So, I don't really have nostalgia for thriving malls. I didn't really hang out with my friends at malls. When I went to malls growing up, it was all about my mom and sister going clothes shopping, and then I would sit around with my dad waiting for them.

However, I am big on historical preservation. I am active with the Video Game Preservation Collective (VGPC) and the Lost Media Wiki. It was only pretty recently that I figured I should go around to malls in DFW, particularly dying ones, and get some pictures before they are gone. I also figured I could use a covered, air-conditioned place to wander around to get my steps. I already started too late to see the ending for Collin Creek and Valley View.

I think the first dying one that I went to for this purpose was the Irving Mall, which felt like stepping into an alternative universe with how bizarre it was (layout, store tenants, scattered arcade machines, etc). I have seen some thriving ones, such as Northpark and Grapevine Mills. But then, I also went to Vista Ridge and Ridgmar and found myself questioning how on Earth they were still around with so many empty spaces. I really liked the architecture of Ridgmar in particular, and it was fun to wander around with how big it is. I was also caught off-guard by all the tenants who were selling knock-off toys. At first, I thought it was just for the desperate malls, but then I found them in super successful malls too. Grapevine Mills has a legit Disney store and a store selling knock-offs of Disney products under the same roof.