I Spent a Day in San Francisco's Dead Mall

If they turned most of it into apartments this would be a crazy cool village

I used to spend an entire day at this mall with my friends when I was in High School. We would hang out eating croissants under the dome, see a movie and go shopping at United Colors of Benetton.

I went to this mall just 5 years ago and it was very crowded and bustling, relatively speaking that was not that long ago. I am in shock!

Truly heartbreaking. The memories I have attached to this mall are priceless.

I worked at this Bloomingdales from 2019-2023. The change was immeasurable after the pandemic, nothing was the same. I’m glad I left and am on to bigger and better things.

I arrived in San Francisco in 1981 at the age of 21 and for next twenty years, San Francisco was my home. I loved it dearly. The City offered this high school graduate enough job opportunities to afford my own apartment, good friends and fun times. Then suddenly everything changed and I was feeling really financially squeezed out. I left in 2001 for New Hampshire, but the hold The City had on me never let go. I am so glad I left earlier than most. I never had to witness everything tearing San Francisco apart with my own eyes. I still have uncorrupted memories of the place I still love. This clip was just so sad.

"I'm counting them as friends." As someone who was born in San Francisco and spent my youth in the Bay Area, I love this:)

Before COVID this place was thriving. I went about 6 months ago because i was in the area and omg was i shocked at the condition of this mall. Completely insane how dead the mall got in just a few short years.

Malls in California don't offer the one major advantage that they do in other areas of the world; an escape from absolutely miserable weather. Ever go to a mall in Indonesia? They're amazing, and filled with people because it's 95 degrees and 85% humidity outside.

The reality is : Malls are dying everywhere in the Us....

When I moved here in 1990 this was definitely a destination point! Two underground lines stopped here and the stores in it were great! Emporium was still around then and the Nordstrom Cafe with the overhead domed windows was a great spot to eat - especially on a rainy day! Around last Christmas I came over here and didn't realize so much had closed since I basically got tired of the nastier crowds that hung around the area since the late 90s! Very sad!

True story - during Pride a few years ago this mall had a promotion at a kiosk (ran by some fabulous drag queens) where you scratch off a card to potentially win something, and my card said $500. I thought maybe it meant like $500 off an expensive store or something, but no, it was $500 in a VISA gift card, given to me on the spot!

To me, it's considered a huge problem if the LEGO store has to close. Which there was one there, and it's last day of business was nov. 30, 2023.

I think it's the lack the fun stores, most malls use to have. An arcade games center, a pet shop, a music store, a toy store, a poster store, a hobby store, etc. Obviously, the birth of online stores didn't help either. The theft sprees of course made them feel unsafe. It's a combination of many things, with each mall having its unique challenges. But of course I also think, it's also way passed its era. :eyes-purple-crying::text-green-game-over:

As a high schooler, this mall gave me a lot of memories, it's a shame it's turned into this. I remember seeing Pirates at World's End at that exact movie theater and we waited for the start time at the borders bookstore just a floor below.

The last time i went here, it was filled with ppl and it was a year ago, but now its dead? Wth

That mall was busy and moderately of people and stores when I was visited in 2021, so it’s sad to see what was a nice place be so empty.

Solid video, I should probably visit this mall since I'm pretty close to a BART station now. I usually visit Chinatown and a couple of other places in SF, but never really stopped by the Westgate Center for as long as I've been in the bay area.

What a shame to see such an icon of a mall closing up. So many of our huge malls in Vancouver, Canada have unfortunately met the same demise. Great video!!

Another good video. As a SF Native I've been to this mall many times including its movie theater. It's such a beautiful modern mall. I'm so saddened by how fast it has fallen. I'm even more irritated by how some people lie about this mall being unsafe when it's one of the safest places to be. In all of the times I've visited, not once did I ever feel unsafe. In my opinion Westfield or San Francisco Centre is a much safer place than that part of Oakland you visited in your previous video. I'm hopeful of its revival in the future.