Just what is a '90s mall? I've mentioned Carolina Circle Mall several times on this forum and I'd like to use this mall as an example of a '90s mall. Notice the lime green color scheme and chrome railing and much more. Also, what is a '90s store? What did they sell?

A '90s-style mall would be sort of "windy", have lots of seating areas, stands in the center, and courtyards and terraces, and really elaborately done tiled floors and fountains. Lots of glass. Meanwhile, '00s stores are more "big-box style", though this was popular in the '90s too.

A '90s-style mall would be sort of "windy", have lots of seating areas, stands in the center, and courtyards and terraces, and really elaborately done tiled floors and fountains. Lots of glass. Meanwhile, '00s stores are more "big-box style", though this was popular in the '90s too.

The mall here in my town is very very '00s. It's a standard indoor mall, not a big box. It has very trendy stores, rap music playing all over, brown colors, etc.

The mall here in my town is very very '00s. It's a standard indoor mall, not a big box. It has very trendy stores, rap music playing all over, brown colors, etc.


Yeah, brown colors seem to be an '00s things...lots of earth tones and wood and metal. A '90s mall has alot of windows and marble, A/C and dance-pop type music playing all over, black metal benches, tile mosaics, fountains, winding staircases, exposed brick, etc. Exposed brick is very '90s.

A '90s mall would be much less trendy, with lots of stores like Spencer Gifts, Radio Shack, and Sam Goody's. And less expensive stores, and less teen retailers. Meanwhile, when I think of '80s malls, they have all sorts of obscure yuppieish specialty retailers that are quite corny.

Yeah the think I like about 90s retailing is that many old/retro malls retained some semblance of their original 1970s or even 1960s form, decor.etc. My local is a good example of this; there was a very gaudy, very bright blue/red facade circa 1983, and a less flashly facade dating back from at least 1971. I recall alot of pastel colours - a throwback to the 80s, alot of dark tones and SUNKEN GARDENS. There was also alot of plastics, a sort of subdued tacky sort of feeling. Whereas today's malls are too airy and sterile for my tastes.

I think you have to agree the late 60s/70s were the Golden Age of the mall. Sure the malls weren't as big, but they had class and character.  8)

Go here if you want to see a picture of the Carolina Circle Mall carousel I used to ride on all the time back in the '90s. See what you think.

http://community.webshots.com/photo/359955876/1359956935044048904JEdXEM

Go here if you want to see a picture of the Carolina Circle Mall carousel I used to ride on all the time back in the '90s. See what you think.

http://community.webshots.com/photo/359955876/1359956935044048904JEdXEM


Yeah, I remember in the 90s they occasionally had carousels/little rides in malls, something rarely seen these days. The most fascinating carousel-like feature, I think, is the 'World Clock' at the Midtown Mall, Rochester, in New York. It's been part of the original mall since about 1966 (I think) and remains to this day...

http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5883/1181/400/Rochester%20NY%201960s%20Midtown%20Shopping%20Mall%20Clock.jpg

courtesy of Malls of America blogspot

Yeah, I remember in the 90s they occasionally had carousels/little rides in malls, something rarely seen these days. The most fascinating carousel-like feature, I think, is the 'World Clock' at the Midtown Mall, Rochester, in New York. It's been part of the original mall since about 1966 (I think) and remains to this day...

http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5883/1181/400/Rochester%20NY%201960s%20Midtown%20Shopping%20Mall%20Clock.jpg

courtesy of Malls of America blogspot

Looks like something you'd see at the World's Fair.

Indeed, designers were so much more bold, so much more creative than today. Everything today is so bland and uniform, it really dulls me when I got to the shopping mall. 'Nice', but boring.  ;)

BTW, that mall in Rochester looks super '70s...

Sunken gardens seem very '90s to me, alot of malls I went to back then had those.

BTW, that mall in Rochester looks super '70s...

Sunken gardens seem very '90s to me, alot of malls I went to back then had those.


The caption on that pic read '1960s' - I don't know how much it changed throughout the decades, though.

Yeah, brown colors seem to be an '00s things...lots of earth tones and wood and metal. A '90s mall has alot of windows and marble, A/C and dance-pop type music playing all over, black metal benches, tile mosaics, fountains, winding staircases, exposed brick, etc. Exposed brick is very '90s.

A '90s mall would be much less trendy, with lots of stores like Spencer Gifts, Radio Shack, and Sam Goody's. And less expensive stores, and less teen retailers. Meanwhile, when I think of '80s malls, they have all sorts of obscure yuppieish specialty retailers that are quite corny.


Yeah you've got the right idea on a '90s mall, more smaller specialty stores like Sam Goody. A lot of those places are going out of business now because of the growth of places like Best Buy and Circuit City or Wal Mart. I remember having a The Gap and American Eagle at our mall for clothing, still have those but also now a lot more pac sun, abercrombie places. Definitelty remember dance-pop type music playing as well, and fountains.

Yeah you've got the right idea on a '90s mall, more smaller specialty stores like Sam Goody. A lot of those places are going out of business now because of the growth of places like Best Buy and Circuit City or Wal Mart. I remember having a The Gap and American Eagle at our mall for clothing, still have those but also now a lot more pac sun, abercrombie places. Definitelty remember dance-pop type music playing as well, and fountains.

Speaking of fountains, the Carolina Circle Mall had many many fountains throughout the mall but the other mall in my town Four Seasons just has one huge waterfall. Like I said, Carolina Circle was the ultimate '90s mall and Four Seasons is the ultimate '00s mall. The weird thing is is that Four Seasons is a year older than Carolina Circle. But still, it seems only 5 years old.

Yeah you've got the right idea on a '90s mall, more smaller specialty stores like Sam Goody. A lot of those places are going out of business now because of the growth of places like Best Buy and Circuit City or Wal Mart. I remember having a The Gap and American Eagle at our mall for clothing, still have those but also now a lot more pac sun, abercrombie places. Definitelty remember dance-pop type music playing as well, and fountains.


Yeah, my local Sam Goody went out of business, but part of it is because it had even worse selection than the other music store down the street from my dad's apartment complex, Coconuts. In the '90s, I remember the mall that we went to had a Disney Store. Malls back then had those specialty places, like more shoe, electronics, sporting goods, stationary stores. Also, marble and big windows were in alot of '90s malls, and big staircases and glass railings. Dance-pop music or soft R&B like Boyz II Men, Whitney Houston, Janet Jackson, Paula Abdul, etc., or even some Madonna.

Yeah, my local Sam Goody went out of business, but part of it is because it had even worse selection than the other music store down the street from my dad's apartment complex, Coconuts. In the '90s, I remember the mall that we went to had a Disney Store. Malls back then had those specialty places, like more shoe, electronics, sporting goods, stationary stores. Also, marble and big windows were in alot of '90s malls, and big staircases and glass railings. Dance-pop music or soft R&B like Boyz II Men, Whitney Houston, Janet Jackson, Paula Abdul, etc., or even some Madonna.


I got my early music education from visiting shopping malls. God bless the shopping mall!

this mall by me (The Nanuet Mall), is EXREMELY 90s!! the pink and green neon colors ,the many fountians,the open glass roof,the tile floors...its a 90s haven...if i had pics id show you!!! (many 90s stores  also like Old Navy, Sam Goody, and Spencers)

this mall by me (The Nanuet Mall), is EXREMELY 90s!! the pink and green neon colors ,the many fountians,the open glass roof,the tile floors...its a 90s haven...if i had pics id show you!!! (many 90s stores  also like Old Navy, Sam Goody, and Spencers)

Sounds like Carolina Circle Mall which was also a '90s haven. Here it is down there.
http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i22/Roadgeek/InsideNearDillards1989.jpg

Sounds like Carolina Circle Mall which was also a '90s haven. Here it is down there.
http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i22/Roadgeek/InsideNearDillards1989.jpg


^ The Carolina Circle Mall looks very modern - even futuristic - in comparison to most malls built in the era. Another example was the Sherman Oaks Galleria, built in 1973 and the setting for the film 'Fast Times at Ridgemont High.'

Here's a picture of the Carolina Circle carousel I would always ride back in the '90s. It was located in the food court.
http://image42.webshots.com/42/5/69/35/359956935JEdXEM_ph.jpg

Here's a picture of the Carolina Circle carousel I would always ride back in the '90s. It was located in the food court.
http://image42.webshots.com/42/5/69/35/359956935JEdXEM_ph.jpg


I don't see it.  :-\\

Let's try it again. The Carolina Circle Mall carousel:
http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i22/Roadgeek/Carousel19932.jpg

Let's try it again. The Carolina Circle Mall carousel:
http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i22/Roadgeek/Carousel19932.jpg


Ah, it magically appears! Actually, think you may have posted this shot already.

OMG...besides the carosel, its identical!!!!! WOW...mayby the same designers or something....thats really odd!!!!!

:o ;D :) :) :) :) :) :)COOL!!!!