Welcome to the upside down...and Gwinnett Place / Starcourt Mall! On one hand, Moonbeam let the dead body of a 19 year old girl go unnoticed for a month in the back room of a Subway in this food court, to the point that the corpse began mummifying...on the other hand, Moonbeam trained their security guards to threaten people with a trespass if they need to poop, but can't find the bathroom. The contrast of these two things is staggering. I hope Silling Man's family has found peace. Thanks for watching, everyone.
I worked as a guard at a mall in Tucson for 5 years night shift. Management threatened us with our very jobs if we did not kick out anyone taking photos or video without permission from mall Management. This is why some guards are very stern about it. I've been on the other side I have been called Paul blart, rent a cop, wanna be cop, it was a job it paid the bills. Once I was done getting a new degree I left and never looked back. The economy sucked then and now especially in Tucson. I had worked for Raytheon as a graphic artist for 6 years and was laid off then the only work I could get was a damn security job. Went from 20 per hour at Raytheon in 2005 to 9.25 per hour as a guard. I know lots of guards are immature, rude and like to play cop, me, I just wanted to do my job and go home.
Love how you can see what stores used to be there. Gap, Banana Republic, Victoria’s Secret, Sephora, and Express all stuck out to me. Simon had no desire to operate this mall. They had control of nearly every other successful mall in the area, and the death of this mall would simply benefit their other properties.
My first thought when you mentioned the security guard possibly suspecting you of being a shoplifter was... ' *Shoplifting WHAT?* ' lol...I mean seriously, unless you somehow intended to walk off with an actual SHOP, there was nothing there to even steal. I'm sorry you had kind of a negative experience there, but I appreciate you took the time to document this particular mall. I was pretty much OBSESSED with the 'Starcourt' scenes of stranger things chapter 3 (brought me back to my own childhood), and I had wanted to see the rest of the mall too. It's a shame people can't be trusted to respect and leave intact the set pieces, that would've been an AWESOME attraction to have left there for fans to see.
That is how the mall where I spent most of my childhood looks like lots of buckets for rain water it was going down hill when I was little but not as much till a few years ago
God this mall could've benefitted so much from Netflix. Not just Stranger Things. Imagine that the mall is just filled with Stranger Things and Netflix memorabilia. It's probably the most depressing of all stories when it comes from Stranger Things sets. Many are just abandoned husks. But Gwinnett Place is the worst of the worst :(
@@TheEditFactory My mother and I used to shop there and eat at a Ryan's nearby that had a train track running around on the ceiling. I guess it's dead too. Mall of GA. and Discovery (now Sugarloaf) Mall are still alive though.
That Orange Julius from the Starcourt set threw me right back to the '80s and a location of that franchise that was directly inside one of the mall entrances at one of my local malls, strangely, owned by Cadillac Fairview. It had the identical signage and wood paneling, and I remember how you could smell the hot dogs the second you opened the door to the mall.
I live in Maryland and there was an Orange Julius on the boardwalk in Ocean City when I went several years ago. I went last year just for 1 day and the same Orange Julius was no longer there. I don't really travel much due to the costs, but I'm fine with not traveling.
This was my first experience seeing a mall you documented that I frequented. You really captured the place and I felt like I was visiting the mall. Thanks for the walk!
As someone who live in the Neighboring city, Norcross for 25+ years, this mall has always been the Place to go. I stopped going for the same reason: No stores and uncontrolled crime, not to mention I was racially profiled and discriminated by a Indian store owner there about 2 years ago. Sad to see what it has become but thankfully the county purchased it to do something more productive with it 😌. Awesome Video 😉
I use to live in 2 houses, both within 20 minutes of Gwinnett Place Mall. I used to run a TH-cam series back then about 13 years ago called "Droadtrip" and I would walk through live stores and malls with my camera pointing at me while I talked. This mall even back then was a real worthless Garbage Dump. I could not stand those big human size camera posted every where and seemingly right in your face! I used to think how could a beautiful area produce a dump like this! Thank you Sal for your honesty and bravery and I know you never break laws and take risks. Your videos are gold and I will forever watch every minute of every day - keep it up! love you dude!
there's just something so beautiful and chilling about your videos... i love watching them so much and i find them so interesting!! as someone who lives in london in the uk, we don't really have massive 'dead malls' like this, so thank you so much for providing this great content :)
Sal, I subscribed back when you were working to get 5k subscribers, now you are almost 10 times that amount. Each video is better then the one that came before. I very much enjoy your "sponsors" at the beginning of each production. Best wishes for your professional and personal life, and I hope your channel continues to grow.
Anyone else ever want to grab Sal or Ace by the shoulders when they are walking?? Like they are google street view 😀 “slow down turn, more right I’m admiring *insert retro mall element* “
In videos where I’m actually slowly filming, there’s no security. At Gwinnett, the guard was following me the entire time. Sorry to upset you, but it’s part of the game. I’ll try harder.
@@sal At least in my case, Sal, I was being funny. No disrespect meant from me. It's like you're live-shooting and folks like me often hit the rewind several times.
@@sal was only expressing the longing to ogle retro elements or definitively ID an old storefront with all the appreciation for what you folks do, with cheer of course. I work in utility land services and know all about ‘be quick about it’ shuffle.
No I totally get it. Trust me...if I had it my way, I would spend hours in these places with tons of gear. I get incredibly frustrated when my shoots get cut short.
11:42 Here's Sal talking about the gruesome details of a murder in this mall, and I'm over here like - Hey look, that's an Omnibot robot! And, not real surprised you were treated like that at a Moonbeam mall. Moonbeam's probably got your face plastered in memos they send out to security: watch out for this dude, he knows all the shady shit we're up to and he's not shy about talking about it.
I miss the Malls so much. It was like therapy & takes you away from The stress of reality. Plus you got a good cradio workout at the same time just walking the malls long corodors. Thank you Sal for letting us take a trip back in time with you when Malls were alive with sounds of people shopping & music playing & delightful smells of the food courts. New generations dont know what their missing.
What Simon did to Gwinnett is exactly what they did to century iii. Neglected both until they went into foreclosure and fell into the lap of you know who.
This is one of my favourite episodes of dead malls series. I've never seen such a detailed exploration on a dead mall, its past and its future.Thank you Sal! Your series will be in the history books and studied by the students one day📚
fantastic video! this is my favorite dead mall despite its' sad history of violence both because of the Stranger Things set, and that it's the closest one to where I live. thankful that there is yet another up to date and thorough documentary of this place!
This reminds me of the long-demolished Owing Mills Mall’s long, empty corridors with my early-adult era Voorhees Town Center’s lighting (along with the horrible security). Thanks for recording this mall and I hope you gave them the figurative finger as you drove away.
Thanks for this video, Sal! I frequented this mall with my family back in the 90s, so I found your info about its background especially interesting. As for the mall cop, he was doing his job just as you were so don't sweat it. Maybe viewing him as a co-laborer of sorts would help you see him in a better light. Keep up the work!👍❤👍
Grew up around that mall and remember lots of classmates skipped school the day it opened. Very thorough financial description given, good job on that research. The food court was not added until 1986 when wing was added in second phase expansion
Thank you for talking about the tragic murder of Silling Man when discussing this mall. Such a heartbreaking story and I'm glad more people know about her because of your video.
Great video as always! Since the Sears property got acquired by some apartment managers, to build something on that pad, nothing has been done with it due to Moonbeam's mismanagement. Thankfully now the mall is in the possession of the city so hopefully something good will come of it
Local TV stations and their commercials bring back the most memories for people i think. Always enjoy your videos Sal, you have very professional content and intros and outros. I've been subscribed for some time now. At 45 years of age you would think a guy like me wouldn't watch dead malls but to the contrary I love seeing these places of the past and what they once were and still could be if the right effort was put forth. Hope your new glasses come in soon that has to be a pain in the butt. Cheers from Arizona.🍻👍😎 we have Arrowhead town center here near Phoenix and its doing pretty well and looks amazing check out retail archeology he has a great video on it. The center court looks like bladerunner with a huge screen with ads and info playing on it
Great video. Sorry you got hassled like that. Mall guards are really something else. It's amazing how little power can go to someone's head. I imagine he wasn't even there at the time and surely this wouldn't have ended well, but it'd have been fun to ask the guard where his vigilance was when the body was rotting for over a month, undiscovered.
Good job! I wondered what became of this mall. It was a part of my life in the '90s. Then, I worked briefly nearby (I was never from the area) in '18. I walked it on my lunch breaks for nostalgic reasons but was in shock at how dead it had become. Seems like I had just missed the murder and Stranger Things as I had another job by the end of '18. It's funny though as I had no idea the show was filmed there even though I watch the show and walked the mall countless times. I am going to rewatch Season 3 now.
Love the Stranger Things intro! Apparently my parents took me here at some point later on in the mall’s history… but I have no memory of that. The entrance and logo kinda remind of Bellevue Center in Nashville.
Living here for the past 20 years of my 21 years it really sucks how downhill Gwinnett Place has gone down. I always visit Mall of Georgia or Sugarloaf Mills and very rarely Lenox for mall shopping but I haven’t been back here since probably the early 2010s. Still remember when the food court was bustling and the fountain was running with a lot of kids and families running around now it’s just a dead space that isn’t worth going to. Not even my parents who took me there as a kid are wanting to go back and see the state of it.
Great video. With all the Macy's closures I'm always shocked to see that location survive. It's my go-to Christmas shopping store because there's no crowds or lines. Gwinnett County recently purchased the mall from Moonbeam. Will probably torn down to be replaced by either mixed-use or a sports facility. Small correction. The area blocked off for Stranger Things was the Sears wing and the JCP/food-court wing. Stranger Things was filmed in the JCP wing.
I. lived in gwinnett county back when this mall was in Open this is heartbreaking to see and hear about n i loved this mall been there many times thank you for this video sal
Back in 1991, I worked for the arcade at GPM. Back then, of course, it was pretty busy, even during the middle of the week. While I was there, I had to break up a fight between a couple of high school students, offer my bathroom to a nursing mother (she refused, I left her alone), and lost $20 to a person (a customer) I thought I could trust. I had nothing to eat that night. Good times.... LOL Thanks for this installment Sal, very informative. I also wonder what Mr. Bathroom Security Man will do for a living once this mall shuts down. 😉
Sal, I'm a long time viewer.. but I never got around to subscribing until today -- because of the bathroom incident. New sub from Kingston, Ontario. Keep it up bro!
This was a great episdoe Sal and i am so sorry that you have to endure such rude people. If it makes you feel better after this episode gains tractions i'm sure they will become as infamous as "Mall Guard Kyle" from your previous ExLog.
I grew up 15 minutes from gwinnett place and could almost remember the stores in the concourse and where they were also not only what big anchor stores were but how they were laid out and the smell of the chlorine from the water fountain in the center by the broken elevator we saw. I remember back in the 1990s you had to get there early or you weren’t going to get a place to park at all. I even remembered where they had Santa set up to see him during Christmas time. So many memories there and it makes me sad to see what has happened to this place.
Hold up...I’m inferring here, but have you been getting notifications for my channel? Curious when your last notification was, because I upload about once every two weeks...did you ring the bell?
This mall was everything when I was a kid, I had so much fun there. It makes me cry to see what has happened to the mall and the whole area around there. It is a total dump and nothing but an empty hull of scattered old restaurants that used to be hopping. I drove around the area during the pandemic because I was bored, wish I hadn't.
I was thinking this mall cop sounds about as un-Georgia as it gets. The typical Georgian would feel so bad about throwing you out of the bathroom they would stand there and banter with you for a half an hour to smooth things over.
I live near by this mall, and stopped by with kids (9 and 16). We went into the Megamart , browsed and then looked into the mall entrance (which was closed) that views onto the stranger things set. We found everyone there to be super rude as well. Even before we went to look through the windows, just walking around the shop, those employees were very rude and "stalking " our every move. We did get some pics of the set at that time, through the windows. We tried waking through the inside of the mall and were also followed by security. This was before covid, but I think the owners really blew the opportunity to get people to their mall, by utilizing the set as a tourist attraction. We never went back. I know they are now (as of July 2021) filming more Netflix shows/movies in the mall.
I went there a couple years ago with my dad and there no more than 30 people in the entire mall. My dad used to work there when he was a teen as his first job at the cookie factory. It’s kinda sad to see it now..
I visited April 3rd of this year. The mall was closed so we couldn't go in. We went into Beauty Master and we could look out the mall entrance doors on the top floor but that was about it. The bottom floor was closed so we couldn't get down to that mall entrance. I have read that the mall is officially closed now. Moodbeam kills another.
I preferred this video to Ace’s because you filmed it from walking in from outside just as it was shown in Stranger Things s3 e1 so you get to see how it differs from other malls. After walking in you go down instead of climbing up. Kinda love that. 🤷🏻♀️
It a shame kids now days wont know the fun of going to malls hanging out with friends or even working at the malls. Especially when you live where it cold and snows. Back in Kansas City Missouri we lost Metro North Mall and on the the Kansas City Ks side we lost Metcalf South mall. But we still have the Oak Park Mall in Overland Park Ks. And I still remember seeing it built. And hanging out there and taking my daughter to the malls. Thanks for making the videos and saving the memories of balls
So I have a long history with this mall, my mom used to be the manager of the clock store that was in the mall. I spent a lot of my childhood here, it hurts me to see it like this. Also a few months before the murder I was actually in the mall at like 1:00 a.m. ( long story but I was allowed to be there I didn't break in) I remember thinking how creepy it was and telling my friend that it was the perfect setting for a murder to take place.
Im sad my childhood mall went to waste. I used to go here in the early 2000s. For me it went to waste as soon as stores started closing and that fountain was changed
I meet the easter bunny and santa claus at this mall!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 9:00-9:45 you can see the old epic water fountain, or whats left of it. The glass elevator would lower into the fountain on the ground level as water splashed the glass windows. Riding that elevator as a kid was terrifying. Thanks for making this
@@bobbbobb4663 I know. They ceased operations and closed every store down as well as changing their site to where it says they decided to cease operations. They announced it on February 24, and went into effect immediately. But before they ceased operations, their location in Duluth was the first location to close. It closed before the Palo Alto store closed. Their distribution center in Hanford, CA, stores in Palo Alto, Anaheim, and Campbell, all of which were in California, were almost silently shuttered before they closed entirely.
@@bobbbobb4663 That's the one thing tbh that irritated me about Fry's. They never would announce anything until the day it went into effect, and they refused to answer any questions regarding the state of their company. Honestly I can't blame people for not being informed about closures and whatnot, simply bc Fry's never even said anything about the Duluth store closing, even after the fact. Workers showed up one day just to find the doors locked and a piece of paper saying they closed.
@@KrazyKeith4 Good insight. I never worked for Fry's -- only a customer. We were lucky in Atlanta to have the Incredible Universe stores precede Fry's and I thought Fry's did a good job in picking up where IU left off when they closed in 2000-ish (I really loved IU). I shopped at the Alpharetta Fry's last year to get a memory card and the store was decently stocked but clearly didn't have enough inventory to fit all of their store footprint. I was also a customer of the Duluth Fry's back in the day. Place was jammed most of the time.
@@bobbbobb4663 Yeah I never had the chance to shop at Incredible Universe bc they closed up shop in '98 due to their owners, the Tandy Corporation, feeling like it wasn't worth the upkeep for what they were getting in revenue. I believe around 6 or so Incredible Universe locations became Fry's. I've been to the Dallas Fry's, which was opened as Fry's in '98 previously an IU, and it still maintained the Incredible Universe storefront. However, the location wasn't very well kept up and wasn't in the best part of town, so I only made 1 trip. It was a cool place but I was on total alert the entire time.
Comment from my friend Who is a cop: You should have asked him what school he went to. Most of the mall cops with the attitude are people who couldn't cut it at the academy. They either flunked out or barely graduated and no police department would hire him. he probably drives a retired interceptor with a scanner and lights and spots anyone who comes there after closing, and walks around with a fake badge, patrol boots and shirts with police department on them.
Wonderful video! This looks like it was such a great mall at one time. Can’t believe how rude those men were though. Definitely on edge about something. Speaking of Century III, I would LOVE to see an abandoned mall walkthrough.
I've watched your series, and enjoyed the advancement of your presentations. I especially liked the "sponsorships" portion of the videos. Where do you find some of this content? This has prompted me to visit my local mall to explore and notice all of the changes and/or upkeep. Thanks, again, for all of your hard work and research to bring us some quality information on these hallowed shopping spaces.
Georgia law requires any contract security guard to have a company issued photo ID clearly visible while working in their official capacity. File a complaint with the Georgia Department of Secretary of State professional licensure. Looks like Allied Security isn’t compliant.
F ck off! That man was just doing his job. Y’all acting like this guy (Sal) wasn’t guilty of taking video within the mall. That security guard probably barely makes over $10/hr. and everyone’s calling for him to be fired because he hurt his feelings. Man the hell up and get over it!!
Back in January I successfully go to the starcourt part of the mall! and that guard didnt catch us. But when I went back in Febuaray. The guard cought us tryint tobget back there again. I think it was the same guard younsaw since he kept saying I was a liar (when I said I was looking for the BR) and that he threatend to call the cops! havnt been back there since
Through all your videos, the one thing that seems to present at all dead malls, are the buckets at random places to catch water from a leaky roof that will never be repaired because its a dead mall with no funds nor plans to repair anything.
![[ไฮไลต์] แบดมินตันชาย SHI Yu Qi (จีน) vs วิว กุลวุฒิ (ไทย) รอบ 8 คน | โอลิมปิก 2024](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/f7z7taforOM/mqdefault.jpg)
Finally someone covers this mall! I grew up going here! Haven’t been in about 10+ years. Brings back so many memories.
Glad I could bring you back!
Same here i moved to houston back in 2010 and havent been there since
So was it cool when you saw it in stranger things or confusing?😁 Like woah is that really the mall? What?! Lol
Sal: Has to pee
Security: *SO YOU HAVE CHOSEN DEATH!*
😂 😂 😂 😂
I know, right? Homegirl's dead body can rot for a month in their mall, but God forbid a dude with a camera take a leak.
Sal: Continues the situation by not just leaving
Bex, see me previous comment to your original post, bud.
My**
Welcome to the upside down...and Gwinnett Place / Starcourt Mall!
On one hand, Moonbeam let the dead body of a 19 year old girl go unnoticed for a month in the back room of a Subway in this food court, to the point that the corpse began mummifying...on the other hand, Moonbeam trained their security guards to threaten people with a trespass if they need to poop, but can't find the bathroom. The contrast of these two things is staggering. I hope Silling Man's family has found peace. Thanks for watching, everyone.
Very sad indeed!
It's your classic overreaction to the lack of reaction more than likely.
I love that 1985 foodcourt!
Yikes, and the kids from tranger Things had to be on this set every day... I wonder if they were even told about the murdered girl
that ending where you called the guard out made me really happy. You earned my sub
Hey, thanks :) ... you should check out my Indiana Mall episode if you liked this one...
I worked as a guard at a mall in Tucson for 5 years night shift. Management threatened us with our very jobs if we did not kick out anyone taking photos or video without permission from mall Management. This is why some guards are very stern about it. I've been on the other side I have been called Paul blart, rent a cop, wanna be cop, it was a job it paid the bills. Once I was done getting a new degree I left and never looked back. The economy sucked then and now especially in Tucson. I had worked for Raytheon as a graphic artist for 6 years and was laid off then the only work I could get was a damn security job. Went from 20 per hour at Raytheon in 2005 to 9.25 per hour as a guard. I know lots of guards are immature, rude and like to play cop, me, I just wanted to do my job and go home.
Love how you can see what stores used to be there. Gap, Banana Republic, Victoria’s Secret, Sephora, and Express all stuck out to me.
Simon had no desire to operate this mall. They had control of nearly every other successful mall in the area, and the death of this mall would simply benefit their other properties.
The Parisian/Belk at this mall was a beautiful store. All of the former Parisian stores are very impressive. Sad that they’re not around anymore.
My first thought when you mentioned the security guard possibly suspecting you of being a shoplifter was...
' *Shoplifting WHAT?* ' lol...I mean seriously, unless you somehow intended to walk off with an actual SHOP, there was nothing there to even steal.
I'm sorry you had kind of a negative experience there, but I appreciate you took the time to document this particular mall. I was pretty much OBSESSED with the 'Starcourt' scenes of stranger things chapter 3 (brought me back to my own childhood), and I had wanted to see the rest of the mall too. It's a shame people can't be trusted to respect and leave intact the set pieces, that would've been an AWESOME attraction to have left there for fans to see.
You know it’s a dead mall when the floors are scattered with mop buckets for the roof leaks
That is how the mall where I spent most of my childhood looks like lots of buckets for rain water it was going down hill when I was little but not as much till a few years ago
God this mall could've benefitted so much from Netflix. Not just Stranger Things. Imagine that the mall is just filled with Stranger Things and Netflix memorabilia. It's probably the most depressing of all stories when it comes from Stranger Things sets. Many are just abandoned husks. But Gwinnett Place is the worst of the worst :(
@@TheEditFactory My mother and I used to shop there and eat at a Ryan's nearby that had a train track running around on the ceiling. I guess it's dead too. Mall of GA. and Discovery (now Sugarloaf) Mall are still alive though.
Incredibly well produced. This one was specifically important to document and you got it just in time. Thanks for this, Sal.
That Orange Julius from the Starcourt set threw me right back to the '80s and a location of that franchise that was directly inside one of the mall entrances at one of my local malls, strangely, owned by Cadillac Fairview. It had the identical signage and wood paneling, and I remember how you could smell the hot dogs the second you opened the door to the mall.
I live in Maryland and there was an Orange Julius on the boardwalk in Ocean City when I went several years ago. I went last year just for 1 day and the same Orange Julius was no longer there. I don't really travel much due to the costs, but I'm fine with not traveling.
This was my first experience seeing a mall you documented that I frequented. You really captured the place and I felt like I was visiting the mall. Thanks for the walk!
As someone who live in the Neighboring city, Norcross for 25+ years, this mall has always been the Place to go. I stopped going for the same reason: No stores and uncontrolled crime, not to mention I was racially profiled and discriminated by a Indian store owner there about 2 years ago. Sad to see what it has become but thankfully the county purchased it to do something more productive with it 😌. Awesome Video 😉
I use to live in 2 houses, both within 20 minutes of Gwinnett Place Mall. I used to run a TH-cam series back then about 13 years ago called "Droadtrip" and I would walk through live stores and malls with my camera pointing at me while I talked. This mall even back then was a real worthless Garbage Dump. I could not stand those big human size camera posted every where and seemingly right in your face! I used to think how could a beautiful area produce a dump like this! Thank you Sal for your honesty and bravery and I know you never break laws and take risks. Your videos are gold and I will forever watch every minute of every day - keep it up! love you dude!
My hometown mall. Grew up going here. Sad to see it’s current state. Well done.
Smae I still remember when I had stores like Victoria Secret JCPenny and so much more I love that mall so much it was my childhood and hometown mall
I love how you called the guard a “tool”!! I loved the 80’s
Haha he is. Complete tool.
@@sal 👍🏻
Guard was on a power trip, plain and simple. A total tool with a flashlight and a walkie.
Absolutely. Such a jerk.
He wanted to flex that powerful rent a cop muscle
Third world immigration is SOOOO GOOOD for our countries!
Top Flight Security of the World!
@@sal I would have farted in the guys general direction. Power trip on that shit security guard.
there's just something so beautiful and chilling about your videos... i love watching them so much and i find them so interesting!! as someone who lives in london in the uk, we don't really have massive 'dead malls' like this, so thank you so much for providing this great content :)
Another amazing & well shot video glad you got the chance to document this place when you did
Sal, I subscribed back when you were working to get 5k subscribers, now you are almost 10 times that amount. Each video is better then the one that came before. I very much enjoy your "sponsors" at the beginning of each production. Best wishes for your professional and personal life, and I hope your channel continues to grow.
That’s so kind of you! I appreciate your continued support...much more awesome content on the way!
Anyone else ever want to grab Sal or Ace by the shoulders when they are walking?? Like they are google street view 😀 “slow down turn, more right I’m admiring *insert retro mall element* “
All
The
Time
In videos where I’m actually slowly filming, there’s no security. At Gwinnett, the guard was following me the entire time. Sorry to upset you, but it’s part of the game. I’ll try harder.
@@sal At least in my case, Sal, I was being funny. No disrespect meant from me. It's like you're live-shooting and folks like me often hit the rewind several times.
@@sal was only expressing the longing to ogle retro elements or definitively ID an old storefront with all the appreciation for what you folks do, with cheer of course. I work in utility land services and know all about ‘be quick about it’ shuffle.
No I totally get it. Trust me...if I had it my way, I would spend hours in these places with tons of gear. I get incredibly frustrated when my shoots get cut short.
11:42 Here's Sal talking about the gruesome details of a murder in this mall, and I'm over here like - Hey look, that's an Omnibot robot! And, not real surprised you were treated like that at a Moonbeam mall. Moonbeam's probably got your face plastered in memos they send out to security: watch out for this dude, he knows all the shady shit we're up to and he's not shy about talking about it.
I miss the Malls so much. It was like therapy & takes you away from The stress of reality. Plus you got a good cradio workout at the same time just walking the malls long corodors. Thank you Sal for letting us take a trip back in time with you when Malls were alive with sounds of people shopping & music playing & delightful smells of the food courts. New generations dont know what their missing.
What Simon did to Gwinnett is exactly what they did to century iii. Neglected both until they went into foreclosure and fell into the lap of you know who.
another great video... your dead mall videos are definitely the best on youtube, thank you
This is one of my favourite episodes of dead malls series. I've never seen such a detailed exploration on a dead mall, its past and its future.Thank you Sal! Your series will be in the history books and studied by the students one day📚
Thank you so much for the kind words! Means a lot!
fantastic video! this is my favorite dead mall despite its' sad history of violence both because of the Stranger Things set, and that it's the closest one to where I live. thankful that there is yet another up to date and thorough documentary of this place!
Really looking forward to seeing this! you make amazing content btw!
This reminds me of the long-demolished Owing Mills Mall’s long, empty corridors with my early-adult era Voorhees Town Center’s lighting (along with the horrible security). Thanks for recording this mall and I hope you gave them the figurative finger as you drove away.
Thanks for this video, Sal! I frequented this mall with my family back in the 90s, so I found your info about its background especially interesting. As for the mall cop, he was doing his job just as you were so don't sweat it. Maybe viewing him as a co-laborer of sorts would help you see him in a better light. Keep up the work!👍❤👍
It’s crazy to me that Macy’s is still at this mall. Interestingly, the store still does well. Pretty interesting.
I don’t go to Macy’s but I know many people spend a whole day in there. Lol.
It’s so cool to see dead mall vids about malls that I actually live by, nice vid
Grew up around that mall and remember lots of classmates skipped school the day it opened. Very thorough financial description given, good job on that research. The food court was not added until 1986 when wing was added in second phase expansion
Thank you for talking about the tragic murder of Silling Man when discussing this mall. Such a heartbreaking story and I'm glad more people know about her because of your video.
Sal! Hell yeah another great video!
Great video as always! Since the Sears property got acquired by some apartment managers, to build something on that pad, nothing has been done with it due to Moonbeam's mismanagement.
Thankfully now the mall is in the possession of the city so hopefully something good will come of it
Caterpillar Corporation has some equipment that would be useful.
Local TV stations and their commercials bring back the most memories for people i think. Always enjoy your videos Sal, you have very professional content and intros and outros. I've been subscribed for some time now. At 45 years of age you would think a guy like me wouldn't watch dead malls but to the contrary I love seeing these places of the past and what they once were and still could be if the right effort was put forth. Hope your new glasses come in soon that has to be a pain in the butt. Cheers from Arizona.🍻👍😎 we have Arrowhead town center here near Phoenix and its doing pretty well and looks amazing check out retail archeology he has a great video on it. The center court looks like bladerunner with a huge screen with ads and info playing on it
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR MAKING THIS VIDEO AFTER I TWEETED AT YOU TO MAKE A VIDEO HERE :) Sal your videos are all amazing!
I made it for you
@@sal i smell romance 🤣
This was a really neat episode. I always wondered what the place looked like.
I love your intros. They feel so nostalgic
Great video. Sorry you got hassled like that. Mall guards are really something else. It's amazing how little power can go to someone's head. I imagine he wasn't even there at the time and surely this wouldn't have ended well, but it'd have been fun to ask the guard where his vigilance was when the body was rotting for over a month, undiscovered.
Borat would be right at home with this turd!
Good job! I wondered what became of this mall. It was a part of my life in the '90s. Then, I worked briefly nearby (I was never from the area) in '18. I walked it on my lunch breaks for nostalgic reasons but was in shock at how dead it had become. Seems like I had just missed the murder and Stranger Things as I had another job by the end of '18. It's funny though as I had no idea the show was filmed there even though I watch the show and walked the mall countless times. I am going to rewatch Season 3 now.
A murdered girl can lay dead in an abandoned part of the mall but god forbid someone gets lost trying to find a loo.
My friend & I love to explore this mall. My moms friend actually sang the theme song when it opened lol
Love the Stranger Things intro! Apparently my parents took me here at some point later on in the mall’s history… but I have no memory of that. The entrance and logo kinda remind of Bellevue Center in Nashville.
Living here for the past 20 years of my 21 years it really sucks how downhill Gwinnett Place has gone down. I always visit Mall of Georgia or Sugarloaf Mills and very rarely Lenox for mall shopping but I haven’t been back here since probably the early 2010s. Still remember when the food court was bustling and the fountain was running with a lot of kids and families running around now it’s just a dead space that isn’t worth going to. Not even my parents who took me there as a kid are wanting to go back and see the state of it.
I grew up going to this mall every weekend with my mom. Crazy to see its state now.
Great video. With all the Macy's closures I'm always shocked to see that location survive. It's my go-to Christmas shopping store because there's no crowds or lines.
Gwinnett County recently purchased the mall from Moonbeam. Will probably torn down to be replaced by either mixed-use or a sports facility.
Small correction. The area blocked off for Stranger Things was the Sears wing and the JCP/food-court wing. Stranger Things was filmed in the JCP wing.
BTW, the county paid $23M for the mall. The old Sears is COVID vaccination site.
I. lived in gwinnett county back when this mall was in Open this is heartbreaking to see and hear about n i loved this mall been there many times thank you for this video sal
Back in 1991, I worked for the arcade at GPM. Back then, of course, it was pretty busy, even during the middle of the week. While I was there, I had to break up a fight between a couple of high school students, offer my bathroom to a nursing mother (she refused, I left her alone), and lost $20 to a person (a customer) I thought I could trust. I had nothing to eat that night.
Good times.... LOL
Thanks for this installment Sal, very informative. I also wonder what Mr. Bathroom Security Man will do for a living once this mall shuts down. 😉
Sal, I'm a long time viewer.. but I never got around to subscribing until today -- because of the bathroom incident. New sub from Kingston, Ontario. Keep it up bro!
Hahahaha I’m so glad my toilet trouble was able to gain your sub. I promise not to disappoint. Much more on the way!
@@sal Haha can't wait. Currently watching older vids I've not yet seen.
I miss the Malls as well, I have many very good memories that today's children and the yet to be born will never have!
Luckily our mall in Pensacola is still functional and operational. It’s still 80s type look but updated.
Damn!! Sal getting jiggy with a couple of Apus... Nice.
Amazing expedition amigo.
Info on the opening music please. Sounds like phenomenal song to drive around with.
This was a great episdoe Sal and i am so sorry that you have to endure such rude people. If it makes you feel better after this episode gains tractions i'm sure they will become as infamous as "Mall Guard Kyle" from your previous ExLog.
Moonbeam and rude security. Sal making the best content. 😉
I grew up 15 minutes from gwinnett place and could almost remember the stores in the concourse and where they were also not only what big anchor stores were but how they were laid out and the smell of the chlorine from the water fountain in the center by the broken elevator we saw. I remember back in the 1990s you had to get there early or you weren’t going to get a place to park at all. I even remembered where they had Santa set up to see him during Christmas time. So many memories there and it makes me sad to see what has happened to this place.
Great great great video sal
Finally a update! Thank you!
Hold up...I’m inferring here, but have you been getting notifications for my channel? Curious when your last notification was, because I upload about once every two weeks...did you ring the bell?
@@sal stranger things season 3 :(
@@sal i just ring it :/
This dead mall fascination seems to be popular. I find that fascinating in itself. It's like America self autopsying.
This mall was everything when I was a kid, I had so much fun there. It makes me cry to see what has happened to the mall and the whole area around there. It is a total dump and nothing but an empty hull of scattered old restaurants that used to be hopping. I drove around the area during the pandemic because I was bored, wish I hadn't.
Sad, that is one huge mall with some nice architecture.
I used to go to this mall almost every weekend as a preteen/teen. So sad. RIP Gwinnett Place!
Awesome video sal
Thanks!!
Another amazing video sans security guard. This one was so interesting
It was weird seeing comments from a day before the premiere, then I remembered you had patreon early access :D
Haha yeah...this is a good one!
I was thinking this mall cop sounds about as un-Georgia as it gets. The typical Georgian would feel so bad about throwing you out of the bathroom they would stand there and banter with you for a half an hour to smooth things over.
I live near by this mall, and stopped by with kids (9 and 16). We went into the Megamart , browsed and then looked into the mall entrance (which was closed) that views onto the stranger things set. We found everyone there to be super rude as well. Even before we went to look through the windows, just walking around the shop, those employees were very rude and "stalking " our every move. We did get some pics of the set at that time, through the windows. We tried waking through the inside of the mall and were also followed by security. This was before covid, but I think the owners really blew the opportunity to get people to their mall, by utilizing the set as a tourist attraction. We never went back. I know they are now (as of July 2021) filming more Netflix shows/movies in the mall.
We just visited. Very nice place.
I went there a couple years ago with my dad and there no more than 30 people in the entire mall. My dad used to work there when he was a teen as his first job at the cookie factory. It’s kinda sad to see it now..
I visited April 3rd of this year. The mall was closed so we couldn't go in. We went into Beauty Master and we could look out the mall entrance doors on the top floor but that was about it. The bottom floor was closed so we couldn't get down to that mall entrance. I have read that the mall is officially closed now. Moodbeam kills another.
You watched Stranger Things? It was a great show and amazing video, man.
I preferred this video to Ace’s because you filmed it from walking in from outside just as it was shown in Stranger Things s3 e1 so you get to see how it differs from other malls. After walking in you go down instead of climbing up. Kinda love that. 🤷🏻♀️
It a shame kids now days wont know the fun of going to malls hanging out with friends or even working at the malls. Especially when you live where it cold and snows. Back in Kansas City Missouri we lost Metro North Mall and on the the Kansas City Ks side we lost Metcalf South mall. But we still have the Oak Park Mall in Overland Park Ks. And I still remember seeing it built. And hanging out there and taking my daughter to the malls. Thanks for making the videos and saving the memories of balls
So I have a long history with this mall, my mom used to be the manager of the clock store that was in the mall. I spent a lot of my childhood here, it hurts me to see it like this. Also a few months before the murder I was actually in the mall at like 1:00 a.m. ( long story but I was allowed to be there I didn't break in) I remember thinking how creepy it was and telling my friend that it was the perfect setting for a murder to take place.
Last time I was in this mall was around 2008. It was sad and depressing even then.
You should do one on Northlake mall also it’s about the same also loved the one you did in New Orleans brought back memories
Im sad my childhood mall went to waste. I used to go here in the early 2000s. For me it went to waste as soon as stores started closing and that fountain was changed
I meet the easter bunny and santa claus at this mall!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 9:00-9:45 you can see the old epic water fountain, or whats left of it. The glass elevator would lower into the fountain on the ground level as water splashed the glass windows. Riding that elevator as a kid was terrifying. Thanks for making this
Duluth Georgia was home to the only Fry's Electronics that closed that wasn't in the state of California before they ceased operations entirely.
Almost...the Duluth Frys closed in 2020. The Alpharetta Frys just closed. I drove by it last weekend.
@@bobbbobb4663 I know. They ceased operations and closed every store down as well as changing their site to where it says they decided to cease operations. They announced it on February 24, and went into effect immediately. But before they ceased operations, their location in Duluth was the first location to close. It closed before the Palo Alto store closed. Their distribution center in Hanford, CA, stores in Palo Alto, Anaheim, and Campbell, all of which were in California, were almost silently shuttered before they closed entirely.
@@bobbbobb4663 That's the one thing tbh that irritated me about Fry's. They never would announce anything until the day it went into effect, and they refused to answer any questions regarding the state of their company. Honestly I can't blame people for not being informed about closures and whatnot, simply bc Fry's never even said anything about the Duluth store closing, even after the fact. Workers showed up one day just to find the doors locked and a piece of paper saying they closed.
@@KrazyKeith4 Good insight. I never worked for Fry's -- only a customer. We were lucky in Atlanta to have the Incredible Universe stores precede Fry's and I thought Fry's did a good job in picking up where IU left off when they closed in 2000-ish (I really loved IU). I shopped at the Alpharetta Fry's last year to get a memory card and the store was decently stocked but clearly didn't have enough inventory to fit all of their store footprint. I was also a customer of the Duluth Fry's back in the day. Place was jammed most of the time.
@@bobbbobb4663 Yeah I never had the chance to shop at Incredible Universe bc they closed up shop in '98 due to their owners, the Tandy Corporation, feeling like it wasn't worth the upkeep for what they were getting in revenue. I believe around 6 or so Incredible Universe locations became Fry's. I've been to the Dallas Fry's, which was opened as Fry's in '98 previously an IU, and it still maintained the Incredible Universe storefront. However, the location wasn't very well kept up and wasn't in the best part of town, so I only made 1 trip. It was a cool place but I was on total alert the entire time.
So was that now the last Radioshack?
Check out Milledgeville mall in Milledgeville Georgia.
What's the name of opening music in the beginning of this video.
Thanks
what is this sound track from the opening?
Comment from my friend Who is a cop: You should have asked him what school he went to. Most of the mall cops with the attitude are people who couldn't cut it at the academy. They either flunked out or barely graduated and no police department would hire him.
he probably drives a retired interceptor with a scanner and lights and spots anyone who comes there after closing, and walks around with a fake badge, patrol boots and shirts with police department on them.
Wonderful video! This looks like it was such a great mall at one time. Can’t believe how rude those men were though. Definitely on edge about something. Speaking of Century III, I would LOVE to see an abandoned mall walkthrough.
Aces Adventures got in there a while back but as expected it was poor quality and he begged for money as usual.
Getting back inside Century III Mall is my mission. It has to happen
@@sal I’m excited just thinking about that video!
@@LethaWolfStudios I’m curious to know how Aces Adventures even got in, while nobody else has.
I've watched your series, and enjoyed the advancement of your presentations. I especially liked the "sponsorships" portion of the videos. Where do you find some of this content? This has prompted me to visit my local mall to explore and notice all of the changes and/or upkeep. Thanks, again, for all of your hard work and research to bring us some quality information on these hallowed shopping spaces.
Thanks so much for the kind words! These sponsor spots take a while to find...I’ve got a list of them stored :)
You wanna go smell it 😂
What exactly is happening with the Radio Shack at ~11:45, was it part of the Stranger Things set? Everything in the store is from the 80's..
Yep, part of the film set
This one doesn't have much future. When you see buckets and "wet floor" signs around you know neglect is near by.
Gwinnett Place, the sister mall of much more beautiful Esplanade. Shame this one died.
And nice Doom music by the way.
Georgia law requires any contract security guard to have a company issued photo ID clearly visible while working in their official capacity. File a complaint with the Georgia Department of Secretary of State professional licensure. Looks like Allied Security isn’t compliant.
F ck off! That man was just doing his job. Y’all acting like this guy (Sal) wasn’t guilty of taking video within the mall. That security guard probably barely makes over $10/hr. and everyone’s calling for him to be fired because he hurt his feelings. Man the hell up and get over it!!
moonbeam malls always have those freakin gumball machines
Yeah the management of our local mall banned me indefinitely from doing any more vids of it,
Back in January I successfully go to the starcourt part of the mall! and that guard didnt catch us. But when I went back in Febuaray. The guard cought us tryint tobget back there again. I think it was the same guard younsaw since he kept saying I was a liar (when I said I was looking for the BR) and that he threatend to call the cops! havnt been back there since
I think Belk knew that Moonbeam was on their way like Macy’s and Sears did at Century iii
Through all your videos, the one thing that seems to present at all dead malls, are the buckets at random places to catch water from a leaky roof that will never be repaired because its a dead mall with no funds nor plans to repair anything.
the memories wow so sad
Is there anyway you can come up to Upstate NY to see the St.Lawrence Centre?
Sure.
@@sal Awesome. There are some thriving malls that that one is between like one in Plattsburgh and ones in Watertown/Syracuse
It looks like it's in good enough condition that it could be reopened under a new owner.
this was my mall as a kid.