Desert Sky Mall: My New Favorite Mall? | Dead Mall & Retail Documentary | Retail Archaeology

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  • เผยแพร่เมื่อ 4 ต.ค. 2024
  • This was a mall that a lot of viewers said was dead. I was pleasantly surprised by what I found!
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ความคิดเห็น • 408

  • @moneymakingbear1342
    @moneymakingbear1342 7 ปีที่แล้ว +43

    This mall was called Westridge Mall until the late 90's . The Curacao store was JC Penney which closed in the early 2000's and moved to Avondale. The Burlington was Montgomery Wards. Mervyns was in the Mercado De Los Cielos building until the chain closed.

    • @Chronicallymanette
      @Chronicallymanette 4 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      I worked in the mervyns in high school it has changed a lot and I’m happy it’s part of a booming business for our economy

    • @nicholasshade
      @nicholasshade 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      I love y'alls commenting and replying keep it up.💚

    • @saintgtx
      @saintgtx 9 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Yes! I remember the Curacao store's grand opening. They had a concert outside with a Chicano rapper named MC Magic. It was around maybe 2007-2009. I was a kid so I can't remember exactly.

  • @taolex77814
    @taolex77814 5 ปีที่แล้ว +9

    I just wanted to stop in and say thank you for your videos! I'm someone who grew up walking around malls, but who lives farther from them now. They have a kind of nostalgic appeal to me and I'm glad to see someone else appreciates them too.
    The way you shoot your videos and the relaxing music really invokes a unique feeling that's equal parts calming and low-key enthralling. Not many TH-camrs nail a particular feel, and you've really outdone yourself here.
    Anyways, thanks for your content! :)

  • @BeansRUs
    @BeansRUs 7 ปีที่แล้ว +28

    Those corner shops used to house a miniature post office and also a Phoenix Police Substation, that might be why they look so out of place. I was a mall cop here for a year and I have an older pre 2000 map of the mall showing the older Mervins and other anchors. If I can find it I'll post it up somewhere.

    • @frankyu553
      @frankyu553 7 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      Please do! Also how was it being a mall cop there? I get that mall cops are a frequent running gag but I'm really curious about how real mall cops are haha

  • @frnkvat2722
    @frnkvat2722 5 ปีที่แล้ว +9

    I miss the old aesthetic of it....it was so 80s...so like mohogany tinted, dark tile dark look that wooden letter P looking statue that used to be in the landscape...that mall is absolutely unrecognizable to me now.

  • @sunspot42
    @sunspot42 5 ปีที่แล้ว +12

    It's physically changed so much since it opened. The mall used to be very dark inside, with dark earth tone tiles (I remember a lot of dark brown with burnt orange highlights). There were slews of planters, laden with chinese evergreen and other dark green plants, and in the central courtyard there was a fountain as well. It was very high-end for the westside of Phoenix, prompted by some higher-end developments going in to the north and west of the mall at the time.
    We lived a couple of miles to the east and were there the week it opened. We bought a replacement stove there not long after they opened as I recall. Also a really sweet Kenmore canister vacuum that was decades ahead of its time (interior storage for attachments, auto height adjustment, things you wouldn't generally find on vacuums for another 20 years). I got my first pair of prescription glasses there too, at Pearle in 1981.
    Saw many films in the Harkins theater there in the '80s, including Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan and Aliens. During the late '80s Westridge is where I'd catch an express bus to the central bus terminal downtown, where I'd transfer to a bus to Arizona State in Tempe. We also had many dinners at the Macayo's there just outside the mall - I always thought it was physically the nicest of their properties and also tended to have the best food.
    It looked like Desert Sky was going to die a few years ago, so I'm glad to see it looks like the mall is going to make it.

  • @Larry
    @Larry 7 ปีที่แล้ว +68

    Wow, you've really shot up in subs recently dude, congrats!!!

    • @RetailArchaeology
      @RetailArchaeology  7 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      +Larry Bundy Jr thanks! It's been a fun and wild ride 😁

    • @sandtanmaroon
      @sandtanmaroon 7 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Larry Bundy Jr maybe you'll be featured as a dead youtuber on this channel!

    • @zlikurac4840
      @zlikurac4840 7 ปีที่แล้ว

      you do appear everywhere

    • @EpicGamer1.2.3
      @EpicGamer1.2.3 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@sandtanmaroon lol

  • @jgwalling
    @jgwalling 7 ปีที่แล้ว +24

    You should go to the Arizona Mills Mall that mall is packed on weekends too.

    • @nicevr7609
      @nicevr7609 3 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      Nah arrow head

  • @Sanorace
    @Sanorace 7 ปีที่แล้ว +18

    I'm so glad to see Desert Sky has bounced back. I used to take the bus a lot. There's a transit station right outside, so I loved going through the mall while waiting for my next bus. Best shop has to be the Mexican candy shop right next to the Hurricane Simulator. I'm so happy that it's still there! That weird corridor of shops could really use a kick ass mural to make it look like an old European alleyway or something like that. It just looks too much like a place not meant for shoppers.

    • @SKa-tt9nm
      @SKa-tt9nm 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      Good ole Thomas Rd. bus line ended there. So did McDowell, Indian school and encanto ones I believe.

  • @carlossebastiannecroticgot7232
    @carlossebastiannecroticgot7232 7 ปีที่แล้ว +50

    Mercado de los cielos= Market of the skies

    • @RetailArchaeology
      @RetailArchaeology  7 ปีที่แล้ว +20

      Carlos Sebastian necrotic goth I should have just said the English translation so I didn't sound like such a gringo, LOL

  • @lexinabox
    @lexinabox 5 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    I worked here in high school, from 1999 - 2001, at three stores...Wild Pair, Anchor Blue (shout out if you remember Miller's Outpost), and Cinnabon...miss everyone I used to work with and meet there. Good times...

  • @JoseRodriguez-jf2kc
    @JoseRodriguez-jf2kc 5 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    I love seeing malls alive that's why I suggest to everyone to shop instead of buying online .

  • @cherylvermillion8572
    @cherylvermillion8572 6 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    I started working at Westridge Mall when I was 16 back in 1988. I worked at a store called Lane Bryant and my best friend at the time worked at Swenson's which was down by the food court. The food court had one of those corn dog on a stick places and an Orange Julius. If I remember correctly, Lane Bryant was directly across from the pretzel place. I have so many good memories of this mall. Even when we weren't working, we were there hanging out and shopping. We attended Trevor Browne High School just down the street. The strange little area of shops off the beaten path that he's referring to in the video was called "The Detour" back then. The entrances on either end had the front of a real VW bug coming out of the wall with it's headlights on with the background painted like a road. I loved that little area. It housed some funky little shops and a great cinnamon roll place. I also spent a lot of time at Maryvale mall and worked at Metrocenter for a little while after high school until I left Phoenix for college in Florida in 1992. I'm sad to see malls declining over the years.

    • @laninaru
      @laninaru 5 ปีที่แล้ว

      Cheryl Vermillion Online Shopping is taking over. 😢

    • @dubphotek
      @dubphotek 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      TGB class of '86 myself. Go Bruins!

  • @tsunamipapi1343
    @tsunamipapi1343 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    desert sky always makes me super nostalgic every time I go inside it (which isn’t often) . it just reminds me of my childhood, I luv it

  • @davinp
    @davinp 7 ปีที่แล้ว +9

    That has the new Sears logo as most malls still have the old logo. This mall has allot of light. While there are many malls across America that are dying or dead, there are many others that are thriving. Just like Desert Sky Mall, my local in VA is thriving. It opened in 1985 and currently has 200+stores on single level. The mall has very few vacant storefronts.

  • @GreatDayDnB
    @GreatDayDnB 7 ปีที่แล้ว +15

    Man the production quality just keeps getting better, keep up the great work!

  • @monchie989
    @monchie989 6 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    Westridge, grew up there. I remember it used to have a very large water feature with pool & waterfall. That awkward niche area was an area for local businesses, there was always a barber shop there & that eyebrow threading place use to be an Old Timey photo, dress up like a saloon girl & Doc holiday, & where the p.o boxes are now that wall actually was open & lead into a small post office. You use to be able to enter the movie theatre from inside the mall but they shut off the entrance, too many kids sneaking in. Some stores I remember: Mervyns, Montgomery Wards, Miller's Outpost, The Wherehouse, Babbages, Lotions & Potions, Glamour Shots, Piccadilly Cafeteria, Pocket Change arcade, KB toys!

  • @bitMAN
    @bitMAN 7 ปีที่แล้ว +12

    YOU FINALLY DID DESERT SKY!!! Thank you so much man, it took me back and I'm happy to see that the mall isn't dead; I worked there and went to high school at TGB about eleven years ago... so many great memories from that place :)
    I still remember the Chinese food place right next to the food court entrance, because until today that's the BEST Chinese food I've ever tasted.

    • @mikemccuin2384
      @mikemccuin2384 5 ปีที่แล้ว

      I loved that Bomb ass Food Court back in the Day. Great Food and Great Vibe. It was Awesome lol

  • @TTSPOG
    @TTSPOG 6 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    I grew up in the same area when the Mall was built and have lived 10 of 46 years near it. It was a place with a lot of good memories for me too. The little area shown from 8:00 to 9:00 was decked out in a dark alley motif a while back and it was very cool.
    More than metro Center but not quite as many as Chris-Town. But still, Malls are fighting to stay alive in Phoenix, and some are succeeding.

    • @ladianagpe2976
      @ladianagpe2976 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      "Dark alley motif" is the perfect description. I loved smelling the store with all the leather goods.

    • @TTSPOG
      @TTSPOG 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@ladianagpe2976 Miss those halcyon days of tobacco shops and leather good stores just for the aromas and vibe. Still brings a smile to my heart.

  • @graceenstine1486
    @graceenstine1486 6 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    I like how ur not just a ghoul, u seem general happy this mall is doing well. I love ur videos, keep up the good work:)

  • @kippaseo8027
    @kippaseo8027 7 ปีที่แล้ว +8

    Cool little mall but I cannot imagine how much it must cost two keep it maintained so nicely. Just the air conditioning Bill alone in Phoenix must be enormous!

  • @williamhaynes7089
    @williamhaynes7089 7 ปีที่แล้ว +39

    I live 20 minutes from this mall.. The movie theater in the mall shows Spanish language movies also.

    • @CarlosRamirez-xg1qj
      @CarlosRamirez-xg1qj 7 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      William Haynes Yea it used to be called Cinema Latino way back when

    • @oshii666
      @oshii666 7 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      I live 5 minutes away from this mall lol

    • @ashdupre
      @ashdupre 6 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      It used to be a harkins in the late 90’s. In the video where you see the wetzles pretzel and the photo place next to it was the interior access to the movie theater.

    • @gkrees9509
      @gkrees9509 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@oshii666 who tf asked

  • @Drumbo1959
    @Drumbo1959 5 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    900th like. My ex wife And our 4 kids used to go to the Piccadilly Cafeteria located inside this mall when it was called westridge mall. we knew the manager of Piccadilly Steven Simpson 27, when he was tragically shot And killed During a robbery right around Easter my family was going to dine that evening and went to another restaurant when we heard that evening he was murdered. this was During a period of time beginning in the mid eighties when crips and bloods were moving over from California and claiming territory in this area. Steve would go in the back and get liver and onions for my wife when it wasn't available in the front And would always come and visit with our family when we dined there And was a very warm and friendly individual.

  • @dawnm7544
    @dawnm7544 7 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    It was great to see this mall busy. My husband and I were at mall in Marion, IL. and it is definitely a dead mall. It had anchor stores but not so much of little stores. We were really shock.

  • @theczarhimself1800
    @theczarhimself1800 7 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    I had so much fun making this video. The hurricane machine was a blast. Can't wait to see the finished product for the "Mall of the Skies" video. That place was awesome.

  • @aronmercado6495
    @aronmercado6495 7 ปีที่แล้ว +32

    Mercado de los cielos is an anchor. .. cool place it rents small spaces to local businesses or small investors For About 650 dlls a month It could be the salvation of malls ..
    small local businesses bringing the dead malls alive again .. 👍🏻. Great mall

    • @RetailArchaeology
      @RetailArchaeology  7 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Aron Mercado there will be a video coming in the future of this Market. It really was cool to see 😊

    • @teksal13
      @teksal13 6 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Check out 'La Gran Plaza' in Fort Worth.

  • @Shenben2021
    @Shenben2021 7 ปีที่แล้ว +7

    Music gets a double thumbs up from me! :)

  • @robertwillard4315
    @robertwillard4315 7 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    It was great to see this mall again. I have so many fond memories of Desert Sky ( Westridge). A lot of firsts for me. First Date, First R movie as a 80s kid. Love it Thanks

  • @francisphillips53
    @francisphillips53 6 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Killer mall.. glad to see busy. And doing well. AWESOME!!

  • @RewindingsForLosers
    @RewindingsForLosers 5 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    I used to go to this mall growing up. I remember getting lost and some security staff helping me find my mom. They used to have like a comic convention thing every now and again and I would pick up a lot of books. Wish I could go back to the 90's and walk around again.

  • @ericaharris5095
    @ericaharris5095 6 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    The back “awkward” space was a hugely popular barbershop that is still in the mall but a different location. There was also a post office right next to it where they sold various stamps that I loved looking at as a child while my brothers got haircuts. Also another place back there was a photostudio that did western looking photos. I’ve lived in AZ my whole life! There also use to be a huge fountain by the sears that is now super small. The place has changed so much but I love it. The Mexican market place is amazing and you have to try la carieta de Lilly!! Sooo good

    • @Chronicallymanette
      @Chronicallymanette 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      The carreta de Lilly is the best. Now I’m hungry thinking of it.

  • @xxAngelicxuhFOshoxx
    @xxAngelicxuhFOshoxx 4 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    I found your channel not that long ago and I love it ! Making me miss home . I moved to Missouri like 3 years ago . Anyway I grew up going to desert sky mall . We used to call it desert ghetto mall 😂😂😂 . There used to be like a cool fountains and stuff in the middle of the mall . That Mercado de los cielos used to be a mervyns ! Anyway thanks for the video !

  • @madmav5893
    @madmav5893 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Attended Trevor Browne in '84-'88 . Also had a Great Expectations hair salon, Casual Corner, Walgreens, Rio Salado college & people who asked you if you wanted to take a short survey for some money. Across from the mall's parking lot was Mrs. Gs and Macayos.

  • @ashdupre
    @ashdupre 6 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Across from Dillard’s was a large square water fountain with water channels around the perimeter and lots of leafy plants. I remember tossing coins into it as a kid, but it was removed sometime in the late 00’s I believe. I remember there was a Walgreens in the middle of the mall across millers out post. That DQ towards the beginning of the video next to the arcade is probably one of the original shops to this mall. There actually was a large arcade in the food court area.

  • @MrNickb-s500
    @MrNickb-s500 7 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    This was a very positive video and we definitely need more of these kind of stories! Thank you retail archeology!

    • @RetailArchaeology
      @RetailArchaeology  7 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Mr. Nick b thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed it 😁

    • @MrNickb-s500
      @MrNickb-s500 7 ปีที่แล้ว

      Retail Archaeology yes I did and thank you again for providing and trying find retail stores and malls like this!

    • @MrNickb-s500
      @MrNickb-s500 7 ปีที่แล้ว

      Retail Archaeology 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

  • @chetpomeroy1399
    @chetpomeroy1399 7 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    I remember visiting this mall when it opened as "Westridge" Mall in late winter, '81. Originally, this mall didn't have skylights and the floor consisted primarily of waxed square red quarry tile. It was quite dank. They've definitely done some remodeling over the past 35 years or so. I'm sure at least some of the shops, or the mall itself, have added WiFi.

  • @dingusmcbingus
    @dingusmcbingus 7 ปีที่แล้ว +117

    nice to see a largely mexican community reviving this once declining mall

    • @jptang1701
      @jptang1701 7 ปีที่แล้ว +7

      WTF are you talking about Hillary?

    • @Satoshi9801
      @Satoshi9801 7 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      Herbert Neal If they're reviving our malls, I'm all for letting them stay. Just as long as they go get citizenship.

    • @scoobtube5746
      @scoobtube5746 7 ปีที่แล้ว +12

      LOL, "Those Mexicans are the future of America. Thank God."
      Is that you George Soros? Maybe Barbara Spectre?

    • @chetpomeroy1399
      @chetpomeroy1399 7 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Can anyone say *NARCISSISM?*

    • @alexsaab8089
      @alexsaab8089 7 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Los Pollos Hermanos

  • @Sula_Mareska
    @Sula_Mareska 7 ปีที่แล้ว

    There is this special charm about watching a dead mall walk through. It's eerie, and frankly kind of cool. And, as nobody cares, this was uploaded on my birthday.

  • @jaseyrae7943
    @jaseyrae7943 6 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    You remind me of Dan Bell but of the west. Keep up the amazing videos, you deserve more subscribers!!! Sending love from New York!

  • @laninaru
    @laninaru 5 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Burlington Coat Factory as well use to be Montgomery Wards.

  • @tomshepherd422
    @tomshepherd422 6 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Ahh, the old "Westridge Mall". Good old times.

  • @charitye710
    @charitye710 7 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    The corner shoppes remind me of something being done at an old Macy's building in my childhood mall. They gutted the entire building and put a gym on the second story and formatted the first floor with tiny little boutiques like that for salons and doctor's offices. It's a neat little concept. Before my mall had closed they installed the hurricane simulator but I never tried it out. I see I didn't miss much!

  • @AZOrchid
    @AZOrchid 5 ปีที่แล้ว

    There used to be a US post office in that Corner Shops back corner. You are correct, this is an interesting mall and lots of mom and pop style businesses but hardly any empty store fronts. Although the Sears is now closing due to bankruptcy.

  • @JustinnnTyler
    @JustinnnTyler 7 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    I can't help it, but every time I watch a video about a mall, I immediately want to play Dead Rising.

  • @shaun458
    @shaun458 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    This mall looks so different now! I haven't been in it since I was a kid in the 90s. Too bad the awesome fountain isn't there anymore, threw many pennies in there with my grandma.

  • @RaymieHumbert
    @RaymieHumbert 7 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    I have a full deadmalls-style writeup on this mall that I have yet to send them. Desert Sky is a great example of a mall successfully retuning itself to meet area needs.
    To answer some questions people may have:
    -Westridge Mall (the original name) opened in 1981 and expanded in 1993. The 1993 expansion added the Wards and Mervyn's (now Burlington and Mercado de los Cielos, respectively). You can see the early 90s bones of the design in front of those anchors even if there's been continual updates to the actual center.
    -The mall rename happened on March 1, 1997. Officially, the idea was to trade on some of the name equity of the nearby concert pavilion which was known as Desert Sky (it's now sponsored). More likely, the point was to get rid of a name that might have put shoppers off.
    -A case could have been made for a dead mall in 1999/2000, when it lost JCPenney (which half-owned the mall at the start) and Wards in rapid succession due to those chains' problems. Burlington was a key to really stopping the bleeding here, and the Curacao (2007) and Mercado de los Cielos (2010, replacing Mervyn's) filled the mall back up with regard to its anchor stores.
    -There was once a Pollo Campero in this mall. No joke.
    I find it fascinating that Dillard's hangs on. That might be a case of a ticking time bomb as the reason they remained at Desert Sky was the economic crash taking out the plans for Estrella Falls, a lifestyle center further west on I-10 which they signed on to anchor in *2005*. (This has since been partially built at long last, but without the Dillard's.) Had Dillard's left around 2008, this mall could have experienced a death spiral.

  • @SeanStrife
    @SeanStrife 7 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    I think you might be right about the mix of stores; I went to the College Square Mall in Morristown, Tennessee that, for the longest time, was kinda struggling, but when I went there for the first time in years a few days ago, there was a LOT of foot traffic in there and it had a healthy mix of standard mall stores and your little mom and pop stores. I started to chalk it up to "Oh, it's back to school time so the kids must be with their parents getting back to school clothes and shit" but I think you might actually be onto something about the mom and pop stores possibly being the saving grace of malls.

  • @daveheel
    @daveheel 7 ปีที่แล้ว

    good for them. nice to see thriving/recovering malls in this era.

  • @ERA_Productions
    @ERA_Productions 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    I will say it’s really sad to see that the Dillards here downgraded to a clearance center. The Dillards definitely was aesthetically pleasing. You should definitely do an update on this mall since it’s been a while.
    Update: at least on Google maps it said the Dillards is now a clearance center but I’m not sure exactly.

  • @mickeydsfries3727
    @mickeydsfries3727 5 ปีที่แล้ว

    Its so weird not seeing a Chic-Fil-A inside your malls across the country. I know they are not in your area, they are staples in our malls here in the south. I promise when ya'll finally get one you are gonna love it!!!!!

  • @rylandunlap6986
    @rylandunlap6986 7 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    My spokane valley mall seems to still be doing good. It is pretty just with 1 local shop, and only 4 empty spaces. We don't have dillards up in our area though.

    • @9HighFlyer9
      @9HighFlyer9 6 ปีที่แล้ว

      Ugames 332 I know that mall. I spent most of my time at Northtown though

  • @davidmeeker7481
    @davidmeeker7481 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    Was going to say, it opened as Westridge mall. Was pretty decent place to hang. It took a lot of traffic from Metro center and Valley West.
    Use to watch the fireworks displays on July 4.

  • @setokaiba4174
    @setokaiba4174 7 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    i think its kinda funny you chose to do a video on this mall. youre right, its not really dead anymore, but it was definitely dying about 10 years ago. the Mercado used to be an unused anchor (that was previously jc penny, but that shut down in the mid-90s). La curacao used to be a mervyns. i think the Mervyns had been there pretty early on as an anchor store... that funky hallway actually used to lead to a post office, hence why the post boxes are back there. there used to be a lot of barber and jewlery shops in that corridor as well. im glad they got a new carousel, but they used to have a bigger, better one like in the center of the mall (they built a stage there later, and i couldve sworn it was in front of the dillards entrance, but i didnt see it). and lastly, that movie theater (i believe) used to be a harkins. i was pretty young when they shut it, but they didnt reopen it until much later as an exclusively latino movie theater (all the movies were either subbed or dubbed in spanish). i guess ill hafta check out how its changed now....

    • @setokaiba4174
      @setokaiba4174 7 ปีที่แล้ว

      edit: i drove by the mall the other day and realized id mixed up mercado and la curacao (tho from my understanding they are very similar stores).

  • @tsunamipapi1343
    @tsunamipapi1343 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    I’ve never been inside or seen anyone use a hurricane simulator thanks 😭 I never have 2 wonder again

  • @evan242503
    @evan242503 ปีที่แล้ว

    West Side has always loved a mall

  • @mikemccuin2384
    @mikemccuin2384 5 ปีที่แล้ว

    This was the WEST SIDE Place to go Back in the Day. I moved from the East Side were we had THOMAS Mall and TOWER Plaza which were either Dying out Or Dead Malls in the 90s. Me and the Homies would roll to the Mall get Blazed up and Hit the Mall. I had homies work in the mall as well Good Times Bro!

  • @uwumarii
    @uwumarii 5 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    American malls packed with people are a rare sight these days

  • @dcslye8330
    @dcslye8330 6 ปีที่แล้ว

    I came across your channel by chance and am so happy I did! Was first introduced to the world of “Dead Mall” through Dan Bell. I love your style and narration and hope you keep growing with your subscribers and content. You just keep doing you! Your Dead Mall series is awesome!!!

  • @Cooldog904
    @Cooldog904 7 ปีที่แล้ว +8

    Yo I saw you on Fox 10 news!

  • @gn6300
    @gn6300 7 ปีที่แล้ว

    I don't know why I like your videos. I'm not happy to see people/businesses struggle or fail. It's a foreboding feeling... kinda scary. I do appreciate your hard work.

  • @gsxrfrank8787
    @gsxrfrank8787 5 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    That Sonora cinema plays English movies with Spanish subtitles and that used to be a Harkins years ago and there was also a Harkins on 67th ave and Thomas as well
    And the Mercado de Los Cielos is like a indoor swapmeet

  • @GoliasX
    @GoliasX 7 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Love your videos! I have a weird obsession with malls and have been to theM all here in AZ!!
    I especially like Desert Sky Mall.. it's definitely a unique experience. At first I was worried you weren't gonna go inside the flea market or the super old Dillard's.. but then you said you're gonna make videos for them later lol.. can't wait! :)
    If you think it was busy when you were there- you should see it when they have local dance schools perform or other various cultural events. It can get a lot busier than you'd imagine.

    • @Chronicallymanette
      @Chronicallymanette 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      I was thinking about the same thing I love it when they have those events it’s so beautiful

  • @garygansbrubaker
    @garygansbrubaker 5 ปีที่แล้ว

    Incredible design and variety of larger chains with local shops that works! I also must admit that this has to be one of my favourite malls. Many people feel that Bal Harbour, just north of Miami Beach and Surfside in Florida, with its 100% Occupancy and High-End Designers, is their favourite Mall, but that is for people of the1% that can afford a $10,000 dress and $250,000 cars. Granted, it's a gem that you should experience, but I would recommend dressing smart if you go there, because it is for the most elite and its decor reflects almost 50 years with the best shops money can buy.
    For me this is what a Mall should be. A visual experience and incredible architecture with amazing lighting. My favourite, without a doubt! Looking forward to the Dillards video. I would be thrilled to have this as my local mall!

  • @Dyaxxis
    @Dyaxxis 7 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    "Hurricane Simulator" may be considered lame, however... when you gotta break wind, hurricane speeds offer a serious challenge.

  • @ScenicMirage
    @ScenicMirage 7 ปีที่แล้ว

    Desert Sky Mall! My friend and I fell in love with the retro interior architecture in the Dillards.

  • @benrippel3993
    @benrippel3993 7 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    That's the first time I've seen the modern sears logo on a building!
    I wonder if those corner shops were a subdivided junior anchor like an old Newberry or Woolworth's back when the mall first opened.

  • @Fo0lish_mortals
    @Fo0lish_mortals 5 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Just went today, it’s extremely packed and the food court is even busier!

  • @rgrndu
    @rgrndu 7 ปีที่แล้ว +10

    10:03 What does that Hollywood store sell? It reminded me of the video store chain but I thought that went under years ago.

    • @JoNaThAn117
      @JoNaThAn117 7 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Somos Dental Orthodontics. They have a Facebook page advertising deals on oral surgery, and luche libre events... alright.

  • @Mark.Watson
    @Mark.Watson 7 ปีที่แล้ว

    I like all the natural light and earth tone paint colors. It looks like somewhere you would actually want to be.

  • @Seanjwid90
    @Seanjwid90 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    I miss going to EB games back in the 90’s. Back in my high school days.

  • @escoofimpakt
    @escoofimpakt 4 ปีที่แล้ว

    They should have hurricane simulators at theme parks next to the log ride rollercoasters when you get wet so they can dry you off lol

  • @TheGearShots
    @TheGearShots 7 ปีที่แล้ว +10

    Very cool. I also do lots of cool abandoned places near me outside Pittsburgh. Also just did the first video for my new series Public Restroom Reviews!

    • @ambivalent_hoax
      @ambivalent_hoax 7 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      The GearShots Looks like you've started an interesting channel. Glad you mentioned it. Just subbed. :-)

    • @TheGearShots
      @TheGearShots 7 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Thanks! I'm headed out right now to film more abandoned places. So many near me. New video guaranteed every Tuesday at 10 am

    • @TheGearShots
      @TheGearShots 7 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Not yet. Bet The Hot Dog Shoppe has a few!

    • @alexsaab8089
      @alexsaab8089 7 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      *BROWN*

  • @phoenixamazon
    @phoenixamazon 7 ปีที่แล้ว

    That little corridor was once called The Detour, funk little niche stores used to be there. I worked in this mall for about 9 years. It still amazes me on how much it has changed.

  • @matthewcarter1942
    @matthewcarter1942 5 ปีที่แล้ว

    I remember going here every weekend as a little kid in the 80's till '90/'91 when it was Westridge Mall. I lived in the Vineyards Apartments back then, right up the road from Luke Elementary School.

  • @azchef101
    @azchef101 7 ปีที่แล้ว

    I spent many Saturday nights back in '89-90 at Westridge for Rocky Horry Picture Show midnight shows. Good times. Thank you for the video!

  • @trooper326
    @trooper326 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Anyone else watch these videos before going to sleep?

  • @phildoyoung3461
    @phildoyoung3461 7 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    I rember going there when i was little and there a chick fila on the of the food court

  • @cdcVintage
    @cdcVintage 7 ปีที่แล้ว

    Great video of an alive mall. I watched the ad for you and will be doing it on all your videos.

  • @KoubuPilot
    @KoubuPilot 7 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    You will all LOVE the Dillard's. This mall was dying at some point in the first half of the 2000s. I visited the mall at the time before it was remodeled. It had 2 empty anchors. The Desert Sky of today is busy. While Sears and Dillard's are thr only anchors left from the old Westridge Mall days, Butlington has made itself a home in the old Wards (it was a Steve and Barry shortly before the chain folded). Curacao brought lifr into the lower level of a long-dead JC Penney (need any new Wii U controllers for less?). And the Mercado is like a mall within a mall. Better bring money.

  • @patty.cakes.
    @patty.cakes. 5 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Yup this Mall was dead for a minute. Its packed every weekend now. Mercado de los Cielos definitely revived it. Shoe palace did also. Sears is a Spirit Halloween. It’s a little more different now. You should update this video👍🏼

  • @silentowls
    @silentowls 6 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Wanna see a "LIVE" mall, go to the Scottsdale Fashion Square, or Arrowhead Towne Center Mall

  • @rpudates2834
    @rpudates2834 7 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    The "Alcove" used to be a duplicate of the "Alley" in Metrocenter back in the 70s and 80s. I think this mall was called Westridge when it first opened? I've only been there once or twice back when it opened in the mid-80's, I lived in the east valley so I never really went to this mall.

  • @jj7958
    @jj7958 5 ปีที่แล้ว

    A lot more Spanish named stores than I have seen in a mall, which is cool. It's like the malls here in Utah. They still get pretty heavy traffic.

  • @malcolmdrake6137
    @malcolmdrake6137 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    I liked it when it was _Westridge_ Mall
    I actually had a management position here, right when it opened. I really don't care for the sterile/cold look that most Malls seem to have chosen over the "grotto", low light feel of the late 70's thru the 80's. A good example would be how _MetroCenter_ used to have a little "alcove" of stores, like in this video, but it was called _The Alley,_ and designed as a brick wall, graffiti alleyway with low ambient street lamp posts and awkward angled steps to go into stores, it was one of the coolest features of old MetroCenter. Westridge, when it opened, was very low light with palm plants and side running fountains that ran the length of the interior mall; it gave/had a very tropical jungle feel.

  • @thewraith1174
    @thewraith1174 5 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    The last time I went to the mall my nephew and I stumbled across a large room the size of a Sears but it wasn’t a conventional store it was like a flea market. It had small chaos like areas rented out to people who sold their own stuff and quite a bit of barbershop/hair salons along with cell phone products. I thought it was very weird as I’ve never seen anything like it before very Spanish oriented

  • @jenny334jg
    @jenny334jg 6 ปีที่แล้ว

    I remember that awkward hallway used to be poppin. It would get very crowded there.

    • @erica8047
      @erica8047 6 ปีที่แล้ว

      And the little play ground

  • @MaryD121
    @MaryD121 5 ปีที่แล้ว

    My father used to pull security duty while this mall was being built. It is formerly known as Westridge Mall. I also work there at the pet store and Chick-fil-A from 84-87.

  • @battybethc
    @battybethc 7 ปีที่แล้ว

    Great Video as always! 👍Thankyou for the Upload! 👍 Saved 👌and shared! 💜

  • @laninaru
    @laninaru 5 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Mercado De Los Cielos use to be Mervyns.

  • @dishonestmom3439
    @dishonestmom3439 7 ปีที่แล้ว

    Im located in Az, your videos are giving me a lot of good places to go explore. Thank you

  • @transitdude3352
    @transitdude3352 5 ปีที่แล้ว

    That hurricane machine was a gip! Love that mall . One of the few hanging on.

  • @hotweel64
    @hotweel64 6 ปีที่แล้ว

    I remember when this place first opened and it was called Westridge Mall. Keep the cool vids coming!

  • @Loupfou84
    @Loupfou84 5 ปีที่แล้ว

    Thanks brings back alot of memories

  • @misterhat5823
    @misterhat5823 7 ปีที่แล้ว

    Possibly that alcove was a anchor store that just had some walls slapped up to re-purpose the space and get lower rent instead of no rent for it. It appears to be a better solution than empty space.

  • @steelstreet3765
    @steelstreet3765 6 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    I love malls that are 30 38 years old.. that haven't been updated until recently.. it's what's left over from the 80s.

  • @ThePhantomSafetyPin
    @ThePhantomSafetyPin 6 ปีที่แล้ว

    "Mercado de los Cielos" means, I *believe,* "Market of the Skies". It's a nice parallel to the name of the mall itself.
    As for malls that look dead but aren't, my local malls are pretty alive too. They looked dead for a while, but sprung back. We had a third, but it was torn down after it really did die for good.

  • @Cbsaiyan
    @Cbsaiyan 7 ปีที่แล้ว +19

    Is that the little Mexican swap meet inside the mall?

    • @oshii666
      @oshii666 7 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      Robert Alexander basically

    • @Chronicallymanette
      @Chronicallymanette 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Yes it is my nephew has his own store in there. It’s pretty cool

  • @lolericxd
    @lolericxd 7 ปีที่แล้ว

    Haven’t been to that mall in years! I thought the mall was going to die after Mervyns closed. Awesome video!

  • @mb8987
    @mb8987 7 ปีที่แล้ว

    Went to desert sky mall when I was a kid. I remember when it was called westridge. The wards was added later (now Burlington) penny's left. It was a dead mall for awhile. It looks like it is thriving. I bought my first thing with a Jc penny's credit card ( a Nintendo 64) out of the catalog and picked it up there at the mall.

  • @highvacancy6614
    @highvacancy6614 7 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    great vid as usual ! :)

  • @edgarh252
    @edgarh252 4 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Weekends there are packed it’s crazy.