Great video, sad mall. I remember this mall late 80s early 90s , Exton and Granite Run Mall were awesome and full and busy. Looks like Priyapat that abandoned city near Chernobyl now. At least Concord Mall has a little life left in it
I worked at the Exton Mall during the holiday season of 1983 during my senior year of high school. It was so busy back then that the employees were assigned a special parking area underneath the mall. I personally did not park there because I'd have to be at work early on Saturday mornings so finding a space wasn't an issue. When I'd leave work (usually before 3:30 - 4:00) someone would slide into that parking spot as I was pulling out. It's sad to see how far this mall has fallen in 40 years. Even into the early 2000s, the place was packed on the weekends. The main branch of the Chester County Library is just across the mall road if you go out through the Carriage Lot and before the library expanded its own parking area a lot of overflow would park in the Carriage Lot. My educated guess is that the Library might have thought they were going to lose those extra spaces soon. It's prime real estate at the corner of Rt.30 and Rt.100 and not far from the Turnpike, so I imagine something will take the place of the mall in the future. They will probably do what they did at the old Granite Run Mall site. Tear down the Mall and rebuild the same stores with their own parking areas separate from each other. We used to "camp" out by the entrance close to the old Ticket-Tron outlet. It was the only place to purchase tickets in most of Chester County at the time. They had a Space Port Arcade that I'd go to on my lunch break and I think this was the first place my mother and I had a Chik-Fil-A sandwich. Although that may have happened at the Concord Mall in Delaware. Captain, you should go down to the Concord Mall and do a video there, as a bunch of us who grew up in Southern Chester County and Western Delaware County would hang out at the Concord Mall back in the 1980s.
How did the interior of the mall look compared to today? My dad said that parts of the interior were dark, and the ceiling was disappointing and generic.
The US has way too much retail space in places where people don't need it any more. On-line shopping and box stores (which are also losing to on-line shopping) killed malls. Urban malls also have safety issues and most malls have a retail theft problem. Merry Christmas all!
thanks for visiting my mall, capt! see how sad it is there?! very depressing! even w all the new apts in the area it's still a ghost town. Merry Christmas everyone!🎄♥
I used to go to this mall when I was a kid. I biked there before I could drive, and when I could drive, I went even more often. There was a K-Mart right near there (which I believe is now a post office) that I worked in and then went to the mall after work with friends. It was a great place to hang out and it was usually pretty busy. I went a few months ago with my wife and daughter and... nothing like it was. I could drive a car through the corridors and not hit anyone. It's a shame how things are going, but time marches on... I'm curious as to what the local hangouts will be for future teenagers.
I used to work in the food court there in the early 2000s when i went to school down there. It's sad to see how much malls are going under now. I was thinking of taking my kids to see the area and where I worked and went to school after high school. Starting to think I might just look like an old lady if I do that now. My school's not there anymore or my work. It'll just be me saying "Back when I was younger this was like this. And this was there." I might just wait till I'm an "actual" old lady for that trip 😅
Exton is one of my local malls in my area. It's really sad to see it in this state, it was at one point a great awesome mall to visit. Now really there is nothing. The only reason why I go anymore is Round One and Boscovs
The Round 1 is a huge draw! On the weekends it is crowded...but at night (after 7) the place is mega busy for the adult crowd drinking and playing games!!!!! I live 4 miles away from this mall and my T-Mo' store and Lens Crafters both moved out to Main Street at Exton shopping area where the movie tavern is. I love to have the Boscov's and Macy's there because they have great Amazing sales!!!! It is dead as malls go!!!
The mall I grew up with in my childhood. Was a mall rat here in middle school, great memories. Was hoping you’d cover this one. Gonna hurt real bad when it closes its doors
its so sad to see the malls like this...I am originally from northeast Philly and spent many hours at the Roosevelt Mall, glad its still somewhat ok, but now i live south of Dover, Delaware and the Dover mall is so sad now also..Its not as bad as the exton mall, but its deff down in attendance..Merry Christmas Captain!!
Macy’s stores in the Philadelphia area are usually not very busy due to what they carry and their prices. Compared to Boscov’s that usually has decent crowded stores especially around the holidays. As mentioned the art of going to a mall and just looking around to get shopping ideas is dead now. Most people just want to browse their computer screen and if they see something they like order it delivered to their house. The things like that bowling and arcade at Exton Square Mall are attempts to bring in traffic to get people to visit the few stores still open before or after their other activities.
Suncoast used to be 1 or 2 stores from food court. Even before food court was upgraded. I'm a grown up 90s kid, frequented this place a ton haha. I live up road a couple miles. Main St at Exton up road is really cool, Cyclebar, Hakata, Movie Tavern, a lot of good ones. Stolen Sun is cool place as well, right up 100 a block or two
Merry Christmas from Australia captain. I can’t believe how empty your shopping centre is just before Christmas it’s unbelievable. I was out yesterday on the beautiful Sunshine Coast Qld and the crowds were huge here out and about on Christmas Eve we even had a huge thunderstorm yesterday which is the norm this time of year here and that couldn’t even change peoples energy . I’m assuming in the USA everything is online shopping home delivery? Is that why your shopping centres are dead ? All the best Captain and Philly followers 🤘
It's been about 2 years since I went to this mall and it was completely dead then. The food court literally only had 4 places still operating. I'm honestly shocked it's still open. Also with Mallrats 2, it was originally all set to film at the Granite Run Mall before it was torn down but the people that owned it backed out because it would have pushed construction back a few months. It would have been amazing to see the last hurrah of that mall be immortalized in film.
I remember the Burlington Center Mall. They had everything. It’s a shame these malls are doing so poorly. The only successful malls you showed were King of Prussia and the Cherry Hill Mall. The Moorestown Mall did have a fire in the early 90’s and they rebuilt it.
I moved out of Exton a year ago. The main streets if exton killled that mall. When I left they had a Whole Foods and luxury apartments in front of it. I wonder if they still have that carnival in the parking lot every summer.
Hard to believe but I used to dislike going there because it was so busy. It was tough decent parking. Now that it is in this state it is kind of sad thinking back on what it once was.
thats awesome i wouldve lost it if i bumped into ya. good series. i was from 12-3 it was good crowd and almost all food court full of stores, but i agree no mcdonalds they used to have that at Montgomery@@ThePhillyCaptain
Merry Christmas Captain! Internet is killing these malls. The rent is so high the tenants can’t make a profit. Maybe a blend of mall and something else combined might work?
@@pigwigpa Maybe you're right. Some anecdotes said that the area that is now the food court had a play area, a hobby store, Time Out arcade, and a Chick-Fil-A. Strawbridge was the only anchor store until SEARS, JC Penny, and Boscov were added.
@@jackcimino8822 think about it. You're right that was a JCPenney's. The Hobby Shop was a wizard of the coast and there's also a Disney Store in that area. On the lower level on the west side was Allied Hobbies
@@WALTERBROADDUS In case someone tries to break in. They don't want it to look like nothing is going on when the lights are off. That's at least what my dad thinks.
A nice mall that needs alot of love again to be a success again. Just soo soothing to watch your videos. P love it. Educational too , Judy a joy yo hear your voice handsome sweet soul man ❤❤❤
They need to ban the shjt out of those cheap azz chinese electric scooters and bikes. They are the #1 fire hazard in the US right now with no regulation
Great video, sad mall. I remember this mall late 80s early 90s , Exton and Granite Run Mall were awesome and full and busy. Looks like Priyapat that abandoned city near Chernobyl now. At least Concord Mall has a little life left in it
I currently work here in the mall!! You should see this place on a Tuesday, eerily creepy with the music on but also a bit sad
7:07 They took down the trees last year. Those gave the food court the atmosphere!
I worked at the Exton Mall during the holiday season of 1983 during my senior year of high school. It was so busy back then that the employees were assigned a special parking area underneath the mall. I personally did not park there because I'd have to be at work early on Saturday mornings so finding a space wasn't an issue. When I'd leave work (usually before 3:30 - 4:00) someone would slide into that parking spot as I was pulling out.
It's sad to see how far this mall has fallen in 40 years. Even into the early 2000s, the place was packed on the weekends. The main branch of the Chester County Library is just across the mall road if you go out through the Carriage Lot and before the library expanded its own parking area a lot of overflow would park in the Carriage Lot. My educated guess is that the Library might have thought they were going to lose those extra spaces soon. It's prime real estate at the corner of Rt.30 and Rt.100 and not far from the Turnpike, so I imagine something will take the place of the mall in the future. They will probably do what they did at the old Granite Run Mall site. Tear down the Mall and rebuild the same stores with their own parking areas separate from each other.
We used to "camp" out by the entrance close to the old Ticket-Tron outlet. It was the only place to purchase tickets in most of Chester County at the time. They had a Space Port Arcade that I'd go to on my lunch break and I think this was the first place my mother and I had a Chik-Fil-A sandwich. Although that may have happened at the Concord Mall in Delaware. Captain, you should go down to the Concord Mall and do a video there, as a bunch of us who grew up in Southern Chester County and Western Delaware County would hang out at the Concord Mall back in the 1980s.
Ticket Master here in TX, camp out at Sears by the ticket window;)
What about in 1983? Maybe it was a special lot and my memory is fuzzy.@@jonnygrowlately
How did the interior of the mall look compared to today? My dad said that parts of the interior were dark, and the ceiling was disappointing and generic.
So sad to see all these malls empty. Enjoying your mall series though. Merry Christmas to you & your family.🎄🎅🎁
The Macy's used to be a Strawbridge and Clothier, and being a 2000's kid, I remembered seeing the logo. I also miss the KB Toys and Disney Store.
5:55 That store was a JC Penny. It closed down in 2014.
Hey PHILLY CAPTAIN, great video and tour at EXTON SQUARE MALL..Enjoy & TOODLES..
The Sears store in a mall here closed in 2017 and the lights were all on until last year.
The US has way too much retail space in places where people don't need it any more. On-line shopping and box stores (which are also losing to on-line shopping) killed malls. Urban malls also have safety issues and most malls have a retail theft problem.
Merry Christmas all!
Wow! It kind of looks like a smaller version of the King of Prussia mall but empty, so sad to see this happening to a lot of malls !
King of Prussia is doing well
Suncoast video was next to the food court has been going for at least 12 years.
I lived here and will in the future again. Cool area but I remember going to that mall all the time. Now Whole Foods is the main attraction there lol
thanks for visiting my mall, capt! see how sad it is there?! very depressing! even w all the new apts in the area it's still a ghost town. Merry Christmas everyone!🎄♥
That happen at Berkshire mall a lady fell in the fountain she was on her cell phone Berkshire mall reading pennsylvania
Ps that was a jcpenny
I remember that! I’m not far from Reading
I used to go to this mall when I was a kid. I biked there before I could drive, and when I could drive, I went even more often. There was a K-Mart right near there (which I believe is now a post office) that I worked in and then went to the mall after work with friends.
It was a great place to hang out and it was usually pretty busy.
I went a few months ago with my wife and daughter and... nothing like it was. I could drive a car through the corridors and not hit anyone. It's a shame how things are going, but time marches on...
I'm curious as to what the local hangouts will be for future teenagers.
I used to work in the food court there in the early 2000s when i went to school down there. It's sad to see how much malls are going under now. I was thinking of taking my kids to see the area and where I worked and went to school after high school. Starting to think I might just look like an old lady if I do that now. My school's not there anymore or my work. It'll just be me saying "Back when I was younger this was like this. And this was there." I might just wait till I'm an "actual" old lady for that trip 😅
Exton is one of my local malls in my area. It's really sad to see it in this state, it was at one point a great awesome mall to visit. Now really there is nothing. The only reason why I go anymore is Round One and Boscovs
Wow, I haven’t been to this mall in about 15 years. I am sure Santa is getting most of his supplies through Amazon!
The Round 1 is a huge draw! On the weekends it is crowded...but at night (after 7) the place is mega busy for the adult crowd drinking and playing games!!!!! I live 4 miles away from this mall and my T-Mo' store and Lens Crafters both moved out to Main Street at Exton shopping area where the movie tavern is. I love to have the Boscov's and Macy's there because they have great Amazing sales!!!! It is dead as malls go!!!
The mall I grew up with in my childhood. Was a mall rat here in middle school, great memories. Was hoping you’d cover this one. Gonna hurt real bad when it closes its doors
its so sad to see the malls like this...I am originally from northeast Philly and spent many hours at the Roosevelt Mall, glad its still somewhat ok, but now i live south of Dover, Delaware and the Dover mall is so sad now also..Its not as bad as the exton mall, but its deff down in attendance..Merry Christmas Captain!!
Thanks Captain. I’m enjoying the dead mall series. Merry Christmas
Loving this mall exploring serious
Merry Christmas Captain and family
Macy’s stores in the Philadelphia area are usually not very busy due to what they carry and their prices. Compared to Boscov’s that usually has decent crowded stores especially around the holidays. As mentioned the art of going to a mall and just looking around to get shopping ideas is dead now. Most people just want to browse their computer screen and if they see something they like order it delivered to their house. The things like that bowling and arcade at Exton Square Mall are attempts to bring in traffic to get people to visit the few stores still open before or after their other activities.
Suncoast used to be 1 or 2 stores from food court. Even before food court was upgraded. I'm a grown up 90s kid, frequented this place a ton haha. I live up road a couple miles. Main St at Exton up road is really cool, Cyclebar, Hakata, Movie Tavern, a lot of good ones.
Stolen Sun is cool place as well, right up 100 a block or two
Amazon killed the Malls
Merry Christmas to you and the family Captain 🎄🎅
Merry Christmas from Australia captain. I can’t believe how empty your shopping centre is just before Christmas it’s unbelievable. I was out yesterday on the beautiful Sunshine Coast Qld and the crowds were huge here out and about on Christmas Eve we even had a huge thunderstorm yesterday which is the norm this time of year here and that couldn’t even change peoples energy . I’m assuming in the USA everything is online shopping home delivery? Is that why your shopping centres are dead ? All the best Captain and Philly followers 🤘
Huge fan of your work. I do love the King of Prussia mall and am glad that mall is not dying!
I noticed that most all these dead malls have a Boscov’s. It is sad that malls are in such decline. But love your videos showcasing them all.
Merry Christmas Captain !!!! Thanks for all the great videos this year !!!!
Oh dear, that's one sad and depressing mall. Merry Christmas Captain and all your family. 🇬🇧🎄🙏
It's been about 2 years since I went to this mall and it was completely dead then. The food court literally only had 4 places still operating. I'm honestly shocked it's still open.
Also with Mallrats 2, it was originally all set to film at the Granite Run Mall before it was torn down but the people that owned it backed out because it would have pushed construction back a few months. It would have been amazing to see the last hurrah of that mall be immortalized in film.
The old Sears is now used for high school and college wrestling.
KOP killed it
nah, all the other strip malls and stores that popped up in and around exton killed it
Amazon killed it. The Exton Square Mall co-existed with KOP for the last 52 years and thrived for 30+ years.
4:07 I think that’s part of the reason why Exton Square is so empty and has a ton of vacant storefronts.
5:00 I don't know if that was the only reason. They closed down the fountain during the COVID pandemic.
Excellent video. Enjoyed it.
I remember the Burlington Center Mall. They had everything. It’s a shame these malls are doing so poorly. The only successful malls you showed were King of Prussia and the Cherry Hill Mall. The Moorestown Mall did have a fire in the early 90’s and they rebuilt it.
I moved out of Exton a year ago. The main streets if exton killled that mall. When I left they had a Whole Foods and luxury apartments in front of it. I wonder if they still have that carnival in the parking lot every summer.
Hard to believe but I used to dislike going there because it was so busy. It was tough decent parking. Now that it is in this state it is kind of sad thinking back on what it once was.
The Mexican place was 5 Guys. Sad to see this mall so empty.
The last time I was in this mall back in 2012, it was dead then.
Was at willow grove today it was bumping made me happy
I was there today too
thats awesome i wouldve lost it if i bumped into ya. good series. i was from 12-3 it was good crowd and almost all food court full of stores, but i agree no mcdonalds they used to have that at Montgomery@@ThePhillyCaptain
Merry Christmas Captain! Internet is killing these malls. The rent is so high the tenants can’t make a profit. Maybe a blend of mall and something else combined might work?
This is heartbreaking. I used to go here on my lunch breaks all the time
A few stores that were here moved to Main Street Exton.
Wow till 11 i havent been to this mall in a long time i live near it was a nice mall but King of Pressia mall is popping.
I went there 3 weeks ago
Love the channel!
That used to be a dentist office or jewelry store
I was just at this mall last weekend. Mt wife likes the Macy’s.
Like these kind malls though. Not busy In and out
that Big Box store used to be a Bon- ton and Suncoast to the left of the food court.
The Exton Mall had a Bon-Ton? Why isn't that on Wikipedia?
@@jackcimino8822 it might have been jcpenney.
@@pigwigpa Maybe you're right. Some anecdotes said that the area that is now the food court had a play area, a hobby store, Time Out arcade, and a Chick-Fil-A. Strawbridge was the only anchor store until SEARS, JC Penny, and Boscov were added.
@@jackcimino8822 think about it. You're right that was a JCPenney's. The Hobby Shop was a wizard of the coast and there's also a Disney Store in that area. On the lower level on the west side was Allied Hobbies
Bon ton was never in the exton mall
10:34 They still leave those lights on for security reasons.
Security for what? There's nothing there, and there's no one there?
@@WALTERBROADDUS In case someone tries to break in. They don't want it to look like nothing is going on when the lights are off. That's at least what my dad thinks.
@@jackcimino8822 Break in? That mall is so dead, you could film The Blues Brothers car chase scene again....
JC penneys is the one missing the sign
Sad to see the major decline of my childhood mall, there was a time where this was the place to be!
The Chinese Food place had some awesome Mongolian Chicken
Happy Holidays
Hate seeing that... that mall was my old stomping ground.
"Brother Darkness" Rick James nickname for Eddie and Charlie RIP
A nice mall that needs alot of love again to be a success again. Just soo soothing to watch your videos. P love it. Educational too , Judy a joy yo hear your voice handsome sweet soul man ❤❤❤
No one has ever called my voice soothing. lol thanks for watching
I live 20 mins away. dont know what is keeping it open
PREIT?! Ugh!!!! They are on their second BK!!! VS has had a lot of store closures over the past 10 to 15 yrs.
where is the WOO?
The Christiana mall is probably the only mall that's booming
It was a JCPenney's🎉🎉
Definitely would be good movie to film a zombie movie
The Monmouth mall is in its last few days
When the roof goes the mall goes????
It’s unusual to see a PREIT mall empty and dead. Their malls are full of life and busy. 🤔
I like listening to him. He sounds like he "knows a guy"
I counted 37
Disagree, Charley's is awesome!! Have tried at least 6 different kinds and at least 4 different locations, no complaints here.
That mall been deballed ✂️🌰🌰
Yes, mall interiors now resemble hospitals : (
In the end like with most of these failed malls the land is worth much more than the actual structure. It will be demolished and developed as housing.
Wow, that’s crazy how empty it was before Xmas.
Merry Christmas, Captain.
🎄🦘🎄🦘🎄🦘🎄🦘
People killed the mall.
Well, at least there's no.... _undesirables_ around 😐
🦗🦗🦗 🦗🦗 🦗🦗 🦗🦗🌲
Sad
They need to ban the shjt out of those cheap azz chinese electric scooters and bikes. They are the #1 fire hazard in the US right now with no regulation