Today, time and tide found me in a place I’ve not been in living memory - a modern shopping mall, though, candidly, I didn’t see any actual shopping. The entire edifice was bereft of life, apart from the few stores open for business and those few were empty save for their few staff. This fits the narrative of current commercial real estate in the sector. Malls are the Sick Man of Real Estate across the nation and, so far, no developers, owners or operators have found the magic elixir to revive the concept. The one I visited is called “The Wilton Mall at Saratoga” which is, in point of fact, located in Wilton, NY, but I couldn’t bring myself to make an issue of it under the circumstances. They’ve suffered enough. To my surprise, however, there’s a bright spot - one shop that’s really hopping.
© 2024 John Oliver
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