We used to go there 2-3x a month from 1989-1999 when I was in my 20s and living at the Jersey shore on Absecon Island in Ventnor and working in the casino industry. It was very busy in the early 90s.
I live near this mall and I loved this mall when I was a kid it’s so sad to see it go I had birthday events there times where I had to go to get clothing and ofc the arcade and so much more fun memories my favorite store here is Tilly’s for Sure I love it Great Times 🥹
@@sodasaintcommentaries4054 level up has tried in the past to get feet in the doors, sponsoring events to get local and regional creators to show up, but even back in 2015 foot traffic wasn’t that great. Had a table there once, didn’t bother doing it again. Usually the only reason to travel out that way shopping wise at this point is instead Consumer Square, as they have a larger Best Buy anchor store. Then again, other south jersey malls like PREIT’s Cumberland Mall isn’t doing much better either, with many storefronts inside shuddered, and several anchor stores gone including the Bed Bath & Beyond, and the long gutted Toys R Us. But at least the JCPenney anchor was taken over by Dick’s Sporting Goods.
This was my favorite mall and it will forever be and there used to be a store that was like a dollar tree but different and i dont think hamotin mall ever had a sears well when i went to the mall but now 2022 the macys is still opened
I am originally from New Jersey. The Hamilton Mall was my family's "secondary" mall, the one we went to when we were tired of going to the Ocean County Mall. I remember the Hamilton Mall having some wonderful fountains in it when I was younger. It always seemed busy and lively. That retro game store and arcade looked pretty cool, but I think that mall is going to suffer the same fate as many other malls.
I went here once in 2019 on my way to AC after coming from atco raceway for a bite to eat. I think the shoppers world was there and about to close. even then the food court was kinda dead
you should come back again... i work at the mall and have been since 2019... some of the stores you saw when you went are now closed! like against all odds!
the learning center was a discount shoe store owned by asians my mom used to bring me to... i wish you zoomed out a bit on some you were curious about cause i would have known them!
Can't believe there were even people there. Last few times I've gone in the past year, it was just me, myself and I. Totally dead. Such a shame because this was my childhood mall.
Yup I remember tha arcade and tha food court looked totally different, there was actually a platform type area with steps you would walk up to go sit down n eat
3:14 it was so weird seeing this area again, i used to play there as a kid!!! 😭 i went to this mall a few weeks ago, all those slides & things in there are gone now.
Back when you had to meet your date at the mall and hangout there for hours upon hours bc you couldn’t drive. So many great memories there. The food court used to be the spot! Sad to see it all fall apart, but life goes on. It doesn’t take away from my childhood.
“I don’t play by society’s rules”🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣. Classic line ray! This mall over all is very nice, I hope it can make some come back in the future because It would be sad to see this mall die. Great video ray!
Loved going here in the late 80s, early 90s. Lots of great memories with my family and friends. The arcade looks great. Think I'll go down there after black friday and see how it's faring.
when i saw that carousel it gave me alot of memories, im 13 but almost 14 but when i was like 8 i used to ride on it lol i remember, i used to go to hamilton mall with my dad, hopefully it lasts alot of years
More stores have closed since you recorded this video. I used to work at Sears when I was in high school. It’s very sad to see the demise of a mall that I spent my teenage years in. The escalators have been broken for over 6 months at a time. There was an article in the local newspaper back in December talking about how several stores have been behind on their rent to the tune of over $100k. I’m honestly surprised this mall is still open. Last year it was closed for a few days due to the power being shut off for non payment.
I used to go to this mall years ago! I graduated from Richard Stockton College down the road. I haven’t been there for about 13 years since I moved out of state in 2008. I can’t believe how much in decline it is! 😞
This mall has some really cool things going for it. The record store and massive arcade are huge bonuses for me. I would frequent a mall with those kind of places. Our local mall is fashion oriented with few options for entertainment. They added a Dicks sporting goods anchor which was good until about a year later, they eliminated their hunting, guns, and ammo department. We have plenty of places to go for the above items, but the big box retailers had better prices especially on ammo. Thankfully Academy picked up the slack, but they are not a part of the mall.
Yeah eliminating the hunting and other "fun" stuff , go figure. Dick's is sooooo watered down compare to the past. Why they even stopped carrying skate board related accessories in the past decade....... Sports authority was better!!!
I always wonder what will my great grandchildren history books will tell them. Will their lives be easier. What will they think of when they learn of everything that’s going on today.Happy New Year, Ray.
I used to take my daughter here every Friday night before closure to visit the child's play area outside the eventual closed Sears, and of course the carousel. They should still have those animal moped things kids can still ride, outside the Gamestop. I remember the Sears final days, got some great deals then.
The level up store is one of my favorite stores to get games and the record store next to it is amazing!! I've never been to the arcade downstairs yet. I'm hoping this mall stays open. It's struggling though just like all malls 😞
Nice video and footage! The arcade and video store are huge pluses. However, looks like dying mall unfortunately. JCPenney, Sears and Shoppers World all gone. Now I'm hearing rumors that Macy's might close at this mall later this year or early next year.
3:13 LMAO. unironically i remember hanging out and playing here in the late 2000s when i was a kid. really, its a shame no kids hang out there anymore. i used to have so much fun despite there being barely anything there. the imagination of a little kid is really magical... 3:50 it does suck. in more recent times, before covid, i used to hang out with my friends there and all the spots were filled. a shame honestly. seeing all your stores and shops from childhood get closed up...
It's sad to see this place struggling to hold on the way it is, but not surprising. Between the loss of its anchors (Sears during its micromanaging fiasco, and JC Penney and Shoppers' World), and the location in general being a pain to navigate, I fear that the Hamilton Mall is not long for this world... at least, in its current form. For it to survive, I suspect difficult decisions will likely be made with regards to downsizing, otherwise it's on its way to becoming yet another symbol of a bygone era in America's retail history. It's a shame; this place was quite something back in it's 90s heyday (and my childhood), but time marches on.
The popeye pinball machine was badass! Shame, I used to go to the Hamilton Mall all the time. You’re right, if Macy’s close’s that mall will be finished.
Shoppers World must not've been there long. I'd been to the one in South Plainfield/ Edison. Last I was at this mall was when Sears was closing. Even 10 years ago the food court looked like it was in trouble by having a generic chicken sandwich shop instead of Chickfila like Deptford mall. I sure miss the long-gone Center City sports!! The mall may be half vacant but its not rundown like Shore Mall was. The Carousel was a nice touch.
As much as I liked this mall, the food court was pretty sad. I wish I could've been to shore mall when it was open, I did a video about what remains of it, you might enjoy that
@@RayOutThere That was really something!! Was the building REALLY in that much disrepair? Antiquated, yes, but it hardly looks any better now, still undeveloped. I remember once having my license renewed at the MVC, shopping at Center city sports (the Hamilton one was better), the dollar store, even the thrift store in its final years. And of course Value City. I'd bought a vhs-c videocamera at Circuit city back in High school. My first time at shore mall was visiting Clover just before it closed. And went to Burlington quite a bit. Was shocked to see it closed, but relieved that it actually moved. Also remember TGI Fridays, was a nice restaurant.
I was just there 6/3/2022 for lunch, trying out the new boutique pizza place. Wasn't bad. I'd go again. Walked by Starcade on my way out and surprised to see it not only still open, but with a few customers. I have bought a few items of clothing from the Rock Shop. There used to be a Space Port at that mall back when it opened. I don't remember what area of the mall it occupied though.
The spaceport was there until the mid 90s. The grey haired guy who managed it was the manager of the original Cumberland Mall spaceport, he moved to that one when cumberland mall's spaceport was replaced by a Challenges in 1990-ish. The space port was on the bottom level, not far from where that pet store used to be. about 4 or 5 storefronts away from the anchor on that side. The JC Penny side, I believe.
![OsamaSon - ik what you did last summer [Official Music Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/4DIQDnu3mr4/mqdefault.jpg)
AAO!!!!!!! One of my favorite stores!!!! 😭😭😭😭😭😤😤
The Atlantic city suburbs. Home. Back in 1999-2000 it was amazing.
We used to go there 2-3x a month from 1989-1999 when I was in my 20s and living at the Jersey shore on Absecon Island in Ventnor and working in the casino industry. It was very busy in the early 90s.
I live near this mall and I loved this mall when I was a kid it’s so sad to see it go I had birthday events there times where I had to go to get clothing and ofc the arcade and so much more fun memories my favorite store here is Tilly’s for Sure I love it
Great Times 🥹
I remember that food court it has the best pizza and now it done
Ah yes, my childhood mall.
Also, so glad to see Level Up still there.
That's probably one of the few places there that still does excellent business.
@@sodasaintcommentaries4054 level up has tried in the past to get feet in the doors, sponsoring events to get local and regional creators to show up, but even back in 2015 foot traffic wasn’t that great. Had a table there once, didn’t bother doing it again. Usually the only reason to travel out that way shopping wise at this point is instead Consumer Square, as they have a larger Best Buy anchor store.
Then again, other south jersey malls like PREIT’s Cumberland Mall isn’t doing much better either, with many storefronts inside shuddered, and several anchor stores gone including the Bed Bath & Beyond, and the long gutted Toys R Us. But at least the JCPenney anchor was taken over by Dick’s Sporting Goods.
Lived and worked in Atlantic City in 90's and 2000's. Enjoyed a lot of good times at this mall. Sad to see it's going downhill.
This was my favorite mall and it will forever be and there used to be a store that was like a dollar tree but different and i dont think hamotin mall ever had a sears well when i went to the mall but now 2022 the macys is still opened
we had a sears and a jcpenneys
I go to that mall all the time. I hope they change it around.
I am originally from New Jersey. The Hamilton Mall was my family's "secondary" mall, the one we went to when we were tired of going to the Ocean County Mall. I remember the Hamilton Mall having some wonderful fountains in it when I was younger. It always seemed busy and lively. That retro game store and arcade looked pretty cool, but I think that mall is going to suffer the same fate as many other malls.
Sadly I think you're right
0:49 oh that’s definitely a Jcpenny! I have never ever been to Mays Landings before but I know my retail 😂😂😂😂
I remember purchasing art (lol) at Prints Plus in that mall.
I went here once in 2019 on my way to AC after coming from atco raceway for a bite to eat. I think the shoppers world was there and about to close. even then the food court was kinda dead
It opened in 1987
:32 was JC penny's
AZ brand?! I remember that!
you should come back again... i work at the mall and have been since 2019... some of the stores you saw when you went are now closed! like against all odds!
I really like this mall, I was back about a month ago but I didnt film
I only go to the mall mainly to catch the bus to AC.
the learning center was a discount shoe store owned by asians my mom used to bring me to... i wish you zoomed out a bit on some you were curious about cause i would have known them!
Can't believe there were even people there. Last few times I've gone in the past year, it was just me, myself and I. Totally dead. Such a shame because this was my childhood mall.
That store you thought was Sears was actually JCPenney
Thank you so much for going!!
Thank you for the suggestion! This was a great mall to check out
Disrespected my man Qui-Gon
hey fellow NJ !!! remember james way lol
I was too young to remember sadly
I remember Jamesway. There was one in Rockaway after they closed it was turned into an Ames. Now it's a Dollar Tree I think.
@@djsonic6533 i’m near rockaway now, i remember the one on route 9 near lakewood lol
Jamesway, my FAVORITE!!!! I miss my childhood doses of "OOH"!!! I had an uncle that worked there too.
Oh wow love the arcade!! So fun. Thanks for the tour of the mall! Love it.🥰🥰🥰
Thank you, glad you enjoyed it!
Yup I remember tha arcade and tha food court looked totally different, there was actually a platform type area with steps you would walk up to go sit down n eat
8:30 The arcade
0:22 That is a closed shoppers world (Former JCPenney) It is now a furniture place if I’m correct.
Pls mall Vineland nj
3:14 it was so weird seeing this area again, i used to play there as a kid!!! 😭 i went to this mall a few weeks ago, all those slides & things in there are gone now.
Used to hang out at this mall when I was in my teens. Thanks for checking it out & posting - brought back good memories. :)
Thank you, glad you enjoyed it!
Same here, we probably crossed paths in life and don't even know it lol!
Used to hang out at that mall all day long when we was teenagers, great memories! Lived in Mays Landing from 1998 to 2010
Glad you liked it!
Awesome video man!
Thanks Andrew!
If I were you, I would go to either the Cherry Hill Mall or to the Deptford Mall instead for a better shopping experience.
The equipment from the kids play area is gone, and the Cinnabon/Auntie Anne's is closed for good
american eagle outfitters and white lotus are also permanently closed at the hamilton mall
That is one unique looking mall.
It really surprised me how nice it was
That's a nice mall
Thanks!
They do yard sales in the Hamilton mall now 🤦🏻♀️ I need to move out of this area
Hi Ray what a cool mall love the arcade and the pinball machines Fun House is one of my favorites
It was a top notch arcade! Worth the trip. Thanks for watching!
Back when you had to meet your date at the mall and hangout there for hours upon hours bc you couldn’t drive. So many great memories there.
The food court used to be the spot! Sad to see it all fall apart, but life goes on. It doesn’t take away from my childhood.
yessire! this is the mall i used to go on my first dates at
“I don’t play by society’s rules”🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣. Classic line ray! This mall over all is very nice, I hope it can make some come back in the future because It would be sad to see this mall die. Great video ray!
Thanks! I feel like such a rebel when I film inside a mall.
That closed store at 7:07 was an old Suncoast Video. I used to go there a lot while I was in college.
Thank you! There is still an open Suncoast at the Monmouth Mall
Back in the LaserDisc era, I would frequent Suncoast and buy movies there.
man suncoast video in the hamilton mall was a vibe
I worked at the Champs you showed at 4:57 back in the 90s......... Doesn't look like they ever renovated it.
It was really cool to see it
Just to work in an Outback is next to it don't know if still exist? Greeting from Mexico
Thank you for watching!
Loved going here in the late 80s, early 90s. Lots of great memories with my family and friends. The arcade looks great. Think I'll go down there after black friday and see how it's faring.
I went back a week or two ago, its really quiet and feels like a dream
That would be jcpennies entrence
Haven’t been in a mall in years. Last one in NJ was Menlo Park 30 years ago. I remember going there as a kid before they enclosed it.
I wish I could have seen that!
Very Nice Mall inside and out and that Spy Hunter Arcade reminds me of my childhood playing that in a mall, thank you for taking around.
It was a really dope arcade!
when i saw that carousel it gave me alot of memories, im 13 but almost 14 but when i was like 8 i used to ride on it lol i remember, i used to go to hamilton mall with my dad, hopefully it lasts alot of years
Cinnabon Sandwiches? Wow. Who knew?
I thought that was pretty funny. I'll have to try one next time
I worked at the J C Penny
Back in the the early 2000's when they were remodeling the mall at night .
More stores have closed since you recorded this video. I used to work at Sears when I was in high school. It’s very sad to see the demise of a mall that I spent my teenage years in. The escalators have been broken for over 6 months at a time. There was an article in the local newspaper back in December talking about how several stores have been behind on their rent to the tune of over $100k. I’m honestly surprised this mall is still open. Last year it was closed for a few days due to the power being shut off for non payment.
Its a great mall and I would spend more time there if I lived closer
Virtual reality center used to be an old Wet Seal. Candy kiosk used to be a Friendly’s. I believed they closed around 2005.
No false friendlys was across where the candy thing is
That place you think was a Sears looks more like a JC Penny to me.
Yeah I goofed.
I can’t believe that place is still open, I heard it was closing a couple years ago.
I hope it stays open, I had a really good time at this one. I wish I lived closer
I used to go to this mall years ago! I graduated from Richard Stockton College down the road. I haven’t been there for about 13 years since I moved out of state in 2008. I can’t believe how much in decline it is! 😞
Its sad because it's actually a really great mall
This mall was amazing when I was a kid.
I remember standing in line with almost 1000 people at midnight to get halo 2!
Good ole times.
This mall has some really cool things going for it. The record store and massive arcade are huge bonuses for me. I would frequent a mall with those kind of places. Our local mall is fashion oriented with few options for entertainment. They added a Dicks sporting goods anchor which was good until about a year later, they eliminated their hunting, guns, and ammo department. We have plenty of places to go for the above items, but the big box retailers had better prices especially on ammo. Thankfully Academy picked up the slack, but they are not a part of the mall.
Its funny how small businesses moved out of malls because they were too expensive, and now they're moving back in.
Yeah eliminating the hunting and other "fun" stuff , go figure. Dick's is sooooo watered down compare to the past. Why they even stopped carrying skate board related accessories in the past decade....... Sports authority was better!!!
@@railroadskater2896 For sure, they are no longer a true sporting goods store.
I always wonder what will my great grandchildren history books will tell them. Will their lives be easier. What will they think of when they learn of everything that’s going on today.Happy New Year, Ray.
Thank you, Happy New Year to you!
I used to take my daughter here every Friday night before closure to visit the child's play area outside the eventual closed Sears, and of course the carousel. They should still have those animal moped things kids can still ride, outside the Gamestop. I remember the Sears final days, got some great deals then.
I miss Sears!
The level up store is one of my favorite stores to get games and the record store next to it is amazing!! I've never been to the arcade downstairs yet. I'm hoping this mall stays open. It's struggling though just like all malls 😞
Yeah this mall had some really great stores in it!
Nice video and footage! The arcade and video store are huge pluses. However, looks like dying mall unfortunately. JCPenney, Sears and Shoppers World all gone. Now I'm hearing rumors that Macy's might close at this mall later this year or early next year.
That would be the final blow for this place
3:13 LMAO. unironically i remember hanging out and playing here in the late 2000s when i was a kid. really, its a shame no kids hang out there anymore. i used to have so much fun despite there being barely anything there. the imagination of a little kid is really magical...
3:50 it does suck. in more recent times, before covid, i used to hang out with my friends there and all the spots were filled. a shame honestly. seeing all your stores and shops from childhood get closed up...
Next, tour the pier on the boardwalk across from Ceasars casino!!! That is completely dead space and they even closed off many parts of it
ruclips.net/video/e5JubrZe7rI/видео.html I gotchu
@@RayOutThere my man!
I didn’t know they put a arcade in the mall!! A reason to stay 😂
It's sad to see this place struggling to hold on the way it is, but not surprising. Between the loss of its anchors (Sears during its micromanaging fiasco, and JC Penney and Shoppers' World), and the location in general being a pain to navigate, I fear that the Hamilton Mall is not long for this world... at least, in its current form. For it to survive, I suspect difficult decisions will likely be made with regards to downsizing, otherwise it's on its way to becoming yet another symbol of a bygone era in America's retail history. It's a shame; this place was quite something back in it's 90s heyday (and my childhood), but time marches on.
Its a shame because this mall has some really fun small businesses in here and has a good vibe to it
The popeye pinball machine was badass! Shame, I used to go to the Hamilton Mall all the time. You’re right, if Macy’s close’s that mall will be finished.
Shoppers World must not've been there long. I'd been to the one in South Plainfield/ Edison. Last I was at this mall was when Sears was closing. Even 10 years ago the food court looked like it was in trouble by having a generic chicken sandwich shop instead of Chickfila like Deptford mall. I sure miss the long-gone Center City sports!! The mall may be half vacant but its not rundown like Shore Mall was. The Carousel was a nice touch.
As much as I liked this mall, the food court was pretty sad. I wish I could've been to shore mall when it was open, I did a video about what remains of it, you might enjoy that
@@RayOutThere Actually I saw a video about the back portion, in which the floor tiles were still intact, I'm not sure if that was yours or not.
@@railroadskater2896 Yeah that was me!
@@RayOutThere That was really something!! Was the building REALLY in that much disrepair? Antiquated, yes, but it hardly looks any better now, still undeveloped. I remember once having my license renewed at the MVC, shopping at Center city sports (the Hamilton one was better), the dollar store, even the thrift store in its final years. And of course Value City. I'd bought a vhs-c videocamera at Circuit city back in High school. My first time at shore mall was visiting Clover just before it closed. And went to Burlington quite a bit. Was shocked to see it closed, but relieved that it actually moved. Also remember TGI Fridays, was a nice restaurant.
I was just there 6/3/2022 for lunch, trying out the new boutique pizza place. Wasn't bad. I'd go again. Walked by Starcade on my way out and surprised to see it not only still open, but with a few customers. I have bought a few items of clothing from the Rock Shop. There used to be a Space Port at that mall back when it opened. I don't remember what area of the mall it occupied though.
I really enjoyed the arcade and rock shop, it was nice to see stores like this in a mall again
The spaceport was there until the mid 90s. The grey haired guy who managed it was the manager of the original Cumberland Mall spaceport, he moved to that one when cumberland mall's spaceport was replaced by a Challenges in 1990-ish. The space port was on the bottom level, not far from where that pet store used to be. about 4 or 5 storefronts away from the anchor on that side. The JC Penny side, I believe.
I can Tel you all about this mall and one other if you ever ask. And if I see the reply
It’s super quiet there. Is it covid that made this mall struggle or location? Thanks for sharing 🍻
Malls are struggling in general and covid has accelerated the decline. This mall is near Atlantic City, which is a struggling area
COVID hit this area extra hard, and not to mention brick-and-mortar retail itself has been both evolving and struggling in general.