The Mall at Johnson City - Johnson City, TN. It's a Miracle!

แชร์
ฝัง
  • เผยแพร่เมื่อ 17 ก.ย. 2024
  • Join the conversation with us and other content creators: / discord
    The UNICOMM MALL is open! T-shirts, hoodies, mugs, and more! teespring.com/...
    Patreon: / unicommproductions
    Instagram: @unicommproductions
    Twitter: @unicommvids
    Flickr: www.flickr.com...
    CounterSocial: @cruisedirector
    The DMOD Dead Malls of Discord Family:
    The Expedition Log with Sal: / thedevilstrill
    Ace’s Adventures: / @acesadventures1
    Yodeling Loon Retail: / yodelingloonretail
    The Vintage Spaces Channel: / @thevintagespaceschannel
    JonRev: / jonrev
    Photo blogs:
    JonRev: / jonrev
    The Neon Explorer: / theneonexplorer
    Rustbelt Expeditions: / rustbeltexpeditions
    Support woman creators by checking out these awesome blogs and Instagram pages about malls and vintage architecture:
    The Dead Mall Files: thedeadmallfil...
    Sale Into The 90s: / saleintothe90s
    Let’s Go 2 The Mall: / letsgo2the_mall
    Dead Mall Crawl: / deadmallcrawl
    FlannelKimono: / flannelkimono
    DeadMills: / deadmills
    Boston Mall Rat: / boston_mall_rat
    Retail Death: / retail_death
    (if you’d like to be included in this list hit me up on Twitter @unicommvids)

ความคิดเห็น • 238

  • @reinsroom6711
    @reinsroom6711 หลายเดือนก่อน +24

    the absollute whiplash I go from seeing my local mall. So excited for this, thank you!

    • @UniCommProductions
      @UniCommProductions  หลายเดือนก่อน +4

      When I get a comment from a local it makes me so happy.

  • @brentchaffin9603
    @brentchaffin9603 หลายเดือนก่อน +14

    Seeing this on youtube is giving me so many emotions. This is just a regular part of my life that I've taken for granted for basically forever. When I was teen I used to hang out here with my friends and smoke pot and drink beer in our cars before spending way too much time in Hot Topic and Spencer's. The hallway between Forever 21 and Victoria's Secret shown at 11:23, we used to call Emo Row because that's where all us emo kids would sit on the communal sofa things. If it's not like blocked off or anything, I could show you the underground tunnel that goes from the mall to the local high school Science Hill.
    But now I take my 7 year old here to play in the playplace or get a Pal's milkshake or do the little hopscotch thing in the upstairs bathroom hallway, etc. My parents took me here every year to see Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny, and now I get to do the same for my kid. Every square inch of this building is full of somebody's childhood memories, it's so wild seeing it from someone else's perspective on a video.

    • @dead_head
      @dead_head หลายเดือนก่อน

      I'd really like to see that tunnel you mentioned?!

    • @brentchaffin9603
      @brentchaffin9603 หลายเดือนก่อน

      @@dead_head kinda rhetorical lol i'm not actually giving live tours, I just meant it's a known spot for locals

  • @somenuttysquirrel
    @somenuttysquirrel หลายเดือนก่อน +37

    The only thing that's missing is the "Toys R Us" that used to be across the street... a vacant lot now.

  • @alexcanyon843
    @alexcanyon843 2 หลายเดือนก่อน +21

    Most malls are abandoned and in dystopian ruins. This is like a trip
    back to the 80s and 90s------amazing survivor!

    • @UniCommProductions
      @UniCommProductions  2 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

      I wouldn’t say most but an awful lot of them for sure.

  • @Eclipsed.00
    @Eclipsed.00 2 หลายเดือนก่อน +35

    I live in the Tri Cities. Thanks for showing our mall! The Fort Henry Mall in Kingsport TN is a decent building, but mostly vacant with just a few stores, mall walkers, and the movie theater. Sad really. Safe travels!

    • @ClovisPictures
      @ClovisPictures หลายเดือนก่อน +2

      And yet they're building an IMAX there. Like, why there? No offense to Kingsport or anything, but like, the Fort Henry Mall is all but dead. The only thing keeping it alive is NGC Cinemas.

    • @sdollar1399
      @sdollar1399 หลายเดือนก่อน

      @@ClovisPicturesWHAT???? how is this how i find out we’re getting an imax

    • @theflamingeagle572
      @theflamingeagle572 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Also, the Kingsport mall is a shell of it's former glory. It's more empty than some rural Walmart

    • @justravyn5307
      @justravyn5307 หลายเดือนก่อน

      I miss the way Ft. Henry Mall used to be especially at Christmas 😢

  • @thececil021
    @thececil021 หลายเดือนก่อน +10

    I went to college at ETSU in Johnson City. My best friend from high school/college roommate’s MIL was the manager of this mall for many years before retiring a few years ago. I haven’t been in there since around 2008, but it was always a really solid mall.

  • @QuietJ0Y
    @QuietJ0Y 2 หลายเดือนก่อน +12

    Love these Tennessee mall walks together. Thanks for what you do!

  • @GeekCritique
    @GeekCritique หลายเดือนก่อน +13

    I've been going to this mall regularly my whole life, and I'm so glad it's somehow STILL thriving. I shot a little footage of it last December to tell a story that happened in the early 2000s, and people thought I'd actually shot it back then! I think it got lucky enough to be in a really good place. I used to walk there all the time after high school, it's literally right down the road.

  • @dbombest
    @dbombest 2 หลายเดือนก่อน +12

    Wow, this mall still has the old razzle dazzle! Love it 🛍️🩵

  • @Mozz2004
    @Mozz2004 2 หลายเดือนก่อน +10

    I always love seeing your videos come up. Your production value is off the charts. You and Sal are my two favorite dead mall channels. You deserve way more views and subs.

  • @123457chevy
    @123457chevy หลายเดือนก่อน +12

    I live in Johnson city, it was a surprise seeing this in my recommended 😂

    • @UniCommProductions
      @UniCommProductions  หลายเดือนก่อน +5

      You live in a great town! Such pretty scenery, and it seems so clean and peaceful for raising a family. I’m a bit jealous!

    • @john-paulbitler3657
      @john-paulbitler3657 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

      Same lmao

  • @oakleyhughes3
    @oakleyhughes3 หลายเดือนก่อน +6

    I’ve grew up in this mall so cool to see a video of it!

  • @dontgivetwothwips3615
    @dontgivetwothwips3615 2 หลายเดือนก่อน +15

    ‘Waiting for a Star to Fall’, one of the best songs ever!

    • @UniCommProductions
      @UniCommProductions  2 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

      It’s one of those buried one hit wonders from the 90s that everyone has heard somewhere. I have actually heard this song in dead malls several times!

    • @seabee73
      @seabee73 หลายเดือนก่อน

      That is a good song.

  • @ryanfrisby7389
    @ryanfrisby7389 2 หลายเดือนก่อน +9

    It’s incredible to see a mall in Eastern Tennessee this full, amazing video Kristin!!!!

    • @UniCommProductions
      @UniCommProductions  2 หลายเดือนก่อน +4

      You know it’s funny…I live in Huntington, WV and we also have a mall that’s doing unusually well. I think the malls in smaller markets sometimes have an easier time because they’re the only game in town,

    • @ryanfrisby7389
      @ryanfrisby7389 2 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

      @@UniCommProductions oh wow, I didn’t realize you live up there, I have a lot of family in the TriState so I know the area well!!

  • @johndersham1
    @johndersham1 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

    Well done and I love your history narrations, which is important to me.

  • @justinmorrison321
    @justinmorrison321 2 หลายเดือนก่อน +7

    This is a good-looking mall. That floor! Loads of fantastic tile. Thanks for another great cruise, Kristin!

  • @dennisud
    @dennisud 2 หลายเดือนก่อน +10

    Nice to see this mall thriving and about half the retailers are slowly coming back to The Eagle Ridge mall in Lake Wales, Florida! 🎉

    • @chrisexplores1
      @chrisexplores1 2 หลายเดือนก่อน

      What store are there?

    • @rachelrivera91
      @rachelrivera91 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Nice to hear that!!

  • @timothywalker4563
    @timothywalker4563 2 หลายเดือนก่อน +7

    Not just a survivor but thriving 😊

  • @coolcat8867
    @coolcat8867 หลายเดือนก่อน +13

    I like how this mall mixes the old (retro colors) with the new and modern..so many malls have gone with this flat colorless vibe 😝. Hope this one stays!

    • @rachelrivera91
      @rachelrivera91 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      Totally agree!! Malls don’t necessarily need a full on upgrade. Yeah, upgrade but keep some of their vintage aesthetics.

    • @coolcat8867
      @coolcat8867 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      @@rachelrivera91 Ive seen a couple of malls get a slight facelift keeping most of the classic & retro vibe and they actually wound up slowly bouncing back and getting new vendors.

    • @rachelrivera91
      @rachelrivera91 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      @@coolcat8867 That is so cool to hear!! Thank you for your input. Love that malls can be revived when they can keep some of their original aesthetics.

  • @J.Wick.
    @J.Wick. หลายเดือนก่อน +6

    So many memories here as a kid, and a teen. This was my mall. Haven't been here in a few years, but last I went it was still very healthy. It looks like it's still pretty healthy. Thats great.

  • @Atlas_B170
    @Atlas_B170 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

    Thanks so much for cataloguing this; I didn't expect how many memories it would bring back.
    My dad would always take my brother, sister, and me to the Hallmark store here to get birthday cards for my mom, maybe get her something from Belk or Sears, and then we'd get stale gumballs from this great big bank of machines they used to have on the lower level. Spent a good chunk of time in the GameStop too. The Nintendo Wii had just come out and we couldn't get enough of the demo machine. There also used to be a Ruby Tuesday's at the upper exit; we ate a lot of after-church lunches there in the 00's. For some reason, I've still got a really vivid memory of sitting in a booth at that Ruby Tuesday's and watching a news segment about Steve Irwin's death.

  • @Javafixtime
    @Javafixtime 2 หลายเดือนก่อน +9

    Looks well maintained!

  • @jlcampbell4835
    @jlcampbell4835 หลายเดือนก่อน +4

    Great video! It really takes me back to when I worked there at McCroy's in the 70s. Then the Flowerama from 83-99. Oh, the things I saw. A giant T-Rex in front of Miller's store on the upper level moving & roaring every 30 minutes. Chuck Norris with 2 bodyguards walking around when he was here filming in the 80's. Numerous Rock bands that used to come through the Recordbar. The long ago and far away. 😊 Good Memories for many here in East Tennessee.

  • @afjkidd5
    @afjkidd5 หลายเดือนก่อน +4

    This mall was such a huge part of my youth. I spent so much time here and at the Toys R Us across the street when it was still open. I’ve never had the chance to see this with so few people inside. Thanks for the great video!

    • @UniCommProductions
      @UniCommProductions  หลายเดือนก่อน

      You're welcome! Thank you for sharing your mall with us!

  • @Vampirebear13
    @Vampirebear13 2 หลายเดือนก่อน +8

    TYVM for another video Kristin. I apologize for missing the premiere but I hadn't slept in nearly 4 days & fell asleep about 7PM.
    In the 4 years I lived in Blount County TN, I never knew there was a mall in Johnson City, which is surprising because I'd been dating a girl who was 5 years older I'd met in Pigeon Forge who worked at a t-shirt shop at the outlet mall there & she lived in Johnson City. Wish I could think of her name. She was a beautiful hippie chick who drove a yellow VW Beetle & loved wone coolers & Fleetwood Mac but was terrified to have her ears pierced.
    Oh BTW, you should check into the Sandusky mall, my brother says they've come back to life & business is booming. Supposedly they've even have a new anchor in what used to be Macy's.
    Sadly I haven't been to a mall since summer 2019 when I visited Polaris.

  • @sal
    @sal 2 หลายเดือนก่อน +12

    This place is gorgeous. Fantastic video as always, sis.

  • @mysticalmind5115
    @mysticalmind5115 หลายเดือนก่อน +5

    I did NOT expect to see my local mall!! Me and my friends frequent the Johnson City Mall all the time!!! :D

    • @UniCommProductions
      @UniCommProductions  หลายเดือนก่อน +3

      I hope I did right by you! You have a fantastic mall to hang out in.

  • @mr.selfimprovement3241
    @mr.selfimprovement3241 หลายเดือนก่อน +8

    I was just at this mall over the weekend. I grew up outside Bristol, just about 20 minutes away... you should have seen this mall back at it's peek the mid-90s! Any given weekday evening it would be at full capacity like a Christmas mall scene from a 1980s film, just utterly packed on both the main floors. 🤔
    It was so bad that on holidays you had to actually go to a neighboring mall because security would bar new people at some point in the evening from entering for safety concerns (meaning if you wanted to get something done, you had better be their earlier in the day). In 2006 there was a very popular videogame called _Dead Rising_ (a Dawn of the Dead type game) that was based on online images of this mall!
    They used a handful of remaining malls in the US (at the time) as reference, and this was the one that had the biggest inspiration for the interior layout of the mall in the game. These days the mall is a shell of what it was (even though the area is actually bigger than it used to be) thanks to all the new strip malls in the area - but compared to contemporary malls it's thriving. Oddly enough JC Penny used to be one of it's biggest Anchors. 🙃
    *PS:* I wish you could have visited the Bristol Mall several years back. It was very much the opposite of the one in Kingsport. A extremely popular TH-camr called *Dead Malls* visited there when it was still opened, and said it was one of the creepiest malls he had ever seen. Most people refused to go there, because even in the 90s it was dying. When it closed it still had the early 1980s paint and decor (it's last paint job). Just a time capsule.
    Rumor was that a mafia-connected holding company (which turned out to be partially true) was involved in keeping it open for tax purposes, which is why it took so long to close it's doors - and I believe it has recently been sold to Hard Rock Cafe for a casino which they are currently breaking ground on! You wouldn't have wanted to walk around there early in the morning or at night, lol. 😅

    • @faceinthewindow.
      @faceinthewindow. หลายเดือนก่อน

      I didn't know that about Dead Rising. That's awesome.

  • @theretailadv
    @theretailadv 2 หลายเดือนก่อน +4

    This mall reminds me of a wing of my local mall that was built around 2000. That black and blue and peach tile screams the era. Beautiful mall and glad to see it doing well. Thanks for filming!!

  • @seabee73
    @seabee73 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

    Glad to see this mall doing well. It looks great also.

  • @you-hype-child5104
    @you-hype-child5104 19 วันที่ผ่านมา +1

    Getting recommended my local mall out of nowhere on TH-cam is wild!

  • @LisaBarnes-y3f
    @LisaBarnes-y3f 2 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

    Good to see you again Kirsten, what a little gem this mall is! It’s nice to hear that it’s doing well 😊👍🏻

  • @DrCorndog1
    @DrCorndog1 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

    I visited this mall with my parents frequently in the 90s. Time to go back.

  • @tjsenglish7609
    @tjsenglish7609 หลายเดือนก่อน +4

    Fun fact: the Bristol Mall got bought and turned into a casino. No, I'm not kidding. That's what's going to be the gambling floor for the new Bristol Hard Rock casino.

  • @allent7118
    @allent7118 2 หลายเดือนก่อน +5

    Thank you for another wonderful video!

  • @arlynking1300
    @arlynking1300 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    Enjoyed your mall walk and narration, happy to see this one is thriving! Our closest mall ( a CDL property ) is just an imitation of what it used to be with only one of it's anchors remaining, J C Penny. Open since 1966, time was when parking lot was crowded all the way to the highway on all sides however store closings, robberies and shootings have all served to create the skeleton that exists today, traffic on a Friday or Saturday is usually a trickle . I used to go there on a Saturday purchase a fresh hot pretzel and walk around it until I spotted some items I wanted , wind up spending an entire day there and I loved it.

  • @ZestonN
    @ZestonN หลายเดือนก่อน +2

    Growing up in Bristol, TN, I went to The Mall in Johnson City a few times.
    Ironically, when I lived in JC to go college at ETSU, I didn't go there as often.
    I do miss the Piccadilly Buffet, though.

  • @meljohns7146
    @meljohns7146 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    I'm glad that you were able to see it. Bristol had one to and it closed when they decided to make a casino out of it, now they demolished it, and now they're stands a Hard Rock .. it makes me soooo sad. I spent many years of my young Saturdays, just hanging with friends at that mall. Christmas time is very busy at this mall in Johnson City. It's actually pretty cool

  • @TheVintageSpacesChannel
    @TheVintageSpacesChannel 2 หลายเดือนก่อน +4

    thanks for showing us this place, it's rare to see this time period still represented!

    • @UniCommProductions
      @UniCommProductions  2 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Especially doing this well!

    • @NightSprinter
      @NightSprinter 2 หลายเดือนก่อน

      @@UniCommProductions Right?! Usually malls that do well get Simonized.

  • @kidjayhawk
    @kidjayhawk 2 หลายเดือนก่อน +7

    Look is so cool. Very classic and they didn’t waste money to update it. But it’s missing neon.

  • @dvdgamingthings289
    @dvdgamingthings289 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

    born in 1980 near this mall it's been booming my whole life

  • @TruthIsToBlame
    @TruthIsToBlame 2 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

    Thanks for taking the time to create and share this

    • @UniCommProductions
      @UniCommProductions  2 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

      Thank you for taking the time to comment!

  • @mst3kanita
    @mst3kanita 2 หลายเดือนก่อน +5

    That is a BIG forever 21, so clean! I also love the polka dotted pink store.

    • @UniCommProductions
      @UniCommProductions  2 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

      The F21 has only been there since late 2021; it might be the newest store in the mall

    • @mst3kanita
      @mst3kanita 2 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      @@UniCommProductionsthe one at Patrick Henry Mall always has giant dust bunnies on the floor. So gross.

    • @UniCommProductions
      @UniCommProductions  2 หลายเดือนก่อน

      @mst3kanita ew!

  • @Aligar
    @Aligar 2 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

    Great video, and just a little surreal seeing a walkthrough of the local mall so early with hardly anyone in it! I go to it less and less now, but really enjoyed it back in the late 90s/early 00's when it still had an arcade and import shop.

  • @garymckee63
    @garymckee63 หลายเดือนก่อน +5

    I live in Johnson city and I haven't been there in 12 years. Last time l was there l harassed by a mall cop in the parking lot as soon as I exited my vehicle with a small tool box to go to a store to fix a data problem.
    It took 3 hours of my time to prove my company was certified to do work there.

  • @stevexray6253
    @stevexray6253 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

    I just happened to scroll up on this one from 3 weeks ago and what a nice mall! 😁👍

  • @deewonders6959
    @deewonders6959 หลายเดือนก่อน +5

    My son owns Vision Quest VR and arcade in the Johnson City Mall 🌟

    • @UniCommProductions
      @UniCommProductions  หลายเดือนก่อน +2

      It looks like a really cool place! He must really put a lot of work and care into it.

    • @deewonders6959
      @deewonders6959 หลายเดือนก่อน

      @@UniCommProductions it was his vision, and he poured his heart and soul into it.
      He has a great bunch of young people working it, and it has been very successful. ♥️

  • @tristenknight1988
    @tristenknight1988 หลายเดือนก่อน +7

    This is my local mall! Yay!!! I hope they never update it.

    • @w7100
      @w7100 หลายเดือนก่อน

      oh sweet summer child, I was a wee lad in the 80's the layout is the same but I remeber drug stores, book stores, a shoe repair shop

  • @RollerskateKyle
    @RollerskateKyle 2 หลายเดือนก่อน +4

    I love the look of this mall. Last year I calculated the occupancy of it last year at 96%

  • @SuperBuickregal
    @SuperBuickregal หลายเดือนก่อน +2

    Thanks and Keep em Rolling!

  • @metamorphicblood
    @metamorphicblood หลายเดือนก่อน +3

    In the 90s when malls were booming, I had high school classes in this mall for one semester. This reminds me of how eerie and liminal the whole place was before the stores were open. The escalators were turned off, and besides some people who were working there setting things up, from time to time you’d see a few people walking around for exercise and that was it. I can see how such experiences must have inspired Silent Hill 3, because it really felt like you were somewhere you weren’t supposed to be, and like strange creatures could be lurking about.
    I miss the music store and book store, but with all things considered, the place is holding up. It’s cool that there’s a VR arcade there, and good sushi.

  • @rachelrivera91
    @rachelrivera91 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    As a recent subscriber, I’ve been longing for your next video Kristin. You and all DMOD creators are my tops. Just so excited to see this retro mall thriving. That’s the kind of stories I like to hear, that mall owners don’t need to make huge updates. And that they can still keep these structures dated giving them a surreal nostalgic feel of the time when they were built. The pillars, fountains, ceilings, the colors, the lightings, the planters, and conversation pits should be left alone. Awesome job Kristin in bringing us this walk through nostalgia. 👍

    • @UniCommProductions
      @UniCommProductions  หลายเดือนก่อน

      Thank you so much! I’ve been very fortunate to fall into a crew of great creators (and people!) This mall really was a rare find. So many well-performing malls have been given the minimalist white makeover that this was just a joy to visit.

  • @oooraeooo
    @oooraeooo หลายเดือนก่อน +3

    If you mentioned this in the narration, I missed it.
    The lower level Belk women's/accessories store was added in the 1992(?) remodel, replacing a twin movie theater. Movies I know I saw there were Back to the Future, Raiders, and Rattle & Hum. We had 3 multiplex theaters in JC at the time, now we only have one.

    • @UniCommProductions
      @UniCommProductions  หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      The movie theater detail I did miss. Thank you for clarifying that; I looked at old maps and aerials and it was still a tad difficult to parse where everything was at different times with how many changes and additions this mall had.

  • @jflack6
    @jflack6 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

    My hometown!

  • @bunkee2009
    @bunkee2009 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    Thank You, This Was a Lovely Video

  • @tricityladytn
    @tricityladytn หลายเดือนก่อน +2

    Wow, I worked at that mall from 1995-2004 (most of those years at JCPenney). Probably the peak years for this mall.

  • @holsen2
    @holsen2 หลายเดือนก่อน

    I live just outside of Knoxville, and West Town Mall is also very large and thriving. We love it there.

  • @StrawbySugar
    @StrawbySugar 16 วันที่ผ่านมา

    There are bigger malls that are closer to me like Oprey Mills, but this mall has such a unique charm that i really wanna visit it more. I envy people who live in towns with a still-functioning mall

  • @dannyhassler9008
    @dannyhassler9008 2 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

    The foot traffic is helped by the bus stop and a couple of times a year food truck competition takes place.
    J C Penney moved from downtown to the mall as well. In the 80s one anchor store was Hess

  • @arneminderman3770
    @arneminderman3770 2 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

    Exelent video great vaporwave music!❤❤

    • @UniCommProductions
      @UniCommProductions  2 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      I remixed it myself! :) Everything in this video started out “normal speed”

  • @xShadowWolf523x
    @xShadowWolf523x หลายเดือนก่อน +2

    Didnt expect to see my local mall in a video neat

  • @JenniferinIllinois
    @JenniferinIllinois 2 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

    That floor! 💜

  • @kingstonagainstcorruption2268
    @kingstonagainstcorruption2268 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

    The nomad and me used to chase pie at this mall. 😂

  • @sangomoon5456
    @sangomoon5456 2 หลายเดือนก่อน +5

    I wish i could visit Walkabout Sallys

    • @UniCommProductions
      @UniCommProductions  2 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

      I am a sucker for that kind of store

    • @inufan129087
      @inufan129087 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      Its a great store, they used to be in the kingsport mall, which is pretty dead now. Add some terrible irony, in the kingsport mall, the Belk in kingsport sells Louis Vuitton whereas the JC mall does not.

  • @RandyRay-d2f
    @RandyRay-d2f หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    Little chicago my home turf thank you for showing off a true landmark ive loved since i was knee high to a grasshopper 🎉😊

    • @UniCommProductions
      @UniCommProductions  หลายเดือนก่อน

      You’re very welcome! Your mall is a bit of a unicorn. It’s still doing better than 90% of other malls in 2024 and it’s doing it looking like 1991. It’s just gorgeous.

  • @lepermessiah1179
    @lepermessiah1179 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

    I came here semi-regularly from around 2000 to 2010 with my grandma or sometimes my mom, but I wasn't a mall kid and was really only interest in the Gamestop and picking up a Metallica shirt or something at the Hot Topic. I do remember a sandwich shop that was to the left of the escalators that gave out free samples all the time to drum up business. Never ate there because they were pricey, but the the samples were great. Sorry for such limited insight.

  • @crazyadventuresandreviews
    @crazyadventuresandreviews หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    I like that pink tile with the blue, I could go in there and put on some sun glasses with the pink lenses and be like duuude! The colors pink and blue just put you in a good mood.

  • @Faroesx
    @Faroesx หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    Great video! I live in the tri-cities, and I love our mall. It gets crazy during the holiday season! You should check out “College Square Mall” in Morristown, TN if you ever get the chance. I grew up with that mall being the closest to me, and it still remains pretty full too, though not as large as JC mall!

  • @fromagehumide2651
    @fromagehumide2651 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    Favorite mall to go to

  • @drewman5740
    @drewman5740 หลายเดือนก่อน

    looks like typical late seventies & early eighties shopping mall … it’s definitely kept up nicely ! … reminds me of the mall in the stranger things series … thanks for sharing

    • @UniCommProductions
      @UniCommProductions  หลายเดือนก่อน

      You’re right about the Starcourt Mall-I’m surprised I didn’t make that connection sooner

  • @ttocselbag5054
    @ttocselbag5054 2 หลายเดือนก่อน +6

    The cadence and tonal quality of your narration is like ASMR for me Kristin. 👊🙏❤️

    • @UniCommProductions
      @UniCommProductions  2 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

      @@ttocselbag5054 awww thank you! I used to really hate my voice but doing these videos for this long has made me more comfortable.

    • @rachelrivera91
      @rachelrivera91 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Your voice is soothing. I love hearing a woman narrating these explorations. Most dead mall creators I enjoy watching from are males, it’s so refreshing to hear a woman’s narrative.

  • @NightSprinter
    @NightSprinter 2 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    This aesthetic is very much a vibe. I appreciate that this place still has that classic aesthetic, but adds modern conveniences like the places to sit that have the charging stations. I wish more thriving malls would look unique like this, instead of the Simonization we constantly see.

    • @UniCommProductions
      @UniCommProductions  2 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

      This mall is really one of a kind in that way; almost every thriving mall I've been in has been blandified in some way shape or form.

    • @NightSprinter
      @NightSprinter 2 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

      @@UniCommProductions I know, right? I hate that so much. Malls should have an aesthetic that creates an inviting atmosphere to make folks WANT to shop there.

    • @UniCommProductions
      @UniCommProductions  2 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      @@NightSprinter 💯% correct!

  • @Alkatross
    @Alkatross หลายเดือนก่อน

    I visited this mall a few months ago. I was surprised to see how well it was doing. Thanks for the history!

  • @larrysamples9406
    @larrysamples9406 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

    How did you like our little town? I came here in 2002 and fell in love with the place and the people

    • @UniCommProductions
      @UniCommProductions  หลายเดือนก่อน +2

      I liked it so much I'm headed back this fall with my motorcycle. You have some beautiful scenery and some of the greatest roads in the country.

    • @larrysamples9406
      @larrysamples9406 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      @@UniCommProductions take a ride up towards the Nullichuckey river it’s Gods country and worth the bike ride especially that time of the year

    • @UniCommProductions
      @UniCommProductions  หลายเดือนก่อน

      @@larrysamples9406 I'll add that to my list--thank you!

    • @Jim26D
      @Jim26D หลายเดือนก่อน

      ​​@@UniCommProductions from bristol take bristol highway to gate City. It's a great motorcycle road, you'll pass a small town Johnny Cash used to hang out in, then to gate City, is a cool old town. There's a old diner called the hob knob in gate City. It's the perfect place to stop after a ride. It's a place that still looks like it's from the 40s. The highway isn't really a highway but a small scenic road. Then you could go to natural tunnel Park or a bunch of other country bike roads.

  • @channingwalmsley9738
    @channingwalmsley9738 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    When they opened up the mall, it really killed the downtown area. Thankfully, downtown is starting to come back with a lot of cute shops and good eats

  • @steves_retail
    @steves_retail 2 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

    Awesome video! This is a pretty nice mall.

  • @educatedhorses193
    @educatedhorses193 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Shoestring lived there. He’s a local legend.

  • @craiggillett5985
    @craiggillett5985 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Good work. Gosh from all brown in the previous to these retro colours!

  • @terrybaileysr.3714
    @terrybaileysr.3714 หลายเดือนก่อน

    I worked in this mall in the mid to late 80’s. First Thom McAn and later RadioShack.

  • @BAMAJiPS
    @BAMAJiPS หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    Lived in Johnson City (and Jonesborough) since January 2018.
    I think I've been to the mall once when I first moved here just to look for shoes, not knowing the area....
    Because I'm a man... and an adult I suppose.
    Very back roomsish though!

    • @BAMAJiPS
      @BAMAJiPS หลายเดือนก่อน

      Watched the whole thing... as mentioned before elsewhere - very ASMR like and "chill" 😂
      Was the music really THAT loud?? Or was it MuZAK backgroynd music? Was it the actual mall music or did you splice it in? If thats actual music while walk it seems excessively loud!!

    • @UniCommProductions
      @UniCommProductions  หลายเดือนก่อน

      @BAMAJiPS it’s background music to mimic Muzak. I can’t often use the actual music playing in the mall for copyright reasons.

  • @DaleTerry-xn9ui
    @DaleTerry-xn9ui 2 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

    Nice beautiful mall

  • @aaron_nichols
    @aaron_nichols หลายเดือนก่อน

    lots of brightly lit store fronts, and shiny displays help the overall look and feel of the space, one thing that stands out is the invisible shoppers..

  • @schonkable
    @schonkable หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    I was there once and I thought that the mall was really cool!

  • @Artretha
    @Artretha หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    Walkabout Sally used to have a store in the Kingsport mall when it was around.

  • @Cardinal_Prince
    @Cardinal_Prince หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    It's honestly kinda strange seeing my hometown featured

  • @gmanandhislady
    @gmanandhislady 2 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

    I live not far from there; I'm in western NC.

    • @UniCommProductions
      @UniCommProductions  2 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

      That whole area is just stunningly gorgeous.

  • @danielbelisle2817
    @danielbelisle2817 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Kingsport Mall is now the Fort Henry Mall.

  • @koichitrump4147
    @koichitrump4147 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    Lol my brother and I used to get faded out of our minds on weed and stroll around this place

  • @tirkentube
    @tirkentube หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    I haven't been to this mall in years. It's wild to see it so empty. It's really amazing there's so many stores still in it given that it's that empty.
    I remember when i was a teenager, me and my friends would drive from Bristol down there, about 30 minute drive, and it would be PACKED. Didn't matter what time of day what day of the week, it would be absolutely just packed with people. Bristol had its own mall, and i actually worked in it at RadioShack, but it wasn't near as cool as this mall, and it was only packed on the weekends and during christmas season. That was in 2000. Once exit 7 area shopping blew up in around 2003-2005, bristol mall began declining fast. Bristol mall finally closed its doors in 2017, but in reality, it was "dead" like this video, for years, probably the last time i remember bristol mall being busy was in probably 2010 or 2011, maybe even earlier. Malls had their peak in the 1980s, with about 2500 malls across the nation, and that number dwindled down to about 1150 as of 2022. So, people projected there to be as few as 150 left by 2032, within 10 years of that study. However, in the past 2 years, perhaps in response or awareness of that fact, people have been again flocking to malls, with many remaining malls able to actually boost their store occupancy rates, with store vacancies nationwide at their lowest rate in 20 years, and many malls also reporting the highest foot traffic in decades as well. Unfortunately, that doesn't seem to be the case here with Johnson City Mall, at least not according to this video.
    Bristol Mall is now a casino called Bristol Casino, but soon to be Hard Rock Casino and Resort. It is supposed to bring a lot of tourism to the area because it will have a nice casino and resort, but importantly a nice concert space for huge artists to come and perform. Eventually they hope to connect the back side of that resort to the back side of the Pinnacle, an outdoor shopping center which has effectively replaced the mall. When the Hard Rock Casino was pitched to Bristol, VA, gambling was illegal in Tennessee AND Virginia, and so the idea was this would become a hotspot for gambling for the entire region, and with that bringing a huge surge to the economy. But i believe Bristol was "Scammed" in a sense, because not only is the casino now several years past its deadline, but also they built like 5 or 6 other casinos in virginia alone, and the Hard Rock Casino franchise now includes like 20 or 30 more being built elsewhere. So instead of being one of only a handful, by time this one actually opens, it won't even be on the list of many people's "casinos to visit."
    As for outdoor shopping centers, i don't like them. Even if it's nice outside, they're just huge parking lots that collect heat. How many times did you go to the mall, park your car and rush inside to get to where it was air conditioned? One of your first stops would be the ice cream store. Outdoor shopping centers lack many of those smaller food kiosks and gadget kiosks. They lack the free car giveaways, the boats on display. They lack so many of the cool things that make malls fun. And if you want to go from Best Buy to Marshall's you have to get in your car and drive. There's no food court either, and many of the restaurants are more pricey, time-consuming sit-down establishments instead of quick-to-eat, fun and social experiences. It's just not the same, and i really don't understand why the kind of decision was made. The only reason i can think of is money. It must be cheaper to maintain a parking lot and some landscaping than to maintain the community space of a mall.

    • @UniCommProductions
      @UniCommProductions  หลายเดือนก่อน

      Please note I was in the mall 90 minutes before it opened, which is why there is so little foot traffic. This mall is ordinarily packed with people. I don't like outdoor lifestyle centers/power centers either. I have no idea why they're so popular anywhere inclement weather is a reality.

  • @kimh659
    @kimh659 2 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

    ❤❤

  • @nocrazyfx
    @nocrazyfx หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    I like to eat at Nori Japan while I'm there! 😋

  • @kbgardner2396
    @kbgardner2396 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    So bizarre seeing my local mall here! You're right that the big anchors have changed a lot. The real anchor store, though, the one that has been in the same spot, unchanged since the 1980s at least... is the Spencer's on the second level.

    • @UniCommProductions
      @UniCommProductions  หลายเดือนก่อน

      If I recall correctly yes, it’s on the upper floor (and thank you!)

  • @mochachip4727
    @mochachip4727 หลายเดือนก่อน

    There's a few spots within the mall that are constantly changing. Im pretty sure the Versona has been replaced since you recorded this footage. So even for locals theres usually something new to see.

  • @charlestonpinballarcade
    @charlestonpinballarcade 2 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

    Good call on the fancy versus mid Belk! It’s always fun seeing a Belk in some of the rural or old strip malls during by travels… I want to stop in but then I luckily remember it’s the low end Belk, not fancy Belk. 😂😂😂
    They should rebrand to “Fancy Balk” and “We’re a nicer than Gabes” signage at the proper locations.

    • @UniCommProductions
      @UniCommProductions  2 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

      It’s like a completely different store! My local one sells a lot of what I could classify as “old lady clothes” much like Elder Beerman seemed to do toward the end…but the one at Johnson City felt like a Dillards or Macys.

    • @charlestonpinballarcade
      @charlestonpinballarcade 2 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

      @@UniCommProductionsYup.. now you have me thinking of the old Vanity Fair factory type outlets versus the newer premium outlets.
      One sells granny panties 👵and my old back to school husky jeans👖 . The other sells all the Nike and Coach that the cool kids have! 😎

    • @UniCommProductions
      @UniCommProductions  2 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

      @charlestonpinballarcade NGL we got almost all my school clothes at VF outlet when I was a kid 😅 one of the benefits of VF is that they sold Jansport backpacks though!

    • @charlestonpinballarcade
      @charlestonpinballarcade 2 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

      @@UniCommProductionsyea, but Jansport sold out and started making bags with only the cheap polyester canvas bottoms that ripped after I dragged them down the hallway for a few days! The books fell all over! 📚

    • @UniCommProductions
      @UniCommProductions  2 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      @@charlestonpinballarcade no joke, and the ones we had in the 90s were BULLETPROOF!

  • @littlekingtrashmouth9219
    @littlekingtrashmouth9219 หลายเดือนก่อน

    The mall in Morristown is alive and well

  • @marlenefannin6913
    @marlenefannin6913 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    Fairfield commons mall in Ohio also opens at 11am . Ever since covid.

    • @UniCommProductions
      @UniCommProductions  หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      A mall I am well overdue to take a run at! I went in late 2019 right after Christmas and it was way too busy! Now that I know you and many others are excited to see well occupied malls with nice architecture and aesthetics I am full of ideas.

  • @w7100
    @w7100 หลายเดือนก่อน

    I remember this mall from the late 80's the food court area was there but it the escalators were further back and it had a glass elevator, and an honest to God shoe repair shop where the Chinese wok place was, and that spencers, the thing thats been there the longest in the same spot

  • @catl0vver247
    @catl0vver247 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

    I live here and it’s a huge hangout for teens. It’s kinda boring though because there’s not a lot of variety and it gets boring after a while

    • @UniCommProductions
      @UniCommProductions  หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      @@catl0vver247 that’s kind of an issue with malls right now; a lot of the stores that gave malls variety like book stores, record stores etc are obsolete and that means 90% of the stores are clothing stores now.

  • @Johnny455
    @Johnny455 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    I remember the Sears there, now we have to go to Lowes in JC or Jonesborough for Craftsman stuff, I've always heard there were all kinds of crazy tunnels under this mall where scary people hang out!

    • @UniCommProductions
      @UniCommProductions  หลายเดือนก่อน

      Tunnels under the mall? Don't threaten me with a good time!

    • @Johnny455
      @Johnny455 หลายเดือนก่อน

      @@UniCommProductions Ha! I bet they're still there

  • @johnathanbrown7196
    @johnathanbrown7196 หลายเดือนก่อน

    They recently added FYE which is now open and a MINISO store which is opening soon.

    • @UniCommProductions
      @UniCommProductions  หลายเดือนก่อน

      We just got a Miniso at my local mall and I am OBSESSED