Northwest Plaza

This is my first post in quite a while to this page.  I'm coming out of mall-blogging retirement not to comment on the beauty of an aging but lively mall, as I've done in the past, but to show some pictures of an officially deceased mall, Northwest Plaza in St Ann, near Lambert Airport and Interstate 70.  

I usually leave these types of blog posts to people like Deadmalls.com, but this one is local, and I was interested at getting a closer look at the ruins of yet another dead mall, soon to be resurrected (if you can call it that) into another form, probably a lot less like a mall and a lot more like an open air lifestyle center.  

So, without excessive commentary, here are my pictures.  It should be noted that, despite this mall being closed and that no work was going on today, both the St Ann PD and the property owners' security were out in force, and circled me several times to make sure I didn't try to get into any restricted areas.  Thus, any sneaky (and thus much more cool) pictures I might have obtained were denied me. 

There's a big difference between "We're looking out for you" and "We're watching you, buddy."

Ohio Valley Mall

It's been a while since I've done a review, and although I didn't get a chance to see any malls on my recent DC trip, I did manage to squeak in a roadside local mall on the way back in Ohio. This little mall, aptly named, is near the Ohio river (meaning it's not far from the WV border), and serves the St Clairsville OH area. It can be conveniently reached by exiting I-70 onto the also aptly named Mall Road (the mall is located south of 70).



At first glance, this local mall doesn't look like much from the outside, so much so that I was hesitant to even review it. The exterior of the mall has had a facelift, probably in the late 80s, but generally looks mismatched and out of date.

Upon entering the mall, however, I was pleasantly surprised. The mall extends back quite far, and there are a large number of stores to the left and rear of the main entrance.

The compact nature of the mall is due in part to its age; we see a lot of really small storefronts, common in malls of the late 70s and early 80s. From it's design features, particularly the style of tiling and some older dark wood-grain panelling, I would guess that this mall was built in the late 70s and updated most recently in the late 80s.

The assortment of stores at Ohio Valley is impressive for a mall of its stature. Anchors include Macys, K-Mart (a mall with a K-mart? VERY 70s!), and Sears. There is also a large furniture outlet, Levin Furniture, and a crafts store. Mall staples are well represented by Bath and Body Works, Hallmark, Game Stop (two of these, for some reason), Aeropostale, Pac Sun, and Victoria's Secret. Also seen are old mall standards Radio Shack, Payless shoes, and Sam Goody, as well as relative newcomer Books a Million.



Food choices are somewhat limited (there's no proper "Food Court", which reinforces my opinion of the mall's age). A rather nice looking Japanese steak and sushi restaurant called "Osaka" is near the main entrance, and a place called Fabio's Pizza, reminiscent of Sbarro, is along the same hall. There are, however, several major food choices in nearby, including St Louis born Panera and McDonalds.

Do to it's convenience to a major highway, it's relatively impressive selection of stores, and it's classic (if somewhat understated) mall design elements, I give Ohio Valley Mall four Kiosks.

Circle Centre Mall, Indianapolis IN

I'm not sure I can say enough good things about this mall. Undoubtedly part of an urban revitalization, this mall (unlike the failed St Louis Centre) is a stunning success!

Reaching the mall is a relatively complicated task, if you're not parking there. I was already parked on a downtown street, having driving south from our hotel near 92nd street down Meridian. I wandered the street for a few minutes trying to find the La Bamba burritos at 111 S Meridian. Alas this was not to be; evidently it closed at some point in the not too distant past. After that, I wandered some more, looking for the main mall entrance. There are restaurants everywhere, as well as external store fronts, but I was looking for a main entrance. Instead, I found the parking garage, where some people from Nashville were kind enough to point me toward the mall entrance.



Once inside, I was immediately at home. Despite its distinctly urban setting, this place is all mall. Plenty of sky lighting lets in not only the sun, but visions of the urban jungle in whose heart it resides. Since my quest for a burrito had failed, I headed right to the food court, and it does not disappoint. Many of the old standards are here: a Chick-fil-a, a Subway, an A&W, and a Villa Italian Kitchen (which are beginning to replace the ubiquitous Sbarro in many malls). There's also a Johnny Rocket, a Japanese place called Maki, a Great Steak and Potato (at which I purchased a truly massive large fry) and many others. An Akoo station plays the latest and retro music videos, and Simon wifi is easily connected.

The architecture is classic white with black trim, with the common domed lighting treatments. Escalators are easy to find, and balconies give one a clear view of various levels to help you find the store you want. And wow, is there a large assortment of stores! All of the clothing standards are here, including Abercrombie & Fitch, Lane Bryant, Aeropstale, Banana Republic, Gap, H&M, Forever 21 and More. Anchors include Nordstrom and Carson Pirie Scott (thought all of these closed in the early 90s). Other stores include Hot Topic, GNC, Sungless Hut, Nine West, Aldo and Gamestop.



I could gush on about this mall for a while, but my main point is that this is not only a shopping center, it's a destination. If you're in Indianapolis, you've got to come see it.

Pluses: Huge variety and quantity of stores, great food court, beautiful urban feel and wifi.
Minuses: May be slightly confusing to get to, depending on where you're coming from.

I give Circle Centre Mall 5 out of 5 kiosks!

White Oaks Mall, Springfield IL

I have the pleasure of reviewing a beautiful classic mall today in White Oaks Mall, Springfield. This little gem is just a few minutes off Interstate 55 when travelling between St Louis and Chicago (take the 72 west exit at Springfield and go about two miles). You can tell you're getting near the mall because you'll come into a retail mecca with dozens of well recognized names such as Best Buy, K-Mart, and Walmart to name a few.

Pulling into the mall, it's easy to see it was built in the late 70s or early 80s. Much of the external architecture retains the original austere brick walls, landscaped with trees sectioned off in square brick planter areas, as visible in the White Oaks Mall signed entrance below.



Inside, we find a very well appointed two-level mall, probably redecorated sometime in the early 1990s. The atmosphere of this mall is very vibrant, though there are a few dead stores. A large carousel stands in the middle, and a children's play area near Sears on the lower level makes this mall a nice place to shop with children in tow. The lighting is very strong except in dead areas, and the skylights add plenty of natural lighting as well. For dining, there's a small food court including a Charley's Subs (a favorite of mine in the St Louis area), Subway and a couple others. Also, there's an unusual free-standing Panda Express outbuilding, and several other casual dining restaurants are nearby.



The mall includes most of the standards for clothing, such as American Eagle Outfitters, GAP, old 1970s standard Buckle, Aeropostale, and Abercrombie & Fitch. Other stores include the ubiquitous Game Stop, Dick's Sporting Goods, a Hallmark store, Spencer Gifts, Claire's, and many more.



In short, this is a beautiful little mall located in a great shopping area. If you're going past Springfield and feel the need to shop, this is definitely the place to go!

Pros: Most of the standard stores, great area for shopping

Cons: Small food court, A little off the beaten path for non-Springfield natives.

I give White Oaks Mall 4 Kiosks.

West Park Mall

I had mixed feelings while exploring this small local mall in Cape Girardeau, MO. On the one hand, it reminded me a lot of the malls of my midwestern youth. On the other hand, this IS a small local mall. It can't compete to the larger malls of urban and suburban areas. There appears to be a food court, for example, yet the only place to eat is a lonely China Star, and there is seating for approximately 30.



The mall has three wings off a central hub (where said "food court" is located, in addition to the now common bungee jumping toys) and still decked out with a lot of what is probably original 80s design (though it could also be 80s refit of a 70s mall). There is ample light treatment, though the overall lighting effect is dim, as is common for malls of this design.

When it comes to stores, this mall is actually pretty packed. Many of the required staples are here. There's a Victoria's Secret, a Claire's, and Game Stop, an American Eagle Outfitter, and anchors JC Penney and Macy's. There's also a quite adequately sized Barnes and Nobel. Food choices are VERY limited in the mall, though there are many nearby choices, including a Texas Roadhouse and Steak &
Shake. Other nearby stores include a Target, a Sears, and Toys R Us.

The mall is easily accessed via highway 55, about 100 miles south of the St Louis area. It's not right off the highway, but can be found less than a mile east of 55 on Highway K. For those traveling on 55 from St Louis toward Memphis or vice versa, it can be a welcome shopping break on a long trip. It's not worth a special trip out of the way, either for shopping or aesthetic purposes.

Pluses: Availability of most commonly expected mall stores, lots of restaurants and other shopping nearby.

Minuses: Lack of a proper food court

I give West Park Mall 3.5 kiosks

Chesterfield Mall, Chesterfield MO

Chesterfield mall is a large suburban mall, possibly the largest in the St Louis area when it comes to square footage. It's located in Chesterfield county, about 10 miles west of Interstate 270 just off Interstate 64 (or highway 40, if you're from 'round her). Though it's obvious by looking at the exterior (especially Sears) that the mall's been around for a while, both the inside and outside have had extensive renovations and additions. The end result is a mall that's beautiful if somewhat eclectic in it's layout.





Inside, you will find many of the "staples" of the modern mall; the ubiquitous Macys, a Forever 21 which ten years ago were hard to find and now seem to be everywhere, Abercrombie and Fitch, and, lovely in it's anachronism, the above mentioned Sears. All in all, some really solid stores from clothes shopping.



Additionally, you'll find a huge Borders, Banana Republic, Body Shop, Gap and Gap Kids, and at least 3 different jewelers. There's also an interesting little "Asian Gifts" store, for all your Asian decorative needs. Finally, I would be remiss if I didn't point out the AMC megaplex theater.

For the kids, there is a small play area and two story carousel. For the older kids, and maybe some of you adults as well, the ever-present Game Stop will provide endless choices on which to spend your hard-earned cash.



One disappointing area is the food court. There are only six choices: Subway, Hibachi-San, Charley's Subs, WOW Chicken fingers (which I'm unfamiliar with in any other location), Sbarro, and Panda Express. That's basically two sandwich places, two stir-fry places (one with sushi), a chicken place and a pizza place. Also, there is no free Wi-fi in the food court. You MIGHT be able to sit close enough to Borders to access theirs, but I had no success with this. So, you can get Wi-fi, you just need to go to Borders to do it. Fortunately, in addition to the food court, there are Macaroni Grill and Chilis as out buildings.

All in all, this is a solid mall with many choices for shopping. It's somewhat inconvenient to get to unless you're traveling through the center of St Louis area, as there is no access from Interstate 70 and a decent distance to 270.

Pluses: Attractive mall, large number of stores, ample parking
Minues: Average to poo food court, Wi-fi in Borders only

I give Chesterfield Mall 4 Kiosks.

Jamestown Mall, MO

Jamestown Mall in the northern St Louis area (north of Florissant on Lindbergh) is a small mall; it appears to have been originally designed to serve a growing community of subdivisions that never quite materialized. Regardless of it's origins, I'm sad to report that Jamestown Mall is quickly on it's way to becoming a dead mall. Approximately 40% of the square footage is closed, with the remainder being mostly filled with small independent shops. The main draws are a Macys and a fabulously large JC Penney Outlet store.

For mall lovers like me, however, this place is purely beautiful. Both the interior and exterior speak of a classic 80s mall design. I was so impressed by the ceilings and large interior fountain with sculptures (that picture didn't turn out, unfortunately) that I found myself really saddened by the mall's slow death.



With the state Jamestown is currently in, I'm not going to bother with the traditional "Kiosk" rating system or listing pluses and minuses. There are few reasons other than an appreciation for mall history to visit Jamestown. It's out of the way and there are not many stores. The JC Penney outlet, while out of the way, offers much in the way of reasonably priced clothing (my wife was able to purchase 7 new shirts and a few other items for about $100), and if you have an interest in supporting independently owned specialty businesses, this mall might be worth a short trip.