Imagine apartments built into what used to be department stores, (Oh, you’re JC Penny 203? I’m at Sears 106). Get those old arcades up and running. Set up meal stations at the food court. Once people actually live there, stores will start to move back in.

If I’m unable to finish my life in my own home, that doesn’t sound like a terrible option.

  • Got_Bent@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    34
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    3 months ago

    I know it’s hard to imagine since you’ve pretty much got to pay to exist anywhere today, but malls were a place to just exist. I spent hours and hours wandering around the mall in the eighties without any money.

    Expanding on the thought, it was perfectly ok to be, get this, a TEENAGER existing without any money in a mall!

    • dustyData@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      8
      ·
      3 months ago

      In my country malls were never this. When I was young several malls, specially high end ones, banned unaccompanied teenagers during weekdays and at certain hours. Also, fuck malls with absolutely no seating or resting spaces outside of the food court. I hope they all go broke and get demolished.

      • jj4211@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        6
        ·
        3 months ago

        Might also depend on the timing. At least in the 90s, my area was as described, a hangout place where ambient hanging out was considered just fine because enough people bought stuff it was worth it and people behaved relatively well, or they had enough security to make that the case.

        Now there’s all sorts of signs up about unaccompanied teenagers are not allowed.

      • uis@lemm.ee
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        2
        ·
        3 months ago

        Also, fuck malls with absolutely no seating or resting spaces outside of the food court.

        Sounds like EU got work to do

    • fine_sandy_bottom@lemmy.federate.cc
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      3
      arrow-down
      3
      ·
      3 months ago

      malls were a place to just exist

      Not really. Malls existed because enough of the people who went there were spending enough money to make them profitable.

      Yes it was permissible to go to a mall and not spend any money, and a lot of people did just that, but that doesn’t mean malls did not require most people to be spending money.

      • jj4211@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        5
        ·
        3 months ago

        I think not “most” but the ones that did spend spent plenty enough to make up for the rest. Maybe “most” do at least grab food at a restauraunt though.