In September, I had to make an emergency trip to the mall. I had a formal event in less than 48 hours, and the gowns I ordered online likely wouldn’t arrive in time.
I’ve lived in Buffalo for a little more than a year, but I had no idea where the mall was or even what it was called. I reached for Google, and luckily, a seemingly very nice mall wasn’t far. I jumped on the bus and, to my delight, was dropped off right at the entrance.
Ah, just like the old days.
I bee-lined to Macy’s and frantically leafed through the gown sale rack. I was shocked by the array of options (I always shop at thrift stores, so I’m not used to that many choices) and took 12 (!) to the dressing room.
I decided on one to buy (a $300 dress on sale for $50; I couldn’t believe my luck) and, though I felt relieved to have found a dress in record time, I went looking for shoes and maybe some jewelry to wear with it.
As I navigated the Walden Galleria, I was in awe of it all: the food court (complete with a P.F. Chang’s!), stores from my past (Hollister, the Apple Store, and even a Barnes and Noble), and people actually shopping!
I realized then that I’d last been to a mall in December 2022, when I went to Opry Mills to visit Madame Tussauds after stomping around Opryland all morning.
Almost four years passed before I went to a mall again! I felt like an alien discovering Earth, in the best way.
After finding a pair of shoes and some jewelry for my dress, I caught the bus home, but I noted how nice the Walden Galleria was. It would be the perfect place to go on a dreary winter day, I thought: give myself a little allowance, shop, get a giant pretzel, buy a book, and wrap it all up at the Cheesecake Factory.
I mean, sounds perfect, right?
What was it about a mall that felt so special, so cool when we were younger? And what the hell happened to it all? But truthfully, I want to know: are we seeing a comeback?
Hop in, let’s explore.
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