University Mall — Attraction in Tuscaloosa

If you're planning to visit Little Elephant, do yourself a favor: watch out for Jaidyn, an employee at the place who seems more invested in playing “mean girl” in a parking lot than anything remotely professional.

I had an unfortunate encounter with her involving a minor parking lot scrape. I was calm, polite, and ready to handle it like a decent adult. Jaidyn, on the other hand? She showed up with a bad attitude, over a busted black 2015 Ford Fusion she proudly calls “Venom,” and the energy of someone who thinks yelling and recording strangers is peak content creation.

Instead of cooperating or handling the situation maturely, she instantly switched into “TikTok diva mode.” She refused to give her insurance info, held onto mine, and acted like she was being wronged despite being the one causing delays and escalating the whole thing. And of course, like any wannabe influencer, she started recording me mid-argument with her Hello Kitty phone case, screaming and trying to create some dramatic “moment” for views.

It was clear this wasn’t just about the accident. This was about feeding her ego. She had the classic “I’m never wrong” attitude, even though she absolutely was, and treated me like I was beneath her just because I inconvenienced her beat-up car’s paint job. She acted like she was in a reality show no one asked for, throwing around threats and attitude like she was auditioning for “Mean Girls: The Discount Edition.”

And the irony? She was supposedly going to school for fashion. You’d think someone trying to break into a highly competitive, image-based industry would know how to handle themselves with a little grace and professionalism. But instead, she chose to act like an angry influencer with a vendetta and a ring light addiction.

If Little Elephant has any sense, they’ll reconsider who they allow to represent them, even if it's indirectly. Having someone like Jaidyn associated with your business, especially when she’s known for treating people poorly, playing victim, and turning real-life interactions into her own cringe content, is not a good look.

In the end, the police got involved, handled everything professionally, and even noticed her car was parked illegally (shocker). Meanwhile, she was still in her car trying to catch a “gotcha” moment on camera like this was some influencer audition—newsflash: nobody’s watching, and nobody’s impressed.

Bottom line: avoid this place unless you enjoy being surrounded by bad energy, tacky attitudes, and wig glue fumes. Little Elephant might sell baby clothes and kawaii merch, but people like Jaidyn sell nothing but chaos.

You can’t scream “content creator” and “fashion designer” while dragging people down in parking lots and recording every disagreement like it’s TMZ. Bad attitude, bad energy, and even worse behavior. Don’t be fooled by the cute phone case, there’s nothing sweet about the way she...

University Mall – Nostalgia Meets Reality

University Mall has been a part of Tuscaloosa for decades, and while it still holds nostalgic value, it has changed significantly over the last 8 years. Once a bustling hub of shopping, dining, and community activity, it now feels quieter—perhaps a bit too quiet compared to more vibrant malls like those in Bessemer or the Birmingham metro area.

The variety of stores has noticeably shifted, and I often wonder if a more diverse retail mix or the addition of anchor stores could breathe new life into the space. There’s potential here, but foot traffic feels light, and the energy that used to fill the mall seems to have faded.

One thing that stands out is the early closing time—most days, it shuts down around 7:00 p.m., which makes it hard to swing by after work or during an evening outing. Extended hours could help accommodate more visitors and create a livelier atmosphere.

The parking lot could also use some attention. It’s navigable, but parts of it feel worn, and upgrading the layout or adding lighting and clear signage might improve the overall experience and perception of safety.

That said, JCPenney and a few other long-standing retailers remain reliable, and there’s a comfort in having a familiar local mall. I wouldn’t count University Mall out—it just needs a thoughtful refresh to better serve the Tuscaloosa community in today’s...

Oh, wow. Where to begin? Basically, this mall has run the course of the Montgomery Mall and should be leveled into parking for actually lucrative and relevant businesses.

I stopped by here because I Googled shops for women's clothing in Tuscaloosa on the way back from seeing family for Christmas and wanted to buy a cute outfit for NYE.

Little did I realize that Belk was attached to an old, decrepit mall. Had I realized, I would've kept on driving to Loft where I ended up finding one.

This mall is dingy, dirty, poorly-stocked, and I'm amazed Belk and other somewhat reputable stores are even there anymore. Considering they hightailed it out of Brookwood Mall in Bham once the area got bad, I'm pretty astounded they'd stick around at this one.

Also, I tried going into a couple shops where I'm sure I'm not the target demographic and the women at both didn't even acknowledge my existence. That's fine, cause I can surely take my money elsewhere.

I'll just say don't go alone in there if you're a woman and I'll leave it at that. Definitely not a place I'll be returning to...