I don't really get the point of erasing it so completely, unless the land is to be re-purposed which seems unlikely. Why not have simply left it, instead of costly demolition.
It is for legal reasons. At some point the county will condemn a building if not upkept. Then the owner has to either demo the building, repair it, or pay fines. Also, empty buildings are magnets for people (urban explorers to homeless bums). Any injuries that happen due to building neglect can result in a lawsuit. Finally, there are taxes. Buildings are taxed at a greater amount than barren land. Longer the buildings exist, the more taxes are paid.
I spent a considerable amount of time in the Pottsville and Frackville and Schuylkill Mall areas and can say that all through the 1980's and into the 90's and into the first decade of 2000 to 2010 this was a hot stuff Mall. The Schuylkill Mall had a lot of attractions--the latest movies at their cinema, a Pharmore drug store, Walden bookstore, good food offerings (the first Chik-fil-a I ever saw in these parts). There were a lot of mall walkers who tended to be older. The Mall was always busy. Very busy. I noticed after 2010 the Mall declined. The movie theater did not have stadium seating, Pharmore drug store went out of business, the internet started to eat profits from the mall, there was the rise of Walmart and on and on. The Schuylkill Mall to the most casual observer of Schuylill County was one hot place in it's time and a bevy of activity.
You are 100% correct, and many people really ignore these things. It was never the greatest mall, but it was a good one for a very long time. Arcade was good too. Steve and Barry's was a solid stop too when they were open.
Exactly, cant entirely blame the internet, simply put, the recession shifted the focus on spending on keeping a roof over ones head and keeping food in the belly. Sadly, in most demographics, the retail sector never recovered and cost of living is getting higher.
Given the intro was filmed in 1980, those old ladies were probably born in 1910.....to them the mall must have been a big deal.....an entire downtown with air conditioning.
Yeah really sign of the times now and people these days are mostly going online on sites like Amazon than going through a mall and malls really didn't stand a chance with smartphones and Internet now. Also I'm pretty sure Rolling Acres is also as that mall is only much earlier.
As a Gen X'er, these videos fill me with some sadness....suburban Malls like this were part of my youth and young adulthood. Looking back, some of it is cringe, sure, but they were also the main "hangout" places for teens back in the day....nothing like hitting up Sam Goody with friends to buy a new album on cassette, then chill out at the food court, and maybe catch a matinee movie.....it was a way of life that's largely just not a thing anymore.
I worked maintenance there in 2012-2013 mostly doing garbage removal after the mall had closed for the night. It was spooky up there sometimes when I would have the whole mall to myself. Lots of creaks and bangs...
I grew up in hazleton - so we went down here as often as we would go up to the Wyoming valley mall in Wilkes-barre…I remember wanting to sit at every water fountain every time we went. Good memories.
EXCELLENT video! Sad though. I had wonderful memories of this mall growing up. The first thing I'll always remember is the smell of the hot, greasy buttery popcorn as you walked through the main doors. One of the first movies I saw there was: FLIGHT OF THE NAVIGATOR (1986). My Mom and Grandmother usually shopped while we watched a movie. One of the last movies I saw there was: BEAVIS & BUTT-HEAD DO AMERICA (1997) during the Christmas holiday. I loved listening to the water fountains! We used to eat @ the BONANZA there. It was right outside of K-MART. They used to have live entertainment while you dined. The man played an acoustic guitar. He was from our local area. Sadly, he passed away this past year. My Grandfather knew him. We used to tip him before we left. My favorite stores were the music stores! I wish the kids today could have experienced malls in their heyday. It was a fun time to be with friends and family. Sadly, the internet has ruined human interaction with one another. Thus, is one reason for the malls of yesteryears' demise.
Your videos are so on point! The music is such a fitting fit. It reminds me of my old Kmart management days when the tapes started dragging as they aged.
You've outdone yourself, Bubba! Being a former Buffalonian I have always enjoyed my virtual trips back in time via your videos...and the trip thru the one-time Sheridan branch of A.M. & A.'s r-e-a-l-l-y hit home cuz I worked there way back when.👏👏
Great memories coming to this mall when visiting my grandparents. I was always amazed looking at the after fountains. I remember eating at Long Johns, getting Costas York club crackers and getting samples at Chick Fil A.
That broke my heart when they knocked it down...a lot of childhood memories from 90s...I feel it should of still been a good hangout for young people and older people still love to shop. I hate how kids are always on their phones and shopping is mostly online now. It sucks now ...I miss the 90s
So glad I grew up in the 80s and got to see this in all its Glory. Christmas time was the best. All the decorations hanging up, Santa with the kids in center square, the hustle and bustle of gifts bought for loved ones. The weather was bad where else could you go but the biggest mall in the state. You would bump into friends and family while shopping and catch up on what's new with them. Maybe see a matinee movie with date. Get something to eat at a dozen different choices of food courts like the Bonanza. Beat your brother at a game of air hockey in the huge arcade. These fond memories growing up and social skills will be lost to the children of today who will never have that chance so that is what we really lost in the end not just a warm dry place to shop.😞
12:30 it's a little shocking, but this is what's going to happen to most shopping malls. Huge malls were built in the 70s-90s because there was strong demand for them, and when that demand went away, many malls closed, fell into disrepair and some were demolished. to make room for what people want now.
ViaPort Rotterdam Mall just outside Schenectady, NY is on death watch now since they announced the Kmart was closing by the end of the year... think the whole mall will be dead by early 2019
its sad to see these places torn down , out of sight out of mind seems to be to motto now where some dead malls have become vibrant again near where i live in Canada because of the dead mall scene and people wanting to go to malls again , some old malls have seen new life near me because they have constructed office towers and colleges as well as new condo towers near them as part of them now they are more busy then even in the 90s so maybe this could work for some dead malls in the US as well . One mall i used to go was dying and had no stores left now it has full occupancy and u can't find a table at lunch time in the food court because of the office tower / university that is part of it now
Dude, so like we're old ppl born to look like old people in the 80's? Cause like... Even back then their most valued customers were just as old as they are now
That part of Pennsylvania (Frackville, Pottsville, etc.) has been in decline for several decades. The demolition of the mall symbolizes the economic turmoil in the region.
I live in minersville/Pottsville now and you’re right. It’s so sad. I’m only 20 but even I remember the area being much nicer and close knit as a kid. It’s completely dead now
Please don't delete this either, I've noticed a lot of youtubers have been deleting Livestreamed vids, and it's a real bummer to us that watch, have a blessed day Ace
Your best one. Such a complete, wrap-around editing mindset. Well done. Oh my God, I was freaking a bit when Centralia guy popped up there. I was like, "do I know that guy? Why is he so familiar? What??" until your clarification popped up, and it made sense, but then it was even MORE amazing that HE of all people is commenting on a dying mall... the insane, mind-boggling, crushing irony! Thanks so much, my friend!
Great video! The best part was the pictures of the mall from back in the day. I remember getting candy from the peanut shack and playing the baseball arcade game that dispensed baseball cards when I was a kid.
Such a well put together video! I'm loving all the vintage footage and images. Nearly cried when I saw the Phar-Mor. There was one in my childhood mall too and I loved it dearly. I still have my Phar-Mor video rental card!
Yeah that fits the mall's new slogan now. As for those shoppers and future ones they're either dead or now going to Amazon.com to do their shopping in this day and age.
I love the new American pastime of being fascinated with the past, the old stuff that made "America Great" in the first place. I'd never think so many people would be interested into what this stuff was about.
As a Skook local, I thank you Ace for doing a great job of documenting the Mall’s history as well as showing a lot of its best times while it was around
Wow sweet retro vid and pics that old lady before my time in 1980 said it Best when I want to shop I come to the mall. You heard it right people support your local stores and malls! If I had a delorean Id time travel to the 80s and just be a mallrat basking in 80s neon!
What a shame about the Schuylkill Mall. I have many great memories. Still people blame online shopping for its demise. The reality is it was killed by its lack to evolve and poor area demographics. I still get a kick out of the fact that people were gullible enough that it was built to be a women's prison!
Wow, seeing Phar-mor really brought back memories. Ours was an outlying store from our mall but that and Hills were almost always certain on the list when we went.
This was VERY well produced. Kudos to you on a fine documentary film. I wonder what the people who bought the mall plan to do with the property. If they went through the expense of demolishing it, you’d think they’d put the land to some kind of use.
Great video! Where did you find all of the vintage pictures? I remember walking through that mall about a week before it opened. They were allowing people to get a look at the stores before the grand opening. Always liked the old style Spencer's storefront. Saw many films at the old UA "the movies" including midnight showings (Rocky Horror, Dawn of the Dead, etc.). Pearl Theaters was open into December. I saw Justice League there in November. Thanks for sharing these memories!
Alot of the video in your piece (the old television video) I was responsible for archiving from the old degrading umatic video tape to digital format archive. Glad you made some great use of it. Interesting piece, grew up only a half hour form this mall and can remember it fondly, in fact i had the opportunity to visit the site a few months before demolition. Thanks for preserving some memories.
OMG as a kid this was it.throwing change in the fountain and making a wish. The Rides outside of Kmart. The time I was in the batmobile from the original TV show. There used to be baseball card shop and venders in the middle of isles with table's. I had a Shaq and Ken griffy rookie cards I cashed in and got a bike. Good times. Now it doesn't exist. Demolition a year or so ago. A real shame.
One of your best, and what a great history lesson about this mall. The 80s photos and ad gave me major flashbacks to my mall adventures with the Jersey Malls. Sad that most of the stores are gone and, in the case of Sears and KMart, may soon be gone :( It's a great blending of your awesome work, your friends video work and the news reports. Sad too: all that work and effort put into a mall that only lived 38 years. Now it's an empty space like a tornado ripped through and oblitered the whole place. Thanks for doing these videos so people can remember the malls and their purpose in our lives. One of the best clips you walking into the fog and disappearing into it. The sound of your walking shoes on the gravel: dramatic and no words needed. As a few others said hope you do more of these "the history of" videos. But Damn I missed the live viewing of this documentary!
This mall was such an important part of my youth, and I miss it so much every day. So many memories with family and forgotten friendships. Before having internet, this mall fed me all the pop culture of my childhood. Before social media, this mall was the place to be with all your friends. It will live forever in my heart, and I have a small piece of one of the broken bricks among my personal treasures.
Awesome vid, and great job documenting the history. My (now) wife and I would go to the Schuylkill Mall when we were dating during college. Kind of sad...
Very good video Ace. Many other malls will see the same fate in the next five years or less. Malls aren't the draw they once were. Too expensive, items out of stock, and crime are the leading factors. The iconic Century III Mall near Pittsburgh Pa will look like this in a few years most likely.
Great video! It was very well done. I loved seeing the history, I never went there, but it is still hard to watch the downfall of yet another mall. I left Akron before they demolished rolling acres I was last there in October 2010. Malls are dying everywhere sadly.
Why in the Blue Hell, would you tear down a perfectly good bazillion square foot building... to put up a North Korea type factory, for all the local ppl to be more depressed?
Roof was a disaster Because of, it was left alone for years with out any type of repairs. (from around 05-08?) The structure / building itself was in solid shape, would you not agree? The area is badly economically depressed, because....? (naturally coal is not king any longer there)
I wouldn't even go that car. As much as I loved how retro it was, it was in bad need of overhaul and we don't know how bad the water damage actually ran. Area has never recovered from factories and coal, generations just...kinda being there. Warehouses love this area due to cheap educated disposable labor.
I wanna see more videos like this one! From the vintage footage from the malls early beginnings to the news footage of their progressive decline to what it looks like now. This video was your best one yet and I cannot wait to see what else you have in store :D
Thank you for another great video . Be safe . Never heard of this part of PA , then when I heard someone said POTTSVILLE PA, then I knew of the area. How is Spectrum treating you ? Hope you are doing well.
malls were one stop shop until Amazon came along the evolution of retail went from having to drive downtown to a short trip to the mall now we can get what we want from our houses at the click of a mouse or touch of a smart phone . These malls were a sign of more simple times gone by .
BREAKING: Sears files for bankruptcy ahead of a $134 million debt payment . Stock price was 41 cents a share when trading ended Friday.😪 RIP Sears....😫
It's weird how this mall has been erased from existence, the only thing that's left is a big massive slab in the fog.
I was born in 1979, so this mall came and went within my lifetime.
@@jc1979af I was going to say the same thing, I was born in 1980
I don't really get the point of erasing it so completely, unless the land is to be re-purposed which seems unlikely. Why not have simply left it, instead of costly demolition.
It is for legal reasons. At some point the county will condemn a building if not upkept. Then the owner has to either demo the building, repair it, or pay fines.
Also, empty buildings are magnets for people (urban explorers to homeless bums). Any injuries that happen due to building neglect can result in a lawsuit.
Finally, there are taxes. Buildings are taxed at a greater amount than barren land. Longer the buildings exist, the more taxes are paid.
@@ryszard68 they bought the mall just for the sole purpose of the land. They are building a distribution center. I heard rumors of it being Amazon
I spent a considerable amount of time in the Pottsville and Frackville and Schuylkill Mall areas and can say that all through the 1980's and into the 90's and into the first decade of 2000 to 2010 this was a hot stuff Mall. The Schuylkill Mall had a lot of attractions--the latest movies at their cinema, a Pharmore drug store, Walden bookstore, good food offerings (the first Chik-fil-a I ever saw in these parts). There were a lot of mall walkers who tended to be older. The Mall was always busy. Very busy. I noticed after 2010 the Mall declined. The movie theater did not have stadium seating, Pharmore drug store went out of business, the internet started to eat profits from the mall, there was the rise of Walmart and on and on. The Schuylkill Mall to the most casual observer of Schuylill County was one hot place in it's time and a bevy of activity.
You are 100% correct, and many people really ignore these things. It was never the greatest mall, but it was a good one for a very long time. Arcade was good too. Steve and Barry's was a solid stop too when they were open.
Exactly, cant entirely blame the internet, simply put, the recession shifted the focus on spending on keeping a roof over ones head and keeping food in the belly. Sadly, in most demographics, the retail sector never recovered and cost of living is getting higher.
Thanks for the interesting personal viewpoint.
The recession and the slow recovery probably didnt help.
Given the intro was filmed in 1980, those old ladies were probably born in 1910.....to them the mall must have been a big deal.....an entire downtown with air conditioning.
James Carpenter I like your mind dude
Lol, I kinda figured the opposite, the old curmudgeons that hate change!
James Carpenter and when those 3 old ladies kicked the bucket there went half the malls customers.
My grandmother was from that generation. She absolutely loved malls, thought they were the greatest thing ever. And they pretty much were then.
I love those old ladies from 1980 that were interviewed, I'd give them all a big hug if I could :)
Ace adventures awesome video! Sad to see all these malls closing!
The reason malls close is because they don't change with the time.
Yeah really sign of the times now and people these days are mostly going online on sites like Amazon than going through a mall and malls really didn't stand a chance with smartphones and Internet now. Also I'm pretty sure Rolling Acres is also as that mall is only much earlier.
As a Gen X'er, these videos fill me with some sadness....suburban Malls like this were part of my youth and young adulthood. Looking back, some of it is cringe, sure, but they were also the main "hangout" places for teens back in the day....nothing like hitting up Sam Goody with friends to buy a new album on cassette, then chill out at the food court, and maybe catch a matinee movie.....it was a way of life that's largely just not a thing anymore.
I worked maintenance there in 2012-2013 mostly doing garbage removal after the mall had closed for the night. It was spooky up there sometimes when I would have the whole mall to myself. Lots of creaks and bangs...
I grew up in hazleton - so we went down here as often as we would go up to the Wyoming valley mall in Wilkes-barre…I remember wanting to sit at every water fountain every time we went.
Good memories.
EXCELLENT video! Sad though. I had wonderful memories of this mall growing up. The first thing I'll always remember is the smell of the hot, greasy buttery popcorn as you walked through the main doors. One of the first movies I saw there was: FLIGHT OF THE NAVIGATOR (1986). My Mom and Grandmother usually shopped while we watched a movie. One of the last movies I saw there was: BEAVIS & BUTT-HEAD DO AMERICA (1997) during the Christmas holiday. I loved listening to the water fountains! We used to eat @ the BONANZA there. It was right outside of K-MART. They used to have live entertainment while you dined. The man played an acoustic guitar. He was from our local area. Sadly, he passed away this past year. My Grandfather knew him. We used to tip him before we left. My favorite stores were the music stores!
I wish the kids today could have experienced malls in their heyday. It was a fun time to be with friends and family. Sadly, the internet has ruined human interaction with one another. Thus, is one reason for the malls of yesteryears' demise.
Your videos are so on point! The music is such a fitting fit. It reminds me of my old Kmart management days when the tapes started dragging as they aged.
You've outdone yourself, Bubba! Being a former Buffalonian I have always enjoyed my virtual trips back in time via your videos...and the trip thru the one-time Sheridan branch of A.M. & A.'s r-e-a-l-l-y hit home cuz I worked there way back when.👏👏
Another (sad, but) fantastic video. I can see the passion in your work. You do an amazing job of pulling things together.
Wow Rotting Acres lasted longer than this mall before being torn down
These new owners didn't wait around when it finally got started. Took awhile to start though due to anchors still closing.
"Rotting Acres" XD
Great documentary! It's a shame this mall is no more.
Too be honest I got the feels when I switched to what’s left, so sad to see these once great places disappear .
I’d rather see them torn down than them become almost vacant or being abandoned and then vandalized.
Absolutely disgusting all that history..gone forever..like it never existed!!
That's exactly the way I felt watching the videos (not Ace's) of the demo of the Palm Beach Mall.
History? It was just a mall. It wasn’t someone building condos on the Gettysburg battlefield.
this is lightweight history at best. all history is gone forever, only remembered for a while, then sometimes written about. by the winners
Great memories coming to this mall when visiting my grandparents. I was always amazed looking at the after fountains. I remember eating at Long Johns, getting Costas York club crackers and getting samples at Chick Fil A.
That broke my heart when they knocked it down...a lot of childhood memories from 90s...I feel it should of still been a good hangout for young people and older people still love to shop. I hate how kids are always on their phones and shopping is mostly online now. It sucks now ...I miss the 90s
Phar More! It's like a fever dream. No one remembers those anymore
music 2:50 waterfront dining, try hard. Original sample from Audrey Wheeler - Try a Little Harder
JisINSANE3 ooh thanks for that!!
JisINSANE3 thank you so much, had to scroll down a bit and didn’t think someone would give the name
So glad I grew up in the 80s and got to see this in all its Glory. Christmas time was the best. All the decorations hanging up, Santa with the kids in center square, the hustle and bustle of gifts bought for loved ones. The weather was bad where else could you go but the biggest mall in the state. You would bump into friends and family while shopping and catch up on what's new with them. Maybe see a matinee movie with date. Get something to eat at a dozen different choices of food courts like the Bonanza. Beat your brother at a game of air hockey in the huge arcade. These fond memories growing up and social skills will be lost to the children of today who will never have that chance so that is what we really lost in the end not just a warm dry place to shop.😞
verry well presented
12:30 it's a little shocking, but this is what's going to happen to most shopping malls. Huge malls were built in the 70s-90s because there was strong demand for them, and when that demand went away, many malls closed, fell into disrepair and some were demolished. to make room for what people want now.
The Schuylkill Mall's resting place is now the new Field Of Dreams corn field.
Thanks!
That ended hit hard, really hard...
ViaPort Rotterdam Mall just outside Schenectady, NY is on death watch now since they announced the Kmart was closing by the end of the year... think the whole mall will be dead by early 2019
This one made me sad....real sad.
Me too im not too far from there...that was an amazing place
its sad to see these places torn down , out of sight out of mind seems to be to motto now where some dead malls have become vibrant again near where i live in Canada because of the dead mall scene and people wanting to go to malls again , some old malls have seen new life near me because they have constructed office towers and colleges as well as new condo towers near them as part of them now they are more busy then even in the 90s so maybe this could work for some dead malls in the US as well .
One mall i used to go was dying and had no stores left now it has full occupancy and u can't find a table at lunch time in the food court because of the office tower / university that is part of it now
So sad they demolished this. Wonder why they didn’t repurpose the building into something else to bring new business into that region.
That Kmart sign 🔥🔥🔥🔥
1980: Grand Opening of Schuylkill Mall. 2018: Schuylkill Mall is now abandoned. People are shopping online for clothes, furnitures, tools, etc.
Oh look. The fog from Centralia made it to Frackville.
THAT'S ALL SHE WROTE.! A proper documentary- sad,,, but time and tide wait for no mall
Dude, so like we're old ppl born to look like old people in the 80's? Cause like... Even back then their most valued customers were just as old as they are now
Auntie Ann's looks like it hasnt changed since then lol
This place must have been hopping in its heyday
Great mall for a squeal of The Blues Brothers to be filmed
[snaps fingers]
This is bizzar and sad people don't go out shopping meet friendly people this days I noticed people anti social
That love machine is considered politically incorrect now lol
Great documentary! I always love the background music because that's EXACTLY how it sounded in those malls when I was a kid.
That part of Pennsylvania (Frackville, Pottsville, etc.) has been in decline for several decades. The demolition of the mall symbolizes the economic turmoil in the region.
It ain't called "the rust belt" for nothing.
Thanks to idiots electing Democrats for the last 30 or 40 years.
I live in minersville/Pottsville now and you’re right. It’s so sad. I’m only 20 but even I remember the area being much nicer and close knit as a kid. It’s completely dead now
Please don't delete this either, I've noticed a lot of youtubers have been deleting Livestreamed vids, and it's a real bummer to us that watch, have a blessed day Ace
I love that old picture of the Hess's mall entrance that you found. So rare to find color pictures of a store that hasn't existed since 1994
Fantastic video, dude. Really well done!
Yes it really is though I think I may be to late but Rolling Acres Mall could also be good for looking back like Schuykill.
Your best one. Such a complete, wrap-around editing mindset. Well done.
Oh my God, I was freaking a bit when Centralia guy popped up there. I was like, "do I know that guy? Why is he so familiar? What??" until your clarification popped up, and it made sense, but then it was even MORE amazing that HE of all people is commenting on a dying mall... the insane, mind-boggling, crushing irony!
Thanks so much, my friend!
exactly the same experience with the Centralia guy ! HE"S THE LEGEND
He's in like the same outfit too 😂
Why would he need an elaborate wardrobe?
@@Cre80s he doesn't it's just funny
Ashley Sayers Maybe he was there hoping to buy his first fashion upgrade in decades, but getting a haircut sounded better. 😝
Great video! The best part was the pictures of the mall from back in the day. I remember getting candy from the peanut shack and playing the baseball arcade game that dispensed baseball cards when I was a kid.
Such a good game, Knoebels and Boardwalk Blvd in Muncy also had them.
heartbreaking too see a mall that has been there for 40 years just gone in days its really sad too see.
Such a well put together video! I'm loving all the vintage footage and images. Nearly cried when I saw the Phar-Mor. There was one in my childhood mall too and I loved it dearly. I still have my Phar-Mor video rental card!
me too.
Power buying saves, save at Phar-Mor! Man do I miss that place, our Phar-Mor is now an ollies bargain outlet
Didn't last long at the Schuylkill Mall. Might of had something to do with being understaffed and have little security. Some called it the steal more.
I worked at that KMART for many years. I saw first hand as store's moved out. I'll miss the leaky roof and the buckets on the floor.
The Schuylkill Mall! We're deader than ever! We're deader than ever for YOU!
Yeah that fits the mall's new slogan now. As for those shoppers and future ones they're either dead or now going to Amazon.com to do their shopping in this day and age.
And so are those old ladies at the beginning.
I love the new American pastime of being fascinated with the past, the old stuff that made "America Great" in the first place. I'd never think so many people would be interested into what this stuff was about.
tehee i love creating this library of the past
As a Skook local, I thank you Ace for doing a great job of documenting the Mall’s history as well as showing a lot of its best times while it was around
silent hill mall.
Wow sweet retro vid and pics that old lady before my time in 1980 said it Best when I want to shop I come to the mall. You heard it right people support your local stores and malls! If I had a delorean Id time travel to the 80s and just be a mallrat basking in 80s neon!
J the Batchelor Then you’d like Portage Place in Winnipeg, lots of pastel colours, neon and a huge fountain!
J the Batchelor th-cam.com/video/Dn3IUzQKJgA/w-d-xo.html
J the Batchelor th-cam.com/video/5s1rVa7LqKc/w-d-xo.html
I'm with you, man. I'll bring the music. :)
The 80's, just like the 70's before them, were not as exciting to live through as you might think.
Thumbs up if you knew how to pronounce "Schuylkill" before they said it in the video
The first three people interviewed.....are almost certainly dead.
Holy Crap. They really didn't change anything since 1980. =P
The natural aesthetic.
RobRobertTheMusicMan not much of skook has changed since 1980
What a shame about the Schuylkill Mall. I have many great memories. Still people blame online shopping for its demise. The reality is it was killed by its lack to evolve and poor area demographics. I still get a kick out of the fact that people were gullible enough that it was built to be a women's prison!
That last bit with the fog is really something, especially with how some of the sidewalks are still there. Great work!
And what remains of the old loading dock....the one identifiable structure I could make out.
love how it first comes on and said s Aces Adventure s 💖
Wow at 12:05 it just looks like what you see in the movie Mist with all that fog out there. Great job looking forward to seeing more videos from you.
Wow, seeing Phar-mor really brought back memories. Ours was an outlying store from our mall but that and Hills were almost always certain on the list when we went.
You’re best video ever Anthony, really well done.
8:17 That's a smokin' hot reporter (her, lol)!
OMG! John Lokitis! He looks great! Nice surprise! Overall, excellent video!
Wonder what his life is like now . Do a follow up on where he is now .
This was VERY well produced. Kudos to you on a fine documentary film. I wonder what the people who bought the mall plan to do with the property. If they went through the expense of demolishing it, you’d think they’d put the land to some kind of use.
Nothing last for ever, but the earth and sky, Kansas, Dust In The Wind, so true!
Great video! Where did you find all of the vintage pictures? I remember walking through that mall about a week before it opened. They were allowing people to get a look at the stores before the grand opening. Always liked the old style Spencer's storefront. Saw many films at the old UA "the movies" including midnight showings (Rocky Horror, Dawn of the Dead, etc.). Pearl Theaters was open into December. I saw Justice League there in November. Thanks for sharing these memories!
Great documentary! Hope to see more like this one!
Alot of the video in your piece (the old television video) I was responsible for archiving from the old degrading umatic video tape to digital format archive. Glad you made some great use of it. Interesting piece, grew up only a half hour form this mall and can remember it fondly, in fact i had the opportunity to visit the site a few months before demolition. Thanks for preserving some memories.
OMG as a kid this was it.throwing change in the fountain and making a wish. The Rides outside of Kmart. The time I was in the batmobile from the original TV show. There used to be baseball card shop and venders in the middle of isles with table's. I had a Shaq and Ken griffy rookie cards I cashed in and got a bike. Good times. Now it doesn't exist. Demolition a year or so ago. A real shame.
One of your best, and what a great history lesson about this mall. The 80s photos and ad gave me major flashbacks to my mall adventures with the Jersey Malls. Sad that most of the stores are gone and, in the case of Sears and KMart, may soon be gone :(
It's a great blending of your awesome work, your friends video work and the news reports.
Sad too: all that work and effort put into a mall that only lived 38 years. Now it's an empty space like a tornado ripped through and oblitered the whole place. Thanks for doing these videos so people can remember the malls and their purpose in our lives.
One of the best clips you walking into the fog and disappearing into it. The sound of your walking shoes on the gravel: dramatic and no words needed.
As a few others said hope you do more of these "the history of" videos. But Damn I missed the live viewing of this documentary!
Too bad it didn’t get to become the next rolling acres.
This mall was such an important part of my youth, and I miss it so much every day. So many memories with family and forgotten friendships. Before having internet, this mall fed me all the pop culture of my childhood. Before social media, this mall was the place to be with all your friends. It will live forever in my heart, and I have a small piece of one of the broken bricks among my personal treasures.
That fog gives it a Fallout vibe.
Awesome vid, and great job documenting the history. My (now) wife and I would go to the Schuylkill Mall when we were dating during college. Kind of sad...
I seen that throw back on my tv when WNEP news 16 showed it on the air Nice video
Very good video Ace. Many other malls will see the same fate in the next five years or less. Malls aren't the draw they once were. Too expensive, items out of stock, and crime are the leading factors. The iconic Century III Mall near Pittsburgh Pa will look like this in a few years most likely.
Near by Knobel's Park? That's a butt numbing drive at the best of times.
The Pearl movie theater was a true gem in this mall, Great compilation of this mall, Really glad to see this video also, Thumbs Up!!?
This will be a great space for an Amazon Distribution Center.
Around 2008 it started to get that zombie video game feeling in different sections.
Great video Anthony, I used to drive from Allentown every weekend just to go this mall. Thanks for taking me down memory lane.
WOW!
you couldn't have asked for a more abysmal day to shoot the aftermath!
Great episode! Really setting the bar for what a DMV could be!
Great video! It was very well done. I loved seeing the history, I never went there, but it is still hard to watch the downfall of yet another mall. I left Akron before they demolished rolling acres I was last there in October 2010. Malls are dying everywhere sadly.
Why in the Blue Hell, would you tear down a perfectly good bazillion square foot building... to put up a North Korea type factory, for all the local ppl to be more depressed?
Roof was a disaster and the area is badly economically depressed.
Roof was a disaster Because of, it was left alone for years with out any type of repairs. (from around 05-08?) The structure / building itself was in solid shape, would you not agree? The area is badly economically depressed, because....? (naturally coal is not king any longer there)
I wouldn't even go that car. As much as I loved how retro it was, it was in bad need of overhaul and we don't know how bad the water damage actually ran. Area has never recovered from factories and coal, generations just...kinda being there. Warehouses love this area due to cheap educated disposable labor.
Spent a lot of time here growing up. When I heard you were making this video I couldn’t wait. So many memories. Thanks for doing this!
Very clever beginning! Excellent, Ace.
I wanna see more videos like this one! From the vintage footage from the malls early beginnings to the news footage of their progressive decline to what it looks like now. This video was your best one yet and I cannot wait to see what else you have in store :D
Thank you for another great video . Be safe . Never heard of this part of PA , then when I heard someone said POTTSVILLE
PA, then I knew of the area. How is Spectrum treating you ?
Hope you are doing well.
Couldn't of pick a better day to capture the final segment.
That Video Vault segment reminded me so much of Stranger Things 3
malls were one stop shop until Amazon came along the evolution of retail went from having to drive downtown to a short trip to the mall now we can get what we want from our houses at the click of a mouse or touch of a smart phone . These malls were a sign of more simple times gone by .
An exceptional documentary. Thanks for posting.
eerie and creepy once it was demolished.
Can't believe she went under with an inviting name like Skull-Kill.
Good to see John Lokitis of Centralia fame again. The video of it today looks like a ground zero.
BREAKING: Sears files for bankruptcy ahead of a $134 million debt payment . Stock price was 41 cents a share when trading ended Friday.😪 RIP Sears....😫