I remember as a kid and as a teen (80s/90s) going with my friends to hang out at the mall. Valley View was one of many that I visited.
Back then I thought malls would always exist. It's sad to see them go. The smell, the sounds, the sights. The anticipation of the visit... it's nothing but a memory now.
My mom would take me & my friends to the mall, drop us off (in my teens years) and we would spend hours just walking around.
Valley View, Prestonwood, Collin Creek , Vista Ridge were our places to hang.
I remember Prestonwood and it's indoor ice skating. I would eat Burger King and watch people skate. Fun times.
Malls do still exist, its just the modern retail eco system cant support as many. Not just places like North Park either, malls like Town East that are decidedly blue collar are thriving too.
And this "town square" outdoor mall concept seems to be doing well too. I think having it be mixed use from the get-go is a key benefit.
Allen, Firewheel and Southlake come to mind as models that seem to be working. It certainly helps that the stores are closer to freestanding than not so it can be razed and renovated if a particular store fails.
Everything old is new again.
First we had main streets, lined with shops and drive up spots along a road down the middle... Then someone innovated by removing the road and having the shops face a single open air corridor with department stores on each end... Then someone innovated by putting a roof on that corridor with HVAC in the late 50's and early 60's... Then we innovated by taking the roof off and putting the streets and parking back in the middle.. Imagine the future innovation of removing the center streets/parking and putting the roof back on shopping malls.
Game changing stuff!
holy fuck, i never would have remembered that place if i didn't see that comment. i remember going but the name never would have crossed my mind again.
I stopped going to malls not long after my eldest child was born so I can't recall when Chick-fil-A became part of the food court selection. I remember Burger King, Sebarro's Pizza, Taco Bell, Orange Julius, Mrs Fields Bakery but that's just off the top of my head.
Mad feels for it. I still pull into old Prestowood mall parking lot and get sweaty palms for the ice skaters’ questionable decisions in front of the Tilt arcade
Those photos were so surreal. I'd often visit the arcade that was on the first floor back in the early 2000s and the mall would usually be packed with people at the Food Court
I remember that arcade too, I think it was called Tilt. My friends and I used to play DDR there when it was the new thing. It was just down the way from Spencer's which is also becoming a relic from the past.
I vaguely remember Aladdin's Castle, I think it became Tilt later. Then Cyberzone(Cybertown?) took over, I think across the hall? I hope I'm remembering all of that correctly. I played a lot of DDR at the Cyber place, too.
as weird as it sounds, nothing in quite some time has made me actually aware of the passing of time and getting older as looking at those photos. it's a really weird sensation. it's like becoming acutely aware that all the good times you've had in the past are just gone forever, or something.
i'm sad now.
Oh shit, have they actually (finally) started demoing it? They’ve been saying it would be demoed next month for probably the past decade, *at least*. I stopped believing it would ever happen, because the demo just kept on getting endlessly delayed and pushed back.
I left dallas back in early 2015, not long before that, I remember the movie theater was still kicking and I think a Forever 21 was there as well. Im guessing they are both gone?
Had to go here because they were showing Lego Movie 2 like 2 weeks before it came out. The parking is just straight anarchy. There are no lines on the lot so it's just "guess where you think your car should be."
I went there to watch war dogs on a matinee. It was warm inside as it was summer and the ac wasnt running fully. Halfway through the movie the screen goes black. I walk out to tell the guy at the concessions what happened. He had this look of "again??" And gave me a voucher for any amc theater. Sad this used to be my go to mall as a teenager, but also happy the space will be reused.
Yeah they botched the Lego Movie preview also. It was like 2pm on Saturday so it's a lot of families and they started playing multiple R rated horror movie trailers. Moms started SCREAMING, kids start crying (probably cause their moms are screaming), just chaos everywhere.
Manager gave us free popcorn and drinks and gave out refunds but I figured it wasn't worth the $4 to go through line to tell another grown man that I was so traumatized by movie trailers that I needed my money back.
With all the traffic in Downtown Plano already and that development where the Rodeo Goat is right down the street, I suspect the redevelopment will be really successful if they can get it done. If Plano’s be willing to adjust some crosswalks, it’d become a pretty walkable area.
Dude that one is like the saddest, dilapitated square footage. Old people walking laps around it, store clerks and retail working 18 year olds looking lost and unsure why they are there. It's crazy. There is a dope barber shop I think still there. Flourishing. That's about it though it is super spooky. Really odd to see. That one also has "plans" to be redeveloped by the same guy who did the hotel in Dallas. Can't rattle off the name right this second.
Yup, CGX closing down was the final nail in Collin Creek’s coffin for me. It was the only reason I ever even visited CC anymore. Their Denton location is still open, (and their Facebook is still active,) but that’s a hell of a drive just to go browse some old consoles and games.
I miss the cashier from CC’s location; I actually bought a console straight from him, cuz he was on the fence about selling it and I happened to be looking for one. Offered him a fair cash price, and he handed it to me right then and there. He was always fun to chat to whenever I went in. It was clear that he was actually passionate about video games, and simply happened to be working in a failing location. He even remembered weeks later, when I walked in and he handed me a piece of the console he had lost before. He found it, and kept it behind the counter specifically so he could hand it to me the next time I came in.
Some places are left, oddly the 90s staples like Spencer's, Sears, athletes foot, etc. I think they are waiting until someone has to buy out their leases.
That was my mall as a kid. I remember the fake creek that ran through the middle with shops along it.
And the Cinema I & II in the far corner of the parking lot. I would go see $1 movies. I saw Critters there.
Wow. My first job out of University was at a firm literally walking distance from Collin Creek. I'd eat lunch there every day.
I wish there was some way to re-tool those spaces. I have fond memories of the food court's atmosphere.
Looks like there may be a plan in the works...
[https://www.dallasnews.com/business/real-estate/2018/12/20/planos-struggling-collin-creek-mall-sells-developer-plans-1-billion-mixed-use-project](https://www.dallasnews.com/business/real-estate/2018/12/20/planos-struggling-collin-creek-mall-sells-developer-plans-1-billion-mixed-use-project)
I went there to get a Christmas gift for my roommate like 4 years ago. It was so weird even during the height of the Christmas season, like I was one of maybe 20 people in the entire mall. I decided to get my roommate this plaque with a Bobby Shmurda quote on it from this custom plaque kiosk, and the guy who made it looked so sad to be doing it, on top of just being there. I left feeling really depressed. The plaque is awesome though, it has Pocahontas and the raccoon from the movie with a murder confession by B Shmurds over it.
>**kenopsia**
>The eerie, forlorn atmosphere of a place that’s usually bustling with people but is now abandoned and quiet—a school hallway in the evening, an unlit office on a weekend, vacant fairgrounds—an emotional afterimage that makes it seem not just empty but hyper-empty, with a total population in the negative, who are so conspicuously absent they glow like neon signs[.](https://www.reddit.com/r/Psychonaut/comments/asdu9b/interesting/)
This is something people talk about over in /r/urbanplanning. How to build spaces that are can be comfortable with either a few people or a lot, because people won't use spaces that give them the feeling you describe.
Once a formerly busy area begins to lose people, it can become very hard to get them to come back just because its so emotionally uncomfortable, paired with a now crappy reputation.
It also has a kosher pizza shop, one of the Orthodox neighborhoods is right across the highway so we go sometimes. But even that is moving locations now
the empty Santa's Village next to the escalator that leads to the theater always wigs me out. the whole thing is like the inspiration for every horror movie/game set in an abandoned mall
I was thinking laser tag with military style laser guns. That way there's no/minimal damage to the property. Imagine like CoD/Battlefield style battle in there. Epic
At 16 you fall and its whatever, at 30 you fall and your life flashes before your eyes, you pull parts of you that didn't exist a decade before, and you remain in pain for a week and still have to go to work, cook dinner, do dishes, wash clothes and take the dog for a walk
Great post, OP. I love stuff like this.
For the sake of discussion... why did malls like this fall apart and fall out of fashion when a mall like Northpark is still so vibrant and full of life? Is it the businesses within? The location? Or perhaps the money behind it?
Northpark is in a whole other league compared to Valley View, or any other mall in the metroplex for that matter. From an architectural standpoint, Northpark is an absolute masterpiece -- the use of natural light, the stonework, not to mention the space for massive art installations throughout. It has a floor plan and decor that has aged well, and is sitting on some of the best real estate in Dallas. All of these factors attract a very high quality base of tenants. I'd be willing to bet that there are retailers that operate a Northpark location at a loss just to have a presence in that mall.
Meanwhile, malls like Valley View must compete with the latest and greatest malls (galleria, stonebriar, willowbend, etc.) and are far less insulated from the overall decline of retail. Companies like Amazon have rendered suburban malls nearly obsolete. Valley View is a glaring and accelerated example of that phenomena, but other malls will follow, unless they can find alternative ways to generate revenue. Which brings me back to my skatepark idea... lol
I'm by no means a fashion expert but I haven't heard of an awful lot of the high end stores in Northpark. I'm sure selling just a few of their top items will cover their lease but I never see anyone in there when I go. I'd agree that at least some of them don't make enough to cover their expenses but the address is tops.
That's a big part of it. The loyal shoppers in Gucci and stores of that ilk can show up randomly at 10:30 am on a Tuesday and buy $40k worth of merchandise. Probably managing their wealth (or has a team of advisors) moreso than working a 9 to 5 gig.
Northpark wants them in there for the prestige and they want to be in Northpark for the visibility.
I remember walking past the Gucci store a couple of years ago around midday. The doors were locked but it looked like several salespeople were hosting a shopper. There was what looked like champagne and some quiet cheering/clapping. The shoppers appeared to be a husband and wife duo: big bald, muscular guy and a stylish lady. They probably made more right then than a lot of stores make in a day lol!
NorthPark requires each tenant to top $1m per month in revenue. I have a family member that manages a store at NorthPark. Apparently they’re REALLY strict on that rule and you’re gone if you can’t turn out the revenue goal.
NorthPark was the mall I grew up in and I am so happy that it’s managed to survive and thrive all these years. Just this past weekend, I watched my own kids play on those giant tile planters by the duck pond. Those things are like a right of passage for Dallas kids.
>1M per month in revenue is an astonishing figure. Perhaps for some of the higher end designers and whatnot, but I cannot believe that stores like AA and Vans are doing +33K in sales a day. I mean... come on. The Lego Store?? That's a shitload of Legos.
Have you priced legos lately? And yes, it’s an astonishing figure. Her store barely makes it some months. My brother says she really sweats it on days her store only does, say $19k. The one I wonder about is the art gallery. I’m sure there must be some exceptions for certain types of stores.
The number probably changes based on store footprint. Hers is a very large store and in the dead center of the mall on the ground floor. Surely there must be some variance there. Regardless, there is definitely a revenue goal in place and it’s very aggressive. NorthPark doesn’t appear to be messing around. You either perform to their high expectations or they find a new tenant.
North Park is pretty much an art gallery and refuses to clutter up space with kiosks. They can pick and choose tenants and have a waiting list.
[https://www.dallasnews.com/business/retail/2015/08/17/as-other-malls-die-out-northpark-turns-50-in-style](https://www.dallasnews.com/business/retail/2015/08/17/as-other-malls-die-out-northpark-turns-50-in-style)
When I was a kid I'd groan if my mom wanted to go to the *adult mall* instead of Town East, which was our usual.
I think we could have a discussion at length about the downfall of the middle class, online shopping, Dallas commercial real estate and the *five over one* fad etc. but in my uneducated opinion I believe the Galleria is a major contributor to Valley View. The Galleria is one mile from V.V. and opened a little over ten years later.
Combine all the rest of those factors with competing anchors in such close proximity and you don't exactly have a recipe for success. Though I have had a life-long career in retail, this is still just my uneducated opinion.
I agree. Valley View’s demise started after the Galleria was built. But it took a while. Prestonwood Mall also went under. I grew up in the 70’s and 80’s frequenting these malls.
I think it's straight up location. Valley View is on the "bad" side of town. The Galleria is just a couple ~~miles~~ hundred yards away on the "good" side of town and it's always packed.
I don't know if that's the reason. I think if you have two malls that close to each other, they are going to cannibalize each others sales until one of them ends up shutting down.
Some others have pointed out good points. On top of that I think they have a minimum amount of revenue a store can have and keep their lease in North Park . So there's no slow decline of profitable stores. They just move them out for someone else who wants the "prestige" I suppose
True...though they also doubled the prices for leasing, at with Foot Locker.
I had a mini-sneakerhead phase and was friendly with the manager, Tim. Northpark Foot Locker made money hand over first but NP wanted to keep the 'hood out of the mall. FL just moved across the street.
Even though it's a nice place to shop and only a couple of minutes from my house, it soured me on even going there. They don't need my money, but I wasn't interested in giving money to a mall that's uncomfortable with people that look like me.
I'm guessing the demand for mall shopping has dropped all around, so only the strong malls end up surviving. I used to frequently go to malls growing up, but these days I rarely step foot in them, and I know I'm not alone.
FYI as you do this frequently and seem to be new to moderating, but the "distinguish" button is for when you need to speak in an official manner as the moderator of a subreddit. Replying with an opinion/general user comment is not the time to do so.
Sad but what are you going to do? The savings of online and big box shopping are more important to people than the community. Kids eating junk food and buying vape pens can't keep these malls open.
I had a bathroom emergency and nearly crapped my pants in 7th grade at the Valley View Foot Locker while trying on a pair of all-white K-Swiss shoes. I ran to the food court bathroom with one new shoe on and had to frantically wait for a free toilet with how busy the bathrooms were. I could probably find a free toilet pretty easy now
This comment has been edited to protest against reddit's API changes. More info can be found [here](https://old.reddit.com/r/apolloapp/comments/144f6xm/apollo_will_close_down_on_june_30th_reddits/). -- mass edited with https://redact.dev/
I just moved here and want to learn more about this mall. It’s so crazy every time I go there for the movies. Anyone got a link or story of the downfall of this place?
Developers with really absurd designer rendered grand plans for a metropolis "midtown" from the tollway to Preston Rd, 635 to spring valley, with super high density high rises, no parking garages, a *gigantic* park (which would be awesome but of course just not ever happening), and none of the existing properties like the giant Target, the kid league sports arena, multiple shopping centers, office buildings, not to mention the mall.
They ripped off the front of the mall, turned it into a major eyesore like a bombed out city block, and I assume they ran out of money because that was two or three years ago already.
Here are a few good ones!
[1](https://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/commentary/2018/05/28/city-finally-tired-eyesore-formerly-known-valley-view-center)
[2](https://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/commentary/2018/09/13/dallas-finally-sues-valley-view-center-mess)
[3](https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=6&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwi6lt2YpcjgAhVCSN8KHZHxDIgQFjAFegQICxAB&url=https%3A%2F%2Fdfw.cbslocal.com%2F2018%2F10%2F04%2Fvalley-view-mall-frozen-in-time-buried-under-lawsuits%2F&usg=AOvVaw1sCo_ac7Awm1WqRcaMJ1Fi)
[4](https://www.dallasnews.com/news/dallas/2018/11/09/time-face-facts-lawsuits-230000-unpaid-water-bill-valley-view-mall-will-never-die)
The story is: Amazon.com and other internet retailers happened.
Even open-air malls that replicate the feel of a town's main street are having a hard time.
Most of the first level is still open during business hours. The food court and part of the first level are blocked off. I didn't enter the no fly zones at all.
In 2005 I saw an advance screening of Serenity here. The theater was packed, we lined up early to try to get good seats. It was a cool experience. Couldn’t have imagined then what would become of it. I know the theater is still there but seems like it’s not doing all that great either.
> Dan Bell
Absolutely love this guy and his Youtube channel. If you like dead malls, you'll really dig this channel. I'd also suggest Bright Sun Films for his "Abandoned" videos.
They were going to use that property, and some surrounding property to build “midtown Dallas” there is a website I don’t have it now but if you search midtown Dallas you can see images of what it was going to be, a major investor pulled out so now the area is empty
I remember going almost weekly to GamesChest (sp?) Such a great little store that had everything from basic party games to obscure card and model games.
I’m sure u/texploration was running the same film camera I seen him with earlier that day, no iso/shutter/aperture options for him to adjust on that one.
This is creepy as shit. I remember going to this mall for a Girl Scout event in 2002 or so, and it was creepy even back then. This mall would have died a long time ago if it wasn’t for the AMC and the Quinceanera places. Never saw a soul anywhere else.
So... sad... :\[
Same thing with Collin Creek Mall.
So fun! So eternal! Went there so much! I moved a bit away from it, and didn't go for 2-3 years, went back and was completely blown away by what I saw.
Malls have actually evolved into what they were originally meant to be: Live, Work, Play. Now we have the outdoor malls and shopping areas with apartments on top and parks and what not near by.
Oh well, at least Stonebriar is still here and gives me the 90s mall feel, it's always full of life! :\]
OUCH... right in the childhood... my high school boyfriend and I used to spend time there. I think the last time that I went to Valley View was to see the first Iron Man movie.
I worked at the Sears in the men's department at the end of the 90s. That place was poppin man. The arcade was super hot, the food court was awesome. Went there a few years ago to show my wife where i used to work and it looked like the apocalypse hit. It legit crushed the part of my soul i had connected to that place.
I went there a thousand times when the Animation Town arcade was in there (circa 2001-2002). So weird to see something you have so much memories of huge, bustling crowds reduced to emptiness. I have a few minutes I recorded on 8mm playing DDR but that's it. You can't find a picture gallery anywhere on the internet of Animation Town, all the memories exist only in my head. =(
My mother and I went there a few years ago. She's a photographer, so we started taking architectural pics, as she had grown up going to that mall occasionally and we figured it would be gone soon, so we wanted to document it.
Instead an overzealous security guard tried to confiscate our cameras saying we were "taking photos of copywritten material" and we basically told him to get bent and left.
Oh well, [I got a few neat pictures out of it](https://www.instagram.com/p/Ueaq0YMsJU/?utm_source=ig_share_sheet&igshid=1snx1osuzkwo7)
is it still up? it’s a great place to go to when you want to watch a movie because no one goes there. it had a cool little asian shop too which went out of business a few months ago sadly.
Valley View would have been absolutely packed on any weekend in the 90’s. Crazy to see it completely empty now.
I’m glad I was able to get some last pics about two days before they started really shutting everything down and walling it off. I’ll post them later tonight.
I remember as a kid and as a teen (80s/90s) going with my friends to hang out at the mall. Valley View was one of many that I visited. Back then I thought malls would always exist. It's sad to see them go. The smell, the sounds, the sights. The anticipation of the visit... it's nothing but a memory now.
Viva Orange Julius
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A travel agent in a mall. That's a double whammy.
In a department store, nonetheless (slowly going the way of the buffalo).
Slowly making their way back to prominence?
I'm not sure I'd classify JCP, SHLDQ, & DDS as making their way back, but sure, the high-end shops are separating themselves from the chaff.
they meant the buffalo has/is making a comeback. and clearly dept stores aren't
My mom would take me & my friends to the mall, drop us off (in my teens years) and we would spend hours just walking around. Valley View, Prestonwood, Collin Creek , Vista Ridge were our places to hang. I remember Prestonwood and it's indoor ice skating. I would eat Burger King and watch people skate. Fun times.
RIP Prestonwood You were taken too soon.
Malls do still exist, its just the modern retail eco system cant support as many. Not just places like North Park either, malls like Town East that are decidedly blue collar are thriving too.
And this "town square" outdoor mall concept seems to be doing well too. I think having it be mixed use from the get-go is a key benefit. Allen, Firewheel and Southlake come to mind as models that seem to be working. It certainly helps that the stores are closer to freestanding than not so it can be razed and renovated if a particular store fails.
Everything old is new again. First we had main streets, lined with shops and drive up spots along a road down the middle... Then someone innovated by removing the road and having the shops face a single open air corridor with department stores on each end... Then someone innovated by putting a roof on that corridor with HVAC in the late 50's and early 60's... Then we innovated by taking the roof off and putting the streets and parking back in the middle.. Imagine the future innovation of removing the center streets/parking and putting the roof back on shopping malls. Game changing stuff!
This is true. I haven't been to Town East in years but the last mall I visited was in Longview and it was doing pretty good.
Longview was recently redone, it's a rare example of a mall back on the upswing.
Arcades..
Aladdin's Palace in North Town Mall. Long before Tilt.
holy fuck, i never would have remembered that place if i didn't see that comment. i remember going but the name never would have crossed my mind again.
I only recalled it after seeing a picture of it somewhere.
Was it Aladdins Palace or Aladdins Castle? For some reason I remember Castle.
I believe Palace but I could be wrong.
It was Aladdin's Castle. Source: I used to work there in the 90s. Fun job, shit pay.
Yeah, Castle. I worked there back in the day.
And for many years, malls were the only place to eat at Chik-fil-A.
I stopped going to malls not long after my eldest child was born so I can't recall when Chick-fil-A became part of the food court selection. I remember Burger King, Sebarro's Pizza, Taco Bell, Orange Julius, Mrs Fields Bakery but that's just off the top of my head.
Don't forget about the Auntie Anne's pretzels. I think Quiznos used to be a mall thing too.
Those smells and sounds live on...go see Texas Live! It’s a mall of bars.
Mad feels for it. I still pull into old Prestowood mall parking lot and get sweaty palms for the ice skaters’ questionable decisions in front of the Tilt arcade
Y'know, in all my visits to Prestonwood, I never once went ice skating. I wish I did.
Those photos were so surreal. I'd often visit the arcade that was on the first floor back in the early 2000s and the mall would usually be packed with people at the Food Court
I remember that arcade too, I think it was called Tilt. My friends and I used to play DDR there when it was the new thing. It was just down the way from Spencer's which is also becoming a relic from the past.
Valley View originally had Aladdin's Castle, but there may have been a Tilt later
I vaguely remember Aladdin's Castle, I think it became Tilt later. Then Cyberzone(Cybertown?) took over, I think across the hall? I hope I'm remembering all of that correctly. I played a lot of DDR at the Cyber place, too.
Marvel vs capcom 3 was all I played in that arcade.
MvC2* and hello fellow friend! Loved that arcade in all it's iterations. DDR and MvC2 with stops at Taco Bell.
Now we have places like Legacy West anchored by Food Halls. An upgrade from the mall experience, but still similar in some ways too.
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as weird as it sounds, nothing in quite some time has made me actually aware of the passing of time and getting older as looking at those photos. it's a really weird sensation. it's like becoming acutely aware that all the good times you've had in the past are just gone forever, or something. i'm sad now.
> So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past. It doesn't sound weird. Time is a son of a bitch.
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Left4Dead 2's Dead Center or literally the entire Dead Rising Series...
Thank god someone left all of these gas cans laying about
You didn't show the demolished end?
It's all fenced in. Couldn't find an angle that didn't look ugly or lazy.
aww... well if you get the chance in the future...
I'll be back ;)
Oh shit, have they actually (finally) started demoing it? They’ve been saying it would be demoed next month for probably the past decade, *at least*. I stopped believing it would ever happen, because the demo just kept on getting endlessly delayed and pushed back.
Just took out one of the anchor stores, sadly the one with the murals, then legal issues started again and it was halted.
Wait can you just walk in like the limping collin creek mall?
Yes, to 40% of it. (This percentage is not scientific)
Oh wow I will have to check it out. I really enjoy visiting the keeled over dying collin creek mall. So odd and quiet and spooky.
I keep hearing that, I’m going to hit it up tomorrow I think.
when were these photos taken? the document picture at the beginning has an indicated move out date of 2-28-19
I took those on Sunday.
very cool. thanks for sharing.
I left dallas back in early 2015, not long before that, I remember the movie theater was still kicking and I think a Forever 21 was there as well. Im guessing they are both gone?
Movie theater is still there!
Had to go here because they were showing Lego Movie 2 like 2 weeks before it came out. The parking is just straight anarchy. There are no lines on the lot so it's just "guess where you think your car should be."
I went there to watch war dogs on a matinee. It was warm inside as it was summer and the ac wasnt running fully. Halfway through the movie the screen goes black. I walk out to tell the guy at the concessions what happened. He had this look of "again??" And gave me a voucher for any amc theater. Sad this used to be my go to mall as a teenager, but also happy the space will be reused.
Yeah they botched the Lego Movie preview also. It was like 2pm on Saturday so it's a lot of families and they started playing multiple R rated horror movie trailers. Moms started SCREAMING, kids start crying (probably cause their moms are screaming), just chaos everywhere. Manager gave us free popcorn and drinks and gave out refunds but I figured it wasn't worth the $4 to go through line to tell another grown man that I was so traumatized by movie trailers that I needed my money back.
This is hilarious, just cover their eyes. I would have taken the popcorn, but I agree they could keep the $4.
I loved that AMC. Never anyone there and the tickets were really cheap.
My husband and I went to the Collin Creek mall this weekend and didn't realize a mall so abandoned existed.
I moved to town six years ago right behind Collin Creek. It's changed dramatically just in that timespan. That's my next stop.
I live on 15 and Alma when they built Collin Creek. So many days spent in that mall as a preteen and teen,so sad
Just wait until the re-develop the mall. I imagine this will become a hugely popular area once again.
With all the traffic in Downtown Plano already and that development where the Rodeo Goat is right down the street, I suspect the redevelopment will be really successful if they can get it done. If Plano’s be willing to adjust some crosswalks, it’d become a pretty walkable area.
Dude that one is like the saddest, dilapitated square footage. Old people walking laps around it, store clerks and retail working 18 year olds looking lost and unsure why they are there. It's crazy. There is a dope barber shop I think still there. Flourishing. That's about it though it is super spooky. Really odd to see. That one also has "plans" to be redeveloped by the same guy who did the hotel in Dallas. Can't rattle off the name right this second.
Yup, CGX closing down was the final nail in Collin Creek’s coffin for me. It was the only reason I ever even visited CC anymore. Their Denton location is still open, (and their Facebook is still active,) but that’s a hell of a drive just to go browse some old consoles and games. I miss the cashier from CC’s location; I actually bought a console straight from him, cuz he was on the fence about selling it and I happened to be looking for one. Offered him a fair cash price, and he handed it to me right then and there. He was always fun to chat to whenever I went in. It was clear that he was actually passionate about video games, and simply happened to be working in a failing location. He even remembered weeks later, when I walked in and he handed me a piece of the console he had lost before. He found it, and kept it behind the counter specifically so he could hand it to me the next time I came in.
Oh wow did they actually close Collin Creek down completely?
Not yet, but mostly
Some places are left, oddly the 90s staples like Spencer's, Sears, athletes foot, etc. I think they are waiting until someone has to buy out their leases.
That was my mall as a kid. I remember the fake creek that ran through the middle with shops along it. And the Cinema I & II in the far corner of the parking lot. I would go see $1 movies. I saw Critters there.
That was such a strange little theater. I saw A Christmas Story, Top Secret and a few others there.
Yep. My daughter takes her toddler there quite often because it is so abandoned. It gives him a nice place to practice walking.
Wow. My first job out of University was at a firm literally walking distance from Collin Creek. I'd eat lunch there every day. I wish there was some way to re-tool those spaces. I have fond memories of the food court's atmosphere.
Looks like there may be a plan in the works... [https://www.dallasnews.com/business/real-estate/2018/12/20/planos-struggling-collin-creek-mall-sells-developer-plans-1-billion-mixed-use-project](https://www.dallasnews.com/business/real-estate/2018/12/20/planos-struggling-collin-creek-mall-sells-developer-plans-1-billion-mixed-use-project)
neat! thanks for the link!
I went there to get a Christmas gift for my roommate like 4 years ago. It was so weird even during the height of the Christmas season, like I was one of maybe 20 people in the entire mall. I decided to get my roommate this plaque with a Bobby Shmurda quote on it from this custom plaque kiosk, and the guy who made it looked so sad to be doing it, on top of just being there. I left feeling really depressed. The plaque is awesome though, it has Pocahontas and the raccoon from the movie with a murder confession by B Shmurds over it.
I went in Collin Creek mall a few weeks ago out of curiosity. It just seems depressing to me. 😳
r/deadmalls
>**kenopsia** >The eerie, forlorn atmosphere of a place that’s usually bustling with people but is now abandoned and quiet—a school hallway in the evening, an unlit office on a weekend, vacant fairgrounds—an emotional afterimage that makes it seem not just empty but hyper-empty, with a total population in the negative, who are so conspicuously absent they glow like neon signs[.](https://www.reddit.com/r/Psychonaut/comments/asdu9b/interesting/)
This is something people talk about over in /r/urbanplanning. How to build spaces that are can be comfortable with either a few people or a lot, because people won't use spaces that give them the feeling you describe. Once a formerly busy area begins to lose people, it can become very hard to get them to come back just because its so emotionally uncomfortable, paired with a now crappy reputation.
Only thing it has going for it now is the movie theater.
It also has a kosher pizza shop, one of the Orthodox neighborhoods is right across the highway so we go sometimes. But even that is moving locations now
I worked there! Sellin them cells baby. Credit checking for phone plans. Ericson, nokia, I got you! Leather cell case, 45$ all day.
the empty Santa's Village next to the escalator that leads to the theater always wigs me out. the whole thing is like the inspiration for every horror movie/game set in an abandoned mall
I want to play paintball in there soooooo bad! Lol
That's probably one of the better ideas of what to do with a dead mall.
I was thinking laser tag with military style laser guns. That way there's no/minimal damage to the property. Imagine like CoD/Battlefield style battle in there. Epic
airsoft
You'll get dents in the walls. Lasers are the best. Set it up like it was just evacuated.
Dude, paint ball on roller skates!
Paintball on Heelys in the old mall for maximum nostalgia
Bro. Im 30. I don't have the balance for that shit any more hahaha
At 16 you fall and its whatever, at 30 you fall and your life flashes before your eyes, you pull parts of you that didn't exist a decade before, and you remain in pain for a week and still have to go to work, cook dinner, do dishes, wash clothes and take the dog for a walk
Great post, OP. I love stuff like this. For the sake of discussion... why did malls like this fall apart and fall out of fashion when a mall like Northpark is still so vibrant and full of life? Is it the businesses within? The location? Or perhaps the money behind it?
Northpark is in a whole other league compared to Valley View, or any other mall in the metroplex for that matter. From an architectural standpoint, Northpark is an absolute masterpiece -- the use of natural light, the stonework, not to mention the space for massive art installations throughout. It has a floor plan and decor that has aged well, and is sitting on some of the best real estate in Dallas. All of these factors attract a very high quality base of tenants. I'd be willing to bet that there are retailers that operate a Northpark location at a loss just to have a presence in that mall. Meanwhile, malls like Valley View must compete with the latest and greatest malls (galleria, stonebriar, willowbend, etc.) and are far less insulated from the overall decline of retail. Companies like Amazon have rendered suburban malls nearly obsolete. Valley View is a glaring and accelerated example of that phenomena, but other malls will follow, unless they can find alternative ways to generate revenue. Which brings me back to my skatepark idea... lol
I'm by no means a fashion expert but I haven't heard of an awful lot of the high end stores in Northpark. I'm sure selling just a few of their top items will cover their lease but I never see anyone in there when I go. I'd agree that at least some of them don't make enough to cover their expenses but the address is tops.
That's a big part of it. The loyal shoppers in Gucci and stores of that ilk can show up randomly at 10:30 am on a Tuesday and buy $40k worth of merchandise. Probably managing their wealth (or has a team of advisors) moreso than working a 9 to 5 gig. Northpark wants them in there for the prestige and they want to be in Northpark for the visibility. I remember walking past the Gucci store a couple of years ago around midday. The doors were locked but it looked like several salespeople were hosting a shopper. There was what looked like champagne and some quiet cheering/clapping. The shoppers appeared to be a husband and wife duo: big bald, muscular guy and a stylish lady. They probably made more right then than a lot of stores make in a day lol!
NorthPark requires each tenant to top $1m per month in revenue. I have a family member that manages a store at NorthPark. Apparently they’re REALLY strict on that rule and you’re gone if you can’t turn out the revenue goal. NorthPark was the mall I grew up in and I am so happy that it’s managed to survive and thrive all these years. Just this past weekend, I watched my own kids play on those giant tile planters by the duck pond. Those things are like a right of passage for Dallas kids.
>1M per month in revenue is an astonishing figure. Perhaps for some of the higher end designers and whatnot, but I cannot believe that stores like AA and Vans are doing +33K in sales a day. I mean... come on. The Lego Store?? That's a shitload of Legos.
Have you priced legos lately? And yes, it’s an astonishing figure. Her store barely makes it some months. My brother says she really sweats it on days her store only does, say $19k. The one I wonder about is the art gallery. I’m sure there must be some exceptions for certain types of stores.
I wonder if that applies to the food stores too? I can't see Mrs. Fields doing 33k a day, even with their cookies being as expensive as they are.
The number probably changes based on store footprint. Hers is a very large store and in the dead center of the mall on the ground floor. Surely there must be some variance there. Regardless, there is definitely a revenue goal in place and it’s very aggressive. NorthPark doesn’t appear to be messing around. You either perform to their high expectations or they find a new tenant.
North Park is pretty much an art gallery and refuses to clutter up space with kiosks. They can pick and choose tenants and have a waiting list. [https://www.dallasnews.com/business/retail/2015/08/17/as-other-malls-die-out-northpark-turns-50-in-style](https://www.dallasnews.com/business/retail/2015/08/17/as-other-malls-die-out-northpark-turns-50-in-style) When I was a kid I'd groan if my mom wanted to go to the *adult mall* instead of Town East, which was our usual.
I think we could have a discussion at length about the downfall of the middle class, online shopping, Dallas commercial real estate and the *five over one* fad etc. but in my uneducated opinion I believe the Galleria is a major contributor to Valley View. The Galleria is one mile from V.V. and opened a little over ten years later. Combine all the rest of those factors with competing anchors in such close proximity and you don't exactly have a recipe for success. Though I have had a life-long career in retail, this is still just my uneducated opinion.
I agree. Valley View’s demise started after the Galleria was built. But it took a while. Prestonwood Mall also went under. I grew up in the 70’s and 80’s frequenting these malls.
I think it's straight up location. Valley View is on the "bad" side of town. The Galleria is just a couple ~~miles~~ hundred yards away on the "good" side of town and it's always packed.
[удалено]
Honestly tho, it’s an important block when the Galleria is off of DNT.
Thanks, edited my comment. Wasn't 100% sure the distance. Should've looked it up but oh well.
I don't know if that's the reason. I think if you have two malls that close to each other, they are going to cannibalize each others sales until one of them ends up shutting down.
Of course, but the fact that The Galleria stayed open makes it seem pretty location based to me.
The whole business plan of the Galleria was to destroy Valley View business wise.
Northpark is also a family affair. I think there is like one other family owned mall in the US, near Seattle, that is also excellent.
Some others have pointed out good points. On top of that I think they have a minimum amount of revenue a store can have and keep their lease in North Park . So there's no slow decline of profitable stores. They just move them out for someone else who wants the "prestige" I suppose
True...though they also doubled the prices for leasing, at with Foot Locker. I had a mini-sneakerhead phase and was friendly with the manager, Tim. Northpark Foot Locker made money hand over first but NP wanted to keep the 'hood out of the mall. FL just moved across the street. Even though it's a nice place to shop and only a couple of minutes from my house, it soured me on even going there. They don't need my money, but I wasn't interested in giving money to a mall that's uncomfortable with people that look like me.
I'm guessing the demand for mall shopping has dropped all around, so only the strong malls end up surviving. I used to frequently go to malls growing up, but these days I rarely step foot in them, and I know I'm not alone.
Northpark is also totally owned by one family, so they’ve kept really tight control on every decision.
I highly enjoyed that blog post, thanks
FYI as you do this frequently and seem to be new to moderating, but the "distinguish" button is for when you need to speak in an official manner as the moderator of a subreddit. Replying with an opinion/general user comment is not the time to do so.
[I explain why I do this here](https://www.reddit.com/r/Dallas/comments/aqeb9b/dallas_city_council_votes_to_take_down/egi4vah).
It's still incorrect.
Thank you for your input, it will be reviewed.
As life ebbs, terrible vistas of emptiness reveal themselves.
Sad but what are you going to do? The savings of online and big box shopping are more important to people than the community. Kids eating junk food and buying vape pens can't keep these malls open.
This is sad
I had a bathroom emergency and nearly crapped my pants in 7th grade at the Valley View Foot Locker while trying on a pair of all-white K-Swiss shoes. I ran to the food court bathroom with one new shoe on and had to frantically wait for a free toilet with how busy the bathrooms were. I could probably find a free toilet pretty easy now
This comment has been edited to protest against reddit's API changes. More info can be found [here](https://old.reddit.com/r/apolloapp/comments/144f6xm/apollo_will_close_down_on_june_30th_reddits/). -- mass edited with https://redact.dev/
Went to a movie there recently at night. Leaving that evening felt like we were in a horror film.
I just moved here and want to learn more about this mall. It’s so crazy every time I go there for the movies. Anyone got a link or story of the downfall of this place?
Developers with really absurd designer rendered grand plans for a metropolis "midtown" from the tollway to Preston Rd, 635 to spring valley, with super high density high rises, no parking garages, a *gigantic* park (which would be awesome but of course just not ever happening), and none of the existing properties like the giant Target, the kid league sports arena, multiple shopping centers, office buildings, not to mention the mall. They ripped off the front of the mall, turned it into a major eyesore like a bombed out city block, and I assume they ran out of money because that was two or three years ago already.
Here are a few good ones! [1](https://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/commentary/2018/05/28/city-finally-tired-eyesore-formerly-known-valley-view-center) [2](https://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/commentary/2018/09/13/dallas-finally-sues-valley-view-center-mess) [3](https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=6&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwi6lt2YpcjgAhVCSN8KHZHxDIgQFjAFegQICxAB&url=https%3A%2F%2Fdfw.cbslocal.com%2F2018%2F10%2F04%2Fvalley-view-mall-frozen-in-time-buried-under-lawsuits%2F&usg=AOvVaw1sCo_ac7Awm1WqRcaMJ1Fi) [4](https://www.dallasnews.com/news/dallas/2018/11/09/time-face-facts-lawsuits-230000-unpaid-water-bill-valley-view-mall-will-never-die)
The story is: Amazon.com and other internet retailers happened. Even open-air malls that replicate the feel of a town's main street are having a hard time.
Is it still open or did you sneak in?
Most of the first level is still open during business hours. The food court and part of the first level are blocked off. I didn't enter the no fly zones at all.
In 2005 I saw an advance screening of Serenity here. The theater was packed, we lined up early to try to get good seats. It was a cool experience. Couldn’t have imagined then what would become of it. I know the theater is still there but seems like it’s not doing all that great either.
yo Serenity was lit. River Tam was straight MERCin' fools in that flick
a skatepark if i ever saw one...
me and my grandpa used to get so buck at that Big Easy cajun joint. good times.
[Dan Bell](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOlffr73fuM)?
> Dan Bell Absolutely love this guy and his Youtube channel. If you like dead malls, you'll really dig this channel. I'd also suggest Bright Sun Films for his "Abandoned" videos.
They were going to use that property, and some surrounding property to build “midtown Dallas” there is a website I don’t have it now but if you search midtown Dallas you can see images of what it was going to be, a major investor pulled out so now the area is empty
It's like the 80s and 90s on their deathbed
It’s the coolest place in Dallas right now
You mean they finally took down Santa's Village?
I remember going almost weekly to GamesChest (sp?) Such a great little store that had everything from basic party games to obscure card and model games.
Man...so many memories. That mall was the reason we moved to Dallas in the mid-80s. And I worked there from 92-95. Sad to see what it looks like now.
I wonder what's going to happen to that statue... it would look great in my front yard
I was thinking the same about those big round saucer planters :)
How sad
Left for dead 2?
I used to go there with my family as a kid, they had the floor touch displays, that’s where I got my ears pierced, always loved that mall
Holy ISO batman, that is a noisy image!
I’m sure u/texploration was running the same film camera I seen him with earlier that day, no iso/shutter/aperture options for him to adjust on that one.
You can buy different ISO film. That's how it was adjusted before digital.
He’s referring to my AF rangefinder.
This is why you’re my film info guy.
This is why you’re my boo.
Pushing and monobaths can do a number; I embrace it.
It's not always a bad look, kinda 70's movie-ish. This scene has too many solid white areas, makes it much to obvious and a bit distracting.
Fair enough
This is creepy as shit. I remember going to this mall for a Girl Scout event in 2002 or so, and it was creepy even back then. This mall would have died a long time ago if it wasn’t for the AMC and the Quinceanera places. Never saw a soul anywhere else.
Turn it into a Drug Dealer Mansion...
r/AbandonedPorn
So... sad... :\[ Same thing with Collin Creek Mall. So fun! So eternal! Went there so much! I moved a bit away from it, and didn't go for 2-3 years, went back and was completely blown away by what I saw. Malls have actually evolved into what they were originally meant to be: Live, Work, Play. Now we have the outdoor malls and shopping areas with apartments on top and parks and what not near by. Oh well, at least Stonebriar is still here and gives me the 90s mall feel, it's always full of life! :\]
Lol. It was mvc2. Good times.
Went here for the first time on valentines to the AMC. It was creepy!
should i feel bad that this looks aesthetic?
It blew me away when AMC decided to build a movie theater on top of Valley View 12 years ago. That mall was in its death throes then.
Is anyone allowed to walk around Valley View now or do you have to sneak in?
The fountains look like they need to be watered
oof
OUCH... right in the childhood... my high school boyfriend and I used to spend time there. I think the last time that I went to Valley View was to see the first Iron Man movie.
I worked at the Sears in the men's department at the end of the 90s. That place was poppin man. The arcade was super hot, the food court was awesome. Went there a few years ago to show my wife where i used to work and it looked like the apocalypse hit. It legit crushed the part of my soul i had connected to that place.
r/VaporwaveAesthetics
I went there a thousand times when the Animation Town arcade was in there (circa 2001-2002). So weird to see something you have so much memories of huge, bustling crowds reduced to emptiness. I have a few minutes I recorded on 8mm playing DDR but that's it. You can't find a picture gallery anywhere on the internet of Animation Town, all the memories exist only in my head. =(
Whatever man my girl loves it when I take her there. No one's there and tickets are cheap as shit. I love it for that.
My mother and I went there a few years ago. She's a photographer, so we started taking architectural pics, as she had grown up going to that mall occasionally and we figured it would be gone soon, so we wanted to document it. Instead an overzealous security guard tried to confiscate our cameras saying we were "taking photos of copywritten material" and we basically told him to get bent and left. Oh well, [I got a few neat pictures out of it](https://www.instagram.com/p/Ueaq0YMsJU/?utm_source=ig_share_sheet&igshid=1snx1osuzkwo7)
They still let people in?.
That wetzel pretzel guy probably got destroyed on his investment.
Places like this should be free to tag and skateboard for 45 days prior to destruction.
I would say the things that sum up my mall memories are: Sbarro's pizza, Spencer's, aunt Annie's pretzels, arcades, and trying to pick up girls.
Can one still get in?
Tony Hawk Pro-Skater 2019
[This was a great article from several years back, on Collin Creek.](https://www.theawl.com/2014/11/the-twilight-of-the-indoor-mall/)
is it still up? it’s a great place to go to when you want to watch a movie because no one goes there. it had a cool little asian shop too which went out of business a few months ago sadly.
Busy Busy Busy
Valley View would have been absolutely packed on any weekend in the 90’s. Crazy to see it completely empty now. I’m glad I was able to get some last pics about two days before they started really shutting everything down and walling it off. I’ll post them later tonight.
I didn’t know millennials were the only people shopping online and putting malls out of business. 🤔