Connecticut native. That pet store was the most popular place in the whole mall before it closed. They'd let you pick an animal and play with it for a while in those rooms just past the cages for free. The prices for the animals, however, were outrageous, to put it mildly, $3000~ for a dog or cat. This is because all the animals they had were from puppy/cat mills. So, as much as i have fond memories of playing with the cute animals there, it's for the best that it closed.
Puppy and kitten mills should make the animals cheaper, not more expensive due to economy of scale, etc. BUT, the stores always charged more because it was/is an easy way to get the advantage and prestige of a pedigreed animal without the hassle of selecting a reputable local breeder.
I remember this! In my early 20s I went there and, on a whim, just opened the guinea pig cage and scooped one out! Usually they're scared, but this one just decided "it's you" and bonded to me right there in the store. So I ended up going home with a pig unexpectedly. He lived for 7 years! I'll never forget that store. ❤
I remember going a few years ago and I took out a Shiba Inu to play with. That dog looked healthy, but many others looked somewhat sickly and they were crammed into these cages with mesh floors and no mats. This probably hurt their paws, so some of the small ones were trying to curl up in their food bowls. And a friend bought a boxer there and he had abundant health issues even when he was younger.
I’m 35 and been going to that mall since I could remember at 3-4 years old lol. You could not believe how busy that place was in the late 90s. The parking garage on the second floor was add I believe In the early 2000s. It’s crazy to think they expanded the mall in the early 2000 just before the on line shopping boom
I grew up in Kensington 10 minutes down the Chamberlain Highway. I used to go here all the time. It was always Meriden for Hollister, Westfarms for Abercrombie. I have so many memories of Hollister, Sears, Eddie Bauer, FYE, cinnabon, the pet store, Lindt, the video game store next to the food court. I could go on and on. I'm 34 and I am glad I caught the tailend of the golden era of malls. That being said, Westfarms is still going strong as ever. The only negative I could say about it, is the loss of Godiva.
I believe the reason the opening in the floor (on the second level in front of Boscov's that you noticed missing) is gone because when Boscov's renovated the old Penney's they did not follow the exact footprint. The lower level of Boscov's actually took over a few of the smaller stores that were just outside Penney's and the store front was pushed into the mall. If you walk into Boscov's from the lower level of the mall, you will notice the floor slopes down a bit part way into the store. This is where the original Penney's storefront was. The opening would have had to be covered over to give the front of Boscov's a ceiling.
Beautiful Mall,sad that no one seems to like going shopping in person anymore. I would never do online shopping.l love going shopping in person trying on clothes, shoes before l buy.Eating at the food court or taking in a movie.Really sux that people have lost all interest in that.As long as l have an open Mall to go to ,l will be going.
I'm glad you mentioned Software Ect. that used to be there. That's where I got my first PS1 from lol. That food court looks sad now. It's been years since I been to that mall.
Dude yes! Right in that corner across from the food court I believe. There was Sarku Japan which was amazing and now it’s Tokyo Express which is owned by the Chinese I’m sure! Same formula just less on the veggies and finesse but the chicken is still great. They don’t ask if you want extra sauce anymore…Just nostalgia and time makes everything eventually bittersweet
I used to go to the gentle jungle to hang out with all the dogs, glad they're free now. This place was my teenage hangout spot for so long, grew up in the town over.
I bet there isn't one mall in the US, big and small that doesn't have the candy machines, lounge vibrating chairs, little merry go round, etc. I wonder who invested in all of them, and if they made their money back.
😂In regards to cleaning the equipment at the fifteen dollar rollercoaster headset. You forgot you did not clean the candy dispenser when you purchase the candy. You with the bare finger scrape out all that stale candy.Imagine how many did the same thing, That was dirty unsanitary what U did.😅
Actually my family got our first golden retriever from that pet store back in November 1997. I was there in the nineties as a teen too. It was a fun place to go as a teen back then, and school clothes shopping was always there. Sad to see it so quiet now, completely different place 😔
Went into that mall a couple weeks ago. Even thay Praline's ice cream at 10:14 is gone... That was a huge childhood memory of mine getting ice cream while Christmas shopping
Many a Saturday or Sunday mom and I spent shopping there. It was our "staple" mall, closest to us in North Haven, when we didn't travel to Stamford Town Center, which we did often, as we loved that mall. Another one biting the dust. :( These videos make me sad and nostalgic for the memories I spent there, especially with my mom, who's no longer here. But, that said, I'm part of the problem...I stopped mall shopping (except sometimes having to go to specific stores for Christmas presents) about 15 years ago. Not that I only shop online either, I go to local little shops in my area too, and the outlets occasionally. 50/50
Wow, I forgot about those people movers from back in the day! Spent most of our time at Chapel Square, Post Mall (remember when it was outdoors?), and in later years Crystal Mall, but occasionally spent time at Meriden...
Last time I was in Meriden was in the late 1980's.What is the average house price now?My ancestors were in that area in the in the late 1600's to mid 1800's.
Love your videos. You need to take a road trip to Columbus Ohio. We got a mall that is so dead but has an active 2 story arcade with an indoor go-kart track, roller coaster and drop tower. Last time I was there it was empty. Mall at Tuttle Crossing
Thanks! Glad you like them. Ohio is just a bit too far for now though. Maybe if all my videos start getting over 100,000 views.... I'll start doing some overnight trips to NY, NJ and PA over the next few months though
Lived in CBus (New Albany), for 13 yrs… I recall the Mall at Tuttle Creek being the go-to place for the west side suburbs such as Dublin, left CBus in 2010, but even by then, the new Wexner outdoor mall/community, Easton Town Center, was putting all the area indoor malls out of biz
@fleabittenadventures Nice Video. I liked the pictures you included in this video and hearing about the mall's history. The more information you can bring, the better the video will be. Also, I have a Sears update for the Concord California location. It's still open for business. I was there on Sunday December 3rd. I even purchased some active wear there. I wish Sears could be saved at the last minute like JCPenney was.
I'm pretty sure those people mover escalators were gone before 1987. Hung out at this mall a lot in high school from 86-90 and don't ever remember the flat escalators (I could be wrong, but I feel like I would remember that.
Haven't been to this mall in nearly a decade. I use to go there every week. I use to buy used DVDs and then Blu-rays at FYE and my favorite Best Buy was there, I use to go every Tuesday for new releases. That mall's food court had the best Philly cheese steak sandwiches.
I've never been to that mall, but about the Philly Cheese Steak place that you mentioned... there's a few seconds glimpse of a Philly Steak place starting around 28:28 ish. Again, I've never been there, so I have no idea whether or not it's the same place. Just thought I'd mention it.
@@sped6954 wrote my comment before finishing the video but yes, that's the place. Don't know the quality now since I haven't been there in years but they had so many options and they made it right there in front of you. Good fries too.
@@fleabittenadventuresI have no memories of those ones. WestFarms and Meriden were my malls so to see the difference between the two it’s super depressing and sad. Nostalgia is a powerful thing
The same Namdar overlords that took over Enfield, took over this mall not long ago and it quickly fell into desolation not long after. IIRC They also bought the Trumbull Mall and Crystal Mall. They seem to treat most properties like a slumlord so I don't anticipate the situation getting any better. More than likely, the proverbial husk will be squeezed until they eventually abandon it altogether and leave the city with its dilapidated ruins. The same fate probably awaits all of the malls they own in CT. It's a shame because even 15 years ago that mall was pretty respectable and was fairly busy. I actually got my previous smartphone at that Best Buy because no one in my town had one.
Sadly I think this mall was already in serious decline over the course of Westfield’s ownership. But Namdar trying to get the last bits of blood from the stone certainly won’t be good for it. I’ve also heard that that Best Buy was being heavily subsidized by the city of Meriden since it nearly closed in 2012, so its existence was always going to be tenuous.
Its very clean and well kept but really sad that its so dead, I wish somehow it could be turned around and profitable again, I miss the Pet Store They were Awesome !! Such Great people ! I heard after 26 years they retired.Well Deserved! I bought my Awesome dog there
meriden native here. who remembers: suncoast, KB toys, pacsun, sam goody, cinnabun, interface modeling, express, cosimo pizza, hard rock cafe, filenes, lord & taylor, the airbrush lady, the cajun cafe food sampler guy, above us, urban behavior, friendlies, the underground, that little water feature by the middle escalator, best buy mobile, i can go on forever someone keep it going…my heart breaks watching this mall close
When I was 5-6 (2010-11) the mall was still pretty popular. I'd return to the Meriden mall less and less each year, and as every year came and went, so did the people and the stores. I really need to return to the mall again because who knows how long until it shuts down. I really love those pretzel places. Those soft pretzel bites were god tier.
I was just in that pet store over the summer, and it was the saddest thing I’d ever seen. I was there a few years ago around Labor Day, and there was a very cruel man taking back all the bunnies that didn’t sell. I was holding one that I wouldn’t let him take; I wish I could have saved them all. My late husband and I wanted to call the police, but neither one of us trusted that guy to not come after us.
I’ve been living in Meriden for 26 years, and I remember when the mall was thriving and had all kinds of stores. Used to go to GameStop, BestBuy, and the food court all the time. It’s sad to see the mall going through this.
I went here last week to do Christmas shopping and was shocked how dead it was! I used to hit the Milford mall which is definitely better but I now live in Meriden and tried this mall out, it was a 20 minute visit!
I miss the mall days. Specifically 1992-2008. Those were great times. I also remember going to the mall as a kid in the 80s, they were super busy from what i remember.
I'm seeing a trend here that G Fox was 1 of the original anchors at most or all Connecticut malls. Were they a Connecticut based department store and that was why they were 1 of the original anchors at most or all Connecticut malls or no?
@@fleabittenadventures so that explains why they were in most or all Connecticut malls but were they also in other states too or just the state of Connecticut?
G. Fox was at the Naugatuck Valley Mall in Waterbury when I grew up. That was my mall, but was torn down in the late 90's. I have pictures of a torn down G.Fox and Sears.
@@shrapnel77 what is that mall now did they turn it into anything new like a mixed used place with retail and office buildings or is it still a vacant spot?
A few years ago it was a lively mall. They had a book store that had musicians play music for customers and everything. It was busy. The last 5 years have been detrimental.
Good video! Shopped there through all the renovations. I like online shopping, but prefer going to the mall if they had something to offer. Increasing limits of product selection really hurt. Limited inventory means limited sales. Lack of clothing sizes also hurts. West Farms Mall seems to have reinvented itself, unlike the Meriden Mall.
I believe that the entrance to Lord & Taylor was actually in front of where Best Buy and TJ Maxx were/are. Best Buy, Borders, and Dicks were all added in an expansion after L&T closed, along with the hallways past the corridor to the roof parking. This mall will forever live on as the go-to stock photo whenever someone mentions Software Etc, probably because it was one of the last ones in existence. As a kid we’d always park at Sears and I’d always beeline to Software Etc to browse the video games.
I go to that mall pretty often. I worked in a Hickory Farms kiosk there in November 2010. It was a busy mall then. It's very slow except during the Christmas shopping season. But even then, not all that crowded. I mostly go there for Harry's Eatery and Tokyo Express. Great food at Tokyo express and great snacks, drinks, or treats at Harry's. Best Buy closed early this year or late last year, I forgot when, and that really hurt the mall. I shopped there a lot. There's not a lot of business left in the mall. I hope it survives. Thanks for the fun facts about the mall. Lots of memories there, Dates, food, shopping, and my 2nd job.
I remember the original square mall and going there growing up, and the cars being out at Christmas time when they expanded the mall it's amazing what has happened to it it's sad😢
The more of these Wow arcades I see the more amazed I am they exist. There’s never any traffic at least when you capture them and I can’t imagine what they do bring in covers the rent unless it’s extremely cheap.
I remember my mother taking me here in December 1989 and again in December 1992 for Christmas shopping-both times on a Friday evening. The mall was really hopping then. I'd come here on my own years later when they had a Borders. Sad to see what has happened.
been going to this mall my whole life. around 10 years ago it was pretty packed most of the time. nowadays it seems like every other store closes down bc of lack of service.
Lord & Taylor actually was housed in the entirety of the space that now has the closed Bestbuy, TJMaxx & Dicks. Basically the entrance was at the turn you made to the upper parking deck. Also the former Sears on the first floor has an exterior only entrance to a new retailer The Rush Market which is an online home furnishings store.
When I lived in the area, I loved the store "Dollar N Things", best dollar store selection you will ever find and found a ton of deals there; I heard it closed down, which signifies an end of an era for me.
Meriden mall had all the cool stores for entertainment stuff while westfarms was mostly clothing. I'd go to spencers to get RE4 action figures and look at the adult stuff, the food court was pretty good for malls around central CT. Think I still has the roll of solder I bought at the radioshack there. Can't believe how bad it is now. I was mad when the savers that was right next to it closed for no reason too. I worked retail for a long time outside the mall space and watched how things gradually slowed down from crazy to noticeable drop by 2018-2019 and then the coup de gras in 2020 and when I left last year it was dead at night it was sad and hard to go to work.
I lived along the coast near enough to the larger Crystal Mall preferably, but occasionally stopped in Meriden for various errands such as Noacks German deli and possible mall visit. It's all behind me now after moving to the South.
As of June 2024, it increasingly looks like the Yale medical clinic isn’t happening-three years after buying it, they still haven’t started construction. The mall is right across the street from MidState, the other major hospital in the region, and supposedly Yale only bought the former Macy’s to stop them from opening their own facility there. The Dick’s also closed right after Christmas 2023, and the Sears space was just up for auction and didn’t get a single bid. It wouldn’t surprise me if after this holiday season the mall closes to the public, with Boscov’s staying open as a standalone store sealed off from the rest of it.
I'd expect Ruby Tuesday to stay open as well if they did something like that. I frequently do Doordash deliveries from there and Charlies + Cajun in the food court. Now both escalators by the food court have been broken for about a month making that a pain. I had talked with a couple of the merchants in the food court over a year ago and they said when the new owners took over they jacked up the rent like crazy. Both of them left shortly after. It really sucks seeing this mall go down from what it was.
Wow. So many memories here… it was my family’s “local mall.” FYI, Dicks Sporting Goods closed since this is went up. Thoughts, in no particular order: - When Best Buy opened, there were still a couple record/media stores. You could literally walk to Best Buy and save 30%, at least. The other stores made no sense to me. - My high school jazz band once played a concert in the food court. - It felt so small before they put in the extra, “upstairs,” wing. - I once let my mom discuss getting my brother a 3D card (late 90s) with a person from Software, Etc. I was curious… I then swooped in and stopper her from getting anything and dumped a bunch of knowledge about the item the guy was trying to sell her. Kinda obnoxious, but you don’t lie to my mom about technology. - Plus many more…
Local is in quotes because it was about 15 minutes away, and there were a few only slightly farther (and we wonder why they imploded so fast…) away that we’d visit for certain stores.
Those flat type escalators are pretty much all you see in most of Australian shopping centres. So you can take trolleys on them. Surprising to hear them spoken of the way in this video, sounding like they aren't very common in America.
I lived in Meriden most of my life, and the Meriden mall used to be the place to be back in the 80s and early 90s. I go back there every now and then just to see how much it changed, and wow! It's now practically devoid of stores and shoppers. I miss the stores like Walden Book Store, Gwiz, orange Julius, kay bee toy's Chess King, Madisons, and Record Town. Fun fact this isn't the original location of the Meriden mall. It used to be where the Meriden hub used to be in the center of Meriden which is now a green.
Yes, the Meriden public library was temporarily located in the mall while expansions/renovations were being done to the original library. Those expansions/renovations are done now and they are no longer in the mall.
I remember those old moving carpet escalators and the real trees in the mall when it was only 2 anchors. Also remember there was ash trays around the seating because you could smoke in that place. GROSS! I spent many days roaming around in there after the first Sears wing was added when I was a young teenager. Sad place now, been out of Meriden for 25 years, only back to visit once in a while, this old mall is just a sad state of what it once was...
Also, fun fact about that pet store: It got shut down after several animal cruelty violations from drugging, starving, and generally neglecting the animals. It was very very sad and the animals in there were always visibly depressed, I was actually so happy when it finally got shut down.
I've never been here, but judging from the pictures from the earlier times, they sure blanded out this mall! It's so sterile now. They've made malls these clinical places, not warm colorful inviting places like they used to be. It's sad. It's like the owners have given up.
Kinda the trend for all retail and fast food and other places the last 10 years. All bland depressing schemes with no personality, nothing memorable. Can't tell a McDonalds from a starbucks or chipotle anymore.
I went to Boscov's a few weeks ago, there was a plate of free fudge samples on the candy counter. Otherwise, a very dead mall. Gun shots in the mall a few years ago, did not help. Waterbury Brass Mill Mall just reopened their theater, but seems to be half dead.
That candy stand looks unchanged since the last time I was there probably over 10 years ago. This used to be a nice mall, its sad to see it so dead, I loved hanging out at the local malls here.
Security can sometimes go overboard, but I guess they got orders to do that? There sure are not many malls that still have the big 3 anchors but the mall here near Seattle called Tukwila Southerner has got to be one of the last of it's kind, it has it's Macy's, JC Penny and yes Sears that is still open at least for now, it also has a Nordstrom, no Boscovs out west that I know of. I mostly go there for a bakery called 85c makes the best cakes around here.
Malls were the place to hang out weekend afternoons, as teens. And shopping there just before Christmas with every out doing the same was part of the season. Sad it's gone.
I do plan to check out Boscov's. I have to be careful going back into this mall with a camera though. They seem to be hyper aggressive about no filming.
twenty plus years ago I used to ride my bike over 30-45 mins to play in the Time out arcade there, Ive worked at Software etc, Pac Sun, and spencers gifts there in highschool and early college. It was quite the place before the world moved on. Now they should be retirement communities or homeless shelters, or even libraries would be better than a dead mall, it is very sad to see the stomping ground of my young adulthood so very derelict.
I really had hoped this mall wouldn't have declined as it has, but you can blame it on the owners. There wasn't much they could do about losing Sears and perhaps Macy's, but they raised the rent on the remaining tenants which wasn't feasible seeing as they lost two anchors. The mall property is on the edge of a questionable area, but certainly shouldn't hurt it. I just went today for Boscovs. They are the saving grace of the mall. Always busy and a great store. Would hate to lose it. I can see them moving to Buckland Hills Mall if they are forced out. It's not entirely true that everyone only shops online. When you have nothing interesting to bring people in, people won't come. Look at Westfarms as an example of how you do things right.
Sad to see... funny thing about this (and the Enfield Square for that matter) is that Meriden (and Enfield) used to have TWO malls! Imagine that LOL... 2 small towns with 2 malls
since the 4 months, charlotte russe closed, forever 21 closed, champs closed, zumiez closed, the Dick's sporting goods closed, Tokyo express closed, the phone repair kiosk is moving out, and the slingshot gallery closed. also the 78 dinner NEVER opened (last tweet was from 2022) and the Animates custom shirts has been closed for the past week. either they closed shop early or just havent been opening.
@@shrapnel77 the ceiling under the roof parking had a lot of fissures and leaks. They patched them up but not on the inside so the ceiling has a lot of cracks still
I've only gone during non-peak hours but there has been a very visible decline in the general vibe from where it was several years ago. I've only ever had limited reasons to go there (shoes for work, something at Dick's or Best Buy, Sears auto for a flat tire, Macy's on the off chance something was deeply discounted). Last time I looked in FYE out of morbid curiosity and their inventory is uncanny, it feels like a time portal to the 2010s, which explains the store being completely void of customers, and that's the feeling the whole mall gives me.
Amazing...Meriden is still trying to thrive, however, like most of Connecticut, it needs to revamp itself. Meriden used to be the Silver City because of International Silver, but no manufacturing is done in Connecticut much anymore. That said, Meiden Mall looks like it could comeback from the brink. Unfortunately, having stores getting mismanaged (Sears, Macy and Eblens) wont help a mall, and very city wanted a mall in the 1970s. Macy bought all of the local department stores and now every mall looks the same (Macy, JCPENNEY as anchors, same national chains in the malls. The 1970s had different stores - anchors G.Fox, Sage-Allen in Connecticut, local clothing stores like D&L, Casual Corner. Malls are boring nowadays, a mall in Connecticut, looks the same as in Ohio or Florida...
Of everything that has gone and closed down (almost everything) I can’t believe FYE is still there in the same spot. That’s mind boggling! Thats an Amazon kill shot yet somehow they’re still there. So bizarre! They used to have an awesome arcade spot too right by that lower food court area. What a complete mindfuck to walk through there and see what it all is now
My teenage stomping grounds. Makes me sad. The pet store closed pretty recently. It was fun back in the day.
Yup. Gentle Jungle.
Mid 90s 😢
Connecticut native. That pet store was the most popular place in the whole mall before it closed. They'd let you pick an animal and play with it for a while in those rooms just past the cages for free. The prices for the animals, however, were outrageous, to put it mildly, $3000~ for a dog or cat. This is because all the animals they had were from puppy/cat mills. So, as much as i have fond memories of playing with the cute animals there, it's for the best that it closed.
Puppy and kitten mills should make the animals cheaper, not more expensive due to economy of scale, etc. BUT, the stores always charged more because it was/is an easy way to get the advantage and prestige of a pedigreed animal without the hassle of selecting a reputable local breeder.
I remember this! In my early 20s I went there and, on a whim, just opened the guinea pig cage and scooped one out!
Usually they're scared, but this one just decided "it's you" and bonded to me right there in the store. So I ended up going home with a pig unexpectedly. He lived for 7 years!
I'll never forget that store. ❤
I remember going a few years ago and I took out a Shiba Inu to play with. That dog looked healthy, but many others looked somewhat sickly and they were crammed into these cages with mesh floors and no mats. This probably hurt their paws, so some of the small ones were trying to curl up in their food bowls. And a friend bought a boxer there and he had abundant health issues even when he was younger.
Gotta give them credit for the tree and decorations....at least they are going through the motions.
I’m 35 and been going to that mall since I could remember at 3-4 years old lol. You could not believe how busy that place was in the late 90s. The parking garage on the second floor was add I believe In the early 2000s. It’s crazy to think they expanded the mall in the early 2000 just before the on line shopping boom
I grew up in Kensington 10 minutes down the Chamberlain Highway. I used to go here all the time. It was always Meriden for Hollister, Westfarms for Abercrombie. I have so many memories of Hollister, Sears, Eddie Bauer, FYE, cinnabon, the pet store, Lindt, the video game store next to the food court. I could go on and on. I'm 34 and I am glad I caught the tailend of the golden era of malls. That being said, Westfarms is still going strong as ever. The only negative I could say about it, is the loss of Godiva.
I’m near Westfarms mall and I agree.
Westfarms and the Danbury Mall still doing good.
There are advantages to store shopping, especially in certain commodity categories. You can usually take the purchase home today for example.
Haven't been there in years, but this makes me sad, I still remember loving coming here when I was a kid when the arcade was there.
I believe the reason the opening in the floor (on the second level in front of Boscov's that you noticed missing) is gone because when Boscov's renovated the old Penney's they did not follow the exact footprint. The lower level of Boscov's actually took over a few of the smaller stores that were just outside Penney's and the store front was pushed into the mall. If you walk into Boscov's from the lower level of the mall, you will notice the floor slopes down a bit part way into the store. This is where the original Penney's storefront was. The opening would have had to be covered over to give the front of Boscov's a ceiling.
Interesting. Thanks for the info!
Beautiful Mall,sad that no one seems to like going shopping in person anymore.
I would never do online shopping.l love going shopping in person trying on clothes, shoes before l buy.Eating at the food court or taking in a movie.Really sux that people have lost all interest in that.As long as l have an open Mall to go to ,l will be going.
You must be over 60
I'm glad you mentioned Software Ect. that used to be there. That's where I got my first PS1 from lol. That food court looks sad now. It's been years since I been to that mall.
Dude yes! Right in that corner across from the food court I believe. There was Sarku Japan which was amazing and now it’s Tokyo Express which is owned by the Chinese I’m sure! Same formula just less on the veggies and finesse but the chicken is still great. They don’t ask if you want extra sauce anymore…Just nostalgia and time makes everything eventually bittersweet
That was my first job ever with Mike, Heather, and Tiff!
It may be a dead mall but at least they seem to be keeping it up. It looks clean. Unlike Enfield Square😮
Yes, so far.... we'll see how long that lasts.
The outside looks rough…
I used to go to the gentle jungle to hang out with all the dogs, glad they're free now. This place was my teenage hangout spot for so long, grew up in the town over.
Thanks for risking your life and testing the candy for us!😂😂
No problem!
I bet there isn't one mall in the US, big and small that doesn't have the candy machines, lounge vibrating chairs, little merry go round, etc. I wonder who invested in all of them, and if they made their money back.
😂In regards to cleaning the equipment at the fifteen dollar rollercoaster headset. You forgot you did not clean the candy dispenser when you purchase the candy. You with the bare finger scrape out all that stale candy.Imagine how many did the same thing, That was dirty unsanitary what U did.😅
We have one of those "people-mover" conveyor type escalators at the Forum Nova Karolina, a regional shopping mall in Ostrava, Czech Republic.
Actually my family got our first golden retriever from that pet store back in November 1997. I was there in the nineties as a teen too. It was a fun place to go as a teen back then, and school clothes shopping was always there. Sad to see it so quiet now, completely different place 😔
aww how long did he live until?
Went into that mall a couple weeks ago. Even thay Praline's ice cream at 10:14 is gone... That was a huge childhood memory of mine getting ice cream while Christmas shopping
Many a Saturday or Sunday mom and I spent shopping there. It was our "staple" mall, closest to us in North Haven, when we didn't travel to Stamford Town Center, which we did often, as we loved that mall. Another one biting the dust. :( These videos make me sad and nostalgic for the memories I spent there, especially with my mom, who's no longer here. But, that said, I'm part of the problem...I stopped mall shopping (except sometimes having to go to specific stores for Christmas presents) about 15 years ago. Not that I only shop online either, I go to local little shops in my area too, and the outlets occasionally. 50/50
forever 21 and pralines are both gone.. im surprised this mall is still here
Wow, I forgot about those people movers from back in the day! Spent most of our time at Chapel Square, Post Mall (remember when it was outdoors?), and in later years Crystal Mall, but occasionally spent time at Meriden...
Last time I was in Meriden was in the late 1980's.What is the average house price now?My ancestors were in that area in the in the late 1600's to mid 1800's.
Looks like there was a Borders Bookstore across from the Best Buy! Spent many many hours there in the early 2000’s 😢
I miss Borders and their cafe.They closed in my area 15 years ago.I rarely go to the one at Barnes and Noble at a outdoor shopping center.
Love your videos. You need to take a road trip to Columbus Ohio. We got a mall that is so dead but has an active 2 story arcade with an indoor go-kart track, roller coaster and drop tower. Last time I was there it was empty. Mall at Tuttle Crossing
Thanks! Glad you like them. Ohio is just a bit too far for now though. Maybe if all my videos start getting over 100,000 views.... I'll start doing some overnight trips to NY, NJ and PA over the next few months though
Lived in CBus (New Albany), for 13 yrs… I recall the Mall at Tuttle Creek being the go-to place for the west side suburbs such as Dublin, left CBus in 2010, but even by then, the new Wexner outdoor mall/community, Easton Town Center, was putting all the area indoor malls out of biz
@fleabittenadventures Nice Video. I liked the pictures you included in this video and hearing about the mall's history. The more information you can bring, the better the video will be. Also, I have a Sears update for the Concord California location. It's still open for business. I was there on Sunday December 3rd. I even purchased some active wear there. I wish Sears could be saved at the last minute like JCPenney was.
When JCP got bailed out in 2020 it had far more stores than Sears had today. Sears is so vastly diminished I see no way it can be a major chain again.
Thanks! Thanks for the info on Sears. I wish that was closer so I could take a look.
I'm pretty sure those people mover escalators were gone before 1987. Hung out at this mall a lot in high school from 86-90 and don't ever remember the flat escalators (I could be wrong, but I feel like I would remember that.
EDIT: One of your links shows me that I am indeed wrong if the caption is correct and it was taken in 1986.
Not sure. I'm just going by what the internet says, and the internet is never wrong, right? :)
Yes I m 44 I remember the old escalators, when they added the new originally the ones were behind a wall back then in the 80’s
Haven't been to this mall in nearly a decade. I use to go there every week. I use to buy used DVDs and then Blu-rays at FYE and my favorite Best Buy was there, I use to go every Tuesday for new releases. That mall's food court had the best Philly cheese steak sandwiches.
I've never been to that mall, but about the Philly Cheese Steak place that you mentioned... there's a few seconds glimpse of a Philly Steak place starting around 28:28 ish. Again, I've never been there, so I have no idea whether or not it's the same place. Just thought I'd mention it.
@@sped6954 wrote my comment before finishing the video but yes, that's the place. Don't know the quality now since I haven't been there in years but they had so many options and they made it right there in front of you. Good fries too.
@@Neon_BayhemYes, Charlie’s is still there along with Cajun Cafe. That’s it (as of 8/28/24).
I’d like to see a walk through of Boscovs! I might go there just to see that store. I’ve been to one of their NJ stores and I loved it.
A great store and the only reason to go there now.
I just went there last week, seriously the deadest mall I’ve seen
It's dead, but it's no match for Enfield Square Mall. I think Crystal Mall is worse too.
@@fleabittenadventures I haven't been to the other malls before, but I might visit them one day since I'm curious to see.
@@fleabittenadventuresI have no memories of those ones. WestFarms and Meriden were my malls so to see the difference between the two it’s super depressing and sad. Nostalgia is a powerful thing
The same Namdar overlords that took over Enfield, took over this mall not long ago and it quickly fell into desolation not long after. IIRC They also bought the Trumbull Mall and Crystal Mall. They seem to treat most properties like a slumlord so I don't anticipate the situation getting any better. More than likely, the proverbial husk will be squeezed until they eventually abandon it altogether and leave the city with its dilapidated ruins. The same fate probably awaits all of the malls they own in CT. It's a shame because even 15 years ago that mall was pretty respectable and was fairly busy. I actually got my previous smartphone at that Best Buy because no one in my town had one.
It's probably only a matter of time before this place looks like Enfield Square Mall.
Sadly I think this mall was already in serious decline over the course of Westfield’s ownership. But Namdar trying to get the last bits of blood from the stone certainly won’t be good for it.
I’ve also heard that that Best Buy was being heavily subsidized by the city of Meriden since it nearly closed in 2012, so its existence was always going to be tenuous.
Brick and mortar retail is dead. It isn't coming back.
Its very clean and well kept but really sad that its so dead, I wish somehow it could be turned around and profitable again, I miss the Pet Store They were Awesome !! Such Great people ! I heard after 26 years they retired.Well Deserved! I bought my Awesome dog there
Dicks is closing their store on April 20, so Boscovs will be the only anchor left. But they may just move out right after them.
meriden native here. who remembers: suncoast, KB toys, pacsun, sam goody, cinnabun, interface modeling, express, cosimo pizza, hard rock cafe, filenes, lord & taylor, the airbrush lady, the cajun cafe food sampler guy, above us, urban behavior, friendlies, the underground, that little water feature by the middle escalator, best buy mobile, i can go on forever someone keep it going…my heart breaks watching this mall close
Do you remember the tank top dude with the beanie who would always be lingering? Or the glow in the dark mini golf?
Please do an update if you can! This is the mall I grew up going to. So sad to see it going.
When I was 5-6 (2010-11) the mall was still pretty popular. I'd return to the Meriden mall less and less each year, and as every year came and went, so did the people and the stores. I really need to return to the mall again because who knows how long until it shuts down.
I really love those pretzel places. Those soft pretzel bites were god tier.
wow so cool malls i am so Glade you your mom haveing a good time with together ty for video
Thanks
I was just in that pet store over the summer, and it was the saddest thing I’d ever seen. I was there a few years ago around Labor Day, and there was a very cruel man taking back all the bunnies that didn’t sell. I was holding one that I wouldn’t let him take; I wish I could have saved them all. My late husband and I wanted to call the police, but neither one of us trusted that guy to not come after us.
I didn't realize that the pet store closed that recently.
The nice mean man is named Armand. He sells the rabbits for meat.
The original mall, minus the 2nd level, reminds me of how Searstown (Whitney Field) used to be. It was about that small, give-or-take.
Yes, I think I remember that from one of the old floor maps of Whitney Field.
I’ve been living in Meriden for 26 years, and I remember when the mall was thriving and had all kinds of stores. Used to go to GameStop, BestBuy, and the food court all the time. It’s sad to see the mall going through this.
Around holiday time, it was hard to find a seat in the food court. Now, it’s practically all there is. Empty seats.
I went here last week to do Christmas shopping and was shocked how dead it was! I used to hit the Milford mall which is definitely better but I now live in Meriden and tried this mall out, it was a 20 minute visit!
I do believe there was a border books and movies store in the mall somewhere I think we library is😂😂thanks for sharing your experience
There definitely was
it’s where TJ max was. i worked at best buy in high school and always got the frozen coffee things on my lunch break💔
I miss the mall days. Specifically 1992-2008. Those were great times. I also remember going to the mall as a kid in the 80s, they were super busy from what i remember.
I'm seeing a trend here that G Fox was 1 of the original anchors at most or all Connecticut malls. Were they a Connecticut based department store and that was why they were 1 of the original anchors at most or all Connecticut malls or no?
Yea, G Fox was based in Hartford, Connecticut. Back in the 80s, when I was going to malls as a kid, G Fox was everywhere.
@@fleabittenadventures so that explains why they were in most or all Connecticut malls but were they also in other states too or just the state of Connecticut?
G. Fox was at the Naugatuck Valley Mall in Waterbury when I grew up. That was my mall, but was torn down in the late 90's. I have pictures of a torn down G.Fox and Sears.
@@shrapnel77 what is that mall now did they turn it into anything new like a mixed used place with retail and office buildings or is it still a vacant spot?
@@arturocuizon69It’s a plaza now. The “new” mall in Waterbury is called the Brass Mill and it’s also a dead mall.
A few years ago it was a lively mall. They had a book store that had musicians play music for customers and everything. It was busy.
The last 5 years have been detrimental.
Thanks Biden and company…
@@マシュードーランBlame Walmart and online shopping.
Heart playing in the background was a nice touch
Good video! Shopped there through all the renovations. I like online shopping, but prefer going to the mall if they had something to offer. Increasing limits of product selection really hurt. Limited inventory means limited sales. Lack of clothing sizes also hurts. West Farms Mall seems to have reinvented itself, unlike the Meriden Mall.
I believe that the entrance to Lord & Taylor was actually in front of where Best Buy and TJ Maxx were/are. Best Buy, Borders, and Dicks were all added in an expansion after L&T closed, along with the hallways past the corridor to the roof parking.
This mall will forever live on as the go-to stock photo whenever someone mentions Software Etc, probably because it was one of the last ones in existence. As a kid we’d always park at Sears and I’d always beeline to Software Etc to browse the video games.
I go to that mall pretty often. I worked in a Hickory Farms kiosk there in November 2010. It was a busy mall then. It's very slow except during the Christmas shopping season. But even then, not all that crowded. I mostly go there for Harry's Eatery and Tokyo Express. Great food at Tokyo express and great snacks, drinks, or treats at Harry's. Best Buy closed early this year or late last year, I forgot when, and that really hurt the mall. I shopped there a lot. There's not a lot of business left in the mall. I hope it survives. Thanks for the fun facts about the mall. Lots of memories there, Dates, food, shopping, and my 2nd job.
Thanks. Glad you liked it!
Tokyo Express is now gone.
@@craigg.6609 Not long after I made that comment, it closed. It was the only thing in the food court that was consistently busy so I was surprised.
I remember the original square mall and going there growing up, and the cars being out at Christmas time when they expanded the mall it's amazing what has happened to it it's sad😢
The more of these Wow arcades I see the more amazed I am they exist. There’s never any traffic at least when you capture them and I can’t imagine what they do bring in covers the rent unless it’s extremely cheap.
I agree. I think the most people I've ever seen in one is maybe 2 people, other than myself.
In Fort Worth, Texas, The Ridgemar Mall Looks beautifully renovated but almost dead inside. It's really sad to see.
I remember my mother taking me here in December 1989 and again in December 1992 for Christmas shopping-both times on a Friday evening. The mall was really hopping then. I'd come here on my own years later when they had a Borders. Sad to see what has happened.
been going to this mall my whole life. around 10 years ago it was pretty packed most of the time. nowadays it seems like every other store closes down bc of lack of service.
Lord & Taylor actually was housed in the entirety of the space that now has the closed Bestbuy, TJMaxx & Dicks. Basically the entrance was at the turn you made to the upper parking deck. Also the former Sears on the first floor has an exterior only entrance to a new retailer The Rush Market which is an online home furnishings store.
Interesting. I didn't know that. Thanks.
When I lived in the area, I loved the store "Dollar N Things", best dollar store selection you will ever find and found a ton of deals there; I heard it closed down, which signifies an end of an era for me.
Yes it is closed.
@@craigg.6609 Damn :(
Meriden mall had all the cool stores for entertainment stuff while westfarms was mostly clothing. I'd go to spencers to get RE4 action figures and look at the adult stuff, the food court was pretty good for malls around central CT. Think I still has the roll of solder I bought at the radioshack there. Can't believe how bad it is now. I was mad when the savers that was right next to it closed for no reason too. I worked retail for a long time outside the mall space and watched how things gradually slowed down from crazy to noticeable drop by 2018-2019 and then the coup de gras in 2020 and when I left last year it was dead at night it was sad and hard to go to work.
I was just there a couple weeks ago. Very empty. Sad.. I grew up hanging out there.
my home mall! wandered around this place over the summer. looks like its doing even worse ;-;
i miss the best buy.
I lived along the coast near enough to the larger Crystal Mall preferably, but occasionally stopped in Meriden for various errands such as Noacks German deli and possible mall visit. It's all behind me now after moving to the South.
As of June 2024, it increasingly looks like the Yale medical clinic isn’t happening-three years after buying it, they still haven’t started construction. The mall is right across the street from MidState, the other major hospital in the region, and supposedly Yale only bought the former Macy’s to stop them from opening their own facility there. The Dick’s also closed right after Christmas 2023, and the Sears space was just up for auction and didn’t get a single bid. It wouldn’t surprise me if after this holiday season the mall closes to the public, with Boscov’s staying open as a standalone store sealed off from the rest of it.
I'd expect Ruby Tuesday to stay open as well if they did something like that. I frequently do Doordash deliveries from there and Charlies + Cajun in the food court. Now both escalators by the food court have been broken for about a month making that a pain. I had talked with a couple of the merchants in the food court over a year ago and they said when the new owners took over they jacked up the rent like crazy. Both of them left shortly after. It really sucks seeing this mall go down from what it was.
@@danagibbs3265And the food court now consists of just Charlie’s and Cajun Cafe. Sad.
@@craigg.6609update Cajun Cafe closed in the recent week.
Cosimo’s Pizza (in the food court) had some really good pizza, rolls and Italian dishes. Like almost everything in that food court, it’s gone now.
@@craigg.6609 Cajun Cafe left
Ramani's is renovating a large building on East Main Street and I wouldn't be surprised if they leave the mall to be located only in the new building.
I see a T-mobile store, did that used to be Sprint cell-phones, and before that, a RadioShack? - 26:47
Wow. So many memories here… it was my family’s “local mall.” FYI, Dicks Sporting Goods closed since this is went up. Thoughts, in no particular order:
- When Best Buy opened, there were still a couple record/media stores. You could literally walk to Best Buy and save 30%, at least. The other stores made no sense to me.
- My high school jazz band once played a concert in the food court.
- It felt so small before they put in the extra, “upstairs,” wing.
- I once let my mom discuss getting my brother a 3D card (late 90s) with a person from Software, Etc. I was curious… I then swooped in and stopper her from getting anything and dumped a bunch of knowledge about the item the guy was trying to sell her. Kinda obnoxious, but you don’t lie to my mom about technology.
- Plus many more…
Local is in quotes because it was about 15 minutes away, and there were a few only slightly farther (and we wonder why they imploded so fast…) away that we’d visit for certain stores.
Those flat type escalators are pretty much all you see in most of Australian shopping centres.
So you can take trolleys on them.
Surprising to hear them spoken of the way in this video, sounding like they aren't very common in America.
I lived in Meriden most of my life, and the Meriden mall used to be the place to be back in the 80s and early 90s. I go back there every now and then just to see how much it changed, and wow! It's now practically devoid of stores and shoppers. I miss the stores like Walden Book Store, Gwiz, orange Julius, kay bee toy's Chess King, Madisons, and Record Town. Fun fact this isn't the original location of the Meriden mall. It used to be where the Meriden hub used to be in the center of Meriden which is now a green.
12:43 the Rainbow was a Forever 21 for awhile in my good old days... seems like a lot of Forever 21s were closed up/then moved around in these malls.
33:00 - I think at a Boscov's store, an entrance has a 'glass wall' .
Does that TJ Maxx have an outside entrance from the parking lot?I have not seen them in Malls much.
Yes, the Meriden public library was temporarily located in the mall while expansions/renovations were being done to the original library. Those expansions/renovations are done now and they are no longer in the mall.
I went there last month for the first time since the pandemic. There were only 2 restaurants left in the food court. It was truly sad.
only Charleys remains
@@similartracks No more Cajun Cafe??!
@@danmccarthy4700 got it from 2 sources that tuesday they was evicted
Worked at several places in that mall. So sad to see its demise like this. Used to be a happening place.
I really miss the Best Buy. It was so convenient.
I remember those old moving carpet escalators and the real trees in the mall when it was only 2 anchors. Also remember there was ash trays around the seating because you could smoke in that place. GROSS! I spent many days roaming around in there after the first Sears wing was added when I was a young teenager. Sad place now, been out of Meriden for 25 years, only back to visit once in a while, this old mall is just a sad state of what it once was...
Also, fun fact about that pet store: It got shut down after several animal cruelty violations from drugging, starving, and generally neglecting the animals. It was very very sad and the animals in there were always visibly depressed, I was actually so happy when it finally got shut down.
That was Armand. He was a cruel man.
Biting into the stale candy, 2:18 now that was a perfect southern Connecticut moment 😁
I haven't been there since...July 2020. But Im passing through next weekend on the way to Anime Boston, I should take a detour.
Was the store On Cue there? Also I remember Caldors over at Hawley Lane Mall had a conveyor belt "people mover" escalator.
Tom thanks for making this video I enjoy your videos.
Thanks!
I've never been here, but judging from the pictures from the earlier times, they sure blanded out this mall! It's so sterile now. They've made malls these clinical places, not warm colorful inviting places like they used to be. It's sad. It's like the owners have given up.
Yes, a lot of malls have gone for the white/beige look. I prefer the colorful malls from the 70s, 80's and 90's.
Kinda the trend for all retail and fast food and other places the last 10 years. All bland depressing schemes with no personality, nothing memorable. Can't tell a McDonalds from a starbucks or chipotle anymore.
I went to Boscov's a few weeks ago, there was a plate of free fudge samples on the candy counter.
Otherwise, a very dead mall.
Gun shots in the mall a few years ago, did not help.
Waterbury Brass Mill Mall just reopened their theater, but seems to be half dead.
Nice fall day !! Yes please walk around boscos..
Can you do evergreen walk which is basically almost like an outdoor mall but a shopping center?
25 years ago, this was THE place to be on a Friday night.
That candy stand looks unchanged since the last time I was there probably over 10 years ago. This used to be a nice mall, its sad to see it so dead, I loved hanging out at the local malls here.
Security can sometimes go overboard, but I guess they got orders to do that? There sure are not many malls that still have the big 3 anchors but the mall here near Seattle called Tukwila Southerner has got to be one of the last of it's kind, it has it's Macy's, JC Penny and yes Sears that is still open at least for now, it also has a Nordstrom, no Boscovs out west that I know of. I mostly go there for a bakery called 85c makes the best cakes around here.
31:39 - In this view of Sears, I do not see a Sears Auto service center, nor a customer merchandise pickup entrance.
Dude it’s missing two letter coverings from the outside sign. They’re not putting a thing into being there!
Wow, I remember Child World (1:00).
I have a vague memory of going to a Child's World in the early 80s. I was more of a Toys R Us guy though.
Malls were the place to hang out weekend afternoons, as teens. And shopping there just before Christmas with every out doing the same was part of the season. Sad it's gone.
I would go to Westfarms instead since they still have JCPenney, Macys, and Nordstrom.
You should do a walk through of both fye and boscovs
I do plan to check out Boscov's. I have to be careful going back into this mall with a camera though. They seem to be hyper aggressive about no filming.
twenty plus years ago I used to ride my bike over 30-45 mins to play in the Time out arcade there, Ive worked at Software etc, Pac Sun, and spencers gifts there in highschool and early college. It was quite the place before the world moved on.
Now they should be retirement communities or homeless shelters, or even libraries would be better than a dead mall, it is very sad to see the stomping ground of my young adulthood so very derelict.
I really had hoped this mall wouldn't have declined as it has, but you can blame it on the owners. There wasn't much they could do about losing Sears and perhaps Macy's, but they raised the rent on the remaining tenants which wasn't feasible seeing as they lost two anchors. The mall property is on the edge of a questionable area, but certainly shouldn't hurt it. I just went today for Boscovs. They are the saving grace of the mall. Always busy and a great store. Would hate to lose it. I can see them moving to Buckland Hills Mall if they are forced out. It's not entirely true that everyone only shops online. When you have nothing interesting to bring people in, people won't come. Look at Westfarms as an example of how you do things right.
Yeah, the owner has me worried just based on how they are handling Enfield Square Mall.
Meriden CT?? 😭 I'm 10 min away in North Haven
Sad to see... funny thing about this (and the Enfield Square for that matter) is that Meriden (and Enfield) used to have TWO malls! Imagine that LOL... 2 small towns with 2 malls
The door opens and there's a Ruby Tuesday. Of course there is.
I should do a video inside a Ruby Tuesday before they all close too.
I miss Ruby Tues.They closed in my city 4 years ago.@@fleabittenadventures
since the 4 months, charlotte russe closed, forever 21 closed, champs closed, zumiez closed, the Dick's sporting goods closed, Tokyo express closed, the phone repair kiosk is moving out, and the slingshot gallery closed.
also the 78 dinner NEVER opened (last tweet was from 2022) and the Animates custom shirts has been closed for the past week. either they closed shop early or just havent been opening.
Wow! I used to go to that DSG all the time and used that rooftop parking. Not a good sign.
@@shrapnel77 the ceiling under the roof parking had a lot of fissures and leaks. They patched them up but not on the inside so the ceiling has a lot of cracks still
I remember the days when you couldn’t find parking there during Christmas.
Good times playing Mario Kart in the back of the food court with friends during high school.
I've only gone during non-peak hours but there has been a very visible decline in the general vibe from where it was several years ago. I've only ever had limited reasons to go there (shoes for work, something at Dick's or Best Buy, Sears auto for a flat tire, Macy's on the off chance something was deeply discounted). Last time I looked in FYE out of morbid curiosity and their inventory is uncanny, it feels like a time portal to the 2010s, which explains the store being completely void of customers, and that's the feeling the whole mall gives me.
Amazing...Meriden is still trying to thrive, however, like most of Connecticut, it needs to revamp itself. Meriden used to be the Silver City because of International Silver, but no manufacturing is done in Connecticut much anymore.
That said, Meiden Mall looks like it could comeback from the brink. Unfortunately, having stores getting mismanaged (Sears, Macy and Eblens) wont help a mall, and very city wanted a mall in the 1970s. Macy bought all of the local department stores and now every mall looks the same (Macy, JCPENNEY as anchors, same national chains in the malls. The 1970s had different stores - anchors G.Fox, Sage-Allen in Connecticut, local clothing stores like D&L, Casual Corner. Malls are boring nowadays, a mall in Connecticut, looks the same as in Ohio or Florida...
The mall is definitely on life support. I don't think it will survive the next economic slowdown. It probably barely survived 2020.
Me and my wife still go once or twice a year we are 40+ , we love the ruby Tuesdays it's the only one around
I remember when I was a kid in the 90s and they had robotic animals you can ride on and car strollers you can pop wheelies and race with siblings
Of everything that has gone and closed down (almost everything) I can’t believe FYE is still there in the same spot. That’s mind boggling! Thats an Amazon kill shot yet somehow they’re still there. So bizarre! They used to have an awesome arcade spot too right by that lower food court area. What a complete mindfuck to walk through there and see what it all is now