Blocked off area leading up to Spencer's used to be part of the food court. Originally the food court was different levels with stairs and ramps before the remodel in the early 2000's
I would often hang out at the McKinley mall as a young teenager on the weekends. It’s crazy seeing it now in your footage. I haven’t visited in years, it’s sad to see such a decline.
Loved the 80s flashback video; I remember friends with those hairstyles. When I was a kid, going to the mall was a BIG THING. Now the fact that there's still a mall is a big thing. I wonder where teenagers go on dates now.
I grew up going to this mall in the 80s and 90s. I always loved their Christmas decorations from the 80s and 90s. I wish I could find some pictures or video of it.
We had the resources to build these huge palaces of retail out of concrete, steel, glass and asphalt and people could travel to them from miles around in their own cars. We won't be able to do these things in the future.
I love the name of that store, Perfume Hat. 🩷🏪 I love that commercial that comes on after the store Perfume Hat.🤎 If I had kids I would definitely take them to see The Easter Bunny. 🐇 🐰I love The McKinley Mall Easter Egg. 🩷🐰🐇🐣🐥
I remember getting shoes at Kinney's here as a kid. Remember when attendants would measure your feet for the right shoe size? Then you'd walk around and check out how it felt on. They'd even check your foot a second time just to make sure you were still comfortable! You were their customer and they'd see you through, start to finish. Store was mostly clean, no boxes rummaged through by everyone, just laying around. And then after you pick out a pair, it's time to bug mom and dad for a stop at Original Cookie! This was a great mall, and it sure did boost the surrounding area! I remember being at so many stores that you filmed ....with my family members, my future husband, and more. It's surreal seeing them closed. Now I'm considering bringing our baby boy here on a "slower" day to see it now before he can't anymore. At least it'll be a good photo op, and I'll explain all this to him someday. Never thought I'd bother writing a youtube comment for anyone until today. Thanks so much for this tour, Anthony... it means a lot to have these memories!
This is my hometown mall. I’ve spent so much time there. Sad that it’s in this state now :(. Thanks for the video! I moved away from Hamburg last year after moving there in 2012 and haven’t gotten to see the mall since before the pandemic. Super glad you’re gonna pump out more videos of Buffalo malls :D
Back in the day I used to have a lot of good times there with my family. I was in there a couple weeks ago myself and I couldn't believe how sad I felt. I live in Olean New York and arm all here is not even a shadow of its former self. Back in the day when I couldn't go to the McKinley Mall we would go to Olean mall and there was so many things for a little Mall. Now it's all gone!
I'm super stoked for your Blvd, EH, and WG videos. I don't remember but I want to say at one point the Galleria had giant colored metal pipes hanging from the ceiling over the lower levels.
14:56 That kid is swinging his arms to the beat--and he doesn't even realize it!! :D :D :D That was really cool. This looks a lot like how The Marketplace At Steamtown (Scranton PA) had looked at the end of 2020. Thankfully, I have been back to our mall and it is showing more signs of life now. I just hope it can cling to the life it has.
Wow this is crazy to see. I grew up in Hamburg and moved away, but I would always visit the mall every time I went home. The differences since when I last visited (Christmas before covid) are huge. When you said you were showing old footage of the food court I thought it would be before the other half was blocked off, back in the day of tijuana taco and that cookie place LOL. Thank you for showing this. I hope to see the mall again when I visit home this summer. As for that storefront you mentioned that looked like a jewelry store (I'm guessing around the claire's/express area) I think you're right it was jewelry but I can't remember which one
Was just on the mall property yesterday, I was shocked at how many cars were in the front lot, must be your free publicity that sparked the masses lmao
Could be that people really dont want to lose the option to shop at brick and mortar stores...it is going to be a big loss when you cant actually see touch and try before you purchase.
For a dead mall, this one is still gorgeous. Will be a sad day when it’s a pile of rubble and the lot becomes yet A N O T H E R Amazon distribution center for Jeff Beelzebub.
When I started watching these videos can’t get enough my local mall Tee Tree Plaza opened in 1970 it’s getting a major renovation the first Amcor store was Myer which is still there today and I have to say Mckinaly mall looks so good shame malls like these and getting closed love your videos by the way
I grew up going to this mall. I’m 20 now, so sad to see it’s just a husk. I remember all these stores being filled. Went there last week and it was just barren. The last time I ever went to the mall before the pandemic I bought a giant chocolate haul from Parkside Candy hah
Every time we walk McKinley Mall, my husband and I try to imagine how we could repurpose it to brig more people in and stimulate the local economy a bit. I would love to see small shop weekends where kiosks are set up with local businesses, whether they are brick and mortar, well-known, or just little Etsy shops. It would be cool if seminars or classes were held in empty spaces.
an investment group tried to repurpose a large mall in my city by "de-malling " it, making the stores free-standing with exterior walking areas, exterior dining. It didn't work. Lots of mals are being demolished because they can't be sold- for $100. Covid aside, it appears the indoor environment is what people don't want anymore. Maybe they want to park closer to the store, maybe it's the crime in the parking lots. whatever made people want to go to the mall is now over. Yet I've heard many larger malls are doing well.
I was thinking something like a full store size miniature golf, indoor tennis courts, carnival slides and rock climbing. Maybe pull in some safety modified small jets and big trucks to play on. Never know,,,could work.
I know an empty mall is a bad thing, but seeing an empty mall or a ghost town fills me with joy, I have suffered at the hands of so many bad people that seeing a beautiful place or architecture devoid of toxic beings fills with with awe and peace!
@@AcesAdventures1 The old ATT Wireless was taken over by Cingular which was known for their orange color scheme. Then through a series of mergers and acquisitions Cingular adopted the name the ATT (Mobility) name, see this article for more info on that, en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/AT%26T_Mobility . For a time they kept the orange color scheme in their stores. It looks like either this ATT store left during that period or if they recently left, they never repainted and kept the orange color.
@@AcesAdventures1 No worries, I just thought you didn't get the Cingular reference 😁. Awesome vid as always, the mall has some nice designs style, a real shame when that wrecking crew arrives in another few years.
Interesting light fixtures and design. I worked most of my life in retail mainly JCP as a visual merchandiser starting from the early 90’ to early 2000’s . Sadly so much as changed everything got mundane and boring as far as store front designs. So it sad to see the downfall of the malls and everything so basic now,
You should do a video on the massive Boulevard consumer square plaza it's hurting the Boulevard mall severely I see it every weekend when I work for samsung at best buy
I haven’t been there in probably 10 years, I’m in my early 30’s and remember going there every weekend with my parents during the 90’s. By the time i was in HS in the early 00’s the businesses surrounding the mall in the parking lot were moving out and the mall itself was declining by the mid 00’s. Still have fond memories of hanging out there while I was in HS tho and it’ll always be my favorite mall. They had a killer arcade there during the 90’s too I believe it was called the boulevard arcade
im only 20 and its so sad seeing this mall close. i remember how PACKED the food court was when i was in elementary school and how hard it was to find anywhere to sit and eat. and now, only two restaurants owned by the same company. so upsetting
I still go to the Best Buy at this mall quite often, but I rarely visit the interior. It's a shame, really. Would be nice to have a good mall in the Southtowns.
In Upstate NY I HIGHLY recommend visiting the Finger Lakes Mall in Auburn. We went to take a look a few weeks ago and I was one of the oddest malls I have ever seen. A Heavily themed center court, with a downtown vibe, and then literally zero chain stores throughout the entire mall itself. The only chain, which is also the only anchor, is Bass Pro Shops. The design of the mall is bizarre, and has a strange rural community mall vibe to the whole place. Also, the Ithaca mall is in a sorry state. Much worse than the Arnot Mall in Elmira.
I seen a piece on CNBC this week saying some retailers are looking to open some stores to take advantage of the low rent. More stores have been opened this year than have been closed. Maybe we are close to seeing a turn in the industry?
Enjoying your WNY mall videos on 01/06/2025! I lived in a small town on the PA/NY border called North East, PA, and often visited the Mckinley Mall, Walden Galeria and one I can’t remember the name of on Transit Road
The McKinley Mall was a huge part of my childhood. Close enough to walk too and kill a summer afternoon. Spent my high school years serving roast beef sandwiches to customers and other mall workers. This video was heartbreaking to see its decline. The mall has been around nearly 40 years, which is a good run. It will be a sad day when they lock the doors for the final time.
This is just sad for those of us who grew up going to the mall with our parents. It's sad to watch this rapidly die off as covid continues to take these struggl malls out one by one across America. This was the place for young people to hang out just like the young people back in the ’50s hanging out at dinners. For my X Generation, it was movie theaters, arcades, and shopping malls. I have watch other RUclipsrs who been documenting these dead malls prior to Covid. I learned they been struggling and some of them did a remodeling. The Carlsbad Mall in San Diego California did just that. This was the mall in my area that did a remodel. When I went back to California visit family I went to the Carlsbad mall and I did not like the remodel. It took away the classic look that I came to know growing up. One RUclipsr did a video on the Carlsbad mall and said that after the remodel it was still struggling. This was before Covid hit and I’m wondering how it is now doing. I believe the gradual increase of online shopping was one of the reasons why malls across the USA were struggling. I know they were slowly dying off before covid. Then the lockdowns came when covid hit and business started losing millions including malls. Like you said, “The final nail in the coffin” has done these struggling malls in. I believe future generations to come won't know what a shopping mall is because there will only be a scattered remnant left of what was one was part of landscapes. In the time after these generations, there will be none but just documentary videos such as yours and others to show them how we used to shop, play and eat.
Have been a resident of Buffalo since 2003. The opening food court promo clip is EXACTLY the way I remember it when I moved here. Each and every restaurant shown was thriving the first number of years I lived here. Might be of some ironic interest; I found your channel only within the past couple of days. Typed in San Bernardino (where I was raised and lived until '03) in the RUclips search, and your coverage of the Central City/Carousel Mall came up as a top suggestion for viewing. THAT structure is where I had many, many fond memories in my childhood/adolescence. (Insert poignant music here...) So the question is: Is simply MY presence in a particular region instrumental in these malls failing?? Do I possess some unknown malevolent major retail shopping center curse...? (The truth is out there). But seriously; your insight, research, production and general overall quality of content is top notch. (Though the undeniable state of decline makes me feel old, sad and nostalgic - all simultaneously.) Thank you for for sharing your passion of exploring these once bustling (now defunct) microcosms of commerce. Though it can be fairly of painful, time marches on.
I think the malls *caused* on line shopping. Think about it. When you arrive at a mall, you park far away from the entrance, unless you get lucky finding a closer slot near the entrance. Then, after walking across the lot, you enter the mall and have to walk a good distance past dozens of stores to get to the one you want to shop at. Then, loaded with packages and bags of merchandise, ( that’s *if* they had what you wanted, or clothing in your size or desired color, and you haven’t made the trip for nothing) you retrace the long walk back to your car. Factor in hordes of teens not shopping but just there to horse around with their friends, dealing with crowds and waiting in lines, worrying about your car being dinged or broken into, it’s a huge waste of time, and far too much walking to buy a few items. Give me a stand alone store with it’s own parking lot, and I’ll shop there. I haven’t been to a mall in twenty years. And when I did go to a mall, it was because what I needed wasn’t available anywhere else. Why put up with all that, the time wasted, and the cost of the gas to get there, when you can order from your home exactly what you want and have it arrive at your home often in one or two days. Malls were a bad idea to begin with, especially when you remember the pre-mall days when you drove to a stand alone store, parked close to the door, walked in, bought what you wanted and left. I won’t shed a tear for the demise of malls.
It’s more then that. What keeps malls alive is department stores, they are the anchors. But big box stores like Walmart pulls customers away with cheeper prices. All the special stuff department stores used to bring to middle America now have their own stores. Fancy glassware & tables ware or linen and on & on . What’s left is brand name clothing. That’s not enough to bring enough people into the department stores to keep them alive. The department stores die, the malls die. Yes online means another 10% drop but that’s not what started the decline.
Worked at Penney's at the McKinley Mall in the early 90s. Place was packed. Now, take a bowling ball and roll it down the walkway and hit nothing but the wall at the other end. Sad.
Went by my local mall and the parking lot looked as it did in the early 90's at Xmas time... then I saw the sign for covid vaccines in the old Macy's building. You actually visited that mall a couple years ago, Eastfield Mall in Springfield, Massachusetts
Really digging the tunes that start at 12:28 but the name that popped up is some Asian symbols & corp. I tried to Shazam it but nothing came up. I did not see a link in the description either. I am interested its in the music how can I find?
My local mall is being demolished soon. So sad because I was there for opening night when it was built brand new. I was allowed in it by the property manager last Sunday and I was depressed all night after giving one last walk through seeing it in nearly disrepair, dark, and freezing cold knowing it will be demolished in the next few weeks. I miss the 80s and 90s.
Im a semi regular here, and things are looking up! Although sears, bath and body works, claires, and victorias secret are gone but theres a lot of new stores appealing to childrens activities, like a rock climbing, karate, arcades, birthdays, etc. Its also a lot less rough, the old childrens rides have been removed and some general tidying. Im happy theyre getting their stuff together and i guess its the right choice to appeal to kids because children are profitable and you cant really buy physical activity online i guess. Im happy theres a gleam of hope though and i greatly appreciate you archiving and putting it out there Ps whats in your attic is mvp (also plz try the smoothies at planet smoothie, berry poppin is my favorite)
Oh wow, was that the food court? No chairs and tables. No restaurants. Those booths are beautiful. A long long time ago I would take my toddler son to eat at our local malls. It was a special treat for both of us. We haven't done that in years. I haven't even on my own. Now with the pandemic there's not a chance in hell that I will eat there. I don't even know if it's open.
Sad to see that laziness and shopping online is bringing the Era of malls to an end...all these places where I used to go when I lived in WNY....summit park mall has been abandoned for years now....love canal tragedy killed it to begin with....want to see how Blvd mall is..
I live in Toronto and we would cross the border to Buffalo, NY and my parents would take me to this mall to shop for clothes... Mind you this was atleast 30 years ago....
I was in there within the past like 2 years and man...... I'm depressed cause of how just being there. I legitimately feel it's not going to be there any longer.
Holy shit I live here and I haven’t been here since last Summer and it wasn’t this bad. I hope the people and cats at Tabby Town are doing okay, I would always go there whenever I had time to go to the mall during the summer. After the Sears incident and now the pandemic, it’s a shock this mall is even around at all
I remember when that food court had that reflective gold ceiling… and ashtrays.
Blocked off area leading up to Spencer's used to be part of the food court. Originally the food court was different levels with stairs and ramps before the remodel in the early 2000's
That food court was AWESOME 😩 The center of the mall also had a fountain and Santa and the Easter bunny would be in the middle of it during holidays.
@@TheKcupholder that is so cool! 👍👍🙂
Yup I stood in line many times to see Santa.
I wish someone had pictures of it, it was huge.
I loved that food court. Although it was easy to lose a friend that already sat down.
I just love when you do a before and after to show the contrast of how much these malls are declining.
I would often hang out at the McKinley mall as a young teenager on the weekends. It’s crazy seeing it now in your footage. I haven’t visited in years, it’s sad to see such a decline.
Time to visit!
Same, mall rat and worker here.
don’t worry me n my friends go every weekend to smoke n hang out😩
Me too. My mom would drop me and my friends off there and we’d walk around for hours.
@@gemini_starrI worked at the Sears for a bit when Paolini was the manager
Loved the 80s flashback video; I remember friends with those hairstyles. When I was a kid, going to the mall was a BIG THING. Now the fact that there's still a mall is a big thing. I wonder where teenagers go on dates now.
I grew up going to this mall in the 80s and 90s. I always loved their Christmas decorations from the 80s and 90s. I wish I could find some pictures or video of it.
like a bye gone era that isnt that long ago. Hopefully we will be saying the same about Facebook in 20 years
*Facebook will collapse far sooner than that, it's already losing in popularity and marketshare.*
What would be to say about Facebook? I won’t miss it.
There will be another social media page to replace it.
We had the resources to build these huge palaces of retail out of concrete, steel, glass and asphalt and people could travel to them from miles around in their own cars. We won't be able to do these things in the future.
That McKinley Mall jingle is going to be stuck in my head. Thank you.
I love the name of that store, Perfume Hat. 🩷🏪 I love that commercial that comes on after the store Perfume Hat.🤎 If I had kids I would definitely take them to see The Easter Bunny. 🐇 🐰I love The McKinley Mall Easter Egg. 🩷🐰🐇🐣🐥
I remember getting shoes at Kinney's here as a kid. Remember when attendants would measure your feet for the right shoe size? Then you'd walk around and check out how it felt on. They'd even check your foot a second time just to make sure you were still comfortable! You were their customer and they'd see you through, start to finish. Store was mostly clean, no boxes rummaged through by everyone, just laying around. And then after you pick out a pair, it's time to bug mom and dad for a stop at Original Cookie! This was a great mall, and it sure did boost the surrounding area!
I remember being at so many stores that you filmed ....with my family members, my future husband, and more. It's surreal seeing them closed. Now I'm considering bringing our baby boy here on a "slower" day to see it now before he can't anymore. At least it'll be a good photo op, and I'll explain all this to him someday.
Never thought I'd bother writing a youtube comment for anyone until today. Thanks so much for this tour, Anthony... it means a lot to have these memories!
Hard to determine how dead a mall is during heart of covid when people were scared to go out. But still good video keep it going
This is my hometown mall. I’ve spent so much time there. Sad that it’s in this state now :(. Thanks for the video! I moved away from Hamburg last year after moving there in 2012 and haven’t gotten to see the mall since before the pandemic. Super glad you’re gonna pump out more videos of Buffalo malls :D
Back in the day I used to have a lot of good times there with my family. I was in there a couple weeks ago myself and I couldn't believe how sad I felt. I live in Olean New York and arm all here is not even a shadow of its former self. Back in the day when I couldn't go to the McKinley Mall we would go to Olean mall and there was so many things for a little Mall. Now it's all gone!
Excellent video as always. Like the abandoned store part at the end. Bring back the Mall News from a few videos back.
Great video! Agreed the blue and purple is nicer than the red color walls.
I'm super stoked for your Blvd, EH, and WG videos. I don't remember but I want to say at one point the Galleria had giant colored metal pipes hanging from the ceiling over the lower levels.
14:56 That kid is swinging his arms to the beat--and he doesn't even realize it!! :D :D :D That was really cool. This looks a lot like how The Marketplace At Steamtown (Scranton PA) had looked at the end of 2020. Thankfully, I have been back to our mall and it is showing more signs of life now. I just hope it can cling to the life it has.
Yeah, that was funny at 14:56
Wow this is crazy to see. I grew up in Hamburg and moved away, but I would always visit the mall every time I went home. The differences since when I last visited (Christmas before covid) are huge. When you said you were showing old footage of the food court I thought it would be before the other half was blocked off, back in the day of tijuana taco and that cookie place LOL. Thank you for showing this. I hope to see the mall again when I visit home this summer.
As for that storefront you mentioned that looked like a jewelry store (I'm guessing around the claire's/express area) I think you're right it was jewelry but I can't remember which one
Hi Anthony, another great video I started watching it a few months ago and saw a shiny object and just finished it tonight keep up the great work
Was just on the mall property yesterday, I was shocked at how many cars were in the front lot, must be your free publicity that sparked the masses lmao
Could be that people really dont want to lose the option to shop at brick and mortar stores...it is going to be a big loss when you cant actually see touch and try before you purchase.
For a dead mall, this one is still gorgeous. Will be a sad day when it’s a pile of rubble and the lot becomes yet A N O T H E R Amazon distribution center for Jeff Beelzebub.
Can you imagine him doing a seminar on how to manage money? Just a thought I had.
20 bucks says this clown has a Prime account.
Chris P. Lettis whelp you’ll lose $20, I do not. And haven’t bought a thing on Amazon in years.
Liked x 100 for the Beelzebub thing. God, how accurate that is.
My hometown...was just there to reminisce.. Original Cookie Co. was next to the Auntie Anne's and that smoothie place. Miss the 80s and 90s!
It's crazy how something can change so drastically in a short time.
I think remodels make malls fail. The beige, utilitarian monster comes in and the mall loses it's magic.
I love this thought
With closures,access to rest rooms are becoming harder to find. If you are lucky, a tenant will let you use their facility, usually not.
I've seen a remodeled mall before and it was still popular
When I started watching these videos can’t get enough my local mall Tee Tree Plaza opened in 1970 it’s getting a major renovation the first Amcor store was Myer which is still there today and I have to say Mckinaly mall looks so good shame malls like these and getting closed love your videos by the way
I was just there the other day. still quite dead, but I had fun walking around and exploring.
Great video! I’m 48 nothing like 80’s and 70’s malls
I grew up going to this mall. I’m 20 now, so sad to see it’s just a husk. I remember all these stores being filled. Went there last week and it was just barren. The last time I ever went to the mall before the pandemic I bought a giant chocolate haul from Parkside Candy hah
Every time we walk McKinley Mall, my husband and I try to imagine how we could repurpose it to brig more people in and stimulate the local economy a bit. I would love to see small shop weekends where kiosks are set up with local businesses, whether they are brick and mortar, well-known, or just little Etsy shops. It would be cool if seminars or classes were held in empty spaces.
an investment group tried to repurpose a large mall in my city by "de-malling " it, making the stores free-standing with exterior walking areas, exterior dining. It didn't work. Lots of mals are being demolished because they can't be sold- for $100. Covid aside, it appears the indoor environment is what people don't want anymore. Maybe they want to park closer to the store, maybe it's the crime in the parking lots. whatever made people want to go to the mall is now over. Yet I've heard many larger malls are doing well.
I was thinking something like a full store size miniature golf, indoor tennis courts, carnival slides and rock climbing. Maybe pull in some safety modified small jets and big trucks to play on. Never know,,,could work.
It would be great for a college campus too, like ECC could move in there, or a high school…
I know an empty mall is a bad thing, but seeing an empty mall or a ghost town fills me with joy, I have suffered at the hands of so many bad people that seeing a beautiful place or architecture devoid of toxic beings fills with with awe and peace!
Spent so much time in this mall growing up. Now it is just a shell of what it once was. It’s days are numbered.
7:50 This area used to have tons of water fountains but were taken out in 2004
Old ATT store? Don't you mean Cingular (Wireless), that orange color brings me back.
It was an ATT store
@@AcesAdventures1 The old ATT Wireless was taken over by Cingular which was known for their orange color scheme. Then through a series of mergers and acquisitions Cingular adopted the name the ATT (Mobility) name, see this article for more info on that, en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/AT%26T_Mobility . For a time they kept the orange color scheme in their stores. It looks like either this ATT store left during that period or if they recently left, they never repainted and kept the orange color.
@@yeahhoo86 i know that, i worked for ATT, I was just point out that it was an ATT store when it closed
@@AcesAdventures1 No worries, I just thought you didn't get the Cingular reference 😁. Awesome vid as always, the mall has some nice designs style, a real shame when that wrecking crew arrives in another few years.
I am 33 and I noticed that malls are be coming a thing from the past ! It's sad too see malls slowly dieing away !
@WAYNE Picnot oh for sure man , Thanks too Internet shopping and what not it's been hurting the malls and smaller business
we need interaction with each other this is sad,nice video and thank you.
Interesting light fixtures and design. I worked most of my life in retail mainly JCP as a visual merchandiser starting from the early 90’ to early 2000’s . Sadly so much as changed everything got mundane and boring as far as store front designs. So it sad to see the downfall of the malls and everything so basic now,
Even though the store front is kind of big for it, does anyone know if the store next to claires (around 11:10) used to be a Things Remembered?
Yep it was
Its sad what has happened to malls, when I was growing up they were always packed with people and every storefront was rented.
What’s in your attic carries
You should do a video on the massive Boulevard consumer square plaza it's hurting the Boulevard mall severely I see it every weekend when I work for samsung at best buy
Really enjoyed this💖
Thanks!
Toys R Us was actually built around the same time as this mall - 1985 was a great year.
Cool to see you covering your hometown mall. I'm sorry man. Mine is gone too. Do a video on the oakwood mall in Enid OK
Was the TRU attached or directly next to the mall? I think I've been to this mall as a child of the 80s and 90s.
Toys R Us was kitty-corner from the mall.
Was here in 1990, it was fabulous. And thank goodness for transit rd super long road in Amherst
I haven’t been there in probably 10 years, I’m in my early 30’s and remember going there every weekend with my parents during the 90’s. By the time i was in HS in the early 00’s the businesses surrounding the mall in the parking lot were moving out and the mall itself was declining by the mid 00’s. Still have fond memories of hanging out there while I was in HS tho and it’ll always be my favorite mall. They had a killer arcade there during the 90’s too I believe it was called the boulevard arcade
Ah crap. One of the mails I like to shop in when I visit the us. 3x a month. I'm stuck just on the Canadian side.
It almost looked as if the Best Buy was just closed but still a functioning store when u walked by
im only 20 and its so sad seeing this mall close. i remember how PACKED the food court was when i was in elementary school and how hard it was to find anywhere to sit and eat. and now, only two restaurants owned by the same company. so upsetting
Nothing screams 80s paint schemes like that blue & purple one
I love all your footage of all the malls everywere
I still go to the Best Buy at this mall quite often, but I rarely visit the interior. It's a shame, really. Would be nice to have a good mall in the Southtowns.
Great video! Do you or any one else have any photos or videos of the mall in the 90s or even early 2000s?
The last store front you were in used to be called Things Remembered
In Upstate NY I HIGHLY recommend visiting the Finger Lakes Mall in Auburn. We went to take a look a few weeks ago and I was one of the oddest malls I have ever seen. A Heavily themed center court, with a downtown vibe, and then literally zero chain stores throughout the entire mall itself. The only chain, which is also the only anchor, is Bass Pro Shops. The design of the mall is bizarre, and has a strange rural community mall vibe to the whole place. Also, the Ithaca mall is in a sorry state. Much worse than the Arnot Mall in Elmira.
Been there
I seen a piece on CNBC this week saying some retailers are looking to open some stores to take advantage of the low rent. More stores have been opened this year than have been closed. Maybe we are close to seeing a turn in the industry?
Is this the mall that you did a video on a couple of years ago when there was a shooting at Sears?
Would be interesting to see. One of our (VERY) dead malls here in PA has had a fairly decent influx of new businesses the past several months.
Enjoying your WNY mall videos on 01/06/2025! I lived in a small town on the PA/NY border called North East, PA, and often visited the Mckinley Mall, Walden Galeria and one I can’t remember the name of on Transit Road
Now it looks like Eastern Hills mall may be what I was talking about on Transit Road
The McKinley Mall was a huge part of my childhood. Close enough to walk too and kill a summer afternoon. Spent my high school years serving roast beef sandwiches to customers and other mall workers.
This video was heartbreaking to see its decline. The mall has been around nearly 40 years, which is a good run. It will be a sad day when they lock the doors for the final time.
Hello 👋 Anthony & everybody! 🙂 Can’t wait to see this! 🙂👍👍
👍👍💯 another good video
This is just sad for those of us who grew up going to the mall with our parents. It's sad to watch this rapidly die off as covid continues to take these struggl malls out one by one across America. This was the place for young people to hang out just like the young people back in the ’50s hanging out at dinners. For my X Generation, it was movie theaters, arcades, and shopping malls. I have watch other RUclipsrs who been documenting these dead malls prior to Covid. I learned they been struggling and some of them did a remodeling. The Carlsbad Mall in San Diego California did just that. This was the mall in my area that did a remodel. When I went back to California visit family I went to the Carlsbad mall and I did not like the remodel. It took away the classic look that I came to know growing up. One RUclipsr did a video on the Carlsbad mall and said that after the remodel it was still struggling. This was before Covid hit and I’m wondering how it is now doing. I believe the gradual increase of online shopping was one of the reasons why malls across the USA were struggling. I know they were slowly dying off before covid. Then the lockdowns came when covid hit and business started losing millions including malls. Like you said, “The final nail in the coffin” has done these struggling malls in. I believe future generations to come won't know what a shopping mall is because there will only be a scattered remnant left of what was one was part of landscapes. In the time after these generations, there will be none but just documentary videos such as yours and others to show them how we used to shop, play and eat.
This video is useless. The videoed before they opened in the morning
The McKinley Mall is such a bummer now :(
Wow sad to see. Used to be one of my stops when visiting.
Have been a resident of Buffalo since 2003. The opening food court promo clip is EXACTLY the way I remember it when I moved here. Each and every restaurant shown was thriving the first number of years I lived here.
Might be of some ironic interest; I found your channel only within the past couple of days. Typed in San Bernardino (where I was raised and lived until '03) in the RUclips search, and your coverage of the Central City/Carousel Mall came up as a top suggestion for viewing. THAT structure is where I had many, many fond memories in my childhood/adolescence. (Insert poignant music here...)
So the question is: Is simply MY presence in a particular region instrumental in these malls failing?? Do I possess some unknown malevolent major retail shopping center curse...? (The truth is out there).
But seriously; your insight, research, production and general overall quality of content is top notch. (Though the undeniable state of decline makes me feel old, sad and nostalgic - all simultaneously.) Thank you for for sharing your passion of exploring these once bustling (now defunct) microcosms of commerce. Though it can be fairly of painful, time marches on.
I think it's more about the online sales boom since 2010 that's had a detrimental effect on the malls
I think the malls *caused* on line shopping. Think about it. When you arrive at a mall, you park far away from the entrance, unless you get lucky finding a closer slot near the entrance. Then, after walking across the lot, you enter the mall and have to walk a good distance past dozens of stores to get to the one you want to shop at. Then, loaded with packages and bags of merchandise, ( that’s *if* they had what you wanted, or clothing in your size or desired color, and you haven’t made the trip for nothing) you retrace the long walk back to your car. Factor in hordes of teens not shopping but just there to horse around with their friends, dealing with crowds and waiting in lines, worrying about your car being dinged or broken into, it’s a huge waste of time, and far too much walking to buy a few items. Give me a stand alone store with it’s own parking lot, and I’ll shop there. I haven’t been to a mall in twenty years. And when I did go to a mall, it was because what I needed wasn’t available anywhere else. Why put up with all that, the time wasted, and the cost of the gas to get there, when you can order from your home exactly what you want and have it arrive at your home often in one or two days. Malls were a bad idea to begin with, especially when you remember the pre-mall days when you drove to a stand alone store, parked close to the door, walked in, bought what you wanted and left. I won’t shed a tear for the demise of malls.
It’s more then that. What keeps malls alive is department stores, they are the anchors. But big box stores like Walmart pulls customers away with cheeper prices. All the special stuff department stores used to bring to middle America now have their own stores. Fancy glassware & tables ware or linen and on & on . What’s left is brand name clothing. That’s not enough to bring enough people into the department stores to keep them alive. The department stores die, the malls die. Yes online means another 10% drop but that’s not what started the decline.
Too many malls and the decline of selection. Add the lack of decent A/C as summers got hotter made it miserable to be inside.
Worked at Penney's at the McKinley Mall in the early 90s. Place was packed. Now, take a bowling ball and roll it down the walkway and hit nothing but the wall at the other end. Sad.
Went by my local mall and the parking lot looked as it did in the early 90's at Xmas time... then I saw the sign for covid vaccines in the old Macy's building.
You actually visited that mall a couple years ago, Eastfield Mall in Springfield, Massachusetts
Opening scene looks like you are walking the old Charlotte Coliseum into the Hornets locker room...
Is the dgi a camera or is it a accessory to your phone?
yet my local shopping mall has only 2 vacant stores.
Really digging the tunes that start at 12:28 but the name that popped up is some Asian symbols & corp. I tried to Shazam it but nothing came up. I did not see a link in the description either. I am interested its in the music how can I find?
Just look up the album Palm Mall by Corp and go from there
Band camp, not main stream lol
Great video
My local mall is being demolished soon. So sad because I was there for opening night when it was built brand new. I was allowed in it by the property manager last Sunday and I was depressed all night after giving one last walk through seeing it in nearly disrepair, dark, and freezing cold knowing it will be demolished in the next few weeks. I miss the 80s and 90s.
Where?
@@AcesAdventures1 Phillipsburg, NJ.
@@e5m956 LOL u should probably look at my IG
Im a semi regular here, and things are looking up! Although sears, bath and body works, claires, and victorias secret are gone but theres a lot of new stores appealing to childrens activities, like a rock climbing, karate, arcades, birthdays, etc. Its also a lot less rough, the old childrens rides have been removed and some general tidying. Im happy theyre getting their stuff together and i guess its the right choice to appeal to kids because children are profitable and you cant really buy physical activity online i guess. Im happy theres a gleam of hope though and i greatly appreciate you archiving and putting it out there
Ps whats in your attic is mvp (also plz try the smoothies at planet smoothie, berry poppin is my favorite)
I went to eastern hills today too, it seems fairly well kept but its mostly dominated by knicknack and junk stores
Oh wow, was that the food court? No chairs and tables. No restaurants. Those booths are beautiful. A long long time ago I would take my toddler son to eat at our local malls. It was a special treat for both of us. We haven't done that in years. I haven't even on my own. Now with the pandemic there's not a chance in hell that I will eat there. I don't even know if it's open.
Sad to see that laziness and shopping online is bringing the Era of malls to an end...all these places where I used to go when I lived in WNY....summit park mall has been abandoned for years now....love canal tragedy killed it to begin with....want to see how Blvd mall is..
This mall is little bit creepy and quiet, great video, man.
that is sad there is nothing in the food court
Looks like a Godiva candy store?
I wonder y theyre all closing
Ate they ACTUALLY CLOSED NOW ?
I love all of this as a liminal space.
Sad, but cannot look away!
I live in Toronto and we would cross the border to Buffalo, NY and my parents would take me to this mall to shop for clothes... Mind you this was atleast 30 years ago....
That's longer ago than I've been alive!
Parkside candies used to be reeds jewelers before they moved to abbot/mckinley years ago
So sad all over the world, i'm never going to be used to being around a lot people ever again. Were still in our third lockdown here in the UK
Crazy, just how fall its fallen 😂
Been there a few times after Bills games
Love the retail instrumental beats by Corp
Wok N Roll!
I was in there within the past like 2 years and man...... I'm depressed cause of how just being there. I legitimately feel it's not going to be there any longer.
There are still people here, it's not fully dead
music from who???
CAN U PLZ DO THE MALL IN IRONDEQUOIT NY
I have 3 times
Also, by the way, my aunt and uncle live in Lakewood NY and my uncle is a well known teacher from SWHS
I really enjoyed this vid it is awesome
No more AB&F? 😢
A few stores had opened up
Holy shit I live here and I haven’t been here since last Summer and it wasn’t this bad. I hope the people and cats at Tabby Town are doing okay, I would always go there whenever I had time to go to the mall during the summer. After the Sears incident and now the pandemic, it’s a shock this mall is even around at all
Yeah the stabbing was not good
Because this was videoed at 9 am, before the mall opens lol
1:42 Hmm..never seen someone sneaking INTO a mall with something stuffed in their pants..