I watched this mall be built. It was beautiful when it first opened. It had rides inside the mall. A Ferris wheel a carrousel and other rides. Christmas was beautiful, it even had an ice rink inside from Thanksgiving until after Christmas. It is very sad this happened to this mall.

@yt4870

Жыл бұрын

When was it built?

@aprilleerose

Жыл бұрын

@@yt4870 late 80s

@TrinhNguyen-sh4fj

Жыл бұрын

Really? That is so sad.

@ToyotaCelicaDude1

10 ай бұрын

This is a beautiful mall, it's a big shame that it's in this condition, it has to be on the brink of financial collapse. If only there was a way to bring the mall era back. I miss seeing more of them around 😥

The style and design of this mall makes me so nostalgic. I miss busy malls and the early 2000s. The world just sucks ass now.

@williamwilson8019

2 жыл бұрын

I feel you arundel mills in Maryland still thrives but 2000s was the shit

@actual_doge3221

2 жыл бұрын

All we can do is try to repair the damage caused by the sickness. Then hopefully HOPEFULLY our descendants will know better.

@thatsawesome2060

2 жыл бұрын

@@actual_doge3221 that not the only case but more people already move Shopping online.

@riproar11

2 жыл бұрын

I was a teenager during the great mall days and it was a lot of fun to go with family or meet up and hang out with friends. By the 2010s I developed a distaste for consumerism and switched to wearing clothing that generally never goes out of style but looks handsome/manly and lasts. I could care less about going to malls now, even the giant ones in New Jersey. The Freehold Raceway Mall has a lot of vacancies and has a sterile vibe to it.

@newnamepending7084

2 жыл бұрын

We now live in the dystopia that some of the better Sci fi films made us fear.

I just visited this place thanks to this channel! :) I only live 2 and a half hours away. My husband and I visited just a few days ago. The bouncy house is open. They were having a party when we walked through the mall. And the arcade you can play games for $5 an hour. That little business is actually doing well to be in a dead mall! Kohl's closed last month. The last anchor store(the arcade) will be leaving in September 2022. They approved demolition for the mall. :/

@dickypooperfart

Жыл бұрын

heartbreaking to see it finally go, september is just days away now. I hope you made good memories seeing what was probably the last breath of this place. it certainly had it coming but it's surprising how long it's lasted after it's "death". amazing!

@spicydramarama852

Жыл бұрын

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. John 3:16-17.

@deronbellanger248

6 ай бұрын

Not true at all the last anchor store is bass pro, the arcade was inside the mall that’s the opposite of an anchor, and the demolition never happened it is still standing

Update & fact: In 2021, one of those security guards was convicted of threatening a woman with a knife while on duty, and had previously been convicted of killing kittens and storing them in his freezer. And to current date, there is another security guard on duty that is known to be extremely aggressive obsrssive about people filming/taking pics and regularly makes visitors feel unsafe. Half of the recent reviews of this mall mention their incidents him.

@jillmatthewsphotography

Жыл бұрын

Yes I have filmed in here twice, as recent as this week. He is very aggressive and nasty. It says it’s “open”. People do walk the mall…why can’t I take pictures? The last time he came at me on a bike, said “get out immediately”. Which I started heading back out. He kept yelling at me to hold my camera and down. He kept saying “ DO NOT FILM Me”. Like why would I have any interest in filming him?

@alb12345672

Жыл бұрын

@@jillmatthewsphotography Patrolling that huge vacant place could drive someone insane.

@RemoWilliams1227

Жыл бұрын

@@alb12345672 orrrrr like many he went into security (probably because he couldn't do actual law enforcement) because he is a powerless bitch in every other area of his life and feels powerful yelling at people.

@spicydramarama852

Жыл бұрын

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. John 3:16-17.

@oldsport420

Жыл бұрын

Jesus Christ.

The “boring” wing where it is walled off used to be Biggs grocery store. Went there often as a child with family. The checkout lanes exited out to that area of the mall, the whole storefront was open to the mall. Was so much fun going there as a child!

Our generation is gonna be one of the last generations with malls like these Edit: I did not expect to get such a reaction from this comment

@wheezy_mads

3 жыл бұрын

Idk. Some malls are still doing great, and won't close down for a long time. The King of Prussia mall, for example, I don't think will close anytime soon. Even with online shopping replacing some stores, and there will be fewer malls, I don't think they will cease to exist entirely anytime soon.

@oreopudding3133

3 жыл бұрын

Place your bets now, how long till physical stores are extinct

@GunplayIsntGameplay

3 жыл бұрын

By the time our generation ends this stuff is gonna be a museum while all the shopping goes online sadly. Amazon and electronics/gaming/phones etc... is currently killing off retail stores. Kids would rather want the next gaming system or phone than toys from ToysRUS.

@user-nj9ll6em8k

3 жыл бұрын

Na destiny type malls will adapt . It has go carts in shit. vr gaming cafes in some shops.. what have you

@terraliberalis6948

3 жыл бұрын

i think it depends on where the mall is situated, here in Vienna, Austria EU, the Wien mitte mall (where you have to go when using the city airport train) is in the middle of the city and with excellent rail (rapid trains) and 2 metro/ubahn/subway lines - also the Donauzentrum next to the skyline of Vienna will still has its existence in the future i guess, because of access to the u1 line, but then there are malls (like the G3 shopping resort in the northern outsirkts of Vienna) , which are only/de facto eaccessable with cars, they will gonna die out I giuess and hopefully turn into warehouses for online shopping (in order to reduce the waste land effect a bit^^)

I live right around the corner from this mall, and still sometimes go into the two remaining anchor stores. I remember what a huge deal it was when it opened, and it was initially MUCH more of a spectacle than you would have ever guessed by the way it looks here (there was once a two story entertainment complex called Bourbon Street with multiple bars and nightclubs that was extremely popular for a time). It went through several renovations that were supposed to revive it, but it began dying almost as soon as it opened, finally ending up in this "undead" state (it was even more surreal when there were still a few random stores clinging to life inside). Still, I have a lot of memories that happened here (my now 22 year old son playing at that playground as a toddler), and it's a bit sad to see it like this. I wish they would just tear it down.

That weird point in a mall's lifespan where it is effectively dead, yet still open. A mall in its last throes of life before ending. One of two malls in Augusta Georgia was like this before it closed. It was the older of the two and was made back in the day when it was the edge of the city. The addition of the Bobby Jones highway and expansion of the city shifted traffic away from the place. The increase in crime and the apathy of the mall owners and the city drove remaining customers and stores away. In the end, there were basically one department store and five different shoe / sports stores that sold the same stuff despite being different stores. The last returning customers, the thugs that drove the normal customers away, never really purchased that much as they kept shop lifting. Thus ended the first mall in Georgia.

@marchmadness4598

Жыл бұрын

regency mall lol

@himhim3344

7 ай бұрын

Its always that same group of people that ruin everything

It’d be so cool if they kept the anchors, reopened the food court, then turned the remaining store spaces into apartments/studios and rented them out

@TheChipMcDonald

3 жыл бұрын

it'd be cool if our economy hadn't been ransacked by the 1%.

@qwipperty

3 жыл бұрын

That would be the best way to do it. A mix of residential and stable business.

@kennethbower6040

3 жыл бұрын

Iv though about sorta your idea but do an assisted living community at one end and make the mall an assisted living open to public all in one town with everything under one roof ...

@ingrid945471

3 жыл бұрын

Omgosh that’s a genius idea it would totally save It!

@adt3739

3 жыл бұрын

There actually are malls in ny that have done this and aside from not having windows looking outside it is pretty awesome 😊

The sheer vastness of this place is staggering. When did it essentially close? It's extremely clean inside. There is something so beautiful, eerie and tragic about these empty spaces.

@homestar92

2 жыл бұрын

Arcade Legacy moved there in 2009 or 2010. By this point it was VERY dead, but unlike now the building was still in physically good shape. Us regular customers were scratching our heads at that move at the time, but the arcade has done quite well actually. The thing that propped this mall up is that unlike most malls, its anchors did well for a long time. The two that are left are still doing well, and Babies R Us stayed in the mall until the whole company went under. Another mall a few miles east up the highway (Tri-County Mall) is closing here in a few weeks and if you asked me in 2019, I NEVER would have believed that Cincinnati Mills would outlive Tri-County Mall.

@ammagee

Жыл бұрын

@@homestar92 Wow, that's shocking to hear.

@nhmisnomer

Жыл бұрын

At the time when this mall opened, the other malls closer to the city were overwhelmingly more conveniently located for shoppers. No one saw any reason to come out this far.

@rickdeckard1075

Жыл бұрын

they want you to see it. like 9/11 it has metaphysical implications.

As someone who grew up in thia town and spent a good deal of my childhood and teen years there. I never could understand why it had so many ups and downs the last remodel was actually beautiful and it was much prettier than the tri-county mall only a few exits away. They had a small roller-coaster in there at one time. I full mini-gold course. The dollar-theater was awesome! My friends and I would be dropped off by our parents and we would go to the dollar store and play tag and security never bothered us. ***to explain the flying pigs though. You have to know a little history of Cincinnati. When the city was originally founded it has a higher population of pigs than humans and was called Porkopolis. No joke. So they have a flying pig marathon and the pig or the flying pig is a mascot of Cinti. One year artists were given pig stautes to paint however they liked and they were donated or purchased by different businesses. The pig nurses outside the hosp and the ballet pigs in tutus outside the theater were some of my favorites Thanks for going there and exploring. I havent lived there in about 10 years. I think it may have been open then? Kinda neat to see.

@danielobrien1571

Жыл бұрын

Nice picture, happen to be a lady with very long hair? I find that quite attractive, please describe it?

@zkoopa4445

Жыл бұрын

@@danielobrien1571 🤨

@danielobrien1571

Жыл бұрын

@@zkoopa4445 I was complementing Lisa on her profile picture, and was curious how long her hair was. I have a passion for woman that let their hair grow luxurious lengths like Rapunzel's, the longer their hair the more attractive I find them to be. Do you not share my passion for woman that wear their hair long like that?

@vengefulamoeba668

Жыл бұрын

One of the big problems with this mall was the county tax was too high and stores didn't like it so it was hard to keep tenants around. another was poor/corrupt management throughout the years. it also didn't help that several of the anchor stores went out of business fully not just in the mall. iirc the big walled off area around 11:30 use to be a grocery store. when i would stay with my grandmother on the weekends we'd go to this mall every time, we'd walk around, go eat lunch or see a movie then she'd go grocery shopping and then head back home.

There was a night club and a Ruby Tuesday restaurant. Me and my ex wife went to both on our first date in 2001. We were married for 15 years and our daughter is now almost 20 years old. Time sure flies.

@bunnysweet6013

Жыл бұрын

What happened to your ex wife?

@himhim3344

7 ай бұрын

Does your daughter have an insta?

@Golfing422

7 ай бұрын

@@himhim3344 Who knows, she moved in with her sister in Milford and doesn’t see me much because I’m not to hip of the idea of her not working.

Local here, so figured I would give a little background on the mall for those interested: The mall started out being called Forest Fair Mall. It is located off of I-275 which is the ring interstate surrounding Cincinnati. The mall itself is located in an area called Forest Park. This location caused two major issues which combined lead to the state the mall is in now: The first issue is that the mall is located between what were two very well established malls ten minutes in either direction on 275. Northgate to the North and Tri-County to the South. While no malls are doing great anymore those two are still around... just hurting like all other brick and mortar. This first issue alone probably would have been enough to doom the mall. The second issue is a little more delicate. Around the time the mall was built the demographics of Forest Park were changing. What was formally a firmly middle to upper middle class area started becoming lower middle to low class area due to the colloquial term "White Flight." As with any area where economically depressed individuals live - crime soon follows. There were robberies, rapes, beatings and even shootings. The mall and the local government were too slow in stamping this out and the mall became known as a gang battleground. Whether these stories were true or racist fear mongering I do not claim to know. The first new owner's response lends some credence to the stories however. The mall rebranded Cincinnati Mills. The new ownership put an actual police sub-station in it as you showed, a strict dress code of no baggy pants or gang colors and no groups of teens allowed. But due to the stories the middle and upper middle class folks had already just stopped going there - why would they when they had two other good options not ten more minutes away? When I was a teenager in the late nineties my parents forbade me from going there so take that as you will. For a short time the mall was very nice again but the fatal blows had already been dealt and the new ownership hemorrhaged money. I still go to the Bass Pro all the time. It's the only store in the area with a great fishing section. Location matters is about the only "lesson" that could be learned from the Story of Forest Fair Mall. That being said the mall was one of the last dinosaurs before the asteroid hit. With the advent of online shopping it was on borrowed time regardless of the above issues.

@TheCoolDave

3 жыл бұрын

Ah, I was wondering what the back story was... if the location was really bad, and it sounds like it is... Just give it 2-3 more years (personally within a year)and it will join the word as an another abandon place... Unless one of the other malls close first, maybe they will have a shot ?

@leighmarikian

3 жыл бұрын

Fascinating! Thanks for adding the history.

@ovm3359

3 жыл бұрын

@@TheCoolDave I doubt it. The only reason it's still around at all is Bass Pro. Northgate is the next to go. Last time I was in there it was already 70% empty and that was a couple of years ago. The last I heard Amazon might buy Forest Fair to turn it into a fulfillment center. (Most people around here still call it Forest Fair btw.)

@sewma3

3 жыл бұрын

I stopped going to that mall in about 1994. I was very pregnant and had a one year old. My husband was getting us food while me and my son looked for a spot to eat. I found a spot but needed another chair. There was a group of teens at the next table and had an empty chair. I asked one of them if I could use the chair and she agreed. As soon as I started moving the chair, one of the boys grabbed it and told me not to take it. Being very pregnant and carrying my one year old, I said ok. He didn’t like that and picked up the chair and threw it. I got out of there quick, found my husband and had him return the food, then had security walk us out. Never went back again!

@jeffm5056

3 жыл бұрын

Tri-County Mall fell before Northgate. That was a surprise to me. Northgate is dying, but Tri-County is dead.

Can't believe I saw a Clair's. Got my ear pierced at one when I was 9. Now I'm 39. Time flies

@drewharrison1840

3 жыл бұрын

This makes me sad

never been to this mall, but this type of video/content floods me with emotions that feel like nostalgia. it is so weird and i know others have described it happening to them, too. experiencing consciousness as a human is frickin wild

@missgg8

5 ай бұрын

I live in the area and I went to this mall two years ago with my sister and some friends. The nostalgia I felt was insane especially in the kid playground. The kohls wasn’t there. And we were able to sneak into the movie theatre it was super cool and creepy. Outside of the theaters it has signs that say “silence your pagers” lol. Anyway I have dreams that feel like this mall. It’s so liminal

That arcade was great. All the games were set to free play and you just paid an entry fee of like $10 for the day. They also had a bunch of consoles of varying generations setup with games you could check out from the front desk. They're currently building a new location

@TrinhNguyen-sh4fj

Жыл бұрын

Really? That was very cool. I remember back then when we paid like $5 got 50 tokens and were able to play a lot of games and win prizes.

When my mom told me they closed I was crushed as a kid in the 90s. That was one of the fun mall very kid friendly

@jr22hon

3 жыл бұрын

Yeah I remember when there used to be a ferris wheel on that main area by the food court

@copperbeardedking1919

3 жыл бұрын

@@jr22hon remember timeout arcade

One of my first jobs was helping decorate this mall for Christmas, when only the first wing was open with biggs and the rest of the mall wasn’t built yet! It’s been crazy to watch this mall over the years as it continues to fall apart. I still shop at that Kohl’s location.

@Knockout_Skill02

2 жыл бұрын

Hey Kelley!, I bet it must have been nice to see this mall through the years, I’ve never seen any mall I’ve been to shut down and become abandoned, cause I’m as born in 2008, but I still feel sad ab that for you, like, from most likely feeling such Amazzzzement on the creative builders who build that colourful mall, I love the style of that mall, thx for the story!

I honestly really like the aesthetics of this place! It’s very mid 90’s-early 2000’s, almost like those fancy grocery stores you’d see around that time. I’d even say it almost reminds me of a lot of old Playhouse Disney shows or even the 2003 Cat in the Hat movie.

i really wish malls like this would make a comeback and be thriving and fun again, id have the time of my life somewhere like this

OMG that new intro is sick!! That was insane, freaked when I seen the new clips!

@lildavid81able

3 жыл бұрын

que?

@Glitterflickan

3 жыл бұрын

Agree!!

@TheRogueKiwi

3 жыл бұрын

How did you comment 6 hours ago when the video is only 2 hours old?!

@zombienic

3 жыл бұрын

@@TheRogueKiwi supporters of the channel get early access!

@Kian00

3 жыл бұрын

Yeah, this channel has amazing editing quality.

I was actually at this mall in 2009 to see a movie with friends and it was already barren and decrepit by then, albeit a little less decaying and with 5 or so more stores in operation. I'm not sure if it was a stormy day or if it was at night when we saw this movie but I remember the mall interior being almost COMPLETELY dark to the point that footage/photos of it at daytime surprise me by how comparatively pleasant they make it seem. How this shell of a mall has been operating like this for well over a decade is a mystery to everyone.

@cbassthefirst1343

3 жыл бұрын

Well we're about burned out on using it for smuggling. This building generates massive revenue still.

At 11:51 in Dan Bell's video there's a shot of the same candy machines with the same amount of gumballs inside. That video is 6 years old and the mall was already abandoned back then. YT short idea would be for someone to go there and eat one.

@IronShocker77

Жыл бұрын

The candies inside have probably already melted together

@spicydramarama852

Жыл бұрын

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. John 3:16-17.

@benjaminkanoza2701

Жыл бұрын

The candies and gum were still good up until a year ago. All the preservatives made them last! I'd always get some when going to the arcade.

@alyssa_taylorsversion

6 ай бұрын

That would give you crazy food poisoning

@ShadeATV

6 ай бұрын

@@spicydramarama852shut up

So I read that they’ve officially closed the mall on the 6th of this month. Kohl’s and Bass Pro Shops were the last stores to close.

@markmollineaux6218

Жыл бұрын

Forest Fair and Tri County fully shuttering within a few months of each other; really a bummer

I'm guessing the reason it's technically "open" is because of the lease agreements with the remaining anchors, which likely requires the landlord to continue to operate the mall. The leases for anchor stores would likely be marginal given the size of the mall, but just enough to justify continuing to make bare minimum provisions to call the mall "open". A single security guard doesn't cost much, and lighting is a minimal cost in the wider scheme of things. The water issues are likely due to maintenance probably being confined mostly to the anchor stores, with the rest receiving the bare minimum for the system to meet legal requirements for fire control and maintain functionality to the occupied stores, so minor leaks and failures are ignored. The whole thing reminds a bit of the "parliamentary trains" that run in the UK - unadvertised routes running maybe once a week in one direction only at some weird time, but legally required to meet the terms of franchise agreements train companies have with the government for other, much more popular, routes.

@entertainme7523

Жыл бұрын

Ben Davis with Hillwood Construction Services said they are just beginning redevelopment talks with Fairfield and Forest Park but they hope to put light industrial buildings on the site that could have a value of $150 million and potentially produce 900 to 1,500 jobs. According to the funding application, the property is currently valued at $9.2 million, with $2 million of that on the Butler County side.

This mall was great back in the day. The food court or "Time Out" section was the coolest part of the mall. There were arcade games, carnival kiddie rides, carousel, dancing fountain and of course it was always crowded. When you were down at the very end after you passed the flags there used to be a Biggs Hypermarket, which really was the inspiration for the Walmart Supercenters. Media Play was always a favorite for me to go to. Books, music and movies galore. You were also right about the movie theaters. They were second run theaters showing the movies after they left the big screen. The theaters name was Danbarry Dollar Saver. This mall will be missed, there will never be another one like it......

@rhondad9381

3 жыл бұрын

Also, when it first opened, there was a whole entertainment section. It had maybe three bars, some full service restaurants. It was quite nice then. Not surprising that Kohl's is getting out soon.

Wow this was my childhood mall that I grew up with! A couple notes , there were 2 theaters, 1 showcase cinema and a $1 theater downstairs... the wing they said was boring by the playground was actually a HUGE grocery store called Big's that took up that entire wing. So nostalgic now that I haven't lived there in close to 7 years

This mall is now closed due to neglect with fire code conduct among other things. Who knows if it will reopen. Used to come here as a kid all the time and play on the PBS kids playground while my parents shopped at Biggs.

We have a Mills Mall here in St. Louis and its practically in the same state of abandonment. Makes me sad bc growing up as a 90s kid, malls were our life. Miss the days before social media when you actually got out, met people, did fun things, and just enjoyed each moment.

@ashley2405

3 жыл бұрын

I'm a St. Louis native too! The style of this mall reminded me of The Mills in STL so much! It's so sad to see the state it's in now.

@currentdayandtime2637

3 жыл бұрын

You're right malls were the place you hung out with your friends. Even bump into other people you knew occasionally. Social media with video games have ruined natural interaction unfortunately.

@PlayButtonPone

2 жыл бұрын

I believe it's closed/abandoned, they were going to turn it into a sports complex, but I don't know whether covid put a hamper to it.

@janelawrence95

2 жыл бұрын

Right?! In a small town all we had was a mall and movie theater to hang out at. Almost ever weekend friends would meet at the mall eat at the food court and walk around being kids.

This unlocked a lot of weird memories I had of this mall. I’ve known I’ve gone to this one, but I could never picture it. Now I picture memories I didn’t know I have. Crazy

I worked in malls from 1986 until 2009. They were fun places to work back in the day especially for a young person. I used to visit a lot of Cincinnati malls as my district manager was based there and I used to travel and work in her stores when extra management was needed. A lot of great memories.

I swear this place looks like it's flickering in and out of reality, just the tiny handful of people still walking around like nothing's wrong in an otherwise dead mall is surreal.

@adotintheshark4848

Жыл бұрын

it will flicker one last time..fade from sight taking everything that's still inside with it.

@Crazycartoonist8679

Жыл бұрын

No one being their reminds me of the backrooms

@naomivought9317

4 ай бұрын

Have a mall in Buffalo like that. It is so freaking dead. With a couple stores left. It’s really odd sometimes when you’re just standing there completely alone in the food court.

i grew up in this mall and still go there every once in a while. i remember when they were renovating it back in 2004 to its current look. it was so pretty. there are a few stores still open inside besides the anchor stores, like the retro arcade and children's bouncy house storefront. i'm pretty sure they keep the mall open for the mall walkers and they're just letting time wear it down. i remember going to showcase cinemas with a friend to see cloudy with a chance of meatballs back in 2009. I visited the claire's and bass pro a lot in my childhood. i had my 5th birthday party in the bouncy house store front (it was something different back then when i was a kid, don't remember the name). my dad took me to the glow in the dark mini golf place on my last day of 2nd grade. i went with my parents to the verizon store downstairs by the fountain a lot so they could get new phones and back then they only carried flip phones. i spent soooooooooo much time at that playground and it was PBS kids themed. my mom has a pic of me sitting on one of those huge flower pots on her old flip phone that she took back in 2007. those were good times and i really miss it.

Malls especially stir weird feelings in me when I see footage of them abandoned. I think because I was a teen in the 80's and the mall was the place we all went. Where we hung out with friends, where I shopped with my mom for clothes and where she dragged me when I was small while she shopped for clothes. The eighties and nineties felt so safe to me. As a society we were wealthy and prosperous. (Wasteful and blind). Jump to today...I am middle aged. My parents died recently. I've seen my country struggle and start to fail over and over just like this mall. I am no longer safe within my childhood but alone, vulnerable and watching a pandemic pick people off around me. It's surreal, much like this mall. Great video, definitely stirred my emotions.

@watershed44

3 жыл бұрын

@Kate Zone Sad part is that we men allowed things to get to this point. Worst part is we've been invaded by people that have no interest in our heritage, culture, Constitution, values, and legally should not be here at all. This is probably the major issue in the USA today.

@Rfk1966

3 жыл бұрын

Same age, and we are days away from losing my dad. Such sad times compared with the optimism of those days in the 80’s. Sure, There was always the threat of nuclear extermination in the back of our minds and the other problems of the day. But Whatever we had back then, warts and all, was a shared communal experience.

@nicoleh3211

3 жыл бұрын

@@watershed44 “Mexicans are killing malls” faceass

I'm emotionally invested in this mall now and want it to come alive again. Oh the nostalgia

@bambi3469

2 жыл бұрын

I'm pretty sure its closed now

@sponsnops

Жыл бұрын

@@bambi3469 it actually isnt, i just went to it yesterday

Such a weird experience, almost like an abandoned building with power still on but just barely being kept from becoming abandoned.

@silasmcgee3647

3 жыл бұрын

With water damage present in some areas I'm concerned that those hissing / buzzing lights they heard could be fire hazards

@Mehrunes86

3 жыл бұрын

@@silasmcgee3647 Could be a good igniter, for insurance😀

@silasmcgee3647

3 жыл бұрын

@@Mehrunes86 yeah for like... Literally two people

@TheCoolDave

3 жыл бұрын

Just give it a few years... they will be back when it is completely abandoned....

Part of the reason it closed was the nearby high school. The bad students used to go to the mall and bully people, fight each other, and intimidate shoppers.

@jasonmclaughlin4880

3 жыл бұрын

That’s the exact reason why some of the better malls we had here in Indianapolis have gone down hill. Nobody wants to shop/be around a bunch of riff raff. It’s fully taken over 2, closed 2, & working on the remaining 2 decent ones left.

@drfoodstamps1604

3 жыл бұрын

Really😂😂😂😂 are you talking about the Winton hills thugs. Gtfoh

@emilygrace1960

3 жыл бұрын

Same situation in Merrillville, Indiana (Lake County, Indiana / town next door to Gary). So sad.

@blackwidow7076

2 жыл бұрын

Lol I loved those days aka forest fair

@AyeCarumba221

2 жыл бұрын

I believe your theory may have contributed. There are other malls where a murder or a crime of one sort or another contributed to the downfall of the mall. People don’t comprehend how one incident can ruin an entire system.

I live about 30 minutes from this places and I've visited several times. It's so surreal to be in there; especially remembering the mall being lively when I was a kid.

@cbassthefirst1343

3 жыл бұрын

Its painful

Am I the only one really loving the decor and design? It’s so weird I love it

@minniemin1324

3 жыл бұрын

it was sooooo much fun when it was in its heyday. it was "the mall" to go to back then

@luvliesbleeding

3 жыл бұрын

same. v dreamcore / weirdcore its dope

@theRPGmaster

3 жыл бұрын

@@luvliesbleeding I didn't know that's what it was called. Same vibe as "liminal spaces". I have no idea why I like it, or why my actual dreams are so similar to that aesthetic. I'm European by the way.

@TackyFlamingo

3 жыл бұрын

I like how... “bouncy”, I guess, it is

Teenagers 5 years from now watching this video: Why are they wearing masks? Teenagers 10 years from now watching this video: What's a mall?

@imcarlosjr4898

3 жыл бұрын

Probably

@nicoleg7724

3 жыл бұрын

My 5 yr old doesn’t know what a mall is

@paulchristiansen7014

3 жыл бұрын

@@nicoleg7724 my kids don't like malls anymore..as it scares them and ask me why the craziness

@goodoldfashionedangel

3 жыл бұрын

That's so sad

@paulchristiansen7014

3 жыл бұрын

@@goodoldfashionedangel it is sad that this world is upside down

Wow! I helped open that mall , that's ridiculous! It was the flagship store for other malls and had marble floors, we weren't to wear small heels that could scratch the floors!! Wow!! I worked for Clinique and worked the opening for 2 weeks, in Parisian. Huge grand pianos playing, many of us got to put on designer clothes and model. It was truly amazing. so sad to see it die out like most of Ohio.

@RedLion88

Жыл бұрын

Most of Ohio is not dying out.

Building code should require structures to be built that don't fall apart if they're abandoned or need to be repurposed.

@meganszobonya5151

3 жыл бұрын

Are you the chocolate rain man?

@thesuburbanredneck4453

3 жыл бұрын

This nations works for money, not people or safety unfortunately. I agree completely, though!

@tinywheat9

3 жыл бұрын

chocolate rain

@yzer2464

3 жыл бұрын

I feel like eventually no matter how much they try they would still fall apart

@PurpleMintSam

3 жыл бұрын

What up, Tay! Still killing it

So many good memories as a kid in this mall back in like 2000-2004. Even back then this mall was pretty empty

@connor4337

3 жыл бұрын

My cousins lived in cincinnati during the time and I was always so jealous of them. last year I finally got the time to go down and see the mall and it’s the greatest thing i’ve ever done and I wanna go again.

@IloveKingsIsland

3 жыл бұрын

I remember when it used to have a movie theater and a arcade a very long time ago

@bigbeast103

3 жыл бұрын

Same. The glory days of my childhood.

I remember going there a few times when I was a kid. Probably in the early/mid 90s, around 93-94 I think. Saw Jurassic Park for the first time in the cinema there, spent a lot of time in the arcade. That place was so overwhelming to a kid. So full of life. It’s sad to see it where it’s at now. Was once an amazing place.

I grew up around this mall and we still live in the general area. Stopping by on occasion throughout my (and it's life) and seeing it from it's thriving state when I was a kid all the way to it's crumbling decrepit state here is just surreal. You're very right about the movie theatre btw. They ended up showing movies as they left large theatres for $5 a person until they closed. You made this video/visit a bit after our final visit as the last time me and my spouse were there, Babies R Us was still opened. Arcade Legacy is gone now as well (relocated) and the mall, from what I hear, is set to be demolished sometime in the future. Always thought they should've just turned it into homeless housing or a nursing home or something. Would've been the perfect place for a zombie movie as well (maybe live action Dead Rising?) It's a shame it was left to decay.

I've been to this mall for the arcade. The arcade is awesome, but being in the mall at night really does feel like you're in Dawn of the Dead or something.

@jmream2618

3 жыл бұрын

Do u mean Arcade legacy

its insane how many places there are to explore to be honest you would think more abandoned places would be destroyed but if you look for them there is a surprising amount of places

@ninjapistol14

3 жыл бұрын

I can't believe there are some store still in the mall. The ceiling is rotting and falling apart

A little backstory to the mall: It used to be called Forest Fair Mall and in the 80's and early 90's it was THE place for people to shop. I had friends from Northern Kentucky who would drive up to shop and there used to be a water park called Surf Cincinnati an exit or two down 275. The entire area was nice suburbs and multiple members of my family lived nearby but then several decades of cultural enrichment later it's a high crime cesspool. Last I heard it was due to be demolished this past summer but that was delayed. The people that own the land intend on putting in light industrial buildings because that's about the only thing that can realistically have good enough security to stay in business in that area.

Imagine if they repurposed this mall to be like an indoor paintball arena or airsoft? That would be so sick.

@entertainme7523

Жыл бұрын

not enough money in that

@87donofrio

Жыл бұрын

After play The Pines map on Cold War , a mall could be great map for painball or Airsoft

@kelseyjmccabe4797

Жыл бұрын

I've seen evidence of nerf battles. Heard kids say they used to skateboard through there.

@briansmith4983

Жыл бұрын

The cinema was called Danbarry, and they did show second-run movies. I must have been one of the last people to see a movie there (I saw 'Fury' starring Brad Pitt) There was just one girl running the whole place...all projectors, (she ran the movies at the show times, whether anyone was watching or not!!) concessions, and tickets. I talked to her for a few minutes, then went in. I was literally the only person in the theater as the movie ran. Talk about surreal..

This place is 6 minutes from my house. I take my kids there to run around since it’s empty 🤣🤣

@laureng6412

3 жыл бұрын

Big brain moment there

@iamstrong143

3 жыл бұрын

Lol I used to do that before COVID

@ishbersue1352

3 жыл бұрын

Big brain!!!

@leapyear9460

3 жыл бұрын

I was thinking it would be great to rollerskate there

@stateyourthesis

3 жыл бұрын

@@iamstrong143 Same

It's actually kind of crazy when you think about what an incredible waste of resources these huge malls are/were.

@waynemangan9925

3 жыл бұрын

How are shared structures such as office buildings and apartments less efficient. A shared indoor marketplace is far more efficient for the retailer than a stand alone structure. Of course that goes out the window when it's unoccupied.

@RK-zf1jm

3 жыл бұрын

On Bright films channel he covered an abandoned mall that was built in 2001 and demmolished in 2019 wow thats some great fucking planning there

@craftpaint1644

3 жыл бұрын

It's a customer service/hospitality thing - interaction with employees, holding something in your hand while deciding to buy it, you don't get that with Amazon or Etsy. Edit : I don't need malls, but visiting a physical store isn't bad.

@leesuschrist

3 жыл бұрын

@@craftpaint1644 yeah, i totally get the importance of actually being able to hold a product in your hand when making a decision to buy it, but the fact that they heat, cool, and maintain these massive indoor spaces, just so people can feel comfortable while pissing their money away on stuff they don't need is kind of ridiculous in my opinion. Some of the malls I've been to are extremely massive inside for no reason at all.

@nancypatricia511

3 жыл бұрын

The aesthetic of this mall is kind of cute. The playground, theater, skylights, and fun decor would make a great place to live as a self-contained community/village. It could house doctors, dentists, beauticians, and other services as well as grocery and specialty stores, a post office, and anything else that a small community might need with apartments possibly where the large anchor stores were located. Don't know if that was feasible around the time that business was declining. But it is an interesting perspective. Those huge anchor stores had downtown locations all over America where people either lived or worked close enough to walk to them to shop. Then they all left and moved out to the shopping malls on the outskirts of the cities and people had to make special trips on the weekend to patronized these stores. If these malls could be repurposed into small. enclosed villages where people could live, shop, work and socialize without having to drive all over the place, it would take things back to where they were before so many cities lost their core. It is just a thought. At this stage of the game, it would be quite an undertaking just to figure out if it is feasible and if the interest is there. In reality past, housing should have been in the mix from the very beginning.

I remember when this mall first opened (called Forest Fair Mall back then). Inside, it was one of the most beautiful malls you could find, with fountains, fancy handrails & staircases, etc. Sad how it has fallen - looks like a cheap carnival now.

The amount of these massive ghost town malls scattered across the country is incredible… it’s kinda hard to believe they were all once thriving retail destinations… does make for a great rainy weather running track though

Explored this mall with my parents a few years back. My mom used to go here when she was young. Really nostalgic, sad, and creepy.

@evelynnn5579

3 жыл бұрын

Yeah. I went with my dad once and it was nostalgic too

This is bringing back memories!!! I remember the years and times my friends, cousins and I would go and spend hours in that mall way back when...this mall was the spot when it was alive, full of people and energy! I remember the ferris wheel! Omg! This is so sad to see what it looks like now. I'm shocked it's still open. Great for mall walkers though.

Surreal… the last time I was here I was 15. I’m 29 now. I remember coming here for Christmas shopping when visiting family. It was very lively. Very colorful.

14:20 is straight out of the back rooms, especially with that buzzing noise

I used to work there in the late 80's and early 90's. Sad that the place is in the shape that it is in.

The security personnel told all potential costumers to leave since the 80's.

This mall actually had two movie theathers. It had the Showcase Cinemas 10 and a budget theater down below adjacent to the food court. The boarded up area that you saw after moving into the section beyond the Theater (to the left of the playground) was actually a supermarket (Bigg's)

I passed by this place yesterday on the way to a job and was thinking it would be a cool place to visit.

@777letsgoo

Жыл бұрын

Hurry, it's closing next month and it's gonna be demolished (according to someone elses comment)

When I was younger I worked at a toy store in a mall. Manager was really nice and easy to work with so all the employees had a great relationship with him. On break we were allowed to hangout in his office and one time he showed me the lease for the store. $18,000.00 a month! Store wasn’t that big and since we counted the draws and credit card slips everyday, we knew what the store took in money wise but not profit wise. Manager said “So if you owned that hat store over there, think of how many hats you must sell to cover say HALF the rent we pay...” That kinda hit home and it was then I realized malls would fail within the next 15 years.

This is incredibly heartbreaking. Not sure why, it's just so bleak and sad.

@kaanzagra1327

2 жыл бұрын

Yes me too. I always watch abandoned videos but this one makes me sad. I’m not sure why not so many people come to this place because I never been there. I live very far away from this place. I live in Turkey but it seems like it’s far away from the city. That’s why I’m thinking not so many people coming to this place but If they build apartments, houses, residences, hotels and business centres I’m pretty sure that more people will come to this mall. Also AVENUE BODRUM mall is in a same condition. It’s nearly abandoned and still open but let’s think positive. I’m pretty sure it will go back to normal after the pandemic day.

i was 8 when this mall was opened and every store was filled, they even had a supermarket inside (Biggs). I last recall us going around xmas time, it being very cold, and the entire place being very very packed. It was heaven.

This mall used to be so amazing when it first opened. It had a Carousel, game rooms, movie theaters, haunted house in October, numerous stores.

I feel like this would be a really good location for stranger things to film at if it jumps to the 90's

@darsuloz

3 жыл бұрын

exactly

I like the atmosphere of these abandoned places. It gives off those vibes of apocalyptic cinema like "I am Legend" where everyone is gone in a dystopian future.

oh man i love going to places like this. still open but abandoned with just a few store. makes you wonder how does it look during its heyday. probably swarmed with people and lively. that always gets me nostalgic and sad

After spending a good chunk of my teens and 20’s here, this makes me very sad. At one point there were 4 night clubs in here also. My sister was a bartender at one of them. So many memories flooding back watching this. Thanks for the video.

@MrRobertRue

Жыл бұрын

I saw the mall, was it packed full?

We HAVE to be getting near the end of this mall... especially with the Pandemic, you’d think that they would shutter it. Wild. Thank you for documenting it.

@gavinisdie

3 жыл бұрын

I think it should stay open as a recreation area tbh

@garrylearmonth9313

3 жыл бұрын

Theres plenty of social distancing ............... you could open it up as a covered park and still be fine

@BlargGargle

3 жыл бұрын

Not really much business for them to lose...

@Vogurt

3 жыл бұрын

@@BlargGargle Simply having the lights on is just lighting money on fire.

Alternate title: Found Abandoned Mall with Shoppers Still Inside

@obsoleteoptics

3 жыл бұрын

Like that episode of South Park 🤣

This place needs a Blues Brothers sequel filmed in it Mall Limbo: where mall goes to purgatory

Loved this mall growing up! Honestly was on of my families favorite places to go because there was so much like literal attractions in the mall! Also I movie theatre that we loved going to! I remember starting to see it get emptier and emptier ! So heart breaking! If i ever get famous and make millions i will buy this mall and try my bestest to bring it back

I used to go here pretty regularly with my friends. The parking garage was insane. There was an abandoned nightclub at the top and it was covered in graffiti, much of it in Chinese. The top deck of the parking garage used to be set up for drift racing, too.

Grew up going to this mall. Fun fact, the long walled off area near the playground used to be a full blown grocery store called Bigg's. There also used to be a ferris wheel in the open area where security was hanging out by the food court. This used to be a very busy mall, but it declined very quickly. At one point there was even a TV studio in one of the old anchor buildings near the playground and old grocery store. A local talk show used to be shot there.

Bro I've been to this mall multiple times as a kid (born in 2004). So sad to see what happened to it man. Watching the video gave me incredible surreal nostalgic flashbacks and emotions.

@shermanzuki

Жыл бұрын

I was also born in 2004, this mall had some memories for me and my mother

The great mall in Kansas was huge, but it went away and was torn down recently. Had a small little theme park inside called Jeepers. It even had a roller coaster! I miss it the mall even now.

Looks like the perfect place to film a zombie movie in.

@andresquintillana2034

2 жыл бұрын

They filmed a stranger things episdode in this mall

Surprised malls like this don't try to reinvent themselves by taking away ~80% of the current footprint by adding places like churches, doctor clinics, government offices, grocery, call centers, day care, high school, college.... once you get some of these alternative type businesses in then, you should be able to get a small selection of shops and food court items in the remaining ~20%

@karenpojar2514

3 жыл бұрын

Some do. There is a dead mall in Omaha NE that turned into office space. It is at 70% capacity and rising. But there is a glut of corporate real estate lately. Both due to working from home due to the pandemic, and China locking down on foreign investments. So places that require lots of repair and remodeling like this mall are not in high enough demand for the bank to make its money back. So the bank that repossessed it squats on it. They are waiting for the market to change or the city to claim it by eminent domain (at "fair" market rate) so the city can level it to reduce crime.

@theserialrambler

3 жыл бұрын

I'm pretty sure that there actually was a grocery store in this mall back in the day, it was surreal.

@InsanePacoTaco

3 жыл бұрын

Rackspace in San Antonio is/was in an old mall. Complete with functional slide between floors.

@ingvarhallstrom2306

3 жыл бұрын

Next step, build some housing and you have a functioning little town already there. Because that's what malls really are, downtown shopping without a downtown.

@MaddRamm

3 жыл бұрын

There’s a mall in Newport News, VA that did that. It held onto Sears as its last anchor till last year. But it had long been converted into offices for the Newport News Shipbuilding and Verizon and some other large corporations. So plenty of people in it as a structure, but nothing mall oriented. Now the Sears closed due to bankruptcy and that’s the side the faces the Main Street, Mercury Blvd and it looks abandoned again even though there hundreds if not thousands of cars parked along the sides and back from office workers.

Don't stop filming guys. I enjoy all these abandoned places. So cool and brave to risk doing this. You guys are fantastic.

It's pretty interesting to picture this as a thriving mall. It's probably the most dead, yet still open, mall I've ever seen. I'm considering Parmatown Mall, too, though.

14:13 someone stole the DIRECTORY letters to spell DIE somewhere I am sure...

This must be what it's like visiting terminal patients in a hospital. The grim denial of the Elephant in the room.

Back in the 90s this place was absolutely amazing, best arcade I’d ever seen, going here was more fun than than a amusement park, sadly overpricing, online shopping and home video games killed it.

I remember when malls were the things to go to and hang out in. I can just imagine kids in the future watching 'Mallrats,' and asking what's a mall.

The Segway guy is hilarious. When I was there last time we would just go to whatever floor he wasn’t on. You could hear him going up the elevator. Was so damn funny.

@DrinkWhiskeyRaiseHell

3 жыл бұрын

sooooooo just like the video?

@michaelleskauskas3645

3 жыл бұрын

When we were there he hung out at the arcade talking to the guy behind the counter. We literally walked the entire mall.

@jamble7k

3 жыл бұрын

segway man...stairs are his one weakness, perhaps kerbs as well 😂

I remember going here as a kid when it was Forest Fair mall. Those times were the best!

@cnjvance1

3 жыл бұрын

I use to go there also...it was awesome at one time

@benhargrove7969

3 жыл бұрын

It used to have a Ferris wheel and bumper cars, and a huge arcade. It was awesome.

@cassiebottorff1280

3 жыл бұрын

Yes! I had a birthday party here once!

@aguy4247

3 жыл бұрын

Every time I watch these videos I think about what memories the walls hold for someone out there....5 minutes before reading this comment I was looking at this mall footage going "I bet someone watching this has great memories here and its probably super weird seeing it in this condition now". If only walls could talk!

I've watched a lot of urban exploration, and this is my FAVORITE. I'm 61, so I was a teenager when malls were born. I've seen so much!

ive been there quite a few times and i love it. its quiet and peaceful without the abandoned feel. my friend recently had a birthday party at the arcade!

Decor is stuck in the 80's. This would be a great place to film scenes for Stranger Things!!

@MrJ183

2 жыл бұрын

No not everything needs to be filmed for a shifty Netflix show

@wurmh1746

2 жыл бұрын

@@MrJ183 get with the times jerry

"Avoid the Segway Man!" sounds like an old video game.

The end of an era. I'm old enough to remember one level malls. We thought 2 levels was amazing. Sad to see the demise.

Not only did I once work here but a lot of my younger youth was spent at this mall. What a shame

“With every store closing this mall’s future is uncertain...”. Uh. No. It’s very certain

@ChrisTopherBunnell

3 жыл бұрын

It should become a homeless shelter

@sleeptyper

3 жыл бұрын

@@ChrisTopherBunnell Property owners want profit, so they rather scrap it than let it go to charity.

@drdrew3

3 жыл бұрын

@@ChrisTopherBunnell A 1,500,000 square foot homeless shelter?!? The mall is roughly 100 times too big for that. That’s why most that aren’t demolished are converted to “mixed use”: university, church, office space, storage, distribution center.

@memesandmusic

3 жыл бұрын

@@drdrew3 yes, we all know Chicago has homeless problems

@nadaway7253

3 жыл бұрын

@@drdrew3 would be a fine university with many offices, classrooms and movie theatre's as larger lecture halls. built in food service area. there are universities in worse shape than this one with 20,000 people attending. (larger, more buildings)

I live by this mall (grew up going as well), and know a few people who go to the arcade regularly. According to the arcade owner, the person who owns the mall leaves it open because they get a major tax credit and essentially makes money that way.

@TheBoliviaShow

3 жыл бұрын

oh that makes sense. Probably writing off all kinds of loses and depreciation every year

11:35- that area used to be a Biggs grocery store. It was a very nice store that was very affordable. The movie theatre was nice- until the kids used to come in a cause trouble. One reason they closed. There used to be singers that came in during the holidays. My exboyfriend and I had many dates there The pigs are representing the flying pig marathon that is in Cincinnati every year. They also had a nice night club. Part country another part was pop. I used to be there all the time as I lived close by and even worked in the building behind that you showed in the begining.

I grew up right near this in Pleasant run farms. We had just bought a house and we went to the grand opening of what was then called “forest fair mall” in 1988. It was a huge deal! The mall was huge and the downstairs area was a huge arcade and carnival type space called Time Out at Forest Fair. Tons of arcade, games, ski ball and ticket games. There was a second run movie theater called “super saver cinemas“ where we saw every movie imaginable for only $1.50. There were bumper cars, a carousel, a Ferris wheel, and as someone who grew up in that area in middle school and high school it was the place to be! I can’t over state how popular this mall was in the late 80s and well into the 90s. Eventually they added several nightclubs in the mall called “bourbon street” and even a concert venue. It was amazing! So so depressing to see the way it is now.

Ah, I miss this mall. I was there a lot when I was younger. I remember crowds of people would go there. I had one of my birthdays there at the bouncy house part of the mall. The food there was gross but I didn’t care. I loved it. I also loved the small playground. Im gonna go cry now lol.

@evelynnn5579

3 жыл бұрын

Lol I went to a b-day party at the bouncy house part of the mall once. It was fun lol

How weird. Those mall walkers exercising in an abandoned mall that just run past without even saying anything.

@LaiBaMuGou

3 жыл бұрын

Should they stop and say hello? 😂

@Chrisss2112

3 жыл бұрын

What I’d like to know, why didn’t Paul Blart stop the jogging exercisers?

@rociopch4982

3 жыл бұрын

Ghosts

@revus5078

3 жыл бұрын

They stare at you, don’t say anything and walk by, it gives a weird feeling.

@mirrormimi

3 жыл бұрын

It gives the whole mall this weird... game feeling? The mall guard feels like an enemy you have to avoid, the walkers seem like NPCs. The "map" looks run down, but not really, and the background noise is nowhere close to real life. They are right, it's more unique like this than a completely abandoned mall

I went here as a kid when it still actually had people going to it. I went to the wonder park and rode the kiddy roller coaster that looks like a snake, and I also rode the carousel. the main thing I remember was how crowded it would get around Christmas time. I’ve been back and honestly it’s not that creepy if you’ve been there before lol