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didn't read the article due to paywall ... but given that I pretty much grew up in a mall (90's), I really miss them ... well, maybe just the arcades that were

didn't read the article due to paywall ... but given that I pretty much grew up in a mall (90's), I really miss them ... well, maybe just the arcades that were in them :P Malls in their current form (or at least, the form they were in in the 00's) do need to die. In recent times, I've seen a few bright spots of innovation. Malls that have transformed their spaces to promote the social aspect ... just comfortable spaces where you can hang out. Also they've been innovating with adding bowling alleys, Arcades (albeit, the kitschy dave 'n busters type of arcades ... better than nothing I guess), and other experience-based attractions (rentals of little animal-shaped scooters, etc). I hope that we can figure out something cool to do with all this real-estate that in many cases, just sits idle

Arizhel 9y ago
The idea of a mall as a social space is great; after all, lots of us spent a good portion of our teenage years hanging out at malls for a good reason, before they started kicking out the teens. The problem with this is that it's expensive real estate, and people just hanging out and maybe occasionally playing some game isn't going to generate enough profit for the place to stay open.
- leggomylibro 9y ago
  That's only true as long as it is expensive real estate, though. If half the storefronts are empty and shuttered, the causeways devoid of shoppers, the parking lots eerily silent, then how long is it going to remain expensive?
  - Arizhel 9y ago
    Yes, but for now, at least in the more desirable locations, they seem to be doing just fine selling lots of expensive women's clothes, shoes, and luxury goods. In the crappy locations, if the rent goes really low, then it's more likely to attract a lot of gang activity and have a lot of crime.
- analog31 9y ago
  Teens are too busy to hang out at malls today, thanks to homework and extracurriculars.
  - Arizhel 9y ago
    Huh? Maybe some teens, but not all of them. When I was a teen, I had some peers who were like that, overachievers trying to be valedictorian and also involved in a ton of extracurricular activities. It was a total waste of time AFAICT: colleges don't really care that much about either one of those, your standardized test scores are more important. I easily got into a top tech state school just on my GPA score after they told me I was too late to register for that semester; they saw my SAT score and decided they could make room for me after all. I spent plenty of time at the mall, in pool halls, at Krispy Kreme donuts after midnight, etc. And the lower-income, not-so-academically-inclined teens certainly aren't spending all their time doing homework and extracurriculars.
    - analog31 9y ago
      From what I've seen, it's changed over time. I graduated HS in 1982, my kids are in HS now. I had virtually no homework, and spent my spare time playing music, learning electronics, and eventually learning how to program. I wasn't concerned about college admissions at all.
0x4f3759df 9y ago
It's Pueblo mall, seems super boring http://www.pueblomall.com/directory/ http://www.pueblomall.com/directory/ I guess in California they are having some success taking the roofs off of malls and making them outdoor spaces. Hopefully, America can just build pedestrian oriented cities and then we won't need malls.
leggomylibro 9y ago
A frequent catechism in the 'death of retail' elegy is that malls are often failing because these days, consumers prefer to spend their money on services and experiences rather than physical goods. And I can't help but think along the same lines that you are. You're telling me that you have these enormous storefronts with several multi-thousand sqft and often multi-story commercial spaces. You're telling me that they're sitting empty as retail giants fail to sell enough goods. You're telling me that people want fun experiences these days instead of consumer goods. Call me crazy, but maybe you should turn that J.C. Penny's into a giant laser tag arena with drone-targets, or a VR-cade, or a big IMAX/4D/whatever theater, or a 'hot desk' shared workspace. You know, things that people can pay to use for fun or relaxation?

Arizhel 9y ago

The idea of a mall as a social space is great; after all, lots of us spent a good portion of our teenage years hanging out at malls for a good reason, before they started kicking out the teens. The problem with this is that it's expensive real estate, and people just hanging out and maybe occasionally playing some game isn't going to generate enough profit for the place to stay open.

leggomylibro 9y ago
That's only true as long as it is expensive real estate, though. If half the storefronts are empty and shuttered, the causeways devoid of shoppers, the parking lots eerily silent, then how long is it going to remain expensive?
- Arizhel 9y ago
  Yes, but for now, at least in the more desirable locations, they seem to be doing just fine selling lots of expensive women's clothes, shoes, and luxury goods. In the crappy locations, if the rent goes really low, then it's more likely to attract a lot of gang activity and have a lot of crime.
analog31 9y ago
Teens are too busy to hang out at malls today, thanks to homework and extracurriculars.
- Arizhel 9y ago
  Huh? Maybe some teens, but not all of them. When I was a teen, I had some peers who were like that, overachievers trying to be valedictorian and also involved in a ton of extracurricular activities. It was a total waste of time AFAICT: colleges don't really care that much about either one of those, your standardized test scores are more important. I easily got into a top tech state school just on my GPA score after they told me I was too late to register for that semester; they saw my SAT score and decided they could make room for me after all. I spent plenty of time at the mall, in pool halls, at Krispy Kreme donuts after midnight, etc. And the lower-income, not-so-academically-inclined teens certainly aren't spending all their time doing homework and extracurriculars.
  - analog31 9y ago
    From what I've seen, it's changed over time. I graduated HS in 1982, my kids are in HS now. I had virtually no homework, and spent my spare time playing music, learning electronics, and eventually learning how to program. I wasn't concerned about college admissions at all.

0x4f3759df 9y ago

It's Pueblo mall, seems super boring http://www.pueblomall.com/directory/ http://www.pueblomall.com/directory/ I guess in California they are having some success taking the roofs off of malls and making them outdoor spaces. Hopefully, America can just build pedestrian oriented cities and then we won't need malls.

leggomylibro 9y ago

A frequent catechism in the 'death of retail' elegy is that malls are often failing because these days, consumers prefer to spend their money on services and experiences rather than physical goods. And I can't help but think along the same lines that you are. You're telling me that you have these enormous storefronts with several multi-thousand sqft and often multi-story commercial spaces. You're telling me that they're sitting empty as retail giants fail to sell enough goods. You're telling me that people want fun experiences these days instead of consumer goods. Call me crazy, but maybe you should turn that J.C. Penny's into a giant laser tag arena with drone-targets, or a VR-cade, or a big IMAX/4D/whatever theater, or a 'hot desk' shared workspace. You know, things that people can pay to use for fun or relaxation?