Discovering Stuart Fink Through “Circumspect”
Often mistaken for a skatepark on the quiet end of downtown Cincinnati, this curious piece of public art was created by a local who wanted it to be “more of a place than a thing.”
Random Retail History and the Western Woods Mall
A rabbit hole leads to a story about the death of department stores.
“Keep It in the Mall!” -or- The “Sterilized Abandonment” of Tri-County
A song by Springsteen, a shout-out to “sandwich artists,” and the toddler who rejected a dog, but grew up to become a decorated Hot Topic employee.
Two Malls and The U̶n̶s̶o̶l̶v̶e̶d̶ SOLVED “Ball Sculpture” Mystery
As I finished a piece for a magazine about two “dead malls” that I’d previously covered in years prior, news broke about both locations. Also: trying to track down a piece of nostalgic art.
Middletown, Ohio’s Towne Mall
I’ve written about several “dead malls” before, but I didn’t personally know Middletown’s.
Tyler and Jordan did, though.
From the Archives: the Cincinnati Skywalk in December 2008
I recently posed a question on Twitter: “If you could time travel to any location/point in history, where and when would you travel to?” The answers ranged from the first moon landing to meeting Jesus Christ, the Wright Brothers’ first flight, killing Hitler, the Treaty of Versailles, and sports championships. Among the thoughtful responses, though, not a single soul (despite my hint) said that they’d travel to the Cincinnati Skywalk system in December of 2008.
Checking in on an Old Friend
In a way, the pseudo-abandoned mall north of Cincinnati encapsulates many of this website's themes from over the years: crumbling consumerism, abandonment/urban exploration, history, fading advertisements, nostalgia, and personal connection. I grew up going here, I’ve written about it twice, and I still find myself coming back on occasion to see how things are. It's like checking in on an old friend who lives in an incredibly unique time and place.
Retail Remnants: Demolition of the Pogue's Garage
"Pogue's garage" in Cincinnati ran along 4th St. between Race and Elm. Its demolition is another sign of the changing times and development in the city's urban core. Stale and sterile in appearance, the structure probably won't be missed by anyone. However, the story it's connected to is one of the Queen City's retail history and if anything, at least this parking garage once offered a great view from the top.
The Dayton Arcade
I had heard about it for years, occasionally seen photographs, but to see it in person. I was taken aback.
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.”
Tower Place Mall: An Ugly View of Commerce With a Great View of the City
If you've ever seen the 1978 horror classic Dawn of the Dead, then you'll feel right at home in Tower Place Mall.
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.