Welcome to Ace's Adventures! On my channel you will see the remains of retail, dead malls, and information about the struggling retail section of our economy, It is utterly important, the work that I am doing to document these places as they fall by the wayside to create a video library for future generations!
That information booth has been a mind spark in my brain about this mall, because it was first thing you saw when you came in the front entrance, then going downstairs and we (me and Mom) would usually go to the movie theatre (that turned into the a $1 theatre). after that getting lunch at the hotdog on stick just down the way. My Mom and I would go this mall almost every weekend when I was a kid, because the Inland Center mall ( which was the exit before 2nd street) wasn't as big then. As of this year, 2024, at has been fully demolished :(.
The Starcourt Mall had a decent mix of old store chains that aren’t around anymore for nostalgia value, ones that are still around (ahem, product placement), and something totally fictional like Scoops Ahoy and a few others.
I remember when the mall first opened in the late 80's. I miss Luca Pizza so much! I haven't been there probably 15 years and it looks exactly like it did when i was growing up (stores are different)
I personally love how this "mall" has been required to stay open and maintained to a T; just because it's connected to a thriving convention center. The mall itself never really saw much of any sort of success, which is a little depressing, but I always love visiting it's fantastically-preserved retro aesthetic every time I'm there attending a con. I remember shopping at one of the stores there many years ago -- shop owner was trying to convince me how much of a prime location it is... in hopes that I could setup a business location there as well.... LoL even back then it was dead.
Mall's in America are falling like flies for decades. Remember going to that mall. Last time I was there in the 1990's all that was left were a few stores and largely government offices, like video mentioned. When I retired I moved overseas and what I discovered malls are still alive and well and bigger than ever. Used to say kiddingly if you got rid of all the shoes 👠👟👠👟 and clothing stores the malls would be 60 percent empty. Today that still rings true.
I will NEVER understand why people prefer the “open air mall” concept where you have to keep going outside in the heat/rain every time you go to a different store…..or worse yet, you have to drive down to the other end. I miss going to a REAL mall on the weekends!
I fixed games for many years at the Namco arcade in that mall. It's like a homecoming each year when the Southern Fried Gaming Expo takes place in the attached expo center. Contrary to the state of the mall (which is essentially two restaurants and a Subway) the convention center and attached hotel do bonkers business.
I always thought Cobb Galleria Centre should have been a luxury sister mall to Cumberland Mall across the street. Its anchors should have been Parisian and Lord and Taylor along with small specialty stores.
Basically the Galleria is a 3 part development - Hotel Trade Show / Conference Center Specialty Shops Mall Hotel & Convention biz is great Its setting is amongst a nice Office Park, and adjacent to Cumberland Mall and across I-285 from the new Braves baseball park (walk over bridge). It is basically situated in the SW corner of the I-75 & I-285 junction on the Northside of Atlanta about 8 miles from downtown, The Varsity, Coca Cola, Georgia Tech, etc. At some point an enterprising person or organization will convert this shops mall into something new like a Museum or something that can take advantage of the very heavy local and passing through traffic.
Been here many times for several Anime Weekend Atlanta conventions, as others have stated. Bittersweet to never really have a reason to come back after AWA needed to expand into the GWCC. It sucks that these spaces just sit empty because there's really no incentive to fill them. Even during AWA, there wasn't much here. Maybe 1 or 2 temporary tenants doing food, but even from one year to the next, they had gone. Hopefully something happens to the space that brings people in, fills the stores, but from my experiences, the Galleria and the Waverly are over the crowds. Odd, given that conventions and Braves games are their ONLY source of revenue lol. Goodbye Galleria, you were a strange one.
I saw many movies at that mall's theater, including Titanic, Fear, Scream, Phenomenon, Sudden Death, along with many others. The mall had an arcade throughout the 80s and early 90s called "2000". It was multi-leveled. The mall's second story was closed as a mall in 1993 when the Convention Center took over the top half of the mall. I remember as a kid going to this mall in the 80s and all the shops were filled. It never had the number of shoppers as Cumberland Mall across the street. This mall could revive if they would just take advantage of the nearby Braves stadium that connects to the property with a pedestrian bridge spanning I-285. The mall already has "Mutph's", a baseball themed restaurant named after Braves legend, Dale Murphy. Plus, fans park at the mall parking lots during the game. Make use of that.
OMG, I just remembered I went here for a model railroad display about 10 years or so ago. Love the vibe of this place. Having grown thru my teenage years in the 80’s, these old places are so wonderful to see. Brings back many memories.
I can't believe the city allows this mall to exist like it does in its current state. You'd think they would be demanding that the owners either tear it down or rebuild, ASAP. I know our city would. Also, I can't believe Planet Fitness is up and running there. 🤯 And then the caretaker allows homeless people to be there? Just mind-blowing the amount of water damage, this place is too dangerous to even be in. Several years back I was wondering if this place still exists so I could visit because TLOBJ is one of my favorite movies. It was still open at the time but I never made the trip. I'm so sad & disappointed to see it like this. What a bummer.
Why are we giving all of retail dollars to just a handful of companies??? And forgoing the experience of being around each other? Enjoying the excitement of holidays and sharing in the joy of grabbing a sandwich together? Maybe playing a game in an arcade or talking about our jobs with new acquaintances? We have lost our ways.
I used to frequent this mall a lot back in the 70s and 80s. In the late 90s and early 2000s the area around the mall began to decline and crime began to rise. It’s so sad because it used to be a beautiful place at one time. I’ve seen videos online of the inside of it now and it’s getting destroyed. You should go back and explore it. Mall at Tuttle crossing is the next one to close in a few years. You might want to visit that one if you haven’t.
I grew up going to this mall, worked my first job there (Black Market Minerals), and still visit it from time to time and it's depressing to see what it has become. This mall was GREAT back in the 90s and it didn't even have a movie theater back then. I saw Bruce Campbell there when he did a signing at Coliseum of Comics, I saw the guitar player from Opeth walking through it, and I have a ton of other great memories from it. Sadly one day it won't be there but it really does hold a special place in my memory.
It is bittersweet to see a mall I have many memories from. The food court, the theater, the karate tournament my son went to. This mall always struggled, but it would come alive during convention events.
Like the video! I'm another person familiar with the Galleria Mall due to Anime Weekend Atlanta. During con weekends the mall was always busy from morning to late in the evening, probably what it felt like back in the 80s. It was a nice vibe. The convention likely would have stayed if it didn't outgrow the facilities. Just an extra note on the Renaissance Waverly, it underwent renovations a number of years ago and a lot of the atrium decor was removed. Among things I remember there used to be vines (ivy or philodendron I think) growing off the sides of every level, more plants in the lobby and huge bell-shaped lights.
