5/14/25 Cool Springs Galleria, TN (Revisit)

I grew up going to this mall! My last visit was about a year ago and so much has changed: more vacancies, relocations, and the like. The game store was replaced by a vape shop who gave me a free phone charger (pretty privlage? idk), and I found out the game store actually relocated to a much bigger spot. The fair was also setting up in the parking lot, which I'd never seen before. I did some skating around the empty rides while the fair construction crew just looked at me confused from like 30 feet away. My favorite food court spot, John's Burgers, had closed and was going to be replaced by a Popeyee's :( John's Burgers is like half the inspiration for the resturant Abbi works at (the other half being the Johnny Rockets at Opry Mills.

5/15/25 The Mall at Green Hills, TN

Edith told me they got carded just entering the mall, so I felt super not allowed when I walked in there holding a skateboard and taking pictures. This is one of the most beautiful malls I've seen!!! But wayyy to bougie... Almost every store seemed like a Gucci clone, exept for the Gucci itself. They even had a cybertruck (bleh!). Despite their clientel, the concourses were truly the best concourses I've ever seen in person, minus the fact that they were all devoid of any color.

5/15/25 Jefferson Mall, KY

Jefferson Mall was pretty outdated, but not in a way I like. The downside of one story malls is that the concourses are pretty lame, and this goes extra for the side of Jefferson with exactly 1 store open. It was called Cozy Cloud, it was the size of an anchor store, it sold ecxlusively kiosk junk, and when I walked through, I didn't see a soul. In the center court(?) I even saw an employee taking a nap on her kiosk (I'm right there with you, girl). It did have a space minigolf course in the arcade, but I doubt the building will last 5 years. I visited while just passing through the city, but my friend Joni used to live there and actually used to love sitting in that empty area!

5/15/25 Mall St. Matthews, KY

20 minutes from the Jefferson Mall was Mall St. Matthews, which was like its gentrified replacement. This is just speculation, but it seems to me like the Jefferson Mall was built first, then Mall St. Matthews along with that whole side of town came along and took all the customers away. The place was pretty big! I got lost inside a Dave and Busters trying to find the enterance. It had multiple running fountains, which you don't see that often, as well as a nice little food court I got some pretty crappy fried rice in. Also, I was skating outside, and an security guard told me I wasn't allowed to do that! I used to skate outside the mall I worked at every day, so I was a little suprised.

5/15/25 Northgate Mall, OH

I got to Northgate Mall too late, they were closed for the day! Guess that means I can't go in... or does it? I thoguht I might as well do a lap of the place, and I found an abandoned movie theater in the back. Sprisingly, one of the access doors to the projector hallway was unlocked! But man it was SCARY AS HELL in there. It looked like they completely wrecked the place to keep squatters out. I only went in a couple feet before I decided I didn't want to chance it today. I also found a door to the mall employee hallways, just propped open for anyone to see, which I guess isn't such a big deal considering the place was open just an hour before I got there.

5/15/25 Forest Fair Village, OH (Visit 2) (Abandoned)

Northgate was going to be my last mall of the day, but I drove past the ominously glowing "Cicinatti Mall" sign, otherwise known as Forest Fair Village. Of course, I'd been to visit Forest Fair a year prior with Gia and Carri, but I couldn't resist the thrawl... Last time, we were able to go into the still open Bass Pro + Kohls and look at the concourse through the glass, but this time it was completely abandoned, with no way to see the inside beside B&E (which I did not do). Although it was just a few months since the Bass Pro closed, it looked just as abandoned as the rest of the building, all boarded up and overgrown. I did some research in my car, and apparently the mall has recently gotten a demolition order from the city. :( I'd love to take one last visit with my friends and see what we can find, as well as checking out Northgate during operating hours and Eastgate as well.