The SF mayor wants to turn it into a soccer stadium, when their homeless population is booming and affordable housing is nonexistent in their city. These people are out of their minds. Absolutely, turn it into apartments. This is like a no brainer to everyone but the idiots in charge.
I used to spend an entire day at this mall with my friends when I was in High School. We would hang out eating croissants under the dome, see a movie and go shopping at United Colors of Benetton.
There were some high school age kids hanging out at the mall for most of the day when I was there too. But they were sitting at a table in the food court mostly on their phones.
@@AdamDoesNotExist A big part of that is that so many office workers continued to work from home after the pandemic, so the downtown area never recovered the lunch hour and after-work traffic from locals. It can't survive on just tourists. Friday at 5 pm, the streets are empty when 5 years ago they would be bustling with people getting out of work, getting a drink or dinner after work, starting their weekend. Now all those people are in their pajamas on their couch.
dead malls are just one symptom of a society in free fall. the economy is great, inflation is lowering, and crime isn't rising, the state spokesperson and lap dog media will tell you. it's a humiliation ritual. you can see it's not true with your own eyes, but the greater the disparity between observable truth and the "official" truth, the more they feel in control.
@@AdamDoesNotExistI doubt it ! Although malls across North America are going the way of the dinosaur 🦕 let’s not brush aside why they’re closing and that’s because of retail theft ! And the fact that there’s no consequences for it ! 🤷🏻♂️
@@AdamDoesNotExist It will! But it will likely be luxury retailers that have relocated and converted the smaller stores. There are several shopping centers in the Bay area that have seen this. Mid-market retail shopping is dead. Have you been in a Best Buy lately?
I worked at this Bloomingdales from 2019-2023. The change was immeasurable after the pandemic, nothing was the same. I’m glad I left and am on to bigger and better things.
@@AdamDoesNotExist yes but it's recovering rapidly. From the San Francisco Travel Association: " 2022 visitor arrivals grew by 29% to 21.9 million, including a 211% increase in international visitation. 2022 meetings and convention business recovered with 347,788 hotel rooms consumed by attendees of 33 Moscone Center events, a 1,933% increase YOY. 2023 visitor arrivals are expected to reach 23.9 million, and 2023 visitor spending is expected to grow to $8.7 billion. " You can find this by searching the article title "San Francisco Travel Association Announces 2022 Results and 2023 Forecast" What isn't as good as 2019 and will probably never return is foot traffic. A shopping mall can't survive on tourist traffic, bro. It's not a tourist destination. I saw a CNBC video that said only about 25% of the malls in each G7 nation (not just the USA) are profitable, and the rest have to change or they will go away. We're talking about adding bowling alleys and stuff like that. Malls which have non-shopping features survive. It has NOTHING to do with retail theft. There's always some retail theft. There were shoplifters in the 1950s and the 1850s. That's not the reason. That's the excuse some companies are using, but we all know it's lack of foot traffic.
Malls in California don't offer the one major advantage that they do in other areas of the world; an escape from absolutely miserable weather. Ever go to a mall in Indonesia? They're amazing, and filled with people because it's 95 degrees and 85% humidity outside.
but it did. When it was cold, foggy, gloomy, and gray outside in the Bay Area. The mall was the place to hang out at. It was lit up, lively with all the people, and the hot mall food to warm you up.
Not necessarily. California does get miserably hot in the summer. The mall near me, around 2 hours from SF is absolutely thriving and in the heat wave last week was absolutely PACKED. I'm talking near-Christmas levels of packed. It entirely is based on demographics, amenities, and management. This mall is the only good one in the area of three. One is dead cause its in between the other two and half the size. One lost anchors but is still in a recoverable state. The good mall has very low vacancy, is large and has a ton of good stores, and when it lost Sears it immediately put in a ticket arcade and a movie theater. Yes, in the age of dying movie theaters this mall ADDED one with like a dozen screens, opening DURING THE PANDEMIC, and the theater is thriving. The biggest thing is giving people a reason to go to the mall in the first place. Good management can run the place well, bringing stores in and therefore bringing people in who'd otherwise just stay at home or shop online. Location is also very important; the mall has to beat other shopping centers. If all the best stores are in the mall, especially if their only location in the area is in the mall, that's another huge win. It's also got to be in an area people like going to. SF Center loses on many of these points.
Before COVID this place was thriving. I went about 6 months ago because i was in the area and omg was i shocked at the condition of this mall. Completely insane how dead the mall got in just a few short years.
Another good video. As a SF Native I've been to this mall many times including its movie theater. It's such a beautiful modern mall. I'm so saddened by how fast it has fallen. I'm even more irritated by how some people lie about this mall being unsafe when it's one of the safest places to be. In all of the times I've visited, not once did I ever feel unsafe. In my opinion Westfield or San Francisco Centre is a much safer place than that part of Oakland you visited in your previous video. I'm hopeful of its revival in the future.
Oh this mall along with many other malls in the SF area are NOT safe. There are plenty of gang fighting, smash and grab activities in these malls. Just do a quick google search and u will see.
@bvincesf From my experiences walking to and from the Powell St Station is mostly *not* dangerous. Matter a fact I was there yesterday, and it *wasn't* even close to being unsafe. Though occasionally there are some undesirable people, but not unsafe for the most part.
@@bvincesf My daily commute includes that stop and I never see anything happening. Maybe during the late night you could be right, but if you're going to this mall nothing should happen.
I arrived in San Francisco in 1981 at the age of 21 and for next twenty years, San Francisco was my home. I loved it dearly. The City offered this high school graduate enough job opportunities to afford my own apartment, good friends and fun times. Then suddenly everything changed and I was feeling really financially squeezed out. I left in 2001 for New Hampshire, but the hold The City had on me never let go. I am so glad I left earlier than most. I never had to witness everything tearing San Francisco apart with my own eyes. I still have uncorrupted memories of the place I still love. This clip was just so sad.
@@ja01975 guess I'll take the bait. Dems aren't fixing the place, but if you don't think big silicon valley money and an unwillingness to fund housing solutions (omg, that's socialism!!!!) arem't also responsible, then you aren't paying attention. The common denominator behind the shittiest politicians isn't party, it's accepting rich peoples' money. The citizen's united ruling was a fucking mistake. Lobbying is bribery.
I think it's the lack the fun stores, most malls use to have. An arcade games center, a pet shop, a music store, a toy store, a poster store, a hobby store, etc. Obviously, the birth of online stores didn't help either. The theft sprees of course made them feel unsafe. It's a combination of many things, with each mall having its unique challenges. But of course I also think, it's also way passed its era.
I would agree the theft and crime in the area is what causing people not to go at downtown. I remember back then it was a good hangout and walk around just to get out the house.
Yea Japantown and stonestown, both in SF, are bustling. Even ikea, a few streets down is flourishing. I guess they just need something new to bring people in but I think the people on top have kinda given up.
The mall being in the state is now, has nothing to do with it not having fun stores like you said, I was a frequent regular person in the mall when I lived there for school, and it was thriving without music stores, pet stores arcade stores. The issue was all the constant smash and grabs, where stores couldn't justify being in this location anymore because they were losing way more money than they were making. Same thing with Powell Street down the road from here.
When I moved here in 1990 this was definitely a destination point! Two underground lines stopped here and the stores in it were great! Emporium was still around then and the Nordstrom Cafe with the overhead domed windows was a great spot to eat - especially on a rainy day! Around last Christmas I came over here and didn't realize so much had closed since I basically got tired of the nastier crowds that hung around the area since the late 90s! Very sad!
@@AdamDoesNotExist I lived in SF in the early 90s also. People forget that NYC was almost bankrupt in the late 1970s. These historical cities will rise again.
I remember when they opened the "new" extension side. The "new" extension used to be a department store called the Emporium. It's the part with the food court in the bottom. It was amazing. Lots of local food stalls and also a fancy Bristol Farms market down there. Increasing crime and the pandemic was the nail in the coffin.
When I moved to the SF Bay Area, I loved having Bristol Farms downtown and was amazed by the busy foot traffic. S.F. now resides in Europe. The streets are busy, the transportation is great, and you have stores large and small in the city centre. America is in decline and there is no denying it.
I loved the grocery store and the mechelin star restaurant on the 4th floor, I believe in the new “expansion”. Theft and the pandemic is partly to blame. We the people are far more responsible for what is happening around the world with all these closures, we sacrificed these places for the luxury of convenience. Living on our phones and never having to leave the house to pay bills, order food, banking, etc. it is our own fault in the name of progress. 😢
Very fun video! Nice work. The dead mall community has a typical posting style and format that most channels offer. Your style is a great change of pace away from the common dead mall vids. 🎉🎉🎉
Considering the mall guards also have to spend the whole day (and every working day) in the mall they would also be bored out of their mind. And I think that expelling the mall rats means less business for the food outlets, and the mall becomes just a bunch of shops, so you go to the one you plan to go to and then leave. This means the restaurants close, making it harder for people to spend any significant time there. There is a reason why every IKEA has a reasonably prized restaurant in the middle. Of course the death of mall culture can be either good or bad depending on what people do instead.
I saw security talking to a few people who didn't seem to have good intentions, but in general they didn't have a ton to do on this specific day. Though I do know there have been some very busy days for the security team!
It's funny how we built these places explicitly to attract people to hang out and buy things, but when people hang out and buy things in a certain way then "Ewww, get them out of here! They're making me feel slightly gross while I shop for my expensive things! I'm ever so slightly more aware of the tenuousness of my position in the middle class! Hisssss, get them away from meeeee!" US culture is a fucking trip when you're not immersed in it.
@@AdamDoesNotExist We need to build your follower list. I forwarded this channel to all my friends here in San Francisco. I want to see you go to the top !
🎉 As a world traveler, l have visited many mall, including this one, it was not dead yet. I used to live at the mall back in the 80's and yes, l still have problems getting on the electric staircase myself😂. Thanks for this video. 👋 Greetings from coastal Mississippi 🧔
This is hilarious. I actually did nearly the same thing earlier this year, though closer to a half day. And because I was waiting for some clothing to finish being tailored nearby. My seat of choice was that same bench with the velcro! Very peaceful up in that atrium, and definitely "fine" as you say.
As a high schooler, this mall gave me a lot of memories, it's a shame it's turned into this. I remember seeing Pirates at World's End at that exact movie theater and we waited for the start time at the borders bookstore just a floor below.
i have been visiting mexico lately and i was surpised to see that the malls at my hometown are thriving. with new ones opening all the time. Im guessing its because its harder to shop online in mexico. the infrastructure isnt there yet to have an item delivered hastle free. but things are gonna change quickly and i can see it becoming even more convenient than in the US. the main issue in mexico is that you cant have a package left on your porch. it would get stolen in minutes. but that can be easily fixed by having packages delivered in person . in mexico its cheaper to have someone deliver packages by motorcycle. also, for appartment complexes, its cheaper to hire a concierge or security guard. so that can help reduce crime. and i can see same-hour delivery being a thing pretty soon. which would beat the US in convenience because of the advantage of cheap labor. Mexico already has the US beat when it comes to convenience ordering food and personal packages. again, motorcycle delivery has a lot to do with it. in mexico pretty much every restaurant, including small businesses does uber. so, going back to malls, I think their days are quickly coming to an end in mexico as well. the decline has not started, but when it does, it will happen fast.
This specific mall has multiple problems, aside from the obvious. For one, parking is absolutely horrid here, it's smack dab in the middle of downtown shopping area which also means that there's no parking at all. The only realistic option are the parking garages and those are not cheap, easily running $5 an hour (probably more now). Then there is the fact that in the city and nearby area, there are two other malls with plenty of parking (Stonestown Galleria and Serramonte) and they more or less have the same stores. Following that, there's also less tourism in general plus the cost of things/cost of living in general in San Francisco is also higher which means less money is going into buying non-essentials. Also, in terms of location, this particular mall is literally a block or two from the infamous SF homeless and drug encampments so not many people want to go to this mall. There's also the fact that downtown used to be where a lot of tech offices used to be but ever since the pandemic, people have started working from home instead which also affects foot traffic here.
@@Than211 man this it a great explanation. When i saw a video of a mall closing in downtown san francisco, i immediately knew why. Like, the story tells itself. But still, its good to see a full breakdown of the reason why it closed. And actually, some of the things you listed, i had already predicted without doing any research, becaue pretty much everyone knows why san Francisco is dying.
Stonestown Mall at edge of town is busy and lively serving the locals. For this mall to bounce back tourism and office workers need to return to the area.
You need to do this again but at Stonestown in Parkside near San Francisco State and/or at Serramonte in Daly City. Completely different vibe. Contrary to popular belief, San Francisco is nowhere near a dying city. Downtown and the Financial District have not recovered because the bread and butter of those areas relied on the flow of traffic from business folks who worked in the Financial District. With many of the companies downsizing their commercial footprint and COVID era WFH policies still mostly in force, the foot traffic downtown just isn't the same. But if you go out to the neighborhoods in San Francisco, where San Francisco people actually live, then they are still vibrant and popping.
No way! What do you do there? I would have loved to put you in the video. I’ve made a bunch of videos in SF so maybe I’ll stop by again some time. I’m still pretty afraid to ask to film people. It’s almost always a no.
Solid video, I should probably visit this mall since I'm pretty close to a BART station now. I usually visit Chinatown and a couple of other places in SF, but never really stopped by the Westgate Center for as long as I've been in the bay area.
Oh man ill always remember working downtown in the late 2010’s and frequenting that mall. It was full of shops and bustling. The lowest floor had a bunch of restaurants and they were all busy and so hard to find seating space
What a shame to see such an icon of a mall closing up. So many of our huge malls in Vancouver, Canada have unfortunately met the same demise. Great video!!
I pass by the mall on my way to work and notice how empty its gotten to be, quite tragic. If the mall itself ever shuts down, i hope that they do something meaningful with the land
Part of the situation with this mall is that traditional malls in general are struggling. The sorts of stores that they used to attract, especially their anchors, have almost all imploded in recent years, from Lord and Taylor to Sear's. Even those that have survived with physical stores worth in quantities worth mentioning thus far, like JC Penny and Macy's, are in real trouble, and nothing has necessarily emerged to replace them. As such, it is really difficult for malls to survive much of anywhere. Even some in busy locations with strong policing are seeing a notable emptiness.
In all the states malls just aren't getting the people that they used to. We can blame Amazon, Walmart and other big box stores for that I guess. YT bloggers have made countless videos of dead, dying, malls. Some of the malls aren't really that old, but as someone said here, the mall anchors are pretty much all gone now. Always wondered who put in all those gumball machines and vibrating lounge chairs you see in every mall. Tried a gum ball, and it tasted like it had been there for a long, long time.
This was a great video and I'm surprised at the sub count. Just here to say, I was here before Adam made it big! It's only a matter of time if you keep pumping videos like this out
I remember this mall! I had just moved to the Bay area and needed a place to feed my baby while checking out the city. We went to the Westfield Mall for the family rooms... Security had JUST kicked everyone out of the room as we were walking up to it, telling us it would be closed indefinitely. I think the name changed not long after that.
This mall was down the road from my old office, so I used to go to it quite a lot during lunch. I actually went there recently to capture a bunch of reference photos so I could build a 3D model of the mall interior, and despite being a weekend it was barely any more active than what was shown here. Nobody really wants to go to a mall with a 75% vacancy, unless its to snap "liminal" photos to post on Reddit. All that said, here's a few extra details you may have overlooked: -The level with the dome ceiling and piano used to be the entrance to a multi-floor office space. Since the pandemic, though, that coworking space was shuttered. -Across from the office space's main entrance was a small exposition hall for companies based in and around SF to showcase their products. Like the office, that hall was shuttered. -A lot of the reason the mall isn't recovering has less to do with the foot traffic, but more to do with Westfield and the current owners failing to perform proper maintenance on the building and units, leading to a lot of rodent and insect infestations in the now-abandoned stores. Really sad that it's basically on its death throes, but it reached the point of no return long ago and honestly most of the other malls in the area aren't faring much better. Off the top of my head: - Tanforan in San Bruno is due to be demolished sometime in the near future in order to make way for a biotech campus. - Southland Mall in Hayward was just walls of closed stores last time I visited. I heard its improved a bit in terms of number of stores, but most days its apparently pretty vacant. - Bayfair mall in San Leandro is dead. Once Macy's closed, they just shuttered the doors for good, but for the past few years walking in there was like stepping onto the set of The Walking Dead. Like Tanforan, it's being converted to offices. - Newpark Mall in Fremont was halfway demolished to make way for a Costco, but is faring a bit better due to it being located by a high school and a college.
Hi, great video! I have great memories of this mall, especially getting confused with the spiral escalators with the gold trim. Wondering where you got that grey shirt jacket? It looks great! Thank you!
Omg Westfield! Whenever it was last Westfield was when I living in the bay and I used to love spending the day here. Riding the escalators around the dome with nothing but people watching was my fav. It’s so sad to see where it’s gone. I miss there.
I had a mall in my area close after Covid hit, and it’s really sad to see these big places with so many people end up so empty and dead. Stores close down, crowds never appear; it's sad.
Can't believe this mall is near dead. I once did a summer theater program a few minutes' walk from there and it was always poppin'. So pretty too when it was fully occupied. The pad thai in the food court was my favorite.
I worked at the Century/Cinemark theater in that mall from when it opened in Fall 2006 to when it closed on March 17th, 2020 due to the pandemic. I never went back even when it reopened in 2021, and was surprised that it closed so suddenly in July 2023 (right before "The Flash" opened that weekend) Oh well..
you should visit east broadway mall in chinatown nyc, its even more dead than this lol. it used to have a bunch of stores in the 90s and now theres only like 3 left i think. cool video!!
When I was in high school and lived walking distance from BART, the mall was really lively on the fourth floor with the dome. I remember winning a free copy of DJ Hero and essentially a second controller for the game during a promo event. I only won it because my mom bought the game for me already and had some practice with the game mechanics to win.
I’m from a different era , that mall didn’t exist when I was a child in 1971. Woolworths was across the street from said mall and that was the destination for us.
I love watching the videos of Market street from that time. It's so intersting to see how much has changed, and how many landmarks haven't changed at all!
This is so sad. I remember when they were remodeling and became Westfield. This mall was such a great place to hang out and shop. The Pandemic changed everything.
Hiya Brother Adam 👨🏼 Sad too see what happening over there.Many great famous store's in the malls is closed down. Such a modern mall. This mall remind me of Zombie 80's movies ( Dawn Of The Dead and Night Of The Comet) i hope you have seen them. In Malaysia we also have few new malls which is closed/ empty. Great video by the video
I was visiting the week that Nordstrom closed, and it was certainly an experience. Nordstrom was open but completely bare and selling only their displays and furnishings. Had a very similar experience walking around. The theater had already closed too leaving that entire upper floor empty and silent.
Hi Adam! 1st time to see you here. I was looking for a blog abt SF Westfield and come across yours.Thats my favorite mall Me and my friends had a Xmas tradition before, we do our Xmas shopping there every year and have dinner after at Cheesecake factory at Macys top floor and watch the Ice skaters below. Good times! I was curious how it look like now after my favorite store Nordstroms left. So sad. Thank you for featuring this place. Are you from SF?
Omg I’ve been there so many times when I was a kid… sad to see this happening to it 😢 I still remember running around when I was around 5 or so, looking up at the beautiful dome… priceless memories.
@@AdamDoesNotExist Glad to hear it! I used to take the MUNI # 29 Sunset 🌆 or an M-Oceanview Train to get out there! I usually stayed at a Basque Hotel in Chinatown when I was vacationing out there Always bought a MUNI Pass to get around! Do you cover anything in the East Bay? Do you know if Larry Blake's and Freight and Salvage are still over in the East Bay in the Oakland/Berkeley area? Loved this video!
This mall is at the Powell Street Bart stop, between 4th and 5th Street on Market in SF. What's left of it, anyway. It's at least half empty. Three empty spots on the main floor do have "just been leased" signs, if true.
So freakin sad. It's just a giant domino game, right? One retailer leaves, and the rest do as well. I still "believe" in the city, and as in the past, it will rebound. Something unique will come of the mall (and thanks for acknowledging it's no longer the Westfield Mall, as we asked that at the beginning of the video). IDK, maybe London Breed is not the answer. I don't know enough about her tenure to make a decision on that. Funny, I consume quite a bit of SF content, and I still don't know the answer. 🥤
I think you're right. The big retailers like Nordstrom (or even the movie theater) draw people in, then they stay and shop at the other stores. So when a big store leaves, it really hurst the others. There are still a bunch of really high end shops, and security there is top notch, so there's still hope for this mall.
I was in Sydney overnight once at the end of my cruise and got to stay in the equivalent of their business district. Whether it’s the Australian culture or the lesser population density their business district is thriving with people out and about with restaurants and malls completely packed with people
New viewer! I moved back to my hometown after spending my college years in San Francisco just last September. Right when movie theaters were starting to open right back up in 2020, I worked at that Cinemark location you visited. I knew it had probably closed by now as the mall was slowly dying (and with it being so hidden away at the top floor) but seeing it fully defunct through this random video in my suggestions box was fucking surreal. I eventually took on a better job as a box office clerk at the Alamo Drafthouse in Mission. Anyway, love what I’ve seen of the channel so far. I get a lot of horrible “Isn’t San Francisco dangerous/dirty?” questions now that I’m back in SoCal, and though the city I left behind certainly has seen better days, I got to really appreciate my time there for what it was - your videos are a perfect encapsulation of what I mean by that.
Thanks! Great to have you here! SF makes my head spin sometimes. There is so much that should be so much better. At the same time, there is still so much that keeps me in the area.
Crazy, i worked right near there right before shutdown and it was busy. I haven't been anywhere near there in a long time and i had no idea it was like this. I'm so bummed.
I used to come to San Francisco every summer when I was a young child and I’d always come to this mall, we’d always go to that movie theater and play in the arcade.
Many, many years ago I believe that glass dome was the inside of what used to be the old Emporium Department Store. I remember when that galleria first opened with Nordstrom at the very top. It was a lovely place to be. In my youth I'd go there frequently with both family and friends. So many happy memories made. During the holidays especially when SF was still safe and bustling with tourists & locals alike. Breaks my heart to see how it is now. How I miss the good ole days.
I lived in San Francisco from 2008 to 2013. My wife and I would spend a whole day in that area. Go see a movie, have some lunch, take a walk to Union Square, and have dinner in China Town. The bottom floor had some great food places and it was always packed. Sad to see how empty it is now. I guess eventually all things die off.
Last time I was at the Westfield Center was back in 2016 and it was really bustling. Moved away before the pandemic, but still sad to see the direction the city is going.
I remember back in the day, when the mall was packed with trendy stores and plenty of great food in the lower level and that really great multiplex up top. I blame the pandemic and changing shopping habits combined with the ongoing crappiness of downtown S.F.
There's that many security guards because of how much theft there was at the mall prior. It's been like that throughout most malls in California unfortunately.
Oh, ive only ever really known this mall as the kinda empty place thats attached to powell. went inside once to get a coffee. Pretty cool that theres a whole video dedicated to it lol
There are very few spiral escalators installed across the United States (six locations). These were the first! The only other spiral escalators I’ve been on were in the Bloomberg headquarters in NYC.
remember going to this ALL the time with my parents in elementary school especially the black friday sales at the huge macy's, There used to be stores alllll the way up on all the floors. I went there 2 months ago and The two top 3 floors we're closed off I'm pretty sure.
Used to work in SF and would frequent this mall a lot. There used to be offices at the top floors and I spent a week working there. I’ve moved away, but I miss the vibrant and bustling city it was.
Appreciate your enthusiasm, but if it’s not “2019 back”, it’s not even close to its former glory. It’s a beautiful city ngl, but it’s gonna take a lot to bring it back.
with friends, we'd have so much fun here , running around and looking in stores would be so entertaining. it's empty which is eery but we would have a blast fooling around
This video is so cool. It definitely feels like there is a difference even from when I went in 2022 and now in 2024, unfortunate to see. Crazy how many stores were there in 2022 that are now gone
If they turned most of it into apartments this would be a crazy cool village
probably a bitcoin mining facility. that way the city can make $... cause this aint cutting it
could def do with a more accessible housing market
The SF mayor wants to turn it into a soccer stadium, when their homeless population is booming and affordable housing is nonexistent in their city. These people are out of their minds. Absolutely, turn it into apartments. This is like a no brainer to everyone but the idiots in charge.
Nope, you’re in the center of the homeless areas it would be a terrible location
@@2SmooveFr here's an idea! lock the doors haha
I used to spend an entire day at this mall with my friends when I was in High School. We would hang out eating croissants under the dome, see a movie and go shopping at United Colors of Benetton.
There were some high school age kids hanging out at the mall for most of the day when I was there too. But they were sitting at a table in the food court mostly on their phones.
Those days were long gone...
Remember Blondie’s Pizza & Rasputin Records?!
I was working at Benetton on opening day back in 1988 or so. Was the most amazing mall bragging to have the largest spiral escalator.
Same! they should take a note from Stonestown and turn it into a giant food court.
I went to this mall just 5 years ago and it was very crowded and bustling, relatively speaking that was not that long ago. I am in shock!
It's a really different area of SF post pandemic.
@@AdamDoesNotExist A big part of that is that so many office workers continued to work from home after the pandemic, so the downtown area never recovered the lunch hour and after-work traffic from locals. It can't survive on just tourists. Friday at 5 pm, the streets are empty when 5 years ago they would be bustling with people getting out of work, getting a drink or dinner after work, starting their weekend. Now all those people are in their pajamas on their couch.
Me too visited from Sydney 🇦🇺 Australia in September 2022 and it was super busy
Shame to see what has happened great spot there
dead malls are just one symptom of a society in free fall. the economy is great, inflation is lowering, and crime isn't rising, the state spokesperson and lap dog media will tell you. it's a humiliation ritual. you can see it's not true with your own eyes, but the greater the disparity between observable truth and the "official" truth, the more they feel in control.
2018 was my last visit. I am floored.
Truly heartbreaking. The memories I have attached to this mall are priceless.
I hope it comes back!
@@AdamDoesNotExistI doubt it ! Although malls across North America are going the way of the dinosaur 🦕 let’s not brush aside why they’re closing and that’s because of retail theft ! And the fact that there’s no consequences for it ! 🤷🏻♂️
or cheap ?
@@AdamDoesNotExist It will! But it will likely be luxury retailers that have relocated and converted the smaller stores. There are several shopping centers in the Bay area that have seen this. Mid-market retail shopping is dead. Have you been in a Best Buy lately?
@@SirManflyMalls were dying before ORT became a thing.
I worked at this Bloomingdales from 2019-2023. The change was immeasurable after the pandemic, nothing was the same. I’m glad I left and am on to bigger and better things.
Good Luck to you! This is exactly what the guy outside said to me. Tourism in SF is far from what it was pre pandemic.
@@AdamDoesNotExist
yes but it's recovering rapidly.
From the San Francisco Travel Association:
" 2022 visitor arrivals grew by 29% to 21.9 million, including a 211% increase in international visitation.
2022 meetings and convention business recovered with 347,788 hotel rooms consumed by attendees of 33 Moscone Center events, a 1,933% increase YOY.
2023 visitor arrivals are expected to reach 23.9 million, and 2023 visitor spending is expected to grow to $8.7 billion.
"
You can find this by searching the article title "San Francisco Travel Association Announces 2022 Results and 2023 Forecast"
What isn't as good as 2019 and will probably never return is foot traffic. A shopping mall can't survive on tourist traffic, bro. It's not a tourist destination.
I saw a CNBC video that said only about 25% of the malls in each G7 nation (not just the USA) are profitable, and the rest have to change or they will go away. We're talking about adding bowling alleys and stuff like that. Malls which have non-shopping features survive.
It has NOTHING to do with retail theft. There's always some retail theft. There were shoplifters in the 1950s and the 1850s. That's not the reason. That's the excuse some companies are using, but we all know it's lack of foot traffic.
Malls in California don't offer the one major advantage that they do in other areas of the world; an escape from absolutely miserable weather. Ever go to a mall in Indonesia? They're amazing, and filled with people because it's 95 degrees and 85% humidity outside.
100%. I've gone to malls for that reason alone.
but it did. When it was cold, foggy, gloomy, and gray outside in the Bay Area. The mall was the place to hang out at.
It was lit up, lively with all the people, and the hot mall food to warm you up.
@@Dapper_Deanlol you act like it's a Minnesota winter
Not necessarily. California does get miserably hot in the summer. The mall near me, around 2 hours from SF is absolutely thriving and in the heat wave last week was absolutely PACKED. I'm talking near-Christmas levels of packed. It entirely is based on demographics, amenities, and management. This mall is the only good one in the area of three. One is dead cause its in between the other two and half the size. One lost anchors but is still in a recoverable state. The good mall has very low vacancy, is large and has a ton of good stores, and when it lost Sears it immediately put in a ticket arcade and a movie theater. Yes, in the age of dying movie theaters this mall ADDED one with like a dozen screens, opening DURING THE PANDEMIC, and the theater is thriving. The biggest thing is giving people a reason to go to the mall in the first place. Good management can run the place well, bringing stores in and therefore bringing people in who'd otherwise just stay at home or shop online. Location is also very important; the mall has to beat other shopping centers. If all the best stores are in the mall, especially if their only location in the area is in the mall, that's another huge win. It's also got to be in an area people like going to. SF Center loses on many of these points.
Before COVID this place was thriving. I went about 6 months ago because i was in the area and omg was i shocked at the condition of this mall. Completely insane how dead the mall got in just a few short years.
it was because mainly of all the smash and grabs, Powell street is just as empty now
To me, it's considered a huge problem if the LEGO store has to close. Which there was one there, and it's last day of business was nov. 30, 2023.
Another good video. As a SF Native I've been to this mall many times including its movie theater. It's such a beautiful modern mall.
I'm so saddened by how fast it has fallen. I'm even more irritated by how some people lie about this mall being unsafe when it's one of the safest places to be. In all of the times I've visited, not once did I ever feel unsafe.
In my opinion Westfield or San Francisco Centre is a much safer place than that part of Oakland you visited in your previous video.
I'm hopeful of its revival in the future.
Oh this mall along with many other malls in the SF area are NOT safe. There are plenty of gang fighting, smash and grab activities in these malls. Just do a quick google search and u will see.
The old mall is safe, but walking to the 5th & Mission parking garage or getting on Powell St. BART/MUNI is risky and dangerous.
@bvincesf From my experiences walking to and from the Powell St Station is mostly *not* dangerous.
Matter a fact I was there yesterday, and it *wasn't* even close to being unsafe. Though occasionally there are some undesirable people, but not unsafe for the most part.
Born and raised in San Francisco. Still live here. It safe, motherfuckers are just soft now.
@@bvincesf My daily commute includes that stop and I never see anything happening. Maybe during the late night you could be right, but if you're going to this mall nothing should happen.
I arrived in San Francisco in 1981 at the age of 21 and for next twenty years, San Francisco was my home. I loved it dearly. The City offered this high school graduate enough job opportunities to afford my own apartment, good friends and fun times. Then suddenly everything changed and I was feeling really financially squeezed out. I left in 2001 for New Hampshire, but the hold The City had on me never let go. I am so glad I left earlier than most. I never had to witness everything tearing San Francisco apart with my own eyes. I still have uncorrupted memories of the place I still love. This clip was just so sad.
Thanks Democrats!
@cherylrichard3059 illegals now get higher living standards thanks to Biden.
@@ja01975 guess I'll take the bait.
Dems aren't fixing the place, but if you don't think big silicon valley money and an unwillingness to fund housing solutions (omg, that's socialism!!!!) arem't also responsible, then you aren't paying attention.
The common denominator behind the shittiest politicians isn't party, it's accepting rich peoples' money. The citizen's united ruling was a fucking mistake. Lobbying is bribery.
The reason why this mall is dead because San Francisco refuses to cleanup the city and enforce crime.
I lived in SF from 86 to 89…. I could survive in the city with 2 part time jobs and going to SF State. I think today this impossoble.
I think it's the lack the fun stores, most malls use to have. An arcade games center, a pet shop, a music store, a toy store, a poster store,
a hobby store, etc. Obviously, the birth of online stores didn't help either. The theft sprees of course made them feel unsafe.
It's a combination of many things, with each mall having its unique challenges.
But of course I also think, it's also way passed its era.
I would agree the theft and crime in the area is what causing people not to go at downtown. I remember back then it was a good hangout and walk around just to get out the house.
And we need to prioritize those types of stores again + arcades and food courts, aka stuff when even made me excitued evenly tie. I went to the mall!!
Yea Japantown and stonestown, both in SF, are bustling. Even ikea, a few streets down is flourishing. I guess they just need something new to bring people in but I think the people on top have kinda given up.
@@starlightrai akak when they discourage hope, however decide to embrace hope on your own, I may and will happen hope itself
The mall being in the state is now, has nothing to do with it not having fun stores like you said, I was a frequent regular person in the mall when I lived there for school, and it was thriving without music stores, pet stores arcade stores. The issue was all the constant smash and grabs, where stores couldn't justify being in this location anymore because they were losing way more money than they were making. Same thing with Powell Street down the road from here.
When I moved here in 1990 this was definitely a destination point! Two underground lines stopped here and the stores in it were great! Emporium was still around then and the Nordstrom Cafe with the overhead domed windows was a great spot to eat - especially on a rainy day! Around last Christmas I came over here and didn't realize so much had closed since I basically got tired of the nastier crowds that hung around the area since the late 90s! Very sad!
It's really cool to hear about those days. Hopefully they return!
It's really cool to hear about those days. Hopefully they return!
@@AdamDoesNotExist I lived in SF in the early 90s also. People forget that NYC was almost bankrupt in the late 1970s. These historical cities will rise again.
I remember when they opened the "new" extension side. The "new" extension used to be a department store called the Emporium. It's the part with the food court in the bottom. It was amazing. Lots of local food stalls and also a fancy Bristol Farms market down there. Increasing crime and the pandemic was the nail in the coffin.
It’s come a long way since then
Bristol Farms closed back in 2017 long before the pandemic & crimemongering even existed
When I moved to the SF Bay Area, I loved having Bristol Farms downtown and was amazed by the busy foot traffic. S.F. now resides in Europe. The streets are busy, the transportation is great, and you have stores large and small in the city centre. America is in decline and there is no denying it.
That Bristol Farms was incredible. First stop right after getting out of Powell Station
I loved the grocery store and the mechelin star restaurant on the 4th floor, I believe in the new “expansion”. Theft and the pandemic is partly to blame. We the people are far more responsible for what is happening around the world with all these closures, we sacrificed these places for the luxury of convenience. Living on our phones and never having to leave the house to pay bills, order food, banking, etc. it is our own fault in the name of progress. 😢
"I'm counting them as friends." As someone who was born in San Francisco and spent my youth in the Bay Area, I love this:)
Haha, thank you!!
Very fun video! Nice work. The dead mall community has a typical posting style and format that most channels offer. Your style is a great change of pace away from the common dead mall vids. 🎉🎉🎉
Thank you! I didn’t even realize there was a dead mall community. Glad you liked the video
Considering the mall guards also have to spend the whole day (and every working day) in the mall they would also be bored out of their mind.
And I think that expelling the mall rats means less business for the food outlets, and the mall becomes just a bunch of shops, so you go to the one you plan to go to and then leave. This means the restaurants close, making it harder for people to spend any significant time there.
There is a reason why every IKEA has a reasonably prized restaurant in the middle.
Of course the death of mall culture can be either good or bad depending on what people do instead.
I saw security talking to a few people who didn't seem to have good intentions, but in general they didn't have a ton to do on this specific day. Though I do know there have been some very busy days for the security team!
It's funny how we built these places explicitly to attract people to hang out and buy things, but when people hang out and buy things in a certain way then "Ewww, get them out of here! They're making me feel slightly gross while I shop for my expensive things! I'm ever so slightly more aware of the tenuousness of my position in the middle class! Hisssss, get them away from meeeee!"
US culture is a fucking trip when you're not immersed in it.
Can you afford living in SF on a Mall Guard salary? Or do they live at the mall?
@@ThePathbauer Most likely not. They might not even live in the "Bay Area", but Bay Area adjacent.
That mall was busy and moderately of people and stores when I was visited in 2021, so it’s sad to see what was a nice place be so empty.
Such great content! This channel is underrated!! Thanks, Adam.
Thank you!
@@AdamDoesNotExist We need to build your follower list. I forwarded this channel to all my friends here in San Francisco. I want to see you go to the top !
🎉 As a world traveler, l have visited many mall, including this one, it was not dead yet. I used to live at the mall back in the 80's and yes, l still have problems getting on the electric staircase myself😂. Thanks for this video. 👋 Greetings from coastal Mississippi 🧔
The last time i went here, it was filled with ppl and it was a year ago, but now its dead? Wth
Ikr im tripping
voting bullshitly happened.
This is hilarious. I actually did nearly the same thing earlier this year, though closer to a half day. And because I was waiting for some clothing to finish being tailored nearby. My seat of choice was that same bench with the velcro! Very peaceful up in that atrium, and definitely "fine" as you say.
As a high schooler, this mall gave me a lot of memories, it's a shame it's turned into this. I remember seeing Pirates at World's End at that exact movie theater and we waited for the start time at the borders bookstore just a floor below.
Amazon killed malls and retail. Pandemic put the finishing touches.
Aka inconsideration to potential kf physical extensions to companies
The reality is : Malls are dying everywhere in the Us....
No, come and check south coast plaza in orange or valley fair in Santa Clara, you can’t find a parking lot
i have been visiting mexico lately and i was surpised to see that the malls at my hometown are thriving. with new ones opening all the time. Im guessing its because its harder to shop online in mexico. the infrastructure isnt there yet to have an item delivered hastle free. but things are gonna change quickly and i can see it becoming even more convenient than in the US.
the main issue in mexico is that you cant have a package left on your porch. it would get stolen in minutes.
but that can be easily fixed by having packages delivered in person . in mexico its cheaper to have someone deliver packages by motorcycle. also, for appartment complexes, its cheaper to hire a concierge or security guard. so that can help reduce crime.
and i can see same-hour delivery being a thing pretty soon. which would beat the US in convenience because of the advantage of cheap labor.
Mexico already has the US beat when it comes to convenience ordering food and personal packages. again, motorcycle delivery has a lot to do with it.
in mexico pretty much every restaurant, including small businesses does uber.
so, going back to malls, I think their days are quickly coming to an end in mexico as well. the decline has not started, but when it does, it will happen fast.
This specific mall has multiple problems, aside from the obvious. For one, parking is absolutely horrid here, it's smack dab in the middle of downtown shopping area which also means that there's no parking at all. The only realistic option are the parking garages and those are not cheap, easily running $5 an hour (probably more now). Then there is the fact that in the city and nearby area, there are two other malls with plenty of parking (Stonestown Galleria and Serramonte) and they more or less have the same stores. Following that, there's also less tourism in general plus the cost of things/cost of living in general in San Francisco is also higher which means less money is going into buying non-essentials. Also, in terms of location, this particular mall is literally a block or two from the infamous SF homeless and drug encampments so not many people want to go to this mall. There's also the fact that downtown used to be where a lot of tech offices used to be but ever since the pandemic, people have started working from home instead which also affects foot traffic here.
@@Than211 man this it a great explanation.
When i saw a video of a mall closing in downtown san francisco, i immediately knew why.
Like, the story tells itself.
But still, its good to see a full breakdown of the reason why it closed.
And actually, some of the things you listed, i had already predicted without doing any research, becaue pretty much everyone knows why san Francisco is dying.
The mall in my area is pretty busy, which is surprising given its location.
Stonestown Mall at edge of town is busy and lively serving the locals. For this mall to bounce back tourism and office workers need to return to the area.
I've eaten a lot of Udon at Stonestown!
You need to do this again but at Stonestown in Parkside near San Francisco State and/or at Serramonte in Daly City. Completely different vibe. Contrary to popular belief, San Francisco is nowhere near a dying city. Downtown and the Financial District have not recovered because the bread and butter of those areas relied on the flow of traffic from business folks who worked in the Financial District. With many of the companies downsizing their commercial footprint and COVID era WFH policies still mostly in force, the foot traffic downtown just isn't the same. But if you go out to the neighborhoods in San Francisco, where San Francisco people actually live, then they are still vibrant and popping.
I work here!!! Dang I would have loved to talk to you physically there.
No way! What do you do there? I would have loved to put you in the video. I’ve made a bunch of videos in SF so maybe I’ll stop by again some time. I’m still pretty afraid to ask to film people. It’s almost always a no.
Westfield Shopping Mall in San Francisco used to be The Emporium Department Store on 835 Market Street,
Solid video, I should probably visit this mall since I'm pretty close to a BART station now. I usually visit Chinatown and a couple of other places in SF, but never really stopped by the Westgate Center for as long as I've been in the bay area.
Oh man ill always remember working downtown in the late 2010’s and frequenting that mall. It was full of shops and bustling. The lowest floor had a bunch of restaurants and they were all busy and so hard to find seating space
The last time i was there was in late 90's. The mall had a lot of people shopping back in the day. Im really shocked to see this now.
So was I!
I shopped in this mall as a teen and then worked in this mall 2008-2009.. shocked to see how downhill it’s gone.. it was booming back then. Sad.
I was there a few months ago. It wasn't Dead. There were not as my people as before the Rona but definitely wasn't dead. It's gets packed on weekends!
Somehow Stonestown on the other side of the city is bustling, check that out sometime!
What a shame to see such an icon of a mall closing up. So many of our huge malls in Vancouver, Canada have unfortunately met the same demise. Great video!!
And no news about it at all on the internet.
I pass by the mall on my way to work and notice how empty its gotten to be, quite tragic. If the mall itself ever shuts down, i hope that they do something meaningful with the land
I still go to the mall where I live, and they are fun to hang out in, and you still see alotta life☆ great video btw!!
Thank you!!!
man i remember 2014 this place was hella busy
I remember avoiding the area in 2019 because it was so busy!
Ughhh i wanna go back
Oh no. I remember going to this mall maybe a year ago. It was pretty active but didn’t expect it to go down the drain like this.
Actual SF resident here. Come back, it’s back to normal.
It’s still dead.
@@gianniclaud do you live here? Or do you just not go outside? Go ahead and go yourself. Or just stay jealous of my city 🤣
@@gianniclaud “just another guy trying to make sense of this world” 💀💀💀 get your corny ass outta here 🤣 this why you get no bitches.
i really liked this video!!♥️ i miss california so much, especially SF! moving to the east coast makes me appreciate california more :(
Glad you liked it!!
Part of the situation with this mall is that traditional malls in general are struggling. The sorts of stores that they used to attract, especially their anchors, have almost all imploded in recent years, from Lord and Taylor to Sear's. Even those that have survived with physical stores worth in quantities worth mentioning thus far, like JC Penny and Macy's, are in real trouble, and nothing has necessarily emerged to replace them. As such, it is really difficult for malls to survive much of anywhere. Even some in busy locations with strong policing are seeing a notable emptiness.
Totally. They've tried to attract luxury tenants, but this area in general isn't much of a shopping destination any more.
Go 80 miles south, same brand's mall, the Westfield/Santana Row in San Jose is booming. Massive crowds all the time. So looks like you're wrong.
In all the states malls just aren't getting the people that they used to. We can blame Amazon, Walmart and other big box stores for that I guess. YT bloggers have made countless videos of dead, dying, malls. Some of the malls aren't really that old, but as someone said here, the mall anchors are pretty much all gone now. Always wondered who put in all those gumball machines and vibrating lounge chairs you see in every mall. Tried a gum ball, and it tasted like it had been there for a long, long time.
This was a great video and I'm surprised at the sub count. Just here to say, I was here before Adam made it big! It's only a matter of time if you keep pumping videos like this out
Thank you! This means a lot to me!
Confucius says: "if the stores aren't open, the criminals can't shoplift"
I would take personal days there in college in the late 90s. It was packed. So sad to see such desolation. Great memories
Honestly not a bad place to take personal days now! But the experience will be quite different.
I remember this mall! I had just moved to the Bay area and needed a place to feed my baby while checking out the city. We went to the Westfield Mall for the family rooms... Security had JUST kicked everyone out of the room as we were walking up to it, telling us it would be closed indefinitely. I think the name changed not long after that.
This mall was down the road from my old office, so I used to go to it quite a lot during lunch. I actually went there recently to capture a bunch of reference photos so I could build a 3D model of the mall interior, and despite being a weekend it was barely any more active than what was shown here. Nobody really wants to go to a mall with a 75% vacancy, unless its to snap "liminal" photos to post on Reddit. All that said, here's a few extra details you may have overlooked:
-The level with the dome ceiling and piano used to be the entrance to a multi-floor office space. Since the pandemic, though, that coworking space was shuttered.
-Across from the office space's main entrance was a small exposition hall for companies based in and around SF to showcase their products. Like the office, that hall was shuttered.
-A lot of the reason the mall isn't recovering has less to do with the foot traffic, but more to do with Westfield and the current owners failing to perform proper maintenance on the building and units, leading to a lot of rodent and insect infestations in the now-abandoned stores.
Really sad that it's basically on its death throes, but it reached the point of no return long ago and honestly most of the other malls in the area aren't faring much better. Off the top of my head:
- Tanforan in San Bruno is due to be demolished sometime in the near future in order to make way for a biotech campus.
- Southland Mall in Hayward was just walls of closed stores last time I visited. I heard its improved a bit in terms of number of stores, but most days its apparently pretty vacant.
- Bayfair mall in San Leandro is dead. Once Macy's closed, they just shuttered the doors for good, but for the past few years walking in there was like stepping onto the set of The Walking Dead. Like Tanforan, it's being converted to offices.
- Newpark Mall in Fremont was halfway demolished to make way for a Costco, but is faring a bit better due to it being located by a high school and a college.
Remember when it was packed. I used to go to that salon.. it used to be so crowded..
This was back in 2012-2016
It has changed quite a bit!
Hi, great video! I have great memories of this mall, especially getting confused with the spiral escalators with the gold trim.
Wondering where you got that grey shirt jacket? It looks great!
Thank you!
Omg Westfield! Whenever it was last Westfield was when I living in the bay and I used to love spending the day here. Riding the escalators around the dome with nothing but people watching was my fav. It’s so sad to see where it’s gone. I miss there.
I had a mall in my area close after Covid hit, and it’s really sad to see these big places with so many people end up so empty and dead. Stores close down, crowds never appear; it's sad.
Can't believe this mall is near dead. I once did a summer theater program a few minutes' walk from there and it was always poppin'. So pretty too when it was fully occupied. The pad thai in the food court was my favorite.
I worked at the Century/Cinemark theater in that mall from when it opened in Fall 2006 to when it closed on March 17th, 2020 due to the pandemic. I never went back even when it reopened in 2021, and was surprised that it closed so suddenly in July 2023 (right before "The Flash" opened that weekend) Oh well..
I guess it's tough competing with the Metreon? The AMC on Van Ness closed pretty abruptly too.
you should visit east broadway mall in chinatown nyc, its even more dead than this lol. it used to have a bunch of stores in the 90s and now theres only like 3 left i think. cool video!!
u should visit tanforan mall it was really empty the last time I was there
Now you have the perfect training for a Dead Rising scenario
I used to come here with my friends all the time, it was my reason to go to the city but it's sad to see how its changed
When I was in high school and lived walking distance from BART, the mall was really lively on the fourth floor with the dome. I remember winning a free copy of DJ Hero and essentially a second controller for the game during a promo event. I only won it because my mom bought the game for me already and had some practice with the game mechanics to win.
I’m from a different era , that mall didn’t exist when I was a child in 1971. Woolworths was across the street from said mall and that was the destination for us.
I love watching the videos of Market street from that time. It's so intersting to see how much has changed, and how many landmarks haven't changed at all!
This is so sad. I remember when they were remodeling and became Westfield. This mall was such a great place to hang out and shop. The Pandemic changed everything.
Hiya Brother Adam 👨🏼
Sad too see what happening over there.Many great famous store's in the malls is closed down. Such a modern mall.
This mall remind me of Zombie 80's movies ( Dawn Of The Dead and Night Of The Comet) i hope you have seen them.
In Malaysia we also have few new malls which is closed/ empty.
Great video by the video
My guy! Thank you! I agree, this would be a great set for a zombie movie.
@@AdamDoesNotExist 🤗 you are welcome.
Thank you agree with me sir
I was visiting the week that Nordstrom closed, and it was certainly an experience. Nordstrom was open but completely bare and selling only their displays and furnishings. Had a very similar experience walking around. The theater had already closed too leaving that entire upper floor empty and silent.
Hi Adam! 1st time to see you here. I was looking for a blog abt SF Westfield and come across yours.Thats my favorite mall Me and my friends had a Xmas tradition before, we do our Xmas shopping there every year and have dinner after at Cheesecake factory at Macys top floor and watch the Ice skaters below. Good times! I was curious how it look like now after my favorite store Nordstroms left. So sad. Thank you for featuring this place. Are you from SF?
It’s back and I went yesterday it’s really fun ngl
Omg I’ve been there so many times when I was a kid… sad to see this happening to it 😢 I still remember running around when I was around 5 or so, looking up at the beautiful dome… priceless memories.
I used to go out to Stones town Mall when I was on Vacation out in San Francisco! Is it still there? BTW where is this Mall located?
It's called Stonestown Galleria now, and it sure is still there. They opened a Marugame Udon a few years back which I went to a few times.
@@AdamDoesNotExist Glad to hear it! I used to take the MUNI # 29 Sunset 🌆 or an M-Oceanview Train to get out there! I usually stayed at a Basque Hotel in Chinatown when I was vacationing out there Always bought a MUNI Pass to get around! Do you cover anything in the East Bay? Do you know if Larry Blake's and Freight and Salvage are still over in the East Bay in the Oakland/Berkeley area? Loved this video!
@@paulrom446 I do quite a lot in the east bay! But can’t say I know those places.
@@AdamDoesNotExist Okay Thanks! Just curious!
This mall is at the Powell Street Bart stop, between 4th and 5th Street on Market in SF. What's left of it, anyway. It's at least half empty. Three empty spots on the main floor do have "just been leased" signs, if true.
I went here right as Covid had hit California, and the mall even then was packed.. it's a beautiful spot, a shame it isn't as popular
So freakin sad. It's just a giant domino game, right? One retailer leaves, and the rest do as well. I still "believe" in the city, and as in the past, it will rebound. Something unique will come of the mall (and thanks for acknowledging it's no longer the Westfield Mall, as we asked that at the beginning of the video). IDK, maybe London Breed is not the answer. I don't know enough about her tenure to make a decision on that. Funny, I consume quite a bit of SF content, and I still don't know the answer. 🥤
I think you're right. The big retailers like Nordstrom (or even the movie theater) draw people in, then they stay and shop at the other stores. So when a big store leaves, it really hurst the others. There are still a bunch of really high end shops, and security there is top notch, so there's still hope for this mall.
Liberal policy's not working is why SF is a laughingstock all-round the US or maybe even the world.
I was in Sydney overnight once at the end of my cruise and got to stay in the equivalent of their business district. Whether it’s the Australian culture or the lesser population density their business district is thriving with people out and about with restaurants and malls completely packed with people
You should go there on a Saturday, and run the same test!
New viewer! I moved back to my hometown after spending my college years in San Francisco just last September.
Right when movie theaters were starting to open right back up in 2020, I worked at that Cinemark location you visited. I knew it had probably closed by now as the mall was slowly dying (and with it being so hidden away at the top floor) but seeing it fully defunct through this random video in my suggestions box was fucking surreal. I eventually took on a better job as a box office clerk at the Alamo Drafthouse in Mission.
Anyway, love what I’ve seen of the channel so far. I get a lot of horrible “Isn’t San Francisco dangerous/dirty?” questions now that I’m back in SoCal, and though the city I left behind certainly has seen better days, I got to really appreciate my time there for what it was - your videos are a perfect encapsulation of what I mean by that.
Thanks! Great to have you here! SF makes my head spin sometimes. There is so much that should be so much better. At the same time, there is still so much that keeps me in the area.
Crazy, i worked right near there right before shutdown and it was busy. I haven't been anywhere near there in a long time and i had no idea it was like this. I'm so bummed.
I used to come to San Francisco every summer when I was a young child and I’d always come to this mall, we’d always go to that movie theater and play in the arcade.
Love eating shake shack under that fancy dome. They put tables out there sometimes and it’s pretty quiet
Crazy! I remember when it was Westfields. Working as a security guard nearby, I would walk over to grab food.
Many, many years ago I believe that glass dome was the inside of what used to be the old Emporium Department Store. I remember when that galleria first opened with Nordstrom at the very top. It was a lovely place to be. In my youth I'd go there frequently with both family and friends. So many happy memories made. During the holidays especially when SF was still safe and bustling with tourists & locals alike. Breaks my heart to see how it is now. How I miss the good ole days.
I remember taking Bart out to the city to hang there. Always looked forward to seeing my homies in the city! crazy how it is now.
It's a different feeling in mid market. Everywhere else is about the same.
I basically lived in Yorktown Mall in Lombard, IL in 1989. Good times.
I lived in San Francisco from 2008 to 2013. My wife and I would spend a whole day in that area. Go see a movie, have some lunch, take a walk to Union Square, and have dinner in China Town.
The bottom floor had some great food places and it was always packed. Sad to see how empty it is now. I guess eventually all things die off.
Last time I was at the Westfield Center was back in 2016 and it was really bustling. Moved away before the pandemic, but still sad to see the direction the city is going.
I remember back in the day, when the mall was packed with trendy stores and plenty of great food in the lower level and that really great multiplex up top. I blame the pandemic and changing shopping habits combined with the ongoing crappiness of downtown S.F.
This was my favorite mall. I loved the spiral escalators.
There's that many security guards because of how much theft there was at the mall prior. It's been like that throughout most malls in California unfortunately.
Oh, ive only ever really known this mall as the kinda empty place thats attached to powell. went inside once to get a coffee. Pretty cool that theres a whole video dedicated to it lol
I was in San Francisco the summer of 2022 for my friends wedding and I was at the mall. I loved the spiral escalator.
That escalator is so cool! So is the dome upstairs.
@@AdamDoesNotExist Guess, you got over your fear of escalators
There are very few spiral escalators installed across the United States (six locations). These were the first! The only other spiral escalators I’ve been on were in the Bloomberg headquarters in NYC.
remember going to this ALL the time with my parents in elementary school especially the black friday sales at the huge macy's, There used to be stores alllll the way up on all the floors. I went there 2 months ago and The two top 3 floors we're closed off I'm pretty sure.
Really sad, pre-covid we used to go almost every other week and you can spend a day there without visiting any store twice.
the dome was so pretty during the holidays!! ❤🥹
as someone that spent much of my youth hang outs spending entire days in malls..."back in the day" hurt 🤣
Sad, it was Very lively crowded a decade ago.
It's been awhile since I've been at Westfield. I'm sad how empty it's become but I'm glad I got to experience it when it was bustling with people!
I've heard it's starting to come back a bit!
Are you in the tanforan mall because that’s in south San Francisco and cool video
Thanks! This was SF Center right downtown
great intro soundtrack lol hows the commercial realestate? rental places? are apartment complexes full or empty? hows the night time is it scary?
Used to work in SF and would frequent this mall a lot. There used to be offices at the top floors and I spent a week working there. I’ve moved away, but I miss the vibrant and bustling city it was.
SF is back! Maybe not 2019 back, but the city is alive again.
Appreciate your enthusiasm, but if it’s not “2019 back”, it’s not even close to its former glory. It’s a beautiful city ngl, but it’s gonna take a lot to bring it back.
with friends, we'd have so much fun here , running around and looking in stores would be so entertaining. it's empty which is eery but we would have a blast fooling around
I opened the Nordstrom at the mall. Fun fact there are some secret rooms at the top with balconies to observe the shoppers. Scary high up
That's so cool! I love a secret employees only room.
What that crazy 😢! Looks scary too I used to come thier a lot when I was kid and love going to the movies
I worked at this mall for a few years in college. We deserve so much better in San Francisco.
I used to make weekly trips to that movie theater :( Im so sad its closed!
This video is so cool. It definitely feels like there is a difference even from when I went in 2022 and now in 2024, unfortunate to see. Crazy how many stores were there in 2022 that are now gone
Thank you!
Being a teenager in the 80's. I remember malls as depicted in the movie Fast Times at Ridgmont High. Malls was where we socialized.
Such a classic!