What started the Biltmore's spiral was their decision to close all public parking and make everything valet or pay-for-parking. I could go there and pay to walk around or go to Scottsdale and park for free.
This mall has always been beautiful. But it was more attractive to those of us who live in the area when there was more than only luxury stores. There was a Borders Books and a Paradise Cafe. I know that they both went out of business but they really added a comfortable element to things you could do in this mall.
Back in the 1970s and 80s this was a wonderful place. Great stores and restaurants. Pure class. Oscar Taylor’s had the best happy hours in town with free shrimp and roast beef. Mills Touché, Doubleday Books, Houlihans and I. Magnin. I’ll always remember I. Magnin. They turned me down for credit twice. Glad I have the memories.
Lifetime Fitness is the most appropriate gym chain to be in an upscale mall. It's expensive and more like an activity and social center than just a gym. Think of a country club without the golf.
I pisses me off too. I never leave my trash behind. I am sure there are plenty of garbage cans around. Come on people. You momma doesn't work here, clean up behind yourself
Regardless of hygiene (which I personally wished more people prioritized *before* a pandemic), it's just trashy, disrespectful, and low-class of people to leave garbage behind like that, especially at such a nice mall like this one.
As for expensive stores, I once took my Mother (who lives in a small city) into a Holt Renfrew store. They sold purses priced higher than the value of her car! We left without making a purchase there.
Crazy how dead that mall is, especially for a upscale mall. My nearest Tanger Outlets was insanely busy when I went there last week. This mall looks really nice too.
Places like this would benefit from three major things. Making their stores more accessible to small local businesses and offices, by redeveloping the majority of their parking lots to apartments and condos, and anchoring a grocery store somewhere within.
I agree with you on the character or lack there of in the modern malls. I love the mid century modern look. I would love to see this mall in it's full glory back in the day
Many years ago this was the pinnacle of crazy luxury! Planet Hollywood was here , as was a Todai sushi super restaurant! Cine Capri across the way , a night club called the grind that also was a venue , Hard Rock Cafe , crazy awesome 90’s excess 🤘 Thank you for showing this amazing property
Biltmore has always been a favorite of mine. I spent a lot of time there in the 90s at the massive Borders Books and Music and some late nights at the Coffee Plantation. The current Cheesecake Factory space was originally a Planet Hollywood location. I was fortunate enough to be able to attend its grand opening. Wall to wall celebrities that night!
It's been slowing down since 2010. I really loved going their my my step-daughter. I used to buy my dress shoes from the now permanently closed Allen Edmunds store.
Thanks for this video. I used to work in that area. Right across from that mall is the RITZ CARLTON Hotel and several other fancy restaurant with 4 & 5 Star ratings. Right behind that mall of course is the famous ARIZONA BILTMORE Resort. Congrats reaching 100,000 subs. Cheers!
It’s strange, in contrast to many malls, the anchors seem to be doing better while the small shops struggle. This Macy’s store does very well, as does the Saks Fifth Avenue.
I really hope they can find a way to come back. I really like this mall. It's sad that nearly all brick and mortar businesses are being crushed by Amazon.
Too many people thought their TIME was too valuable to go to stores in person anymore...they have to have everything delivered. And mainly they make their schedules way more hectic and full than they should be..or they're wannabe loners/introverts who say they don't like going out around people
@@Mandalorian_of_Christ I shop online because I don’t make very much money , and when I can find something cheaper than at the store , I’m all game for it. For me it’s a matter of *i won’t have it if it’s not bought online* , not _oh I’m too good to go the the store, losers_
It may be dying, but I don't see it going away anytime soon. All the years (since 1977) I have lived here this mall, Town and Country and Scottsdale Fashion Square have survived (and I believe they likely will). Fashion Square used to look exactly like this (it was open air) and then they decided to make it all indoors. These three malls simply have enough patronage that they seem to hang in there. At least you didn't see a lot of stores boarded up or with "Close Out" signs on their windows. Ah, time will tell, but I believe these three will be with us for a while (so you will have something to photograph when it does meet its demise).
That's a beautiful mall. Hopefully it can find a way to survive. I stopped here once when I visited Phoenix years ago. I'm from Chicago and we had a couple I Magnin stores there as well that closed in the 90s. One was at Oak Brook Center which is an upscale outdoor mall that reminds me a little bit of Biltmore Fashion Park as they are from the same era.
“In the summer, it’s more like...hellish inferno?” This is exactly perfect. I was just visiting the valley last week and even though I was born and raised there, even in April, I was dying last week. I guess I’ve lost my hellish inferno immunity. Or....I’m old. 🤷🏼♀️
This was one of my after-school hangouts when I was in high school during the mid-'00s. The Borders (Or was it Barnes & Noble? I get the two confused because they have nearly identical stores.) had a pretty good CD section.
There’s a mall called the Shops at Atlas in Glendale, Queens that started out as a luxury out door mall but over the years most of it’s storefronts have become discount stores. Can’t help but think the fact that it’s in a blue collar area with the only non residential places near by being warehouses and a cemetery might have something to do with that.
I enjoyed the ending because I use the place as a park. It's very pleasant to walk around and look at the fountains and go on top of the parking garage and soak in the view. As for the merchandise... My tastes are more utilitarian
I love how they do their holiday decor - they turn the fountains into poinsettia trees. Their Macy’s is pretty good for sale items, but I haven’t been there since 2019. During the Great Recession, the Arizona Humane Society had a shop on the east end of the mall, but once things started to pick up, giving space to a shelter didn’t seem important anymore. Too bad, I loved picking up items for my pets and seeing the pets for adoption.
Most of the malls in the Phoenix area were torn down by the 1990's. They were not overbuilt, there was a demand. Stores were well stocked and varied. It was something to see. My mom spent a lot of time shopping at the Biltmore, she took me there often. The Biltmore used to have a second level on the east end.
@@LookToWindward Yea, driving up to(or by) a mall and it's closed or gone. To be more specific it was the mid nineties. Back then that sort of stuff wasn't reported very much, who cares about an old mall. Information wasn't as readily available in those days. If you wanted to look something up, go to the library. Good luck finding what's your looking for, not all libraries had the same catalog. Phone book you say, yea I called that store. Line disconnected. My uncle was a developer, he hired me to write a repot on what stores were in strip malls closest to schools. It was water and ice stores, that was 1993. Today that info would be easy to come by. Back then I had to note and photograph each store in a strip mall near a school. Plus my travels took me all over town, there was some really neat stores hidden in unlikely places. Trying to find sources for such a subject is a tall order for the Phoenix area. Cities are not the best at documenting such info. Even if they have it, finding it is even a taller order. Microfiche anyone?
That side of camelback is great simply because none of the buildings look like “Phoenix” type buildings. I hope biltmore stays alive, it’s a good place to just walk around and shop. I just hate coming in the summer because you can’t get away from the beetles and June bugs 😂😂😂
I used to travel to Phoenix for work and always stayed near this mall. It used to be beautiful and crazy busy! Sad to see it so empty now. I hope they can revive it.
I just found your channel a few days ago and I can't stop watching! Thank you for documenting all these malls of my youth in such a cool, calming, and educational way. As to the Biltmore, I have lots of memories, but my main one is of the Coffee Plantation, right in the middle of the mall on the south side facing Camelback. I don't think its possible to overstate how much a part of Phoenix culture this place was in the 90's. It was THE place to hang out at night to see and be seen for what seemed like hundreds of high school and college kids, all sitting outside drinking coffee, smoking, chatting, and listening to live music on the weekends. It was such good vibes. I graduated in '95, and still miss those days a lot. Great memories.😊
I. Magnin as an independent chain only lasted until 1944, when they were bought out by Bullocks. There were then a series of sales and mergers until it ended up as part of Federated until 1994, when Bullocks was liquidated as part of the sale to Macy's. They did sell four I Magnin locations in the most upscale locations, including the one in Phoenix, to Saks Fifth Avenue. I believe the Saks at Biltmore is really the original I. Magnin location.
The Borders that used to be here, was hopping on Friday nights. Biltmore was a lot of fun in the 90s and early 00’s. I agree with you. I don’t think it’s not dying, but from what I’ve heard, the rent has gotten too high. And you pointed it out that the shops away from the middle, always look the most dead. Maybe Sephora will help that wing. I imagine the Apple Store leaving didn’t help traffic for the mall.
I.Magnin was a large chain in Southern Cal as well. It was high end entity which had stock other high enders did not have. They had a big downtown LA store first, then in the 20's was one of the Grand Dames of Wilshire Blvd (with an amazing art deco port cochere covered drive up in the rear as Wilshire stores were the first in LA oriented to the automobile) second in grandness to Bullocks Wilshire. Next they had a huge Beverly Hills location and later opened in upscale malls (South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa definitely had one). LA had so many department stores when I was young in the 80's (I.Magin, JW Robinsons, Bullocks, Bullocks Wilshire, Ohrbachs, May Co, Nieman Marcus, Buffums, Broadway, Sacks Fifth Ave, And the usual Sears, M Wards, Pennys), but now it feels like just/only the same Macys everywhere. I think many of those chains had outlets in Phoenix too (and in between smaller footprint stores in Palm Springs). I enjoy your videos!
I used to go to that mall all the time! I never really visited anything outside of the Apple Store and the restaurants there. However, if you cross the street, there's the only Dine-In AMC in all of Arizona. To get to it, you have to venture through the deadest part of the mall, an area clearly set up for stores, but that hasn't had shops in it for the entire time I was going there (2016-2019).
I remember when the area around this mall used to be crazy busy, lots of great restaurants and bars but all of that has seemingly gone away also. It's sad.
those people that used to hang out in front of that forever flawless store were so predatory. It was like those people at the kiosks they would just not leave you alone. So glad to see that's closed. But i think what the nail in the coffin to this place was the loss of the Apple Store. It used to be right next to the Blanco Tacos and Tequila.
You should totally cover Chris-Town Mall (aka Chris-Town Spectrum Mall)! I grew up shopping there when I was a kid back in the very late 1980s and early 1990s. 👍🏼🌵
@@RetailArchaeology Thank you so much! Ha! I totally missed your Chris-Town video! LOL 😂! I commented in your Chris-Town video telling everyone my memories of the place.
This place is so cool - I haven’t been since I moved back to Phoenix in late 2019, but I loved the Crepe Club location there. Truly felt like I was living the posh city girl fantasy every time I had my “solo brunches” there. When I’m not working from home I’m in the middle of Old Town, so Fashion Square was right down the street. I’d run over and grab lunch there all the time. Have you been in the Galleria at all? Had interviews with multiple companies over there and now work at one of them. I hadn’t seen anything like that place before and I still think it’s so cool to walk through! Solid use of all that space.
I love the fountain shots.. The sound they emit is so relaxing. And that bougainvillea across from the May's.. I wonder how old (if original) that is? How pretty!
7:59 I've found that the small juice stands at malls tend to be surprisingly good. In general, this mall does at least seem lively compared to indoor malls, by virtue of being outside.
I really like the aesthetics of this mall and the park like setting. Great review! Do you plan on doing more Goodwill videos? It’s always fun to see the fun random things they have for sale.
Beautiful mall .I love that’s it’s outside, that Saks store is really nice-I’m not sure who is buying luxury clothing since a lot of us still work from home
Another great video. You should have over 1M views as far as I’m concerned. One of the best and most interesting sites on TH-cam! Keep up the great work. Oh, finally made it to Scottsdale. Here for a month today and while things haven’t gone as planned, I’m working on it.
I went to Phoenix in January 1996. Some relatives lived there and I never visited Arizona (or many other places). We went to a couple malls. One had a big Best Buy (or it could have been Circuit City). I saw almost no green grass in Arizona! It was hot there too, even in January. I was told to never touch the cactus. We went to Tortilla Flats too. When it gets warmer here in New York State, I'm going to visit our local mall (the one and only). Got my two jabs. Still have to wear masks here, but I have no problem whatsoever with that. Enjoyed your video.
Oh in Southern California we had an abandoned mall with a JC pennies and a Sears. It failed. They got approved for redevelopment into fixed used apartments. Then they ran out of money, half way thru tearing it down. So now it is an eyesore and proof that we could make them into useful things; but we ran out of resources.
I grew up in Phoenix and spent a LOT of time BFP. From what I see in your video, the mall has been dramatically reconfigured . There were no alleys full of shops the last time I was there, the 90s. I do hope its not dying, as I've know the place since 1974. Now I live in Newport Beach, Ca and shop at Fashion Island.
Through the '80s I lived half a mile South of Biltmore Fashion Park. I remember going there once and I realized that I could buy the same items for 20-30% less anywhere else, so I never went back. It was designed for people that had more money than they knew what to do with. And they would not have to shop with the peons who were priced out of the goods for sale.
I loved shopping at Biltmore. The store employees were always so nice and helpful, unlike other malls in the area. I miss Mills Touche and Magnin's. Saks was where the Polo store is now. They used to close during the summer. The help in Macy's/Broadway was really sweet. Biltmore was strictly a "carriage trade" mall, a fewer shoppers, bigger spenders kind of place.
The current Saks space was originally built for I Magnin. I Magnin closed shortly after it was completed, and then Saks moved into the new space. Both stores had been at the mall for some time earlier but in much more modest spaces. Also, the empty restaurant space near the parking garage is vacant because Christopher Gross, the chef/owner of the former tenant there, has moved to a more opulent space just half a mile away at the Wrigley Mansion. With his departure, the mall's dining options are mostly chains. That's a shame because it was once home to a cluster of some of the city's most innovative independent restaurants.
about 10 years ago I went to watch several movies there. They used to do them outdoors in that center park. You would just show up with some folding chairs and watch them. That was before those little drink stand were there. I also saw Troy Hayden from fox 10 shopping there one time haha.
I used to live in Upland California and Montclair Plaza opened in 1968. The Macy's here looked familiar and started as a Broadway too at Montclair Plaza. Unfortunately, it was torn down and movie theater complex was put in.
What a beautiful open air mall with nice pockets of its historic architecture. Congrats on getting your first shot. Got mine too right around the same time. I already had COVID (mild case) so unfortunately it kicked my butt! Guess that means I'm REALLY immune now. Please keep posting amazing videos! I really like the thrift ones too for some reason. They're calming and I get happy nostalgia vibes 😊
I grew up 3 blocks from a Bullock's Store which had an open parking lot in the front and a parking structure behind it and an I Magnum on the other side of the parking structure on Lake Avenue in Pasadena, CA. We only went into that store a couple times. The Bullocks store was always much busier and a good place to spot actors and actresses. I moved out of Pasadena after graduating from High School but on a visit a few years later did go into the I Mangum store which would have been just months before its closure and it was pretty dead then.
The worst thing about it is the parking. Really hard to get in and out due to the narrow lanes by the gates. Excepting Saks, really everything you can get here you can get at Fashion Square in Scottsdale. Plus that mall is indoors which helps a lot.
thats one gorgeous mall - the layout is lovely and aesthetically pleasing - I enjoyed watching it....BTW - thank goodness you posted that this was up over on Twitter....coz as usual, no notifications from TH-cam....
I really do love fountains in malls. And I really dont see a problem with them if the water is just recycled through and I know it doesnt use much electricity, but adds so much to the atmosphere.
Very desirable area as well. You can see just how much empty parking there is here from google maps as well. Could probably develop some mid rise residential on some of the parking lots to bring in some foot traffic to shop in an area like this.
I don't remember much of this mall, except as you said it has or had the fancy stores, not far from where we lived in NE Phoenix, in 1976. I do remember the I Magnin and Broadway stores back then. Yes, the one in Scottsdale is familiar too. I guess it's a scene as to what's happening to malls everywhere.
Agreed, this is one of the nicest outdoor malls I've ever seen. Also it looks like they took Phoenix's climate into account during design - plenty of shade. It looks to me like they'll close off/demolish unoccupied corridors/wings as time goes on as other malls have done.
It's becoming harder to find a reason to visit here... I remember going for the movies on the lawn in front of Saks, and the "snow" that would fall at Christmastime.
I loved Biltmore when I lived in Phoenix from 2002 to 2003. I hope don't remember any vacancies. It was also spotless. Unfortunately, the tailspin it's in now seems to be just the beginning of the end. It's just not necessary, which is again, unfortunate. Scottsdale's luxury addition was a final nail, but most importantly, location. The wealthy surrounding neighborhoods aren't enough to sustain the demand. Younger people moving to the area use Ssense, Farfetch, and the other luxury websites for high dollar shopping. Younger luxury buyers are now interested in streetwear brands with limited releases sold by resellers on global apps such as Stockx and GOAT. Supreme, Off-White, and such don't yet have a Phoenix presence. When and if they do, downtown Scottsdale or Tempe would be their locations. Regular mall stores, struggling as many are, already have their footprint in the Valley. Modern dining, again, tends to aim for downtown Scottsdale now. Lastly, mom and pop stores would rather invest in a strip mall location with immediately adjacent parking. I also highly doubt that the Macy's location will survive their almost certain future rounds of closings since Macy's has busier locations nearby. Saks also seems out of place there now. It just won't work long term. Biltmore is gorgeous and historically important. Attrition is attacking the property in a bad way though.
This used to be the only luxury shopping center in the area, but they "Biltmore" of them.
I'll show myself out.
Tip your waitresses folks!
Boo.
Try the veal.
🤦🏻♂️
LMMFAO!!
What started the Biltmore's spiral was their decision to close all public parking and make everything valet or pay-for-parking. I could go there and pay to walk around or go to Scottsdale and park for free.
I can well imagine that was highly unpopular.
Pay to walk around in the heat and sweat? Brilliant.
What about in the back, behind Macy’s that parking garage
There's abundant free parking behind the mall. The only paid parking is the premium spaces in front.
Ahh, the greedy few just know no bounds, do they?
This mall has always been beautiful. But it was more attractive to those of us who live in the area when there was more than only luxury stores. There was a Borders Books and a Paradise Cafe. I know that they both went out of business but they really added a comfortable element to things you could do in this mall.
I miss bookstores SO much.
Back in the 1970s and 80s this was a wonderful place. Great stores and restaurants. Pure class. Oscar Taylor’s had the best happy hours in town with free shrimp and roast beef. Mills Touché, Doubleday Books, Houlihans and I. Magnin. I’ll always remember I. Magnin. They turned me down for credit twice. Glad I have the memories.
Oh my God...the Saks store is beautiful - no wait, this whole MALL is beautiful!
Lifetime Fitness is the most appropriate gym chain to be in an upscale mall. It's expensive and more like an activity and social center than just a gym. Think of a country club without the golf.
So hanging out at golf clubs and bowling alleys is so 20th century?
Lol.
Man, abandoned drinks really piss me off. Especially now when hygiene is such a big deal. It’s gross!
I pisses me off too. I never leave my trash behind. I am sure there are plenty of garbage cans around. Come on people. You momma doesn't work here, clean up behind yourself
Only Philistines abandon drinks...
Regardless of hygiene (which I personally wished more people prioritized *before* a pandemic), it's just trashy, disrespectful, and low-class of people to leave garbage behind like that, especially at such a nice mall like this one.
Yeah, I see them everywhere too. Inside stores too on shelves like at a Target or Home Goods. Humans are something else, I'll tell you.
A lot of times we are retail workers don’t have time to clean that shit up until someone complains.
It’s crazy that it’s dying since there are so many popular stores there!
I used to live right behind the mall and went there occasionally to people watch, but could never afford to buy anything. It is a nice place.
As for expensive stores, I once took my Mother (who lives in a small city) into a Holt Renfrew store. They sold purses priced higher than the value of her car! We left without making a purchase there.
Crazy how dead that mall is, especially for a upscale mall. My nearest Tanger Outlets was insanely busy when I went there last week. This mall looks really nice too.
Florida Mall in Orlando, Orlando.gov had packed lots, big crowds(weekday). I think the post lockdown 😷, Q period will drift out by Sept or so.
Places like this would benefit from three major things. Making their stores more accessible to small local businesses and offices, by redeveloping the majority of their parking lots to apartments and condos, and anchoring a grocery store somewhere within.
New Retail Archeology video - the ingredient for a perfect Friday night!
I agree with you on the character or lack there of in the modern malls. I love the mid century modern look. I would love to see this mall in it's full glory back in the day
Many years ago this was the pinnacle of crazy luxury!
Planet Hollywood was here , as was a Todai sushi super restaurant!
Cine Capri across the way , a night club called the grind that also was a venue , Hard Rock Cafe , crazy awesome 90’s excess 🤘
Thank you for showing this amazing property
Biltmore has always been a favorite of mine. I spent a lot of time there in the 90s at the massive Borders Books and Music and some late nights at the Coffee Plantation. The current Cheesecake Factory space was originally a Planet Hollywood location. I was fortunate enough to be able to attend its grand opening. Wall to wall celebrities that night!
Much nostalgia. Back in the late 1980's I worked at that mall...at the upscale jewelers, Grunewald and Adams.
It's been slowing down since 2010. I really loved going their my my step-daughter. I used to buy my dress shoes from the now permanently closed Allen Edmunds store.
Thanks for this video. I used to work in that area. Right across from that mall is the RITZ CARLTON Hotel and several other fancy restaurant with 4 & 5 Star ratings. Right behind that mall of course is the famous ARIZONA BILTMORE Resort. Congrats reaching 100,000 subs. Cheers!
I remember Mom taking us over there for "fancy afternoons" when we were teenagers in the 80s.
It’s strange, in contrast to many malls, the anchors seem to be doing better while the small shops struggle. This Macy’s store does very well, as does the Saks Fifth Avenue.
The loss of brooks bros was huge. The only thing it has going for it are the fox restaurants and the best williams sonoma in town
Brooks Bros 👔 left a Daytona Beach FL outlet place. That was a outdoor mall motif.
I really hope they can find a way to come back. I really like this mall. It's sad that nearly all brick and mortar businesses are being crushed by Amazon.
Saying you can "Buy it online" since late 2000s doesn't help.
Too many people thought their TIME was too valuable to go to stores in person anymore...they have to have everything delivered. And mainly they make their schedules way more hectic and full than they should be..or they're wannabe loners/introverts who say they don't like going out around people
@@Mandalorian_of_Christ I shop online because I don’t make very much money , and when I can find something cheaper than at the store , I’m all game for it. For me it’s a matter of *i won’t have it if it’s not bought online* , not _oh I’m too good to go the the store, losers_
@@Mandalorian_of_ChristThat last part sounds like copium, dude.
It may be dying, but I don't see it going away anytime soon. All the years (since 1977) I have lived here this mall, Town and Country and Scottsdale Fashion Square have survived (and I believe they likely will). Fashion Square used to look exactly like this (it was open air) and then they decided to make it all indoors. These three malls simply have enough patronage that they seem to hang in there. At least you didn't see a lot of stores boarded up or with "Close Out" signs on their windows. Ah, time will tell, but I believe these three will be with us for a while (so you will have something to photograph when it does meet its demise).
Your intros never fail to impress me.
Anyone know where it’s from
@@DinkyFroggy Gracie films
They were used at the end of many Simpson’s Episodes.
That's a beautiful mall. Hopefully it can find a way to survive. I stopped here once when I visited Phoenix years ago. I'm from Chicago and we had a couple I Magnin stores there as well that closed in the 90s. One was at Oak Brook Center which is an upscale outdoor mall that reminds me a little bit of Biltmore Fashion Park as they are from the same era.
“In the summer, it’s more like...hellish inferno?”
This is exactly perfect. I was just visiting the valley last week and even though I was born and raised there, even in April, I was dying last week. I guess I’ve lost my hellish inferno immunity. Or....I’m old. 🤷🏼♀️
This was one of my after-school hangouts when I was in high school during the mid-'00s. The Borders (Or was it Barnes & Noble? I get the two confused because they have nearly identical stores.) had a pretty good CD section.
There’s a mall called the Shops at Atlas in Glendale, Queens that started out as a luxury out door mall but over the years most of it’s storefronts have become discount stores. Can’t help but think the fact that it’s in a blue collar area with the only non residential places near by being warehouses and a cemetery might have something to do with that.
I enjoyed the ending because I use the place as a park. It's very pleasant to walk around and look at the fountains and go on top of the parking garage and soak in the view. As for the merchandise... My tastes are more utilitarian
I love how they do their holiday decor - they turn the fountains into poinsettia trees. Their Macy’s is pretty good for sale items, but I haven’t been there since 2019. During the Great Recession, the Arizona Humane Society had a shop on the east end of the mall, but once things started to pick up, giving space to a shelter didn’t seem important anymore. Too bad, I loved picking up items for my pets and seeing the pets for adoption.
I’m so glad you did this mall: I’ve been wondering how it was doing, I left Phoenix 17 years ago when all the malls were going strong.
Most of the malls in the Phoenix area were torn down by the 1990's. They were not overbuilt, there was a demand. Stores were well stocked and varied. It was something to see.
My mom spent a lot of time shopping at the Biltmore, she took me there often. The Biltmore used to have a second level on the east end.
Most of the malls in Phoenix were torn down by the 1990s? Do you have a source for that?
@@LookToWindward Yea, driving up to(or by) a mall and it's closed or gone. To be more specific it was the mid nineties. Back then that sort of stuff wasn't reported very much, who cares about an old mall. Information wasn't as readily available in those days. If you wanted to look something up, go to the library. Good luck finding what's your looking for, not all libraries had the same catalog. Phone book you say, yea I called that store. Line disconnected.
My uncle was a developer, he hired me to write a repot on what stores were in strip malls closest to schools. It was water and ice stores, that was 1993. Today that info would be easy to come by. Back then I had to note and photograph each store in a strip mall near a school.
Plus my travels took me all over town, there was some really neat stores hidden in unlikely places.
Trying to find sources for such a subject is a tall order for the Phoenix area. Cities are not the best at documenting such info. Even if they have it, finding it is even a taller order. Microfiche anyone?
Chili's, Wrestling and retail archeology. A great way to spend a Friday night ☺️
It's Saturday night. I have no date, a 2-litre bottle of Shasta and my all-Rush mixtape. Let's rock.
Love how you get such good shots while doing these videos, really makes me feel like I'm actually there!
Also just recently subscribed!
I always love the fountain cam. You could always do a compilation video of fountain cam shots. I know I’d watch it.
Housekeeping cleans the garage. I once saw them dusting the decorative blocks and the rafters
That side of camelback is great simply because none of the buildings look like “Phoenix” type buildings.
I hope biltmore stays alive, it’s a good place to just walk around and shop.
I just hate coming in the summer because you can’t get away from the beetles and June bugs 😂😂😂
I used to travel to Phoenix for work and always stayed near this mall. It used to be beautiful and crazy busy! Sad to see it so empty now. I hope they can revive it.
I just found your channel a few days ago and I can't stop watching! Thank you for documenting all these malls of my youth in such a cool, calming, and educational way. As to the Biltmore, I have lots of memories, but my main one is of the Coffee Plantation, right in the middle of the mall on the south side facing Camelback. I don't think its possible to overstate how much a part of Phoenix culture this place was in the 90's. It was THE place to hang out at night to see and be seen for what seemed like hundreds of high school and college kids, all sitting outside drinking coffee, smoking, chatting, and listening to live music on the weekends. It was such good vibes. I graduated in '95, and still miss those days a lot. Great memories.😊
I've never been there, but... if it has a fountain in the parking garage, then it's too rich for my bohemian blood.
This is a first a dying luxury Mall, another fantastic video, congrats on 100K Subscribers.
Not really. A luxury mall by me is also dying as well.
Great video, thanks Erik...needed something to take my mind off of the stay at home order we here in Ontario, Canada are in right now.
I. Magnin as an independent chain only lasted until 1944, when they were bought out by Bullocks. There were then a series of sales and mergers until it ended up as part of Federated until 1994, when Bullocks was liquidated as part of the sale to Macy's. They did sell four I Magnin locations in the most upscale locations, including the one in Phoenix, to Saks Fifth Avenue. I believe the Saks at Biltmore is really the original I. Magnin location.
The Borders that used to be here, was hopping on Friday nights. Biltmore was a lot of fun in the 90s and early 00’s.
I agree with you. I don’t think it’s not dying, but from what I’ve heard, the rent has gotten too high. And you pointed it out that the shops away from the middle, always look the most dead. Maybe Sephora will help that wing. I imagine the Apple Store leaving didn’t help traffic for the mall.
always enjoy the fountaincam shots! another great video.
I’ve been re-watching all the rotting anchors and Siesta mall videos You should make rotting anchors again
Living in downtown Phoenix I always end up going to the Fashion Square mall in Scottsdale just because it’s so big and more.
And air conditioned!
I'm guessing the downward spiral here started when they closed Borders Books (it was where the Cheesecake Factory is now).
So... I used to be one of the Borders' stores database administrators at the corporate office. I was sad when that chain went down.
Congratulations on hitting 100K!
Thank you!
I.Magnin was a large chain in Southern Cal as well. It was high end entity which had stock other high enders did not have. They had a big downtown LA store first, then in the 20's was one of the Grand Dames of Wilshire Blvd (with an amazing art deco port cochere covered drive up in the rear as Wilshire stores were the first in LA oriented to the automobile) second in grandness to Bullocks Wilshire. Next they had a huge Beverly Hills location and later opened in upscale malls (South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa definitely had one). LA had so many department stores when I was young in the 80's (I.Magin, JW Robinsons, Bullocks, Bullocks Wilshire, Ohrbachs, May Co, Nieman Marcus, Buffums, Broadway, Sacks Fifth Ave, And the usual Sears, M Wards, Pennys), but now it feels like just/only the same Macys everywhere. I think many of those chains had outlets in Phoenix too (and in between smaller footprint stores in Palm Springs). I enjoy your videos!
Santa Barbara had an I. Magnin too back in the early 80s. It was beautiful.
I used to go to that mall all the time! I never really visited anything outside of the Apple Store and the restaurants there. However, if you cross the street, there's the only Dine-In AMC in all of Arizona. To get to it, you have to venture through the deadest part of the mall, an area clearly set up for stores, but that hasn't had shops in it for the entire time I was going there (2016-2019).
I remember when the area around this mall used to be crazy busy, lots of great restaurants and bars but all of that has seemingly gone away also. It's sad.
If you do other places, try Otay Ranch Mall in Chula Vista. A mall built in 2008 that has since fallen from grace.
My dream of going home is dying along with this place. Haven't been here since 2006 and almost everything I knew and loved is now gone...
This is a nice looking mall! And I liked the jazzy music you were playing.
those people that used to hang out in front of that forever flawless store were so predatory. It was like those people at the kiosks they would just not leave you alone. So glad to see that's closed.
But i think what the nail in the coffin to this place was the loss of the Apple Store. It used to be right next to the Blanco Tacos and Tequila.
I remember walking through this mall in1988, it never was My style of shopping. Phoenix had great Thrift Stores back then.
You should totally cover Chris-Town Mall (aka Chris-Town Spectrum Mall)! I grew up shopping there when I was a kid back in the very late 1980s and early 1990s. 👍🏼🌵
You should check out the video I did before this one 🙂
@@RetailArchaeology Thank you so much! Ha! I totally missed your Chris-Town video! LOL 😂! I commented in your Chris-Town video telling everyone my memories of the place.
This place is so cool - I haven’t been since I moved back to Phoenix in late 2019, but I loved the Crepe Club location there. Truly felt like I was living the posh city girl fantasy every time I had my “solo brunches” there.
When I’m not working from home I’m in the middle of Old Town, so Fashion Square was right down the street. I’d run over and grab lunch there all the time. Have you been in the Galleria at all? Had interviews with multiple companies over there and now work at one of them. I hadn’t seen anything like that place before and I still think it’s so cool to walk through! Solid use of all that space.
I love the fountain shots.. The sound they emit is so relaxing. And that bougainvillea across from the May's.. I wonder how old (if original) that is? How pretty!
Do you guys think the Saks will close?
They are well known to close their stores!
7:59 I've found that the small juice stands at malls tend to be surprisingly good.
In general, this mall does at least seem lively compared to indoor malls, by virtue of being outside.
I really like the aesthetics of this mall and the park like setting. Great review! Do you plan on doing more Goodwill videos? It’s always fun to see the fun random things they have for sale.
Beautiful mall .I love that’s it’s outside, that Saks store is really nice-I’m not sure who is buying luxury clothing since a lot of us still work from home
Another great video. You should have over 1M views as far as I’m concerned. One of the best and most interesting sites on TH-cam! Keep up the great work. Oh, finally made it to Scottsdale. Here for a month today and while things haven’t gone as planned, I’m working on it.
I went to Phoenix in January 1996. Some relatives lived there and I never visited Arizona (or many other places). We went to a couple malls. One had a big Best Buy (or it could have been Circuit City).
I saw almost no green grass in Arizona! It was hot there too, even in January.
I was told to never touch the cactus. We went to Tortilla Flats too.
When it gets warmer here in New York State, I'm going to visit our local mall (the one and only).
Got my two jabs. Still have to wear masks here, but I have no problem whatsoever with that.
Enjoyed your video.
Such a shame. I love outdoor malls. Theres an outdoor mall in our area that has seen a lot of vacancies. Wheaton Town Square.
Oh in Southern California we had an abandoned mall with a JC pennies and a Sears. It failed. They got approved for redevelopment into fixed used apartments. Then they ran out of money, half way thru tearing it down. So now it is an eyesore and proof that we could make them into useful things; but we ran out of resources.
The downfall for me was when the Apple Store closed.
I grew up in Phoenix and spent a LOT of time BFP. From what I see in your video, the mall has been dramatically reconfigured . There were no alleys full of shops the last time I was there, the 90s. I do hope its not dying, as I've know the place since 1974. Now I live in Newport Beach, Ca and shop at Fashion Island.
Through the '80s I lived half a mile South of Biltmore Fashion Park. I remember going there once and I realized that I could buy the same items for 20-30% less anywhere else, so I never went back. It was designed for people that had more money than they knew what to do with. And they would not have to shop with the peons who were priced out of the goods for sale.
I loved shopping at Biltmore. The store employees were always so nice and helpful, unlike other malls in the area. I miss Mills Touche and Magnin's. Saks was where the Polo store is now. They used to close during the summer. The help in Macy's/Broadway was really sweet. Biltmore was strictly a "carriage trade" mall, a fewer shoppers, bigger spenders kind of place.
I've been subbed for years, I love your content
Thank you!
@@RetailArchaeology You're welcome
Good music choice. ✅ not distracting or brash.
Always good to see your channel growing, man. I first heard about your channel through your appearance on the CGR podcast. Been subscribed ever since
I really miss CGR 😔
The current Saks space was originally built for I Magnin. I Magnin closed shortly after it was completed, and then Saks moved into the new space. Both stores had been at the mall for some time earlier but in much more modest spaces.
Also, the empty restaurant space near the parking garage is vacant because Christopher Gross, the chef/owner of the former tenant there, has moved to a more opulent space just half a mile away at the Wrigley Mansion. With his departure, the mall's dining options are mostly chains. That's a shame because it was once home to a cluster of some of the city's most innovative independent restaurants.
about 10 years ago I went to watch several movies there. They used to do them outdoors in that center park. You would just show up with some folding chairs and watch them. That was before those little drink stand were there. I also saw Troy Hayden from fox 10 shopping there one time haha.
This mall is amazing with all the wonderful outdoor landscaping and tree cover
I used to live in Upland California and Montclair Plaza opened in 1968. The Macy's here looked familiar and started as a Broadway too at Montclair Plaza. Unfortunately, it was torn down and movie theater complex was put in.
What a beautiful open air mall with nice pockets of its historic architecture. Congrats on getting your first shot. Got mine too right around the same time. I already had COVID (mild case) so unfortunately it kicked my butt! Guess that means I'm REALLY immune now. Please keep posting amazing videos! I really like the thrift ones too for some reason. They're calming and I get happy nostalgia vibes 😊
A video dedicated to Saks fifth avenue would be interesting
The foot traffic that we do get is mostly mission shoppers, a lot less are browsers or project shoppers.
I grew up 3 blocks from a Bullock's Store which had an open parking lot in the front and a parking structure behind it and an I Magnum on the other side of the parking structure on Lake Avenue in Pasadena, CA. We only went into that store a couple times. The Bullocks store was always much busier and a good place to spot actors and actresses. I moved out of Pasadena after graduating from High School but on a visit a few years later did go into the I Mangum store which would have been just months before its closure and it was pretty dead then.
That place is lovely. If I lived nearby I'd mall walk the heck outta that place, weather permitting.
I'm 50. So that's my demo. It seems bored teens & gangs creep into 🇺🇸 malls, outlets.
The worst thing about it is the parking. Really hard to get in and out due to the narrow lanes by the gates.
Excepting Saks, really everything you can get here you can get at Fashion Square in Scottsdale. Plus that mall is indoors which helps a lot.
I'm old enough to remember I. Magnin. It indeed was based out of the Bay Area and was highly upscale. Macys eventually bought it and swallowed it up.
thats one gorgeous mall - the layout is lovely and aesthetically pleasing - I enjoyed watching it....BTW - thank goodness you posted that this was up over on Twitter....coz as usual, no notifications from TH-cam....
I sure hope this mall does not start to die. This mall has awesome elevators and escalators! It would be sad to see Macy's or Saks close.
I really do love fountains in malls. And I really dont see a problem with them if the water is just recycled through and I know it doesnt use much electricity, but adds so much to the atmosphere.
Magnins both (parents) I.Magnin and (son) Joseph Magnin Co. stores were the place to shop at one time.
Great video and tour as always!
You'll have to go center court fountain during the holidays because there is a tall pile of poinsettia flowers there!
Very desirable area as well. You can see just how much empty parking there is here from google maps as well. Could probably develop some mid rise residential on some of the parking lots to bring in some foot traffic to shop in an area like this.
I don't remember much of this mall, except
as you said it has or had the fancy stores,
not far from where we lived in NE Phoenix,
in 1976. I do remember the I Magnin and
Broadway stores back then. Yes, the one
in Scottsdale is familiar too. I guess it's
a scene as to what's happening to malls
everywhere.
Agreed, this is one of the nicest outdoor malls I've ever seen. Also it looks like they took Phoenix's climate into account during design - plenty of shade. It looks to me like they'll close off/demolish unoccupied corridors/wings as time goes on as other malls have done.
Been to Biltmore many times! It’s been like this since long before Covid unfortunately. Another great video!!
I lived in phx 40 years. Never went there. Couldn't tell you where it is. Just so many places to shop.
Great Friday now! Great vid!
It's becoming harder to find a reason to visit here... I remember going for the movies on the lawn in front of Saks, and the "snow" that would fall at Christmastime.
I loved Biltmore when I lived in Phoenix from 2002 to 2003. I hope don't remember any vacancies. It was also spotless. Unfortunately, the tailspin it's in now seems to be just the beginning of the end. It's just not necessary, which is again, unfortunate. Scottsdale's luxury addition was a final nail, but most importantly, location.
The wealthy surrounding neighborhoods aren't enough to sustain the demand. Younger people moving to the area use Ssense, Farfetch, and the other luxury websites for high dollar shopping. Younger luxury buyers are now interested in streetwear brands with limited releases sold by resellers on global apps such as Stockx and GOAT. Supreme, Off-White, and such don't yet have a Phoenix presence. When and if they do, downtown Scottsdale or Tempe would be their locations.
Regular mall stores, struggling as many are, already have their footprint in the Valley. Modern dining, again, tends to aim for downtown Scottsdale now. Lastly, mom and pop stores would rather invest in a strip mall location with immediately adjacent parking.
I also highly doubt that the Macy's location will survive their almost certain future rounds of closings since Macy's has busier locations nearby. Saks also seems out of place there now. It just won't work long term. Biltmore is gorgeous and historically important. Attrition is attacking the property in a bad way though.