I miss malls. I miss the dynamic nature of them. I miss exploring them. I miss seeing all the things that people could buy. I miss the atmosphere. I miss the fountain you throw your pennies in. I miss meeting so many different people. I miss the escalators. I miss the joy of going into the mall pet shop and seeing the animals warm up to you. I miss sitting at the food courts, eating my weirdly quality pizza and taking in the ambiance. Hell, I miss getting lost in malls.
One of the things that feels like a stab in the heart as an aspiring parent is I will never be able to take my kids to the mall and have them experience the same experience. I look at malls now and want to cry. Look at me, a commie crying over a pillar of capitalism. That’s how much of a friend malls were to me, yet nobody I know will say they relate.
Yes, that one! We didn’t know what it was called when we first saw it, so we called it The Whale, and that’s how we still refer to it amongst ourselves.
You’re right. American malls would never “waste” that much interior space; they cram every square foot with retail. The Bullring is almost more like a park, inside - open and airy. I like it quite a lot, although I thought it was a shame they shoved it right up against that little church, that looked so shabby and small next to the behemoth.
The Mall of Americas is actually more in spirit with the Bullring. The center is completely open, all four floors, and contains an amusement park complete with a roller coaster and Farris wheel, and a massive glass ceiling.
Most American malls are set up like rabbit warrens, though.