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.
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.
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.”
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.