I was sent this video by a friend. I live in the area and used to work at the JCPENNEY that was in there. It's really sad that the mall is all but dead now. I remember in high school we all used to hang out there and walk around because there is nothing else to do in the area. The people that own it don't care and the rent is insanely high. We had to have fans out on the store floor because they wouldn't fix our A/C had water leak from light fixtures when it rained hard.
I loved this mall at first view! Sights of empty stores always hurts me, in a way, but fun for the explorer in me. To see it full of shoppers and noise and conversation... That would be, like, the best birthday present, ever! Superb job on the tour, Anthony. The footage is spectacular! I could simply, live in any retro mall with 70's/80's decor and be very relaxed. Crazy, huh?
My husband was on the construction crew that built this Mall. We still live in the area where not just the mall but other local stores (like Kmart) have closed down. Very sad to see and more like a special "era ended" for us older folks. It's either Grove City Outlet, Pittsburgh or Erie for residents here if we want do any major shopping. Thanks for covering our little mall. It was fun and nostalgic to view.
I don't think I've ever clicked on a video so fast. I am originally from this area. Now I live close to clarion. The mall sits on an old drive in theater which I think is pretty neat. I still remember that area before wal mart was built. It's so sad to see that mall go down hill the way it did. The owners dont care about the building which is sad and charge more an arm and a leg for rent.
Omg!!!! Love, love the vintage little malls in smaller areas! Again, they always have the most charm, lol. 😀 Love, love the song you picked for this one! Fitting. Thanks so much for the New Kids flashback at the end, just made me realize just how old I am, lol. That tv commercial would have put me back at about 10 years old, lol. Great and awesome video! 💜💜💜
Ace--loved the video, especially that segment at the beginning. The shrinking of the middle class and the industrial workforce have made a huge impact on class B malls such as the one above.I stoked for the Atlanta videos. I bet they have some thriving malls and a few dumpy ones as well. That city has always had a huge divide between rich and poor.
It's nice to find videos of kind things being said about this area. Not a lot of things going for it anymore, but "Your abandoned mall looks cool" is a win.
ever thought of a revisit??? I am local and its declined more but still holding strong... i wanted to rent out an empty store to hold an open drone racing event.... maybe even a learning event.. but ive been stonewalled with no reply to any of my numerous attempts of contact... ive even went rouge and setup in an abandoned corner or the mall to fly my micro drone.. it took security 30 min to find me and very nicely as me to stop, and when i complied he said and i quote "wow i expected you to put up more of a fight!..."( keep in mind i had my 1.5yr old son with me as well as his mother..) now what screams i want to fight about a dad playing with his toy and sharing it with his son????...... yes we were asked to leave despite complying with what was "asked" of me to stop flying my micro drone that could do no more harm to a human other than annoy them......
The commercial at the end was local for me! I saw my Hills listed, Lafayette Place! (turned into a KMart that closed with the first wave of stores, it's now the best international supermarket in Indy)
Vintage gem indeed. Another little mall with a lot of heart and some creative ways to fill empty retail space (like the State Farm office.) Probably said before I miss fountains, plants, bright lights, skylights and little touches to keep each mall unique That Bon Ton looks like it hasn't been touched since 1988. When they close that could kill Cranberry. And it's so sad. The list of malls on life support will grow dramatically when the Bon Tons and their affiliated stores shut for good. Thanks for ending this on a nostaglic note. I regret never getting a chance to see a Hills or an Ames (Closest was Kmart, and IT'S CLOSING IN A MONTH after 45 years!) and WAY before you time... Two Guys. I never appreciated retail or the architecture or the styles like fountains until finding channels like yours and Wallies about a year ago. Thanks for seeking out these gems. can't wait to see what you will discover touring and filming malls of the south! And maybe another visit to Northridge in Milwaukee.
Catman Mark Blanchard agreed. While the east had Hills/Ames, us in the west had Gibsons (closed by 1990), Grand Central (bought by Fred Meyer, then just a few years later all bought by Kroger, who owns Smiths grocery stores here) and Shopko (still in business, but on life support if that)
Thanks for another great video Anthony,Up until you mentioned the comparisons with Warren Mall I was thinking that the mall looks very similar to another that you had documented.Have a great weekend.All the best,Sean
Awesome vintage greatness the fountains reminded me of Monroeville mall. The New kids on the block ending was rad I remember as a kid in the late 80s they were everywhere everyone was talking about them aww those were the days! I live in Seattle and malls are spending millions adding stores and restaurants one mall is building 2 skyscrapers w new shops hotels luxury apts the malls not dying in Seattle! Oh and our Toys r Us is still open for now. Thanks Anthony
I walked around this many many times and used to go even after I had children and would cart them everywhere around to the different stores, mostly the bon ton and Bath and Body Works. I loved the stores that were in this mall.
I absolutely love vintage malls! This one is in great shape love it! I love the hills clip at the end! One of my all time favorite stores when I was 6-7 years old!
Should check out the Clearview Mall in Butler, PA, looks like a larger version of this one. Same flooring, fountains (not sure if they are still there), and brick areas.
This mall reminds me of the Schuylkill Mall(demolished now), which had a Kmart and a former Phar Mor that was converted into...I forget what. I was kinda shocked it was still open after seeing how few places were left inside the mall when I was there(which was YEARS ago now). Even the nearby Columbia Mall is getting that way from what I've heard. I haven't been down that way in forever either.
I grew up living next door to this mall; I remember visiting the Sky High Drive-in that it replaced. I visited back there 3 years ago and 5 years ago and it went from quiet to mostly dead in those 2 years.
I actually am going to Cranberry tonight. The Cranberry Mall is nice, but there is hardly anything left, just like most of the local malls in this area.
.This is a fun one even if a bit sad. It still looks kept up fairly well, the fountains and everything. I remember when all those seating areas were full of people on a weekend afternoon. Glad you found and filmed it. Looks like they're losing their last anchor, so who knows what will happen going forward.
Love that fountain! Small malls are my favorite and personally what I prefer though they are getting harder and harder to find. Omg lol the NKOTB commercial at the end, not ashamed to say I owned all those tees!
Thanks for mentioning the similarities with the Warren and Indiana Malls... Have you been any to definitively determine if the three were built/designed by the same contractors/architects? Would be interesting to find out. Thanks for sharing another great clip!
Rather confusingly, there is another Cranberry Mall in Butler County, PA (about 20 miles north of Pittsburgh) which is an outdoor shopping center. My first thought when I saw this video was "wait...is there an indoor part of that place I've been unaware of this whole time?"
I used to go here all the time with my mom. Every time we went in this mall it would always be so empty because some of the stores were closed and you could hear music lightly echoing through the mall. I especially remember the Spirit Halloween costume store, Claires, and Label Shopper. But yeah, it's hard to see the mall look so dead after a year or two. Update: I watched more of the video and Idnk that bon-ton was closing
Wow! I don't think I've ever identified so much with one of the malls you've done. This reminds me very much of University Mall in Athens, Ohio (which is the only other Label Shopper I've ever seen).
this is my hometown mall and I can agree that it is dead or is going to be because we are still loosing stores and apparently the person who owns this mall is using it for tax write off and doesn't care about it much anymore. it makes me sad to see part of my childhood fading away slowly and know that there is not much that can be done about it
This is my local Mall. It's awful. Any stores that move in are super exciting to us locals but they don't last long. This mall won't be last too much longer. We are grateful for the stores that stick around because in this area there isn't many that are worth shopping at besides a Walmart locally😒 and that's about it.. and this mall. Truly saddening that the owner will not fix the leaking roof and all the other issues while charging too much for rent no wonder we can't keep stores in there. 😔
I use to be in there at least twice a week! Now I haven't been down through there in two years! The movie theater is the only place I go now. Never was much to do around here, so this makes things even worse.
I thought the beginning news clip rang so true to malls. I am of the opinion that it is not online shopping being the main killer of malls. However I believe it is more of technology and how we live that is determining malls future. Like the news clip said 10 years ago we could support lots more malls. So why is that. Well a little over 10yrs ago the world was introduced to (can't live without gadget) the smartphone and with it the #1 biggest mall killer the GPS. (yes stand alone GPS had been out for a long time, but it wasn't an item that everyone could afford or want to afford especially for teen and young adults, malls biggest demographics) But also more reliable and fuel efficient cars helped too. With all this you can more safely visit the nicer malls further out without fear getting lost or having car trouble like a breakdown or empty gas tank. All this has made the once important part of your hometown where you lived and died obsolete.
Ace can you come view our mall playlist and let me know your thoughts, would honestly really appreciate it, thanks much,am anticipating your next mall video already
In viewing the various videos on dying malls, homelessness, high end shops, the overall message seems that only the very upper middle class are being catered to in any physical shopping experiences like a mall. And the regular middle class or poor can either go to Walmart, or just do not shop in real places. Just seems like there is a greater effort to push the regular middle class from getting any major attention. Very strange.
I was sent this video by a friend. I live in the area and used to work at the JCPENNEY that was in there. It's really sad that the mall is all but dead now. I remember in high school we all used to hang out there and walk around because there is nothing else to do in the area. The people that own it don't care and the rent is insanely high. We had to have fans out on the store floor because they wouldn't fix our A/C had water leak from light fixtures when it rained hard.
I loved this mall at first view! Sights of empty stores always hurts me, in a way, but fun for the explorer in me. To see it full of shoppers and noise and conversation... That would be, like, the best birthday present, ever! Superb job on the tour, Anthony. The footage is spectacular! I could simply, live in any retro mall with 70's/80's decor and be very relaxed. Crazy, huh?
David C. Pierce see my video of the same mall. I just went this morning!
My husband was on the construction crew that built this Mall. We still live in the area where not just the mall but other local stores (like Kmart) have closed down. Very sad to see and more like a special "era ended" for us older folks. It's either Grove City Outlet, Pittsburgh or Erie for residents here if we want do any major shopping. Thanks for covering our little mall. It was fun and nostalgic to view.
Lmfao facts and who wants to drive all the way to Pittsburgh or Erie not me... The Clarion Mall is looking the same way
I don't think I've ever clicked on a video so fast.
I am originally from this area. Now I live close to clarion.
The mall sits on an old drive in theater which I think is pretty neat.
I still remember that area before wal mart was built. It's so sad to see that mall go down hill the way it did. The owners dont care about the building which is sad and charge more an arm and a leg for rent.
Omg!!!! Love, love the vintage little malls in smaller areas! Again, they always have the most charm, lol. 😀 Love, love the song you picked for this one! Fitting. Thanks so much for the New Kids flashback at the end, just made me realize just how old I am, lol. That tv commercial would have put me back at about 10 years old, lol. Great and awesome video! 💜💜💜
Ace--loved the video, especially that segment at the beginning. The shrinking of the middle class and the industrial workforce have made a huge impact on class B malls such as the one above.I stoked for the Atlanta videos. I bet they have some thriving malls and a few dumpy ones as well. That city has always had a huge divide between rich and poor.
It's nice to find videos of kind things being said about this area. Not a lot of things going for it anymore, but "Your abandoned mall looks cool" is a win.
This is one heck of a beautiful mall, Ace. I love the water fountains and the vintage sunroofs. The architecture is very nice
I love this mall. I went here tons of times
I really appreciate the consistency in which you post new videos etc! Keep up the great work!
Janet Foster thank you! Trying to put out as much as i can :)
Just donated on Patreon
Janet Foster i saw that thank you so much!
ever thought of a revisit??? I am local and its declined more but still holding strong... i wanted to rent out an empty store to hold an open drone racing event.... maybe even a learning event.. but ive been stonewalled with no reply to any of my numerous attempts of contact... ive even went rouge and setup in an abandoned corner or the mall to fly my micro drone.. it took security 30 min to find me and very nicely as me to stop, and when i complied he said and i quote "wow i expected you to put up more of a fight!..."( keep in mind i had my 1.5yr old son with me as well as his mother..) now what screams i want to fight about a dad playing with his toy and sharing it with his son????...... yes we were asked to leave despite complying with what was "asked" of me to stop flying my micro drone that could do no more harm to a human other than annoy them......
The commercial at the end was local for me! I saw my Hills listed, Lafayette Place! (turned into a KMart that closed with the first wave of stores, it's now the best international supermarket in Indy)
The sad thing is that 10 years ago that mall was mostly full. The collapse of 2008 wasn't kind to the Oil Creek Region.
Another great Mall tour,Ace!(I printed out the Cranberry Mall map to follow along on your tour!)
:)
Vintage gem indeed. Another little mall with a lot of heart and some creative ways to fill empty retail space (like the State Farm office.) Probably said before I miss fountains, plants, bright lights, skylights and little touches to keep each mall unique
That Bon Ton looks like it hasn't been touched since 1988. When they close that could kill Cranberry. And it's so sad. The list of malls on life support will grow dramatically when the Bon Tons and their affiliated stores shut for good.
Thanks for ending this on a nostaglic note. I regret never getting a chance to see a Hills or an Ames (Closest was Kmart, and IT'S CLOSING IN A MONTH after 45 years!) and WAY before you time... Two Guys. I never appreciated retail or the architecture or the styles like fountains until finding channels like yours and Wallies about a year ago.
Thanks for seeking out these gems. can't wait to see what you will discover touring and filming malls of the south! And maybe another visit to Northridge in Milwaukee.
Catman Mark Blanchard agreed. While the east had Hills/Ames, us in the west had Gibsons (closed by 1990), Grand Central (bought by Fred Meyer, then just a few years later all bought by Kroger, who owns Smiths grocery stores here) and Shopko (still in business, but on life support if that)
Good job Ace. I really like the music, Keep up the good work.
Same here jim
I love it when you find places like this!!
2 thoughts.
1. It looks like Bass Pro designed that fountain.
2. That skylight over the fountain looks like the ones Randall Park had.
That fountain was actually just redone this year. It was empty for years.
@@cassandravasil5057 Hallelujah!!!🤸🤸🤸
Thanks for another great video Anthony,Up until you mentioned the comparisons with Warren Mall I was thinking that the mall looks very similar to another that you had documented.Have a great weekend.All the best,Sean
Awesome vintage greatness the fountains reminded me of Monroeville mall. The New kids on the block ending was rad I remember as a kid in the late 80s they were everywhere everyone was talking about them aww those were the days! I live in Seattle and malls are spending millions adding stores and restaurants one mall is building 2 skyscrapers w new shops hotels luxury apts the malls not dying in Seattle! Oh and our Toys r Us is still open for now. Thanks Anthony
I walked around this many many times and used to go even after I had children and would cart them everywhere around to the different stores, mostly the bon ton and Bath and Body Works. I loved the stores that were in this mall.
Oh man I was obsessed with NKOTB when I was 12!! Thanks for that flashback :-)
Marisa Michaels this is every 90's teen girls comment
I absolutely love vintage malls! This one is in great shape love it! I love the hills clip at the end! One of my all time favorite stores when I was 6-7 years old!
Should check out the Clearview Mall in Butler, PA, looks like a larger version of this one. Same flooring, fountains (not sure if they are still there), and brick areas.
This mall reminds me of the Schuylkill Mall(demolished now), which had a Kmart and a former Phar Mor that was converted into...I forget what. I was kinda shocked it was still open after seeing how few places were left inside the mall when I was there(which was YEARS ago now). Even the nearby Columbia Mall is getting that way from what I've heard. I haven't been down that way in forever either.
I grew up living next door to this mall; I remember visiting the Sky High Drive-in that it replaced. I visited back there 3 years ago and 5 years ago and it went from quiet to mostly dead in those 2 years.
One of your great vintage videos!
I actually am going to Cranberry tonight. The Cranberry Mall is nice, but there is hardly anything left, just like most of the local malls in this area.
I was literally working in that Bon-Ton the day that you were filming!
The fountains are awesome. The fences, however, look tacky.
When I was a little kid I remember going to the Hills there. It was hopping in the 90s like many Malls in the 2000s they started to decline.
The era when smaller towns like Seneca and Oil City were enough reason to build a mall. This is truly in the middle of almost no where in Western PA.
OMG! that thing at the end just awesome I got my NKOTB shirt at JC penny's back in the day when we had a ok mall now really dead mall.
:)
My childhood right there....When you lived in Tylersburg, the Cranberry mall was THE place to go.
.This is a fun one even if a bit sad. It still looks kept up fairly well, the fountains and everything. I remember when all those seating areas were full of people on a weekend afternoon. Glad you found and filmed it. Looks like they're losing their last anchor, so who knows what will happen going forward.
I was waiting for this to finally air I grew up with this mall so many memories
Love that fountain! Small malls are my favorite and personally what I prefer though they are getting harder and harder to find. Omg lol the NKOTB commercial at the end, not ashamed to say I owned all those tees!
Thanks for mentioning the similarities with the Warren and Indiana Malls... Have you been any to definitively determine if the three were built/designed by the same contractors/architects? Would be interesting to find out. Thanks for sharing another great clip!
The fountains are awesome!
Nice job, loved it Anthony!!! :)
Rather confusingly, there is another Cranberry Mall in Butler County, PA (about 20 miles north of Pittsburgh) which is an outdoor shopping center. My first thought when I saw this video was "wait...is there an indoor part of that place I've been unaware of this whole time?"
I used to go here all the time with my mom. Every time we went in this mall it would always be so empty because some of the stores were closed and you could hear music lightly echoing through the mall. I especially remember the Spirit Halloween costume store, Claires, and Label Shopper. But yeah, it's hard to see the mall look so dead after a year or two.
Update: I watched more of the video and Idnk that bon-ton was closing
Great opening music choice I gotta say. And great vid as always
I have never heard or seen a Bon-Ton store was they in a lot of malls? but you see a lot of GNC and Bath and body works in the small malls.
We had a Bon Ton store in our mall in Wa. Been gone now for years.
KHWendy28 bath and body works as well as gnc are mall staples. They are usually the last to leave.
Wow! I don't think I've ever identified so much with one of the malls you've done. This reminds me very much of University Mall in Athens, Ohio (which is the only other Label Shopper I've ever seen).
Love that mall fountain
I could sit and relax all day in that fountain alcove...
Holy crap. That NKOTB commercial is priceless! #fangirling
Gosh, this mall is adorable. Love it :D
I live near here, and I never knew this mall existed...Great work as usual!
How? I'm trying to fathom as to how you just wouldn't know.
I LITERALLY JUST DRIVE BY CRANBERRY THIS MORNING LMAO
looks super clean, lots of gumball machines too :)
Great video. Sad that this mall was once the thriving commercial center of a small community.
from the malls web site
Remodeled: 1991, 2008 Check out our newly remodeled restrooms!
this is my hometown mall and I can agree that it is dead or is going to be because we are still loosing stores and apparently the person who owns this mall is using it for tax write off and doesn't care about it much anymore. it makes me sad to see part of my childhood fading away slowly and know that there is not much that can be done about it
This is my local Mall. It's awful. Any stores that move in are super exciting to us locals but they don't last long. This mall won't be last too much longer. We are grateful for the stores that stick around because in this area there isn't many that are worth shopping at besides a Walmart locally😒 and that's about it.. and this mall. Truly saddening that the owner will not fix the leaking roof and all the other issues while charging too much for rent no wonder we can't keep stores in there. 😔
I use to be in there at least twice a week! Now I haven't been down through there in two years! The movie theater is the only place I go now. Never was much to do around here, so this makes things even worse.
I never heard of the bon ton store..what type of store is it?
I used to go there a lot back in the day its sad seeing how downhill it has gone
mah gawd! that intro song is beamin.
What gear do you use? I really enjoy your videos by the way.
Nicolas Desle i have to be discreet so i film in 4k on my iphone with a manfrotto tripod, and edit on my macbook pro
The result is amazing!
Great find! Nicely done!
Even the music is reminiscent of 1981! 👍
What do malls mostly sell? clothes? is is possible with latest tech/gadget craze taking hold of the world people would rather spend cash on tech
Location location location...We lost some awesome fountains over the years through closures and remodels. Gone forever
I thought the beginning news clip rang so true to malls. I am of the opinion that it is not online shopping being the main killer of malls. However I believe it is more of technology and how we live that is determining malls future. Like the news clip said 10 years ago we could support lots more malls. So why is that. Well a little over 10yrs ago the world was introduced to (can't live without gadget) the smartphone and with it the #1 biggest mall killer the GPS. (yes stand alone GPS had been out for a long time, but it wasn't an item that everyone could afford or want to afford especially for teen and young adults, malls biggest demographics) But also more reliable and fuel efficient cars helped too. With all this you can more safely visit the nicer malls further out without fear getting lost or having car trouble like a breakdown or empty gas tank. All this has made the once important part of your hometown where you lived and died obsolete.
Ever check out the Chambersburg mall in pa? Its dying quick defly worth a stop
I made a video of Chambersburg Mall in 2019.
Fences around the fountains. That’s interesting 🤔🤔
Before they had the fences, stupid people would let their little kids club up on the ledge/even lifted them up there. I think it's a liability thing.
there was once a pretzel shop in the mall an fye and other cool shops that were gone before I got to see them
That Hills NKOTB part was funny. I'll admit it that back in the day I saw them twice in concert. Dont judge lol
MidAtlanticGal lol, I had a new kids cassette once. Too bad Tommy Page has been dead for about a year. Sad. 😟
MidAtlanticGal yup, suicide last year it barely made headlines.
MidAtlanticGal I know, right!? 😯
This mall is within 10 miles from here. I daresay that the Clarion Mall is "deadder" than this one.
anyone know the waterfront dining intro song?
If you're still looking it's
Waterfront Dining -The Bushes
@@jackk._6309 aye appreciate it fam. Waterfront dining is my jam
Same here man :) Big fan of his work
Ace can you come view our mall playlist and let me know your thoughts, would honestly really appreciate it, thanks much,am anticipating your next mall video already
Oh yeah, Bon-ton will be gone soon too. Very little left for malls like these, just barely scraping by.
I used to hang out at this mall in the late 90s. Sad.
THAT OUTRO OO OOO
You know a mall is dead when it gets the dialysis center.
In viewing the various videos on dying malls, homelessness, high end shops, the overall message seems that only the very upper middle class are being catered to in any physical shopping experiences like a mall. And the regular middle class or poor can either go to Walmart, or just do not shop in real places. Just seems like there is a greater effort to push the regular middle class from getting any major attention. Very strange.
That is because America wants to portray itself as a very rich nation full of abundance when it is anything but.
I live right up the ride from there 😂
...Did not see *that* Hills commercial popping up at the end!
:)
great video!
Very cool!
need an hr long loop of 1:49 so I can just sit by the fountain for awhile.
Why not actually GO to the fountain? This is why everything is dying.
I do to go to local dying malls around me all the time. This one is 1400 miles away from me.
Liked this video
Same here :)
Its a Rome Thing Everyday see my video I went to the same mall just today!
DANGERGAMER47 GO EXPLORE THE ABANDONED I visited your channel and indeed liked the video also
It's a beautiful mall, unfortunately not enough customers.
I live in the area, the closed down the pizza place. Fountain in no longer there.
Who let Spiderman drive?
TheAnti-Guru 😂😂😂😂😂
My kind of crowd,lol!
I live in Oil city I go there all the time.
Im from Franklin.
Anthony I have a Hills video I’m in posted on my page if you ever want some in store footage.
tom tetrick dude that is amazing, do you have any hills memorabilia??
No, just the video. I found the vhs at my parents. I’ll mail it to you if you want it?
tom tetrick uhhh ya!!
Ace's Adventures email me your address at tomtetrick@gmail.com
A E S T H E T I C
Cool :)
Thats my mall
lame stream media