Crystal Mall — Local services in Waterford

In the heart of town where shadows fall, Lies the hollow halls of a dying mall.

Once a temple of commerce in fluorescent light, Now a ghostly ship adrift in eternal night.

Where shoppers thronged in a frenzied spree, Echoes whisper of a retail sea.

Mannequins stand in a silent row, Fashionably dressed with nowhere to go.

The food court now but a memory's sigh, Where once we feasted on pretzel and pie.

The fountain, dry, no longer sings, No coins for wishes, just rusted rings.

Empty kiosks, like tombstones, rise, Under the gaze of vacant skies.

Yet in this gloom, a laughter stirs, For even in death, the mall endures.

Escalators, to nowhere bound, Climb and fall without a sound.

In this mausoleum of shop and stall, The spirit of commerce haunts the hall.

So here's to the mall, in its twilight jest, A monument to consumerism's zest.

In the quiet decay, there's a story to tell, Of the day the retail...

The mall is a shell of what it used to be, not even close to ADA accessible, and not kid friendly. The southeast side of the mall is basically abandoned. We accidentally parked next to Buffalo WIld wings, thinking access to the first floor would be easy. Nope. The only escalator and connection between the floors for that side of the mall has been in pieces for more than a year (and the last time I was there). I was using crutches, and we had to walk to the center of the mall to use the stairs to access the first floor, then walk all the way back to the bounce place. It was a very long walk. Then, the kids had to go to the bathroom. The only 3 bathrooms on that side of the mall were closed. Locked up tight and appeared to have been for a while. The kid play place, bounce place, and mechanical animal ride shop- basically, all the kid attractions- are on the first floor in the same area...and...

Having a mall in your community is really important for having an area that is walkable and safe for the kids. Crystal mall passes on all fronts. With a playground, family bathrooms, and Wow! Family entertainment, which is an indoor bouncing. Since Covid, a fire, a change of ownership, and the bankruptcy of Sears there has been a large reduction of other stores at the mall. Foot traffic is much lower than it used to be, and the parking lot is in need of weeding. The mall interior is still well clean and well maintained, though at least one of the escalators has been out of order for the last several months. There are still a handful of stores that are worth heading over to the mall for. The Toy Vault, a year round Dairy Queen, and Froyo World are some of the family's favorites. JC Penneys is an important cornerstone, and provides many Pieces of apparel that are important for...