Brookdale Center, 1962

From Dave:

“This store opened on May 17, 1962. You’ll notice the little kangaroo
(or whatever it is) sign on the parking lot light pole. The architect
who designed this mall, Victor Gruen, was big on cartoon-style signs
as a reminder for shoppers to remember where they parked their cars.”

Thanks Dave!

Dave has a blog – Pleasant Family Shopping — that has lots of old skool pictures of shopping centers and stores — check it out!

I should have new entries coming up soon, hopefully a new post tomorrow.

Ever heard of a pop group called “B5″? Yeah, me neither. But if you have heard of this boyband, you probably don’t remember their music. You remember the mall riot.

Some boyband called “B5″ made an appearance and all hell broke lose. This was kind of surprising, in two ways -

1: By 2005, boybands had pretty much faded away from the scene and were mostly irrelevant. Hell, the Backstreet Boys tried making a comeback that year, and they couldn’t even climb the charts.

2:  This “band” was virtually unheard of – WTF was all the fuss about? Were these boys that OMG CUTE? Plus, this was a Disney-sponsored event; it wasn’t like Suge Knight was there promoting NWA. You can pretty much expect a brawl at a 2-Live Crew or C-Murder show, not an obscere boyband concert in a shopping mall.

But this is Brookdale. ANYTHING can happen. Gotta watch your back.

A  reader of this blog directed me to his website, where he snapped photos of the brawl – absolutely worth checking out. Before I saw these pictures, I had no idea how much commotion there actually was.  I figured, maybe a few squad cars and the sheriff. No, they had what looked like fucking SWAT teams in full-on riot rear, guns drawn, and hundreds of paddywagons & Crown Vics surrounding the shopping center. The reader even said he saw a “Water Patrol” vehicle there, boat and all!

http://www.mindformation.com/brookdale_disturbance.html

Yep. Just your ordinary day at the Brookdale Mall.

That’s because yet another anchor, Barnes and Noble, plans to close its doors next month.   It’s not economy-related; according to the StarTribune article, they’re succumbing to peer pressure and closing up shop because everyone else is.  I don’t blame them.

Last year at this time, Brookdale had all but one of its anchor stores in tact (no Mervyn’s).  There was a Macy’s, Steve & Barry’s, Barnes & Noble, and Sears. In general, if a dying mall can keep its anchors, there’s hope.

Today, the anchor stores are all but gone and so is the fantasy of Brookdale’s revival.  I highly doubt there will be an Eden Prairie Center-type rejuvination. If a resurgence was going to happen, it would’ve happened in the early 2000′s when the big remodel took place.

Just looking at this mall via Highway 100 & it looks downright spooky, even during the daytime. The old Steve & Barry’s has some sort of mold growing down the face of the building. Macy’s has garbage bags on its doors. The parking lot has no cars and is full of potholes, loose gravel, and trash. The lot fixtures and animal guideposts all have rust on them. If it weren’t for the random delivery trucks at Sears, you’d think this mall was closed.

There isn’t much shopping to be done here anymore. You could say that Brookdale is just one big, glorified bus stop: Shady characters loitering about, while waiting for the #5 Metro Transit bus to arrive.  Or blue-haired seniors congregating in the parking lot to board a casino-bound caravan to shove nickels down an “I Dream of Jeanie” slot machine in hopes of either hittin’ the jackpot or having some slapstick adventure to star in a “Grand Casino Story” commerical…like locking yourself out of your room while your hubby gambles away your retirement on a Cleopatra-themed slot machine, and then getting caught by the cleaning lady ( “an Angel”) in the hotel hallway, holding a bucket of ice and wearing your only your nightie.  “Not funny!!!”

Anyway.

It’s over folks. Board ‘er up and call it a day.

I drive by Brookdale via Highway 100 almost every day and noticed that last week, the doors were all covered with what looks like a white sheet, and the Macy’s sign was taken down (you can see a combo Marshall Field’s/Daytons (*sob*) labelscar on the side of the building).  Up until about last week, there were several cars in the parking lot, so I assume the Macy’s had been open recently.  Wonder if they were able to sell off all their tacky urbanwear – or will we have the pleasure of seeing orange plastic jackets, blinged out baby t’s,  and other timeless apparel that appeals to your average Block E loiterer, down at TJ Maxx piled in a disorganized heap in a few months?

I apologize for the lack of updates. I do have several posts in the works & a few are close to being finished, but haven’t had the time to tweak them up yet. Problem is, my hard drive died on me and the pictures that didn’t get uploaded to WordPress were lost…so I have the write-ups done, but I have to go back to a few locations to snap pictures again. BACK UP YOUR WORK, PEOPLE!

Stay tuned…should have a new post (or 2) this week!

This is a perfect time for me to recite my favorite Jurassic Park line: "That is one big pile of shit!"

The Brookdale Macy’s is closing and Dumpy Strip Malls is there!

I paid a final visit to Macy’s  last Friday afternoon.

It was just as I expected it to be — incredibly depressing. The store was pretty messy – it looked like a TJ Maxx at closing time. If you’re thinking of

checking it out one last time, I wouldn’t bother.

This is NOT like the other Macy’s in Minnesota, mang.

Vinyl clothing strewn everywhere. Jeans in the color scheme of a child’s fingerpainting project. Porn star formal wear. Dinnerware locked up in the jewelry cases. Anti-theft devices on bags of Whole Bean Starbucks Coffee

and boxes of Frango Mints.

Yep, it’s details like this that set the Brookdale Macy’s apart.

The prices on the merchandise weren’t anything to write home about. 30% off here, 40% off there. Meh. Give it a few weeks though and the prices will be good enough to tell Winona Ryder about this place – the clearance sale prices will likely be equal to stealing.

Most of the shit in this Macy’s I wouldn’t even take if it were free. See example below:

Even Missy Elliott, queen of the Obnoxious Parka, is going, "Oh, girl, NO."

The urban designers are the heavy hitters at the Brookdale Macy’s.  If you’re trying to look like Master P, Fergie Ferg, Jenny from the Block, or that dude from the Sopranos who got whacked in the 3rd season, you’ll find a stockpile of blingity-bling-bling-blinged-out threads here.

Or, for this Halloween, if you’re thinking of going as Master P, Fergie Ferg, Jenny from the Block, or that dude from the Sopranos who got whacked in

I can't think of anything I'd rather wear than a plastic jacket that will crack after a few weeks of wear. In your choice of colors!

the 3rd season, you’ll find your supplies here. And at discount prices! Take THAT, Party City, and your ridiculously priced $70 adult costumes!

Macy’s wasn’t quite at the point of selling their in-store display cases and mannequins for cash quite yet, but they did have what looked like a raffle box set up at the front of the store where you could throw in your business card if you were interested in a headless mannequin or rolling rack.

I have a lot of memories of shopping at the Brookdale Macy’s…well, more like the Brookdale Dayton’s. I can’t say I ever really shopped here since it’s been a Macy’s or even Marshall Fields. My parents bought our Disneyworld vacation from Dayton’s travel. I got my first pair of jeans here when I was in elementary school – a pair of light blue stonewashed (but of course!) Levi jeans and I wore them on the first day of 2nd grade.  Most of my back-to-school clothes came from here. I remember when I finally got old enough to shop in the Juniors department instead of the girls’ section. I was so excited!  When Dayton’s decided to get rid of their electronic department, we  got some cheap Nintendo games & accessories, including the Power Glove and the Power Pad. It came with Track & Field, and my mom also bought us Dance Aerobics, which was an incredible

disappointment. Even though the Power Pad was like a prehistoric WII Fit, it never quite took off. Ahhh…so ahead of its time.

Probably my favorite memory of the Brookdale Macy’s was when my brother and I would play hide & seek inside the clothing racks when Mom would drag us clothes shopping. When she’d go in the dressing room to try on clothes, we’d hide out in the nearest rack to the fitting room door, and when she got out, we’d pop out and scare the shit out of her.  Worked EVERY time. One time, we knocked over an entire rack of corduroy pants. After that, we had the choice of a week of no Nintendo or wearing one of those kid dog leashes every time we went shopping.  She wasn’t kidding either – she had one for our little sister. It even reeled the kid in, like when fishing. *Zzzzzzzzzip!*

We went with the Nintendo option – even though taking away our gaming system hit us where it hurt, the public humiliation of being on a child

She had dem Apple Bottom Jean (jeans)...

...Boots with the Fur. The whole club waz lookin' at herrr

safety harness was much, much worse.

We stopped hiding in the racks after corduroy pants capsizing incident. We took up another

hobby instead: Whining. Because, as we learned, you can’t effectively whine at Mom to buy you toys if you’re hiding out in racks.

I haven’t shopped here in over 10 years, so I won’t miss Macy’s Brookdale as a shopping destination, but I will miss knowing that it’s there. Errr…that might sound strange. I guess I figure that if Macy’s can stay at Brookdale, then there’s some hope that the mall I grew up with as a child can stick around, and perhaps make a turnaround. But with Macy’s closing, it’s pretty much a death-blow to Brookdale.

Sure, I’ll poke fun at Brookdale, but do I really want a wrecking crew to bulldoze the place? No. I want someone to come save it. Will that happen? Highly unlikely, especially in this shit economy.

Reeboks with the Straps? The Brookdale Macy's is a triple threat for "getting low"! And check out those Laura Ingalls Wildler loafers in the foreground. My grandma would love those!

After visiting Macy’s, I decided to check out Brookdale again to see what’s changed. I last visited the Brookdale Mall in August 2008 – here’s my original post. In the short few months since I had last been there, there’s been some changes…

• Steve & Barry’s closed
• Macy’s is closing
• Victoria’s Secret is closed
• Pacific Sunwear is closed. I think Hot Topic is gone now too
• One of the jewelry stores closed.
• A slew of other stores closed & I can’t remember what they were

To my surprise, the mall was fairly busy (relatively speaking, of course) for a late afternoon on a Friday. I didn’t get harassed or threatened, but honestly, I did feel a bit unsafe. There were quite a few folks strolling through the mall who looked like they belonged on a police lineup . Lots of loitering teens “holla-ing” at each other.

I did witness a few interesting things though…

I overhead a little boy, probably not older than 6,  singing “Love Lockdown.” I suppose it could’ve been worse. He could’ve been singing “One More Drink” by Ludacris.

I saw a group of teens (a few with red bandannas tied around their ankles)

I kept expecting zombies to pop out of nowhere.

talking to a friendly law enforcement official. Yeah, a real cop, not Paul Blart.

A mom with about a half dozen elementary school aged children in tow, loudly dropping f-bomb a dozen times after finding out that Victora’s Secret was closed.

Two elderly ladies talking about how this mall has gone to pit. Awww. I should’ve told them to come visit my blog. Then again, they might not enjoy it, with the harsh language, stupid jokes, and lame pop culture references and all…

I spent about 15 minutes total strolling through Brookdale, which was more than enough time that I wanted to spend there. I probably won’t be back until I see the wrecking ball and bulldozer in the parking lot.

Well, I’m going to have to cut this entry short. I have to get back to writing my “25 random things about me” note on Facebook. I need to let friends, coworkers, former coworkers, high school classmates I haven’t talked to in at least 10 years, and the dude who works at my neighborhood BP station, and other random acquantices know that I have double-jointed thumbs, I still listen to the Backstreet Boys (their comeback material is shit, but I love the stuff from the “Backstreet’s Back ALRIGHT” days),  and my favorite cereal is Special K Chocolately Delight.

Enjoy the rest of the photos! (All photos taken Jan. 2009)

Check out the ORIGINAL Brookdale Mall post for more pictures and information about this mall.

MACYS:

Too much orange and black in this pic. Reminds me of those orange & black wrapped peanut butter taffy horseshit candy that’s given out by all the neighborhood grumps on Halloween

Wow. NEON BLUE jeans with fading. Flashback to 2001, no? You know, I bet Tara Reid would still wear these, paired with a baby-t

20 years ago, I got a Swatch Watch at this counter.

You know you're at the Brookdale Macy's when... Corelle dinnerware is locked up in the fine jewelry case

40% off??! And an extra 10% off if I use my Macy's card? Don't try to hard-sell me, bitch.

First thought: "Luggage! Aha, something NORMAL." Second thought: "It's fire engine RED. Yuck." Why does everything here have to be in some obnoxious color??

Maybe if Macy’s invested in a Bissel, they wouldn’t be going out of business.

60% off area rugs – I guess that’s not that bad of a deal. Those things are $$$$$!

30% off? Fuck that - I've got a friend in the diamond business. I'm sure he'll hooks me up.

BROOKDALE MALL:

Macy's is singing its swansong

Auntie Annie's Pretzels is closed.

Big Harry Deals- a dollar store with an “urban” touch

You know, would it be so bad if they tore down this mall and put in an In-N-Out burger? Mmm. Why can’t we have one in Minnesota??? So good.

Another view of Brookdale

Photo Gifts. Yep, just what I want. A grainy silk-screened picture of Grandma on 50/50 cotton poly blend.

This is where Stuarts, B. Dalton, and Maurices once were

The one good claim Brookdale can make is its "unique" selection of stores. Everything else seems to be Wal-Marted & Starbucked to death.

I love Brookdale's huge selection of stores!

Yay, the Brookdale Food Court. Don't bring anyone here on a date if you ever want to see them again

I can haz government bailout?

Will anyone save the Brookdale Mall in its 11th hour?

"Come See the Softer Side of Sears." Sears MUST have a soft side. For Brookdale, that is. Sears probably stays at Brookdale out of pity.

Lots of Minnesotans think that Brookdale should be razed and a Vikings stadium should be built in its place. 'Cuz you know, the Vikes will move if we don't get a new stadium soon and without the Vikings, Minnesota will just be a Cold Omaha.

Like many Minnesotans, I loathe Macy’s, and I’m shocked at how long this store has lasted at Brookdale, but I honestly feel a little sad about this. We did so much of our “back to school” shopping back when it was Daytons.  I can thank the Brookdale Daytons for my reputation as a teenage fashion plate! I would spend HOURS in the Dayton’s juniors department, trying to put together an outfit that make me look like a dazzling recreation of Six from Blossom.

Most of my teenage wardrobe came from the Brookdale Macy’s. Esprit sweatshirts! Esprit book bags! Girbaud jeans! Champion sweatshirts (along with the required white turtleneck to wear underneath)! Calvin Klein “Ck” t-shirts! Long, shapeless button-front floral dresses!

These days, there’s pretty much nothing I’d want to buy at the Brookdale Macy’s. It’s run down, it’s dirty, and it seems to cater to the taste of a hooker. Back in the day, the only “ghetto” clothing the Brookdale Macy’s sold was Cross Colours and those t-shirts with thugged out Looney Tunes characters on them.

I remember going there as recently as 2004, and even though the ghetto fab clothing was slowing creeping in, this Macy’s carried decent brands that I would buy, such as Free People and Lucky. Not anymore! It’s all Sean John, Ecko, and G-Unit clothing these days.

Now, all that’s left are Sears and Barnes & Noble to hold down the fort. No crystal ball needed to predict the future here; Brookdale isn’t going to last much longer. Bring in the wrecking crew…

I’ll try to stop in the store later this week to snap some photos, since I didn’t do that in my Brookdale Mall post.

brookdale mall santa
santa at brookdale mall
is santa at the brookdale mall?
and other variations….

I googled this myself to see if any webpages out there actually had the answer these internet surfers were looking for, and nope, there’s not. I feel for those frustrated Santa groupies, so here’s the deal ~

No, Santa will not be making an appearance at the Brookdale Mall.

(yes, I verified it)

In related news, the Minneapolis Star-Tribune has a Brookdale Mall article! It’s really nothing new or groundbreaking, but it’s definitely worth a read if you’re interested in this woebegone shopping mall, so take a look at it if you get a chance.

I updated my Brookdale Mall post, updating some store listing info, adding a few blurbs, and posted a picture that I scanned from my personal photo album – here it is if you don’t feel like digging through the old posts:
Click to enlarge -

July, 1994 at Centerbrook Golf Course (the golfer is my brother, decked out in his Mighty Ducks T-shirt!). Brookdale Mall is in the background

This is a July 1994 picture of Brookdale Mall taken from the Centerbrook Golf Course across Highway 100. You can see the JC Penny’s and Sears clearly in the photo.  The exterior today looks slightly different and the blue & white building, which I believe was part of Sears’ auto center or it might’ve been like a Tires Plus or something – really not sure), was demolished at some point. Sears is still there today, and JC Penny’s is now an empty Steve & Barry’s.

If you have any pictures or information regarding the Brookdale Mall that you’d like to contribute, please feel free to email me directly at dumpystripmalls@gmail.com.  Any older pictures from the mall would be greatly appreciated!

Even though the mall logo was updated, Brookdale keeps it real by hanging on to its original sign

When it comes to Minnesota Malls, (other than the MOA), Minnesota is known for its “dales” – Ridgedale, Rosedale, Southdale…and then there’s Brookdale, the black sheep of the “Dales” family. While the other ‘Dales are known for their massive amounts of stores and stylish decor, this miscreant mall is known more for its perception of criminal activity than it is for its shopping activity.

You know your mall's in trouble when "The Mobile Phone Co." is listed on your giant sign

Growing up in Brooklyn Center, this is where we shopped. Even with its dowdy, dreary decor and strange coffee smell wafting through the air, I thought this place was the be-it-all, end-it-all of malls. I didn’t know any better – my parents never took us to Southdale or Rosedale because “they’re too far away.” I guess when you live in Brooklyn Park, a 10 mile drive to Edina is just too remote of a trek to go to a mall when there’s Brookdale in your backyard. Brookdale is the smallest of the ‘dales with only one level (because it was built over a swamp), so when my parents finally took me to Southdale, I thought I was in fucking Disneyland.

Brookdale was known for its giant wooden rafters and faux cobblestone flooring *photo courtesy of MN HistSociety*

I don't know what the hell this decoration is supposed to be. It looks like a faux stone/cement intermix retaining wall with a fountain in the middle. Except there's no water. Note to Brookdale architects: Leave the fountain shit to the Bellagiao.

The Sears exterior, in the 1960s *photo courtesy of MN HistSociety*

Brookdale never had the glowing reputation that, say, Southdale did, but it was a safe, decent place to shop. It had between 70-80 stores, a few restaurants, strong anchor stores, and up until 1992, you could smoke in designated areas within the mall. Dad could light up a ciggy and puff away to his lungs’ content, on a bench in the commons outside of Dayton’s while Mom and the kids shopped for back-to-school clothes! Yep. Brookdale Center was fun for the whole family.

How Sears stays in business is beyond me

Take your ride in for a tune-up at the Sears Auto Center. They'll get you in & out quickly, so you can get back on the road & ridin' dirty

Throughout the ’90s, the suburb’s demographics changed dramatically, and as a result, Brookdale tenants started deserting the mall. At the beginning of the ’90s, Brookdale was a passable place to spend an afternoon with a good selection of stores. At the end of the ’90s, it had turned into a creepy, dreary locale. If you absolutely HAD to go to Brookdale, you didn’t want to spend any time “hanging out” – get in, get out, and make sure not to leave any valuables in your car. Thank goodness Brookdale has lockers.

Don't want your four-finger ring to get ganked? Detain your valuables in Brookdale's rusty 1960's lockers.

In case you get lost...

A major renovation was completed in 2004, including an addition to the mall. This transformation was supposed to help the mall get back on its feet. The tiles and the ceilings were given a makeover to help give the mall a brighter ambiance. The renovation draw new tenants to the mall – among those were Gap, Old Navy, and Barnes & Noble – but it didn’t help. Stores continued to vacate the property.

More empty storefronts of this woebegone shopping center

Prior to its renovation, the mall did not have a food court. Restaurants were scattered all around the mall, so if you were there with a group of friends, and one person wanted Rocky Rococo, one wanted Baskin Robbins, and another wanted Subway, your group would have to branch out all around the mall.

That said, the closet Brookdale had to a food court was a Taco Bell and a frozen yogurt stand (I think it was owned by Daytons) in the middle of the mall, near the tent stores – 2+2 and Piercing Pagoda, and some stationary store) They had a few tables and chairs, but it certainly was not your traditional food court.

Brookdale boasts of having a Kohls store. As if! Time to come back from Make-Believe Land, Brookdale! In reality, the Kohls store is across the street.

Today, there is no reason to go to the Brookdale Mall, unless you have a taste for danger and like urbanwear, fake “gold” that will turn your skin green, dollar store shit, and knockoff sunglasses. You won’t even find many of your typical mall chain stores here. Many of the stores are shady local businesses lured into the mall by the cheap rent.

Fashion-forward Steve & Barry's will make your whole family look straight out of 1998

Amazingly, two of the mall’s anchors – Macy’s (formerly Dayton’s/Marshall Fields) and Sears – are still around today.

Brookdale isn’t much of a destination for shopping anymore as it is for loitering and mall walking. Early in the morning, you can see elderly people holding 1lb neon handweights walking laps around the mall. As the day goes on, Grandma leaves to go play Canasta and in come the baby mamas, teens skipping school, and hoodlums packing heat.

Nothing to see here - just your typical day at the Brookdale Mall *photo courtesy of WCCO*

The perception of crime at Brookdale is probably worse than ACTUAL crime. It stays out of the local 10pm newscasts, so I guess that’s a good thing. In recent years, the only newsworthy item from the mall was in 2005, when a tween riot broke out over some boyband no one’s ever heard of.

Helpful parking lot animals will direct you to your car

I’ve read articles of yet ANOTHER renovation coming Brookdale’s way, with perhaps a Home Depot, Wal-Mart, and an LA Fitness coming to save the day. In my opinion, Brookdale’s day in the sun has come and gone. No amount of home improvement centers or chain gyms is going to save it, so might as well tear it down and build some condos

Just outside the mall, Applebees tempts shoppers with their delicious menu of reheated entrees

A list of FORMER stores in Brookdale:
1 Potato 2
American Eagle
Arby’s
An arcade
B. Dalton:
Bachman’s: Closed 1994
Bakers Shoe Store: Closed prior to 1990
Baskin Robbins
Bath & Body Works: Opened in 1996, closed in winter 2008.
Brauns
Bridgeman’s Ice Cream
Brookdale Pet Center: Closed prior to 1990
Burger King: Closed in 1995
Carlton Cards
Champs
Contempo Casuals
Daytons/Marshall Fields
Dejaiz (young men’s clothing)
Donaldsons: Turned into a Carson Pierie Scott in 1987, then later into a Mervyn’s in 1995. Mervyn’s closed in 2004 and has remained empty since.
Duling Optical
Fanny Farmer
Foot Locker
Forever 21: Opened 2004, closed 2008
Fredelle Shoes: Closed prior to 1990
FYE
Ganger’s Hobby Store
Gantos: Closed 1991
GAP: Opened ’00s, closed 2005
Glamour Shots: Closed in 1995
Gloria Jeans Coffee Beans: This place alone gave the Brookdale Mall its distinct smell of day-old coffee
Golddiggers
Gordan’s Jewelers
Hal’s (men’s wear): Closed prior to 1990
Hallmark: Closed early ’00s
Haugland’s for Kids: Closed prior to 1990
Helzberg Diamonds
J. Riggans
Jarman Shoes
JC Penny’s: Currently a Steve & Barry’s. Went out of business in Feb. 2004
Jo-Ann Fabrics: Closed prior to 1990
Kay Bee Toys: Closed in 1995
Lady Foot Locker
Lechters Housewares
Limited: Closed Summer 2007
Maurices
Milton’s Bridal: Closed prior to 1990
Mr. Bulky: Opened around 1992/1993. Closed: ??
Musicland
National Uniform: Closed prior to 1990
Northern Reflections: Closed 2001
Old Navy: Opened ’00s. Closed 2006
Piercing Pagoda
Pinstripes Petites
Pipe Seller: Closed prior to 1990
The Record Shop
Rocky Rococo Pizza: Closed prior to 1990. It was awesome – 2 stories tall!
Sbarro: Closed in 1995
Snyders: Closed in 1991.
Stride Rite
Stuarts
Susie’s Casuals: Closed prior to 1990
The Closet
The Eye Guys
The Limited: Closed August 2007
The Wooden Bird
Things Remembered
Trade Secrets Salon
Two Plus Two
Wicks N Sticks
Wilson’s Leather
Wonderful World of Pets
Wrangler Roost

This used to be the Old Navy. Brookdale shoppers will now need to go to Maple Grove to get some Performance Fleece

A few of the CURRENT stores in Brookdale:
AJ LOMAX Famous Labels
Barnes & Noble
Big Harry Deals (WTF??)
Boba Café
Champs Sports
Charlotte Russe
d.e.m.o
Footlocker
GNC
Golden Razor
Journeys
K Fashion
Macy’s
Orange Julius
Payless Shoe Source
Sears
Steve & Barry’s
T-Moblie
TwinsTown
Victoria’s Secret

ENJOY the rest of the photos!

***Updated 9.2.08: Steve & Barry’s is closing, but no word yet on an exact date. Another one bites the dust!

Inside the entrance at the Brookdale Mall

Wet Seal, in the former Contempo Casuals location

From a distance, this mall looks quite quaint

Lord knows what lurks down the creepy yellow hallway...

The closed Mervyn's store

Brookdale Mall: Duck & Cover

Barnes & Noble is the busiest store at the mall

Sears has been in this mall since Day 1. Now that's loyalty!

Best thing about the Brookdale Mall? There are no "Dead Sea Salt" people to harass you

You will not find an Abercrombie & Fitch lurking around the corner in this mall

It's no surprise that this cell phone kiosk is the busiest spot in the mall. In the background, a Forever 21 (now closed. Formerly MAURICES) *photo courtesy of T-Mobile*

Shop at Steve & Barry's for the $8 fashions of Sarah Jessica Parker.

The Brookdale Food Court has plenty of tables, just in case.

Another view of the spacious food court

Bath & Body Works is closed, depriving Brookdale's DOZENS of shoppers of the joys of Cucumber Melon and Sun Ripened Raspberry

Victoria's Secret is one of the few national chains still left in this mall

To my surprise, TwinsTown is closed.

A labelscar of the Brookdale Mervyn's

Updated 12.15.08 – NEW PHOTO! Found this in one of my old photo albums and thought my readers would like to see this – note the slight change in the mall exterior. Sears now has a white exterior, JC Penny’s is now an empty Steve and Barry’s, and the blue & white building (an auto repair place) has since been demolished)

July, 1994 at Centerbrook Golf Course (the golfer is my brother). Brookdale Mall is in the background

UPDATE: 01.09.09: The Brookdale Macy’s is closing. No word yet on an exact date. With another anchor leaving, Brookdale Center is headed for the guillotine.