# A lot of large regional shopping malls are dying across the US - Is your mall dying? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 18, 2014, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-lot-of-large-regional-shopping-malls-are-dying-across-the-us-is-your-mall-dying/681588 "2014-02-18T02:47:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2014, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-lot-of-large-regional-shopping-malls-are-dying-across-the-us-is-your-mall-dying/681588/61 "2014-02-19T17:10:19Z")
Many of the malls in the Seattle area are thriving, but one, in a bedroom community, has been dying a slow, painful death since it opened ~20 years ago. It’s called the “Super Mall.” Part of the reason for its unpopularity is it’s location. You can’t get there from here, or from anywhere else, for that matter. They put it in anticipating a new exit off the highway, but the exit turned out to be very complicated and people just got fed up. It’s morphed into an outlet mall now, but, that’s not even doing so well. ---
**Author:** ![SerafinaPekala](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecae2f/32.png) [@SerafinaPekala](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SerafinaPekala)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2014, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-lot-of-large-regional-shopping-malls-are-dying-across-the-us-is-your-mall-dying/681588/62 "2014-02-19T17:20:33Z")
I hate malls. As said before, its mostly rude hoodies hanging out unless you go to the ChiChi ones with a Needless Markup store. But Tangier Outlet Malls seem to be still going strong, esp in thriving touristy areas like Branson MO and Lancaster PA: [http://www.tangeroutlet.com/center/](http://www.tangeroutlet.com/center/) ---
**Author:** ![freckafree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/freckafree/32/3050_2.png) [@freckafree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/freckafree)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2014, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-lot-of-large-regional-shopping-malls-are-dying-across-the-us-is-your-mall-dying/681588/63 "2014-02-19T17:21:20Z")
**ZipperJJ** about covered it for northeast Ohio, with the exception of mentioning Summit Mall in west Akron. The thing I find interesting about Summit is that the did a huge renovation a few years ago during which many of the stores gained outside entrances so you don’t have to go into the mall to get to them. That’s gotta help business. I hate having to traipse all the way through a mall to get to one specific store. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2014, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-lot-of-large-regional-shopping-malls-are-dying-across-the-us-is-your-mall-dying/681588/64 "2014-02-19T17:27:57Z")
> [@SerafinaPekala](#): > > I hate malls. As said before, its mostly rude hoodies hanging out unless you go to the ChiChi ones with a Needless Markup store. Nah. You just need to find malls which make an effort to keep the kids out during school hours and require anyone wearing hoodies keep the hoods down at all times. Unless you think [this](http://www.ballston-common.com/directory) is “ChiChi with a needless markup”. ---
**Author:** ![SerafinaPekala](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecae2f/32.png) [@SerafinaPekala](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SerafinaPekala)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2014, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-lot-of-large-regional-shopping-malls-are-dying-across-the-us-is-your-mall-dying/681588/65 "2014-02-19T17:32:43Z")
Even with a curfew for the underage thugs in place, St Louis Galleria is a disaster. Cars get broken into and crime is rampant. It actually has some semi-upscale stores like Nordie but the Metro brings it all right to their doorstep. > **[Saint Louis Galleria - Saint Louis, MO](https://www.yelp.com/biz/saint-louis-galleria-saint-louis-2)** > > 172 reviews of Saint Louis Galleria "Good sized mall with lots of excellent stores. Gets VERY crowded over the holidays, but what mall doesn't? Not great food here. Plan to eat before you shop. Hands down, best mall in St. Louis area." “Needless Markup” is Neiman Marcus. That mall you posted isnt even close! ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2014, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-lot-of-large-regional-shopping-malls-are-dying-across-the-us-is-your-mall-dying/681588/66 "2014-02-19T17:36:17Z")
> [@SerafinaPekala](#): > > Even with a curfew for the underage thugs in place, St Louis Galleria is a disaster. There’s your problem. Any “Galleria” not in Houston is vastly overrated. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2014, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-lot-of-large-regional-shopping-malls-are-dying-across-the-us-is-your-mall-dying/681588/67 "2014-02-19T17:39:52Z")
The two closest to me (in East Orlando) are on the verge of collapse. Only Sears and Macy’s are keeping them open; the smaller storefronts are being shuttered every day. However, the Waterford Lakes Town Center, a horribly designed “open air” shopping center, is thriving. As is the Mall at Millennia, which caters to well-heeled patrons (it has Louis Vuitton, Cartier and Chanel company stores.) ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2014, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-lot-of-large-regional-shopping-malls-are-dying-across-the-us-is-your-mall-dying/681588/68 "2014-02-19T17:58:39Z")
I work in the commercial landscaping industry and all the new mall plans I’ve seen in the last couple years (Chicago area) have been for the “outdoor living” (i.e. regional shopping center) concept. Open layout, lots of green spaces, small amphitheater for live music, fountains and water features, one even has a boat launch (?!). I think they tend to rely less on major anchor stores as well although that aspect really isn’t in my wheelhouse. The obvious goal being to make it seem like a pleasant destination to travel to even if you weren’t shopping. You would think the threat of Chicago winters during Christmas season would push towards enclosed spaces but I guess the success of outdoor spots like Oak Brook Mall and Bolingbrook Promenade showed that’s not a big enough concern to warrant the cost of building/maintaining a giant building. ---
**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2014, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-lot-of-large-regional-shopping-malls-are-dying-across-the-us-is-your-mall-dying/681588/69 "2014-02-19T21:17:31Z")
In Colorado, all the old 80’s style malls are long gone. They’ve been replaced with what you could call “shopping districts” that have one big under one roof area with a ton of small stores anchored by a Nordstorm and a Macy’s, and a bunch of outlying stand alone stores and even big box retailers. You have to take a shuttle bus to get from one end to the other. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2014, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-lot-of-large-regional-shopping-malls-are-dying-across-the-us-is-your-mall-dying/681588/70 "2014-02-19T23:37:04Z")
> [@Motorgirl](#): > > We’ve been driving out to the Northborough Wegmans since it opened. A friend is very excited about the imminent Chestnut Hill Wegmans and the upcoming Burlington one, but coming from Cambridge I’m pretty sure traffic to get to either of those will be bad enough we’ll end up going back out to Northborough. Sigh. Yeah, getting from Cambridge/Somerville down to that part of Route 9 is not an easy trip. Didn’t know they were working on one in Burlington, too. Is it worth checking out the one in Northborough? (If you’ve been making the drive, I’m guessing you’d say yes.) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-lot-of-large-regional-shopping-malls-are-dying-across-the-us-is-your-mall-dying/681588.md?page=3)