Searching back at the Dayton area’s searching malls

Here’s a little memory refresher about a few that a lot of of us frequented: The Dayton Shopping mall, The Salem Mall, and The Mall at Fairfield Commons.

Dayton Mall

The Dayton Shopping mall

2700 Miamisburg Centerville Road, Miami Twp.

The Dayton Mall, in the ’90s, was a big attraction for young individuals. The mall’s pluses were being the online video sport arcade and its motion picture theater. The foodstuff courtroom was also outstanding (its stores ended up excellent, as well).

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The Dayton Mall was the location to go to for youngsters from Miamisburg, Centerville, Beavercreek, Kettering and Huber Heights. If you needed to obtain out who was likely to be at the best teen golf equipment of the day — The Odyssey and The Zoo — Dayton Shopping mall was the place to do it.

Salem Mall through the years

Salem Mall by means of the years

The Salem Shopping mall

5200 Salem Ave., Trotwood

The Salem Mall was the shopping mall that was tied in to what was truly great in the Miami Valley in the ’80s and ’90s. If you required to know all about the most popular weekend bash, you went to Salem Shopping mall. If you desired phone quantities from ladies or men, you went to Salem Shopping mall. If you desired the coolest clothing, you went to Salem Shopping mall.

The attracts of the Salem Mall had been its clothing shops and meals courtroom. Its area was perfect for young children and youthful men and women who lived in Dayton, Trotwood and the encompassing cities like Huber Heights and Vandalia.

DiscoverImages: Salem Mall by means of the decades

Unfortunately, the Salem Mall formally shut its doorways in 2005 for a assortment of causes, which include competitors. Which brings us to the future mall on this record…

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The Shopping mall at Fairfield Commons

2727 Fairfield Commons, Beavercreek

This shopping mall, which opened in 1993, was frequented by several teenagers. But it was also the haunt of quite a few school kids, partly due to its proximity to Wright State University, as very well as Central State University and Wilberforce College. In its initial handful of decades, the mall’s merchants were Alright, but nothing at all to get psyched about. The Fairfield mall’s lures ended up its site (it was uncomplicated for folks from Beavercreek, Kettering, Vandalia, Fairborn and Huber Heights to get to, which harm the Salem Mall), and its meals court, which at one time experienced a pretty great movie arcade.

Full disclosure. I worked at this shopping mall in the ’90s, and spent waaaaay much too significantly time at the food stuff court.

Beloved shopping mall memories

I asked a few Miami Valley Gen Xers what their favourite mall was back in the day:

Chris Corwin

“I split amongst Dayton Mall and Salem Mall. Dayton Shopping mall experienced the improved film theater with Cinema 1 becoming so large. When they each experienced a large amount of the similar outlets, Salem Mall was cooler. Format was improved and they experienced a far better foods court docket. Salem was a lot more the hangout desired destination than Dayton was. Oh, it was a unhappy day when that position closed.” — Chris Corwin

Nikki Webb

“Mine was Salem Shopping mall. It was on the bus line, and all my buddies had been there hanging out or working there.” — Nikki Webb

Kim Hupp-Garver

“I would say my preferred Miami Valley place shopping mall to go to when I was more youthful would be the Dayton Mall. I remember the crowds, the tunes merchants, the scent of Aunt Annie’s pretzels and Cinnabon’s cinnamon rolls baking. That scent would strike your face as soon as you walked in. I bear in mind standing in line to see Santa Claus on a number of events each individual Christmas period. I keep in mind finding my ears pierced at the Piercing Pagoda (I imagine that is what it was named) that was on the first flooring. I appreciated likely to the Dayton Shopping mall when I was youthful due to the fact it was a a person-cease shop for every little thing that I necessary for university or for summer months clothing. I preferred the distinct variations of garments and shoes and checking out other specialty suppliers whilst I was there. I even remember observing “Weekend at Bernies” with a buddy when it arrived out.” — Kim Hupp-Garver

Christopher Joseph

“Definitely the Upper Valley Shopping mall. We did all of our dresses and components shopping there. Went to Sears Optical for our eyewear and Father received his tires. Initially one I hung out as a teenager on my very own in advance of getting the stunning Salem Shopping mall. Did not undertaking to the Dayton Shopping mall till older and was shocked at how huge and chaotic it was. I worked at Attivo there, which was a fashion shop. I was one particular of the first persons to function in the Fairfield Mall at Sam Goody when it opened. Ironically, Fairfield opening led to the demise of my childhood mall, the Higher Valley. Unfortunate to see it go.” — Christopher Joseph

Michelle Crabtree

“As a tween and younger teen, I liked hanging out at the Dayton Shopping mall with my close friends. We mostly just walked around, browsed our preferred stores like Merry-Go-Spherical and Rave, or sat at a desk in the meals court snacking on Sbarro Pizza or Gold Star Chili. Each now and then, you could catch us belting out tunes at Soundtracks. Those had been the days!” — Michelle Crabtree

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