Buzzfeed: Completely Surreal Photos Of America’s Abandoned Malls

[OmahaBlueDog]

Hello GD. I'd originally posted this in the Lounge here: http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=edit&forum=1018&thread=600268. What I discovered was that the discussion wasn't very "Loungey": there was a lot to say about politics, a changing America, and a shrinking middle class. So I thought I'd cross post this here.

Complete photo collection and article at: http://www.buzzfeed.com/mjs538/completely-surreal-pictures-of-americas-abandoned-malls

[Jesus Malverde]

1. The day after the zombie invasion...

[postulater]

4. #WalkerVoters. Nt

[longship]

13. DUzy !!! nt

[HughBeaumont]

2. No surprise that a lot of these are in Ohio.

When you give no opportunity to a state's inhabitants (whether through plant closings, jobs being offshored, corporate shenanigans, youth flight, compromised government, etc) and take away their ability to consume . . . well, demand dries up . . .

Outdoor malls, however, are thriving here . . . in freezing NE Ohio. Go figure that out.

[Enthusiast]

14. +1 a whole bunch!

[Sarah Ibarruri]

3. The killing of America. nt

[tularetom]

5. I didn't see the other post but I can think of a few causes

1. The disturbing loss of middle class jobs which led to

2. The rise of the big box store. Around here you could land a jetliner on the parking lot of the local malls, but you can't find a parking place at Costco, Walmart or Target. And that has resulted in

3. Financial difficulties of anchor tenants. Sears and Penneys are in deep trouble and other national retailers not far behind. And as major tenants are lost the rents to the other tenants have increased.

4. Finally, the cost of heating and cooling these monstrosities has pushed the rents up so high that many of the smaller shops are closing down or moving elsewhere.

I won't miss the crappy malls. I live 30 miles from the nearest one and I get there less than once a year. I find that the stores that remain cater primarily to teenage girls which is apparently the last segment of the population with disposable income.

[1000words]

6. "Let's all have another Orange Julius ...

Thick syrup, standing in lines
The malls are the soon to be ghost towns
so long, farewell, good-bye."

(written in 1996)

[WillyT]

7. A Cross Between Soylent Green, And Day After Tomorrow...

[X_Digger]

8. Meh, I always hated the mall anyway.

I can't remember the last time I set foot in one. I know it's at least 20 years.

[JoeyT]

9. I wonder who paid to have all those built,

and how many hungry people could've been fed or homeless people housed with all that money.

By the way, your link to the lounge thread goes to the edit for the post.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1018600268

[jberryhill]

10. Good riddance to bad retail

[progressoid]

11. Ugh. Too much HDR.

[Blanks]

12. The occupy camps would have been more comfortable in theses places. eom

[Drunken Irishman]

15. Thank goodness. The mall ruined American cities...

It killed the downtown, helped bolster white flight, advocated sprawl, the use of the automobile and a throwaway culture that still dominates our country today.

So glad malls are dying. It's a sign America is finally growing up.