The extraordinarily 80s Crossgates promo film
A link to this video on YouTube -- a 1984 promo film by the Pyramid Companies for the then just-opened Crossgates Mall -- popped up in our inbox with a message from Fred that simply said: "Eight minutes of eighties awesomeness."
Heh. And Fred was right. It is 80s-tastic, like some synthesizer newsreel film. Come for the 80s fashion and stores long gone, stay for the the now-three-decade-old aerial footage.
A few stills are after the jump to give you a sense of the video...
The "exclusive garden court concept."
Video posted to YouTube by user shesnailie .
(Thanks, Fred!)
And because we can't talk about the 80s without "Let's Have a Party, Albany"...
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Comments
We demand the return of the food court Ben & Jerry's!
Or maybe not, considering how much obesity rates have changed since then.
... said LB on Apr 21, 2014 at 3:02 PM | link
Interesting opening skyline shot of Albany considering the mall is in Guilderland.
... said Brandon on Apr 21, 2014 at 3:14 PM | link
"Let's Have a Party, Albany" still makes me cringe after all these years.
... said Rob on Apr 21, 2014 at 3:24 PM | link
Remixed...
http://vimeo.com/92418867
... said Tim on Apr 21, 2014 at 3:28 PM | link
It's like something out of The Simpsons.
... said Gina on Apr 21, 2014 at 4:03 PM | link
This is better than hot tub time machine. I ate that long john silvers and shoplifted from those stores
I am crossgates mall 1984
... said Donald on Apr 21, 2014 at 4:31 PM | link
I never knew that was how you pronounced Caldor.
... said Spencer518 on Apr 21, 2014 at 4:36 PM | link
I recall the brief gaudy life of "Heaven- the Supermarket of Pop Culture"
... said Eric Scheirer Stott on Apr 21, 2014 at 4:55 PM | link
I'm pretty sure that isn't how you pronounce Caldor.
... said LB on Apr 21, 2014 at 5:03 PM | link
So simply pathetic. Everyone take a good look at this and exchange the words "crossgates" for E23 Casino and fast forward 10 years and you'll get that same creepy apocalyptic feeling. Why are these people trying to destroy our cities one step at a time? I'll tell you why---cheap easy profit and then RUN! There is no long term outlook, these people wish to crank out every penny and then let the area rot. THEY DON"T CARE!
... said BS on Apr 21, 2014 at 5:20 PM | link
"The exclusive Crossgates exit ramp off I-87..." Sounds so luxurious!
... said Ryan on Apr 21, 2014 at 6:07 PM | link
Wow, a Merry Go Round! I read about those in the Babysitters' Club books, but I didn't know they actually existed. I kinda thought Ann M. Martin made them up.
I wonder who the intended audience was for this. Retail tenants?
... said Katie on Apr 21, 2014 at 8:41 PM | link
I've never heard Caldor pronounced that way and I grew up near one and we shopped there all the time. I still have things I bought there. It was always cal-door with the cal rhyming with gal. Weird.
... said Dana on Apr 21, 2014 at 9:22 PM | link
I WORKED at that Caldor store and it was always CAL-dor.
(One of the great moments of my career there was the Simpsons episode where Bart mentioned Caldor.)
... said Eric Scheirer Stott on Apr 22, 2014 at 10:03 AM | link
Wow that makes me nostalgic
The stores have turned over but it's amazing how little the signage has changed.
... said Jeff Williamson on Apr 22, 2014 at 12:57 PM | link
Does anyone remember Soundtracks at Crossgates? Where you could record yourself singing along with pop songs and get a copy?
... said Naomi on Apr 22, 2014 at 1:25 PM | link
Whenever I get misty-eyed about shopping malls from the past, I like going to deadmalls.com for a trip down memory lane:
http://deadmalls.com/stories.html#NY
... said rob on Apr 22, 2014 at 3:57 PM | link
Pretty wild that JC Penney is the only store still there, and they're barely hanging on.
... said Amy on Apr 22, 2014 at 5:56 PM | link
That re-mix is awesome!
... said Jason on Apr 23, 2014 at 12:02 PM | link
What in the world is that castle-like structure at 33 seconds?
... said Greg on Apr 25, 2014 at 12:27 PM | link