@Bright Sun Films so it opened successfully. then what was the point of this video? they're being hit with the economy in the shitter just like the rest of the malls in the us. the mall opened. what exactly was your point?
exactly....retail shopping as we know was already dying and now corona has put the final nail in many companies coffin. most everyone is completely comfortable with shopping on-line. those who weren't learned how to out of necessity. now, who feels like driving to the mall and dealing with parking and crowds when you can have your merchandise delivered to your doorstep in a day or two.
@@jh-il5sb no shopping at malls has picked back up again bro cuz they re opened malls and places they r re opened at cuz people were stuck house for so long they r packed now
And there'll be elephants and zebras you ride down the snow and land in a swimming pool where you have to swim really fast to get away from sharks and then a dinosaur picks you up and puts you in a roller coaster that is full of candy and...
Update 2022-07-31 The mall has been oddly thriving. Every few months I visit and there's new stores and restaurants. The place is worth visiting at least once for the spectacle alone.
I was at the mall recently and it was a...weird experience. The mall has a strange, anti-human aesthetic. It's like being in a giant i-phone. The color and lighting choices were odd: it's too bright and the spaces are too vast. The acoustics are also terrible especially at the food court; the design of the space causes this weird din that causes you to have to raise your voice to hear one another. The layout of not just the mall but the individual walkways is baffling, with a greater than average number of points of conflict between people walking in different directions, areas that are oddly inaccessible to one-another, and just nonsensical curves and angles. The entire mall is sensory overload; it is anti-human and unpleasant. It's not the worst mall I've been to--there are definitely dead or dying malls that are much sadder--but it was one of the most unpleasant. I don't think I'll be going back anytime soon.
i haven’t gotten the chance to go to this mall yet but those are the vibes i got from it too! almost like if it’s just a gigantic liminal space in a way
Another major issue with the park was that not only was it overpriced, but only half the rides were open. There was also no food service (just premade sandwich fridges) and in some cases there was a discount that was used on the website, but when you got to will call they wanted you to either pay the difference to the higher price or forfeit your ticket. Absolutely absurd. In addition the park was never very full, it visually seems empty and lifeless (like just a bunch of rides in a white box unlike MoA) and operations were terrible.
To be fair and transparent, and while I also think it's still overpriced for what you were getting, the amusement park tickets were marked way down when they only had 3-4 rides open at the beginning. Granted, that was still like $20 for a few rides, which is still absurd, but maybe not as absurd as the full $80. The price of the ski slope is an utter ripoff though. I literally asked an employee if it was in any way worth it, and his response was that if you've ever went skiing down a real mountain before, these two mini trails are just not worth doing. Again, he worked there.
I still wanna ride shellraiser tho btw your mission space video is super dope. never realized how insane that shit was until I went on it again last year. As a kid I thought it was a gravitron.
Can't fix pot holes, can't lower taxes, can't clean up the air or the water...a whole lotta can't do in NJ yet a whole lot of money lost/embezzled and tossed around frivolously. NJ is dead. The ship has sunk.
I find that the Abandoned series to be more enjoyable than anything on History or Discovery. A straight forward and nonsensational presentation. Fantastic.
For further reference it would cost about the same amount to get into a Walt Disney World or Disneyland theme park as it would to get into the indoor Dreamworks Water Park. About the cost of 2 tickets to Cedar Point as well. Ridiculous.
Nickelodeon Costs 80... "Why not just go to SFGAdv for like, HALF the price" Waterpark costs 100 "As much as Disney's The Magic Kingdom?! Pound sand" Similar to waterparks in FL "Which are way better too... who is this mall for? Manhattan residents only? $100 for some indoor slides near Giant's Stadium, wealthy dumbf**ks.
The water park has a ton of different slides with several being one of a kind. I know it had a pricey opening but that’s to be expected. The prices weren’t expected to stay at that price. As someone who has been to the water park it is worth the money. Yes it’s pricey but soooooo worth all the amazing things they packed inside it. So if you are into water parks and Dream works movies this park is sooo worth it.
@@MyNameIsEarl42 thats normal for anything near NY spiecally when NY is either a bus ride or a ferry ride your paying for the area great adevnture is also 79.99 in the summer
I actually work at the American dream mall. It is not completed however it is getting a lot better. A lot more stores are opening but not what they advertised at the beginning. Even with COVID a lot of people still go even though there are barley stores. I just hope the mall keeps opening up new stores so people in the area can get jobs.
That mall is awesome I was there not too long ago, but the place next door is even better because it houses one of the greatest professional sports franchises of all time!!!! It also hosts the New York Jets...
I recently went here to buy clothes and it's so excessive and needlessly massive. There are people but a lot of the stores seemed to just be an associate standing waiting for people to come in. As a local it still makes me mad that they destroyed the Meadowlands when so many malls were already around.
Agreed. It looks to me with the odd building then demolishing they were basically "looting the job-site." Billing to build then charging again to demolish in order to wring more money out. Sounds like the real life Esplanade if you were a fan of the Sopranos. Itself having taken much of it's ideas from a real life family and actually being sued by the imprisoned boss thereof.
Yes they sure did waste a whole lot of that and even picturing the things they wanted in this mall is insane and would really expect a disaster way too ambitious and far from reality.
I live ten minutes away from here. The first time I visited was back in October 2019, which is when it definitely looked eerily empty, like an abandoned hospital. However, I do visit pretty regularly now, and the mall is PACKED. The best thing about this mall, in my opinion, is the SEATING. There are chairs, sofas, coffee tables, etc scattered throughout the mall, so it is easy for people to spend time there, or rest before making the long trek to other areas of the mall. This is a huge bonus, since most other malls in the area don't seem to have that. For example, I often visit Jersey Gardens mall in Elizabeth on the weekend, and people are sitting on the floor near the railings, because they are tired and there are no benches or sofas to be found. I think the best step forward to make the mall even more versatile would be adding cheaper entertainment options, such as a pay-as-you-play arcade, a mini haunted house, etc, something kids can afford to do without needing to shell out $25-99 apiece. Overall, I think as of now, the mall seems to be doing well, and I hope it continues to do so.
Old malls remind me of the pinnacle of The American Dream. Not to mention countless memories I had in them from childhood to early adulthood. Good times.
This whole thing sounds like a mix of money laundering through construction and scamming free money from the state government using the sunk cost fallacy. Also building the parking lot and bridge then removing them seems like busy work to keep the builders under contract.
Now that sounds like the NJ tri-state area we all know! You'd think if the government was all about cracking down on corruption that they'd stop donating or loaning tax revenue money to private enterprises altogether. Nope!
And yet again the "American Dream " seems to by trying to copy someone else's idea and success but failing. Largest Mall in NORTH America being West Edmonton Mall in Canada.
I live in NJ and I work at MetLife stadium. I used to work at the Primark store as security in American dream. I’ve also been to the water park. It’s really not that bad. It’s actually a great place to hang out and chill. They used to have the employees walk through the “forbidden zone” as we called it but rumours say the mall is set to be fully open by September.
I actually worked in some of the later construction at American dream. Right before the officially opening day in March. And it was nowhere near ready to open all the stores. There were alot of stores that were still in the beginning phases of construction. So they were guna open like 60% of the major stores in march I believe. I was doing the final stages of painting of the century21 store. And they had 99% of it done. But stores like Victoria secret were like 10%-20% finished. Then covid happened. And they shut down everything. Like this video said; this mall is basically cursed lol. I know some people who worked there. And from my understanding, construction on the stores that were unfinished are still being worked on till the world goes back to normal. It is kind of a bland looking mall when you look at the amount of money they spent on it. But it's still huge. And I was actually really looking forward to the full opening. But from the way they are hemorrhaging with 0 income right now, i personally dont see that happening for a good long while. Also they charge stores an obscene amount of money for rent. Which is another reason they were taking so long to open. Cause no one could afford to put their stores there lol.
Your so right. Its so bland and plain looking!! The spent 5 Billion on it and there are so many malls that look so much better out there that cost so much less. (Trafford centre in the UK) Its in such a great location too, being so close to New York City. Its again just a shame!
There's a couple other factoids I can add (disclaimer: I work full time on the Meadowlands complex): The amount the American Dream was charging for leases in the building made businesses unsustainable to be run there. As a result, 70% of the building's outlet leases weren't filled even before March 2020. To top it off, parking for the facility was $60. So if you wanted to take your kids to the Nickelodeon theme park, it was a $200-$300 day minimum. The thing is such a eyesore and financial white elephant that it's not just disturbing but an actual embarrassment. Back in March, I had to drive through the building to go to the abandoned IZOD Center (referred to as Continental Airlines Arena in this video) for a covid test. Both of those properties being abandoned when they were meant to complement each other is just a perfect metaphor for how horribly this entire thing was managed.
All the archival footage of this place is incredible. Most of the overall internal layout of the structure from 10-15 years ago is exactly the same despite all the stops and starts. That said, as of September 2021 this place is actually extremely crowded and continues to add more stuff (they just opened the observation wheel and another level of retail stores). The last word I would use to describe it is "abandoned." Also, they never implemented the parking rates that were mentioned in this video. When it opened, parking was completely free and now it's still free for the first hour and only a few bucks thereafter.
This mall honestly shouldn't have been opened, idk anyone in North Jersey who wanted this mall in the first place. If it's not going to be a mall, they should flip it to a Convention Center, the Javits Center is too small and a building of this size would be better
@@avantjeef I don't know, I think after 15 years of uncompleted buildings they just said "f**k it" and tried finishing this mall. This mall is so cursed, it's had multiple owners and been sued constantly 😂😂😂
Speaking as someone from the Minneapolis/St. Paul metro and has been to Mall Of America hundreds of times, my eyes bugged out of my head when the parking ramp and theme park prices were mentioned. Parking has always been free at MoA and at least when I was younger, the price for an unlimited ride wristband was under $30. So what this place is/was charging is highway robbery.
I've been to the MOA a ton of times as well, and the fact they're charging damn near $100 to go to the theme park when at the MOA it's roughly $30 is pure insanity.
If you think a little, I’m sure the parking costs because it’s 2 mins away from the stadium. Probably because ppl would try parking for free at the mall to avoid paying to park at the stadium.
Malls have been shutting down way since before COVID 19, because online shopping is killing them, I’d rather take a time machine back in time long before technology took over
I worked the Meadowlands fair every year since 2010 (except this year, obviously) and every year i come back and it never looks any different. We always hear rumors that the next year is going to be the last year for the fair because it's going to open and thatthere's a contract saying that there can be no traveling carnivals within a certain distance from the mall.
Thats not true man, before COVID, there has been a lot of work being done in there, exterior and interior. Lots of construction vans and everything. But you wouldn't see it from the Turnpike.
VinnyI6420 agreed I work here and come here all the time they have done their job and that’s true also there is like many construction workers working here like everyday tbh but I kinda died down cuz of the virus.
Update for y’all! I went to this mall last month for spring break. A lot I mean A LOT has changed. They open new stuff almost every week it seems like. A lot of stores and entertainment stuff are there now. Still a lot of empty stuff on the third floor but I mean to me this mall is doing great! It’s my favorite place to go now 😀 I feel like it’s gonna work out. With more stuff opening and a literal giant food court that’s practically complete, this mall should thrive. The theme parks are pricey but they always have specials for students and families. Great photo place and they have an excellent social media presence. Please do an update video!!
I agree I went last month the third floor wasn’t complete but had a few things open, parking was kind of confusing being a 1st timer but overall enjoyed the mall and theme park!
The Giants and Jets sued the mall because they smelled blood and wanted to get some money in an out of court settlement. They knew construction would be halted and both owners and local government were too deep into it to quit. Still this project was so badly timed it's insane someone got around to "finishing" it.
"They cut down the trees, put 'em in a tree museum. And they charged the people a dollar and a half just to see 'em." --Joni Mitchell, Big Yellow Taxi.
Not to get too political this story is focused on a Super Mall opening as the video discribes and failure. I feel that a launch in 1996 could not predict a 2019-2020 pandemic that has gripped the nation and world. I feel that honestly in looking at the video a pandemic in our time some 24 years down the line wouldn't save this Super Mall especially with Amazon's launch and retail market controll which was never conceived of to become what it is today. This Mall without a Amazon and online shopping world in general may have been successful but in today's business climate has a big uphill battle. Personally I feel environmentally they should have left it a wet land and left it alone now all that wasted space is just ugly and a discrace full of unused parking and concrete structures.
Ironic! I went here for the first time yesterday. I remember as a kid growing up and not knowing what the heck it was (not from Jersey, but NYC) Literally did not think or know it was a mall until I searched up a specific store yesterday. This place is massive, and when I walked I literally said. "Sheesh, this thing seems like a money pit, they could've built this place with half the size and made a much larger profit. Not smart"... And... Here is the explanation to it 😅. Great video, very precise. Hopefully they can get this full, but it is so massive. I doubt it.
I remember talks about someone building a mall that was similar to this one in Miami (If I remember correctly it was technically going to be in Hialeah Gardens). I’m also not sure if it was by the same company. (Edit: It was) PS: Where their planning on constructing this mall (the one in Miami(Hialeah Gardens)) is most likely going to worsen the already terrible traffic in the area. Also it's going to be built in an area called Lost Lakes in the town of Hialeah Gardens which coincidentally had a few roadside style attractions back in the early to mid 20th century one of which was a boat attraction called Lost Lakes Caverns (1930-1951) that would take people on a boat through a man-made cavern, it also had a restaurant and a small casino.
Bright Sun Films oh ok thank you, I actually haven’t finished the video yet but so far I’ve really been enjoying the video and I think you’ve done a great job
I live in Miami and had forgotten about that until I watched this. I looked it up for an update and supposedly they are breaking ground in 2021 to be completed 2025. I hope it doesn’t
@@katrinalara1795 Yeah the reason why I remember is because I live near by and they're building it where everyone goes mudding. Also I don't want them to build it but want them to at the same time just to see what it would be like
I went here around Christmas time 2020. It was really eerie walking through the nearly empty halls and corridors seeing the lack of anything inside. I’d been watching this get built since I was a kid when we’d travel the turnpike to see my grandma up north.
What about the companies? The CEO's? The politicians? Bond holders? Sounds like the dumb tax payers got rammed again. WE NEED NEW PARTIES Christy should be in jail. Screwing his constituents that were just trying to get to work.
Forgot the lobbyists as well. Funny how conservative politicians and woke politicians suddenly get behind giant boondoggles after a $3000 an hour lobby group visits them.
Because of your video, Me and my family stopped by around this time last year. Let me just say it's fucking awesome now. I absolutely loved going to American Dream, the place was ginormous, even compared to large shopping malls I had been in before, and the things they had were really appealing; I got a burger from the only physical Mr. Beast Burger location, We stopped in the Toys R Us and the 3 story candy shop, it was a cool experience and I enjoyed it. So glad the place has finally blossomed and is finally bringing flowers to Triple Five.
Coming from a ny/nj local, the eyesore that it was is pretty much gone. The mall itself is up and running and I'm surprised at how full of people it has on a weekend even with covid. It's still missing areas and even entire floors are still empty but overall it is promising.
@@nicolaswithoutah1272 I agree that American Dream is an attraction. I went there a few weeks ago, planning to buy gifts for my friends. And I'd have to say, I didn't like it there. When I went into the stores, I pretty much found most of them empty with a few customers. Most people going to the mall are either going to the waterpark, amusement rides, or just hanging out there looking for some relaxation or fun. Hardly anyone was buying anything and so many stores were closed. I couldn't find anything good so I just went to my local mall in Central Jersey.
This mall is actually the embodiment of the REAL American Dream. You work work work and spend spend spend to get things done and no matter how much you spend and work, it's never enough. That is the American Dream. The name fits the bill. I've seen so many Americans spend their last dollar to achieve their American Dream only to never see it blossom. I've seen so many immigrants come to America for the American Dream only to end up living paycheck to paycheck for decades. This mall is a true reflection of the so called "American Dream". Constantly working and spending money but you're not getting ahead like you should.
It's better than most other countries. In the many other socialist countries, it's even more of a "living paycheck-to-paycheck" experience because the governments charge massive tax, GST, fees, fines for literally everything and take like 20-50% of the yearly income a person makes. If America becomes like a tyrannical socialist shit-hole in the near future, then prepare yourself for the real paycheck-to-paycheck experience.
@@ZiFrenZie Hi, FrenZie. indeed we are a socialist country. America just too hypocritical to call it a capitalism or freedom country. According to what you said "fee, fines for literally everything and take like 20-50% of the yearly income". so i'm paying 25% fed tax, 7% state tax, post these two mandated tax. I'm paying around 15% of property tax and almost 9% sales tax.
went here and it was packed. great on the unbearably hot summer days. the indoor theme and water park are cool. lots of food options. not much for shopping but there were lots of stores
@Cameron Craig Nice attempt at being funny, but Biden didn't create a "university" that defrauded students & used illegal business practices. Good try though.
I’ve lived 10 minutes from this thing my entire life and see it every day. It really is a shame that it has never gotten the chance to live to it’s full potential. I went earlier this year before Coronavirus and was absolutely amazed, but it seems almost cursed at this point. It’s just not meant to be
Dude I was actually excited when it was finally announced to be opened because it could've been "the spot" to hangout in North Jersey. Sadly the pandemic came basically right after it opened so it went to complete shit again
I have a feeling there is going to be a HUGE increase of “Abandoned” episodes in regards to retail stores pretty soon. Kinda off topic but I’m looking forward to the future of this series.
Yes and I agree, I'm from Philippines, continues watching abandoned Malls specially in America where Malls are collapsing one by one , I just hope malls in America remains and rise up again soon .. thanks
@Boris Erdogan I live 10 mins away from the mall and I've been there. All I can say is that the mall is huge and I mean HUGE. (Not to mention the fact that they are still building portions of it to make it a little larger). Only about 10% of the mall was operational when I went and the hype was definitely overrated. The mall just took so long to build (its actually older then me by a year) and the timing of opening was just bad.
This is so, so New Jersey! Originally naming it Xanadu was like putting a curse on it. There's a lot of graft and corruption and money going into connected people's pockets for sure (especially during the Corzine and Christie years. Mr. Corruption!) I'm glad to read it's getting better but it's so weird and in an area that is jam packed with Stuff and minutes from NYC-- which is just a big outdoor mall anyway. Maybe making it a big indoor theme park is the best use. That part of NJ could use that kind of attraction. But they should lower the prices a bit. Parking and park are way steep!
Yeah, of all places to build the thing, bumped right up against New York City and in an area with an almost comical abundance of malls (Paramus alone is maybe, what, 15-30 minutes away?) is a pretty unfavorable spot. I think you're right that their best bet is probably focusing on the more unique, non-retailer stuff, because most people probably won't actually /shop/ there for more than the initial novelty or if they're brought in by something else
@@ThingsILikke You may consider them pests but every animal, every bug was created and evolved to support ecosystems that ultimately support us. Show some respect.
I. Robles niggas always whining about wildlife being destroyed. where else we supposed to live? it’s called upgrading and improving technology. it’s literally right next to one of the biggest cities in the world what do you expect
I'm a union carpetner and worked at the American Dream mall for 2 years. Let me tell you if there every a shit show, it is that place. They destroyed a massive amount of wetlands to create that monstrosity and it sat abandoned for many years after funding was drained. It would be brought up and laughed at in our union meetings. It finally got the green light and started being worked on again only a few years ago. It has an indoor ski slope that was plagued with mold after sitting abandoned for many years. I actually have pictures and video of being inside it during a rain storm where you can see water pouring down from the ceiling like a waterfall. They had to hit the whole mountain with mold resistant paint to prevent having to completely trash and rebuild the entire thing. Not to mention the inside of the mall's mold issues. Such a shame they destroyed a shit ton of supposedly protected wetlands for that shit show.
There is an interesting documentry i watched about china and creating "good" debt involving large infastracture projects that went no where ... like this
I watch Abandoned frequently. It is like watching a time capsule of America and peoples changing attitudes and routines. Peoples changing tastes are on display, whats so sad is some amazing things were left to die. I am amazed at how many of these places I have been to and remember.
Arguably, this mall metaphorically represents the lost "American Dream." All these great ambitions, mired in struggles and financial burdens, only to never truly be achieved. Damn, now I'm really freaking depressed.
In a couple of years, you’ll be touring the inside of this place as completely abandoned. Sad, but the reality is this mall is deader than fried chicken!
I brought my 11 year old Grandson there for the rides section right after Christmas 2019 and he had a wonderful time. It was expensive but full of families and their children and it was very clean. We both had fun.
14:32 “Who was the project manager? . . . It just seems like such a waste of time, materials and money” - This graft and plunder isn’t the bug of American infrastructure and service development - it’s the feature. With risk absorbed by the public. And created wealth disproportionately going to particular phenotypes. John Maynard Keynes once joked about this charade - “If the Treasury were to fill old bottles with bank-notes, bury them at suitable depths in disused coal-mines which are then filled up to the surface with town rubbish, and leave it to private enterprise on well-tried principles of laissez-faire to dig the notes up again (the right to do so being obtained, of course, by tendering for leases of the note-bearing territory), there need be no more unemployment and, with the help of repercussions, the real income of the community, and its capital wealth, would probably become a good deal greater than it actually is.”
This is NJ we're talking about. More than half of the "plans" they had for Atlantic City alone were like this mall. Historically, the mafia was involved in a lot of construction projects in NJ back when the mafia was big in that state, so I guess for the state of NJ it's just old habits die hard.
NJ: We're known for being the butt of jokes, how can we fix this? That one guy: Let's add a clown school to a mall NJ: *Genius!* The mall went from looking like a Lego set...to looking like a box you'd put them in when you're done playing with them. The Meadowlands has an interesting history. If you ever talk about the Meadowlands again, hope you talk about that Izod Center/Continental Airlines Arena next door. I knew someone that worked there (which was how we got great seats at events like Smuckers Stars on Ice and Ringling Bros) that was laid off as a result of the closure. While that mall may be open, the arena next door is very much abandoned. And for those who don't know Hartz Mountain Industries who've never lived in NJ, they own the Harmon Meadow shopping complex in neighboring Secaucus, which is big on its own.
This mall is an example of wanting the biggest most impressive mall you can think of but underestimating the cost and problems that go into a project like this.
True story: riding the bus into NYC as I regularly do a young lad asked his father what the mall was. The man replied without missing a beat, “That son, is a money pit.” Everyone on the bus just nodded in silent agreement. I actually miss the abstract sunset paint when compared to the blah white exterior now.
I'd like to point out: after a week of opening and people complaining about the parking fees, they made parking free except on days when there's a football game
It's not so much responding to complaints as it is realizing the mistake and trying out of desperation to get people to come in. By then it's too late.
Brian Tuttle do you live in jersey? i’m here and this is the only mall where they charge for parking but a lot of other big luxury malls charge for valet parking. california has malls with paid parking lots. rhode island does as well.
That’s insane. Mall of American never charged for parking and never does! It is nice. They are always update in that mall and adding and subtracting when needed. Of course it’s not busy right now but it usually is pretty busy. :-)
Hamilton: Everything's legal in New Jersey! NJ: You can't pump your own gas here and we have a megamall that closes on Sundays- Hamilton: You just *HAD* to ruin the fun! That initial plan is like they got a kid, gave it paper and some crayons, told it to draw their own building...and that was the result
Covid-19 screwed it up. I was going to take a bus there soon 5 months ago but then didn’t because lf the virus. This place is doomed. Nobody is gonna want to go there for months.
UAE hires slave laborers from Asia for their construction projects, has no workers rights laws, and no stupid environmental regulations. Gee wonder why they could build a building for $1.5 billion yet we pay that much for a stupid environmental impact review...
Adam Smith what’s stupid about environmental protection? we need to have more environmental protection if anything. Even if it cost more, I’m guess your a conspiracy theorist boomer.
@@davidcharles9325 They build on sand in the middle east. Pretty much desolate areas too. It's not like they have to cut down miles of forests, oh wait, the materials. Nevermind.
No worries Jersey, Jeff Bezos will swoop in and turn it into an Amazon distribution center sometime next year. Delivery times in the tri state area way down now.😀
That would be way more productive than what it is right now. We moved out of north NJ 2 years ago because of the high property taxes and poor use of public money
@@williscurry6557 What, the underclass? Criminals? Because last time I checked, the Democrats were the ones bringing in non-taxpaying illegals to destroy the taxpaying lower class.
I have a feeling that American Dream will be closed for good after some investigating reports and I think the malls will be a thing of a past due to the Coronavirus. Great job on the video Jake. I can't wait for another episode of either Bankrupt or Abandoned.
Really? Where I am the, since the Coronavirus, malls are busier than I’ve ever seen them. It’s like everyone wants to get out of the house so they decide to go to the mall.
This Mall literally is open now. Only comment here because this video is suggested to me on a daily basis. The mall is fully open was there a few months ago completely full of stores and people. Also 2 amusement parks lol
Finally, an abandoned place I have been to! I have passed by the complex SO MANY times on my way to the Meadowlands. I still remember when it was a big orange, red, and blue eyesore shrouded in rumors of it being converted into an Olympic ski slope, concert hall, and eventually mall. Thanks for the awesome video!
I was in it last week... update: Still depressing. I think maybe 5 food stalls were open, a few coffee bars. I didn't even find the theme parks. I saw the entrance to the ski slope which was actually doing well with teenagers after virtual learning all day. A few stores were open but not a lot.
@@ammreulrich I went last year around this time in the holidays. I paid for the nickelodeon theme park. Only the nickelodeon theme park was open, as I thought the water slides were open too. Even though I was somewhat disappointed, I still had a great time. I only went to that sugar place but it was still cool. It looked empty but still fun. Something crazy happened that logan paul actually came the same day and i passed by him not knowing it was him, lol.
@@ammreulrich you went on a Sunday then, the parks are there I went last month, it’s a really big mall, stores are closed Sunday due to this strange law in that neighborhood, the parks are open though
@@Afmedic85 Hey dumb dumb, this project was started when Jersey was run by the reds. 🤷🏾♂ Not to mention last Jersey governor was red as well, but never mind that I guess
I went there over the summer with friends. It's nothing dreaming about it. Now I understand why they charge 100 bucks to get into the water park. Very educational video. Thank you.
I’ll take the 2006 interior over the current architecture any day. The last two years have taken a huge step back in terms of design creativity. This mall looks like a giant bland Apple store. Contrast that to 90’s entertainment design. Such as Disney Quest. Sure that represents a past era but it also had style, color, and texture. Everything now is very bland. Detail is totally lacking.
Lockiel Hodgson I don’t like it. I have retail spaces in my business and I go out of my way to theme them. I don’t use any typical merchandise racks. Everything is custom made with colors and textures. It works, my sales are terrific. The idea is not mine. I use Disney’s methods. Now mind you I am in the attractions industry so it might be that the model only works there. But I don’t think so.
Lundmunchkins eh. I don’t know about that. Mall Of America will probably be one of the few malls in America that can afford to stay open even when most malls shut down.
Oof, I could totally see that happening at some point in the not too distant future. Covid’s absolutely trampling over traditional industries like retail rn.
I work there currently and it's crazy how many people are walking around not buying anything. More stores are opening up but I feel like the theme parks are sucking money from people and they're not spending any in store.
I live in this area and let me tell you: 1. That original design was even more atrocious in person and 2. no one is surprised that this took that long to “complete” or that it was a mess in the end. However one of the biggest issues locals have with the Meadowlands mall is the parking price. One guy took a kayak over there just to avoid the parking fee.
New video is out on ANOTHER failed New Jersey mega project - th-cam.com/video/uu2QudztScc/w-d-xo.html
Man, New Jersey does not have a good history with its megaprojects
@Bright Sun Films so it opened successfully. then what was the point of this video? they're being hit with the economy in the shitter just like the rest of the malls in the us. the mall opened. what exactly was your point?
American Dream reopens October 1st with safety precautions put in place for social distancing and stuff. They're reopening soon
@@OriPrior66 exactly. just like every other mall. but this fucking clown makes pointless videos and doesn't make any sense.
Dude, chill out.
If you wanna see this guy acting like a clown go watch his earlier videos.
A project like this was built by a world, for a world that no longer exists. Really weird to think about.
Definitely
Callum Evans like the ocean liners built just as air travel became safer and popular. Weird.
Ugh next year it will be fully opend
exactly....retail shopping as we know was already dying and now corona has put the final nail in many companies coffin. most everyone is completely comfortable with shopping on-line. those who weren't learned how to out of necessity. now, who feels like driving to the mall and dealing with parking and crowds when you can have your merchandise delivered to your doorstep in a day or two.
@@jh-il5sb no shopping at malls has picked back up again bro cuz they re opened malls and places they r re opened at cuz people were stuck house for so long they r packed now
Listening to the plans for this thing sounds like listening to a 6 year old describe their dream house.
Omg 😆 😆
So true
😂 😂 😂
And there'll be elephants and zebras you ride down the snow and land in a swimming pool where you have to swim really fast to get away from sharks and then a dinosaur picks you up and puts you in a roller coaster that is full of candy and...
Me watching this after I just went skiing then into a water park at the mall
Update 2022-07-31 The mall has been oddly thriving. Every few months I visit and there's new stores and restaurants. The place is worth visiting at least once for the spectacle alone.
Making an update video now!
@@BrightSunFilms It's still thriving.
@@BrightSunFilms still thriving there surfing wave pool their that is very fun
@@BrightSunFilmsany update on this??
I blame the pandemic for it’s “failure”
I was at the mall recently and it was a...weird experience. The mall has a strange, anti-human aesthetic. It's like being in a giant i-phone. The color and lighting choices were odd: it's too bright and the spaces are too vast. The acoustics are also terrible especially at the food court; the design of the space causes this weird din that causes you to have to raise your voice to hear one another. The layout of not just the mall but the individual walkways is baffling, with a greater than average number of points of conflict between people walking in different directions, areas that are oddly inaccessible to one-another, and just nonsensical curves and angles. The entire mall is sensory overload; it is anti-human and unpleasant. It's not the worst mall I've been to--there are definitely dead or dying malls that are much sadder--but it was one of the most unpleasant. I don't think I'll be going back anytime soon.
i haven’t gotten the chance to go to this mall yet but those are the vibes i got from it too! almost like if it’s just a gigantic liminal space in a way
@@kayzzzzzzzzz sometimes thats a good things, sometimes is a bad thing, opinions :D
I wonder if it was designed by a computer or a person.
@@snowmiaow bingo
Seems absolutely soulless. If not outright eerie.
Another major issue with the park was that not only was it overpriced, but only half the rides were open. There was also no food service (just premade sandwich fridges) and in some cases there was a discount that was used on the website, but when you got to will call they wanted you to either pay the difference to the higher price or forfeit your ticket. Absolutely absurd. In addition the park was never very full, it visually seems empty and lifeless (like just a bunch of rides in a white box unlike MoA) and operations were terrible.
To be fair and transparent, and while I also think it's still overpriced for what you were getting, the amusement park tickets were marked way down when they only had 3-4 rides open at the beginning. Granted, that was still like $20 for a few rides, which is still absurd, but maybe not as absurd as the full $80.
The price of the ski slope is an utter ripoff though. I literally asked an employee if it was in any way worth it, and his response was that if you've ever went skiing down a real mountain before, these two mini trails are just not worth doing. Again, he worked there.
@@Marksman123771 well you asked for his opinion
I still wanna ride shellraiser tho
btw your mission space video is super dope. never realized how insane that shit was until I went on it again last year. As a kid I thought it was a gravitron.
@@ha420weednumber oh thanks. Glad you liked it. 🙂
Sounds like a nightmare
Wasted billions to build a mall but can’t fix the damn pot holes in nj😂
For real.
Can't fix pot holes, can't lower taxes, can't clean up the air or the water...a whole lotta can't do in NJ yet a whole lot of money lost/embezzled and tossed around frivolously. NJ is dead. The ship has sunk.
@RSS RSS As compared to what? The backwood red states nobody wants to live in? There are multiple reasons people don't massively migrate over there
Politicians for ya lol. We need a billion dollar sinkhole but can't afford 500 million to fix the roadways that look like Iraq.
The owner is a billionaire & he's NOT from New Jersey
I find that the Abandoned series to be more enjoyable than anything on History or Discovery. A straight forward and nonsensational presentation. Fantastic.
Thank you!
Yes, this video is very nonsensical
The internet is killing cable and I don't mind that.
@@mattwolf7698 flame on!
TV is dead. TH-cam is where it's at!!
As a New Jersey resident after the pandemic the mall has began to get more popular
True, and with the advent of social media, it exploded in popularity.
I've been there and honestly, there's some good places to eat there. I went to Szechuan Opera and loved it.
For further reference it would cost about the same amount to get into a Walt Disney World or Disneyland theme park as it would to get into the indoor Dreamworks Water Park. About the cost of 2 tickets to Cedar Point as well. Ridiculous.
Yup!
Nickelodeon Costs 80...
"Why not just go to SFGAdv for like, HALF the price"
Waterpark costs 100
"As much as Disney's The Magic Kingdom?! Pound sand"
Similar to waterparks in FL
"Which are way better too... who is this mall for? Manhattan residents only? $100 for some indoor slides near Giant's Stadium, wealthy dumbf**ks.
Nickelodeon universe only costed $64 when I visited so it wasn’t that bad.
The water park has a ton of different slides with several being one of a kind. I know it had a pricey opening but that’s to be expected. The prices weren’t expected to stay at that price. As someone who has been to the water park it is worth the money. Yes it’s pricey but soooooo worth all the amazing things they packed inside it. So if you are into water parks and Dream works movies this park is sooo worth it.
@@MyNameIsEarl42 thats normal for anything near NY spiecally when NY is either a bus ride or a ferry ride your paying for the area great adevnture is also 79.99 in the summer
With a name like "Xanadu", you'd think they started planning this in the 80s not '00s.
Yeah idd. Cant believe the commentator hoped the interior to stay as it was.
LOL AGREED!!
Trying to capitalize on the tremendous artistic and commercial success of the movie, no doubt.
Like the roller skating musical- Xanadu lol
those are the creative ideas of old white men.
I actually work at the American dream mall. It is not completed however it is getting a lot better. A lot more stores are opening but not what they advertised at the beginning. Even with COVID a lot of people still go even though there are barley stores. I just hope the mall keeps opening up new stores so people in the area can get jobs.
i love this mall so much
That mall is awesome I was there not too long ago, but the place next door is even better because it houses one of the greatest professional sports franchises of all time!!!! It also hosts the New York Jets...
mmm barley
I was there yesterday and loved it and you can tell from videos it’s getting busier and busier a lot of people from out of state
I haven’t been there yet… it’s not the most convenient location in the world. I usually just go to GSP or Riverside Square Mall.
I recently went here to buy clothes and it's so excessive and needlessly massive. There are people but a lot of the stores seemed to just be an associate standing waiting for people to come in. As a local it still makes me mad that they destroyed the Meadowlands when so many malls were already around.
@@brdnmlna yes, and how many of those malls are struggling in this new world? Many malls are closing and I'm sure NJ is no different.
"By March of 2020 everything should be open" … oh no...
bye have u gone???? it’s so fun they opened almost everything and it’s beautiful in a lifeguard getting $22 an hour you’ll be ok
Who’s gonna tell em... 😭 THATS when everything closed
@@cloutelfin8323 BHAHAHAHA-
oof... That can't be!
2022*
If only they had moved forward with the clown and circus school. That might have saved it. 🙄
Do they have red balloons there?
I'm pretty sure it did open up some place, all these politicians and media people have obviously graduated from some kind of clown and circus school.
Right? Whose goofy ass to idea was that?
nominated one of the best yt comments of '20
There were enough clowns involved in building this monstrosity, don't push it.
disgusting amounts of wasted money and materials
It can be that way with construction.
Agreed. It looks to me with the odd building then demolishing they were basically "looting the job-site." Billing to build then charging again to demolish in order to wring more money out. Sounds like the real life Esplanade if you were a fan of the Sopranos. Itself having taken much of it's ideas from a real life family and actually being sued by the imprisoned boss thereof.
taxpayer money
Yes they sure did waste a whole lot of that and even picturing the things they wanted in this mall is insane and would really expect a disaster way too ambitious and far from reality.
Capitalism!
I live ten minutes away from here. The first time I visited was back in October 2019, which is when it definitely looked eerily empty, like an abandoned hospital. However, I do visit pretty regularly now, and the mall is PACKED. The best thing about this mall, in my opinion, is the SEATING. There are chairs, sofas, coffee tables, etc scattered throughout the mall, so it is easy for people to spend time there, or rest before making the long trek to other areas of the mall. This is a huge bonus, since most other malls in the area don't seem to have that. For example, I often visit Jersey Gardens mall in Elizabeth on the weekend, and people are sitting on the floor near the railings, because they are tired and there are no benches or sofas to be found. I think the best step forward to make the mall even more versatile would be adding cheaper entertainment options, such as a pay-as-you-play arcade, a mini haunted house, etc, something kids can afford to do without needing to shell out $25-99 apiece. Overall, I think as of now, the mall seems to be doing well, and I hope it continues to do so.
Its old malls, with bright colors and a big neon food court and no people in them, that give me this sad, eerie yet comfy feeling.
Old malls remind me of the pinnacle of The American Dream. Not to mention countless memories I had in them from childhood to early adulthood. Good times.
The ones that are dying are always gonna be the one with those traits some people just don't like the nostalgic feel ig
Pat Aker same
search Liminal Spaces, those malls qualify
This whole thing sounds like a mix of money laundering through construction and scamming free money from the state government using the sunk cost fallacy. Also building the parking lot and bridge then removing them seems like busy work to keep the builders under contract.
Now that sounds like the NJ tri-state area we all know! You'd think if the government was all about cracking down on corruption that they'd stop donating or loaning tax revenue money to private enterprises altogether. Nope!
My exact thought was a money laundering scheme also makes me wonder about West Edmonton Mall, I am Canadian…
Aren’t those the typical cons these developers run on cities? They win the bid then figure out how to draw it out and leach as much money as possible.
Agreed
Proposition - Project named ‘American Dream’
Results: High Debt & nothing to show for it...Nailed It!!
Irony is dead T_T
Best comment! 😂
And yet again the "American Dream " seems to by trying to copy someone else's idea and success but failing. Largest Mall in NORTH America being West Edmonton Mall in Canada.
😂😂
Also only rich people can afford to have any fun there. XD
I live in NJ and I work at MetLife stadium. I used to work at the Primark store as security in American dream. I’ve also been to the water park. It’s really not that bad. It’s actually a great place to hang out and chill. They used to have the employees walk through the “forbidden zone” as we called it but rumours say the mall is set to be fully open by September.
Yea, everyone in North Jersey was never expecting this mall to actually open.
I was in it the first day it opened I’m from nyc tho
Yeah but i live in wayne and willowbrook is better
Just passed by it yesterday on my way to ridgefield, my friend and I were laughing our ass off, JUST when it took off a damn pandemic hits.
@@josemp2286 Yes, Willowbrook has gotten very nice and they seem to keep it up to date better than any mall in the tri state area.
That’s true
I actually worked in some of the later construction at American dream. Right before the officially opening day in March. And it was nowhere near ready to open all the stores. There were alot of stores that were still in the beginning phases of construction. So they were guna open like 60% of the major stores in march I believe. I was doing the final stages of painting of the century21 store. And they had 99% of it done. But stores like Victoria secret were like 10%-20% finished. Then covid happened. And they shut down everything. Like this video said; this mall is basically cursed lol. I know some people who worked there. And from my understanding, construction on the stores that were unfinished are still being worked on till the world goes back to normal. It is kind of a bland looking mall when you look at the amount of money they spent on it. But it's still huge. And I was actually really looking forward to the full opening. But from the way they are hemorrhaging with 0 income right now, i personally dont see that happening for a good long while. Also they charge stores an obscene amount of money for rent. Which is another reason they were taking so long to open. Cause no one could afford to put their stores there lol.
Your so right. Its so bland and plain looking!! The spent 5 Billion on it and there are so many malls that look so much better out there that cost so much less. (Trafford centre in the UK) Its in such a great location too, being so close to New York City. Its again just a shame!
There's a couple other factoids I can add (disclaimer: I work full time on the Meadowlands complex): The amount the American Dream was charging for leases in the building made businesses unsustainable to be run there. As a result, 70% of the building's outlet leases weren't filled even before March 2020. To top it off, parking for the facility was $60. So if you wanted to take your kids to the Nickelodeon theme park, it was a $200-$300 day minimum. The thing is such a eyesore and financial white elephant that it's not just disturbing but an actual embarrassment.
Back in March, I had to drive through the building to go to the abandoned IZOD Center (referred to as Continental Airlines Arena in this video) for a covid test. Both of those properties being abandoned when they were meant to complement each other is just a perfect metaphor for how horribly this entire thing was managed.
It's all the abandoned malls in the country put into ONE.
Gregory Visone $60 parking?! Pfffttt
@@LFCtvUSA , I had thought it was gonna be free parking , except for special events at the Meadowlands, like concerts ?
I laughed when he said "everything should be open by March 2020."
Very unfortunate timing.
*Uno reverse card*
Except he didn't say that. Timestamp or it didn't happen.
@@wzpu3283 10:27
@@wzpu3283 come back here so we can make fun of you!
All the archival footage of this place is incredible. Most of the overall internal layout of the structure from 10-15 years ago is exactly the same despite all the stops and starts. That said, as of September 2021 this place is actually extremely crowded and continues to add more stuff (they just opened the observation wheel and another level of retail stores). The last word I would use to describe it is "abandoned." Also, they never implemented the parking rates that were mentioned in this video. When it opened, parking was completely free and now it's still free for the first hour and only a few bucks thereafter.
This mall honestly shouldn't have been opened, idk anyone in North Jersey who wanted this mall in the first place. If it's not going to be a mall, they should flip it to a Convention Center, the Javits Center is too small and a building of this size would be better
Seriously who wants a mall in the NYC area? This idea was pointless at the very least
@@avantjeef I don't know, I think after 15 years of uncompleted buildings they just said "f**k it" and tried finishing this mall. This mall is so cursed, it's had multiple owners and been sued constantly 😂😂😂
I live 10 minutes from it and trust me, no one around here wanted this mall.
@@Peepeestorm which is why I say if it isn't going to be a mall for the foreseeable future, flip it and turn it into a convention center for events
@@avantjeef Palisades already fills the need and has more people visiting. (a lot of the same concept - just not as much excess)
You know you've screwed up when you're on a show called "Abandoned" just after you opened
www.nj.com/news/2020/07/american-dream-mega-mall-will-reopen-owner-says-heres-what-its-planning.html
its not even abandoned he is lying and has no facts when the owner is waiting on approvl to open from the state
I live 20 minutes away from it and pass it every day to work. When I saw it was an Abandoned episode I started laughing. Makes sense though.
I thought the video must have been about a different location precisely because of this
@@NickyD could you please elaborate on what the narrator is "lying" about, exactly?
As a child whenever we drove by it, I would legit say “there’s the LEGO building”...
yess
Same
Because you never finish Lego buildings?
I always finish mine. 🤣
@@sleeplessstudios7626 I was thinking because of the ugly original paintjob
Speaking as someone from the Minneapolis/St. Paul metro and has been to Mall Of America hundreds of times, my eyes bugged out of my head when the parking ramp and theme park prices were mentioned. Parking has always been free at MoA and at least when I was younger, the price for an unlimited ride wristband was under $30. So what this place is/was charging is highway robbery.
I've been to the MOA a ton of times as well, and the fact they're charging damn near $100 to go to the theme park when at the MOA it's roughly $30 is pure insanity.
But your mall isn't located a stones throw from one of the biggest cities in the world.
@@60huntermiller its owned by the same company as moa..
If you think a little, I’m sure the parking costs because it’s 2 mins away from the stadium. Probably because ppl would try parking for free at the mall to avoid paying to park at the stadium.
Yeah, parking at MoA is still free. Wristbands are $40-50 dollars depending on time of year.
This mall is cursed. Delayed for almost 2 decades and only to close again due to Covid-19.
Not cursed… Well planned laundering scheme
Michelle Stolz yah I did look into what was put into building this mall. This whole project is very fishy.
Michelle Stolz all going well for them
Exactly
Malls have been shutting down way since before COVID 19, because online shopping is killing them, I’d rather take a time machine back in time long before technology took over
I drive the Nj turnpike almost every day. Every once in a while you see someone doing work. But its a ghost town.
I worked the Meadowlands fair every year since 2010 (except this year, obviously) and every year i come back and it never looks any different. We always hear rumors that the next year is going to be the last year for the fair because it's going to open and thatthere's a contract saying that there can be no traveling carnivals within a certain distance from the mall.
It was popping for the past few years I worked in there for the whole 2019 summer and it reall just stop cause of COVID
Bro exactly
Thats not true man, before COVID, there has been a lot of work being done in there, exterior and interior. Lots of construction vans and everything. But you wouldn't see it from the Turnpike.
VinnyI6420 agreed I work here and come here all the time they have done their job and that’s true also there is like many construction workers working here like everyday tbh but I kinda died down cuz of the virus.
Update for y’all! I went to this mall last month for spring break. A lot I mean A LOT has changed. They open new stuff almost every week it seems like. A lot of stores and entertainment stuff are there now. Still a lot of empty stuff on the third floor but I mean to me this mall is doing great! It’s my favorite place to go now 😀 I feel like it’s gonna work out. With more stuff opening and a literal giant food court that’s practically complete, this mall should thrive. The theme parks are pricey but they always have specials for students and families. Great photo place and they have an excellent social media presence. Please do an update video!!
I kno this guys a downer
I agree I went last month the third floor wasn’t complete but had a few things open, parking was kind of confusing being a 1st timer but overall enjoyed the mall and theme park!
Spring break as in college? Good God. Enroll in a remedial English writing class.
@@atteroljones6936 you must be great at parties
@@atteroljones6936just because there not typing like a 30 year old redditor doesn’t mean there English is bad lmao
my dad was in charge of all the concrete footing work on the ski slope back before the market crashed, sent him this video and it really took him back
The Giants and Jets sued the mall because they smelled blood and wanted to get some money in an out of court settlement.
They knew construction would be halted and both owners and local government were too deep into it to quit.
Still this project was so badly timed it's insane someone got around to "finishing" it.
@Rowdy Jr. Lol
Business is ruthless and using goverment money for business is fucked up
Its a obvious sign telling you the American dream is finished
Perfect: building a wildlife museum on top of a place where they displaced actual wildlife. Good luck, humans !
"They cut down the trees, put 'em in a tree museum.
And they charged the people a dollar and a half just to see 'em."
--Joni Mitchell, Big Yellow Taxi.
@Tha Raider20 stop living in a wasteland.
your house displaced wildlife so move
@@nycdan95 exactly
@Tha Raider20 i agrre with you, like Hollywood jerks who hate capitalism but they rich because it.
"By March of 2020, everything should be open"
March 2020: Cool story bro.
corona killed it
2020 has been a joke.
-media induced virus fear
-riots
-a city state popping up within a major city.
Jonathon Spears As I always say, “Wait until November”.
@@syntheticfox_real couldn't agree more.
Not to get too political this story is focused on a Super Mall opening as the video discribes and failure. I feel that a launch in 1996 could not predict a 2019-2020 pandemic that has gripped the nation and world. I feel that honestly in looking at the video a pandemic in our time some 24 years down the line wouldn't save this Super Mall especially with Amazon's launch and retail market controll which was never conceived of to become what it is today. This Mall without a Amazon and online shopping world in general may have been successful but in today's business climate has a big uphill battle. Personally I feel environmentally they should have left it a wet land and left it alone now all that wasted space is just ugly and a discrace full of unused parking and concrete structures.
Ironic! I went here for the first time yesterday. I remember as a kid growing up and not knowing what the heck it was (not from Jersey, but NYC) Literally did not think or know it was a mall until I searched up a specific store yesterday. This place is massive, and when I walked I literally said. "Sheesh, this thing seems like a money pit, they could've built this place with half the size and made a much larger profit. Not smart"... And... Here is the explanation to it 😅. Great video, very precise. Hopefully they can get this full, but it is so massive. I doubt it.
"we're opening up another American Dream Mall in Miami!"
Coronavirus: "How many times do we have to teach you this lesson old man"
Mr. HandsomeCoffeeCup haha! I lived in the same town this place is since birth, now reside in Miami. Aint happenin!
Yeah sit at home and critisize someone who try to do something.
I'm surprised that they are not building another one in Orlando
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
@@zell863 Won't someone PLEASE think of the poor mall builders!
I dont think you've done a mall video since Randall Park. This is a treat!
I think he did Frederick Towne Mall, but even that was pretty long ago. So mall videos are definitely treats.
TheCookingDojo You dumb bastard
How did u manage to post a comment 3 days ago? It's only been released for 10 minutes!
Patreon. If you donate, you get early access.
Seems like malls are getting closed almost every year and this year is no different
I remember talks about someone building a mall that was similar to this one in Miami (If I remember correctly it was technically going to be in Hialeah Gardens). I’m also not sure if it was by the same company. (Edit: It was)
PS: Where their planning on constructing this mall (the one in Miami(Hialeah Gardens)) is most likely going to worsen the already terrible traffic in the area. Also it's going to be built in an area called Lost Lakes in the town of Hialeah Gardens which coincidentally had a few roadside style attractions back in the early to mid 20th century one of which was a boat attraction called Lost Lakes Caverns (1930-1951) that would take people on a boat through a man-made cavern, it also had a restaurant and a small casino.
It was I mention it at the end of this video
Bright Sun Films oh ok thank you, I actually haven’t finished the video yet but so far I’ve really been enjoying the video and I think you’ve done a great job
Yeah bro the streets here aren't set up for that many people and cars in one area and it's already bad enough that drivers here suck
I live in Miami and had forgotten about that until I watched this. I looked it up for an update and supposedly they are breaking ground in 2021 to be completed 2025. I hope it doesn’t
@@katrinalara1795 Yeah the reason why I remember is because I live near by and they're building it where everyone goes mudding. Also I don't want them to build it but want them to at the same time just to see what it would be like
I went here around Christmas time 2020. It was really eerie walking through the nearly empty halls and corridors seeing the lack of anything inside. I’d been watching this get built since I was a kid when we’d travel the turnpike to see my grandma up north.
This is NJ. A lot of that $5B was siphoned off by someone I'm sure.
Yeah construction unions
Chris Christy 😂
It's no accident that our state flag depicts a horse's head.
I think TONY SOPRANO did it?😊
Construction unions & mob deals...
This sounds like was designed by a little kid. "And it should have a ski hill! And car races!! And, and, and..."
Don't forget to destroy whatever marshlands you have left to end up with useless and empty buildings.
Ikr
No more like Homer Simpsons car, or Donald Trump's airline or University or steaks or...................
Sounds like Saudi Arabia
And a clown school!? That's what I want in my local mall!
Lots of mafia union bosses got filthy rich on that endless dream.
What about the companies? The CEO's? The politicians?
Bond holders?
Sounds like the dumb tax payers got rammed again.
WE NEED NEW PARTIES
Christy should be in jail. Screwing his constituents that were just trying to get to work.
I used to live in Carlstadt and the surrounding area.. you’re correct sir!
Forgot the lobbyists as well. Funny how conservative politicians and woke politicians suddenly get behind giant boondoggles after a $3000 an hour lobby group visits them.
moderatesunited Yessir! They all follow the $
******** what about the droid attack on the wookies?
Because of your video, Me and my family stopped by around this time last year. Let me just say it's fucking awesome now. I absolutely loved going to American Dream, the place was ginormous, even compared to large shopping malls I had been in before, and the things they had were really appealing; I got a burger from the only physical Mr. Beast Burger location, We stopped in the Toys R Us and the 3 story candy shop, it was a cool experience and I enjoyed it. So glad the place has finally blossomed and is finally bringing flowers to Triple Five.
All i can say is that its going to be fun to explore the abandoned structure in a few years.
Coming from a ny/nj local, the eyesore that it was is pretty much gone. The mall itself is up and running and I'm surprised at how full of people it has on a weekend even with covid. It's still missing areas and even entire floors are still empty but overall it is promising.
I heard ! I’m going to take my daughter to the water park next week before people stop being scared of COVID and pack up the place.
Was there today it was absolutely jammed packed literally thousands of people
Covid made people miss being out
I like garden state mall better but the mall is where you get all your stuff while American dream is an attraction
@@nicolaswithoutah1272 I agree that American Dream is an attraction. I went there a few weeks ago, planning to buy gifts for my friends. And I'd have to say, I didn't like it there. When I went into the stores, I pretty much found most of them empty with a few customers. Most people going to the mall are either going to the waterpark, amusement rides, or just hanging out there looking for some relaxation or fun. Hardly anyone was buying anything and so many stores were closed. I couldn't find anything good so I just went to my local mall in Central Jersey.
This mall is actually the embodiment of the REAL American Dream. You work work work and spend spend spend to get things done and no matter how much you spend and work, it's never enough. That is the American Dream. The name fits the bill. I've seen so many Americans spend their last dollar to achieve their American Dream only to never see it blossom. I've seen so many immigrants come to America for the American Dream only to end up living paycheck to paycheck for decades. This mall is a true reflection of the so called "American Dream". Constantly working and spending money but you're not getting ahead like you should.
You must surround yourself with interesting people. So you just watched from the sidelines? Did you blossom?
It's better than most other countries. In the many other socialist countries, it's even more of a "living paycheck-to-paycheck" experience because the governments charge massive tax, GST, fees, fines for literally everything and take like 20-50% of the yearly income a person makes. If America becomes like a tyrannical socialist shit-hole in the near future, then prepare yourself for the real paycheck-to-paycheck experience.
Nice. Also it involves making unrealistic plans and having expectations well outside your means.
@@ZiFrenZie Hi, FrenZie. indeed we are a socialist country. America just too hypocritical to call it a capitalism or freedom country. According to what you said "fee, fines for literally everything and take like 20-50% of the yearly income". so i'm paying 25% fed tax, 7% state tax, post these two mandated tax. I'm paying around 15% of property tax and almost 9% sales tax.
Work smarter, not harder
went here and it was packed. great on the unbearably hot summer days. the indoor theme and water park are cool. lots of food options. not much for shopping but there were lots of stores
The circus and clown school: are we talking about the investors?
No, it's for the local Gov. "officials"....
@Cameron Craig Nice attempt at being funny, but Biden didn't create a "university" that defrauded students & used illegal business practices. Good try though.
Sandweiler no our governor.
Think so, along with the political class of NY and NJ.
I’ve lived 10 minutes from this thing my entire life and see it every day. It really is a shame that it has never gotten the chance to live to it’s full potential. I went earlier this year before Coronavirus and was absolutely amazed, but it seems almost cursed at this point. It’s just not meant to be
Dude I was actually excited when it was finally announced to be opened because it could've been "the spot" to hangout in North Jersey. Sadly the pandemic came basically right after it opened so it went to complete shit again
I live in NJ also! I really do hope everything works out with this mall. So much money and work has gone into it.
its not closed forever
This is disgusting excess, and Christ, it's so bitterly symbolic that it's going to fail.
A lot of corrupt unions made money on this.
I was there last Wednesday July 28/2021, what an amaziiiing indoors place !!!! great for people with kids, it’s worth a visit 👏🏻😀
I have a feeling there is going to be a HUGE increase of “Abandoned” episodes in regards to retail stores pretty soon. Kinda off topic but I’m looking forward to the future of this series.
I tend to agree
@@BrightSunFilms This would make a hell of an episode all starting way back in 1994...
Yes and I agree, I'm from Philippines, continues watching abandoned Malls specially in America where Malls are collapsing one by one , I just hope malls in America remains and rise up again soon .. thanks
Exactly ‼️
@@BrightSunFilms bruh can you do Bi Way? do you remember that?
The circus and clown school is really where they went wrong, and caused a domino effect.
Right!! The entire project became 🤡🤡🤡
The Circus and Clown School............sounds like the DNC.
I live about 15 minutes away from The American Dream. I've watched this clownery unfold since the beginning. It's been a mess
Drove by this twice on my trips too NYC as a kid in 2011 and 2015. Ugly ass and random place lmao
@Boris Erdogan I live 10 mins away from the mall and I've been there. All I can say is that the mall is huge and I mean HUGE. (Not to mention the fact that they are still building portions of it to make it a little larger). Only about 10% of the mall was operational when I went and the hype was definitely overrated. The mall just took so long to build (its actually older then me by a year) and the timing of opening was just bad.
@Boris Erdogan I've visited once and it is bizzare to say the least. The strangest thing is just how empty it is. It feels unreal and almost uncanny.
This is so, so New Jersey! Originally naming it Xanadu was like putting a curse on it. There's a lot of graft and corruption and money going into connected people's pockets for sure (especially during the Corzine and Christie years. Mr. Corruption!) I'm glad to read it's getting better but it's so weird and in an area that is jam packed with Stuff and minutes from NYC-- which is just a big outdoor mall anyway. Maybe making it a big indoor theme park is the best use. That part of NJ could use that kind of attraction. But they should lower the prices a bit. Parking and park are way steep!
Yeah, of all places to build the thing, bumped right up against New York City and in an area with an almost comical abundance of malls (Paramus alone is maybe, what, 15-30 minutes away?) is a pretty unfavorable spot. I think you're right that their best bet is probably focusing on the more unique, non-retailer stuff, because most people probably won't actually /shop/ there for more than the initial novelty or if they're brought in by something else
Parking is $5 now
@@fv6463 an improvement definitely, but since most malls don't have ANY parking fee, I'm probably gonna favor those still
at least now parking is $5 not bad and the 2nd mall in jersey to pay for parking first was newport center in Jersey City
Want's to put a Wildlife Museum in the complex after bulldozing and destroying the habitat of the Wildlife.
Ironic
No “wildlife” lives over there it’s off the jersey turnpike just pests like skunks, squirrels and deer
@@ThingsILikke they had birds and stuff originally. Skunks and all of them are still wildlife. They were here before any of us were.
@@ThingsILikke You may consider them pests but every animal, every bug was created and evolved to support ecosystems that ultimately support us. Show some respect.
I. Robles niggas always whining about wildlife being destroyed. where else we supposed to live? it’s called upgrading and improving technology. it’s literally right next to one of the biggest cities in the world what do you expect
It’s not cursed. It was an easy way to wash dirty money
You're damn right.
www.nj.com/news/2020/07/american-dream-mega-mall-will-reopen-owner-says-heres-what-its-planning.html
Casey V that’s NJ for you. We’re the most corrupt place on the planet and maybe even in the universe!
Fireship1 we’re not the worst!!! Not the best but surely not the worse...
Wash dirty money?
I'm a union carpetner and worked at the American Dream mall for 2 years. Let me tell you if there every a shit show, it is that place. They destroyed a massive amount of wetlands to create that monstrosity and it sat abandoned for many years after funding was drained. It would be brought up and laughed at in our union meetings. It finally got the green light and started being worked on again only a few years ago. It has an indoor ski slope that was plagued with mold after sitting abandoned for many years. I actually have pictures and video of being inside it during a rain storm where you can see water pouring down from the ceiling like a waterfall. They had to hit the whole mountain with mold resistant paint to prevent having to completely trash and rebuild the entire thing. Not to mention the inside of the mall's mold issues. Such a shame they destroyed a shit ton of supposedly protected wetlands for that shit show.
TheBaggadonuts wtfff
www.nj.com/news/2020/07/american-dream-mega-mall-will-reopen-owner-says-heres-what-its-planning.html
^ Destruction of wetlands? We can thank Christie's assholery for that.
UPDATE: The store is emerging from the pandemic and has lots of tenants and more to come
excellent. Just in time for the alien invasion.
@@heedmywarning2792 Welcome to the 2020s.
This is the Duke Nukem Forever of buildings.
The design of some of the corridors was finalized in 1998
The mall was in planning around the same time Duke Nukem Forever started development lmao.
Endlessly hyped and ultimately disappointing?
Bet George fausard was on the architecture board..
I had to watch the video to get this LMAO
sounds like an impressively successful money laundering scheme, fits every textbook definition. Kudos to them
@ kuhataparunks -- Now, that's an idea worth considering! I wish I'd thought of it. 👍
There is an interesting documentry i watched about china and creating "good" debt involving large infastracture projects that went no where ... like this
They call it American dream, because you have to be asleep to believe it.
New Jersey in a nutshell.
I heard Xanadu Mall will be part of season 4 of Netflix’s Ozark
“It’s called the American Dream, because you have to be asleep to believe it.”
- George Carlin
Top 10 Quotes That Have Aged Well
Lmao I can’t
The US economy is an ant farm scam run for the profit of bankers.
If I had a dollar for every time I heard that quote, it still wouldn't be enough to live the American Dream.
@@tenminutetokyo2643 and glad I work at a bank....2020 was Abad year for restaurant work.
I watch Abandoned frequently. It is like watching a time capsule of America and peoples changing attitudes and routines. Peoples changing tastes are on display, whats so sad is some amazing things were left to die. I am amazed at how many of these places I have been to and remember.
Anytime I've gone on vacation I always passed by Xanadu and asked "What the hell is that place supposed to be?" And now I know! Thanks, big fan!
The ground should crack open and swallow the entire property whole.
Sounds like the mall was made by the same guys who organize the new Berlin Airport.....
SW and this week on business blaze we got jersey fails dreams to nightmares lol
I was thinking that while watching!
Actually it's the same guys who own mall of america
Arguably, this mall metaphorically represents the lost "American Dream."
All these great ambitions, mired in struggles and financial burdens, only to never truly be achieved.
Damn, now I'm really freaking depressed.
I wonder how many people feel that way about their own lives...
@Paul Mathews no
@Paul Mathews where and when did he bring it back lol
True
The American dream is abandoned that’s pretty ironic
not the american dream, the worlds dreams.
And that’s all what it will be - a dream, never a reality
American Dream was the name selected by the company that is not American...
@texasabbott irony
Love it!
In a couple of years, you’ll be touring the inside of this place as completely abandoned. Sad, but the reality is this mall is deader than fried chicken!
nah it's more lively than most malls around the US
5 Billion Dollars sounds about right for the “American Dream” 🤦🏽♀️
especially if you plan on paying for college😉
traffic jam yikes that’s true
traffic jam my middle class family and I are definitely gonna have a fantastic time paying off all of that off
Watching this in 2024 is hilarious, the mall is open and is kinda thriving, but I wouldn't be surprised if it closed suddenly.
lol same
God this whole thing sounds like a little kid threw everything together
I brought my 11 year old Grandson there for the rides section right after Christmas 2019 and he had a wonderful time. It was expensive but full of families and their children and it was very clean. We both had fun.
@Glenn Bradshaw They have reopened the mall recently.
14:32 “Who was the project manager? . . . It just seems like such a waste of time, materials and money” - This graft and plunder isn’t the bug of American infrastructure and service development - it’s the feature. With risk absorbed by the public. And created wealth disproportionately going to particular phenotypes. John Maynard Keynes once joked about this charade -
“If the Treasury were to fill old bottles with bank-notes, bury them at suitable depths in disused coal-mines which are then filled up to the surface with town rubbish, and leave it to private enterprise on well-tried principles of laissez-faire to dig the notes up again (the right to do so being obtained, of course, by tendering for leases of the note-bearing territory), there need be no more unemployment and, with the help of repercussions, the real income of the community, and its capital wealth, would probably become a good deal greater than it actually is.”
Never would’ve thought I’d see one of my favorite youtubers commenting on another one of my favorite youtuber’s videos.😂
Didnt expect to see you commenting
I learned two things about Tay Zonday when seeing him in the comments: he's a fan of Keynes and likes Cities Skylines. Shine on you brother!
This is NJ we're talking about. More than half of the "plans" they had for Atlantic City alone were like this mall. Historically, the mafia was involved in a lot of construction projects in NJ back when the mafia was big in that state, so I guess for the state of NJ it's just old habits die hard.
everytime I see Tay comment on stuff he's dropping hot knowledge or something super thought provoking
NJ: We're known for being the butt of jokes, how can we fix this?
That one guy: Let's add a clown school to a mall
NJ: *Genius!*
The mall went from looking like a Lego set...to looking like a box you'd put them in when you're done playing with them. The Meadowlands has an interesting history. If you ever talk about the Meadowlands again, hope you talk about that Izod Center/Continental Airlines Arena next door. I knew someone that worked there (which was how we got great seats at events like Smuckers Stars on Ice and Ringling Bros) that was laid off as a result of the closure. While that mall may be open, the arena next door is very much abandoned. And for those who don't know Hartz Mountain Industries who've never lived in NJ, they own the Harmon Meadow shopping complex in neighboring Secaucus, which is big on its own.
This mall is an example of wanting the biggest most impressive mall you can think of but underestimating the cost and problems that go into a project like this.
True story: riding the bus into NYC as I regularly do a young lad asked his father what the mall was. The man replied without missing a beat, “That son, is a money pit.” Everyone on the bus just nodded in silent agreement. I actually miss the abstract sunset paint when compared to the blah white exterior now.
Lol
Lol. Says the poor people on the bus.
@@MrMannyhw so? Being on a bus means being poor?
@@MrMannyhw I would be willing to bet some people taking public transportation have way more money than us schmucks driving our automobiles...
@@MrMannyhw You're just jealous because you cant afford bus tickets, and you have to take your shitty bike to drive to your shitty job every day?!
I'd like to point out: after a week of opening and people complaining about the parking fees, they made parking free except on days when there's a football game
It's not so much responding to complaints as it is realizing the mistake and trying out of desperation to get people to come in. By then it's too late.
you guys realize theres malls out there where paying for parking is normal lol
@@mess8008 exactly, it's just another way of keeping the mall alive, and sometimes it's just a small fee
Brian Tuttle do you live in jersey? i’m here and this is the only mall where they charge for parking but a lot of other big luxury malls charge for valet parking. california has malls with paid parking lots. rhode island does as well.
That’s insane. Mall of American never charged for parking and never does! It is nice. They are always update in that mall and adding and subtracting when needed. Of course it’s not busy right now but it usually is pretty busy. :-)
Hamilton: Everything's legal in New Jersey!
NJ: You can't pump your own gas here and we have a megamall that closes on Sundays-
Hamilton: You just *HAD* to ruin the fun!
That initial plan is like they got a kid, gave it paper and some crayons, told it to draw their own building...and that was the result
Fr
The amount of money wasted here is disgusting. What a disgrace!
Covid-19 screwed it up. I was going to take a bus there soon 5 months ago but then didn’t because lf the virus. This place is doomed. Nobody is gonna want to go there for months.
The exterior looks like a jumbled mess. The Burj Khalifa only cost 1.5 B.....
UAE hires slave laborers from Asia for their construction projects, has no workers rights laws, and no stupid environmental regulations. Gee wonder why they could build a building for $1.5 billion yet we pay that much for a stupid environmental impact review...
@@AdamSmith-gs2dv bruh there is always that one bitch that got to make it about politics
@@AdamSmith-gs2dv true story. Many people have died during those constructions in the UAE.
Adam Smith what’s stupid about environmental protection? we need to have more environmental protection if anything. Even if it cost more, I’m guess your a conspiracy theorist boomer.
@@davidcharles9325 They build on sand in the middle east. Pretty much desolate areas too. It's not like they have to cut down miles of forests, oh wait, the materials. Nevermind.
They paved paradise and put up a parking lot, _and then they paved that too._
😂😂
yessss 99.9% is such an underrated album
Yupp 😂
At kaytranda
😂😂 literally
Now its 2022, this mall is amazing!! My favorite mall for SURE! it has so much to do and it doesn’t look like an abandoned building at all anymore!
Are you sure you're not hallucinating
Nice! I’m so glad to see it! Hopefully he’ll update at a later time.
No worries Jersey, Jeff Bezos will swoop in and turn it into an Amazon distribution center sometime next year.
Delivery times in the tri state area way down now.😀
Ahh. The American dream!
That would be way more productive than what it is right now. We moved out of north NJ 2 years ago because of the high property taxes and poor use of public money
@@corbbys1 stop bring politics into everything edgelord
I tryly hope Amazon takes it over.
Love the name😂
They can dump 5 billion dollars into a failed mall but they still don't have clean drinking water in Flint.
The ppl in Flint are the wrong color & the EXACT class of ppl all the Republicans are actively trying to wipe from the earth.
Search engines are your friend. Flint has had its pipes fixed since February 2019
@@williscurry6557
What, the underclass? Criminals? Because last time I checked, the Democrats were the ones bringing in non-taxpaying illegals to destroy the taxpaying lower class.
Factz
It’s not NJ problem
I have a feeling that American Dream will be closed for good after some investigating reports and I think the malls will be a thing of a past due to the Coronavirus. Great job on the video Jake. I can't wait for another episode of either Bankrupt or Abandoned.
Yay! Malls can be torn down and pretty places erected instead!
Really? Where I am the, since the Coronavirus, malls are busier than I’ve ever seen them. It’s like everyone wants to get out of the house so they decide to go to the mall.
@@AhiruElric I can see where you are coming from. I think it's because some states moved to phase 2 or something like that.
@@RezaChity-G You mean condos? 😅 That's all I really see these days.
NewsMan 95 Malls are alive and doing ok... go to one you will see.
This Mall literally is open now. Only comment here because this video is suggested to me on a daily basis. The mall is fully open was there a few months ago completely full of stores and people. Also 2 amusement parks lol
Finally, an abandoned place I have been to! I have passed by the complex SO MANY times on my way to the Meadowlands. I still remember when it was a big orange, red, and blue eyesore shrouded in rumors of it being converted into an Olympic ski slope, concert hall, and eventually mall. Thanks for the awesome video!
This video needs to have an update cause the mall just opened back up.
I was in it last week... update:
Still depressing. I think maybe 5 food stalls were open, a few coffee bars. I didn't even find the theme parks. I saw the entrance to the ski slope which was actually doing well with teenagers after virtual learning all day. A few stores were open but not a lot.
@@ammreulrich I went last year around this time in the holidays. I paid for the nickelodeon theme park. Only the nickelodeon theme park was open, as I thought the water slides were open too. Even though I was somewhat disappointed, I still had a great time. I only went to that sugar place but it was still cool. It looked empty but still fun. Something crazy happened that logan paul actually came the same day and i passed by him not knowing it was him, lol.
EXACTLY!!!!
I went yesterday for the first time. It was pretty crowded. Nickelodeon Universe theme park was awesome.
@@ammreulrich you went on a Sunday then, the parks are there I went last month, it’s a really big mall, stores are closed Sunday due to this strange law in that neighborhood, the parks are open though
The fact that it's called "American Dream" is such a beautiful metaphor
Expensive, broken and incomplete. Yup, sounds like an American Dream.
They call it the "American Dream" because you have to be asleep to believe it. - George Carlin
@@nikunjsingh9169 well it's New Jersey a Democrat run state so of course it's expensive
@@Afmedic85 Hey dumb dumb, this project was started when Jersey was run by the reds. 🤷🏾♂ Not to mention last Jersey governor was red as well, but never mind that I guess
I went there over the summer with friends. It's nothing dreaming about it. Now I understand why they charge 100 bucks to get into the water park. Very educational video. Thank you.
I’ll take the 2006 interior over the current architecture any day. The last two years have taken a huge step back in terms of design creativity. This mall looks like a giant bland Apple store. Contrast that to 90’s entertainment design. Such as Disney Quest. Sure that represents a past era but it also had style, color, and texture. Everything now is very bland. Detail is totally lacking.
But it's so shiny! And that means it's FANCY!
You know it looked familiar watching it and I couldn't find the words to describe it and giant Apple store is the best description. Thanks lol
I don't know if I'm just tasteless or my anxiety is just acting up whenever i'm in tacky places but bland designed stores soothes me
wzwzwz bland designs in stores are made so you focus your attention on the product
Lockiel Hodgson I don’t like it. I have retail spaces in my business and I go out of my way to theme them. I don’t use any typical merchandise racks. Everything is custom made with colors and textures. It works, my sales are terrific. The idea is not mine. I use Disney’s methods. Now mind you I am in the attractions industry so it might be that the model only works there. But I don’t think so.
This is why many NJ residents despise this mall. It is nothing but a big waste of space and tax dollars down the toilet
www.nj.com/news/2020/07/american-dream-mega-mall-will-reopen-owner-says-heres-what-its-planning.html
I liked the old colorful look 😔
Coming soon: “Abandoned - Mall of America”
Lundmunchkins eh. I don’t know about that. Mall Of America will probably be one of the few malls in America that can afford to stay open even when most malls shut down.
I wouldn't be disappointed in the least
A sketchy bet on a new mall from a group that has let their old malls languish.
Oof, I could totally see that happening at some point in the not too distant future. Covid’s absolutely trampling over traditional industries like retail rn.
They are also switching to entertainment. They were supposed to start building a water park at some point this year but im sure that's been delayed.
I work there currently and it's crazy how many people are walking around not buying anything. More stores are opening up but I feel like the theme parks are sucking money from people and they're not spending any in store.
I live in this area and let me tell you: 1. That original design was even more atrocious in person and 2. no one is surprised that this took that long to “complete” or that it was a mess in the end.
However one of the biggest issues locals have with the Meadowlands mall is the parking price. One guy took a kayak over there just to avoid the parking fee.
I went in April... the whole vibe was so creepy because it was just so oddly deserted for such a huge building.
The next set for Westworld Season 4!
It was both creepy and boring when I went
As a person who lives nearby to this, it is called The American Eyesore
Max DeLaCruz yep its gross
Now Orlando doesn't stand alone with an "eyesore" next to a major road.
@@LouisSubearth lol I was thinking that as well. At least the Orlando one isn't near as large as this thing.
As is everything on the north east part of NJ, including MetLife Stadium...Gotta love the Newark stench factories off the Turnpike.
I call it American Nightmare