Black Friday in Retail Purgatory
Ronny Salerno Ronny Salerno

Black Friday in Retail Purgatory

In Cincinnati’s northern suburbs there’s a shopping mall stuck in retail purgatory. Born of a grand vision, the nearly empty complex of consumerism has never truly found success. In a followup to a 2009 article, we revisit “Forest Fair.”

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Portrait of a Dead Mall
Ronny Salerno Ronny Salerno

Portrait of a Dead Mall

The ominous hum of the Segway's electric motor filled my ear as a Cincinnati Mall security guard rode her mighty steed beside me, leading me towards the mall exit. I had been "asked to leave" and they were going to make damn sure I didn't provoke any more "security concerns" with my picture taking ever again. I had been caught read handed, dead in the act of taking photographs within the confines of this dying mall that felt more like the set of Dawn of the Dead than a shopping complex.

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