I have no idea why someone would bring a camcorder to Metro in 1991 . . . . but I'm so glad you did. I only wish you had a video of the mall in the early 80s!! Really miss the old Metro!
Someone should go threw all the news channels archives and pull out the pieces featuring or including the mall in some way! I found a lot of good stuff about our mall here in Vicksburg by going through old news papers on microfilm down at our public library!
I am from Yazoo City, Ms I moved to California in the 80’s the metro center was my favorite mall to shop at. After a few years in California I came home to visit heading to the mall my brother informed me the mall has closed, couldn’t believe this had happened to a very nice mall in Ms, so sad!!
Sad Music. I really miss Dillard's, McRae's, Sears The Gap, Kirkland's Diamond Jim's arcade, Sabarro Italian Eatery, The Cooke Store, Structure, Express, Gadzooks, Nine West, The Limited, New York & Company, The Children's Place, Friderman's Jewlers, Zales, Rave, Waldenbooks, Hallmark, Kay Jewelers, Reed's Jewelers and Bath and Body Works. It felt like that all of these stores were here yesterday. I miss 2000-2003! The time which my mom's friend and my father's friend were not divorced. The time which all of my mom's friends gave me lots of love/hugs/kisses.
As someone that was born and raised in Jackson, Mississippi, these videos were a real trip down memory lane. I spent many hours in Diamond Gem's and Bookland, and there's no telling how many coins I threw into that fountain. Also, a few years after this video was shot a baseball card/comic book shop called "In the Zone" opened. I visited it weekly until it closed around 1997. I wonder what happened to ol' Mr. Gary...
Thanks for posting this! I've been looking everywhere for images of the original Metrocenter before that awful refurb. I knew I had seen light-outlined elevators somewhere when I was a kid. This brings back so many memories. Thanks again!
Wow, this video is a true Easter egg amidst countless videos. The nostalgia it captures... albeit with with our automatic, nostalgic greed... and wanting to go back and take our past... the passion, culture clothing, music, all of it!!
Wow, this brought back so many memories from my childhood in Mississippi. Metrocenter was THE mall. I was so excited when we went there. I heard it's nothing but a few state and city offices in there now, that nearly all of the stores are gone.
Yeah when the major big anchors started leaving there like Dillards and Gayfers. That when the mall begin to drastically decline for the worst. Then you got Dogwood in 2002. That was another major hit for the mall.
back when metrocenter was still alive and well. It's all changed now for the worst, they've closed off parts of the first floor, hardly anything there in the food court (even though the food court looks the same as it did before) and they actually put escalators where the staircase was. THIS VIDEO BRINGS BACK MEMORIES FOR ME. BTW I live here in Jackson
in addition to that last comment Sears is now closed, McCraes (now belk) is gone and now turning into state offices, the only remaining anchor is Burlington Coat Factory which is now only on the first level of the mall and they've closed off the mall entrance, and they've let the elevator fall into a state of disrepair it's severely low on hydraulic oil.
Really sad isn't it? I still remember mall days in the 80s/90s..... I went by the Metro Mall half a yr ago and it looked half dead. I recall we hen my friends visited there in the late 1990s it was already almost dead.....
What a nostalgic video! This was probably the same/last year I recall being in the Metrocenter Mall. To a young teenager from rural Covington County (further south), Metrocenter Mall was absolutely a field trip into the future. My friends and I had so much fun. In hindsight, that might seem a bit laughable to some; but you'd have to remember the best which was directly accessible to us at the time: Cloverleaf Mall in Hattiesburg (Turtle Creek was yet to be realized), and Sawmill Square in Laurel. It's a real shame that Metrocenter has been allowed to decay to what remains of it today. The city of Jackson, to include its residents, has certainly been victimized by the leaders who failed to capitalize and expand upon the value this mall provided. A series of economic tragedies.
Spent all my saved money at the Diamond Jim's here in one day while staying with my sister who lived in Clinton. That would have been a year or two before you shot this footage.
The only thing open is Burlington coat factory now. I spent many days in diamond Jim kicking but on mortal kombat. After coming to visit Mississippi from Florida, I noticed that North Park is not as vibrant as it once was.
We had family visiting and nearly everywhere they went, I videotaped. They went to New Orleans and I didn't go with them, so there is virtually no video of NO. Tho I didn't include him, there was a security guard seen at the end on the overhead rail who told me I wasn't supposed to be videotaping in the mall, but we were done anyway. I don't have him on video saying this, you just see him real quick. I filled nearly an entire tape of our last breakfast.
Knock yerself out and as you see, this is part two. I don't know why the second part is watched more than the first part. And just let me know when it is going to air so I can let some of the "stars" of the video who are still around know, if that's not an inconvenience.
I wasn’t born until November 1991. Life sure was different in the early 90’s.. no mall would give a crap if you filmed now. It’s funny how it was such a big deal back then. Now all everyone does is film dead malls.
If you walked around with a camcorder in the mall today (not that you would since even cheap phones have video) within seconds, Paul Blart, mall cop would appear and tell you that you can't record...er, I'm sorry...you can't TAPE inside the mall! You know, for "security reasons" and all that jazz.
He did then. I got a quick shot of him before I switched it off, and an outside bit, before I put the camera away completely. Funny bit was, we were thru shopping.
Yes there was, the elevator went up to it. But it was just a space for people to sit and eat. There were tables up there. They removed it after remodeling and adding the food court.
Crazy how a whole generation of black Mississippi left had to be tragic living in ms cause how do you justify a major city in that state get basically abandoned
I have no idea why someone would bring a camcorder to Metro in 1991 . . . . but I'm so glad you did. I only wish you had a video of the mall in the early 80s!! Really miss the old Metro!
The old metro was awesome! All that red carpet. The pill-shaped, light-outlined elevators. The huge fountains. Orange Julius...
th-cam.com/video/mGSSqkcJTEM/w-d-xo.html
Someone should go threw all the news channels archives and pull out the pieces featuring or including the mall in some way! I found a lot of good stuff about our mall here in Vicksburg by going through old news papers on microfilm down at our public library!
@@Rick_Dunaway are you talking about Battlefield?? That closed when I was really you but I have some faint memories.
I am from Yazoo City, Ms I moved to California in the 80’s the metro center was my favorite mall to shop at. After a few years in California I came home to visit heading to the mall my brother informed me the mall has closed, couldn’t believe this had happened to a very nice mall in Ms, so sad!!
Sad Music. I really miss Dillard's, McRae's, Sears The Gap, Kirkland's Diamond Jim's arcade, Sabarro Italian Eatery, The Cooke Store, Structure, Express, Gadzooks, Nine West, The Limited, New York & Company, The Children's Place, Friderman's Jewlers, Zales, Rave, Waldenbooks, Hallmark, Kay Jewelers, Reed's Jewelers and Bath and Body Works. It felt like that all of these stores were here yesterday. I miss 2000-2003! The time which my mom's friend and my father's friend were not divorced. The time which all of my mom's friends gave me lots of love/hugs/kisses.
Me too, it was my childhood
As someone that was born and raised in Jackson, Mississippi, these videos were a real trip down memory lane. I spent many hours in Diamond Gem's and Bookland, and there's no telling how many coins I threw into that fountain. Also, a few years after this video was shot a baseball card/comic book shop called "In the Zone" opened. I visited it weekly until it closed around 1997. I wonder what happened to ol' Mr. Gary...
mr.gary was a great guy...he would hold all the superman stuff for me....hope he's doing good
Yes it is.
Thanks for posting this! I've been looking everywhere for images of the original Metrocenter before that awful refurb. I knew I had seen light-outlined elevators somewhere when I was a kid. This brings back so many memories. Thanks again!
Really glad you filmed the old mall! Awesome trip down memory lane for me.
I soooo wish I could find some footage of the inside of Diamond Jims arcade. Some of my fondest memories are of that place. I need a time machine! Lol
Now that Metrocenter as a shopping mall is history, it's good to have this to remember it as it once was. R. I. P.
Wow, this video is a true Easter egg amidst countless videos. The nostalgia it captures... albeit with with our automatic, nostalgic greed... and wanting to go back and take our past... the passion, culture clothing, music, all of it!!
Jackson, Mississippi has changed soo much. I really miss Sake & Save, Jitney Jungle, Winn-Dixie and Albertsons.
Wow, this brought back so many memories from my childhood in Mississippi. Metrocenter was THE mall. I was so excited when we went there. I heard it's nothing but a few state and city offices in there now, that nearly all of the stores are gone.
Wow, what a wonderful blast from my past. I miss those days...and the Metro. Thank you for sharing!
Yeah when the major big anchors started leaving there like Dillards and Gayfers. That when the mall begin to drastically decline for the worst. Then you got Dogwood in 2002. That was another major hit for the mall.
Two days before my 12'th birthday. wow. I was going to Peeples Middle School, and then transferred to Whitten. So many great memories.
I used to shop at Gadzooks in the 90s
This is how I time travel
This is amazing.. the memories are just flooding back
back when metrocenter was still alive and well. It's all changed now for the worst, they've closed off parts of the first floor, hardly anything there in the food court (even though the food court looks the same as it did before) and they actually put escalators where the staircase was. THIS VIDEO BRINGS BACK MEMORIES FOR ME. BTW I live here in Jackson
in addition to that last comment Sears is now closed, McCraes (now belk) is gone and now turning into state offices, the only remaining anchor is Burlington Coat Factory which is now only on the first level of the mall and they've closed off the mall entrance, and they've let the elevator fall into a state of disrepair it's severely low on hydraulic oil.
Really sad isn't it? I still remember mall days in the 80s/90s.....
I went by the Metro Mall half a yr ago and it looked half dead. I recall we hen my friends visited there in the late 1990s it was already almost dead.....
I even miss Kmart both in Jackson, Vicksburg and Hattiesburg
What a nostalgic video! This was probably the same/last year I recall being in the Metrocenter Mall. To a young teenager from rural Covington County (further south), Metrocenter Mall was absolutely a field trip into the future. My friends and I had so much fun. In hindsight, that might seem a bit laughable to some; but you'd have to remember the best which was directly accessible to us at the time: Cloverleaf Mall in Hattiesburg (Turtle Creek was yet to be realized), and Sawmill Square in Laurel.
It's a real shame that Metrocenter has been allowed to decay to what remains of it today. The city of Jackson, to include its residents, has certainly been victimized by the leaders who failed to capitalize and expand upon the value this mall provided. A series of economic tragedies.
Spent all my saved money at the Diamond Jim's here in one day while staying with my sister who lived in Clinton. That would have been a year or two before you shot this footage.
I miss old department heritage stores such as McRae's, Parisian, Rich's, JB White and Gayfers.
I used to love the metro mall when I was at Jackson State in the late 90s. My dad says it's crap now and close to being closed. Smh.
The only thing open is Burlington coat factory now. I spent many days in diamond Jim kicking but on mortal kombat. After coming to visit Mississippi from Florida, I noticed that North Park is not as vibrant as it once was.
We had family visiting and nearly everywhere they went, I videotaped. They went to New Orleans and I didn't go with them, so there is virtually no video of NO.
Tho I didn't include him, there was a security guard seen at the end on the overhead rail who told me I wasn't supposed to be videotaping in the mall, but we were done anyway.
I don't have him on video saying this, you just see him real quick. I filled nearly an entire tape of our last breakfast.
It’s so weird to see it now abandoned and forgotten
Hmm, I wonder why there are more viewers to part 2 than part 1?
White shoes in Mississippi was as 1991 as those lifted and teased up hairstyles!
Aug 1991 I went there to get my all black Nike crosstrainers($99) and mc eight maxi single ($4.65) (growing up in the hood)
Hi Richard, we are doing a story on Metrocenter Mall's history and wondered if we could use your TH-cam footage with an onscreen credit?
Knock yerself out and as you see, this is part two. I don't know why the second part is watched more than the first part.
And just let me know when it is going to air so I can let some of the "stars" of the video who are still around know, if that's not an inconvenience.
@@2up3rm4n1 THANK YOU!! We're planning to air the story tomorrow (3-2-22) in the 6pm newscast
People never remember that there was a McDonald’s in the food court. I used to eat there every time in went to the mall
They want you to come back and do an update video.
😳 😆
I wasn’t born until November 1991. Life sure was different in the early 90’s.. no mall would give a crap if you filmed now. It’s funny how it was such a big deal back then. Now all everyone does is film dead malls.
Other than the clothes people are wearing, you really can't tell what year it is.A lot of the signs/branding actually look very modern IMO
McRae's should have never been rebranded as Belk.
Gayfer's should have been kept as a subsidiary of Dillard's
Miss this place. Camelot Music. Another music store upstairs cant remember the name. Diamond jims. A great food court. Waldenbooks.
I think the other music store was Sam Goody's. It was located near McRae's.
I remember another one too, was it Musicland?
If you walked around with a camcorder in the mall today (not that you would since even cheap phones have video) within seconds, Paul Blart, mall cop would appear and tell you that you can't record...er, I'm sorry...you can't TAPE inside the mall! You know, for "security reasons" and all that jazz.
He did then. I got a quick shot of him before I switched it off, and an outside bit, before I put the camera away completely.
Funny bit was, we were thru shopping.
The pet store was the place to be before I spent it all in diamond Jims.
Jeremy Simmons from Forest Hill ?
Wow I was only 2 months
I remember Gayfers, sears, Dillard’s and McCrae’s
was there a third floor in the center court?
No, just two floors.
the center court looks nothing like it does now in this video
Yes there was, the elevator went up to it. But it was just a space for people to sit and eat. There were tables up there. They removed it after remodeling and adding the food court.
Crazy how a whole generation of black Mississippi left had to be tragic living in ms cause how do you justify a major city in that state get basically abandoned
I am the most famous Mississippi native.