I've had dreams/nightmares about that area too, It gave me bad déjà vu seeing it in this video. I haven't lived in England for over 15 years and still get those dreams, how strange!
Hi and thank you for posting this video. I have lived in Hull all my life and have seen the rise and fall of Princess Quay. Hull is a lovely city and worth a visit, especially the old town which is steeped in history. The problem with Hull City centre is that for one it is at the end of the line city with no passers-by. And the City centre and retail especially is spread over a large area with three shopping centres (malls) and not enough retailers to go around. I walked round the city centre a few days ago and found that half of the shops were empty plus with high parking costs the remaining retailers are struggling. It's a big shame as the local people and independent retailers are so friendly. I urge people to visit for the free museums, the history and the fantastic bars and restaurants, aswell as the Deep submerium. And the wildlife along the coastline of East Yorkshire and Spern Head.
The top deck was very popular full of small independent unusual shops it did have a wild West Town kind of theme it was so unique and unusual. It was a very popular meeting place for teenagers. People were genuinely upset when it was closed and turned into a cinema.
It was actually recently sold to Tokyo Industries who have some interesting ideas planned away from retail. The council have been fast tracking more residential apartment developments in the city centre in order to boost footfall.
I was in Hull in July for a few days and your video seems a really good analysis of what I saw in the city centre. St Stephen's is bustling and full of stores and next to the huge transport interchange and it's quite clear that the retail core of the city has moved there. The Princes Quay / Whitefriar Gate areas are looking deserted and depressing.
moved overseas from hull when i was 13 and was reminiscing and watched this. memories lol used to be packed when i was a kid in early 2000,and holy shit those christmas displays give me nostalgia
Omg. I left Hull in 2008 and haven’t been back to Prinny Quay (as we used to call it affectionately!) since mid 2000’s. I went to the opening in 1991, it was absolutely packed out & was very very popular for a long time. The top deck was truly unique in its time , Leonardo’s cafe up there did the most amazing cheese toasties. There was a thriving coffee place over the balcony where you pointed out the up elevator, it was rammed on Saturday mornings! Such happy memories, even the tiled floor - yes it’s original! So sad, 😪I feel so old now….subscribed! Thanks
In the 90's this was the place to be on a Saturday, especially top deck!! I enjoyed just going to hang about with my friends in Huckleberry's for a milkshake, then we would pop to Diamond lils arcade for a game of pool, have a look in Kingston jeanery for all your 90's trash jeans, eclipse and leather jackets. There was a shop that sold everything beauty related and I can't remember the name but I spent tons in there on false lashes and corn silk face powder. My boyfriend used to visit DJ's for vinyl and can't forget the original Leonardo's Bar/restaurant. It was sad to see it go.
Also just recently went to see Patrick Topping there, which was literally an under ground rave. That was quite an experience and a great way to bring some life back to the centre.
I'm originally from Hull but I live in Bangkok these days. I fondly remember Princess Quay in the late 90s and early 00s as it was a magical place to visit as a child due to the imposing elevators, escalators and the general atmosphere due to the hustle and bustle of the place, especially during the weekends. It started going downhill around 2007/8, if memory serves me correct, as a result of St Stephen's opening and the financial crisis, economy collapse which destroyed the retail industry. However, the internet has also played a serious role in high-street decline. All things come to an end I guess, although it's very sad that such places (and city centres...) can go from extremely lively and popular places, to eerily quiet shells in just a few decades. In my opinion, it should become a sports complex that has badminton/tennis courts, swimming baths, rock climbing, and go-karting facilities (etc.) . That might be the only way to save it. If not, it will likely be turned into office spaces or just be left empty for years until it gets vandalized and eventually demolished. That appears to be the way HCC does things, unfortunately. The government along with councils and local business enterprises need to try and figure out the role of the high street because empty shops are only going to continue putting people off from visiting cities such as Hull, thus tourism being severely affected. I hope there is a future for Princess Quay but as things currently stand, I have somewhat of a pessimistic attitude and outlook about it. Regardless of what happens, I will always remember the good times I had there from 1995-2006 as a child /teenager, especially during Christmas. They were fantastic times, my friend! However, over time, culture and society changes and with it, peoples' attitudes, priorities, habits, etc. C'est la vie.
the bit at 5 mins was the top floor that is now the cinema. it was made up of small units for small outlets to trade from. local start ups would open there selling everything from clothes to tobacco, condoms to fractal prints. it was by far the best floor to walk around even if you didn't buy anything. if you are familiar with the lanes in sheffields meadowhall it was like that. some where you could waste a lot of you day out, looking at odd shops that are unique and a break from the main generic chain stores you see in ever city.
top deck in the 90s was great. loads of smaller shops, there was a great computer shop, that totem pole was in a cafe, there was also a 70s clothing retro shop, it was a bit like afflecks palace in Manchester.
@@bazza5699 shop moved area but then went under not long after . That was after he left the place . He's not in computers anymore . But he still has plenty of them for himself 😂
Next on the top deck closes at the end of March 2022, River Island closes the following week. An old friend of mind who worked for the company who did the piling told be they had plans of how to dismantle the place if needed.
The old big house of fraser store across from the station is now called HOH its been transformed into food courts and bars with music on a weekend , very trendy and a great place to visit, very busy at the weekends. Lots of apartments been built in hull centre and the old town with the cobbled streets and the marina its a fantastic place, hull is changing we moved here and so are many others, the place is friendly and cheap to live, you do have a rolex and flannels shop if you want high end stuff.
I used to have a unit/shop on top deck right up until they decided to close it and open the cinema. Closing top deck was a very bad idea as we along with the other tenants were a big draw for the centre.
The top dec was great, loads of character. I bought an Italian combat jacket from there back in the day. Loads of tightly packed shops, to explore. I was sad to see it go.
Basically only go in there for primark and an alternative fashion store called "damaged society" which is maybe the only one in Hull (near the entrance couple of shops down from Claires)
I used to go to school in Hull, as a kid in the early-mid 2010s the place used to be much livelier but going in there now in 2023 its almost abandoned. The only parts of the mall that tend to get any attention is the large primark and vue cinema
It's funny how so many malls opened in the early 90s with such aplomb, designed during the excesses of the 80s. By the end of the noughties they seemed like cavernous relics of a bygone era. I wonder how the footfall compares to St Stephens shopping centre nearby? Once newer, rival malls spring up within a stone's throw, it sounds the death knell for the older ones. A shame on cohesive town planning.
Love how you put that, mate. From what I saw, there was a LOT more footfall in St. Stephens. Hard to tell how much of that was just passing traffic though.
@@DeadMallWalking I'm not surprised. Perhaps in the future there'll be a concerted effort to consolidate the retail spaces for the sake of the town and bring everything under one roof, giving up the derelict site for housing or other much needed services. We shall see!
The Wild West material was from the top deck before the cinema. It wasn't Wild West themed though, it was made to look like the backstage of a theatre that was doing a play set in the Wild West. The floor was different to the rest of the shop too. Instead of tiles it was planks of wood and I remember like a horse and cart type cart in the middle of the floor but I can't remember what was on it. The building was supposed to resemble the sails on a sailing ship. I used to go to the top deck at Christmas and film the giant animated ground floor Christmas display on the way down from the glass lifts.
@@DJ_Dopamine I was born ( almost, Beverley) and brought up in Hull. Lived there until i was 21. Left in '82. Fantastic time. That said, Hull Council was a bl00dy menace even then.That's Labour for you. How could they be so shortsighted ? Hull was a buzzing city then. I just see a dead one walking now....after I revisited in 2018. Don't get me started on Whitefriargate...
Top deck of Prinny Quay used to be the place to be! We all used to meet up tgere in the late 90s /early 00s. It was all different vintage types of shops and restaurant /bar, sort of looked like you was in a market place abroad. Like you say there's bigger stores near station and if you want designer you go to leeds or york. Its a shame really coz they buildings great. Maybe it should become more of a food/entertaining venue.
Nice! And, honestly, it's tough to know what the answer is in places like these: it seems like this one, and other similar spots, are pursuing restaurants and bars pretty hard. Not that useful if they have to close early though.
I remember the Top Deck as being the only interesting place, filled with independent traders. I also attended a gig by Geno Washington on the lower deck, after the shops had closed. It was a terrific gig, with food and drink supplied by Leonardo's Italian restaurant. I think it must have been the early 90s.
I came to Hull in 1968 as a young man.Met an Hull lass in Scarborough and we are still married.I grew up in Rotterdam Netherlands a twin city to Hull.There is something about Hull and the people.Rotterdam was bombed to shit like Hull in the war.I returned back once to the Netherlands but didn't settle.I missed Hull and I probably die here.We need some more competition regarding ferries to the continent.Steve Brady had a good idea a proper passenger terminal.We spend many hrs in Prinses Qui i remember Prospect centre build.St Stephens is cold in the winter but Tesco is a big attraction.
I've never been to this mall, but I can see many similarities between it and the Bon Accord Centre in Aberdeen Both look alike on the inside and were built in the early 90s Both had a major setback in the late 2000s when newer malls were built near the bus and rail stations of their respective home cities And both are suffering from low occupancy rates now I will be going to the Bon Accord Centre this afternoon to see what it's like now although I've not been in it since last December!
@@DeadMallWalking I've just been. Wasnt as empty as I thought it might be. You simply can't get into John Lewis though. The gates are shut there. Certainly some empty shops. Nowhere near as bad as you might think though
@@adamh2900 I've not been in the Bon Accord Centre for yonks, what about the St Nicholas Centre? I see it too with both cities as I was at Hull in the early 2000s as a student. I can remember the cowboy area in PQ. It was just that and the eateries were on the top floor, I never got that being blocked on level three, I hated the lifts in PQ Dead Mall
I only ever really go in there for the primark and the cinema as the tickets are cheap, it is mostly just used as a car park really and people walk through to get to other parts of the city centre
I live in hull This shopping centre is usually this empty Remember we had covid That meant alot of places were struggling with money So that's why some shops had to close Its not a dying shopping mall It's very much alive
Of course, my videos will always be timestamped by the time they were filmed - late 2021, in this case. The country had largely reopened by then, so covid doesn't really explain why this place was so empty. Glad to hear that it's hanging on though!
@@DeadMallWalking been going down hill for a while, first time i really noticed it was when the university of humberside (based in hull) upped sticks and moved to lincoln.. there were far fewer people in the city clubs and pubs. then one by one all the clubs shut down, LA's was great, long gone now, and silhouettes.. sharkeys, and circus circus, what used to be eclipse (not sure what it was called after that, but it's shut now too), then all the shops.. really really sad. Hull had a great night life, but it's gone now..
@@bazza5699 Me and my partner used to go to LA's / circus Circus all the time, the night life used to be great now it is dead. I miss the way Hull used to be.
So the top level used to be niche, thrifty and vintage shops mostly. I seem to remember a bar as well but I was to young for all that. Was more or less a place for the alternative crowd to gather from what I know.
Link to an interesting video of Princes Quay being built from scratch in about 1988 - until completion and opening in 1991 th-cam.com/video/R-rIjoB07lc/w-d-xo.html
Lots of fond memories from the top deck, meeting friends and family in the bar overlooking the atrium or chomping a burger and fries in the café with the totem pole before a night out, only bad thing about it to me was the stupid cinema lol
Is a shame to see prinny quay struggling. Getting rid of top deck shopping was a big mistake imo. I remember when st Stephen's first opened it was a bit of a damp squib to begin with.
England does not need enclosed malls because the weather is generally tolerable no matter season. Unlike Northeast US where is too cold or too humid outside.
@@marcushull12 It’s East Riding Of Yorkshire, but, nobody ever put that when you addressed letters. I was 17 when Prinny Quay opened, remember it well.
There’s just no reason to go there tbh. They should do it in sections; release a restaurant/eatery section, cloths section, kids section, keep the cinema on top, and just more entertainment shops.
Yeah, more restaurants might help - it seemed (at least when I filmed) that was what they were shooting for on that lower floor? It just felt kinda…uninspiring in general.
Its a question that went begging, why did they allow the St Stephens to be built as a shopping precinct ? The city did needed a total rebuild as a bust station certainly but another shopping precinct ? Given the size and prime location of Tesco that dominates St Stephens; makes one wonder how many strings were pulled with dodgy hand shakes . I moved to Newcastle.
Overmalling is a very American concept - I’m currently working on a video about somewhere with three malls/outlet malls in a 3 mile radius - but unfortunately we’re not immune to it here either!
St stephens provided the much needed larger units that were lacking in the city centre at the time. Although now you could easily do away with St Stephens and fit all retailers in PQ instead. Huge units vacant such as the old JJB and Zavvi
This response is a long time coming, but I see it hanging on for a while. It seems like HoF comes close to going under once every five years or so, gets bailed out, ploughs ahead for a bit...rinse and repeat. Not sure it will last the decade though.
Leicester is just as Shite, Highcross, is having former Debenhams area with two level parking decks above it totally demolished. To make way for 350 apartments, with boutique size small shops to take place of display windows and doors at two levels. Spent money extending now reducing. Broadway Nottingham was good, its part demolished wreck, Victoria Centre Nottingham 1/3 dead mall as well. Out off towm shopping centres & retail parks. need to be stopped and building of new malls that sweep away old Georgian and Victorian shops. Bring back cheap parking or make it free on weekends. Or just have more empty and derelict shops.
Maybe this is a hot take, but having to pay for city centre parking is honestly ridiculous to me. Between that and parking tickets, then they wonder why people just stay home and shop online instead...
It's a shame it's dying on it's feet, there's been a slight improvement of late, but I'm not sure how much of an impact St Stephen's has had because in the grand scheme of things although new, it's not particularly alluring.
It is, of course, beyond the wits of Hull City Council to offer a discount in Business Rates for an enterprise that might propose opening 2 outlets / points of sale within half a mile of each other. No ! All they want is the ( quite non - existent ) money. But this is not unique to Hull.
bit of a morbid tit bit from this place about 6 years ago someone killed themselves in there jumping from the 2nd highest balcony all the way to the floor
Oh man! Morbid indeed, but interesting, so thank you for sharing. Someone also let me know that it’s the setting for a meme where Santa’s reindeer have all fallen off their cables into the main concourse.
Princes Quay is - in my opinion - an architectural abomination. With its irregular juxtapositioning of cheaply fabricated glass panels, that almost inevitably don't get washed often enough and are allowed to accumulate layers of dust and gull shit, it seems like the very epitome of inner-city failure. I do not understand how planners get the idea that such belated examples of brutalism can do anything but clash with the traditional architecture nearby. Many of the buildings around that part of hull are either 19th (even 18th) century survivors of the blitz, or classically styled rebuilds from the 1950's. To basically drop this huge heap of grimy prisms into their midst is nothing short of cultural vandalism. Yes; it's cheap. But cheap doesn't always mean cheerful. Money would've been better spent converting the dock into a marina extension. Ranks of smart yachts would've been easier on the eye and far more apt to both history and geography. St Stephen's is hardly better, but being more central, lacking the confused means of access and being largely single storey has secured its popularity. A huge Tesco has likewise assisted foot traffic. Meanwhile, the huge attractive `Hammonds' complex just across the road lies idle. Princes Quay was a neglected slum before it even left the drawing board.
about the up escalator in the corner, i’ve had that exact nightmare, where i’ve been trapped up there, at least once before. it really is creepy.
I've had dreams/nightmares about that area too, It gave me bad déjà vu seeing it in this video. I haven't lived in England for over 15 years and still get those dreams, how strange!
You could have gone out the carpark up there and down the stairs
Plenty of options for escape lol I did a few labouring jobs with shop fitters in "prinny key" as the bosses used to text it 🤣
😂😂😂
😂😂😂😂😂😂
Hi and thank you for posting this video.
I have lived in Hull all my life and have seen the rise and fall of Princess Quay. Hull is a lovely city and worth a visit, especially the old town which is steeped in history.
The problem with Hull City centre is that for one it is at the end of the line city with no passers-by. And the City centre and retail especially is spread over a large area with three shopping centres (malls) and not enough retailers to go around. I walked round the city centre a few days ago and found that half of the shops were empty plus with high parking costs the remaining retailers are struggling. It's a big shame as the local people and independent retailers are so friendly. I urge people to visit for the free museums, the history and the fantastic bars and restaurants, aswell as the Deep submerium. And the wildlife along the coastline of East Yorkshire and Spern Head.
The top deck was very popular full of small independent unusual shops it did have a wild West Town kind of theme it was so unique and unusual. It was a very popular meeting place for teenagers. People were genuinely upset when it was closed and turned into a cinema.
Very 90s aesthetic in this mall almost feels like a childhood memory watching you walk through this mall
It was actually recently sold to Tokyo Industries who have some interesting ideas planned away from retail. The council have been fast tracking more residential apartment developments in the city centre in order to boost footfall.
I was in Hull in July for a few days and your video seems a really good analysis of what I saw in the city centre. St Stephen's is bustling and full of stores and next to the huge transport interchange and it's quite clear that the retail core of the city has moved there. The Princes Quay / Whitefriar Gate areas are looking deserted and depressing.
It's a real shame, because it's in such a nice spot right by the water!
This is the problem, when St Stephens opened it simply made most stores move there from other sites rather than attract new shops
They shut marks and sparks down in whitefriargate!
moved overseas from hull when i was 13 and was reminiscing and watched this. memories lol used to be packed when i was a kid in early 2000,and holy shit those christmas displays give me nostalgia
Glad I could give you a little burst of nostalgia, bud!
Wow, Princes Quay was a huge shopping centre, many floors full, but that was late 90s
my dad worked there the day it opened, its shit now. only reason to go there is the cinema
Omg. I left Hull in 2008 and haven’t been back to Prinny Quay (as we used to call it affectionately!) since mid 2000’s. I went to the opening in 1991, it was absolutely packed out & was very very popular for a long time. The top deck was truly unique in its time , Leonardo’s cafe up there did the most amazing cheese toasties. There was a thriving coffee place over the balcony where you pointed out the up elevator, it was rammed on Saturday mornings! Such happy memories, even the tiled floor - yes it’s original! So sad, 😪I feel so old now….subscribed! Thanks
Thanks Claire! Glad to have you aboard. Yes, it's sad to see these places decline when you have such vivid and vibrant memories of them.
In the 90's this was the place to be on a Saturday, especially top deck!! I enjoyed just going to hang about with my friends in Huckleberry's for a milkshake, then we would pop to Diamond lils arcade for a game of pool, have a look in Kingston jeanery for all your 90's trash jeans, eclipse and leather jackets.
There was a shop that sold everything beauty related and I can't remember the name but I spent tons in there on false lashes and corn silk face powder.
My boyfriend used to visit DJ's for vinyl and can't forget the original Leonardo's Bar/restaurant.
It was sad to see it go.
Also just recently went to see Patrick Topping there, which was literally an under ground rave.
That was quite an experience and a great way to bring some life back to the centre.
I'm originally from Hull but I live in Bangkok these days. I fondly remember Princess Quay in the late 90s and early 00s as it was a magical place to visit as a child due to the imposing elevators, escalators and the general atmosphere due to the hustle and bustle of the place, especially during the weekends. It started going downhill around 2007/8, if memory serves me correct, as a result of St Stephen's opening and the financial crisis, economy collapse which destroyed the retail industry. However, the internet has also played a serious role in high-street decline. All things come to an end I guess, although it's very sad that such places (and city centres...) can go from extremely lively and popular places, to eerily quiet shells in just a few decades.
In my opinion, it should become a sports complex that has badminton/tennis courts, swimming baths, rock climbing, and go-karting facilities (etc.) . That might be the only way to save it. If not, it will likely be turned into office spaces or just be left empty for years until it gets vandalized and eventually demolished. That appears to be the way HCC does things, unfortunately. The government along with councils and local business enterprises need to try and figure out the role of the high street because empty shops are only going to continue putting people off from visiting cities such as Hull, thus tourism being severely affected.
I hope there is a future for Princess Quay but as things currently stand, I have somewhat of a pessimistic attitude and outlook about it. Regardless of what happens, I will always remember the good times I had there from 1995-2006 as a child /teenager, especially during Christmas. They were fantastic times, my friend! However, over time, culture and society changes and with it, peoples' attitudes, priorities, habits, etc. C'est la vie.
the bit at 5 mins was the top floor that is now the cinema. it was made up of small units for small outlets to trade from. local start ups would open there selling everything from clothes to tobacco, condoms to fractal prints. it was by far the best floor to walk around even if you didn't buy anything. if you are familiar with the lanes in sheffields meadowhall it was like that. some where you could waste a lot of you day out, looking at odd shops that are unique and a break from the main generic chain stores you see in ever city.
Best part up there even the arcades . Ticket master I think it was
I’d recommend checking out the brunel centre in Swindon, that’s seemed to have gone massively down hill in recent decades
Will check it out if I'm in the area! Thanks for the recommendation.
top deck in the 90s was great. loads of smaller shops, there was a great computer shop, that totem pole was in a cafe, there was also a 70s clothing retro shop, it was a bit like afflecks palace in Manchester.
I loved that computer shop!
@@TheMightyKinkle yeah used to sell loads of PD disks.. waaaay before the internet was in every house..
My old man was gaffa in there . Quay tec it was called
@@Leon-wo2kn what happened to him and the shop, is he still floggin computers?
@@bazza5699 shop moved area but then went under not long after . That was after he left the place . He's not in computers anymore . But he still has plenty of them for himself 😂
Next on the top deck closes at the end of March 2022, River Island closes the following week. An old friend of mind who worked for the company who did the piling told be they had plans of how to dismantle the place if needed.
The old big house of fraser store across from the station is now called HOH its been transformed into food courts and bars with music on a weekend , very trendy and a great place to visit, very busy at the weekends.
Lots of apartments been built in hull centre and the old town with the cobbled streets and the marina its a fantastic place, hull is changing we moved here and so are many others, the place is friendly and cheap to live, you do have a rolex and flannels shop if you want high end stuff.
HoH is now closed, permanently.
I actually got an ad for York Designer Outlet whilst watching this video...
I used to have a unit/shop on top deck right up until they decided to close it and open the cinema. Closing top deck was a very bad idea as we along with the other tenants were a big draw for the centre.
i’m so excited for this one omg
Thanks again for your thoughts on the place, some of which make it into the video! ☺️
@@DeadMallWalking aw haha, not a problem. i enjoyed this one a lot :)
The top dec was great, loads of character. I bought an Italian combat jacket from there back in the day. Loads of tightly packed shops, to explore. I was sad to see it go.
Basically only go in there for primark and an alternative fashion store called "damaged society" which is maybe the only one in Hull (near the entrance couple of shops down from Claires)
Yep, I remember seeing that place. Damaged Society is cropping up in quite a few places, sort of like a British Hot Topic.
I used to go to school in Hull, as a kid in the early-mid 2010s the place used to be much livelier but going in there now in 2023 its almost abandoned. The only parts of the mall that tend to get any attention is the large primark and vue cinema
That Primark really is huge for the space! I'm not surprised it sort of dominates foot traffic to Princes Quay.
It's funny how so many malls opened in the early 90s with such aplomb, designed during the excesses of the 80s. By the end of the noughties they seemed like cavernous relics of a bygone era. I wonder how the footfall compares to St Stephens shopping centre nearby? Once newer, rival malls spring up within a stone's throw, it sounds the death knell for the older ones. A shame on cohesive town planning.
Love how you put that, mate. From what I saw, there was a LOT more footfall in St. Stephens. Hard to tell how much of that was just passing traffic though.
@@DeadMallWalking I'm not surprised. Perhaps in the future there'll be a concerted effort to consolidate the retail spaces for the sake of the town and bring everything under one roof, giving up the derelict site for housing or other much needed services. We shall see!
I was last here in summer 2018 and it was busy. Though you could see quite a few empty units...
The Wild West material was from the top deck before the cinema. It wasn't Wild West themed though, it was made to look like the backstage of a theatre that was doing a play set in the Wild West. The floor was different to the rest of the shop too. Instead of tiles it was planks of wood and I remember like a horse and cart type cart in the middle of the floor but I can't remember what was on it. The building was supposed to resemble the sails on a sailing ship. I used to go to the top deck at Christmas and film the giant animated ground floor Christmas display on the way down from the glass lifts.
Also the location where the world famous fallen reindeer meme picture was taken.
I *thought* that was the case! Good to get some confirmation 😀
I honestly never noticed that there was no way down from that escalator in the corner, i just somehow manage to get back down
Haha, maybe you took the stairs on the left? Or ran down the up escalator...
@@DeadMallWalking to be fair that escalator is never on, you were lucky to see it working lol
How to destroy Hull's retail city centre....build two large shopping malls.
This is what we all said at the time... a stupid decision, made by a very stupid city council...
@@DJ_Dopamine I was born ( almost, Beverley) and brought up in Hull. Lived there until i was 21. Left in '82. Fantastic time. That said, Hull Council was a bl00dy menace even then.That's Labour for you. How could they be so shortsighted ? Hull was a buzzing city then. I just see a dead one walking now....after I revisited in 2018. Don't get me started on Whitefriargate...
Agreed
Two large shopping centers that died themselves not long after.
Just had a £3 million restaurant open across 2 floors, and Brewdog/Reds BBQ move in. Plans for a theatre to be developed in there too
My name is Cain from Kingston upon Hull love it I go all day for exercise
Top deck of Prinny Quay used to be the place to be! We all used to meet up tgere in the late 90s /early 00s. It was all different vintage types of shops and restaurant /bar, sort of looked like you was in a market place abroad. Like you say there's bigger stores near station and if you want designer you go to leeds or york. Its a shame really coz they buildings great. Maybe it should become more of a food/entertaining venue.
Nice! And, honestly, it's tough to know what the answer is in places like these: it seems like this one, and other similar spots, are pursuing restaurants and bars pretty hard. Not that useful if they have to close early though.
Top deck was destroyed when it was decided to open cinemas 🤨
I remember the Top Deck as being the only interesting place, filled with independent traders. I also attended a gig by Geno Washington on the lower deck, after the shops had closed. It was a terrific gig, with food and drink supplied by Leonardo's Italian restaurant. I think it must have been the early 90s.
I came to Hull in 1968 as a young man.Met an Hull lass in Scarborough and we are still married.I grew up in Rotterdam Netherlands a twin city to Hull.There is something about Hull and the people.Rotterdam was bombed to shit like Hull in the war.I returned back once to the Netherlands but didn't settle.I missed Hull and I probably die here.We need some more competition regarding ferries to the continent.Steve Brady had a good idea a proper passenger terminal.We spend many hrs in Prinses Qui i remember Prospect centre build.St Stephens is cold in the winter but Tesco is a big attraction.
Why do you think anyone is interested in your crap memory’s ?
ohh i missed Hull so much..... lived there frm 1994-96........
In the 90s me & friends used to take LSD and spend hours in this place. Ah the memories 💕
I've never been to this mall, but I can see many similarities between it and the Bon Accord Centre in Aberdeen
Both look alike on the inside and were built in the early 90s
Both had a major setback in the late 2000s when newer malls were built near the bus and rail stations of their respective home cities
And both are suffering from low occupancy rates now
I will be going to the Bon Accord Centre this afternoon to see what it's like now although I've not been in it since last December!
Please let me know how it is! Maybe it’s one for me to cover in a future video ☺️
@@DeadMallWalking I've just been. Wasnt as empty as I thought it might be. You simply can't get into John Lewis though. The gates are shut there. Certainly some empty shops. Nowhere near as bad as you might think though
@@adamh2900 I've not been in the Bon Accord Centre for yonks, what about the St Nicholas Centre? I see it too with both cities as I was at Hull in the early 2000s as a student. I can remember the cowboy area in PQ. It was just that and the eateries were on the top floor, I never got that being blocked on level three, I hated the lifts in PQ Dead Mall
@@ametrinemoon Both Bon Accord and St Nicholas are still open but have lots of empty shops as well as phone shops and other low value retailers
I only ever really go in there for the primark and the cinema as the tickets are cheap, it is mostly just used as a car park really and people walk through to get to other parts of the city centre
I live in hull
This shopping centre is usually this empty
Remember we had covid
That meant alot of places were struggling with money
So that's why some shops had to close
Its not a dying shopping mall
It's very much alive
Of course, my videos will always be timestamped by the time they were filmed - late 2021, in this case. The country had largely reopened by then, so covid doesn't really explain why this place was so empty. Glad to hear that it's hanging on though!
yep, I walk in this nightmarish place.
Could never forget it.
Haha, despite everything I kinda like it! Being over the water makes it feel quite unique 🙂
The town centre in hull is dying one shop/chain at a time. Compared to other cities it feels small and lacking options. Sad to see my city crumbling.
Lots of closures there, Daniel, can't deny that. But parts of the centre were kinda nice too, so maybe all hope is not lost.
@@DeadMallWalking been going down hill for a while, first time i really noticed it was when the university of humberside (based in hull) upped sticks and moved to lincoln.. there were far fewer people in the city clubs and pubs. then one by one all the clubs shut down, LA's was great, long gone now, and silhouettes.. sharkeys, and circus circus, what used to be eclipse (not sure what it was called after that, but it's shut now too), then all the shops.. really really sad. Hull had a great night life, but it's gone now..
@@bazza5699 Me and my partner used to go to LA's / circus Circus all the time, the night life used to be great now it is dead. I miss the way Hull used to be.
@@Dredd_UK LA's carwash/busstop night was such a good laugh..
@@bazza5699 Such fun nights.
Is it just me, or do the ceilings seem awfully low in this building?
They do look that way actually! I guess because it crams 4 floors into space that would maybe be more suitable for 3?
as someone who lives in Hull and always has honestly in real life they don't look this low lol
Nothing at all to do with all the consistent road works and traffic jams caused by cycle lanes I'm sure.
Oh, definitely not ;)
So the top level used to be niche, thrifty and vintage shops mostly. I seem to remember a bar as well but I was to young for all that. Was more or less a place for the alternative crowd to gather from what I know.
Funny how there's almost always a place in malls known for being where the "alternative crowd", as you put it, gather!
The bar/coffee shop was called Leonardo. Was great place to meet.
why the fuck this channel only has 1k subs having this awesome content????? Duuude, youtube is nutz
Well thank you, I appreciate that! Hopefully you're still around when we hit 5k, 50k, and maybe even beyond :)
Sure@@DeadMallWalking. Bruh, still can't believe the gap between the quality of your content and the number of subs...
Link to an interesting video of Princes Quay being built from scratch in about 1988 - until completion and opening in 1991
th-cam.com/video/R-rIjoB07lc/w-d-xo.html
Lots of fond memories from the top deck, meeting friends and family in the bar overlooking the atrium or chomping a burger and fries in the café with the totem pole before a night out, only bad thing about it to me was the stupid cinema lol
I live in hull princess quay is amazing 😻
Do you have learning difficulties ?
Think the totem pole and area was part of the top deck
It does seem that way, especially looking at the height of the pole. But I really couldn’t find a ton out there about it.
Is a shame to see prinny quay struggling. Getting rid of top deck shopping was a big mistake imo. I remember when st Stephen's first opened it was a bit of a damp squib to begin with.
I think people genuinely only go to prinny key for primark.
That's definitely a feeling I got from some locals. A friend of mine warned me how quiet most of this place is and I was just like..."perfect" haha
And thats in a building that pre dates PQ so you dont have to actually step foot inside the mall
Ahahaha. I go here all the time. It is a shame how dead it became after St Stephen's shopping centre opened
Even though St Stephens seems way less interesting and unique 🙃
@@DeadMallWalking problem is.. anything interesting and unique gets ripped out after a few years and replaced with corporate nonsense..
England does not need enclosed malls because the weather is generally tolerable no matter season. Unlike Northeast US where is too cold or too humid outside.
Nobody calls Hull “Kingston-upon-Hull”. It’s weird to hear it called that lol
Oh I’m well aware, I just wanted to be thorough as plenty of Americans will be watching.
I do and always have , always put it as my address too , then again I always put East Yorkshire too as I hated North Humberside.
"ULL"
@@marcushull12
It’s East Riding Of Yorkshire, but, nobody ever put that when you addressed letters. I was 17 when Prinny Quay opened, remember it well.
I live in Hull)))
I miss top deck
Wish I'd seen it in its prime!
It seems the only shop still there that I remember from the 90s is Millies Cookies
Think a lot of the original '90s places have gone and been replaced!
Pavers still there from when it opened 😮
Hulls outlet floor is there as not everyone can’t travel to York outlet as they don’t have the funds
I love prinny quay
What about the koi carp
Didn't see any! Will watch out for them next time :)
It was supposed to be one of the best attractions on Humberside back then
You mean the east Riding of Yorkshire
The western shop are from the top deck where the cinema is now
Wish I'd seen them back in the day :(
@@DeadMallWalking i've not been on top deck since it was it had shops.. i can't imagine how they've got a cinema up there..
There’s just no reason to go there tbh. They should do it in sections; release a restaurant/eatery section, cloths section, kids section, keep the cinema on top, and just more entertainment shops.
Yeah, more restaurants might help - it seemed (at least when I filmed) that was what they were shooting for on that lower floor? It just felt kinda…uninspiring in general.
@@DeadMallWalking it’s gotten better since you filmed this.
Its a question that went begging, why did they allow the St Stephens to be built as a shopping precinct ? The city did needed a total rebuild as a bust station certainly but another shopping precinct ? Given the size and prime location of Tesco that dominates St Stephens; makes one wonder how many strings were pulled with dodgy hand shakes . I moved to Newcastle.
Overmalling is a very American concept - I’m currently working on a video about somewhere with three malls/outlet malls in a 3 mile radius - but unfortunately we’re not immune to it here either!
St stephens provided the much needed larger units that were lacking in the city centre at the time. Although now you could easily do away with St Stephens and fit all retailers in PQ instead. Huge units vacant such as the old JJB and Zavvi
what's your prediction of house of fraser?
This response is a long time coming, but I see it hanging on for a while. It seems like HoF comes close to going under once every five years or so, gets bailed out, ploughs ahead for a bit...rinse and repeat. Not sure it will last the decade though.
Escaped from hull just after 2000 after approx 20yrs living there, best thing I ever did, living it up in the south of England ☺️
Very hart braking to watch ..it was not like that in 2020 feb when i visited there
I imagine that covid did a number on this place, as it did many town centres, but I wouldn't be surprised if it's picked up since I filmed this video!
Leicester is just as Shite, Highcross, is having former Debenhams area with two level parking decks above it totally demolished. To make way for 350 apartments, with boutique size small shops to take place of display windows and doors at two levels.
Spent money extending now reducing.
Broadway Nottingham was good, its part demolished wreck, Victoria Centre Nottingham 1/3 dead mall as well. Out off towm shopping centres & retail parks. need to be stopped and building of new malls that sweep away old Georgian and Victorian shops.
Bring back cheap parking or make it free on weekends. Or just have more empty and derelict shops.
Maybe this is a hot take, but having to pay for city centre parking is honestly ridiculous to me. Between that and parking tickets, then they wonder why people just stay home and shop online instead...
macy's 😂
Just a little different to the one we're used to, haha.
It's a shame it's dying on it's feet, there's been a slight improvement of late, but I'm not sure how much of an impact St Stephen's has had because in the grand scheme of things although new, it's not particularly alluring.
StStephens is the biggest waste of money the council has spent, and trust me they waste a lot.
Princes Quay killed its predecessor which was Prospect Centre
Yup, that also seemed kinda dead when I walked through!
It is, of course, beyond the wits of Hull City Council to offer a discount in Business Rates for an enterprise that might propose opening 2 outlets / points of sale within half a mile of each other. No ! All they want is the ( quite non - existent ) money. But this is not unique to Hull.
bit of a morbid tit bit from this place about 6 years ago someone killed themselves in there jumping from the 2nd highest balcony all the way to the floor
Oh man! Morbid indeed, but interesting, so thank you for sharing. Someone also let me know that it’s the setting for a meme where Santa’s reindeer have all fallen off their cables into the main concourse.
@@DeadMallWalking can confirm that is also 100% true
Not enough Money or ppl in hull to sustain all these New devs
plenty of money on the outskirts..
@@bazza5699 Same old
City centre shopping is dead....final
St. Stephens is naff
Yeah, it felt pretty soulless when I was in there briefly!
Another US import gone wrong. Britain is overshopped. Time to start thinking about what to do next. Exciting times ahead. THX
But malls were popular here too, at least for a decade or two. Definitely agree that innovation is needed if they're to survive.
I can’t believe this happens in UK too. Have you been in non English speaking countries.
Don't think I've bought anything from there this century ...
I don’t think I bought anything either…Did have a look in the Next Outlet though!
You just need a Sports Direct to cloth everyone in Hull
Don't worry, there's one in St Stephens!
Princes Quay is - in my opinion - an architectural abomination. With its irregular juxtapositioning of cheaply fabricated glass panels, that almost inevitably don't get washed often enough and are allowed to accumulate layers of dust and gull shit, it seems like the very epitome of inner-city failure. I do not understand how planners get the idea that such belated examples of brutalism can do anything but clash with the traditional architecture nearby. Many of the buildings around that part of hull are either 19th (even 18th) century survivors of the blitz, or classically styled rebuilds from the 1950's. To basically drop this huge heap of grimy prisms into their midst is nothing short of cultural vandalism. Yes; it's cheap. But cheap doesn't always mean cheerful. Money would've been better spent converting the dock into a marina extension. Ranks of smart yachts would've been easier on the eye and far more apt to both history and geography. St Stephen's is hardly better, but being more central, lacking the confused means of access and being largely single storey has secured its popularity. A huge Tesco has likewise assisted foot traffic. Meanwhile, the huge attractive `Hammonds' complex just across the road lies idle.
Princes Quay was a neglected slum before it even left the drawing board.