Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

People Imagine How America's Abandoned Shopping Malls Could Be Repurposed

People Imagine How America's Abandoned Shopping Malls Could Be Repurposed
commercial building center stall
Photo by Daniil Kuželev on Unsplash

Ah yes, the American shopping mall.

We've all hung out after school in one.

Most of us didn't have enough to spend lavishly, but who was there for shopping anyway?


We were there to pass the time with our mischievous cohorts over trays of Sbarro pizza and Hot Dog on a Stick in the food court while tracking each other's progress on Tamagotchis.

Nowadays – social distancing notwithstanding – the popularity of malls has dwindled with the advent of the internet and online shopping.

Today's casual consumer who happens to wander the remaining indoor thoroughfares experiences a venue that are shells of their former selves – with empty store fronts lining the way to mainstays like the Gap or Cheesecake Factory.

Its no wonder the zombie apocalypse is associated with malls in movies. Because malls are dead too.

But with a number of abandoned shopping centers left standing to await their fate across the country, Redditor itsMondaybackwards wondered:

"What cool things could we do with America's dead/abandoned shopping malls?"

For Care

"Nursing home, safe communities for dementia patients. It could have everything a village would have without the elopement risk, a grocery, post office, beauty shop/barber, nail salon, library, movie theater, etc."

Bananagram98

For Gaming

"Go karts but like Mario Kart. Have 3 balloons on the back and the karts can shoot at them."

fredzout

mario kart GIFGiphy

For Work

"My wife's job took over an entire Sears location in a dead mall and now it's a major operations center for the company. Also a local community college took another chunk of the mall."

Mjb06

For Living

"How cool would it be to have an apartment in an abandoned mall with a working food court? You'd never have to leave lol"

itsMondaybackwards

"College dorms never deserved the hate they got. Leave your door open whenever you are up for visitors, close it when you don't. Not having to clean the bathroom. Lots of food options that you never have to cook. I'm 40 with two kids and I would move into a dorm room next week if I could."

bzzltyr

"There's a very large abandoned shopping mall in Cupertino, maybe a mile from Apple headquarters. Someone's been trying to turn it into housing for years, but the nimbys won't let them do it. So it just decays."

"I used to shop there all the time back in the day. They even had a store that sold swords. I was there a couple years ago. You could still walk around inside, and there was one asian buffet restaurant still doing business there."

capilot

For Entertainment

"I always pictured them being a great place for concerts or festivals. Walking to different parts of an old gigantic mall to see shows would be a great adventure imo."

writerintheory1382

"My wife and I have talked extensively about this. Let the bands sell merch in the small shops, big indoor stages in the department stores. The bands could use the security hallways to safely get to the stages. Plenty of spaces for greenrooms, and even band lodging. I love this idea!"

thetoiletslayer

For Sport

"airsoft/paintball arena."

Owlmoose

"That would be sick. I don't know why but I imagine every room being a different environment interior. Like one is a jungle, a desert, rainforest, tundra and things like that."

"Pretty much COD maps lol"

itsMondaybackwards

For Community

"Shelters, community centers, healthcare clinics, job agencies, community services, daycares, senior centers, animal shelters, affordable housing, educational centers, trade schools, women's shelters, advocacy groups, after school programs."

duchesspipsqueak

For Alcohol

"It would be fun to turn them into 'mega bars' so each shop could be a different kind of bar and you could fit all the major styles under one roof along with some drunchy friendly food and giant dancefloors. Then you could bar hop without worrying about being "drunk in public" or whatever nonsense."

deepsoulfunk

For Fear

"They're all going to become Amazon warehouses, Amazon fulfillment centers, Amazon workers' dorms, Amazon clone farms, Amazon delivery drone maintenance hubs, Amazon gladiator arenas, or Amazon Bezorthodox megachurches."

RednBlackSalamander

For Now

"Apocalypse survival experience."

memehashem

"So umm... all of 2020 thus far?"

obersttseu


More from Trending/best-of-reddit

Donald Trump
Mehmet Eser/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images

Trump Demands 'Boss Of AT&T' Fix Equipment After Failed Conference Call In Bizarre Meltdown

When most of us have technical difficulties, we contact tech support or customer service.

But if you're President of the United States, just ranting on social media—then having your White House Press Secretary post a screenshot of your post on a social media platform people actually use—is apparently the answer.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Lauren Boebert speaking to Alex Stein
Prime Time with Alex Stein/Blaze Media

Lauren Boebert Casts Doubt On Moon Landing During Wild Interview With Conspiracy Theorist

Colorado Republican Representative Lauren Boebert was criticized after she seemingly agreed with the conspiracy theory that the moon landing was faked in a wide-ranging interview with conservative conspiracy theorist Alex Stein.

The segment began with the duo casting doubt on nuclear weapons—Boebert even joked about needing "tin foil"—and moved into weirder territory when Stein praised Boebert for "vibing" with him on the topic of the moon landing. Conspiracy theorists have long alleged the moon landing was fabricated by NASA in what they claim was an elaborate hoax.

Keep ReadingShow less
Rosie O'Donnell; Oprah Winfrey
Simon Ackerman/Getty Images; Ernesto Ruscio/GC Images

Rosie O'Donnell Calls Out Oprah For Attending Jeff Bezos' Wedding In Scathing Poem

Among the various celebrity hangers-on who attended Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez's Venice wedding, the one that seemed to generate the most controversy was Oprah Winfrey.

After all, a woman known for her progressive politics whose entire ethos is about teaching people how to be their best selves, attending the wedding of man who directly funded a fascist regime dismantling our country before our eyes doesn't exactly add up.

Keep ReadingShow less
Lisa Murkowski
Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images

Lisa Murkowski Slammed After Criticizing Massive Budget Bill She Just Voted For

Alaska Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski was slammed after she claimed that President Donald Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill is "not there yet" despite casting the deciding vote to narrowly pass it before sending it back to the House.

In a marathon voting session, the Senate narrowly passed the legislation in a 51-50 vote, with Vice President JD Vance casting the tie-breaking vote after three Republicans joined all Democrats in opposition.

Keep ReadingShow less
Woman listening to her boyfriend play guitar
Photo by Toa Heftiba on Unsplash

Things People Initially Found Attractive About Their Partner That Now Annoy Them

Being in a relationship can be wonderful, but it's not without its ups and downs.

In order for it to work, we have to allow it to grow and change over time rather than being locked forever into what it was when we first started dating our person.

Keep ReadingShow less