Photo-Essay: The New Mall, Inside and Out
Photo-Essay: The New Mall, Inside and Out
Okay, I didn't wait. I decided to go to the brand new mall across from my apartment on opening day. It was really crowded, of course, and noisy like you wouldn't believe. My phone was in my pocket and I didn't hear it ring. I was somewhat disappointed with what stores were there, and what ones were not. I went into the Burger King to look at its menu, and noted that there were no veggie burgers, which I would have preferred. As well, neither KFC nor Pizza Hut were there, but there were a couple of restaurants I do want to try. The first thing I asked a guide was whether there was a camera store, and there wasn't one, nor a computer store. Not having a camera store was no surprise because I'm in a fairly newly developed area with middle to upper-middle class residents and EVERYBODY has a smart phone (but me). With any decent smartphone excellent photos can be taken so who needs a camera any more?
Most of the stores were pretty much run-of-the-mill. There are no unusual stores like Sharper Image and the supermarket carried very ordinary stuff - no sugar free, or imported products. I wish a WalMart had opened there - they have everything.
Here's a look at what I saw, first the outside, and then into the chaos.
1 This is at the corner of the two main streets at this location. It's a kind of stage, and at the bottom right is seating for shows that would draw people to the mall. Behind it you see the subway (elevated) station and at the far right, across the street, is the apartment building that is next to mine. The elevated subway runs down the middle of a wide boulevard street.
2 Close by is this weird blown up character. To the left of it you can see the Burger King.
3 This is a fountain of sorts. The water flows down around the blocks. It made me think of the Olympic kayak races where they boat down a fast flowing river around protruding rocks.
4 Starbucks was about the only place that wasn't ready for opening day. The travel agency is called "Amazing Travel".
5 This really big monkey has a camera pointing at the people in front of it, and projects them on the screen. People never seem to tire of watching themselves making fools of themselves waving in front of it. Oh well, monkey see, monkey do.
6 Okay, we go inside. Looking down.....
7 ... and looking up.
8 Park your little ones here and be free to shop. There were more staff than kids today.
9 Lots of shoe stores. Here you can see Timberland, Birkenstock, Converse and Guess.
10 I think I said it was 5 floors of stoes in my previous essay - actually it's six.
11 Different kinds of displays everywhere you look.
12 This photo is so fuzzy because I shook the camera when I tried to escape the spray from a sparkling wine bottle that was aimed a me. I don't think it was Dom Perignon.
13 In a few cases the restaurants make it pretty obvious what they specialize in. The most delicious fish dish I ever had in China was in the hotel we stayed in when we climbed the holy Buddhist Mount Emai last year. They did a roast whole fish that was out of this world. Except for a Burger King honey mustard chicken burger that I ate for dinner tonight, this is the first restaurant I want to sample.
14 Fun and games for the kids.
15 No, darling, that is NOT a pizzaria.
16 This one's next on my list to sample. It's called "Hell's Kitchen" and they say they serve dishes from around the world.
17 This isn't the movie theatre. I'm not too sure what it is, unless it sells movie souvenirs.
18 Love the name of that school. Maybe it's just because I love tomatoes.
19 Just a display - nothing for sale.
20 Actually, I took this photo just because of the name.
21 Just to my left there is a big stage for stage shows. The 4-way hanging video screens are for me reminiscent of the same thing in Maple Leaf Gardens, where the Maple Leafs hockey team used to play.
22 The IMAX movie theatre.
23 Learn to Hip Hop dance here.
24 Never have I seen a barber shop or hairdresser salon so unbelievably spaciously laid out. I can't imagine how much they charge. I get maybe 4 haircuts a year, and at the price of the equivalent of US$1.75 each. The Chinese government requires all barber shops and hairdresser salons to display the tricolour pole you can see in the top left corner of the photo. Sometimes they're really fancy twirling neon lights, but a tricolour must be displayed.
25 A unique window display of miniatures.
26 And an even more interesting window display. I didn't look inside but I guess they sell watches.
27 And finally, the l'image de resistance.
My wife and I will go shopping there on Monday morning when it should be less crowded.
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That quite the essay Buzz....The mall is amazing but over the top for me. What's interesting is that China is opening huge new malls and the U.S. malls are dying. On line shopping has really done a lot of damage to the old brick and motor stores/malls.
Actually, you're right that online shopping is bound to affect the normal retail stores, but somehow they stay in business. This huge mall on the other side of the street is in fact an extension of the mall on our side of the street, where we live. It has the same name on both sides: Paradise Walk. I read an article once about what a mall must do to stay alive: It must be kept spotlessly clean throughout - the common areas and the stores. It must have very convenient access - lots of escalators and elevators strategically placed. There must be adequate washrooms, including properly set up disabled facilities, and constantly kept clean. There must be seating throughout for shoppers to rest. Heat and A/C even though there are many openings to the outside. Every once in a while special events must be held there to draw customers. A safe staffed place to park your kids with lots of stuff and structures to keep them busy. The mall on my side and the other side of the street fulfills all those requirements so they will not die. The malls on both sides have lots of restaurants and snack and juice bars, and you can't eat a meal over the internet, especially if the restaurants are comfortable and well decorated. The stores have to be geared to the type of people who live in the area, and in the case of the big new mall, there is direct access from the subway station into the big mall.
I forgot to say that lots of underground parking is provided under the malls - that too is important. Do all your local malls in America have all of those qualifying aspects?
Not one here in Louisville, has underground parking... At least that I know of. That would be so very handy!
Wonderful collection of photos Buzz. It looks really nice. I know photos are a way to share with others, but what the eyes see is far greater than any photo. Thanks for sharing with us.
Wow, Buzz! What a mall!!! I'd love to shop there-- so much that is interesting to see! Sure beats most of the malls here in Louisville, definitely!
Thanks for the pictures!
Visually fascinating, contextually interesting … and, as a photo essay … top of the shelf stuff, Buzz!