The mall is so downright UGLY!!!

[Momof3Labs]

We live close to a good-sized indoor mall, but I generally avoid it like the plague. It is quite popular, I don't have the patience for the crowds, and it's not like I do much window shopping these days. DH was working tonight, it was raining, and my nanny had to leave early, so I decided to take the kids there to wander and eat dinner. We hit the Lego store, the Disney store, Build-a-Bear, and quickly perused the LE sale racks at Sears. It was a nice little family outing.

But what really struck me was how UGLY the mall has become!! This mall was redone several years back in a fairly high-end style to compete with some high-end malls about 30 minutes north of here. It really looked nice! But today, it seemed like every single flat surface was covered in an ad. The glass rails overlooking the lower level (so much for watching the kiddie train from above), hanging from light posts, plastered over the windows of the glass elevator. I guess that it is just a symptom of the economy, but it was so ugly. Like graffiti. Or tacky billboards. Yuck. Strengthens my resolve to continue to avoid that place, I guess!

[wellyes]

I think once you get out of the habit of shopping, being in such a commercial space is maddening.

The first time I I took my 6 month old to a K-Mart, he just looked around and around at all the colors and tags and shelves and items, vaguely disgusted and confused, like "whooooaaaa what is all this??" That's kinda how I feel in malls these days too.

[hellokitty]

Lol, if you want to see an ugly (and lame) mall, come to my place. We still have that 50's-60's turquoise tile at our mall and then the other part is like 70's tan. I live less than 5 min from the mall, but I only go there to shop a few times a yr. There are supposed to be 4 anchor stores and we've lived here for 8 yrs and there have only ever been 3, and they are the dumbed down versions (Macy's carries NO All Clad, Sears has no LE stuff, etc.). The store selection is pretty bad, we don't even have a gap anymore, which was one of the only reasons I ever went to the mall 5 yrs ago, how can a mall be a mall with a gap? DH and I keep hoping they will just pummel the place and re-build it. The asphalt in the parking lot is a wreck, there are huge pot holes everywhere. We are the biggest region in a rural area, so if they build a nice mall, ppl would actually come to shop here. I drive over an hr to shop at the nicer malls in the larger cities, b/c our is so bad. The food court has only two restaurants left. Have I already mentioned how lame it is, lol? So yeah, I get your vent.

[ShanaMama]

I think once you get out of the habit of shopping, being in such a commercial space is maddening.

The first time I I took my 6 month old to a K-Mart, he just looked around and around at all the colors and tags and shelves and items, vaguely disgusted and confused, like "whooooaaaa what is all this??" That's kinda how I feel in malls these days too.
:yeahthat: I find the mall overwhelming & irritating. I am on sensory overload in every direction. And I used to love going to the mall.

[HIU8]

I have not been to the mall in over 6 months (and there are 3 within 20 minutes of me in different directions and several more about 30 minutes away in another direction). Really, I don't like to go there.

[veronica]

Lol, if you want to see an ugly (and lame) mall, come to my place. We still have that 50's-60's turquoise tile at our mall and then the other part is like 70's tan. I live less than 5 min from the mall, but I only go there to shop a few times a yr. There are supposed to be 4 anchor stores and we've lived here for 8 yrs and there have only ever been 3, and they are the dumbed down versions (Macy's carries NO All Clad, Sears has no LE stuff, etc.). The store selection is pretty bad, we don't even have a gap anymore, which was one of the only reasons I ever went to the mall 5 yrs ago, how can a mall be a mall with a gap? DH and I keep hoping they will just pummel the place and re-build it. The asphalt in the parking lot is a wreck, there are huge pot holes everywhere. We are the biggest region in a rural area, so if they build a nice mall, ppl would actually come to shop here. I drive over an hr to shop at the nicer malls in the larger cities, b/c our is so bad. The food court has only two restaurants left. Have I already mentioned how lame it is, lol? So yeah, I get your vent.


We have the same mall! And our Chick fil-A closed two years ago in the food court. So now, the hour drive to the mall with no chic fil-A is just not worth it at all. the closes CFA is 2 hours now. It's a horrible Macys-they don't even sell childrens shoes? Sears and penny's.

[marie]

i shouldn't even be commenting since i live far from malls now. . . but. . .
when we lived in the Boston area, the mall trend that i despised was the placement of TV's everywhere. Same with the grocery stores. ugh.

[icunurse]

I'm with you. I also despise the cheap little vendors in the middle of everything. They crowd up the place and stalk you. No, I don't want hair extensions, hair straighteners, a cover for my cell phone, or any body stuff. Add in the crazy kids/teens that always have me wondering why they aren't in school and it is just a complete downer of a visit.

I do my best to never go to the mall. $5 shipping is SO worth it between driving time, parking, and then manuevering through the chaos. Heck, I try to not even go into OP if I don't have to...traffic is always a nightmare. Just waiting for the outlet mall to be built out by me :)

[DebbieJ]

I had to go there to exchange some pj's at Disney Store that my mom bought in the wrong size (different bitch for another day). I couldn't get out of there fast enough.

To make matters worse, the clerk left the security tag on one of the pairs so now I have to go BACK! I can't believe the security system didn't start beeping at me when I left.

I hate the little vendors too.

Remember the old ramp in the middle of the mall? My mom lives walking distance from there so I hung out there a LOT as a kid. Now I avoid OP or at least Rt 45 as much as possible.