John and I were at El Con Mall today, looking in vain for anything worthwhile at Home Depot, and then wandering around Target. The two stores are recent additions to the mostly-dead mall. Hardly anyone ever goes inside it any more, and large sections of it have been closed off or demolished. Home Depot and Target are accessed from outside the mall itself, so they do nothing for the few stores that survive inside it.
One of the reasons El Con is failing is that the neighborhood associations that surround the place lobbied successfully to limit street access to the mall, which makes it a little difficult to navigate to it and around it. I'm not sure how I feel about this. The houses around the mall are rather nice, and I can see them not wanting people to wander into their yards, and possibly leave graffiti and trash behind. On the other hand, the mall has been there for 45 years, so it's not like their neighborhoods have been invaded. Wouldn't it be better to be a few feet from a viable mall than a derelict one?
A good example of this dilemma is this white house, sort of a modern castle. It stands directly across the parking lot from Home Depot. I'd love to own that house, but I have to admit the view is not ideal!
From the mall parking lot I was also able to document the progress of the monsoon. So far it consists of lots of clouds, and almost no rain. Drat!
The view from El Con can be rather pretty. Too bad nobody goes there any more.
Karen
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5 comments:
Interesting shots here, Karen. It's sad that they are choking this mall to death. I agree, it would be better to live next to a viable mall than a derelict one.
Karen, your landscape is so different compare to the east....it's very pretty.
Betty
Karen :)
I love the photos of the sky, and how emotional it is. That house is gorgeous, we have a similar house here in the Bay Area that reminds me of it. I may have to drive down to Hayward and photograph it. You've inspired me. I love different types of architecture and wouldn't mind living in a Tudor style house, or maybe one like the Flintsones lived in! :)
Always, Carly :)
I have to wonder if the increasing popularity of online shopping is contributing to the death of the "mall". We have a few strip malls around here where the big stores went out of business and the smaller stores slowly followed. I guess the economy hasn't helped either.
shame about the mall.....karen, it's gorgeous where you live! breathtaking scenery!
~ www.jerseygirljournal.com
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