An abandoned mall in North Bethesda, Maryland
For quite some time now, I’ve been completely obsessed with shopping malls built in the 1980s. Some are still going strong, like the mall a few miles from my home. I often walk around this two-story building, reveling in pockets of retro goodness, thanks to department stores that haven’t remodeled since the decade of decadence. Then there are the abandoned malls, like another one close to home that’s increasingly closed off, thanks to an upcoming project that will likely destroy any remaining traces of the ‘80s.
Luckily some are documenting these aging and “dead” shopping malls in all of their 1980s glory. Thank goodness. Today we shine the spotlight on a few of our favorite pics from the blog Duck Pie. The space of choice: an abandoned food court from North Bethesda, Maryland’s White Flint Mall.
A mural in an abandoned food court mall
Neon lighting, retro-fabulous murals and Deco-style tiling make this space AMAZING, even in its abandoned state. In fact, there’s still a lot to love about this dining spot, which still somehow seems full of life. I sincerely hope there are a few more photo shoots (and maybe even a fashion shoot) in this food court before all is said and done.
Deco touches in an abandoned food court
Check out more ’80s-style pics at Duck Pie. Do you have an abandoned mall in your city? Know of any great sources of “dead mall” pics online? Please share these below in the comments section…
Thanks for posting. Great to see the interiors of this mall, revealing how pervasive the influence of Memphis could be.
Hey Kate,
Wow – haven’t seen those pics before. That neon and those murals! – quintessential 80s. Crazy to think how much time we all spent in environments like that. How eerie seeing it abandoned like that.
I don’t have any retro mall links to share at the moment. But you might be interested in checking out the English press kit for the highly innovative Emporia in Sweden.
http://www.emporia.se/Om-Emporia/Press/
Thank you so much for sharing this link/press kit, Chris! Absolutely stunning!
these pics are awesome. the mall must not have been abandoned for very long because the interior is in seemingly pristene shape. i wish there was stores around now with that 80s vibe.
I was thinking the same thing about the fabulous condition of the space! Thanks for your comment, Jessica.
I personally went to that mall many times. Unfortunately it does not exist anymore, it was the white flint mall in Maryland. The mall had strong 80’s vibes, the movie theatre, stores, food court etc. My gf and I had a “moment” in one of the food court bathrooms one night. Places with this kind of decor are fading away, only kept in our memories.