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Neurodistortion
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Posted: Fri Jul 31, 2009 3:07 am    Post subject: Dead Malls
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For a number of years now, I've had an interest in these derelict retail structures, many of which has a significant history. I'm from near Pittsburgh so I'm familiar with the ones that used to be around here but have shut down or are in the process of closing. Northeastern Ohio seems that it's also having this type of problem, with Rolling Acres and Randall Park closing down. So who has any dead mall stories to tell?
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CuddyTheFlash
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Posted: Fri Jul 31, 2009 11:30 pm    Post subject:
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http://deadmalls.com/

I much prefer the ones closer to my parent's house...Southwyck and Northtowne Malls (Toledo).

The link I gave has some good pictures and first-person accounts.
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Neurodistortion
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Posted: Sat Aug 01, 2009 3:39 am    Post subject:
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Deadmalls.com is such an interesting website. The one mall in Pennsylvania (Greengate Mall) is listed on there. I remembered going there ever since I was young but it closed down a few years ago.
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Gunkey Monkey
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Posted: Sat Aug 01, 2009 9:59 am    Post subject:
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I've seen that site before and it is interesting. I remember prior to Westgate Mall being demolished that I was looking for a game and the Electronics Boutique was still listed as being open there. When I went there were only like three or four stores still open. The food court was boarded up and the rest of the mall was dark and creepy.

Now Westgate is an outdoor shopping area set up like a mini Legacy Village/Crocker Park.

Randall Park Mall was the mall back in the day and I loved it. I believe it was the largest mall in Northeast Ohio at the time. My last visit there was in the late 90's and it was creepy, still looking like it did back in the 70's/early 80's since the owners never gave it a facelift.
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VGplay
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Posted: Sun Aug 02, 2009 1:41 am    Post subject:
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I remember going to Rolling Acres much more than Summit Mall growing up. I think the whole surrounding area tanking is the major reason the mall fell to the wayside. If there would've still been stores around it, I think it could've gotten a Summit-esque facelift. I still like Rolling Acres' "ahead of its time but still retro" interior over Summit Mall today.

I have a friend who works at the Sears there. He says they still turn a good profit. It is a nice store with quite a large variety of stuff.
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dsloban
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Posted: Sun Aug 02, 2009 7:02 am    Post subject:
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I remember Randal Mall being creepy too! When I was younger, we used to go to Euclid Mall. Noew it has a couple of stores in it! I was in there a couple of years ago and it was really creepy like a ghost town! We walk through the whole thing, but most of the stores are gone and half of the lights were off! It would make a good haunted mall for Holloween!
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Skyglider
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Posted: Sun Aug 02, 2009 10:57 am    Post subject:
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If you had asked me Randall was still going strong, I would have thought Southgate would soon be on that list.

When Randall Park Mall opened, Southgate lost a lot of business and got run down. Eventually they reinvented it -- the May Company and department stores are gone but big box stores or grocery store took their place. So in the strange but true category, Southgate lives on while Randall, the newer and bigger neighbor, is fading away.
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coasterdad
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Posted: Sun Aug 02, 2009 11:29 am    Post subject:
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^Wouldn't it be great if something like that happens with a certain abandoned amusement park?
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AmusementFan123
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Posted: Sun Aug 02, 2009 12:26 pm    Post subject:
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I know the mall near me is very nice and won't be going anywhere. Somerset Mall is one of the nicest malls in the country.
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ffejie
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Posted: Sun Aug 02, 2009 1:10 pm    Post subject:
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Is it the bestest huh huh? I bet it's the  #1 bestest, most fantasticist, where the coolest kids go mall ever!! I bet you  are the #1 mall warrior too!!!
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ChrisS
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Posted: Sun Aug 02, 2009 5:00 pm    Post subject:
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Top malls in cleveland are The Avenue at Tower City, Crocker Park, Legacy Village, Eton Shopping Center, Beachwood Place, Great Northern Mall, Parmatown, Southpark, Summit Mall, and Great lakes Mall. This is according to
http://cleveland.about.com/od/shopsandservices/tp/malls.htm

I agree that Crocker, Eton, and Legacy would be at the top because they are the shopping centers of the future. Tower City is just ok. Older people would say its not like it used to be. It doesnt have the big anchor stores that it once did.  It wouldnt be anything to brag about. Its no mall of america or the mall of edmonton in canada. Beachwood, Southpark, and Mentor mall in my opinion are the top of my list of malls in the cleveland area.

Eucild Square mall became a dead mall after richmond Town Square was remodeled. You have to feel bad for that area since there is no real business in Euclid. After the mall came crumbling down the businesses went with it. Twin Value to Super KMart. Toys R Us went out as well.
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Gunkey Monkey
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Posted: Sun Aug 02, 2009 9:43 pm    Post subject:
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I wouldn't even go as far as saying Tower City is ok. When it first opened it had a bunch of unique to Cleveland stores not found in the suburban malls. Now Tower City's just like all the others.

I walk through it every day since I take the rapid to and from work and the turnaround rate on stores opening and closing seem pretty high. If it wasn't for the rapid transit and I would even go as far as saying the walkway to Gateway Tower City would be pretty much dead. It's bad enough they have a curfew that kids under a certain age can't be in the mall after 2:30 unless accompanied by an adult. Kind of makes you wonder what kind of clientele it attracts.

Another dead mall is the Galleria at Erieview. While the food court is still popular with area workers at lunch the owners had to pretty much redo it to attract a whole new set of tenants.

While this may be a stretch but my favorite "mall" when I was a kid was Euclid Avenue, from Public Square to at least E. 9th.  I loved May Co. on Public Square, especially at Christmas with all the unique window displays. There was Woolworth's (now House of Blues), and Burrows Bros. (a very early version of all the Office Max/Staples stores now prevalent everywhere). While they've tried to revive it with the Euclid Corridor/Health Line bus it's nowhere near what it used to be (though Corner Alley is pretty cool at E. 4th but it's not cheap to go bowling).

Beachwood Place may be one of the top malls in the area but I went there a few months ago because I hadn't been there in a long time and came away feeling creeped out. I don't know why but it was a feeling like I should not have went inside.

I hate Southpark and Parmatown. I used to like Parmatown but that mall is nowhere near the level it used to be. If I have to go to a mall you'll find me at Great Northern.
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Neurodistortion
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Posted: Sun Aug 02, 2009 10:22 pm    Post subject:
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There's another site called Labelscar.com, which is a blog of sorts for malls across the country. They talk about Rolling Acres and Randall Park malls in detail, the response has also been overwhelming. The Rolling Acres page has like 300 comments alone.
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Neurodistortion
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Posted: Sun Aug 02, 2009 10:23 pm    Post subject:
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AmusementFan123 wrote:
I know the mall near me is very nice and won't be going anywhere. Somerset Mall is one of the nicest malls in the country.
You mean the Somerset Collection? That has to be one of the most upscale malls in the Midwest, aside from the Mall of America.
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AmusementFan123
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Posted: Sun Aug 02, 2009 10:26 pm    Post subject:
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Yeah, Somerset Collection. Us locals just call it Somerset Mall though.Smile
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