Stemming from the grand court were two arms of the mall. Each “arm” had two segments. Connecting the two segments was a joint like hub. Each hub contained an anchor, and my personal favorite, a video tower. The video tower was just as it sounds. A tower that had multiple TV’s stacked vertically on all sides. The TV’s would all play the latest music videos. Looking back, it was an excellent marketing strategy because each tower had a nearby music store to BUY the albums. The towers sat in a sunken-in circle that was dug into the floor. In the circle that surrounded the video hub, shoppers could sit down and rest their weary feet on the round benches that lined the pit before shopping some more. This was always my favorite place to sit. As Mom shopped, I would go, sit and watch videos. Over the years, those towers became a hangout for teenagers and they would all gather in the pits. As The Mall started its decline, the video towers would just play commercials for stores in The Mall before they took them out all together and filled in the pits.
Because The Mall was the latest greatest thing at the opening, most people would park at The Grand Court then start their excursion down one arm, cross back through The Grand Court, shop the other arm, and finish the trip back at The Grand Court. Not only was this a fun shopping day, it was also quite the work out. The Mall was a 2 mile walk if you walked the entire length. If you followed this plan, you would work up quite the appetite.
Fear not, The Mall has got you covered. At the far reaches of the arms were two themed food courts filled with everything to satisfy your every taste bud. One theme was a sports court and had all the major sports covered with giant replicas from the sports. There was even a giant baseball diamond. The other theme was a 1950’s diner, complete with large records hanging throughout the court. The oldies music was always playing in the court while you dined. In 1989, “oldies” music included Doo-wop music from the 1950’s, girl groups and boy bands from the early 1960’s pre-Beatles era. When I say boy bands, they were actually BANDS that played instruments like Manfred Mann who sang “Doo Wah Diddy”.
As the years went on, stores and restaurants came and went. One such restaurant was The Rainforest Café, a jungle themed restaurant. It was an amazing place to eat. As part of the experience, there was a constant sound of falling rain, every so often you’d hear thunder and see the flashes of lightning. The rolling thunder was never loud enough to scare you, more of a low rumble in the distance. You’d wait in the gift shop to be seated. Once your name was called, you’d walk through the aquarium arch, two tower fish tanks that were connected by an overhead tunnel. In the center of the dining room was a huge dome and on that ceiling that would project stars. Fake life-like animals surrounded the parameter of the dining area. I would always hope to sit next to the elephants. Once you sat down to eat, you really felt like you were outdoors in the middle of a rain forest.
Next door was The Elephant and Castle Restaurant, with an English Pub theme. I had never gone in, but I was always impressed with the façade. They had tables and chairs fenced in as if you were walking down the street. They also had an elephant logo that I admired many times.
Across the way was my favorite music store, The Wall. Anytime you bought a CD from them, the outer packaging would include a life-time guarantee sticker. If, for whatever reason, your CD breaks, gets scratched or skips, they would replace it when you slapped that sticker on...free of charge. I would collect those stickers. Regardless if I bought the album at The Wall or not, I’d slap that sticker on my damaged albums and get replacements. Sometimes, I’d throw it on and take it back but they may not have that album in stock. I learned I had to always call ahead of time. I still believe that I single-handedly put them out of business with my scheme.
The 49th Street Galleria was very short lived. As crowded as it was, they closed down and the space was used for various things. It is now home to a Burlington Coat Factory Outlet. When you walk in there now, traces of its former glory still remain. You just have to know where to look.
Another anchor was built specifically to fill that all-inclusive entertainment void and opened as Jillian’s. However, their main competitor, Dave & Buster’s, bought it and made it their second location in the city of Philadelphia. It remains open but it’s not quite the same vibe. Dave & Buster’s now has a 21+ policy keeping the kids away.
Over the years, Franklin Mills became a place the locals dreaded going to, especially on the weekends because there would be hordes of people that would walk very slowly across the width of The Mall. You could not get around them to run in and grab the ONE item you came for. As stores closed one by one, Franklin Mills slowly led to being kept on life support. Walmart demolished one original anchor and rebuilt as a Walmart Superstore. That was the last effort to pump life back into The Mall. Although Walmart still attracts the crowds to THEIR store, it was not enough to keep the rest of The Mall alive. With the ever increasing retail theft epidemic, Walmart were forced to close their mall entrance to deter thieves to grab-and-go right into the mall. On September 16, 2014, the plug was pulled on Franklin Mills, renaming it to Philadelphia Mills. The next six years would see any sign of Franklin Mills removed to be replaced with a generic, cookie-cutter mall décor and façade.
In recent years, Philadelphia Mills has been plagued with infamous violence in Philadelphia. People losing their lives due to the ever-growing gun violence. During the national racial unrest in the summer of 2021, Philadelphia Mills temporarily closed when the social unrest erupted into looting. “Protesters” broke into The Mall resulting in The National Guard keeping the peace around the clock.
Long gone are the warm feelings of yesteryear, the once-in-a-life time childhood memories. Anyone that grew up there, can still walk around and feel a bit of nostalgia as they recall their childhood. Having recently learning a detailed history of the the major mill industry that Philadelphia once was, renaming The Mall to Philadelphia Mills makes sense. Call it what you want, but to us locals, it will ALWAYS be Franklin Mills.
