Thanks for watching, everyone! The Riverwalk has fallen, but I do believe it can come back stronger. Join the Discord here: discord.gg/g4tKbpu Follow me on Twitter and Instagram @SalvatoreAmadeo , and be sure to tag me. Don't be a stranger. See you all soon in ExLog 81!

Netflix needs to sign you for a docu-series already. Your work is (and has consistently been) amazing. Deep research, great camera work, fun editing, and very insightful story-telling. Your vids have allowed me to see many places I'll probably never go to in my life.

The customer service announcements in all your videos are the best

Now more than ever, you are preserving history, Sal. Years from now when kids are studying the pandemic in their social studies classes, footage like this will likely be a part of how they learn about it from a real life (vs just reading about it) standpoint. Just want to say I appreciate all the effort you put into each and every one of these videos.

Thank you for making all the videos you do. I believe they are documenting an incredibly important and influential facet of our human history in a uniquely entertaining and skillfully cinematic manner. Always a pleasure to watch.

I was at this mall in June of 2019 and I do remember how busy this mall was... I had coffee and those powered balls at the Cafe du monde... sorry if I misspelled it... and drinks from fat Tuesday along my burritos from izzos burrito place... I stayed at the Harrahs hotel across the street... I hope this place bounces back

I've been to Riverwalk! Bear with me, this is long. But I just had to share my memories! It was in 1993, I believe. My sister was on an all-girls travel volleyball team, and they played in New Orleans the year I was in 7th grade (I remember the year, because we went over Spring break, but we had to leave a few days early, so I got to miss a few days of school LOL). I think we also went there the year after, too. It's been almost 30 years-yeah, I'm old, lol-so my memories are a bit jumbled. But there's so much that I will never forget. We ate at a seafood place across the street from Riverwalk, and my mom saw the mall, and wanted to go. So we did. I remember all that white tile and wall paint inside, and I remember it as being very open (like big, airy, with high raftered ceilings, like in the food court), but it seems like it was that way all over. And it was very busy. I remember they had a small alligator in a huge fish tank against a wall as you went from one part of the concourse to the next, which awed me, because I'd never seen something like that before, outside of a zoo. I remember the Mississippi River. And most of all, at that mall, I remember this little fudge shop, where they made the fudge right in front of you. And the guy who was making the fudge, had the greatest patter! He told the funniest (made up, I'm sure) story, about how he came to be a fudge maker. I vividly remember him singing a parody of Tina Turner, crooning, "What's fudge, got to do, got to do with it?" LOL! And the whole time, he never stopped working on his fudge, mixing and folding it. The fudge was delicious! Other highlights of that trip include seeing the Superdome up close (dad actually drove into the empty parking lot, and we walked right up to it), having the most amazing bacon cheeseburger of my life as well as seeing one of Stevie Nicks's stage outfits at the Hard Rock Cafe, and the one-of-a-kind experience that is taking a walk down Bourbon Street. There were street performers (I specifically remember kids tap dancing, with metal bottle caps on the bottoms of their shoes), beggars, penis neckties, a 'Revenge of the Nerds' "Who Farted?" tee-shirt (a la Booger, still kicking myself for not buying that, they cost a pretty penny now), and a pair of mechanical female legs that swung in and out of the window of a strip club, as well as all kinds of shops, bars, cafes, lights, and music, and people, everywhere, all spilling out into the street, swirling into an amazing, incredible, wonderful assault on the senses. In retrospect, it was probably not the best idea for our parents to take us, a bunch of junior high school age-and younger-kids, down Bourbon Street, after dark, lol. But I guess they wanted us to see an icon, while we had the chance. And I absolutely loved it. No regrets whatsoever. I remember eating beignets (absolutely phenomenal) at a little cafe in the French quarter (not Cafe Du Monde, unfortunately, we didn't get to go there), outside of which stood a man with a saxophone, playing the "Sesame Street" theme. A male hippy in an ankle length, wrap around skirt walked up to him, and started a friendly, facetious conversation about how, exactly, to get to Sesame Street, and whether it intersected with, or ran parallel to, Bourbon. 😂 I I remember walking by a little pet shop, and begging my mom to buy me one of the bunnies they had in a little pen out front (because it was, of course, right around Easter). She refused, lol. I remember, as we drove down the road, seeing a man standing next to another man, who was sitting on the grassy median. The sitting man had blood on his face. Dad wanted to stop and help. But Mom said not to, because my sister and I were in the car, and they didn't know if the situation was safe. I definitely remember riding the street cars. And, because it was the week after Mardi Gras, I remember finding beads literally EVERYWHERE (but not a boob in sight, lol). I still have some of those beads, somewhere, along with a little, decorative, ceramic mask, that I bought at this voo-doo looking souvenir store. The only bad thing about that trip, was that our hotel, a DoubleTree, was old and run down and dirty. I slapped a chair cushion, and raised a cloud of dust-not kidding. Oh, and the back of my sister's heel got stuck in the intake pipe, in the rooftop hot tub (I wouldn't even go into it, but the view up there, through the protective chain link fencing, lol, was really cool). She had a bruise on her heel for a week. And, maybe worse than that, they had a rather creepy guy as a bellhop. He was redheaded, but balding, and he had freckles. I will never, ever forget his name: Jon. At least once, when I was in the elevator alone with him (just randomly ended up that way, I needed to take the elevator, and he happened to be in it, when the doors opened) and had my hands full, he threatened to tickle me, to make me drop my stuff. I still remember exactly what he said, and how he said it. I was around 13, small for my age, and scrawny and shy. He was probably in his 30s or 40s, maybe? And I think he did it to some of the other girls, too (but probably not any of their brothers, even if they were young). Made me wildly uncomfortable. He never touched me. And maybe he was just joking, in his mind, thinking he was trying to be friendly. But even if he was, it was totally inappropriate. (And I'm not sure it WAS innocent. Because my gut said otherwise. And I always trust my gut. You just...KNOW. You know what I mean?) I just gave him a small smile in return, stood as far away from him as I could, and exited the elevator as quickly as possible. And it really skeeved me out, then, and for a long time, after. It STILL skeeves me out now, thinking back on it. And to this day, I hate the name Jon. I don't think I've ever told anyone that. That was also the trip where, on Bourbon Street, my mother drank two hurricanes, not realizing just how strong they were. She got absolutely hammered, and I remember, as our group walked back I to the hotel lobby, well after dark, she was yelling, "I wanna pizza! Anybody else wanna get a pizza?" My dad quickly herded her, and us, up to our room. She was so embarrassed later, especially considering it was in front of me and my sister (who was around 10 at the time) AND all the other parents and kids from my sister's team. But sis and I thought it was absolutely hilarious! And we still laugh about it, to this day! Man, those were some good times. If you've stuck with me this far, thanks for coming along with me, on this trip down memory lane. And Sal, thanks for inspiring it! 😁 Hopefully, one day, I'll get back there to NOLA, to eat beignets at Cafe Du Monde, walk Bourbon Street, taste a real hurricane (and a hand grenade) for myself, and make some more great memories, as an adult this time. And hopefully, when that day comes, it will once again be as vibrant and full of life as I remember.

River Walk on the Mighty Mississippi will survive. It’s location will keep it vital. Especially when normal creeps back in. There are amazing festivals there normally, throughout the year. New Orleans is such a sad, empty place since Covid. But I have never been in a place as resilient as New Orleans. New Orleanians love their Beloved city and the way of life, it will rebound from Covid. I sure wish that amusement park on Lake Pontchartrain was still there. As usual fantastic doc love the PSAs. Stay safe🤙

Loved the shot going down the steps looking out the window onto the water and bridge. Mall Gem💎

Did the sign that said “nothing haunts us like the things we didn’t buy” make anyone else’s skin crawl?

Oh, what great memories! I would visit all the time in the late 80's, when the Riverwalk had just opened. When I moved away I visited twice in the next 10 years. I have not been back since the early 90s, and I remember a lot of the stores that were first there. A lot of unusual shops that I did not have in my new location. Now it looks like it is just another mall, nothing different that would attract me...

As a local, I really appreciate your amazing content! This is so good that it deserves an emmy!

Sal, you always manage to find a way to sneak in some yummy food and make me hungry!! Lol! I love how close you are to your pops! That’s so cool! I love your style Sal, always a pleasure watching! 👍😜❤️

AAAAAAAAAAAA I love Mother's! Probably one of my favorite little places to go eat when I'm in town. Thanks, Sal! Definitely a gem in the video!

The decorated porches and yards are being called,"Yardi Gras". Some have music too.

A closed GNC!? The end times are upon us!

I love your long expedition videos and the history info. You are the best :)

Excellent video both in terms of the footage, but also the history of the mall from the Worlds Fair through the present day. I'm a born and raised New Orleanian who left the city post hurricane Katrina and I lived in the French Quarter for over 8 years prior to hurricane Katrina and spent many days shopping, eating and just wandering around the Riverwalk. I'm not surprised to see how the Pandemic has affected this mall, but it does appear, as you stated that the mall is not dead and that it will come back as it has so many times before as you also pointed out in your history of the mall. It's still sad to see this mall so dead instead of so full of life as it has been in the past. So thanks for the video and the great job you did making the video.

Extra points for the National Lampoon's Vacation quote.

For roughly 4 years I worked at the riverboat that docks at this mall. 2016-2020. They were definitely having problems getting quality stores to stick around, a lot of tenants were kind of low end. They had definitely skimped on decor for the last 10 years. When I went there as a teen in the '90s there seemed to be more quality. The cruise ships that docked there let out massive amounts of passengers, I think that was the primary source of foot traffic for a long time.

As a Louisiana girl, I have been to this place so much in my life. I hate to see what this stupid pandemic is doing to my favorite city. Thank you for showing what is happening here in Louisiana. I hope to be able to visit the Riverwalk once all this mess is over with.

Had a lot of good times at Riverwalk back in the day. Now I live in Florida and it's been years since I've been back to NOLA. So sad to see It's current state. There used to be a cafe at Riverwalk that had the best muffalettas. They even rivaled the ones at Central Grocery. Wish I had one right now! Great video, Sal! Thanks for the great content and memories!

Mother's is one of my favorite restaurants in New Orleans!

I loved the Riverwalk when I went to New Orleans. That was in 2011, though, before it was turned into an outlet mall. There was a museum about Louisiana cuisine back then which was very interesting!

I loved this. I visited Riverwalk a few years ago with friends who I met on Facebook. We volunteered for a day at Villalobos Rescue Center, and did a lot of eating and sightseeing with a local. I've sent them the link to the video to share this fond memory. How did I live through 1984 without knowing that there was a World's Fair in NOLA?

When I see the expedition log of yours it reminds me being back in New Orleans in 2017 when I went with my family meaning to visit my sister and my sister‘s dog in New Orleans I remember looking at that mall that you toured around for expedition love I looked at it and it remind me it look like I remember going to that mall before in 2017 all right I’m all kind a like that but look like I’ve been in that mall before when I was on the Quetion in 2017 in New Orleans and New Orleans is not a Bad place to visit when I went to visit in in 2017 but it was so hot out on those days and weekend that we were out visiting my sister and her dog in New Orleans.

I LOVED this mall as a kid. We would go to New Orleans every other year for a holiday weekend. I first went in the late 80's, and we continued to go until the mid 90's. It had some awesome stores (I loved the model train store they had), great views, great location, and it was something we all enjoyed doing. To me how it looks now, it has lost its appeal. It looks like any other mall in America, absolutely nothing special about the stores or design. That is part of the reason why it was successful when it opened, it had things you wouldn't see in a typical mall during that time, and some different types of stores. That being said, I love the video and your personal memories of it.

Thank you, Sal for sharing your amazing work !!! Bonjour de Vermont

1:49 - I was here, August 1984, when this mall building was used as part of the Worlds Fair. Fair theme : Water, a Source of Life

Thank you so much for this video. I’m homesick for the old New Orleans. There’s no place like home. There’s no place like home.

I visited this mall 3 times in 2000, 2003 & @ 2011. I loved it each time. I love malls and am so sad what has happened to them. I actually thought the mall had enough " New Orleans " type stuff in it that it was different than a normal mall at home. There was lots of souvenirs and some food/drink places. I remember in 2011 there were so many unique collectible type stores. It wasn't full of just clothing stores. My husband loved the mall back then and bought so much stuff there. I have never been since it changed to an outlet mall or since covid. Really enjoyed your video and hope this mall comes back. If I ever get to New Orleans again I will definitely visit this mall.

I've been going to the Riverwalk ever since the late 80s. I've seen it go through quite a few changes. Anyone remember "TILT"? I haven't been there since the fall of 2019 (the whole pandemic thing). At one point (where Nordstrom Rack is) there was supposed to be a Larry the Cableguy BBQ place, then a Texas De Brazil; all never happened. New Orleans Centre... Man that place brings back some great memories! Mother's... GOT to try the crawfish etouffee omelet. You want to talk about your recent trip there being eerie?? I was there the morning after Ida with no power. THAT was apocalyptic

Love the Clark Griswold line

Love the in depth look at the properties and the history lesson for each. This makes your content stand above all the other ‘this place is dead’ videos.

This was an uplifting and interesting video Sal! Thank you for this and a fascinating insight. Keep safe my friends

Great job! Excellent content.

yas king of new orleans mall content back again

I went to college at Loyola just down the street. Riverwalk was a cool place back in the early 90s..

The comparison is wild. Thank you for posting it like that so we could see. I will hope for a great update after Covid. Thank you Sal!

You don't go to NOLA for a mall . . . but the Riverwalk is a great place to park, the bathrooms are easy to access, and it's a great jumping off point into the Quarter.

I wish I had taped a reaction video to the intro alone, with the "Pontchatrain Beach" ads...that word is so weird and that first jingle is haunting like some Joni Mitchell song. Also pretty sure the little girl on the Magic Rainbow ride gags and is about to vomit before they change shots XD

Thank you for the content you create. A lot of it is sad but it's important to document these places before they're gone. I hope Riverwalk will survive, we've lost far too many malls as is.

We just drove down St. Charles Ave and many homes have the decorations that were to be displayed on Mardi Gras floats. They were bought as a fundraiser for all the artists that work on the floats for the Mardi Gras parades that were cancelled this year. Mother's roast beef po'boys are worth a trip to New Orleans!!! Enjoyed the videos on the other Malls in the New Orleans area!!!

I had A feeling when Montgomery Wards told us if we wanted a warranty for the 26" T.V ( $249.00 for the T.V.) we would have to call Wal-Mart.. Odd, warranties were being phased out. Hmmm.

Thanks for this tour! I've never been there but I feel like I know it now.

This was a very, very good documentary on this New Orleans mall. I've been there twice; once in 1986 with a Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity weekend and the other in 1990 after I had graduated and was working. I really like New Orleans, but I'm from the Houston area and we already have terrible humidity. That is the main reason I haven't been back. I should reconsider though. Again, this was a very enjoyable short documentary on this mall. I like this work that you do, Sal.

Your videos are so meaningful to me! I'm from PG County and went to undergrad in Baltimore County and then grad school in New Orleans so I am extremely familiar with many of the malls you've visited 😁

Recently came across your channel and I have been pleasantly surprised. I'm really loving your content!

“Esprit coming soon” in “Starcourt Mall” wing . My son seen a picture of me from about 84 or so when I was 18 and wearing a Esprit shirt asked “What does that mean on your shirt” ? I understand security being cautious but that was ridiculous. He wasn’t even wearing his mask properly lol “

I love New Orleans ..I haven't visited in a while ...

Very well done, Liked, Staysafe

Thank you. Always great content.

Yes we are New Orleans are resilient

ty for showing this walk way this mall stillgoing

Hello Sal, love your vids have to respond to this video i herd you say something about the Burlington mall in Jersey which was 5 minets from my house sorry to say that mall is gone miss it and the Morrestwon mall in morrestown New Jersey is slowly fadeing out still there tho....Thanks for the great stories and videos keep them going ....

the mall is dying during pandemic great video thank you

I'm truly digging the series!!!

Great video....Now let's address how terrifying those Amusement rides looked..lol.

I live here and I can tell you curb side is physically impossible. Having said that, otherwise, this man is spot on!

My uncle was the manager of that mall in the late 80s and early 90s I remember walking round the mall and the Buddha statue and the fudge makers. I loved this mall. I haven’t been there since Katrina because we moved and when we come back we don’t really go to the malls

Awesome Video !!!!!

I miss the old Riverwalk Mall. The way it looks now is way out of character for the area. The dark corridors and neon lighting of the old mall were so much better. You timed the Bright disaster mention while walking through the part of the mall that was hit, that was pretty good. Great job on the video, I think the mall will be fine once tourism picks back up.

Hello Sal .. this job means a lot of work and dedication, really interesting looking at your videos .. you are neat and good. 👍👍👍

Liked this look at the Riverwalk Mall. I have never been there, but after seeing your video, I hope to visit it after this pandemic is "over." I feel that once the pandemic is over and cruises once again begin being popular, this mall will enjoy popularity again. Maybe stores will be able to re-open and, just maybe, those businesses will make changes that will help to keep the mall going for a long time. Thank you for posting this video. Just a quick note to you concerning a mall you did a video about before -- Cortana Mall in Baton Rouge. The mall is closed as well as the gas station that was on the road that lead to the mall's main entrance. During the earlier days of National Guard organized Covid-19 testing, the mall's parking lot was used for "drive-thru" Covid-19 testing. At the time, Amazon was renegotiating a deal to set up a distribution center and/or a market/outlet (possibly a place where they sell goods that are returned - not sure what they meant). Nothing visible has happened to the building since the report, as of late December 2020, when I last went through the area of the mall. I once worked at the J.C. Penney that was an anchor store at Cortana Mall and one of my cousins worked on the crew that did the ducts for the heat/air systems in Cortana Mall and what is now known as Esplanade Mall (originally Corporate Mall) in Baton Rouge, so I really saddens me seeing the demise of Cortana Mall.

Love the vids with Captain Sal.

Been missing your vlogs man, glad to see them again!

22:14 Interesting. I've never thought of the Burlington Center Mall as a traditional Rouse layout. That's pretty cool! Though, I wonder, what other malls would qualify as a traditional Rouse layout?

Have you done the Oakwood Center, more commonly known as the Oakwood Mall on the Westbank of Jefferson Parish (it is in Terrytown but uses a Gretna zip code)?

20:40 You know a mall is having hard times if its GNC is closed! My first trip travelling alone was to New Orleans in 1985 (for a small gathering of radio nerds), traveling to NOLA and returning to Detroit. The host took us to a brand new mall on the west bank to go to lunch at a food court. IIRC, that mall closed only three years after it opened!

OMG. I want to go to Ponchatrain Beach!! The Riverwalk is a really nice looking mall. I like it. Although, that since it is on such a narrow piece of land abutting a the Mississippi, it seems almost like being inside a fancy airport terminal.

Man, this is actually a beautiful looking mall. Been here to New Orleans, sorry I didn't get a chance to go here.

Awesome video sal 👍

I need one of those po' boys! I'll be sure to get extra hazardous waste sauce as per your recommendation.

Good video! What’s the name of the music at the end of the video?

Thank you for your work. Here in Virginia we have two young dying malls. They are not dead yet but are very close. Stoney Point and Short Pump Towne Center (2003). Stoney Point is worst of the two. Such a shame. The mall still has Saks as an anchor but maybe not for long. Both malls are based on an open air concept with Stoney Point being dog friendly. Over the years the mall has had major stores to include Louis Vuttion and now it is filled with various mom and pop stores. You should consider visiting it. Thanks for all you do.

Poor kid that pissed himself in the playarea, he will now face a team in hazmat suits :(

By summer? Wishful thinking. I hope this place recovers..again.

I remember that incident you are talking about with that ship. And Yep the River walk is definitely not what it used to be. Are the enough it was pretty much empty a few years ago before I moved.

I knew a lady who lost her apartment when the barge hit the Riverwalk

This mall looks epic.

The Jacksonville Landing was demolished in 2019.

New sub, Sal. As a New Orleans native, always appreciate anything related to my hometown, even if it's sometimes sad to see. BTW, as good as the debris po boy is, try the Ferdi if you make it back to Mother's. They need to open a Las Vegas location, dammit! :)

Rouse's last mall is very close to my house. It's terrible, and has never been very good.

Captions calling it “punch a train beach”😄

I went there in July 2009

You think it's sad how New Orleans looked like back in 2020 about a year ago? You should see it now ever since Hurricane Ida hit, the place is a literal ghost town now and most of (if not all of) the city is without power. Makes me wonder how the Riverwalk looks like now.

9:23 That's some Yat Accent! It sounds like a Brooklyn Accent, a Queens Accent, a Long Island Accent, and a Boston Accent all had a love child! Also at 19:58

The Riverwalk has been Moonbeamified.

Being a Cajun here yall made me hungry for PoBoys

The PA announcer is a natural treasure that should be protected.

My captions during the sponsor demanded the park was called "Punch a Train beach". Thats what its called now...

Normally we go down during JazzFest week. Not sure what this year will bring. They've already delayed the fest if I recall. I've spent many a $$ in that mall. Our place is at the Hotel De La Monnaie at the end of Esplanade across from the mint. Jackson Square empty is just sad.

Sunday. Gin+Tonic+ExLog.

You can make any mall a positive mall, with cash flow, safe, running 24/7. Where there is a waiting list. Past 25 years most all who try, WERE OUT OF touch with what year they were living. HARD ROCK, BS. Evan now can be change around. Not to make a name for myself but to help millions. If anyone as the guts to listen. You can't do something wrong, wrong then expect things to succeed. You can you make a financial killing to prove to yourself, for starters.

I’m pretty sure there was never a Whole Foods at the Riverwalk. A grocery store would not work at what is essentially a tourist mall. In that era, there was a Whole Foods at the San Antonio Riverwalk. I think some info got mixed up there.

Was that just me or did the girl in the red jacket at 8 mins not have a top on underneath? Another great video by the way.

Do a video on Mardi Gras porch floats!!

It "harmed" 62 people? Is that the new PC way of saying 62 people were injured?

We can thank LaToya the Destroya for part of this--her vaccine mandate keeps people from Crescent City. I was much more of a fan of JAX Brewery. I worked at Kinney Shoes at Hammond Square. New Orleans Center had the lowest store in the district. Very few people went to that mall.

Lol “ex log 69....nice” 😂 😝