Lakeforest Redevelopment — Local services in Gaithersburg

Well, today's Friday, March 31, 2023, the last day our local city mall will ever be open to the general public and it closed in near darkness by 7:00 PM. And I hate it how the security guard keeps telling people to stop taking pictures and recording around the mall, I don't think you were telling that to the parents when they were getting their kid's photo with Santa Claus, now were you?! Let people enjoy the nostalgia we have for our local childhood mall in peace, is that too hard to ask for? Get a life.

I remember going to this mall more than 50 times growing up since around 2004/2005-ish all the way to its closing date in 2023.

Forgive me for the run on sentence. I remember that weird and strong sanitation smell upon entering the food court, I remember a projector motion detecting game from the ceiling near the food court, the display car nearby, going to the food court to eat Pollo Campero, Nori Japan, Sbarro, Kelly's Cajun Grill, McDonald's, Panda Express, playing the impossible to win vending machine game housing a brand new Game Boy Advance SP near the then Dippin' Dots - Ice Cream from the Future, and checking out Central Newsstand too, the strong sweet pretzel smell from the said stand outside of the lower left of Sears, the expensive ice cream to the lower left of Sears, getting a haircut as a little child at the two stores to the lower left of Sears, getting lots of video games and some toys from Sears and being dragged there with my mother when she spent hours window shopping for clothes only to buy nothing, going to Spencer's for the trends, visiting FYE and seeing their gigantic CD/DVD collection, going to 777 Tao Spa for my first ever massage, going to EB Games and checking out their large amount of video games and playing Mario Kart 8 on the Wii U for the first time, seeing the female conductor driving the kid's train travel across the mall, playing in the playground at the center court and tossing coins into the water fountain, playing in the arcade-like machines infront of Macy's, going to Hakky Shoe Repair multiple times to get key copies, going to a dollar store near the lower right of Macy's, going to the like three T-Mobile locations scattered across the mall, seeing the kid's Time Out arcade near JCPenney, going to the dollar store to the lower right of JCPenney, going to the Boost Mobile to the upper right of JCPenney, going to the GNC to the upper right of JCPenney, going to this soccer shirt store to the upper left to JCPenney, going to Best Buy Mobile near the center, seeing the Starbucks at the center, going to Zumiez and being bought a digital Casio/G-Shock wristwatch that I still use to this day, and I remember being helped by a security guard when I got lost as a little kid trying to find my mother in Sears and I ended up walking up to the front near Zumiez and sitting on a bench and to have him escort me back to Sears to be reunited with my mother worried sick, and much more.

Honestly, the only way I could possibly see this mall doing any better or even have it repurposed, would be to have had it constructed closer to the I-270 freeway and MD 355 back in the 1970s, much like most traditional indoor shopping malls and outlets are built near, so that people from neighboring cities could see it on the side of the freeway going to and from work and be tempted to go to say, kill traffic waiting time and also do holiday shopping. Just look at what happened to White Flint mall, horrible location, while Lakeforest Mall has the advantage of a slightly better location. Though there are exceptions, of course. And perhaps if the food court was closer to the center of the mall and still keeping the old movie theater in it's original spot that I never got to know, mentally forcing people to migrate through stores to reach eateries and/or exits/entrances. But anchor stores are what really keep a mall alive at the same time, though. But there's always the what could've happened if...knowing it's too late to undue what's been done.

Rest in piece Lakeforest Mall, you maybe gone, but...

As a huge traveler throughout this country, I have visited and gone in a variety of malls so I understand the difference between shopping centers, outlets, high end malls nice malls huge malls discount malls etc. I'm a mall guru so I don't place "favorites" based on superiority, I base it on quality, style, cleanliness, how clean and organized the food court is, thier food variety and seating. How mindful and clean bathrooms are and their practicalities... how well outlined the stores are....seating, how sensible and accessible each store is... parking... The store selections etc. So I say that bit to say when it comes to malls it all depends on what you are looking for. If you are looking for an "experience" then this is NOT the mall for you. If you are looking to just shop casually and grab a quick bite, thier food court is just ok like a 4/10. The selection of stores are ok it's a practical local mall. So if your looking for Macy's or H&M things like that they are ok. To be clear: Lake Forest mall is not a mega mall or a sizeably small mall it's just an average mall with a nice selection. As far as style that's your personal preference you'll have to go in and see for yourself. * Another note is there is only one elevator in the most ridiculous location of the mall and two escalators in the most ridiculous positions in the mall. Parking is good depending on where your going. It's also across from a shopping center and a bus station so that's not to bad. But if your looking for an experience and a mall to strut in this is not it. There is not one vallet parking in sight so there's indicator number one. Loui V ,Cartier, coach, high end shopping etc is NOT IN THIS MALL. They did save the day with Lord &Taylor and a nice Macy's ... but that's it. But even if your not looking for high end merchandise it's a mediocre mall and just that. This review is for the true shoppers and traveler. If your a regular person who just wants a quick bite and simple shopping then hey it's for you.*

In rank: It's the mall right in the middle basically above a discount malls but below Columbia mall or Arundel ( in range) as Those are experience style type malls as an example. I hope...

I like taking my 1-year-old child to the play area and the food court (which are on opposite ends of the mall), around lunchtime when I have a day off. It can get crowded on weekends and holidays, but my child loves walking through the mall and seeing the displays. There is also a train which is ( if I remember correctly) ~$5 per rider but the parents can easily walk alongside or follow the train. There are two arcade areas with small rides and video games, one upstairs and one downstairs near the small child play area. There is also an extra small rides area downstairs by the elevator. The food court is pretty large and there are a couple of wide open spaces where kids can let loose when the mall isn't too crowded. Overall, its a pretty good place to take younger kids when you have minimal funds but a lot of time to kill. Bathrooms aren't well maintained, there is a family bathroom in the food court, but it is broke down and needs to be redone to allow multiple...