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When I was younger, I never understood why people obsessed over nostalgia and outdated locations. I’m now in my 40s and get so excited when I see locations and stores that never changed since 80s or 90s.😊
I’m Korean and grew up in LA drying the 80’s and 90’s. My mom took me to Koreatown plaza all the time and yes it looks exactly the same and untouched 100%.
Yep same here and it was a meeting spot. Appears like 80's time warp and that little confusing parking structure... Most memorable time for me was as a '92 riot rooftop Korean on LA Audio Video on Western Ave to help Richard Kim whose family owned the store. His mom was short through the thigh and he had M14 and I only had dull samurai sword... Lived in Van Nuys from '76 to '93 and love 80s Life Valley videos.
@@hostilesavage4299 maybe they're big fans of pirates? Seems like a useless thing to use a bit to use a bot on as nothing to gain financially or politically
@@hostilesavage4299 Why would a Korean person not be identified as "Blackbeard"? Seriously asking, I'm not as informed as I probably should be on Korean subculture.
Awesome. I’ve seen similar malls in Japan that seemed to have been stuck in the 80s. Wish they would keep them instead of tearing them down - the 80s is still alive in our hearts but whenever I come across something tangible like this, it takes me back even more. Why do we keep longing for the 80s so much? Maybe because it has simply been the best decade ever, period.
That is because a lot of cultures value their history. America is all about remodeling every few years. Because they don't value what they have nor keep up with it. The sense of entitlement is so pathetic. But with that being said, they cannot keep these beautiful places if no one is shopping in them to keep the rent paid. The internet is destroying society. We were fine without it and now people are completely dependent on it and it is destroying everything.
If you want to live in the 80’s just move to japan. There is not just buildings there’s entire towns sometimes entire states of the country that have not been renovated since the 80’s. You can legitimately live in the 80’s if you want to. If that’s too unnerving there is still a pocket of 80’s goodness on every street in Tokyo. I found a resort town on Kyushu the entire town was unrenovated since the 70’s.
@@rickivan_RICK I agree! Having lived over a decade in Japan I always thought that country is stuck in the 80s forever. Would be awesome if Kurt could do a video on these 80s aspects of Japan.
@@straawberryfieldsforever Yes same, I try to look into all eras. ( Even eras mainstream history denies ). Yes I agree, our era is all controlled sterilized surveillance state. There are still amazing stuff of course, but not like before.
before moving to the Valley, I grew up in KTown... that plaza hasn't changed and I havent been there for over two decades. having said that, that mall has been extremely well maintained
So sad. I love malls! You can get everything done in one day except shopping for groceries. Online shopping has destroyed these. People are just too lazy to get out of their bed. They rather order something they hope will fit and send it back a few times till they get what actually fits. Amazon always talks about their sales, but they never talk about how many returns they have. Although stores do have that, most of it is gifts that were bought for someone else. There is nothing like being in a mall. A sense of belonging. The atmosphere. Just breaks my heart every time I hear a mall is closing.
I just googled this: The crew then spent three weeks night shooting in San Pedro and Long Beach, followed by eight nights at the Sherman Oaks Galleria (The same mall as was used in T2 and Fast Times at Ridgemont High). The original Sherman Oaks Galleria never recovered from damages it suffered from the Northridge Earthquake of 1994.
It's sad that these malls aren't appreciated as treasures. The problems are Amazon, Wal-Mart, Sam's Club and Costco plus high taxes. Stores and malls are being put out of business. So now these teenagers prefer to have fun sitting at home ordering everything or they enjoy self checkout in big box stores now. How boring. 😁💯✅
I wish they would leave this mall alone the way it is . No one like old style looks anymore. It's a shame changing it and it does reminds me of the 1980's and 1990's.
I wish your wife was with you on this video talking about her experiences. Awesome of you to document this before it's no longer. I've been near K-town a few times but never stopped to visit. I will have to next time. Happy New Year from Korea.
I’ve gone to this mall since the 90’s every time I come to California on vacations and since having my kids I’ve made it a yearly tradition to stop here and bring them as well. Aww I’m sure going to miss this place.
I long for an 80s Style Home with TONS of Glass Bricks!! I fell in love with glass bricks the moment I first laid eyes on them!! True sign of a Dyed In The Wool, or bricks, 80s kid.. Just wish I would have been able to visit the Sherman Oaks Galleria a few more times before they utterly destroyed it.. What a Classic 80s Mall it was..
The round elevator and round pillars remind me of the mall scene in Comando. We still have a mall here in the mid west that had a remodel but is still retro. I try to take my kids still even though they are getting older. Wtf has happened to our society that these aren't cool or viable? Great video and when you called it a treasure, you were spot on. Progress if you call it that isn't always better.
Right what has happened?it’s like a lot of modern is really simple plain and boring like if you compare a old McDonalds they had kids playground now they don’t have them at all and turned so plain ,my thought is they don’t think about kids either im pretty sure kids would still play but even changing stations for babies have been removed from restrooms
Only mall I know that hasn’t been changed at least when I was last there was the Newburgh Mall in Newburgh,NY. Opened in 1977 and probably wasn’t updated since 1985. Lots of neon,fake plants and pastel colors pink and teal all over. Sadly it was a dying mall since the late 90’s but it is still there just haven’t been in it in years. Great video though man this place is awesome to see. I hope it doesn’t get remodeled
Sun Coast Video would have been perfect for this store too. They were everywhere, at least in SoCal, during the 90s and maybe the 80s? Also, where's the damn time machine to go back?
I am not an 80s kid I’m 21 years old born in 2002 I’ve been getting into the whole 80s lifestyle vibes, music, movies, fashion etc this does feel nostalgic to me as if I have been in the 80s world I just wish to experience what life was like back then😢
Hi Kurt, although I live in England I really enjoy watching your well crafted videos, for me you’ve nailed the balance of facts, humour (even sarcasm) and amazing presentation. One thing I’ve noticed is that parts of the US seem to becoming run down again, it’s the same here in the UK. Maybe a reflection of everyone wanting ever cheaper prices via buying and ordering online for just about everything? That said I’m not surprised the Korean mall is well maintained, it’s just who they are and how they do things; along with the Japanese!
L.A. is the mall capital of the world, thanks for reminding me to go mall walking & exploring and work off my shut down and holiday LBS. I hope Topanga is still there, I went to CP High just across the street.
Great video! We don’t have a lot of dead mall you tube channels on the west coast and Retail Archaeology doesn’t really do malls anymore. There’s lots of pink, green and brass in malls through the eastern half of the country, especially the rust belt, but unfortunately most of them are of course dying or closed and being demolished. Shout out to Dan Bell for being the mall godfather on TH-cam.🎉
Thanks to you wife for having those wonderful memories of the mall. This mall looks almost similar to the South Bay Galleria in Redondo Beach. The mall, originally called the South Bay Center, was completely gutted out in 1980, and reopened as the Galleria of South Bay in 1982. It had the similar look till 2004, till it was renovated. It still has some of the '80s look, but I'm hearing that the mall might possibly be torn down.
There’s so many shopping centres from the 1980s that were heavily modernised in the late 2000s to have no colour and to all look the same as each other! What’s really funny is that some of them are now renovating again to add some modern 1980s retro elements like copper lamp fixtures and LED neon lights when that just looks cheap in comparison to the real thing! What’s really good is that some 1980s malls have never renovated and still look surprisingly modern by today’s standards because of them being extremely high end and futuristic when they were first opened! :)
Tiles can be 40 years old, but unfortunately the 80s soul is missing, and it will never get back. There, like anywhere else. The 80s are something still alive only in the heart of who, lived them. You can give a Walkman, a Commodore 64 and take away the smartphone from somebody giving him some change to call from a public phone. But they will never understand.
Man I remember when they opened this mall. It was kind of that cool place for Korean kids to see and be seen. Similar to how Glendale Galleria was for the masses. It's still a well maintained mall, so it's sad to hear they're gutting it. There used to be a Korean music shop on the 2nd floor which was one of the few places you could pick up Korean music. I think it was called Music Plaza? Which makes me wonder whatever happened to Funky Town? Funky Town was a Korean owned shop but was visited by everyone through the city for their selection of 12 inch vinyls for DJs
This is so cool thank you i gotta check it out. You should check out the westminister mall. That mall still has the 70s look to it and hasn't been remolded yet.
I was going to say it looked like it was built/opened in 1988 as my local mall was refurbished in 88 and looked just like that Cool video and Happy New Year 🥳
I'd highly recommend also checking out South Bay Galleria in Redondo Beach! It still retains a very prominent retro vibe & aesthetic despite its neon lighting and fountain being removed a while back. However, I do suggest being weary of filming unless you have a way to conceal the camera. They are extremely strict about photography in there. That being said, I'm very sad to hear Ktwon Plaza is going to be renovated :(
Aspects of that mall in the South Bay reminded me of aspects of this mall in Koreatown. Both malls also probably have overly modest sales volumes, so the one in RB and the one in midtown LA must have owners who are nervous. That's true of lots of shopping centers & their owners throughout the US.
This reminded me of the South Bay Galleria too. That poor mall has seen better days. It used to feel so modern when I was growing up in the 80s and 90s. It had a Nordstrom, Sharper Image, and that fountain that shot water up to the third level. Now there’s a circus-carnival rotation in the parking lot.
Yes. A note to the guy running the channel: Please check out the South Bay Galleria. The floor-tiles within are almost this color, and its glass roof is spectacularly of another time. Del Amo stole its heart when it took Nordstrom's.
Have you been inside the Puente Hills Mall, where they filmed Back to the Future in the parking lot? It's, of course, been there since the '80s. I actually saw that movie in a theater for the first time within walking distance of where it was filmed. Anyway, that mall is still reminiscent of an '80s mall. You should go out to La Puente sometime and see it.
When I was in middle school around 2010, my parents would go to this mall and buy food and look around. I remembered that fountain as I'd flick water from the fountain at the food court. My mom would yell at me in Korean to stop it. 😂 Good times.
It's funny, when he says 'it hasn't changed since the 90's', my mind immediately thinks....the 90's was only a couple years ago. LOL sheesh, how time flies.
Beautiful review man! I loved KTP growing up. My man Leo in the food court was a staple of the entire place. That said, that strange look you got from the security guard has been my experience as a whole since 1988. That is in large part why this mall has never really thrived. If you aren’t Korean, you get the “why are you here” look.
In the vein of my last comment: Came back to Japan on holiday and just been back to Okinawa last week to find a real 80s mall still alive and kickin’, located between the Kadena Air Base and Camp Foster. This Plaza House Shopping Center has a drive-in front and a 3-storey mall from the good old days, I am pretty sure that nothing has been changed there since the 1980s, a Shakey’s Pizza joint and an A&W has the very same atmosphere as in its heyday. What I was the happiest about is that they are not even thinking about ramping the place down, instead they seem to be very proud of its past, could tell this by the multitude of photos they had on display of its history from the 40s/50s. Why don’t we keep at least some of our older stuff untouched, it is certainly a cultural asset that is a relevant part of who we are today - and it sure does feel amazing to be able to take a trip back in time, down on memory lane on a regular shopping round.
I’m in Chicago and we got a few malls like this in the Chicago area. Lincolnwood town center over here has the same type of skylight as this mall you are showing us. It also has a glass elevator and similar staircases with golden railings.
If that Mall opened up a KB Toys, Hickory Farms, Camelot Music, Sam Goody's, etc etc..I'd fly from the East Coast just to go there, no doubt. Great video!
The grocery store is the secret as to how Korean malls stay alive so long. Since the anchor is a giant grocery store, there is ALWAYS a reason to go to that mall. As you go to the grocery store, there's a temptation to go look at the retail stores. Foot traffic. The Koreatown Plaza is not a 'dead mall', but I wonder what the new owner will do. The anchor of a 'US' mall is a department store like Nordstrom, Macy's, or Sears. But, if that anchor goes out of business or just decides to move out, then that mall is in trouble.
There's a mall in my town that is straight outta the 80s too!! It looks very similar to this one but even more outdated if at all possible. I moved here 15 years ago and the mall was THE place to be still. Over these years, almost every single store has closed and moved elsewhere, though. About 10 years ago, a new owner bought the mall and raised the rent so high that no store could maintain business. It's a ghost mall now, you can still go for the couple of stores that are open, but it's mainly just old people using it for an indoor walking track now. Arrowhead Mall in Muskogee, Oklahoma!
Forest Hill Shopping Centre in Melbourne Australia was originally an outdoor strip mall with a few anchor stores that opened in 1964 but it was turned into a massive indoor shopping mall between 1986 and 1988 with it opening at around the same time as that mall! It also originally looked very similar to the mall in the video but with a different 45 degree angled tile pattern with larger tiles! Even the original glass lift was very similar to the one in your video and had a fountain at it’s base which was removed and turned into a kiosk style food stall in the early 2000s and then in 2011 everything was whitewashed as a part of a modernisation but they have more recently did another renovation to the top floor to add some modern retro elements which just look cheap! :)
That looks almost EXACTLY like the Mall in my town that is holding on by threads and it is so sad! I remember working in this mall and especially at Christmas time it would be INSANELY busy!!! As exhausting as it was it was fun during the holidays. I was a store manager and I tried to always make it fun for my employees. I miss that time 😔
Oh wow I think that’s the mall that “Clueless” (1995) was shot in and maybe a few other movies back in the in the good ol’ days. I freakin’ love it🥰it’s very nice looking. Wish I worked there. (I wish they never remodeled our crazy shitty Mall over where I live in deep South Texas😒). LIKE TOTALLY RAD!!! Lol. I love it man👍thanks for sharing this video😊wish we can go back in time and live the less stressful times😔😭.
Cool mall and video. I have been to and documented several malls in recent years that screamed 1980s. Some of them had the teal and mauve color scheme, fountains, neon and other retro aesthetics. One that comes to mind is the food court at westmoreland mall or the neon at Washington square in Evansville Indiana. Also that Sam goody photo you showed was from Ohio valley mall in my home state of Ohio. Check out my Urbex playlist if you want to see some of the retro malls I’ve documented some of which I haven’t posted the footage from yet. Thanks for documenting this mall as it’s too far for me to get to to document.
When I was younger, I never understood why people obsessed over nostalgia and outdated locations. I’m now in my 40s and get so excited when I see locations and stores that never changed since 80s or 90s.😊
It’s like a I seek out nostalgia 😅
This is a national treasure. Everyone has seen the boring modern stuff by now, it's everywhere. But a place like this are long forgotten.
Very interesting comment
Several malls like this still exist in the South in states like Georgia,Florida,Alabama,
Yeah but are those malls actually alive though?
@BeyondDaX Well, they are still in business and don't seem to be going anywhere soon... I think that means Alive.
This is a form of modernism as well
No reason to change that place. It's real nice and seems full of great stores.
Exactly what I was thinking. Looks spotless, but the camera can deceive.
I’m Korean and grew up in LA drying the 80’s and 90’s. My mom took me to Koreatown plaza all the time and yes it looks exactly the same and untouched 100%.
Yep same here and it was a meeting spot. Appears like 80's time warp and that little confusing parking structure... Most memorable time for me was as a '92 riot rooftop Korean on LA Audio Video on Western Ave to help Richard Kim whose family owned the store. His mom was short through the thigh and he had M14 and I only had dull samurai sword... Lived in Van Nuys from '76 to '93 and love 80s Life Valley videos.
Only Koreans in there too. So sttange. Was it seen as a Korean only safe space ?
No korean would use the name blackbeard... lol this is a bot account..
@@hostilesavage4299 maybe they're big fans of pirates? Seems like a useless thing to use a bit to use a bot on as nothing to gain financially or politically
@@hostilesavage4299 Why would a Korean person not be identified as "Blackbeard"? Seriously asking, I'm not as informed as I probably should be on Korean subculture.
Awesome. I’ve seen similar malls in Japan that seemed to have been stuck in the 80s. Wish they would keep them instead of tearing them down - the 80s is still alive in our hearts but whenever I come across something tangible like this, it takes me back even more. Why do we keep longing for the 80s so much? Maybe because it has simply been the best decade ever, period.
100 Percent agreed, and we have all seen a few decades to compare here!!
Miss 80s 90s. After 2000 i didn't like much
That is because a lot of cultures value their history. America is all about remodeling every few years. Because they don't value what they have nor keep up with it. The sense of entitlement is so pathetic. But with that being said, they cannot keep these beautiful places if no one is shopping in them to keep the rent paid. The internet is destroying society. We were fine without it and now people are completely dependent on it and it is destroying everything.
If you want to live in the 80’s just move to japan. There is not just buildings there’s entire towns sometimes entire states of the country that have not been renovated since the 80’s. You can legitimately live in the 80’s if you want to. If that’s too unnerving there is still a pocket of 80’s goodness on every street in Tokyo. I found a resort town on Kyushu the entire town was unrenovated since the 70’s.
@@rickivan_RICK I agree! Having lived over a decade in Japan I always thought that country is stuck in the 80s forever. Would be awesome if Kurt could do a video on these 80s aspects of Japan.
This is beautiful love the 80s it’s sad ppl are going to take it down it doesn’t need to be touched
80 aesthetic was the best imo. I hate how everything looks and feels so soulless now.
@@aegisreflector1239 it’s true
@@aegisreflector1239 i look back at every eras before mine and then back at ours, its so sterilised and empty
@@straawberryfieldsforever Yes same, I try to look into all eras. ( Even eras mainstream history denies ). Yes I agree, our era is all controlled sterilized surveillance state. There are still amazing stuff of course, but not like before.
before moving to the Valley, I grew up in KTown... that plaza hasn't changed and I havent been there for over two decades. having said that, that mall has been extremely well maintained
This mall is awesomely beautiful. It’s very busy and well kept . I think it should be left just as it is. I love it.
So sad. I love malls! You can get everything done in one day except shopping for groceries. Online shopping has destroyed these. People are just too lazy to get out of their bed. They rather order something they hope will fit and send it back a few times till they get what actually fits. Amazon always talks about their sales, but they never talk about how many returns they have. Although stores do have that, most of it is gifts that were bought for someone else. There is nothing like being in a mall. A sense of belonging. The atmosphere. Just breaks my heart every time I hear a mall is closing.
The elevator...first thought was Commando mall scene
me too
I just googled this: The crew then spent three weeks night shooting in San Pedro and Long Beach, followed by eight nights at the Sherman Oaks Galleria (The same mall as was used in T2 and Fast Times at Ridgemont High). The original Sherman Oaks Galleria never recovered from damages it suffered from the Northridge Earthquake of 1994.
It's sad that these malls aren't appreciated as treasures. The problems are Amazon, Wal-Mart, Sam's Club and Costco plus high taxes. Stores and malls are being put out of business. So now these teenagers prefer to have fun sitting at home ordering everything or they enjoy self checkout in big box stores now. How boring. 😁💯✅
I wish they would leave this mall alone the way it is . No one like old style looks anymore. It's a shame changing it and it does reminds me of the 1980's and 1990's.
yeah you got to love the 80's mall
I wish your wife was with you on this video talking about her experiences. Awesome of you to document this before it's no longer. I've been near K-town a few times but never stopped to visit. I will have to next time. Happy New Year from Korea.
"80's plants"! lol. Classic!! 😂😎🛹✌
That should be a movie set.
I’ve gone to this mall since the 90’s every time I come to California on vacations and since having my kids I’ve made it a yearly tradition to stop here and bring them as well. Aww I’m sure going to miss this place.
I gotta go now. Lived here in LA for a good minute. Never been here though. I'm gonna visit asap
I long for an 80s Style Home with TONS of Glass Bricks!! I fell in love with glass bricks the moment I first laid eyes on them!! True sign of a Dyed In The Wool, or bricks, 80s kid.. Just wish I would have been able to visit the Sherman Oaks Galleria a few more times before they utterly destroyed it.. What a Classic 80s Mall it was..
Looks like a healthy mall going into 2023 they even got the H-Mart in there. Honestly it should stay open for a couple more years.
Looks clean and vibrant. Its almost as if this were the actual 80s.
This is definitely a late 80's Miami Vice look that was trendy to the early 90's with the pastels, glass bricks and tile patterns.
The round elevator and round pillars remind me of the mall scene in Comando. We still have a mall here in the mid west that had a remodel but is still retro. I try to take my kids still even though they are getting older. Wtf has happened to our society that these aren't cool or viable? Great video and when you called it a treasure, you were spot on. Progress if you call it that isn't always better.
I was thinking the same thing!
@@willmichaels3127 Same here
Hahah i thought it was the commando mall for a sec too!!
Right what has happened?it’s like a lot of modern is really simple plain and boring like if you compare a old McDonalds they had kids playground now they don’t have them at all and turned so plain ,my thought is they don’t think about kids either im pretty sure kids would still play but even changing stations for babies have been removed from restrooms
That was the Sherman Oaks Galleria...torn down a long time ago. Rebuilt into an open air center.
So nostalgic. Dead Rising 1 vibes also.
Thanks for this video 👍🏽👍🏽 happy new year
Only mall I know that hasn’t been changed at least when I was last there was the Newburgh Mall in Newburgh,NY. Opened in 1977 and probably wasn’t updated since 1985. Lots of neon,fake plants and pastel colors pink and teal all over. Sadly it was a dying mall since the late 90’s but it is still there just haven’t been in it in years. Great video though man this place is awesome to see. I hope it doesn’t get remodeled
Just missing those giant water fountains that made malls so awesome
😎This looks almost exactly like that mall from the 1985 movie Commando. It even has that glass elevator 😎👍
Was literally gona comment that
Thought the same thing.
Great find, thank you for this ❤❤
The only thing that is missing is a Tiffany Concert with screaming teens.
This is incredible man!! Thank you.
Wow. That is just ... awesome! Thank you very much for sharing this with us. I absolutely love it.
Sun Coast Video would have been perfect for this store too. They were everywhere, at least in SoCal, during the 90s and maybe the 80s? Also, where's the damn time machine to go back?
There is still a Suncoast in omaha ne
oh my i love it so much
As always awesome content thanks for your time to do this video
Thank you Kurt and Happy New Year to you and your family!
If only the world outside was the 80:s....
Wouldn't that be something.
I miss the 80s so darn much.
@xtrmst_012 F the 80s?
And yet here you are on a channel called, 80s life.
The irony in your comment is absolutely golden. Hilarious. 😂
80's high post modern. Love it. Thanks for the video!
I am not an 80s kid I’m 21 years old born in 2002 I’ve been getting into the whole 80s lifestyle vibes, music, movies, fashion etc this does feel nostalgic to me as if I have been in the 80s world I just wish to experience what life was like back then😢
I get it. As a kid who grew up in the 80s the whole vibe was pretty spectacular.
Age of abundance in a good way before it got ugly
It was a million times better than now. Today's society is trash.
This is great. Love the pink floor. Thank you for making this video.
Hi Kurt, although I live in England I really enjoy watching your well crafted videos, for me you’ve nailed the balance of facts, humour (even sarcasm) and amazing presentation. One thing I’ve noticed is that parts of the US seem to becoming run down again, it’s the same here in the UK. Maybe a reflection of everyone wanting ever cheaper prices via buying and ordering online for just about everything? That said I’m not surprised the Korean mall is well maintained, it’s just who they are and how they do things; along with the Japanese!
L.A. is the mall capital of the world, thanks for reminding me to go mall walking & exploring and work off my shut down and holiday LBS. I hope Topanga is still there, I went to CP High just across the street.
@ReneeLompoc55 Thanks, I need to drive over (35 miles) and check it out. Good memories there.
Great video! We don’t have a lot of dead mall you tube channels on the west coast and Retail Archaeology doesn’t really do malls anymore. There’s lots of pink, green and brass in malls through the eastern half of the country, especially the rust belt, but unfortunately most of them are of course dying or closed and being demolished.
Shout out to Dan Bell for being the mall godfather on TH-cam.🎉
Great video! Thanks for doing the work!
Thanks to you wife for having those wonderful memories of the mall. This mall looks almost similar to the South Bay Galleria in Redondo Beach. The mall, originally called the South Bay Center, was completely gutted out in 1980, and reopened as the Galleria of South Bay in 1982. It had the similar look till 2004, till it was renovated. It still has some of the '80s look, but I'm hearing that the mall might possibly be torn down.
Del Amo mall has taken over and most major retailers are gone from the Galleria. Won’t be surprised if they tear it down.
Great video happy new year 🎊
It’s perfect (except for some good stores that are missing. Frozen in time indeed.
This Mall is so well-kept. I was a Brea Mall goer. But the Magic Johnson Mall is such a ghetto. I thank you for this great tour.
the Montebello mall and the west Covina mall are still up.they been there since the 80s
Been there many times thank you for sharring brother much love and happy new years
I'm glad I stumbled across your channel! Great content man.
Nothings changed since the 80s. You dont change perfection
Nice! Love the vibe. Cielo Vista Mall in El Paso, TX, opened in 1974, has a
similar vibe and aesthetically beautiful like KoreaTown Plaza.
Also, great video man, keep up the awesome work!
Your channel is fkn sick. I love it so much, lol. Keep up the awesome work, man.
There’s so many shopping centres from the 1980s that were heavily modernised in the late 2000s to have no colour and to all look the same as each other! What’s really funny is that some of them are now renovating again to add some modern 1980s retro elements like copper lamp fixtures and LED neon lights when that just looks cheap in comparison to the real thing! What’s really good is that some 1980s malls have never renovated and still look surprisingly modern by today’s standards because of them being extremely high end and futuristic when they were first opened! :)
Tiles can be 40 years old, but unfortunately the 80s soul is missing, and it will never get back. There, like anywhere else. The 80s are something still alive only in the heart of who, lived them. You can give a Walkman, a Commodore 64 and take away the smartphone from somebody giving him some change to call from a public phone. But they will never understand.
Man I remember when they opened this mall. It was kind of that cool place for Korean kids to see and be seen. Similar to how Glendale Galleria was for the masses. It's still a well maintained mall, so it's sad to hear they're gutting it. There used to be a Korean music shop on the 2nd floor which was one of the few places you could pick up Korean music. I think it was called Music Plaza? Which makes me wonder whatever happened to Funky Town? Funky Town was a Korean owned shop but was visited by everyone through the city for their selection of 12 inch vinyls for DJs
Music plaza is still there! I go once in a while, they mostly sell kpop
I used to love shopping there on weekends. Thx for the update on that mall.
Thank you for sharing, this is so awesome. My teen years, I spent hours in Sam Goody, then head over to the arcade. Those were the days. 😁
I remember malls looking like this in the 80s wow bringing me back so many flash back miss the 80s fun times thank you for sharing
Happy New Years to you and your family. Also Merry Blated Christmas . Hope the family are doing well.
This is so cool thank you i gotta check it out. You should check out the westminister mall. That mall still has the 70s look to it and hasn't been remolded yet.
I was going to say it looked like it was built/opened in 1988 as my local mall was refurbished in 88 and looked just like that
Cool video and Happy New Year 🥳
I'd highly recommend also checking out South Bay Galleria in Redondo Beach! It still retains a very prominent retro vibe & aesthetic despite its neon lighting and fountain being removed a while back. However, I do suggest being weary of filming unless you have a way to conceal the camera. They are extremely strict about photography in there.
That being said, I'm very sad to hear Ktwon Plaza is going to be renovated :(
Aspects of that mall in the South Bay reminded me of aspects of this mall in Koreatown. Both malls also probably have overly modest sales volumes, so the one in RB and the one in midtown LA must have owners who are nervous. That's true of lots of shopping centers & their owners throughout the US.
This reminded me of the South Bay Galleria too. That poor mall has seen better days. It used to feel so modern when I was growing up in the 80s and 90s. It had a Nordstrom, Sharper Image, and that fountain that shot water up to the third level. Now there’s a circus-carnival rotation in the parking lot.
Yes. A note to the guy running the channel: Please check out the South Bay Galleria. The floor-tiles within are almost this color, and its glass roof is spectacularly of another time. Del Amo stole its heart when it took Nordstrom's.
He could simply visit any of the several states in the South that has tons of these old school type malls.
@@markjones5757 That's true, but the vast majority of his channel's content is filmed around the Greater Los Angeles area.
Have you been inside the Puente Hills Mall, where they filmed Back to the Future in the parking lot? It's, of course, been there since the '80s. I actually saw that movie in a theater for the first time within walking distance of where it was filmed. Anyway, that mall is still reminiscent of an '80s mall. You should go out to La Puente sometime and see it.
I always love finding 80's content!
Great video. Thank you.
totally has that 80/90s vibe. another top video 80s life
Wow, I've lived in Koreatown for seven years and didn't know about this. I'm going to go check it out this weekend just to walk around. Thx!
When I was in middle school around 2010, my parents would go to this mall and buy food and look around. I remembered that fountain as I'd flick water from the fountain at the food court. My mom would yell at me in Korean to stop it. 😂 Good times.
It's funny, when he says 'it hasn't changed since the 90's', my mind immediately thinks....the 90's was only a couple years ago. LOL sheesh, how time flies.
This should be turned into an 80s mall culture museum. I wish I visit soon.
that elevator though! giving me big New Radicals- Get what you give vibes. awesome 90s song
Whoa! That is definitely an eighties mall.
Beautiful review man! I loved KTP growing up. My man Leo in the food court was a staple of the entire place.
That said, that strange look you got from the security guard has been my experience as a whole since 1988. That is in large part why this mall has never really thrived. If you aren’t Korean, you get the “why are you here” look.
In the vein of my last comment:
Came back to Japan on holiday and just been back to Okinawa last week to find a real 80s mall still alive and kickin’, located between the Kadena Air Base and Camp Foster. This Plaza House Shopping Center has a drive-in front and a 3-storey mall from the good old days, I am pretty sure that nothing has been changed there since the 1980s, a Shakey’s Pizza joint and an A&W has the very same atmosphere as in its heyday. What I was the happiest about is that they are not even thinking about ramping the place down, instead they seem to be very proud of its past, could tell this by the multitude of photos they had on display of its history from the 40s/50s. Why don’t we keep at least some of our older stuff untouched, it is certainly a cultural asset that is a relevant part of who we are today - and it sure does feel amazing to be able to take a trip back in time, down on memory lane on a regular shopping round.
I’m in Chicago and we got a few malls like this in the Chicago area. Lincolnwood town center over here has the same type of skylight as this mall you are showing us. It also has a glass elevator and similar staircases with golden railings.
I’ve always wanted to visit this mall. I plan to go in a couple of weeks.
If that Mall opened up a KB Toys, Hickory Farms, Camelot Music, Sam Goody's, etc etc..I'd fly from the East Coast just to go there, no doubt. Great video!
This is both refreshing and a reminder of how stuffy malls used to be. Hope it stays the same for many years to come!
Very nice. Mall looks well kept and clean.
The grocery store is the secret as to how Korean malls stay alive so long. Since the anchor is a giant grocery store, there is ALWAYS a reason to go to that mall. As you go to the grocery store, there's a temptation to go look at the retail stores. Foot traffic. The Koreatown Plaza is not a 'dead mall', but I wonder what the new owner will do. The anchor of a 'US' mall is a department store like Nordstrom, Macy's, or Sears. But, if that anchor goes out of business or just decides to move out, then that mall is in trouble.
There's a mall in my town that is straight outta the 80s too!! It looks very similar to this one but even more outdated if at all possible. I moved here 15 years ago and the mall was THE place to be still. Over these years, almost every single store has closed and moved elsewhere, though. About 10 years ago, a new owner bought the mall and raised the rent so high that no store could maintain business. It's a ghost mall now, you can still go for the couple of stores that are open, but it's mainly just old people using it for an indoor walking track now. Arrowhead Mall in Muskogee, Oklahoma!
Wow.... I haven't been here since the 2000s. Gotta go visit before it's all gone! I bought a Korean StarCraft II music CD from a Korean music store!
Forest Hill Shopping Centre in Melbourne Australia was originally an outdoor strip mall with a few anchor stores that opened in 1964 but it was turned into a massive indoor shopping mall between 1986 and 1988 with it opening at around the same time as that mall! It also originally looked very similar to the mall in the video but with a different 45 degree angled tile pattern with larger tiles! Even the original glass lift was very similar to the one in your video and had a fountain at it’s base which was removed and turned into a kiosk style food stall in the early 2000s and then in 2011 everything was whitewashed as a part of a modernisation but they have more recently did another renovation to the top floor to add some modern retro elements which just look cheap! :)
Happy new year!
Glendale galleria panorama Mall and Northridge Mall were the only ones I really went too ...cool way to start out the new year Mr 80's 👍💯
Places like this make me happy I was born 1983 and was able to experience this time period 🥲
I love the roof art work. I think my local mall is stuck in the 70' or 80's you should come over to Lancaster Pennsylvania and check out Park City.
Very nostalgic, I like to buy it, and preserve it
That looks almost EXACTLY like the Mall in my town that is holding on by threads and it is so sad! I remember working in this mall and especially at Christmas time it would be INSANELY busy!!! As exhausting as it was it was fun during the holidays. I was a store manager and I tried to always make it fun for my employees. I miss that time 😔
What is the name of the mall? Is there a video of it on here?
Would be amazing to see that place at Christmas - especially the elevator, the ambience would compliment it beautifully.
Nice job, thanks 🇮🇪
Oh wow I think that’s the mall that “Clueless” (1995) was shot in and maybe a few other movies back in the in the good ol’ days. I freakin’ love it🥰it’s very nice looking. Wish I worked there. (I wish they never remodeled our crazy shitty Mall over where I live in deep South Texas😒). LIKE TOTALLY RAD!!! Lol. I love it man👍thanks for sharing this video😊wish we can go back in time and live the less stressful times😔😭.
Cool mall and video. I have been to and documented several malls in recent years that screamed 1980s. Some of them had the teal and mauve color scheme, fountains, neon and other retro aesthetics. One that comes to mind is the food court at westmoreland mall or the neon at Washington square in Evansville Indiana. Also that Sam goody photo you showed was from Ohio valley mall in my home state of Ohio. Check out my Urbex playlist if you want to see some of the retro malls I’ve documented some of which I haven’t posted the footage from yet. Thanks for documenting this mall as it’s too far for me to get to to document.
Spectacular to the max! If I had the coin I would purchase the mall, leave it as is and turn it into postmodern themed micro apts. Truth.
That mall is almost a twin of the one in my hometown.
Except it is only two floors and has white tiles.
It was built at the end of the 70s.
They need to do a Back 2 the Future "Save the clock tower" movement for this pristine ancient relic.
Flashback in the late December of 2022