Oakwood Mall (Eau Claire, WI) - alive with a retro 80s food court

Рет қаралды 6,436

Күн бұрын

Come join me on Eau Claire's lively mall that still has some fun 1980s aesthetics. Some residents say this mall is dying. It has been relatively busy the few times I visited. The food court still has many options and the movie theater has re-opened.
Oakwood Mall under construction: • Oakwood Mall Construct...
Check out this tour from 1986! • Oakwood Mall Tour (198...
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Пікірлер: 59

@voltz15 8 ай бұрын

I'd like to rewind the clock and go back there when it was still the 90's

@polnaszek5 17 күн бұрын

Good video. Still a Wisconsin/Chippewa Falls resident but my nostalgia with Oakwood is pretty much late 2000s-early 2010s, so familiar with a lot of the stores that came and went. Food court especially, was so sad when Sbarros left. Family still shops there.

@drewske1984 6 ай бұрын

What's keeping this mall alive is Scheels and Hobby Lobby. They also have two furniture stores where Target used to be. JCPenny is still open but if any of the anchor stores were to close next, it would be JCPenny. The Five Guys used to be Garfield's restaurant. The Escape room place used to be Aladdin's Castle Arcade and when they closed, it moved to where Ulta is now and was called Timeout. That Gamestop has been there since around 2000.

@nole8923 3 ай бұрын

I’m really sad to see the demise of TGI Fridays. I liked that restaurant. My mall that I haunted back in the 80s was Cutler Ridge mall in what is now Cutler Bay Florida. Hurricane Andrew destroyed it in 92. They built a new mall over the ruins of the Cutler Ridge mall, but it was nothing like the beauty of the original Cutler Ridge mall. We didn’t have a TGI Fridays there, but we had something better at one of the entrances to the mall. A restaurant called Whistlers. During the day and early evening it was a restaurant, but later on at night it turned into more of a pub/nightclub. It had an upstairs lounge with a bartender on duty. It was a classic 1980s mall restaurant/bar in South Florida with all the neon Miami Vice vibes. It stayed open long after the mall closed. It had its own outside entrance but also had doors inside that opened up into the mall during normal shopping hours. You don’t know what you’ve got til it’s gone. It seems that the malls that are on a downhill slide have kiddie rides and gum ball machines in the center of the walkways. The healthy malls have kiosks.

@boeing_RBLX Ай бұрын

I love the way that this mall looks, river hills, oakwood, Birchwood, grand traverse, pine bluffs malls all look very very similar and very beautiful

@markovichsteve5823 11 ай бұрын

At the old London Square Mall besides the United Health building (former Sears) that was original built to the mall. There is the early 1990s add on to the mall that still stands minus the north wall. Prange Way was add to the mall which eventually closed. After the mall was torn down. Hom Furniture moved in and added an addition to the north end of the building. They moved to Oakwood and is now occupied by Midwest Home Supply

@YodelingLoonRetail 11 ай бұрын

Thank you for this info!

@NorthCdogg22 Жыл бұрын

Absolutely love this one, can’t wait for the Iowa videos! And I LOVE LOVE LOVE the food court here, feels just like classic mall of the bluffs and pines mall

@YodelingLoonRetail Жыл бұрын

I loved your Marshalltown Mall video. I hope to make it there soon. Did you make it to the nearby Meadow Lane? I think it's a tiny thing if it still has an inside.

@NorthCdogg22 Жыл бұрын

@@YodelingLoonRetail I wish! Unfortunately I heard about meadow lane too late and was unable to get that one. And thanks!

@bb5242 18 күн бұрын

I'm starting to think that dead malls are more about the management companies involved and less about other factors such as Amazon

@user-zx8de8op9l 4 ай бұрын

I was 12 in 1986, I am from Illinois, we had a few malls we used to go to in Lake county Lakehurst , demolished, Belvidere, dead, Hawthorne, repurposed, Original Outlet Kenosha, demolished, Regency Racine, dead. In 1991 we got Gurnee Mills, it is still a thriving mall even though I do not go there.

@AnimeJSaysBah Жыл бұрын

Great video! As soon as you set foot in this mall I was already thinking,: "This HAS to be a General Growth Property Mall!" All the esthetics from the floor and wall tiles to the trim on the ceiling were exactly the same as my former local mall, Mall of the Bluffs. Especially that food court and the entrance near that area. Even the layout is almost a copy. As you walked around that mall I was taken back to when Mall of the Bluffs was still lively. Unfortunately, Mall of the Bluffs is gone, hopefully Oakwood will bounce back!

@AuttumnDawn 9 ай бұрын

Yes it's one of those Malls. It's doing ok. I think one reason it's still holding on is, they let places rent the Parking lot. So we get all kinds of things going on in the parking lot through the warm months. And during the cold months there's at least 3 boat shows, 3 RV shows inside the mall. Also it's location is good. Alot of New homes being built around it and a lot of Stores within a mile. So u can drop terns off at the Mall go shopping at Target and Sam's Club, then pick teens back up. Also like 20% of are teens work at the mall, because of the city buses. 1every 30mins from 8-8. And 1 every hr 630-1030. However I think the one route is going to 10 now. So back to every 30mins to 10pm. College kids were complaining

@jaydee975 10 күн бұрын

You should go down and do some shopping in Australia. From the videos I’ve seen it’s like a retro 80s shopping experience with Kmart and Woolworths still existence! The malls are full and doing quite well down there.

@YodelingLoonRetail 10 күн бұрын

I would love to visit Australia with or without mall visits. For now the most "foreign" 80s malls I'll be visiting in the near future will be in Canada.

@marios.sanchez 3 ай бұрын

I lived in eau claire from very early 1983- early 1987 some good memories many bad! have been there since then a few times but doubt that I will ever live there again

@PaleOpal21 Жыл бұрын

I went to Stout from 1988 - 1992 and several of us would go to Eau Claire on a regular basis since there really wasn't a decent mall in Menomonie. Definitely a blast from the past.

@quantum_clips_ 18 күн бұрын

When in doubt Stouts the way out.

@thebookwasbetter3650 10 күн бұрын

Do a vid on Rosedale in St Paul, Minnesota. Beautiful mall that is booming.

@dangeroustourmichael7028 4 ай бұрын

Suggestion for the next time you come through Wisconsin- the Cedar Mall in Rice Lake. Nice quaint little mall- one out of the two of my childhood malls- the other being this one

@YodelingLoonRetail 4 ай бұрын

Thanks! It’s on my list. I haven’t been there since the 1990s when I worked at Tomahawk. I’d love to see it again.

@JackPlayer-hb4eq 25 күн бұрын

As I live in the area, I go there a lot. Honestly, they should add the cold stone there into the mall

@dvferyance 4 ай бұрын

I visited this mall back in 2019 and I will say despite losing a couple of anchors it's still doing pretty well. Better compared to the mall in La Crosse.

@chriskay1449 18 күн бұрын

Scheels is the main reason. WHen they first opened, there was a hallway to their enterance. Now they have swallowed up all the store space that lined the hallway and their entrance is at the main hallway.

@AuttumnDawn 9 ай бұрын

Oakwood started dying when Target left. They wouldn't let Target get bigger. I was Working at KB Toys when Target left. It took 60% of the people. However Oakwood is doing ok. Scheels Sells Lego sets. So more people go. Also London Square Mall has 2 anchor Store spots left. The Old Sears& Prangeway. I miss the Fountain. However Both my Sister& I worked at Oakwood. My Oldest worked at Oakwood for 2yrs. Hot Topics& Spencer's Gifts are still in their same locations. I was just at Oakwood this past weekend and it was busy. Granted it was Raining.

@chriskay1449 18 күн бұрын

Also the jewelry stores, minus Laskers which moved to its own building across the street, are still there.

@blackbeansmatter1280 Жыл бұрын

Haven't been to Wisconsin since the 1980's. Loved going there as a kid. Have relatives in Hayward. Very small town and I can only imagine how small a mall would be there if they have one.

@chriskay1449 18 күн бұрын

Incidentally, Hayward has a large casino with hotel.

@TwoBassholesandaKaren7107 9 ай бұрын

Too bad you couldn't film London Mall- my childhood memories of mall shopping come from there when visiting my grandparents from Kenosha. Kenosha did not have a mall at that time so it was a treat to go to the mall with my grandmother shopping. Big Ben was at the center of the mall. There were restaurants inside, but no food court. There is a book you could read called, "Before Oakwood". It is about the family farms that were condemned for the mall. Besides killing the London Mall, Oakwood had this immanent domain history a lot of people didn't like about the development. I did spend time shopping at Oakwood but when Target left, I didn't return much.

@JackGreatFull Жыл бұрын

This mall reminds me of River Hills in Mankato for more reason than one.. the food court, overall concourses and other small details like originally having Target as an anchor

@YodelingLoonRetail Жыл бұрын

I did have thoughts about my old River Hills video when I made this. What a difference a mere three years can make.

@AuttumnDawn 9 ай бұрын

Had the Mall let Target add on. Target would still be there. But they side no u can't build in that spot, gave a bs reason. 1yr after Target left( taking 60% of the people) they let a restaurant build, where Target wanted to build. We were talking bet the mall would be dead by 2010. It almost died in 2010. Then they started building more homes on the south side of the mall. And it has somewhat come back

@nole8923 3 ай бұрын

The music starting at 12:10 is awesome BTW. I really want to know what that tune is called and who made it. Could you please tell me or provide a link please?

@YodelingLoonRetail 3 ай бұрын

I'm posting this here, too, so others can listen. It's "I Won't Stop Now!" by Nikki Gee. www.epidemicsound.com/track/J3opx7L7Bn/ There is also a version with vocals: www.epidemicsound.com/track/23dvBxpWlO/

@TotosSword Жыл бұрын

You should film eden prarie center one day. Also macys is still open in the southridge mall.

@YodelingLoonRetail Жыл бұрын

It's on my list. I do have a clip that a friend shot of me on the Scheel's ferris wheel that will be in my future video.

@TotosSword Жыл бұрын

@@YodelingLoonRetailk. scheels at ep mall actually used to be a sears before closing in 2016.

@zionix15432 6 ай бұрын

united healthcare is no longer in the last remnant of london mall. part of it is a church but the rest is currently being emptied.

@YodelingLoonRetail 6 ай бұрын

Thanks for the update!

@chriskay1449 18 күн бұрын

Actually the last remnant is Midwest Farm Supply which was the old Prange Way addition.

@jayrongstad7425 14 күн бұрын

@@chriskay1449 the building that Midwest Farm Supply is located in used to be a grocery store. The London Square complex was on the next block to the south. The Festival Foods was built in what used to be the mall parking lot.

@TheVintageSpacesChannel Жыл бұрын

totally worth it for that food court

@douglaswarns3086 7 ай бұрын

There was nothing mentioned about the unofficial exit/entrance in the back of Disc Jockey until that closed.

@YodelingLoonRetail 7 ай бұрын

Thanks for sharing this! Do you have any photos or Facebook posts that mention this? Not trying to be combative. I would honestly love to know more.

@jonathanderrie4915 7 ай бұрын

anybody ever notice how similar that this mall looks so much like fox river mall before it was remodeled

@YodelingLoonRetail 7 ай бұрын

Is that the one in Appleton? I'll have to check it out.

@jonathanderrie4915 7 ай бұрын

yes it is

@chriskay1449 18 күн бұрын

Well yeah because they are owned by the same company and were built at the same time.

@Desslok20 11 ай бұрын

What's the song that starts at 10:30?

@YodelingLoonRetail 11 ай бұрын

I Won't Stop Now (Nikki Gee). www.epidemicsound.com/track/J3opx7L7Bn There is also a version with vocals. www.epidemicsound.com/track/23dvBxpWlO/

@altdoom 9 ай бұрын

The food court used to have an arcade on the right side.

@AuttumnDawn 9 ай бұрын

Where the beauty store is.

@chriskay1449 18 күн бұрын

That became TGI Friday's and then it closed.

@TheyCallMeScifi 9 күн бұрын

I spent so much money at that arcade playing initial D before I moved out of the area in the mid 2010's. Not surprised it closed but for a mall arcade it had a really good selection of games. Not just your usual scammy redemption games and handful of high price/play ride style games.