Dead Mall?! What's Up with Horton Plaza Shopping Mall In Downtown San Diego?
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 3 янв 2020
- I was trying to buy a t-shirt in Downtown San Diego and was shocked to find that the Horton Plaza Mall right in the middle of the city is completely dead while everything else around is thriving. The retail apocalypse and the death of American shopping malls are very, very real in California and beyond. Take a look.
Filmed with a GoPro Hero 8.
* MORE San Diego Travel Vlogs:
- How to Get to Pacific Beach with No Car - geni.us/jZv8e7A
- Hilton San Diego Bayfront Room Tour - geni.us/YA8Lv
--
FIND US ON SOCIAL MEDIA
* Subscribe to our LIFESTYLE Channel
bit.ly/gemini-discover
* Visit our CAMERA GEAR & TECH Channel
bit.ly/GeminiConnectRUclips
* Check out our travel blog
www.geminiconnect.com
* Follow on Instagram
/ geminiconnect
--
TOOLS WE USED TO MAKE THIS VIDEO
GoPro Hero 8 Black
geni.us/gopro-hero8
Music We Use for RUclips (Free Trial)
geni.us/epidemic-sound
SUPPORT THE CHANNEL
*If you enjoyed this video and would like to support our channel, please consider using the links above to make purchases. We make a small commission at no extra cost to you, and the funds help us make more videos.
#sandiego #travelvlog #vlog SUPPORT THE CHANNEL
* Support us monthly on Patreon - / geminiconnect
* Make a one-time donation on PayPal - bit.ly/gemini-paypal
We love making RUclips videos, but it takes time to film and edit material for you to enjoy. If you enjoy our free videos and would like to help us produce fresh content, please consider supporting us on Patreon, making a one-time donation via PayPal, or using our affiliate links to purchase products (we receive small commissions at no extra charge to you). Our videos will continue to be free to watch on RUclips, and there is no obligation to help at all. But any support offered is greatly appreciated and goes directly into creating better content for you to enjoy. Thank you! - Martin and Suzi 📭 SEND US SOMETHING
Gemini Connect
PO Box #28353
Seattle WA 98144
This was my favorite place when I was a kid. Its so gorgeous, so sad.
I smashed my first chick there smh
DITTO Catloaf!
Essentially what happened is that the mall went through an incredible spate of bad luck with anchor store closings, a suicide, a murder, culminating in the fastest downward spiral I have seen a mall go through. This place was still very active just five years ago, and one of my favorite places to eat downtown before it fell apart. Currently, an investment firm has bought the property and is going completely renovate into a tech investment center assuming they make it past all the legal issues.
Wow. Thanks for all the information!
Interesting information. I remember when Horton Plaza opened up in the 80s and it was the place to go.
Yeah I remember as recently as 2015 it was still on and popping there. I still even remember the last meal I had there..a teriyaki chicken bowl. But then again, I can't remember a single thing I bought there otherwise, in all the years I visited that place. In fact, I don't even remember the last thing I bought at a mall. Funny hoe memory works.
Bro, in all of the Gaslamp Quarter, your favorite place to eat....was the mall?
Uh,...ok
I remember that suicide, it was back in 2009. I was working at the nearby NBC building. I was working that day, and heard about it from coworkers.
Back in 2001 this place was CROWDED i used to go to the gamestop and hang around the Panda Express!
This mall was humming 10 years ago, it used to have all the standard brand like GMC, GAMESTOP, HOLLYWOOD VIDEO. It even had a 3 level music store in the front entryway off Broadway St. It also had a bookstore, when that national chain bookstore left, it was replaced with a mom n pop bookstore. That expensive JIMBO store is catered to the TRADER JOE'S/WHOLE FOOD/VEGAN clientel. I've explored that supermarket twice, it is not my cup of tea. The ONLINE industry killed the mall all across America, what a tragic. Thanks for uploading this video, hope you had a great time here. Cheers.
What contributed the most was when they started applying ridiculous fees for parking. It was 10 or 15 minutes free and then $20 right after. I went there for lunch (that chili cheese fries place), got it to go, then because I was 1 minute past the free point, a person from ACE parking said that I had to pay. It was somewhere between $20-$25. After that. Never went there again. They should have left it at first 30 minutes free, then $3 every hour.
Wow that's crazy!
Yeah, your right. That's why the entire place closed. Cause of one minute of parking past dues... 🤦♀️
It's true, what knuckle head would pay that much for mall parking, probably you. @@jsandiego2394
The exorbitant parking fees and the decline in the repair and cleanliness of the place were major reasons why I stopped going there and went instead to Fashion Valley and UTC. Horton Plaza was a fun place to go when I lived in San Diego until the changes I mentioned that seemed to occur after about 1998. I'm sure that I'm not the only resident of San Diego who stopped going there after the late 1990s. It seemed to me at the time that the management company was cheaping out on the maintenance and upkeep and was trying to squeeze every penny of profit they could from the place, thinking that the customers wouldn't know the difference.@@jsandiego2394
I lived in San Diego from 1976 to 2001. This is so VERY sad..... I'm 66 now and would not be able to walk the way he did....
I was there in the early 90s when I was stationed there in the Navy and that place was hopping then.
Places are closing down because of online shopping its easier and much cheaper.
My dad was in the Navy at the same time and stationed there as well. For Christmas he bought me and my brother each a Tigger stuffed toy from the Disney Store. I named mine Horton after the place. I still have him he looks like he just came out of the box 30 years ago. Sad to see Horton Plaza the way it is today.
Fun Fact: At 4:43 that store front with the red structure and blue/purple background is the ONLY original store front that survived from the day of opening to the time of this video. It was a Chinese Restaurant called The Panda Inn. Minus a few coats of more vivid paint as seen now, it looks now very much as it did in the mid 80s.
I was there for the grand opening in 1984 and can remember a lot of the first stores that were there. I don't hold that much sentimental value towards shopping malls or shopping plazas but Horton Plaza was a work of art. It's funny because as you're walking around, I can remember what it used to be like in the 80s and 90s. I can see a much younger version of myself in those areas. Nothing lasts forever but places like this will be a part of my generation's nostalgia even if they were crass shopping outlets.
Your comment at the end is interesting to me. Let's suppose this comment survives for 100 years or more. For a very long time, many generations before me in fact, retail stores only had competition against mail-in/phone-in catalog businesses (the business model that shopping online would closely resemble). Many people including myself liked being able to go and demo what they would purchase and at that time, the selections were better because that was the only way you could buy something easily. If a store had to order something, you'd likely first look elsewhere so they'd lose your business if they didn't have what you wanted in stock.
Prior to the maturation of the suburbs in the 60s/70s as an American way of life, people would dress up, pack up the car or hop on the train to go to their major city or town center and shop at the street level stores and department stores.
In the 70s/80s and 90s especially, downtown centers were not pleasant places to go anymore. There was drugs, crime, prostitution, theft, grifters, etc. That brought a rise to shopping malls: Mostly indoor safe climate controlled environments with some degree of security where people could feel safe and shop. Large Grocery Stores came about this way as well and have lasted far longer (up until the time of this comment and likely longer). Shopping malls mostly were closer to home, had better parking and became places to go.
During my generation, Generation X, cell phones were exceedingly rare. We obviously didn't have portable devices and social media (such as this) to keep us connected and entertained. There were a few kids with very primitive (to today's standards) portable digital hand held games but nothing like today where everyone is staring down at a smartphone. We were (and are) a generation, perhaps the last for a while, that does much better with physical social connection. So going to a shopping mall wasn't just about "hey I want to buy this ________." It was a place where we hung out with friends, met people, got educated about the latest and greatest whatever, got into trouble, ate food. The Brookstone and Sharper Image stores of the 90s were always a big hit because it was all this "high end" stuff we couldn't afford but we could go play with it. It was a place our parents dropped us off feeling that we'd likely not run into any serious trouble.
San Diego is one of the few cities with quite a few outdoor shopping malls -- at least it had several at the time, I'm not sure about now. What's more, Horton Plaza was VERY unusual because the whole idea of a shopping mall was to avoid the detracting elements of cities in the 70s/80s/90s. At the time and even up until today, there are very few places in the US that can compare to the playful nature of Horton Plaza so oddly, it was a big deal growing up for us to pack in, have our parents drive passed several more local shopping malls all the way to downtown San Diego to go there.
The interesting thing about now is that as cities have re-gentrified and downtown street level stores have found a new life that've not seen since the 1940s. There's one point in the video 9:25 looking out into the bustling downtown streets. I remember when that was the reverse of how it looks now. Those streets were not so nice / inviting and we'd much rather been in the safety of Horton Plaza than out there.
My conjecture is that since people primarily shop online now and do their commodity shopping at larger soulless big box stores / grocery stores, there is this longing to give back to the local small business, to have a more unique, authentic boutique experience favoring the charm of small businesses over yet another retail chain. Retail chains also started putting their storefronts back into the street level shops to compete. So now many downtown streets look more like shopping malls once did. For all these reasons shopping malls, even ones as cool as Horton Plaza, began to lose their convenience and charm. Specifically speaking to Horton Plaza, as people wanted to come to downtown districts to shop again, the very large parking structure at Horton Plaza likely raised their prices to fit the demand. This meant that people who may have wanted to go to Horton Plaza were put off from the extremely high parking fees. The cost of going there to shop outweighed the charm of it.
I believe that the CODID 19 pandemic was the nail in the coffin for most all of these establishments that were already hanging on by a very thin margin. That's why in 2020 this place is a former shell of itself only 2 years prior.
main reason the cost per sq foot was insane and nobody wanted to work there because the workers had to pay for parking in the building.
Chris Robinson here. Former San Diego resident and Navy veteran. I got to call this “paradise” of a city home while i served from ‘99-02. I loved it from day one, and often wonder why i decided to leave , but thats anothrr story for another time. This is me lamenting the ‘death’ of something in my past. Not quite a haunt, but nostalgia in the best way, - I remember walking around this mall, confident, proud and with almost not a care in the world. 9/11 hadn’t happened yet and i was 20 yrs old and Horton plaza was one of my frequent spots, to shop , people watch or grab some food. The mall itself was iconic for its layout and outdoor feel, something not often observed… to see this on youtube now and to know it was demolished a few years back is just disheartening. (I can still feel the Nokia 918 in my pocket like … “i got a cellular phone yall!!” )
It's being completely renovated, more a business park but with new stores as well, should be cool. The bones of the Mall is still there, still looks like Horton but more modern.
I was stationed there from 01-05 and Horton was the place to be. So many amazing memories there. This was devastating to see, truly heartbreaking.
So sad to see this mall "Horton Plaza" to be demolished. I remember my first time here in 2000-2001; this was my first experience of an open air mall with this beautiful art deco design. Will surely be missed.
I was in SD for a conference last year in July. I went to Horton Plaza looking for Jimbo’s and the Plaza felt like a ghost town. Jimbo’s is a gourmet grocery store on the ground floor of the Plaza, near 1st Ave & G St, not too far from Ralph’s. It seems like many of the shops relocated to the Gaslamp area, in and around 5th Ave.
Have you walked around Seaport Village yet? That place has a lot of small and unique shops worth checking out.
Yes, gaslamp right next door is lively. That's what makes it so striking. I haven't been to Seaport yet. I'll have to go next time
www.seaportvillage.com
Beautiful place even though is 30+ years old. Much better than many other malls still in service. I lived in San Diego from 1987 - 2003
Yes! We read they are now turning into a corporate office. Hopefully it remains open to visitors
Thanks Jeff Bezos.....
I lived for a few years in San Dog back in 1987 and I used to love hanging out here as well as the general Gas Lamp District; it was the in-place to be back in those days...the architecture & vibe were so unique...so sad
Spent three months in San Diego in 1986 off Washington St with my sis while I was in the Navy. Use to go to Horton Plaza and get the Cinnabuns. Top Gun was showing at the Theater and was filmed on my ship USS Ranger.
I remember being in that mall in '95 while in the Marine Corps. It was an amazing place to hang out.
Horton Plaza served as my primary Downtown San Diego haunt while stationed in the Active US Navy.(1997-2005)🇺🇲
Being renovated now, it's a huge project, but the essence of the Horton mall is still part of the new project.
Last time I was here was 2012 wow it’s changed so much. 😞
To me this is so sad. If i could do it, i'd turn this place into something like The Oasis from Ready Player One. Open it up to local markets first. Here in Portland Maine, we have these art, food and music street festivals every first Friday of the month. Performers, street artists, cosplayers, dancers, art vendors, food carts, ect... To Me, Hortan Plaza has already got the atmosphere for that, i mean that's what it's creator intended it to be: a pedestrian playground. So WHY, with that in mind, would no body buy it and turn it around? San Diego is full of millionaires. No one had this idea? Imagine at night, with all the lights, mini-shows, arcades, casinos, ultra lounges--it would be like a small version of Vegas or Disney Land. And as soon as more/bigger local businesses come in, hopefully some major stores would return, and then we're back. I really, truly hope something like this happens.
Because that sounds like exactly the kind of tourist trap bullshit that would make me run for the hills
So creepy, I used to go there as a kid…
This was my favorite mall when growing up
I lived 3 blocks away from the mall from 1989-2001. I have so many childhood memories. I recently moved back to California in 2018 and was saddened to see the mall was dead. The cause for the demise was gentrification of downtown San Diego. Once they pushed out all of the low income families and inflated the real estate it pushed many people into the burbs or out of California. Online retail is to blame too. I remember the prices of items in many of the stores at Horton plaza were inflated. I’m assuming because of the high rent. Turnover for many stores was high especially on the upper levels. Horton Plaza used to be packed daily! So sad to see it’s demise. The property is now under demolition.
That is sad. I spent a lot of time there back when I was in the Navy. I was out there in 2009 and 2013 and it was still hopping. It was nice seeing the plaza again.
It's crazy how quickly things fall apart and change these days. Thanks for watching.
Me too.
I used to go here and fashion valley
All the malls are dead now
It’s sad
Very Sad‼ I was in the NAVY and Horton Plaza was a cool place to hang out. When I had a day off i didn't have to hang out at the barracks.
The bright colors remind me of my childhood, its a REALLY weird version of nostalgia
I visited this Mall 3 times when I was on holiday in California in 205. The place was really busy back then. Such a shame it won't be operating as a mall anymore.
It's being converted into a high-tech office park. We'll see, post-pandemic, whether high-tech companies need more office space, or employees will continue to work at home.
Man I haven't been back here since the 90s, I was planning on staying in the gaslamp for an upcoming vacation and wanted to stop by here. I know Malls were pretty much dying all across America I did't think this would be one of them.
My bro worked at the Hard Rock Cafe until it closed down. He took the trolley and bus every day and said it got really dangerous with the crime and homeless near the end.
I remember being there in 2013 and there was many people walking around shopping, and I even unexpectedly saw my grandpa there. Made a lot few old memories there but sadly its been demolished
Was there in the early 2000's I lived in El Cajon at the time but loved coming to downtown just to go to the Horton Plaza beautiful architect and very friendly place sad to see it go Rip. Horton Plaza good memories! Good video Gemini👍
Wow. I was there a little over 10 years ago. It was the first time I had ever been to an actual outdoor mall. Back then the concept blew my mind.
Wow.... I'm absolutely devestated. I remember where you're at and I'm at a loss for words. Did you ever find a t_shirt?
This place was me and my wifes place to go 11 years ago. I have awesome memories with her, I actually went there last weekend and its all fenced up and getting demolish. it broke my heart because i was ignorant that the mall was going through that. I wanted to take my 2 year old to see were mommy and daddy used to hang out when they were dating but found only pain....
I remember being in that mall in the 2010s and eating at the Panda Express there. But then I don't remember what I was doing in San Diego to begin with! 🤣🤣 I traveled so much that decade I can't tell anymore.
- Red
i’m from manchester uk and i visited horton plaza back in 2013, i still have some custom nike air force shoes that I got there and then, it was a packed out place when I went there and it is genuinely sad to see it dead and gone…. hope one day it comes back alive 🇺🇸
So, so sad that , that happened to the mall! Thank you for sharing the video. I lived in San Diego in the 1990's for a couple of years.Then moved to another State. I hope you found your shirt. In the future, if you find yourself in the same situation, there is always a Walmart, somewhere. 😉
I believe that many malls across America will face the same thing. With the ciber commerce idea, there's no need for a physical store. It's all connected to the economy we're seeing today. Good Luck! 🤗
I was stationed in SD during the mid-'90s and this place was our jump-off spot for so many adventures. It was still a pretty high-end mall back then. I probably hit this mall 3 times a week whenever my ship was in town. Parking used to be free with the purchase of anything big to small back then.
During it's hey day Horton plaza was the best mall in the region. I miss those days.
I remember my friends and I being at Horton back in 2016. A lot of stores were already gone, but it was still relatively active. All the outdoor restrooms had been closed down, and I was nearing peeing my pants, so I ran to the Jimbo's and met an employee who took his job as gatekeeper to the restroom way too seriously... Thankfully I just ran in as I saw a dude exiting the restroom lol.
I worked there when it was brand new and packed every day..
It won national design awards and a replica was even built in China.
Amazing. Thanks for the info
I loved this place how 😭
Wow, I was there in 1990 stationed in Camp Pendleton great mall always busy. Unbelievable what it looks like now.
Very sad. Horton Plaza was a beautiful shopping complex.
I remember my first trip to San Diego in 2007, and my aunt took me school shopping here. So sad it closed down.
Horton Plaza was my haunt during my Navy years.(1997-2005)
Oh! I used to spent a lot of time in this mall when I was studying in SD.
Its was in 2013. I was thinking about horton plaza today and in order to see how it is going nowadays, I’ve came across this video!
So sad! 😔
Sad to see this! I was in San Dog from 1992 to 1994 and Horton Plaza was the place to be! I miss old San Diego! Huffman’s on Imperial Blvd was also my spot for soul food! I see that’s closed too🙁
This mall was a big part of my childhood, it's so sad that it's gone.
i loved that mall i always went there . that mall will be missed
I was last there in August 2005 prior to the end of my Naval enlistment!
Loved this mall in 05-06 i used to come here all the time. Too bad... downtown sd is in decline in general.
Every city on the West Coast is sadly. Used to be the best region to live in in the world
Hey! No wonder I visited this mall after touring in USS Midway when I started freshman year in high school! Looks even more dead than Vallco in Cupertino for sure. Idek if this San Diego mall is demolished yet.
Is the macys still open?
Not many places that would allow you to walk through, once they were deemed to be demolished. Bravo and adios Horton Plaza. You opened many hearts and minds to the California Dream.
I stayed shopping at Guess and Eddie Bauer there. Went to the movies there alot. Used to take the kids and eat there. Played the big checker board with the kids and take them to the children's place. Stayed in Sam Goody's A lot there. A lot of memories.
I worked part time at the UA movie theater back in 88-90. That mall was like the centerpiece of San Diego. Always had good memories of Horton Plaza. So sad and disturbing to see what it is today.
Robinson's department store was just down the hall from the UA theater.
i remember coming here with my cousin and uncle victor in 2018 during summer the mall was still alive back then
Considering the mall is empty of stores and few people, security could be problem. The layout of this place is very bad. How would you find a store in this maze?
I lived in SD in the mid-late '80's and loved this place! Sad to see it's like a ghost town now. There were hardly any homeless people around back then. I wonder if that's killing downtown business?
its online shopping that is killing the malls
I remember a few years back some guy jumped off the top floor of Horton Plaza killing him self
sad 😞 always wondered what happened I wonder if there is already plans to do something huge place so many options ideas
Apparently it's becoming a campus for tech workers
Oh man! I was going to Horton Plaza (I’m from Nor Cal) since the mid 90’s and it was absolutely Amazing! Plenty of chicks to “holler at” 🤣🤣 Last time I was there was around 2009. This is so sad. There has to be more to it because it’s smack dab in downtown; where are all the people at?
I went there when it opened 1985 through 2007. The glory days were probably 1985-mid 1990's. It was a high end mall it first decade.
i'm from san diego and i've only been to this mall twice. first in 1993 and second in 2013.
Me too, who gives a shit about a mall?
I’ve been in San Diego since 1980....and really, Horton Plaza was just a mall. Who gives a shit. I mean, I have issues with Amazon, but ordering EXACTLY what I want without having to deal with crowds, parking, and bullshit? You can’t beat it. If all of you loved malls so much, they wouldn’t be dying. Jack Murphy (Qualcomm) Stadium being demolished is sadder, but that I understand.
I remember this mall. The last time I came here to this mall was in the summer of 2012 I believe as my family and I tend to travel from LA to San Diego from time to time. I remember that they had the last Sam's goody here. It's sad to hear about malls like this one closing. My family and I had gone to San Diego in December of 2020 for the day but we went to another mall not realizing that this mall was already closed off to the public. This mall was really awesome. Hopefully maybe it can be an awesome mall again if they decide to make it into one again. But this is just me being hopeful.
This is the future of all malls. Wouldn't be surprised if they turned it into a giant heavily secured Amazon centers. People love to feed the corporate giants.
@@self2999 I just wished I could of gone back to this mall before it closed down. There was a lot of good stores. Especially that sam goody as well. Where I live, its long gone. Hopefully they can able to bring back.
@@self2999 mission valley, fashion valley, and plaza bonita always look fine to me. They're always busy whenever I visit them. (Just came back from plaza bonita)
I used to go there to shop with my family 😔
Where you are standing at 4:00 is where a young woman shot herself (in front of what used to be the Gap store). A little less than a year later a man was shot and killed one floor above that area. It certainly frightened a lot of people from ever returning to the mall.
Oh wow...thanks for sharing that. Definitely very creepy.
@@GeminiDiscover It is. I used to work at the Macy’s department store from 2007-2008 and I loved walking all over the mall during my breaks. I always felt safe there. There were so many people from all over the world who visited and walked around that mall. It was one of the best places to work. I was definitely disheartened to see how it turned out this way only just a few years after I left. Many people share many memories of spending time with their friends and family there. It was a safe and fun place to be during its peak. RIP to the people who lost their lives and to the mall and all of it’s glory.
So scary. I remember going into that Gap store once.
I live in down down and I haven’t been there for a long time last time was Claire’s
Hi, I m Terry. I Used to go to "The Casual Corner" for clothing It's too sad
See nothing in San Diego except a bunch of closed businesses, a tourist downfall, look see enjoy...then go home nothing to see here.
I’ve been to this mall so many times I can walk through it and tell you what store was in each space from Horton toy and doll to FAO Schwartz to Suncoast to Macy’s to Victoria’s Secret to Louis Vuitton The movie theater the food court, the sports store on the food court level, the record store on the food court level, such great memories, I almost forgot galaxy grill!!!! If you know you know!
That was my favorite mall
Why do we need some stupid university instead of a nice mall
It's A trip. Considering that it's downtown you'd think it would be booming. Hell Plaza Bonita stay packed
I hung out Downtown SD from 81-85 while in the Navy. I hated when this POS Opened and ruined the Downtown SD Vibe. My hang out Mall was Plaza Bonita. Hated this place.
This is like an RPG and the randos around are just NPCs lol
:( used to love this mall
Its so depressing
only thing is parking was crazy expensive
7:19 THE CREEPY EMPTY LIMINAL SPACE NO THANK YOU
Used to work at a coffee shop across the street called Crocevia. If you ever saw a skinny dude with blonde dreads riding on a skate board from 2015-2018 that was me ✌️
I remember u lol
i can see Kelly Anne Conway in this Video….
that is where that Corn Dog place was
I lived there when that dude opened. Nice place to tour, take a date to, but never went there to buy. The if you build they will come mantra never worked, only in the movies. Money and value talk.
Its all gone, destroyed for office space and condos, there is progress.
go to Macy's the only store in the mall
I remember walking through the food court headed towards Nordstrom and the Chinese restaurant would always have someone passing out samples. They'd get me every time - it was their teriyaki chicken that did me in. The entire mall was a nice place to shop and hang out at. This is unfortunate.
He sound scared lol
Its so pretty :( so sad
I last visited this mall in 2019. By then it was overrun with vagrants. The days of it being the place to shop and dine were long gone. 😢😢😢
Kelsi daviss and Tyler has been here before
Malls r creepy
He sounds scared
Sad really this is the chnage in times, best thing to do is tear it down it perfect for another site either for parking for the balboa theater or central parking for the nightlife on 5th and 6th Ave