Thats because most people in the country were white and civil, then. Malls were safe and not being robbed by “yout” flash mobs and organized crime rackets.
Look back at 80s photos of crowds in malls. Mostly white. Civil crowds. There to shop. Have fun at arcades. My mall I first grew up in back then had a massive skating rink in its major intersection.
However, malls are alive in SE Asia, especially Malaysia and Indonesia. Of note, one of the ways the riff raff is kept out is by a small fee. Same for Sams and Walmart. Always safer at a Sams.
I have no hesitation in saying I always loved malls. I liked everything including the regulation of other people to behave properly and the protection from bad weather.
As a Luddite I hate choosing something online that turns out wrong or defective or purposely misrepresented——and there are stories now that returns on Amazone may be restricted or eliminated. So wear those shoes two inches too tight or the scratchy clothes that looked good online.
Would that have been the Lloyd Center in NE Portland? Back in the 60s, that was THE mall for our Christmas shopping, and at one time it was in the Guinness Book as the largest shopping center in the world. I haven't been there in maybe 30 years, no idea if it still exists.
Sounds like the Galleria in North Dallas? I remember it well.
Not exactly. The tax structures were changed during malls booming years the tax structures were such that you literally could not lose money building a mall…
As such far more were built than could ever financially be sustained once those laws were changed
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