This was so crazy to watch. My husband and I met in Westridge Mall back when we were teens. We used to call it deathridge because of some bad things that happened even back then. We worked there for over a decade. So many stories and adventures in that mall. Made a bunch of friends. There is an old photo of my husband in the attic where he worked selling skateboards. The knife shop, Little house of toys, Casual corner, Foxmore, Brooksfashions, B'Dalton books, Walden books, and Hot Sams are just a few stores that were there when my husband and I first met. When we watch Fast times at Ridgemount high it reminds us both of mall adventures back in the 80's and 90's. I will have to share this clip with my husband later, he will get a kick out of this. So strange seeing how much the mall has changed. There used to be a huge water fountain in the center court that went up really high and it created a waterfall. During Christmas they made the whole area look like a winter wonderland with animated animals and snow/ice around the fountain area. Early in the morning before anyone was allowed in except employees we would walk around it while they played Christmas music. Mall employees would go to the food court area for breakfast before they had to get back to their stores to open. It was so quiet in the mornings before the large crowds for the holidays would come through the doors. At one of the stores I worked at they had two back rooms, one was a small stairway that led to a tiny area where we stored a few items and the other was down stairs. I wonder if they still have that stairway in that little shop with the hidden upstairs area. Looks like it would be where Claire's is now in your video. Yeah, we have so many stories and memories from that mall. Thanks for sharing.
Yup. Orange Julius and the hot dog joint.... Lol. 80s kid, lived on flower Street. 3 blocks north of the mall. I felt this. My friend Dan was the mall mascot for a couple years. He'd just walk the mall in a coyote costume....
@@fishrowe420 Remember when they would put a raw egg into the Orange Julius. I don't know if they did this with all of them unless you asked but I always thought that was so weird. Reminded me of Rocky.So yummy though. The girls would wear funny hats at the hot dog stand or was that lemonade stand?...now I can't remember.
my dad use to go to the mall that Fast Times at Ridgemount High was filmed in the 80s and took me there recently since I was interested to see were my dad hung out as teenager, unfortunately I was very sad to see that is was all changed with only a hand full of stores compared to the hundreds of thousands from before. and a fun fact Fast Times at Ridgemount High was filmed at my dad's high school with was Reseda High School
You hit the nail right on the head I live near the mall and it was originally dying. I think what saved it was converting one of their anchor stores to a large marketplace that caters to the Latino community. The fact that it survived the pandemic is indicative that it's going to be here for a long time.
@@Marcusianery The mall catters to Hispanic comunities, and those kind of "convention"-like malls are quite common in Mexico. They're called "bazares" (bazaars in English) or "tianguis" which are open-air markets.
@@Marcusianery That's the point. They look cheap because you expect to find cheap things in those places, otherwise you'd go to a proper store or mall. I guess that's what they intended here, they offered that space for cheap to tenants that wanted to sell their cheap wares without paying rent for a proper store in the same mall that would eat into their profits.
they focused on the Latino market and it worked out. The Cielo is a nice touch, more upscale than random indoor swap meets. Also there are many hair salons/barbershops in there and other services-type shops. those are more immune to affects of online shopping.
@Rex E-commerce was certainly a big dent in mall traffic, but so was MySpace, Facebook, etc. Teens use to pile into Mom's mini-van and literally just hang out and the mall.
@@mincerstephen9137 adults made it hard for teens ato hang out at malls. Made loitering borderline illegal inside and illegal outside. And things have gotten more expensive. Even stupid shops like Spencer's has gotten more expensive with the years... Hard for a teen to buy stuff and then some mall food on allowance or part time job money alone. Specially since that money is needed for school and you can buy cheaper stuff outside of a malls, including shipping or buy good condition second hand stuff at Facebook Marketplace and Depop.
@@watercolourferns The mall alone make the space unfriendly if you aren't buying something and getting out. I find going to the mall almost hostile at this point
Looking at the layout of the mall, it looks like a really good and effective mix and placement of national chains with mom and pop stores. Looks very well-trafficked, love to see it. Mall is clean and well lit too. Really cool to see!
Seems like the community may have continued to rally around this particular mall despite the 3 shootings incidents BUT any more of that will impact that mall, potentially into oblivion so it’s imperative that cycle does not continue. I’m very impressed with the area of that mall that was like a mall within the mall where you ate your food. THAT area, the pay phones, the dimly lit lounging area, and the odd hallway of small shops gives it a lot of unique, almost a back-in-time type of appeal that reminded me of my favorite mall when I was in HS back in the 80’s when malls ruled the social galaxy as I knew it then. Great video! Awesome channel!
I remember the last video you did on Dillards at Desert Sky Mall, doesn't seem that long ago but time sure does fly. Awesome content and love your music choices!
This looks like a mall that's still really tied to the community--it would be cool if this is the way malls went, more and more unique rather than fewer open stores. Really liked the Evil Queen benches in the common area--they didn't look comfortable but they were eye-catching.
You say the architect that designed this mall is the same architect that designed Desert Sky Mall. The weird hallway place used to be themed as “The Alley”, and I remember it had half a car sticking out (with working headlamps!) at the front. Metrocenter also used to have one, by Sears too.
Yup, Metrocenter was the first mall I saw to have a little branched-off "Alley" like that. I think the one at Westridge was where the Salad Bar was, a little restaurant that had the best cheddar cheese soup and was the first place I had grasshopper cheesecake (mint and chocolate chip). Good memories. I'm glad to see Westridge has survived, unlike so many other malls. The interior is pretty hideous, though. It used to have long planters running along the center of the walkways, with water running thru the middle and seating along the sides. The mall was much darker inside, which made the storefronts look much brighter. The central courtyard was much more dramatic, with lots of plantings. The tiles were earthtones, fitting for 1981. Some of the storefronts don't seem to have changed much - that one covered with wood was a Miller's Outpost, where my folks bought me clothes every year for back to school.
So many memories as a kid, we live a few blocks away so as kids we would walk here all the time. That little hallway used to be filled with store fronts all the way both side and where the p.o boxes are that was a fully running post office at one point with a big countertop and the whole 9. I still refer to it as Westridge. Love the channel boss. Your great 👍 thank you
I used to go there all the time in the 80s. I vaguely remember one of the shops in that hallway being a travel agent. I also believe I saw ET at the theater in the mall.
We have a mall like this one in Houston. PlazAmerica's Mall was nearly dead until new ownership took over in 2009. They rebranded the mall from the old Sharpstown Mall name which had a bad reputation, and refilled a large food court that was down to the last stall. Family events, cheap rents to new tenants, mercado spaces for small businesses, bringing back some of the chain retailers that left, and reopening the old cinema really helped. They also revitalized the long dead former JCPenney, fixed a leaky roof, and made some minor renovations including to the restrooms. Simple changes to get the mall back in order, and now the mall is booming. Vacancies are very low and the last remaining dead anchor (Foley's/Macy's)is reopening as a jewelry/fashion center. This mall really reminds me of PlazAmerica's Mall.
The Desert Sky Mall may not have been kept up to date throughout the years it's been open but I would still visit that mall if I lived in Arizona, especially to shop at their Bath & Body Works. My local mall has a Bath & Body Works with a more updated look, which I have nothing against, but, and this is just my opinion, I like the checkered awning and wood paneling at lot more.
No way this is a dead mall. My local mall ( Stratford Mall, Bloomingdale, IL) is nearly empty. 2021 closures included Victoria’s Secret, Sears, Bath and Body Works, Express, and the Cinemark multiplex, among others. Very peaceful and safe for walking. Thanks so much for your videos!
OMG Namdar is really killing Stratford Square! Unfortunately I didn't have a chance to visit last time I was in Chicago. I hope the Village of Bloomingdale doesn't give those Namdar slumlords a single cent, because they've really done the town a huge disservice.
Just about the only mall to loose 4 or 5 of their anchor stores in a pretty short amount of time. I loved going there as a kid, but it just has too much competition from Woodfield now. Spring Hill is another like this, but is slightly busier.
@@austinlawler3739 Spring Hill Mall seems to be going down, per my visit there in spring 2022. Maybe it hasn't declined as fast as Stratford, but it's getting that way. The only anchor left there is Kohl's, and if you count it at all, a Cinemark movie theater with ONLY outside access and no inside mall entrance. Barnes and Noble left not long ago, and within the last few years it lost Carson's(not this mall's fault, as the parent company closed ALL stores), Sears(consider them to be the same situation as Carson's, as they're a zombie retailer ran into the ground by Eddie Lambert), and Macy's. JCPenney left like 10-12 years ago, I think? Spring Hill probably won't close as quickly as Golf Mill or Stratford Square, but I'll be surprised if it's still open after 3-5 more years. And how did I almost forgot mall slumlord Kohan bought this mall from Brookfield, like a year or 2 ago? Another long term bad sign, for this mall. At least the center court fountain still runs, which is cool.
@@BoratWanksta I haven't been for a while now, but it wouldn't surprise me. I used to go there often in the 80's and 90's and it was a solid mall, mid tier. But yeah, its been going down hill or a while. I can't remember if it was Spring Hill or Standford had a Steven Bary store for a few years around maybe 2008-2010. Penny's left because the store needed 1 million in a new hvac system and other repairs, the company closed it as they said basically the store wasn't worth it. Macy's closed around 2014. The last time I was there, there was some foot traffic, but not a ton.
3 shootings? Pfft, that's nothing. When I was a kid, my local mall (Sunvalley Mall in Concord, Ca) had a plane crash into the roof of the Macy's and it's still going strong today as far as I know.
i’ve been following dead malls etc for a while now and seeing this literally made my month- how it’s still alive, I mean, claire’s and an arcade that people still use?!? and this old style of the stores like bath and body works? i’m so in love with this. i’ve seen videos of malls like this but empty and this one is totally fine and i love it so much- thank you for this content fr
Well the arcade is small. An I think part of it is that there's a lot of places that cater to the local demographic, INSTEAD of the usual "Generic Only" catering more towards White People I'd say.
Seeing all those restaurants in both the mall's food court, and the Mercado building, I would definitely be going to this mall multiple times to try out all of them. I'm a sucker for new restaurants I haven't tried before...especially Mexican or Italian related ones.
It's crazy to think that my family and I were walking these same floors over a decade ago. This mall is super nostalgic. I grew up in a poor Mexican family in Glendale, AZ and we would frequent the Desert Sky Mall after church on Sundays. Back in the day it would be so packed that even the McDonalds would have a huge line. We moved away in 2010 and haven't gone back since. Glad to see the mall is still relatively active. It surprising to see so many people in a mall, especially on a Tuesday afternoon.
I moved to the Redding, CA Area this year and was surprised to see our mall is doing great. The parking lot seems to be full most of the time and the food court was busy last time I was there.
It’s nice to see that mall doing well, with so many shops and food options. That’s really too bad about the shootings, though. I guess if you hear fighting there, beat a quick retreat.
I love this channel and the mall videos. I made the mistake a couple years ago of getting upset regarding comments being disabled or something along those lines, come to find out it was RUclips doing it, not retail themselves, so I apologize. Keep up the hard work and thanks for providing us with these videos.
I've never been to Desert Sky, but as soon as you showed the mini mall inside the old Mervyn's, I immediately thought of Wonderland of Americas in San Antonio, Texas. They have the exact same set up except without the food. That being said, I know exactly what a place like that smells like. No smell o vision required, delicious Mexican eateries are everywhere where I live.
I live a couple miles north on 75th. My grandma used to take me there when I was really young. Westridge had only been open a few years then. Now, I forget that mall is there as soon as I remember it. It's been at that level of activity for the last 20years.
This place looks fantastic. I really like their turning of otherwise unused spaces into leasable store spaces. Obviously, there are businesses in those spaces so it must be working. I wish more malls took a page from Desert Sky's book.
True story: the big Altamonte Springs FL mall near Orlando had a guy drive a 🚙 completely through a mall entrance, go thru a hall, crash on a LOWER floor perfume kiosk! I think the driver was hurt but not killed. Wild. This was 2006-2010 era.
Thank you for returning to Desert Sky Mall and doing a great update video. And LOL I'm the same way when it comes to pay phones. I always have to stop, pick up the receiver and see if it works.
I think a lot of people assume that desert sky is dead because nobody thought it would outlast the other malls in the valley. It’s been dying since at least 1997 when I started going there. Used to take the Thomas road bus up there. I remember seeing “Disturbing Behavior” in the movie theater in the back. I’m wondering if the movie theater is still there? Also, there was a red lobster on the eastern edge of the parking lot. I remember thinking that that’s where “rich people” ate when I was a kid.
Red Lobster still is the place rich people eat. I won a $50 gift card to Red Lobster at my office christmas party last year, and so me, and my girlfriend decided to have a night out last month, and that did not even start to cover our bill, and we did not even order the lobster!!!
Man what an awesome mall, great to see it's doing so well. Interesting to with the little alley of store fronts and mini mall with in. Awesome to see so many operating storefronts and see a mall really still being appreciated and flourishing pretty well. Even with that history it doesn't look dangerous, it's clean and the people seem kind and respectful. I'd love to go there.
The fountain(s) used to be really big, like walls surrounding the food court, with little aqueducts on top of those walls. Thought they were so cool and it's sad they aren't there anymore.
We lived in the area in 95-96 when we were first out of college. Saw The Cranberries and Toad the Wet Sprocket at Desert Sky Pavilion back in the day. Good old Westridge Mall, still kicking it.
Having stores cater to the local demographic seems like a winning strategy. I went there a few times in the early 2000's, but stopped around 2005-ish when the general area seemed a little unsafe.
it’s 4am and i’m looking for mall videos to watch cos I love watching american mall videos and that’s how i stumbled onto your channel. i really like the vibe of your video :)
My mother worked at the JC Penney's at Park Central and then transferred to the one at Westridge (the mall's original name) when it opened. My grandmother lived less than a mile from the mall, so my mom would often stop by her house and have a coffee and chat on her way to work. I remember seeing "Raising Arizona" at the movie theater there back in the day. But in those days, I lived close to Metrocenter, and I wasn't particularly impressed by it. It was just another mall, and Metrocenter was king with the ice rink and all that. Oh, and the alley too, which was Metrocenter's much better implemented version of what Desert Sky seemed to be aiming at with that hallway of stores. But I must say that I am impressed by how the mall's management has adjusted to the times. It is also a case where being only one story and not too terribly big is a big help. It is a lot easier to come up with ways to keep a small mall occupied than a big huge one like Metrocenter was.
interesting to see the part at the end, I feel like there was a setup like that in a building near where my wife used to live years ago, (I may have mentioned she was in oceanside in one of the other SD area videos you did? I'm pretty sure) you go in and there's all the little kiosk shops and what have you different things like the clothes or cell phone accessories kinda stuff? but yeah we're definitely not far away from getting some amazing mexican food, and of course gotta have the real sugar mexican coke with it! definitely my favorite thing living here is easy access to that.
Thank you for posting an Update. I use to love walking and shopping at this mall from 2000-2005, I grew up in the Maryvale area and Remember so many older stores. I remember my family and I use to even shop at Maryvale Mall.
They are pretty busy on the weekends, they are doing okay enough, they are more of a community based mall so people keep going. I been going to that mall since the early 2000s so i seen it progress over the years. The water fountain was alot bigger but they made it smaller to make room for the big stage area
I never been to this mall personally but I do hear from a lot of people that say this mall is pretty ghetto and unsafe and the lack of security shows which I guess makes sense since this mall is located in the rough part of town maybe that's why people are saying this mall id dying but i think it's because we have way too many malls here
13:56 The restaurants have some really good food there. Its sad I don't eat there anymore because due to covid, they had get rid of a lot of tables and chairs and so everyone can social distance each other and when its busy, its near impossible to find seating there. I would love to come back someday when its a weekday or they bring more chairs and tables back.
if you are ever in texas, specifically the DFW, you should visit la gran plaza. It has a really interesting history and is still thriving like this mall. Plus there are many weird choices in entertainment there and how everything flushes in with segments of each building
That mini mall reminds me of the Megamall that was located in Logan Square Chicago, before the area became completely gentrified. That building has since been demolished and converted into luxury apartments. I remember going there with my mom as a kid. It was basically an indoor bazaar or flea market where you could haggle for the lowest prices. The vendors were mostly Asian and Latino immigrants. I always thought it was a weird place, but some of the food options were okay. There's this distinct smell whenever you go to a place like that, it might be the corn tortillas XD
That's not a dead mall. My local mall is a dead mall. That thing is a former shell of itself. The city is trying to figure out what to do with it. I would say 80-90% of the space is for lease. It's kind of sad really, because 30 years ago, that was the place to be. I remember at holiday times like Christmas the overflow parking would be packed. Now employees make up the majority of the cars in the parking lot.
I grew up going to Desert Sky Mall in the 90s and I still live close by. There was a really cool game store called “Babbages” that sold all the latest video game consoles and Pokémon cards. Around the corner from that store was an awesome mom and pop frozen yogurt place…I remember when it would be referred to as “Ghetto Sky Mall” by kids in middle and high school because of the issues that it sounds like it still has. I think it’s awesome it’s still around with a twist though I agree with another commenter who is amazed this mall is around but Metro is toast…Your videos are always so awesome though- keep it up. Definitely a trip down memory lane. Thanks!
Fun fact before the Mercado was there, the entrance to the mall area, the skylight was really susceptible to echos (Early 2000s). Loved it as a kid but then they dampened it down after some renovations.
These local retailers probably aren't paying nearly as much rent per square foot as national chains would pay, but they're paying infinitely more than vacant spaces would pay.
Our city still has phone booths, yes actual phone booths you get inside of to make your call, and they still work and people still use them a lot. I'll use one every now and again. One time my phone died and I had to make a phone call and I used the phone booth. Only costs 50 cents to make a call and you get 10 minutes on the phone.
Retail Archeology, I have been going to Desert Sky since the 80’s my high school was Trevor Browne. They have had shootings and stabbings since 90’s this place is going to be here for a long time. They use to have a bar/restaurant on the northwest side of mall in 2000’s it had so much violence in parking lot they had to shut it down my buddy was a bouncer back in the day. For the life of me can’t remember the name. The back corner by food court had a arcade that was awesome. I knew the neighborhood had changed when Chick-fil-a closed it was there for decades. My favorite place to visit was radio shack back in the day.
Seems like the key to malls is community connection. Malls in general have just gradually become soulless consumerism and that is likely what has caused so many of them to die. But back in the heyday, there were events and community engagement happening inside the malls to make the mall experience more than just "buy stuff and get out." You can participate in the soulless consumerism online without having to leave your house which makes going to malls just to shop pointless. So yeah, this mall seems to have decided to focus on being more of a cultural center and that appears to be paying off.
This is the mall I grew up with, since the 101 to arrowhead wasn't finished yet. I am glad to see they renovated the center court. The corner shops used to just be mom and pop stores, with the rest of the mall being the big pre Amazon retailers.
I agree. It doesn't look dead. Dillard's usually converts their stores to a clearance center in dead or struggling malls. It seems like about every mall has had some kind of shooting incident? At least in the Charlotte area. Vacant Sears seem to stay vacant except around Halloween.
The way you describe this mall reminds me a lot of a local mall we have in North Georgia. They downsized the all and only have one real anchor store now, a Belk, but still has several large chain stores with a mix of immigrant-owned stores and cater mostly to that community that still goes to shops.
We have a small mall in southern Indiana that I’m sure would be a dead mall but it’s got a very popular restaurant called Texas Roadhouse that always has a wait. They give people those coaster pagers so they can walk/shop in the mall while they wait. Seems to be extending the life of the mall.
I was at this mall two years ago and I can confirm, this mall is very much still alive! I was here on a Friday and it was packed! It looks to be doing just as well as I went.
That fountain has been there for a while since the mid 2000’s! There originally was a bigger fountain that took up the majority of the space in that area!
This mall is NOT dead at all. It's definitely doing better than Spring Hill Mall, as a different RUclips commenter mentioned earlier. And it having MORE than one anchor and having better inline tenant occupancy, is good enough to make me think Desert Sky is doing better than Spring Hill. And it has retained Burlington and a Dillard's Clearance, which is better than Stratford Square on a side note. Which btw is doing worser than Spring Hill, and soon is about to lose Burlington. Good video!
I used to go there now and again in the 1980s and 1990s when it was still Westridge. It had a reputation back then, but honestly, a lot more crap happened at Metrocenter and Christown, or at least equal. I hate to say it but it gets reported more because it's a Latin area. I may be biased because I grew up on the west side of Phoenix, but with a few major exceptions (I'm looking at you, 27th Avenue and Indian School) I'd rather be there than a lot of places in Mesa. I'm glad to see the community keeping it going despite a few knuckleheads.
I used to go to this mall all the time. I remember where the wards was I used to go to the warehouse for music. The pennys was down there as well and I was so excited they gave me a credit card at 16! I bought a n64 from the pennys catalog there and took it home on the bus.
I can confirm that the fountain was there, and functional, back when Montgomery Ward was a flagship store. In fact, back then, it was mostly Montgomery Ward and Dillard's which were the main draws for the longest time, as was common at most of the other malls in the region. (In fact, I really only remember going to Sears to comparison shop, as a kid.) while it's slightly sad to see the Dillard's as a Clearance, it makes a lot of sense as an adaption to the stores which changed through the years around it. I expect it would have closed long ago without adapting. The Phoenix area mall I miss though is Christown and its sand castles.
This was so crazy to watch. My husband and I met in Westridge Mall back when we were teens. We used to call it deathridge because of some bad things that happened even back then. We worked there for over a decade. So many stories and adventures in that mall. Made a bunch of friends. There is an old photo of my husband in the attic where he worked selling skateboards. The knife shop, Little house of toys, Casual corner, Foxmore, Brooksfashions, B'Dalton books, Walden books, and Hot Sams are just a few stores that were there when my husband and I first met. When we watch Fast times at Ridgemount high it reminds us both of mall adventures back in the 80's and 90's. I will have to share this clip with my husband later, he will get a kick out of this. So strange seeing how much the mall has changed. There used to be a huge water fountain in the center court that went up really high and it created a waterfall. During Christmas they made the whole area look like a winter wonderland with animated animals and snow/ice around the fountain area. Early in the morning before anyone was allowed in except employees we would walk around it while they played Christmas music. Mall employees would go to the food court area for breakfast before they had to get back to their stores to open. It was so quiet in the mornings before the large crowds for the holidays would come through the doors. At one of the stores I worked at they had two back rooms, one was a small stairway that led to a tiny area where we stored a few items and the other was down stairs. I wonder if they still have that stairway in that little shop with the hidden upstairs area. Looks like it would be where Claire's is now in your video. Yeah, we have so many stories and memories from that mall. Thanks for sharing.
This mall may have changed but the bad things still happen here, me and my friends call it ghetto sky mall😂
Yup. Orange Julius and the hot dog joint.... Lol. 80s kid, lived on flower Street. 3 blocks north of the mall.
I felt this.
My friend Dan was the mall mascot for a couple years. He'd just walk the mall in a coyote costume....
@@fishrowe420 Remember when they would put a raw egg into the Orange Julius. I don't know if they did this with all of them unless you asked but I always thought that was so weird. Reminded me of Rocky.So yummy though. The girls would wear funny hats at the hot dog stand or was that lemonade stand?...now I can't remember.
my dad use to go to the mall that Fast Times at Ridgemount High was filmed in the 80s and took me there recently since I was interested to see were my dad hung out as teenager, unfortunately I was very sad to see that is was all changed with only a hand full of stores compared to the hundreds of thousands from before.
and a fun fact Fast Times at Ridgemount High was filmed at my dad's high school with was Reseda High School
You hit the nail right on the head I live near the mall and it was originally dying. I think what saved it was converting one of their anchor stores to a large marketplace that caters to the Latino community. The fact that it survived the pandemic is indicative that it's going to be here for a long time.
Mini-malls within malls are becoming more popular. If it allows tenants access to cheaper spaces, there you go.
I naturally want to subdivide one of those smaller places so that I can have mallception.
It really looks cheap and tacky in my eyes. Like some kind of convention, temporary.
@@Marcusianery The mall catters to Hispanic comunities, and those kind of "convention"-like malls are quite common in Mexico. They're called "bazares" (bazaars in English) or "tianguis" which are open-air markets.
@@presidentkiller I see, seems so cheap in how they are done indoors, in malls in USA although :S
@@Marcusianery That's the point. They look cheap because you expect to find cheap things in those places, otherwise you'd go to a proper store or mall. I guess that's what they intended here, they offered that space for cheap to tenants that wanted to sell their cheap wares without paying rent for a proper store in the same mall that would eat into their profits.
The fact that desert sky is still there and metro and pv aren’t blows my mind.
Fiesta Mall also!
Truly mind blowing. This timeline sucks.
I know, people were calling it "Ghetto Sky Mall" long before Metro became "Ghettro".
Was my mall from 82 to 90.... I have spent several hundred hours in this mall, over the best years to be a mall rat.
Gotta ask what they are doing right, I'm curious to know.
They should really study this mall to find out how some of the declining malls could improve their traffic.
they focused on the Latino market and it worked out. The Cielo is a nice touch, more upscale than random indoor swap meets. Also there are many hair salons/barbershops in there and other services-type shops. those are more immune to affects of online shopping.
Also once an anchor store closes and people have no reason to walk all the way there it starts dying like gangrene on a limb
@Rex E-commerce was certainly a big dent in mall traffic, but so was MySpace, Facebook, etc. Teens use to pile into Mom's mini-van and literally just hang out and the mall.
@@mincerstephen9137 adults made it hard for teens ato hang out at malls. Made loitering borderline illegal inside and illegal outside. And things have gotten more expensive. Even stupid shops like Spencer's has gotten more expensive with the years... Hard for a teen to buy stuff and then some mall food on allowance or part time job money alone. Specially since that money is needed for school and you can buy cheaper stuff outside of a malls, including shipping or buy good condition second hand stuff at Facebook Marketplace and Depop.
@@watercolourferns The mall alone make the space unfriendly if you aren't buying something and getting out. I find going to the mall almost hostile at this point
Looking at the layout of the mall, it looks like a really good and effective mix and placement of national chains with mom and pop stores. Looks very well-trafficked, love to see it. Mall is clean and well lit too. Really cool to see!
Nice touch adding that "We've been trying to reach you concerning your..." at 7:15. I got a good laugh out of that.
Its amazing to see a mall loved and used by a community, god I love malls
Seems like the community may have continued to rally around this particular mall despite the 3 shootings incidents BUT any more of that will impact that mall, potentially into oblivion so it’s imperative that cycle does not continue.
I’m very impressed with the area of that mall that was like a mall within the mall where you ate your food. THAT area, the pay phones, the dimly lit lounging area, and the odd hallway of small shops gives it a lot of unique, almost a back-in-time type of appeal that reminded me of my favorite mall when I was in HS back in the 80’s when malls ruled the social galaxy as I knew it then.
Great video! Awesome channel!
I remember the last video you did on Dillards at Desert Sky Mall, doesn't seem that long ago but time sure does fly. Awesome content and love your music choices!
This looks like a mall that's still really tied to the community--it would be cool if this is the way malls went, more and more unique rather than fewer open stores. Really liked the Evil Queen benches in the common area--they didn't look comfortable but they were eye-catching.
You say the architect that designed this mall is the same architect that designed Desert Sky Mall.
The weird hallway place used to be themed as “The Alley”, and I remember it had half a car sticking out (with working headlamps!) at the front. Metrocenter also used to have one, by Sears too.
Yup, Metrocenter was the first mall I saw to have a little branched-off "Alley" like that. I think the one at Westridge was where the Salad Bar was, a little restaurant that had the best cheddar cheese soup and was the first place I had grasshopper cheesecake (mint and chocolate chip). Good memories.
I'm glad to see Westridge has survived, unlike so many other malls. The interior is pretty hideous, though. It used to have long planters running along the center of the walkways, with water running thru the middle and seating along the sides. The mall was much darker inside, which made the storefronts look much brighter. The central courtyard was much more dramatic, with lots of plantings. The tiles were earthtones, fitting for 1981.
Some of the storefronts don't seem to have changed much - that one covered with wood was a Miller's Outpost, where my folks bought me clothes every year for back to school.
So many memories as a kid, we live a few blocks away so as kids we would walk here all the time. That little hallway used to be filled with store fronts all the way both side and where the p.o boxes are that was a fully running post office at one point with a big countertop and the whole 9. I still refer to it as Westridge. Love the channel boss. Your great 👍 thank you
I used to go there all the time in the 80s. I vaguely remember one of the shops in that hallway being a travel agent. I also believe I saw ET at the theater in the mall.
We have a mall like this one in Houston. PlazAmerica's Mall was nearly dead until new ownership took over in 2009. They rebranded the mall from the old Sharpstown Mall name which had a bad reputation, and refilled a large food court that was down to the last stall. Family events, cheap rents to new tenants, mercado spaces for small businesses, bringing back some of the chain retailers that left, and reopening the old cinema really helped. They also revitalized the long dead former JCPenney, fixed a leaky roof, and made some minor renovations including to the restrooms. Simple changes to get the mall back in order, and now the mall is booming. Vacancies are very low and the last remaining dead anchor (Foley's/Macy's)is reopening as a jewelry/fashion center. This mall really reminds me of PlazAmerica's Mall.
Same!!! Was living in Phoenix and this mall reminds me of Sharpstown big time. Although this one looks a bit better.
The Desert Sky Mall may not have been kept up to date throughout the years it's been open but I would still visit that mall if I lived in Arizona, especially to shop at their Bath & Body Works. My local mall has a Bath & Body Works with a more updated look, which I have nothing against, but, and this is just my opinion, I like the checkered awning and wood paneling at lot more.
The fine line between modernizing the brand and keeping up with the times and losing what made your brand characteristic or appealing
No way this is a dead mall. My local mall ( Stratford Mall, Bloomingdale, IL) is nearly empty. 2021 closures included Victoria’s Secret, Sears, Bath and Body Works, Express, and the Cinemark multiplex, among others. Very peaceful and safe for walking. Thanks so much for your videos!
OMG Namdar is really killing Stratford Square! Unfortunately I didn't have a chance to visit last time I was in Chicago. I hope the Village of Bloomingdale doesn't give those Namdar slumlords a single cent, because they've really done the town a huge disservice.
Damn even bath and body works? Things must be rough
Just about the only mall to loose 4 or 5 of their anchor stores in a pretty short amount of time. I loved going there as a kid, but it just has too much competition from Woodfield now. Spring Hill is another like this, but is slightly busier.
@@austinlawler3739 Spring Hill Mall seems to be going down, per my visit there in spring 2022. Maybe it hasn't declined as fast as Stratford, but it's getting that way. The only anchor left there is Kohl's, and if you count it at all, a Cinemark movie theater with ONLY outside access and no inside mall entrance. Barnes and Noble left not long ago, and within the last few years it lost Carson's(not this mall's fault, as the parent company closed ALL stores), Sears(consider them to be the same situation as Carson's, as they're a zombie retailer ran into the ground by Eddie Lambert), and Macy's. JCPenney left like 10-12 years ago, I think? Spring Hill probably won't close as quickly as Golf Mill or Stratford Square, but I'll be surprised if it's still open after 3-5 more years.
And how did I almost forgot mall slumlord Kohan bought this mall from Brookfield, like a year or 2 ago? Another long term bad sign, for this mall. At least the center court fountain still runs, which is cool.
@@BoratWanksta I haven't been for a while now, but it wouldn't surprise me. I used to go there often in the 80's and 90's and it was a solid mall, mid tier. But yeah, its been going down hill or a while. I can't remember if it was Spring Hill or Standford had a Steven Bary store for a few years around maybe 2008-2010. Penny's left because the store needed 1 million in a new hvac system and other repairs, the company closed it as they said basically the store wasn't worth it. Macy's closed around 2014. The last time I was there, there was some foot traffic, but not a ton.
3 shootings? Pfft, that's nothing. When I was a kid, my local mall (Sunvalley Mall in Concord, Ca) had a plane crash into the roof of the Macy's and it's still going strong today as far as I know.
Yeah I definitely wouldn’t consider this anywhere close to being a dead mall!
Looks in decent shape.
i’ve been following dead malls etc for a while now and seeing this literally made my month- how it’s still alive, I mean, claire’s and an arcade that people still use?!? and this old style of the stores like bath and body works? i’m so in love with this. i’ve seen videos of malls like this but empty and this one is totally fine and i love it so much- thank you for this content fr
Well the arcade is small. An I think part of it is that there's a lot of places that cater to the local demographic, INSTEAD of the usual "Generic Only" catering more towards White People I'd say.
Seeing all those restaurants in both the mall's food court, and the Mercado building, I would definitely be going to this mall multiple times to try out all of them. I'm a sucker for new restaurants I haven't tried before...especially Mexican or Italian related ones.
It's crazy to think that my family and I were walking these same floors over a decade ago. This mall is super nostalgic. I grew up in a poor Mexican family in Glendale, AZ and we would frequent the Desert Sky Mall after church on Sundays. Back in the day it would be so packed that even the McDonalds would have a huge line. We moved away in 2010 and haven't gone back since. Glad to see the mall is still relatively active. It surprising to see so many people in a mall, especially on a Tuesday afternoon.
Is this place quirky? Absolutely.
Is it great to see it relatively thriving? You bet.
I moved to the Redding, CA Area this year and was surprised to see our mall is doing great. The parking lot seems to be full most of the time and the food court was busy last time I was there.
It’s nice to see that mall doing well, with so many shops and food options. That’s really too bad about the shootings, though. I guess if you hear fighting there, beat a quick retreat.
I love this channel and the mall videos. I made the mistake a couple years ago of getting upset regarding comments being disabled or something along those lines, come to find out it was RUclips doing it, not retail themselves, so I apologize.
Keep up the hard work and thanks for providing us with these videos.
I've never been to Desert Sky, but as soon as you showed the mini mall inside the old Mervyn's, I immediately thought of Wonderland of Americas in San Antonio, Texas. They have the exact same set up except without the food. That being said, I know exactly what a place like that smells like. No smell o vision required, delicious Mexican eateries are everywhere where I live.
The mini mall reminds me of outdoor bazaars. Would be cool to see more of those popping up in the US.
6:25 that fountain has strong 80s jetted bathtub vibes 😄
It's great to see a mall adapt and make the best of things!
I was born and raised in Phoenix. This will always be Westridge Mall to me 😊
That’s a lot of crime for a mall.
I live a couple miles north on 75th. My grandma used to take me there when I was really young. Westridge had only been open a few years then. Now, I forget that mall is there as soon as I remember it. It's been at that level of activity for the last 20years.
This place looks fantastic. I really like their turning of otherwise unused spaces into leasable store spaces. Obviously, there are businesses in those spaces so it must be working. I wish more malls took a page from Desert Sky's book.
True story: the big Altamonte Springs FL mall near Orlando had a guy drive a 🚙 completely through a mall entrance, go thru a hall, crash on a LOWER floor perfume kiosk! I think the driver was hurt but not killed. Wild. This was 2006-2010 era.
Thank you for returning to Desert Sky Mall and doing a great update video.
And LOL I'm the same way when it comes to pay phones. I always have to stop, pick up the receiver and see if it works.
I think a lot of people assume that desert sky is dead because nobody thought it would outlast the other malls in the valley. It’s been dying since at least 1997 when I started going there. Used to take the Thomas road bus up there.
I remember seeing “Disturbing Behavior” in the movie theater in the back. I’m wondering if the movie theater is still there?
Also, there was a red lobster on the eastern edge of the parking lot. I remember thinking that that’s where “rich people” ate when I was a kid.
Red Lobster still is the place rich people eat. I won a $50 gift card to Red Lobster at my office christmas party last year, and so me, and my girlfriend decided to have a night out last month, and that did not even start to cover our bill, and we did not even order the lobster!!!
@@CommodoreFan64 They've upped their prices too. When I go, I do it at lunchtime because even with raised prices, it's cheaper than dinner.
The movie theater is still in the back of the mall but it's been closed and abandoned for the past 2 years.
Man what an awesome mall, great to see it's doing so well. Interesting to with the little alley of store fronts and mini mall with in. Awesome to see so many operating storefronts and see a mall really still being appreciated and flourishing pretty well. Even with that history it doesn't look dangerous, it's clean and the people seem kind and respectful. I'd love to go there.
The fountain(s) used to be really big, like walls surrounding the food court, with little aqueducts on top of those walls. Thought they were so cool and it's sad they aren't there anymore.
Shoutout Quest! Used to be USWest before that. I remember those phone books.
Mountain Bell before that.
I enjoyed this mall tour - I like the fact that its not all big box stores like most malls exist on - quite refreshing!
We lived in the area in 95-96 when we were first out of college. Saw The Cranberries and Toad the Wet Sprocket at Desert Sky Pavilion back in the day. Good old Westridge Mall, still kicking it.
That Skittles vending machine caught my eye, I've never seen one of those before!
Having stores cater to the local demographic seems like a winning strategy. I went there a few times in the early 2000's, but stopped around 2005-ish when the general area seemed a little unsafe.
I remember way WAY back in the day when Metrocenter had a "alley" like that as well. We are talking mid-late 80's early 90's. Like Pre Metro-Midway
Yeah, I remember it being dark back there. Also where all the interesting shops were.
I was thinking the same thing.
there's something relaxing about watching your videos while you walk through these malls as I work on my other monitor, it's nice
it’s 4am and i’m looking for mall videos to watch cos I love watching american mall videos and that’s how i stumbled onto your channel.
i really like the vibe of your video :)
Thank you! 😀
My mother worked at the JC Penney's at Park Central and then transferred to the one at Westridge (the mall's original name) when it opened. My grandmother lived less than a mile from the mall, so my mom would often stop by her house and have a coffee and chat on her way to work. I remember seeing "Raising Arizona" at the movie theater there back in the day. But in those days, I lived close to Metrocenter, and I wasn't particularly impressed by it. It was just another mall, and Metrocenter was king with the ice rink and all that. Oh, and the alley too, which was Metrocenter's much better implemented version of what Desert Sky seemed to be aiming at with that hallway of stores. But I must say that I am impressed by how the mall's management has adjusted to the times. It is also a case where being only one story and not too terribly big is a big help. It is a lot easier to come up with ways to keep a small mall occupied than a big huge one like Metrocenter was.
interesting to see the part at the end, I feel like there was a setup like that in a building near where my wife used to live years ago, (I may have mentioned she was in oceanside in one of the other SD area videos you did? I'm pretty sure) you go in and there's all the little kiosk shops and what have you different things like the clothes or cell phone accessories kinda stuff? but yeah we're definitely not far away from getting some amazing mexican food, and of course gotta have the real sugar mexican coke with it! definitely my favorite thing living here is easy access to that.
Thank you for posting an Update. I use to love walking and shopping at this mall from 2000-2005, I grew up in the Maryvale area and Remember so many older stores. I remember my family and I use to even shop at Maryvale Mall.
They are pretty busy on the weekends, they are doing okay enough, they are more of a community based mall so people keep going. I been going to that mall since the early 2000s so i seen it progress over the years. The water fountain was alot bigger but they made it smaller to make room for the big stage area
I never been to this mall personally but I do hear from a lot of people that say this mall is pretty ghetto and unsafe and the lack of security shows which I guess makes sense since this mall is located in the rough part of town maybe that's why people are saying this mall id dying but i think it's because we have way too many malls here
It's true people be stealing stuff from the store I work at and we don't have enough security to prevent that shit
13:56 The restaurants have some really good food there. Its sad I don't eat there anymore because due to covid, they had get rid of a lot of tables and chairs and so everyone can social distance each other and when its busy, its near impossible to find seating there. I would love to come back someday when its a weekday or they bring more chairs and tables back.
1/4/2024 still not a dead mall. Great Mariscos in the "dirt mall" area.
if you are ever in texas, specifically the DFW, you should visit la gran plaza. It has a really interesting history and is still thriving like this mall. Plus there are many weird choices in entertainment there and how everything flushes in with segments of each building
Nice video. Thanks for not having ads every minute.
That a cute mall! Edit... that second payphone audio addition, lol! Nice job. Dang, too bad about the crime in the area. :(
That mini mall reminds me of the Megamall that was located in Logan Square Chicago, before the area became completely gentrified. That building has since been demolished and converted into luxury apartments. I remember going there with my mom as a kid. It was basically an indoor bazaar or flea market where you could haggle for the lowest prices. The vendors were mostly Asian and Latino immigrants. I always thought it was a weird place, but some of the food options were okay. There's this distinct smell whenever you go to a place like that, it might be the corn tortillas XD
That's not a dead mall. My local mall is a dead mall. That thing is a former shell of itself. The city is trying to figure out what to do with it. I would say 80-90% of the space is for lease. It's kind of sad really, because 30 years ago, that was the place to be. I remember at holiday times like Christmas the overflow parking would be packed. Now employees make up the majority of the cars in the parking lot.
I grew up going to Desert Sky Mall in the 90s and I still live close by. There was a really cool game store called “Babbages” that sold all the latest video game consoles and Pokémon cards. Around the corner from that store was an awesome mom and pop frozen yogurt place…I remember when it would be referred to as “Ghetto Sky Mall” by kids in middle and high school because of the issues that it sounds like it still has. I think it’s awesome it’s still around with a twist though I agree with another commenter who is amazed this mall is around but Metro is toast…Your videos are always so awesome though- keep it up. Definitely a trip down memory lane. Thanks!
Starting to worry about you. Thanks for the new content and stay safe/healthy!
I’ve been waiting for this video for a while, and I really enjoyed it!
Fun fact before the Mercado was there, the entrance to the mall area, the skylight was really susceptible to echos (Early 2000s). Loved it as a kid but then they dampened it down after some renovations.
These local retailers probably aren't paying nearly as much rent per square foot as national chains would pay, but they're paying infinitely more than vacant spaces would pay.
True!
Our city still has phone booths, yes actual phone booths you get inside of to make your call, and they still work and people still use them a lot. I'll use one every now and again. One time my phone died and I had to make a phone call and I used the phone booth. Only costs 50 cents to make a call and you get 10 minutes on the phone.
Very well executed video and a great response to the comments. I remember Westridge and love that it is still going strong! RIP to its fallen sisters.
if possible you should do some of the malls in the midwest some do well some are dead but even the dead malls are nice when its the dead of winter
Retail Archeology, I have been going to Desert Sky since the 80’s my high school was Trevor Browne. They have had shootings and stabbings since 90’s this place is going to be here for a long time. They use to have a bar/restaurant on the northwest side of mall in 2000’s it had so much violence in parking lot they had to shut it down my buddy was a bouncer back in the day.
For the life of me can’t remember the name. The back corner by food court had a arcade that was awesome.
I knew the neighborhood had changed when Chick-fil-a closed it was there for decades. My favorite place to visit was radio shack back in the day.
I forgot all about the Chick-fil-a! Thanks for the reminder.
@@johnbarone7602 I’m pretty sure the spot where he showed the little arcade that’s where the chick fil a was.
That Spencers was like the one in the mall where I live, DARK, where you need a flashlight to see the merchandise....LOL
Seems like the key to malls is community connection. Malls in general have just gradually become soulless consumerism and that is likely what has caused so many of them to die. But back in the heyday, there were events and community engagement happening inside the malls to make the mall experience more than just "buy stuff and get out." You can participate in the soulless consumerism online without having to leave your house which makes going to malls just to shop pointless. So yeah, this mall seems to have decided to focus on being more of a cultural center and that appears to be paying off.
The hallway shop area was a common thing in malls, but I'm thinking back to the 70's. Metro had one, but it was themed.
This is the mall I grew up with, since the 101 to arrowhead wasn't finished yet. I am glad to see they renovated the center court. The corner shops used to just be mom and pop stores, with the rest of the mall being the big pre Amazon retailers.
I love Mercado and been to this mall several times, it’s a great idea to repurpose a vacant anchor store which seems to be a growing trend.
Wonderful! Always so happy to watch your videos! Thank you so much! : )
I'd love to see an update on The Gateway Mall in Prescott. Haven't been there in over 3 years and I'm sure it's even more dead.
That Gordita's Wendy spot in the mini food court area had the best Pastor I've ever had.
Nice to see folks enjoying life, I'm stuck in worse case Ontario, Canada :( heading back into more lockdowns.
I go here frequently but also as a kid when Sears was still open, the desert sky mall used to have big fountains in the middle
I feel like the reason people still come here after all the shootings is because it happens quite often on this side of town.
That fountain has been there since I was a kid in the mid 80s.
God Damn, that Dillard's perfume counter area with the copper ceiling is so awesome!
You SHOULD have gone in the American Freedom store to see exactly what was being offered for sale👍🏻. Just a suggestion.
I agree. It doesn't look dead. Dillard's usually converts their stores to a clearance center in dead or struggling malls. It seems like about every mall has had some kind of shooting incident? At least in the Charlotte area. Vacant Sears seem to stay vacant except around Halloween.
The way you describe this mall reminds me a lot of a local mall we have in North Georgia. They downsized the all and only have one real anchor store now, a Belk, but still has several large chain stores with a mix of immigrant-owned stores and cater mostly to that community that still goes to shops.
We have a small mall in southern Indiana that I’m sure would be a dead mall but it’s got a very popular restaurant called Texas Roadhouse that always has a wait. They give people those coaster pagers so they can walk/shop in the mall while they wait. Seems to be extending the life of the mall.
I love the mini mall inside the Mervyn's concept.
I was at this mall two years ago and I can confirm, this mall is very much still alive! I was here on a Friday and it was packed! It looks to be doing just as well as I went.
That fountain has been there for a while since the mid 2000’s! There originally was a bigger fountain that took up the majority of the space in that area!
The corner shops is where my dad got a ring for my mom from a jeweler. I was like maybe 4-6 and remember it very clearly.
The fountain isn’t working, therefore it’s dead
This mall is NOT dead at all. It's definitely doing better than Spring Hill Mall, as a different RUclips commenter mentioned earlier. And it having MORE than one anchor and having better inline tenant occupancy, is good enough to make me think Desert Sky is doing better than Spring Hill. And it has retained Burlington and a Dillard's Clearance, which is better than Stratford Square on a side note. Which btw is doing worser than Spring Hill, and soon is about to lose Burlington.
Good video!
Wow! Always good to see a busy food court.
Cool place, nothing like this where I live. Great video dude
I used to live at 67Ave and Camelback. I worked at various kiosks during the years. I now live near Superstition Springs Mall since 2007.
That mall looks awesome! Wish malls near me were that busy.
I used to go there now and again in the 1980s and 1990s when it was still Westridge. It had a reputation back then, but honestly, a lot more crap happened at Metrocenter and Christown, or at least equal. I hate to say it but it gets reported more because it's a Latin area. I may be biased because I grew up on the west side of Phoenix, but with a few major exceptions (I'm looking at you, 27th Avenue and Indian School) I'd rather be there than a lot of places in Mesa. I'm glad to see the community keeping it going despite a few knuckleheads.
You haven't done a mall guts episode in FOREVER. That would be awesome to see another one of those.
How this mall survived and Paradise Valley didn't still blows my mind. If it weren't for the Latin community that mall would probably be closed.
id go there cuz its a mall with a mini mall inside of it a 2 in one stop an shop discovery
I used to go to this mall all the time. I remember where the wards was I used to go to the warehouse for music. The pennys was down there as well and I was so excited they gave me a credit card at 16! I bought a n64 from the pennys catalog there and took it home on the bus.
Hi I believe it was called the Wherehouse, I bought hundred of cassettes in those record store chains.
I can confirm that the fountain was there, and functional, back when Montgomery Ward was a flagship store.
In fact, back then, it was mostly Montgomery Ward and Dillard's which were the main draws for the longest time, as was common at most of the other malls in the region. (In fact, I really only remember going to Sears to comparison shop, as a kid.)
while it's slightly sad to see the Dillard's as a Clearance, it makes a lot of sense as an adaption to the stores which changed through the years around it. I expect it would have closed long ago without adapting.
The Phoenix area mall I miss though is Christown and its sand castles.