Brunswick Square Mall: Is it Struggling or Thriving? Plus, a Walkthrough of the Closing FYE Store!
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 11 มิ.ย. 2024
- Join me as I take a look at the Brunswick Square Mall in East Brunswick, New Jersey. Is it a dead mall, a dying mall or is it doing just fine? Hard to say... Let me know what you think about this mall in the comments! Also, let's check out the closing FYE store!
If you liked this video, please give me a thumbs up, leave a comment and subscribe to my channel! Thanks!
Sources of information and historical photographs:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brunswi...)
www.tapinto.net/towns/piscata...
patch.com/new-jersey/eastbrun...
www.nj.com/middlesex/2021/03/...
www.labelscar.com/new-jersey/...
www.reddit.com/media?url=http...
VintageEastB...
www.reddit.com/media?url=http...
www.tripadvisor.com/Attractio...
www.yelp.com/biz/brunswick-sq...
www.paramountrealty.com/news-...
#mall #malls #newjersey #shoppingmall #shoppingmalls #retail #brunswick #eastbrunswick #nostalgia #fleabittenadventures #fye
Tom! My childhood mall! Thanks so much for this video.
I go back to the 1980s days with York Steakhouse, Hot Sam Pretzels, Fun N Games Arcade, Roy Rogers, Merry Go Round, Musicland or Camelot (I can’t remember), Sam Goody, Radio Shack, McCrory and Bambergers. This mall was VERY brown and tan back then. The mall not expanding was definitely a huge mistake as East Brunswick has always had a decent household income and many New Yorkers moved to this town as the trend to live in central NJ became common. Freehold mall and Woodbridge / Menlo were huge competition for this mall.
You forgot Farrell's and Orange Julius! Victoria station in the parking lot too...But I went there from the 70's to 1981.
This mall is somewhat local for me - I agree it’s not a real destination mall like Bridgewater Commons (my preferred mall) or Menlo Park. The only times I was there in the past number of years (at least before Covid) was to meet a friend there to see a movie. I remember Bamberger’s well - I worked at the one at Menlo Park for a season shortly before they were rebranded as Macy’s.
This is my mall. I am emotionally connected to that property. I visit here every two weeks. I still buy cologne from my friend Josephine at Macy*s as I have for 20 years now. It is a good 'local mall', with 1 floor and 2 anchor stores. It had a major upgrade about 10 years ago. The tiles and lighting were upgraded. It had steady foot traffic until COVID. Now the mall has more closed store fronts than any place should, and the tenants that come go away quickly. The Red Robin is great. The movie theater is fine. It's a dated local haunt. The Walden Books and B.Daltons went away a long time ago. Brunswick Squares only upwardly mobile store may just be the Hollister. The FYE is now closed. The Barnes and Nobles is not an anchor store - there is no connection to the rest kf the mall, you have to exit, and enter the mall proper. The JC Pennys structure is fascinating. Its like brutalism meets brick, with heavy abutments that do not make any sense. Nice video.
When i was a kid this mall had Farrel's Ice Cream Parlor,. I went to many birthday parties there. It was located where the added on mall entrance is, next to Panera bread.
The new cinema took the place of a McCrory 5&10. The 2 screen cinema was next to McCrory and Roy Rogers was on the other side of McCrory.
What’s in place of the 2 screen theater now?
Oh man that professional hair design place is still there? Thats where I used to go all the time to get my haircuts as a kid. Love this little mall
Hopefully this mall will be around for a long time to come 😊Thanks for the upload!.I would say the Barnes&Noble is an anchor store,if not a junior anchor.
You must have filmed this a while ago because that FYE is long closed now. In my opinion, it's not a good sign when a mall starts getting shooting galleries and escape rooms instead of actual stores.
I filmed it in February 2024
well the Mall of America has those things too.
I personally think giving people an experience can be the answer sometimes. If people no longer want to shop as much and they are sick of over consumerism, having things to actually do is good.
I'd say from the look of the mall that it's somewhere between thriving and just OK. Seems like a pretty nice mall and I don't think it is boring at all!. Agree on the JC Penneys outer architecture and love the tone of the brick there. Thanks for a great video!
You did draw a comparison to Menlo and Woodbridge, ehich i dont think is very fair. They are not exactly "nearby", both being a good half hour drive away. Having said that, Brunswick Square is also not a mall someone would go out of their way to go to luke Menlo or Woodbridge. Its more the indoor mall section of what is basically a long line of strip malls along Rt. 18 in East Brunswick.
The movie theater was expanded in the 90s into what was once the 3rd anchor store, McCrory's. That space was briefly a flea market style space before the movie theater took it and expanded unto it, also gaining their external entrance. I remember they were also early on changing to stadium seating, making it a bit if a draw until the nearby freestanding movie theaters in New Brunswick and North Brunswick made their transition.
The Bamberger's did open in 1970, and the mall opened in 1973
Thanks! I was pretty sure Wikipedia was wrong.
The fye is being replaced with a slime place. The At&t store was an amazing arcade in the 80s and 90s.
I live nearby and would classify this mall as "weird" - the route 18 facing part of the mall does well, but the interior traffic is not great. It's very small (700k sf), but if there is a store inside carrying what you need, it's easy in/out.
I used to hit that mall a lot in the early 90’s. There were always rumors about them adding a second level but I imagine that hasn’t been under consideration for a very long time.
That All In used to be a Suncoast Video store and there was Roy Rogers about 3/4 of the way down from there. There was also I think it was called Coffee Beanery near the middle. They used to have a Sam Goody and Camelot at opposite ends, too. It was a fun place to visit.
The right side of the Allure Jeweler next to the sneaker store is where the Hot Sam pretzels was located. It was a very tiny hole in the wall walk up counter.
I would visit this mall if I could. It has a small town feel to it and as always, I enjoyed your video!
Yeah, it's not bad. If I lived in the area, I would probably stop by when I could. I'm glad you like the videos! Thank you!
They used to have an amazing arcade back in the day when I was growing up it was huge!
I spent many a paycheck at that arcade in the 90's. It was fantastic.
The Allure Jeweler was a Florsheim Shoes back in the 80s
I worked at the mall in 1989 when the theater was a 2 screen General Cinemas and Roy Rogers was next to it (or very close). In 1996 or 97 i worked for the movie theater, now split up into 5 screens and owned by the Grant Family but I dont remember if it was called Mega Movies yet, I think the rebranding came after I left. One of the theaters was so tiny and always so hot we used to microwave a heating pad and duct tape it to the thermostat in that theater to make the air come on.
That foot locker has been there forever! It was an old school original wood wall design before the current updated look.
I’d agree with your assessment Tom: Doing okay with a massive asterisk for the two main anchors. B&N is very much a junior anchor.
Red Robin is where KB Toys was in the 80s and the AT&T store was Fun N Games arcade.
I think where the Sketchers is located, there was a hallway that led to Farrells Ice Cream Restaurant. If it wasn’t there, it was on the opposite end in the same spot.
I used to play Chase HQ and Ninja Turtles at the arcade there while eating a pretzel from hot sams. Then buy a sierra game from electronics boutique. Good old days.
When the Bamberger's was nearly finished, they had a promotion that invited children to have the handprints in the sidewalk outside the store. I think that my younger brother and sister had their hands pressed into the wet concrete. BTW, I was there and just about 10 years old.
Another oddity from history for this mall: For a few years there was a "Tilted Kilt" restaurant (think Hooters, only with a Scottish Highlands theme) outside next to the Ruby Tuesdays/Red Robin location, but it closed not long before the pandemic.
Yes, I read about that. Never heard of it before though.
OOOO I used to work at this mall. Worked at the old movie theater before it closed, reopened, and closed again.
Next time you're in the Boston area go to CambridgeSide Galleria Mall. The third floor is closed off now and there is no food court at all.
I did a video on Cambridge side a year or two ago. I remember that the third floor was closed off for a medical center or something like that, but I know there was a food court when I went. What happened to the food court?
The Old Navy was where York Steakhouse was in the 80s
I visited when the AMC here was MegaMovies. The worst movie theater I've ever been to, with aggressive security searching everyone and hideously inefficient lines that combined ticket sales concessions, and bag check into one.
I never liked the Brunswick Sq. Mall. I use to go to the movies there when it was 'Mega Movies', but thats about it. I remember when that whole little arcade by the movies was games, seats, and a couple of eateries... nathans, etc plus the ticket sales
I am pretty sure the “professional nails” is where Orange Julius in the 80s
I agree that this mall looks to be doing pretty well, definitely not dead....not yet anyway. Is there a food court and if so did you assess it Tom? If you covered a food court, my apologies, I missed that part. Mall looks very well maintained inside and out, I wouldn't classify Barnes and Noble as an anchor store although that appears to be a very large B&N
There’s no food court in the mall, the Auntie Anne’s/Charlie’s is the closest thing it has to one. The arcade portion of the AMC used to be a mini food court within the movie theater, featuring a ben and Jerry’s and another restaurant. Those are the boarded up portions across from the machines. The boarded up portion behind the Challengers marquee used to be another ticket stand. The machines are usually plugged in but the movie theater functionally begins at the soda machines
The other restaurant was Nathan’s
Yes, JCP and the “mall” opened 1973 based on newspaper ads I am seeing. The Bambergers opened 1970.
Thanks!
That Red Robin was something else. Ruby Tuesday maybe?
Before it was restaurants, the KB Toys was there in part of that section way back.
Yes it was a Ruby Tuesday.
I think the JCP is in the "Brutalist" look, which was big in the late 60, and 70s.
It is not quite dying and definitely is not thriving.....maybe just surviving. I am glad your candy was fresh this time😂😂😂
I agree with you, this looks like a struggling to dying mall. Sad to see what has happened to all these malls. I think JCPenny will be the next big one to shut down.
I think Barns and Noble could be considered an anchor store.
And no offense but you should stop buying candy out of those candy dispensers. Think about all the fingers that have touched the outside and inside of the candy chute. Ewwww.
That hot topic opened in December 2015
What company keeps the candy machines up to date? That must be a once every 3 year fillup
In 2012 movie theater managers were probably getting flak from corporate: "Why is your theater losing business? I'm going to need you to step your game up."
So, I stopped at this mall today and there are no remnants left of the FYE store. The sign is gone, no fixtures or anything. It's already been painted for the new tenant "Slime University" and has a banner across the security gate with the new store's name. You posted this video 3 days ago, but when was the actual date of your visit? I doubt the entire store was liquidated, including fixtures, since last Wednesday 6-12-24.
I filmed it in late February 2024.
@@fleabittenadventures Thanks for responding. I made a trip out there hoping to score some deals on the liquidation sale only to find out they were closed. It may be helpful to your viewers to indicate the actual date when your videos were filmed in the video description or mention it in the video itself. Just a little feedback, I do enjoy your videos.
It seems to be doing ok
Paramount is known to raise rent to mall retailers, if they're not going good they force to close stores
That JCPenney is one of the busiest around here
I remember going there in the 1980s and wondering “what the heck is Chick-Fil-A?”
I classify Barnes and Noble as a junior anchor
Can't help but agree with you on that. Just like you could say round one up at the Holyoke Mall in Holyoke Massachusetts is kind of an anchor if not a store.
Still much better than Livingston Mall.
Without a doubt.
It looks like the mall is doing somewhat OK. It has a lot of open stores.
What was your favorite store there?
Barnes and Noble is definitely a Junior anchor
You forgot to mention Spencer's has been there since the mall opened besides JCPenney
Seems like these malls can't have enough clothin' stores!
Maybe not THRIVING HARD, but people are walking around. I would say they FAR from struggling. I have seen struggling mall.
FYE is more of a dying childhood brand.
Why did you say "I've never heard of Mega Movies before"?
Tom is trying to trick all of us… Shame! 😂😂😂
Because I haven't heard of them before????