The suburban shopping mall. The gateway to shopping. The gathering area for hanging around. The setting for timeless romantic comedies. Skylights embellish the ceilings, working with the indoor trees to create a soothing harmony, only topped off with water fountains. At least one fountain can be found in an atrium that can hold a catapult. The immersion is almost immediate when you walk through the doors.
But it’s not just about doing a grocery run with a pen and paper for a shopping list. It’s about meeting people. It’s about the ambience. It’s about stopping for a bite. I still remember stopping for cookies at Mrs. Field’s. Did you know that the chain still exists?
That was yesterday. Today, major online corporations like Amazon have hijacked the mall’s customer base. First, it was big box stores. Chain stores have left their utopias to languish in the hands of the elements and vandals. The very rain from which these enclosed cities protected us seeps through leaks in the ceiling, setting the stage for mold and mildew growth. The 21st century is a grim era for malls.