The opening music alone in your videos always takes me back to the 80s/90s when we all actually went to the malls. The ones that arent closing are just giant cages for criminals and 304s to walk around trying to flex and intimidate each other and the last bit of family type mall goers still crazy enough to shop in them. Another great video.
I lived in Orlando for 20+ years. The West Oaks Mall was a nice place in the beginning. The only problem was, and still is, that the area is a very high crime area. A nearby residential area is known as Pine Hills, not so affectionately nicknamed "Crime Hills". West Orlando is a very disturbing side of town, with a lot of gang activity and drugs. I know people will say that there are a lot of areas in and around Orlando, that are worse. I never felt safe unless I was driving through it, to get to somewhere else.
This is a tricky thing to debate. Although Kohan is like the only company not paying power bills and often letting malls fall into brief power outages, so Kohan is the very worst of all those companies. I remember seeing so much neglect inside Century 3 when I visited, so I'd almost want to rate them as bad as Kohan
For this video I ate a big bowl of ramen soup with dill, hard boiled eggs and a glass of Orange Juice. I also had a few chewy candies for dessert that are red raspberry, blue raspberry and watermelon flavoured. I like all of them, but being the sweet tooth that I am, I seriously never saw red raspberry flavoured chewy fruit candy. That's new for me.🍜🥚🍳🥚🥤🍬🍭
You should definitely start documenting documenting the swift decline of the Oaks mall in Gainesville. Every time I visit the mall I'm taken bye how much it's going downhill from visit to visit. Admittingly I don't visit as much as I used to since my favorite store Sears closed in mid 2018 and I may only visit about once a month it's decline it's quite quite evident. Rumors have it that GGP is seriously behind on its mortgage And there are rumors that the university of Florida chance is looking to buy what's left of them all in order to convert it into a medical complex. They already bought the old Sears and converted it into some type ophthalmology department
I went to this mall a lot when I lived in Orlando from 2014 to 2017. I'm surprised at how busy it looks in your video. Did you go on a weekend or holiday? I went usually during the week and I saw maybe 5 people (not counting employees) the whole time I was there.
I worked in the exact spot where you see the abandoned cookie place (I'm guessing that's what it was) just to the right of the universal jewelers from '96-'98. Back then it was an Orange Julius/Dairy Queen. Place was always busy back then, especially during Christmas time.
Well, the demographics around this mall are really bad. Really high crime, low income. It has really changed since this mall was originally built. But even at the time when the mall was built, the area was headed in the wrong direction. It doesn’t surprise me that so much of it is empty. I would suspect that this will soon be a completely dead mall and they will redevelop the property.
It’s definitely a nice mall. But there are a lot of empty stores and I’m surprised Jimmy Jazz left. I have seen that store in many dead malls. Moonbeam is bad news for sure! Malls nowadays that are still around have to deal with crime, gangs, and theft. It seems like teens from the 80’s were better behaved than they are nowadays. Teens now need chaperones and have a time limit at malls. I know that’s the rules for the mall by me that’s still doing well.
There were 4 Malls built in the Orlando area from 1995 after: West Oaks (1996), Seminole Town Center (1995), Oviedo Mall (1998) and The Mall at Millenia (2002). Only The Mall at Millenia is still doing well.
@Steve.Cutler That's not true at all. Malls definitely are being built and have been built after 1995. Let me just mention American Dream Mall (Second largest mall in America.) And Hudson Yards Mall in that commercial complex. Two malls that just opened. Not sure what reality you're living in but malls definitely are doing well if built after 1995.
I'm not surprised at the mention of theft in this mall. It was built right in the transition zone from Pine Hills or as the locals call it (Crime Hills) and the more affluent part of the Orlando Metro area (Winter Garden). I'm not surprised it's struggling either. There is nothing unique to draw people in. Winter Garden Village, The Mall at Millenia, Factory Outlets, Universal, Disney, I-Drive, Seaworld etc. are all within a 15-20-minute drive of West Oaks Mall. Location is another poor factor, it's too far from I-4 to get any tourist traffic.
Yeah I looked up West Oaks on a map, and it's out of the way a la Stratford Square. So that can't help this mall's situation. At least I didn't see any water bucket, so yay to that?
I've been here in the mall before there's not much people around here just a dead mall and i remembered there was Spirit Halloween here but not anymore 🥺😔
Ah yes, my home mall. Grew up going here in the early to late 2000s, still go occasionally. It's maybe half-dead, depending on where you go, but the Tax Collector's office, the Food Court, and the humongous AMC absolutely are keeping this mall alive. lol, I'm just surprised the JCP hasn't been downgraded, it's still a full-sized store. My one issue is with the building itself. The mall's definitely got roof issues (water damage is fairly noticeable), but Hallmart and GGP SHOULD'VE done their research here. They built a mall full of skylights and huge glass curtain walls.... IN FLORIDA, where temps in the summer can reach 100 F or higher and a heat index well into the 110s on some days. But on the bright side (yes, pun intended), the plant life in the mall thrives like you won't believe due to the sunlight and the mall's lights can remain off most days, which saves on the power bill. Thanks for visiting btw!
BTW check out the racial demographics and how they've changed in Ocoee Florida. The white population is barely teetering at 51% so so I think that tells you all you need to know
The opening music alone in your videos always takes me back to the 80s/90s when we all actually went to the malls. The ones that arent closing are just giant cages for criminals and 304s to walk around trying to flex and intimidate each other and the last bit of family type mall goers still crazy enough to shop in them. Another great video.
This mall used to be packed and i remember taking my daughter there to ride the merry go round in the mid 2000s, it's so empty now
This was my old hang out as a teenager. It was a nice mall back in the 90's. It's sad to see it slowly dying.
I lived in Orlando for 20+ years. The West Oaks Mall was a nice place in the beginning. The only problem was, and still is, that the area is a very high crime area. A nearby residential area is known as Pine Hills, not so affectionately nicknamed "Crime Hills". West Orlando is a very disturbing side of town, with a lot of gang activity and drugs. I know people will say that there are a lot of areas in and around Orlando, that are worse. I never felt safe unless I was driving through it, to get to somewhere else.
Quickly went from nice to ghetto.
Beats east Cleveland any day.
I'd rank Moonbeam a step below Namdar but not as bad as Kohan.
This is a tricky thing to debate. Although Kohan is like the only company not paying power bills and often letting malls fall into brief power outages, so Kohan is the very worst of all those companies. I remember seeing so much neglect inside Century 3 when I visited, so I'd almost want to rate them as bad as Kohan
Nice video Doomie. I like this mall. I was so excited when I clicked play on the video to watch it. 😊💗💖🛍
that is the most crowded I've seen West Oaks in years in your video
For this video I ate a big bowl of ramen soup with dill, hard boiled eggs and a glass of Orange Juice. I also had a few chewy candies for dessert that are red raspberry, blue raspberry and watermelon flavoured. I like all of them, but being the sweet tooth that I am, I seriously never saw red raspberry flavoured chewy fruit candy. That's new for me.🍜🥚🍳🥚🥤🍬🍭
You should definitely start documenting documenting the swift decline of the Oaks mall in Gainesville. Every time I visit the mall I'm taken bye how much it's going downhill from visit to visit. Admittingly I don't visit as much as I used to since my favorite store Sears closed in mid 2018 and I may only visit about once a month it's decline it's quite quite evident. Rumors have it that GGP is seriously behind on its mortgage And there are rumors that the university of Florida chance is looking to buy what's left of them all in order to convert it into a medical complex. They already bought the old Sears and converted it into some type ophthalmology department
I remember when the Sears in this mall closed down in 2011. The following year mcdonald's and chik fil a left as well.
I went to this mall a lot when I lived in Orlando from 2014 to 2017. I'm surprised at how busy it looks in your video. Did you go on a weekend or holiday? I went usually during the week and I saw maybe 5 people (not counting employees) the whole time I was there.
Great video! Yeah Moonbeam is who owned Century 3 mall in Pittsburgh.
I worked in the exact spot where you see the abandoned cookie place (I'm guessing that's what it was) just to the right of the universal jewelers from '96-'98. Back then it was an Orange Julius/Dairy Queen. Place was always busy back then, especially during Christmas time.
Well, the demographics around this mall are really bad. Really high crime, low income. It has really changed since this mall was originally built.
But even at the time when the mall was built, the area was headed in the wrong direction.
It doesn’t surprise me that so much of it is empty. I would suspect that this will soon be a completely dead mall and they will redevelop the property.
I love the yellow ballgown at time 9:41
I don't know why, but the sight of an AMC movie theatre makes me chuckle. Haha. AMC.
It’s definitely a nice mall. But there are a lot of empty stores and I’m surprised Jimmy Jazz left. I have seen that store in many dead malls. Moonbeam is bad news for sure! Malls nowadays that are still around have to deal with crime, gangs, and theft. It seems like teens from the 80’s were better behaved than they are nowadays. Teens now need chaperones and have a time limit at malls. I know that’s the rules for the mall by me that’s still doing well.
1st. Moonbean. Say no more.
Yeah look at Century 3 mall in Pittsburgh 😢
No malls shouldve been built after 1995.
There were 4 Malls built in the Orlando area from 1995 after: West Oaks (1996), Seminole Town Center (1995), Oviedo Mall (1998) and The Mall at Millenia (2002). Only The Mall at Millenia is still doing well.
@Steve.Cutler That's not true at all. Malls definitely are being built and have been built after 1995. Let me just mention American Dream Mall (Second largest mall in America.) And Hudson Yards Mall in that commercial complex. Two malls that just opened. Not sure what reality you're living in but malls definitely are doing well if built after 1995.
It looks the mall may be on a slow & painful death
I'm not surprised at the mention of theft in this mall. It was built right in the transition zone from Pine Hills or as the locals call it (Crime Hills) and the more affluent part of the Orlando Metro area (Winter Garden). I'm not surprised it's struggling either. There is nothing unique to draw people in. Winter Garden Village, The Mall at Millenia, Factory Outlets, Universal, Disney, I-Drive, Seaworld etc. are all within a 15-20-minute drive of West Oaks Mall. Location is another poor factor, it's too far from I-4 to get any tourist traffic.
Yeah I looked up West Oaks on a map, and it's out of the way a la Stratford Square. So that can't help this mall's situation. At least I didn't see any water bucket, so yay to that?
I know back in my home town in Houston, there's s a mall that that same name it appears to be just as dead. I currently live in Southwest Florida.
Do Oviedo Market place next. And the Seminole Towne Center
I've been here in the mall before there's not much people around here just a dead mall and i remembered there was Spirit Halloween here but not anymore 🥺😔
I live near the west (jokes) oaks mall! love the DVM is in this mall so easy and fast now
Ah yes, my home mall. Grew up going here in the early to late 2000s, still go occasionally. It's maybe half-dead, depending on where you go, but the Tax Collector's office, the Food Court, and the humongous AMC absolutely are keeping this mall alive. lol, I'm just surprised the JCP hasn't been downgraded, it's still a full-sized store. My one issue is with the building itself. The mall's definitely got roof issues (water damage is fairly noticeable), but Hallmart and GGP SHOULD'VE done their research here. They built a mall full of skylights and huge glass curtain walls.... IN FLORIDA, where temps in the summer can reach 100 F or higher and a heat index well into the 110s on some days. But on the bright side (yes, pun intended), the plant life in the mall thrives like you won't believe due to the sunlight and the mall's lights can remain off most days, which saves on the power bill. Thanks for visiting btw!
it been go downhill since 2008 .not best in areas in orange county. central Florida built too many malls in 90 .
If u enter through the food court entrance and go in through the right door and look up there’s a orange ball I threw up there like 6 or 7 years ago
I love my mall so much great lakes mall is so nice for me! I am so sorry about this mall. I live going to malls.
Please make more mall videos in FL! I live in central east FL
Do you have a PayPal to send donations to for all the wonderful work?
There are two options: I have a Ko-fi page which is linked to my paypal account, but there is also the thanks button for one-time donations.
❤😂😂🎉🎉😢😢😮😮😅
BTW check out the racial demographics and how they've changed in Ocoee Florida. The white population is barely teetering at 51% so so I think that tells you all you need to know