Best and Worst Shopping Mall You've Visited?

[CC_Maud_Pie 6,431]

I've done a topic about the best and worst transportation system. Now I'm doing one about shopping malls.

Here's my best and worst so far.

Best:

- Westfield Valley Fair, San Jose: This was a hard one to pick but I went with this one. Why? Because the atmosphere is good and it's big.

- Lloyd Center, Portland: Same as above except it has an ice rink.

- Westfield San Francisco Centre: Good location; in the downtown area.

Worst:

- Hilltop Mall, Richmond: This mall is a dump. Not many good stores and I don't really feel safe in it. I know this happens in every mall, but this was the only mall I've witnessed a fight in it.

[Megas 27,470]

Worst -  The one close to me because any store that was ever interesting eventually was replaced with another clothing store

[Wind Chaser 4,768]

The best ones I've been to, I guess I could list all of the malls on the Queens Blvd corridor in (where else?) Queens. Many of them are large, clean, modern, and new facilities with some of the most familiar brands and easy public transportation access. Also, there are many malls within mere blocks from each other like Queens Place, Queens Center, and Rego Center, and many other establishments in the area.

 

For any single mall I've been to, I also like Concord Mills in Concord, NC. It's absolutely huge, laid out in an oval (owing to the NASCAR theme), and has a large amount of space for huge stores like Bass Pro Shops and an AMC theater, and it has plenty of activities for everyone.

 

The worst one has to be Kings Plaza in Brooklyn. It's in a nice location by the sea and it's a big facility, however it attracts high amounts of criminal activity thanks to its location.

[DubWolf 17,109]

The best mall is probably the San Antonio Rivercenter mall. It's pretty nice . It's right inside downtown, and the riverwalk is a nice place to walk around or eat by (there's lots of restaurants there).

 

The worst mall is probably my city's highland mall. Once a bustling shopping center is now just a ghost town. It started to see rising crime rates, shops started closing (one of my favorite burger places closed down in the food court), and it's now being turned info a community college building.

[ponytheorist 181]

Kronenburg, because it's close to my house 

[Envy 6,111]

I don't know... We currently have two malls in town, we once had a third.

 

I'd say that the one that is gone would have been the worst. But I probably just say that because it was declining fast as I grew up. It was so empty in the final years. I always remember it being dark in there, too.

 

Between the two malls that still exist, I think both of them are about even. But one is carpeted, and just feels a little nicer to me, so I'll have to go with that one.

[Creamy Arty 6,252]

There are several malls around here that suck. Malls in general just aren't what they used to be. I remember when they were really popular and you could get everything you needed at one, and now they're ghost towns.

 

The worst two I've been to here in Virginia are Regency Square and Willow Lawn. Both lacking in stores and none of them with anything unique or interesting. Virginia Center Commons is the closest to me and the best we've got, but even that one isn't so great nowadays. About 1/4 of the stores are empty, and  those that aren't are generic clothing stores or designed to appeal to a certain stereotype demographic.

 

As for the best malls I've been to, those would be the Mall of America in Minnesota and the one at Arundel Mills in Maryland. Both packed with stores worth visiting, even the clothing stores, they're well-kept, clean, and bright. Everything that malls once were that made them attractive. Wish more would follow their example, although I know there has to be some demand in the area to keep them from going to ruin, which we don't have around here.

 

The worst one has to be Kings Plaza in Brooklyn. It's in a nice location by the sea and it's a big facility, however it attracts high amounts of criminal activity thanks to its location.

Brooklyn no doubt has much to do with it, but I've found that just about every place with the word "Kings" or "Laurel" in it is a dump.

[~Chaos~ 3,967]

Don't really have a worst but the best I've been too thus far would be West Edmonton Mall.

 

Second would be the mall in Vancouver but other than that I haven't been to that many malls.

[iceestarz 5,760]

Best: idk some mall in Houston/sugarland/I don't know. It was in that general area...I think... I went there for an overnight trip for Jr Historians a few years ago in 8th grade. It was pretty cool. Had a bunch of awesome stores and other things like a movie theater and stuff.

 

Worst: probably...some mall in Washington. I don't remember where it was cause I never bothered to learn the area when I lived there for about a couple years, but I hated the layout.

[Jokuc 8,173]

Well I haven't really been at many shopping malls xD I live quite far away from big shopping areas so I don't really get to visit any that often.

 

The only really big one I have been to was Selfridge's in London

 

[Wingnut 6,946]

OK, I think malls are fascinating buildings and I will identify the best and the worst in Philadelphia and of the ones I've seen elsewhere.

 

Best in Philly. King of Prussia.

 

Yeah, I really didn't want to give "King of Pressure" the nod but there's no denying the cold, hard, facts. They have the regions' highest sales per square foot (the preferred measurement of retail health), it's always full of people, and any storefront vacancies they may have are snatched right up. KoP is also the largest mall on the East Coast, period. They're at the nexus of the PA Turnpike and several freeways so, on paper, the mall has unparalleled auto access. But in practice, shoppers often get stuck in congestion that the mall helps generate in the first place. Poetic justice, huh?

 

Here's an interesting article about KoP's history: http://mall-hall-of-fame.blogspot.com/search/label/Philadelphia%27s%20King%20of%20Prussia%20Plaza

 

Worst in Philly. Tri-State Mall.

 

OK, this one is just across the state line in Delaware and Tri-State refers to PA, NJ, and DE. With a name like this, you'd envision a prosperous super-regional shopping center on the cutting edge of retail. You would be wrong. This is an example of a mall that time forgot. It is more than 50% vacant and just looking you can tell there is no way the landlord is turning a profit. The few tenants they have are all low-rent stores and services including wig shops, a hot dog place (no food court), and the ever popular Tobacco Express. Also, one of its two anchors, Kmart, closed this month. It might be best if Tri-State was put out of its misery. Read more on Tri-State Mall's checkered history here: http://www.labelscar.com/delaware/tri-state-mall

 

Just for giggles, here's a Youtube video of a similarly dead mall near Saint Louis:

 

 

Best mall I've seen elsewhere: Westfield Horton Plaza in San Diego. I learned of this mall during my first trip to ComicCon in 2006. I had a blast there!

 

Worst mall I've seen elsewhere: Owings Mills in Baltimore. This is another 75% vacant dead mall that is awaiting the Old Yeller treatment. One wing is totally empty. It was originally slated to close in 2013 but the date keeps being pushed back.  I visited it during my last two trips to Baltimore and Bronycon and so far nothing changed. I see their website is still up so I'm assuming it's still open.

[Retro*Derpy 3,180]

The only recent mall I even remember was one in Hawaii. All the other local ones closed down.

[Envy 6,111]

Aw, malls are in decline and it's sad. We now only have one mall left in my home city metro. It's doing fine, though, I think. My mom and I went for a shopping day this last Saturday and it was quite busy. Alas... I'm moving, so I get to say goodbye to this active mall. =(

I'm not sure how many malls I've been to total. I've been to the one in Oklahoma City, the outlet malls in Branson, that big mall in the D.C. area, some mall somewhere in Missouri, Indiana, or Illinois (it's been too long, now. I assume it was in Indianapolis?) and maybe one in Cleveland, OH. These were all fine, but I saw them all a decade plus ago, IDK how they're doing these days. Last year I visited three malls in my new state, CT. The most disappointing of them all I think was Crystal Mall down in the New London area. What a depressing sight that was. Boy am I going to miss Woodland Hills. Oh well, I hear there are a couple of good malls in the West Hartford area that I have yet to visit.

[Dreambiscuit 9,283]

Best: The Forum Shops in Las Vegas. Spendy but awesome decor!

Worst: Twin Lakes Plaza, Mountain Home, AR. It had an Army recruitment office and a restaurant that closed at 2pm every day, and that's about it. It was freaking empty! Nothing there but old folks using it for indoor jogging.

[Steve Piranha 29,411]

I think the best mall I have gone is the Orlando Vineland Premium Outlet if we speak by variety. Favorite however is the Citrus Park Town Center Mall. Worst would be West Oak Mall. At least Fashion Center Mall had a few open stores last I’ve visited, but this one was closer to a ghost town 

[Megas 27,470]

Back when I was in California where I lived, the Promenade was always busy and expanded tremendously, unfortunately a lot of stores I liked ended up going under and most of what they have aren't for me, though there is a decent Japanese store that sells some good Gunpla, but the restaurant selection is insane and always worth a look. On the bad side, the worst is definitely the Hemet mall, I don't think I've ever seen such a sadder sight than I did there, it was deader than ever, none of the stores have updated their stock and instead were selling older brands that probably needed to be clearanced, and I swear it was bigger because I distinctly remember it being two floors, and this is before it got ransacked by a riot

In Wisconsin I've only been to a few and they're all about the same, just pretty alright, my favorite of the 3 I went to was Mayfair, but none of them hold a candle to Promenade

[O-78 28,604]

Best: The Natick Mall in Massachusetts is pretty awesome. It's a really cool building with lots of awesome architecture and decor.

Worst: Providence Place in Rhode Island kind of sucks. The layout is confusing and there were no good stores when I went there.