fashion Show Mall and Forum Shops have been renovated/expanded. I was worried when the anchor stores left, but it seems like the mall has a specific vision of what it wants to be. Good luck to them.
Awesome video. As a resident of Vegas most the indoor malls are like this ( slow).The problem with the Boulder mall also is it’s in a rough part of town. Maryland parkway is nowhere to be especially when it gets dark.
It's surreal just how much of the vintage feel of this mall has actually survived. Swap out a few signs and storefronts and you could really pass it off as the 70s-90s no problem.
I worked at the Sears there for four years. It was a great place to form a working community-lunch at the food court, etc. During the boom years we were the second busiest Sears in the nation after Honolulu. 13 trucks a week when most stores got 1 or 2. Pure insanity in the warehouse! But fun.
This was my childhood mall. I remember when it was all national chains it seemed. Sears and Dillards too. There was a Woolworth’s somewhere around there as well. Thank you RA!
yea i think it was in front of the food court but it was under the ground floor. I think it became a montgomery ward before it was shutdown in the early to mid 90s.
I used to work at the KB Toys at this mall. This was my favorite mall as a teen in the 80’s. Good memories. 💜
There is a lot of memories and a lot of family history in this mall. My parents actually met one another at the Woolworths in this mall! My mom worked there. I remember going to the Sears all the time. I loved looking around the tools and electronics, I still remember buying a copy of War of the Monsters for PS2 and Fallout 3 for the PS3 there. I remember going to this mall almost on a weekly basis to get Cinnabon and looking around GameStop. There was definitely some great memories at this mall!
This mall is really doing well considering the state of it before.
The Mercado really livens the place up and it can get busy. I remember the last time I popped in, there was a full live band playing and it really felt like I stepped into a different place entirely.
It's kinda weird that there's a galaxy theater, considering that this place is in a rough part of town. It sticks out like a sore thumb.
Also, there is a local wrestling company that took up shop in the mall, and it can draw in a crowd when they host events. The local wrestling community here in Vegas is pretty big.
Lastly, I think that a good portion of the revenue for the boulevard mall is thanks to the call center that set up shop in the back anchor building (where a dillards used to be)
Also the trade school where Sears used to be. They closed off what used to be the entrance to Sears inside the mall but it's still a part of the mall and the parking for that always seems to be full during the day so I'm sure that's also a big part of what's paying the rent. And that Goodwill is ALWAYS busy!
This was the mall I went to growing up and it was the only mall on the east side and northeast side of Vegas that was easy to get to. Had every store a teen growing up in the late 90s and early 2000s needed 😁. Yes this mall was hit hard with the recession and when the Dillard's closed in 2008. Glad to see it is still doing well.
I think the skylight and pillar architecture in front of Mercado is my favorite thing about this video and mall! I really enjoyed watching!
honestly i like not seeing national retail chains in the food court, small time eateries are almost always 100% better.
This video is like a nice sample platter of some of the channel's best content - mall walking, "thrifting time", and exploring those oddball places that are often overlooked by other "urbex"/"dead mall" channels all in one package.
And yes, Tyco had a lot more than the RC and slot cars in their portfolio. They managed to acquire a few big name properties in the 80s and early 90s - ViewMaster, MagnaDoodle, Matchbox cars and the Sesame Street toyline (culminating in the now-infamous Tickle Me Elmo doll) - before themselves being acquired by Mattel in early 1997. The Tyco brand was used by Mattel for a while after that, but now is owned by a slot car manufacturer called "Harden Creek Slotcars".
10:19 I love this shot. It gives me strong nostalgia seeing those polished floor tiles and peeking behind a mall plant. Thank you for your work!
Weren't malls originally designed to essentially serve as community centers? Perhaps w/online shopping becoming the norm, many malls can be turned into centers for community services. Not just stores & restaurants, but also feature medical, offices, clinics, barber shops, beauty salons, grocery stores & of course entertainment. A one stop place for all your basic, daily needs which serve the local community.
In other countries, this is generally the setup for malls. When I went to Christchurch in New Zealand, their mall was 3 or 4 floors of every shop/service imaginable and quiet convenient. It was weird to see a supermarket in a mall.
@@AssBlasster - Well, there you go. Have affordable housing surrounding a mall, art galleries, exhibitions, musical events along w/the ever day basics of the human experienve & you have the perfect synergy & reuse of the American shopping mall.
Do a search for "Century City", an early 70's short film that showed this very idea of better city planning. The petrodollar & car industry destroyed the original concept of the mall.
These are all owned by investment companies. They have zero interest in turning these into community centers. It's all about attracting top dollar tenants else keep the place vacant and just hold it as an asset writeoff for other profitable ventures in their portfolio.
@@oldtwinsna8347 - But clearly they're not making any money off of them. It's a bad return on investment if a mall just sits there vacant w/little to no tenants. If they sit there, rotting away, they become worthless assets.
At least as community service centers, you have some revenue flow.
I remember when I was an early teen my father was in charge of remodeling the Woolworth store in the mall. We would stay at the showboat on Fremont Street/Boulder Highway and I would spend some time while my dad was working spending time in the mall doing what teenage boys do and checking out girls.
Personally, I miss when malls used to have food operations that did not have places outside the mall but it seems like the only food vendors these days are the same boring chains you find anywhere else so I like the idea of them having locally owned food vendors that probably have better food than the chain restaurant crap.
I am so happy that you showed this mall i lived in Las Vegas in the 80s and it's great to see that they have kept the interior pretty much the same as it was back then I really miss Vegas I wish I still live there and I really miss the malls that they had and it's so gratifying to see that the Boulevard Mall my favorite Mall in Vegas still exists thank you for showing us that
I remember when The Boulevard Mall opened. I was 5, but I vividly remember the fountain. It was amazing. My father was the Manager of the Ronzone's Department store before it was sold to Diamond's.
This mall caters to the locals. It’s really unique looking.
For a 1968 location, it's well maintained. ✔ .... clean, no cracks, peeling paint, stains.
OMG, I was there yesterday. The mall has changed so much over the years.
The Vegas mall is in GREAT condition for 1968. I'd bet many film, media, TV series did scenes there 🎬🎥🎞
They did. Something with Arnold Schwarzenegger in the early 90s.
5:10 -- for a few years, there was a Salvation Army thrift shop located inside the Parkway Mall in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada. That was a very dead mall with only 2 or 3 inside retailers remaining by the end. The space has since been repurposed into a community college.
It used to be The Boulevard Mall but now it's just The Boulevard. It's my homies and I go-to spot for whenever there's a big blockbuster movie coming out because we will go get food at El Mercado and go watch a movie afterwards.
El Mercado has some of the best local Latin and Hispanic food in one spot! 911 tacos have these ribeye tacos that just melts in your mouth! Another spot does quesobirria tacos that are on point. And the arepas spot is a nice change of pace if you're not into tacos. Another spot serves beef heart, if you're feeling adventurous. There's even a vegan food spot, which I've heard good things if you're a vegan.
As far as the mall goes, it was definitely the spot back in the day. I remember going to the Woolworth with my brothers, going downstairs to play the video games. The KB Toy store was always fun to explore. I used to work at the Penneys and my friend would work at the Music store and I would visit her and see what's new in music. I remember going to Champs and Foot Locker and Athletic Footwear to go look at the new Penny Hardaway's shoes! I remember all the urban clothing stores and always trying to be flirting with the cute girls working there! I remember glamour shots that my mom and aunties would go get all dolled up for and then when I was in high school, the photo shops that did the glossy 2x3 photos that all the popular kids would go do.
I'm grateful that it's still standing and still thriving and is more dedicated to the community. Things you didn't show was the puppet store that you can make your own puppet and has puppet shows. There's a local wrestling organization that has store front and training center, that throws wrestling shows once in awhile. There's this cafe shop and an older gentleman plays jazz saxophone, always gets me in the mood. Auntie Anne needs to come back though, cause that was my go to spot when I needed and pretzel fix. And of course, as a fellow thrift head, having that goodwill there is a blessing!
Woolworth used to be across from where the food court is. It had a lower level so that is probably in some way still underneath the small stores that replaced it. I would kill to see that. Woolworth also had a restaurant.
In the earlier days there wasn't a food court. Hot Dog on a stick is where it has been since the 80s and there used to be an orange Julius across from it.
One of the main anchors used to be a Broadway department store that was turned into a Macy's. It was 3 stories and had old school super skinny escalators.
When they added on in the early 90s they added (I was in middle school) Sesame street, Disney, and Sanrio store. As a kid this was HUGE. Disney stores weren't a thing back then so it was so cool to have.
Thank you. I credit this mall for my love of malls. I was raised in this mall. Thank you for sharing ❤️
Amazing that a mall can loose Macys, JCPenney, dillards, and Sears and still be doing this well. I’m glad management has been able to lease to these tenants who probably wouldn’t be considered at most malls.
Moved to LV in the early 70's, The Boulevard Mall was the only game in town. The UNLV campus is just up the road on Maryland Pkwy too! It is so great to have a Goodwill in the mall! I remember that there was a Goodwill in an Albertson's on the other side of town over on Rainbow.
I live close to this mall and go pretty regularly. They may not have big anchor stores but they have some niche ones that are cool. There are also 2 eye glass places...I bought my last pair there and the staff was very friendly. The Old Navy is really big too. Nice place, clean, and they have movies too.
I walk through this mall almost everyday during the hotter months of the year. Trust me, it does get packed during the summer.
I work at next to this place and have for the past 10 years and worked at a Toys R Us next to it around 2005. Place was great in early 2000's when I first moved here. 2010 or so, much like every mall was dying pretty fast. There's a trade school attached to it and that used to be a Sears The Mercado was a JC Penney and the fountain was in front of it. Both opened up with the past two years or so. The Goodwill was a Dillard's I believe. And the Seaquest was a Macy's.
That sign outside that was the first shot of the episode is actually new. Like put up in 2022 new!
Obviously it's not as strong as it once was but this is far from the worst it has been and they've really been putting effort the past 5 years or so to turn it in to something useful and not let it get leveled!
My childhood! The main entry was previously home to a massive fountain under that skylight.
The people over at the Vintage Vegas facebook groups have hundreds of stories about this mall. Thanks for posting.
5:13 Thrifting Time Is Always The Best Time especially when it's happening at The Mall.
I grew up going to this mall in the 90s. The fountain in the main entrance was amazing to look at and throw coins in. We used to frequent Woolworths which was located across from the food court, and it had a basement level retail space which I thought was pretty cool; and rare for Vegas outside the strip these days. I believe the food court was added in the mid 90s and the Southeast extension was added in the late 90s; I think it was called The Promenade. There was a fountain there as well. The Hot Dog on a Stick was built before the food court was added and I'm surprised it still exists in that same location! Thanks for doing this video. I forgot how cool this mall was.
I have gone to Vegas three times. I have never seen this Mall only the Fashion Mall.
On my next trip I will make it a priority to go!
I was there on Sunday 14th April 2024, this was the first time back in years, in fact I used to always go there about 28 years ago back in the 90's and back then the place was so full. it was great to go back and just reminisce , great video!
What a nice place! The fact that there aren't large chains makes it especially an interesting place for me. Not that I'm going to be in the neighbourhood soon, but everywhere the same stores over and over, basically around the globe with a lot of them even. No, I love smaller and regional stores and a whole mall with those, especially the mall within the mall... very nice. I think in the long run they have more chance to succeed due to that.
Back in 1982 I lived in Vegas, Back them the mall had the best little Italian restaurant "The Vineyard" . Back then it was an OK neighborhood and was a place for the locals to shop.
Loved the video! In South Korea and Japan, they had literally every food and consumer good in vending machines. My son was used to it, as he lived there, but he was constantly dragging me away from them.
I’ve never been, but this mall looks like a thing of beauty. That Mexican food court looks delicious!
I haven't been shopping in so long that this felt like I was with you....thanx for the tour - its actually a very nice mall!
I love the pillars in the front and throughout the old section
Having a Goodwill in a mall is a hella good idea.
This mall looks quite unique. I think my favorite thing is the lights on those weird pillars. And did not expect to see a Goodwill there. I enjoyed the surprise thrifting time! Love the video as always
I was so excited seeing this come up on my recommendations! I’m graduating from UNLV in a few weeks but this has been the closest mall to me the whole 4 years I’ve lived here. We have a love hate relationship with this mall but me and my friends mostly love it for the galaxy theater and hispanic food in el Mercado. I’ve been watching you for a few years now so I was happy to know you visited my local mall.
Neat to see a vintage styled mall like this! So fun! Gorgeous look!
There's a guy doing a free magic show in a mall in vegas? Damn, hope he gets better gigs in the future. Mall Magician sounds rough. Also, I gotta say this is the coolest mall I've seen in a while. Loads of local shops with good foot traffic and local food.
My mom worked at a chocolate shop there, and because it’s so close to unlv I’d sometimes visit between classes. What a nice memory!
Great video! I used to go to this mall in my twenties. That was 40 years ago. Thanks for filming.
Your videos are so crystal clear I almost feel like I'm there. Really enjoy your channel!
It's good when there isn't a lot of chain stores. It makes people pay attention to each store and go exploring to see what they can find.
The surprise Thrifting Time was a pleasant bonus lol
I finally have a reason to go to Vegas again.... Love it.
Dessert sky was westridge mall beck when I was a kid. Moved 3 blocks from it in 83...
I haven't been anywhere close to the west coast since maybe the mid 90s, certainly never to Las Vegas, but if the chance ever comes and it's still there I am definitely visiting this mall.
Longtime viewer and subscriber...LOVE YOUR CHANNEL ♥️
Your voice has calming vibe and would be PERFECT for audio books and horror story readings!!
The pillars down the center of the corridors are interesting. I love how they lead to arches in the ceiling.
Grew up going to this mall. Found memories of the fountains, Hot Dog on a stick, orange julius and the McDonalds that was near Sears. I am so glad to see it is doing much better than when I was there the last time in 2010.
Forgot about Orange Julius - would always pester my parents for one!
Grew up at that mall in the 70's-80's. Great memories. Thanks for covering it.
You were expecting retail archeology but it was me, Thrifting time!
I'm happy you've found that mall and i'm looking forward for the next episode👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Love the architecture of this mall!! ❤️ I was psyched to see a notification from your channel! I've missed your videos!!
Live in Vegas for the past 30 years. That mall was the shit back then before Galleria mall in Henderson opened. Me and my friends always go this mall every weekend. I missed 80's and 90's.
I grew up 3 minutes from Boulevard Mall I’ve been there 1000 times in my life .
BM was the best mall in Las Vegas until about the late 90’s .
BM had a busy valet parking area with a taxi cab stand .
Great video welcome back!! That is a nice looking mall I love some good skylights they really can bring a sense of tranquility sometimes.
I remember frequenting this mall in the 1980's, before it was updated. It certainly looked way different than it does today.
I lived near the Boulevard Mall before and after the big expansion in the early 90's, it was always busy and was a great place to spend an afternoon. Now it's sad and empty.
I was at the pimm valley mall on Monday (what a trip that place is) and they also had the eyelash vending machine!!!!
As a vegas local, this mall is like you said. Some areas are quiet and some are active. Meadows Mall is a what I looking extremely outdated and may be dying slowly. Galleria in henderson is definitely the most active of the off strip malls. Always go there from time to time and it is always busy
The malls around here all seem so small compared to back on the east coast - except of course over on the strip, Fashion Show and the under-casino malls are pretty big - but I dig that Boulevard has nearly 100% small-time stuff.
Did you go in that comic shop at all?
I miss Hot Dog on a Stick and crave it now (used to live in CA, now in NC)
That’s dope! A Goodwill in the mall!!! Thanks for showing us this cool place
Glad to see the Goodwills out west still have stuff the ones in my area have really gone down hill sadly.
Remember when you would go to the mall on a Saturday and you could barely get around and you had to park in the back of the lot.
I actually remembered going to this mall in 2019
Awe it's so good to see you at my neck of the woods
Boy I used to work at this mall in the early 2000s, it was popping and full of life, lots of customers. It was really a great place to work. Sad to see what it has turned into now in 2023
I grew up near this mall. Worked across the street at the godfather's pizza... Would often see George, Liberace's brother in there. And there was a movie theater, think it was outside, where I felt up a girl for the first time! AAwwwww... memories.
Oh.. and I went to William Orr Jr. High, which is right next to that mall.
ok so since i started watchin u ive gotten into the west coast/mojave retro aesthetic so seeing this on my recommended got me euphoric and vibin
I lived in Vegas from 2001 to 2008 and I was in this mall a lot. It was the mall most convenient when I was driving home from work. I remember there was a store here that opened in like 2005 that only sold stripper / pole dance shoes and amazingly, they did extremely well. That's a big industry in Vegas so they found a need and filled it. I doubt it's there any more now that you can easily find that stuff online.
Glad to see a new video! Please come out East to some of the malls out here!
All the malls I been to on a saturday afternoon here in Australia, so many people its slow to move around.
So excited for a new video. Hope you are doing well!
yea this definitely looks very well taken care off, the skylight roof is clean and clear, everything are clean and clear.
hell, active malls just built 10 years ago over here probably don't look half as good as that.
seriously look at those roof, beam - no rusts at all, glass - sparkling clean you can lick it safely, ceiling - white & clean, no obvious blemishes / stain...
I get so happy when you post. You have the perfect voice for this too 👌
This is my mall baby!!! Love it!!!!
I love the vintage Spanish style lamps
Awesome! I appreciate the videos, they are my go-to lunch break sandwich & chips videos :)
Amazing video! This is a beautiful mall architecturally!
WOW. Another great video. Keep up the great work.
This mall was great back in the 90s/early 00's, alot of great times here. I remember when it was a ghost town some years ago and saw they opened an aquarium and call center there, good use of space i guess. Happy to see its slowly starting to boom again though, great video! Can you please do one on the Galleria at Sunset?
I Like It ! I am digging the Architecture as well.
Another great episode to get my RA fix. Keep up the awesome work, Erik!
My childhood mall man thanks for covering it
I wish I had known you were in Vegas. I love your videos, and would have loved to have gotten to finally meet you!
I have driven past this mall so many times not knowing that it was there. This weekend I’m making a trip out there thanks to this video.
I love those light fixtures. They don’t go with the mall very well but they’re very nice.
I’ve never been. Thanks for sharing
OUTSTANDING!!! Thank you!