The mall where white people used to shop

RIP The Saint Louis Galleria, 1984-2007
I don't live too far from the Galleria, which was once considered the top mall in St. Louis. It's got a lot of the best merchandise, but that shit will run you. Hence, growing up I mostly stuck with Chesterfield Mall, and West County Mall (the old one), which is not too far from where I grew up.

I don't visit the Galleria too often because a) traffic over there is always so fucked up, and b) it's not like I'm about to buy shit anyway. I do pass by it sometimes on the way to Borders, and in the past six months or so, I couldn't help but notice packs of young black kids with backpacks crossing Brentwood, the street out in front of the Galleria.

Ruh roh.

Here's the thing: they recently built an extension to Metro Link - the train system that connects some of the shittier parts of St. Louis to downtown - that stops right out in front of the Galleria. So obviously all of these kids are taking the train from the ghetto to the Galleria after school. I don't know if they're out there boosting, or looking for young girls to impregnate, but suffice it to say it's not like they're looking for shoes for a job interview.

In November and then again this month, there were huge gang fights that had to be broken up by the police. They were covered extensively by the local media, and I think more or less signaled to people that the Galleria had become yet another mall where white people used to shop. Obviously something would have to be done, but Galleria management would have to tread lightly, because, like I said, the Galleria is chock full of the kind of expensive, name brand shit favored by ignorant-ass black people.

The solution? It was announced yesterday that the Galleria will bar youth under the age of 17 after 3 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, unless accompanied by an adult 21 or over. And adults 21 or over will be limited to supervising four under-17 youths. An announcement will be made at 2:30 that all under-17 youths have got a half and hour to leave the mall or else, and beginning at 3:00, mall security will be posted up at entrances checking IDs, as if it was Studio 54 or some shit. Damn.

It'll be interesting to see whether or not black people try to turn this into a race issue. I mean, on the one hand, kids have been going to the mall at least since the days of Fast Times at Ridgemont High, if not since the beginning of time, and yet it only became an issue when black kids started going there. But on the other hand, you never hear about all of these gang fights and shit until the black kids start showing up. Personally, I'd be lying if I said that barring a buncha ghetto high school kids would hinder my enjoyment of the Galleria. But you guys know I'm a hater like that...

Comments

[varep]

I got to school at Syracuse and the major mall here also has a curfew,and age restrictions. I haven't heard any complaints about it being racist.

[Bol]

^Well, I don't think upstate New York has race issues like St. Louis.

[mech1]

Bol, do you understand how sweet this is? With any luck they will just shuffle over to Plaza Frontenac come 3pm. Hilarity ensues.

[Bol]

^Yeah, but is there a bus that's going to take them to Frontenac? It's not like the Metro Link is ever going to stop there.

[C-Bizzle]

Ahh the same issue as good ole Northwest Plaza. Shoot outs on Christmas day a few years ago and I haven't seen a white person there ever since. Actually I have only been there 1 time in the last 5 or 6 years anyway....

Frontenac sucks. It was a matter of time before this happened. I can hear in the distance "This is why Black people cant have nothin nice"...

[mech1]

I'm sure there's a bus or two that could connect them to the plaza.

[Ronnie Friday]

There's a mall here in the Milwaukee area that just placed restrictions like that after a few brawls broke out.

[jig what jig who]

the galleria will lose business because before the metrolink was built there it was teeming with high school white chicks who blew their whole allowance there...

[Doo Doo Man]

who cares about saint louis?

[Kid A]

"suffice it to say it's not like they're looking for shoes for a job interview."

Funny shit man.

[whiteman]

Why don't they just ban black people from socializing in groups larger than lets say three people.

[Bol]

http://video.on.nytimes.com/?fr_story=5091d9e27d5ca3a47f437739abdf216dcafaf3f9

[sameolsameol]

Yeah, we have the same issue here in Charlotte, NC with Eastland Mall. All the anchor stores left, so now it's mom and pops stores, kiosks where you can buy gold fronts from Abdullah, or a neon purple, six button dress suit from the only clothing stores left. Us white people left along time ago. Eastland used to be THE mall, until, just like the Galleria, they put a transit station in the mall parking lot. Charlotte is taking the proactive approach and bulldozing the mall. One opponent of the bulldozing plan was some kid who argued that Eastland still had value because, "they get all the limited edition shoes in before anyone else." Naturally, because at the white mall, people are buying $500 shoes at Neimann Marcus, not limited edition Nikes that look like they're made of dead muppets from Foot Locker.

[SL Bitchslappa]

Uhm... I'm sure they'll let the little white mall rat chicks in after 3pm, no sweat. It's those greasy fried chicken eating chocolate faces security is going to scrutinize. And why only after 3pm? I mean their only encouraging kids to skip class so they could get to the mall and catch them 5 finger discounts before the curfew kicks in.

[Sean]

Basically they are associating the rise in shoplifting to the metro-link station opening. But the last time I checked all those inner-city schools filled with all black students had students who were over 21 because they spent their time at the Galleria and not studying. So the new enforcement isn't going to do anything.
RIP- The Galleria it was a great place when I was in 6th grade.

[rob]

they still have an orange julius at south county center?

[South City]

I doubt the Galleria will go under. I mean, it's not like there's another mall that the powder faces can skip to. It's so funny how uncomfortable the reporters look when they have to report on this. You can tell that they just wanna say, "We didn't have these problems until those negroes started coming here".

But they do have a point. Anybody wanna take a guess at what color the people who been fighting are? That's right, black people. I guess here it would be fair to use the Chris Rock approach; there's niggas and there's black people, trouble is you can't know which is which until they open their mouths. Same fuckin' thing happened at The Mills. Niggas come, businesses go.

[amedawg00]

Damn Bol,
That "Ruh Roh" catch phrase is slowly becoming another gem in your lexicon. I can't stop laughing knowing the completeness of that catch all phrase. And the timing of its use is on point. As for your post, it just makes so happy to not live in a shit hole like St. Louis!

[B. Will-O]

1st River Roads, then Jamestown, then NWP (niggas with paychecks), and now the Galley. The downfall for the Galleria was when the hood fashion stores started poppin up. That's the blueprint for failure. You need to blame this on rap music. That would make you an official hater Bill O'riley style

[MeccaMedina]

"^Well, I don't think upstate New York has race issues like St. Louis."

Probably False (I've never been to St. Louis).

At the very least, Syracuse has nigga issues like St. Louis. Upstate New York is the epitome of Rust Belt.

[Bishop]

Hey B,

I've been reading your blog for a couple months now, but I've never commented because I never knew you were from St. Louis. Fuck yeah, is what I say. i love St. Louis.

[Whitey]

When MLK said "I have a dream", I sincerly doubt this was in it.

But that's black people for ya, you giv'em an inch and they take a mall.

This ain't about blacks or nigs, cause this same thing happened where I grew up in South Jersey 10-12 years ago, and it's only gotten worse ever since.

Hell, the first super-center walmart built in the area WAS 24-hours, but because the jigs couldn't control themselves and started raping and mugging employees and customers in the parking lot at 2-3 am...they turned it into regular hours (8am-11pm).

And all it took for the jigs to ruin it was 6 MONTHS.

So typical, but then you guys wonder why whitey can't stand your ignorant asses.

[Bace]

The Galleria still has a some good years left. Northwest Plaza and Jamestown Mall are in shitty-ass North St. Louis County but the Galleria adjacent to the rich whitey with old money in Clayton and Ladue. They aren't going anywhere and damn sure won't let the Galleria turn go down the tubes. I was in the Galleria with wifey and seed few days ago and that food court is pimp: fireplaces and big TVs and shit and my philly steak from Charleys was off the chain.

Three things:

1) Bol, what do you think of the developer who bought Northwest Plaza and wants to take the roof off and renovate it? I don't think that shit is gonna work out.

2) I've never been to Syracuse, but I find it hard to believe their race relations are comparable to STL. You'd have to go to another midwestern shithole like Cleveland or Detroit to find the kinds of racial issues you have here. Our legacy of racial tension runs deep. We had the East St. Louis race riots in 1917 and the CORE demonstration at Jefferson Bank and Trust in 1963. Rust belt or no rust belt, shit was fucked up here long before we entered the post-industrial age of outsourcing. Look at a map of St. Louis metro area that breaks down the racial demographics of each neighborhood and it's like someboby put up a wall and said black folks go to this side and cracker-ass-crackers go to this side. White flight happens in St. Louis. Bol, can vouch for this, no doubt.

3) I've never stepped foot in the Mills mall, but I knew that shit was doomed from the start. Hazelwood ain't what it used to be and Bridgeton is jus' like Compton and that's just the immediate surrounding area. Legit hardbody shitholes like Kinloch and Berkeley are basically just a hop, skip and a jump (or a short bus ride) from the Mills.

Sorry to clog up your comments. I could talk about this stuff till I'm blue in the face.

[MeccaMedina]

Bace, I'm not trying to minimize the racial issues of St. Louis. My main point is that racial issues in most cities with sizable black communities have many more similarities that not. And it doesnt matter the region...East Coast, West Coast, Midwest, Deep South, its all shittier than people on the outside realize. Although, I can understand people from St. Louis and other Midwestern cities bein a lil more pissed at national perception of y'alls shit because your history and circumstance align closely with the South and their racial issues are considered the standard in this country.

[Drew]

Yea, I'll vouch for the generally high level of racism in St. Louis. I honestly remember some cracka-ass-cracka from West county saying this (when referring to a lack of black people living in the Hill):

"Look, I'm not racist, but the people up there take the MONKEYS and sell them all the cocaine. That's how they keep them out of there."

I had to bite my tongue to keep from laughing at the guy. Simultaneously one of the funniest and saddest things I've heard in a while.

[Ci$co]

I have to say, the Aurora Mall in Denver has had a good rebound. It def used to be the stab and jab mall in metro Denver, but they've somehow managed to tame the nigras there into not shooting the place apart every weekend. Not that shit doesn't jump off, mind you. But at least I don't feel like I need one of those riot shield thingys in the food court anymore. I don't know if the increased security or what...

[dikfore]

they got the same shit at mall of america. we only went there when we were young to go dip the rent a cops anyways. but that crap must work to some extent cuz now that they built the light rail to it from downtown you dont hear too much bout it. also JR Ryder has played for the wolves for a grip meaning hes done stabbin or kicking or whatever old ladies there.

[Yep]

Woogy Boogy bitches, woogy boogy

[Bobby Digital]

As for the comments on Syracuse, the mall is Carousel Mall, and when it opened, it was a big deal. That was the mall and the white people went to, becuase the only other mall in the Syracuse metro area is ghetto assed Shopping Town. I went to LeMoyne College, just up the hill from Shopping Town, and let me tell you, that shit looked like the Sprinfield Gardens projects had an underground tunnel connected to the mall. It was around 2003 when Carousel Mall decided it was time to start carding after 3pm, and it was almost caused a riot. The hiphop stations were having open forums and shit with people complaning that it was an act of discrimination against the blacks and latinos of the 'Cuse. Eventually these voices were ignored, and the age ban was enacted. Carousel Mall sucks anyway, unless you are into Abercrombie and shit like that.

[Juice]

Bol, how dare you separate yourself from your people, then hold yourself on some pedestal above your 'nigger' brothers and sisters. You're perpetuating the idea that black people are of lesser intelligence and acumen then anybody else. By doing so, you neglect some basic facts. You neglect that the majority of Blacks live in conditions of squalor. Their schools are substandard. Are their any rich people causing a ruckus in your mall? Perhaps you should educate yourself on the connection between crime and poor socio-economic conditions.

[ray earl]

nigger folks become sick when they is around white people. if they have white blood in them they is more likey to get schizophrenia and weird mental problems and the biggest niggers serial killer have some white blood in them.

also, old, filthy nigger sluts going to the methadone clinic who are lesbians who want to eat white pussy are the most extreme hate-filled feminists and confrontational women out there and they like to punk out men and they shoot heroin to deal with their lesbianism and they also get niggas locked up for all sorts of sex crimes when the dirtbag nigga just wanted some pussy.

when they is done getting niggers locked up for crimes they go to white places for both drug tratment and feminist indoctrination which tells them men is why they is a skany drug addicted whore and they is also feminists who think every white man want a piece of their skanky methadone clinic pussy.

[ray earl and EARLENE WALKER]

them sick old whores you see riding the bus juSt be going to the methadone clinc. that why they be riding the bus in the middle of the day. they think kkk guys want their methadone clinic pussy but they won't sit in the back of the bus because they is a afraid of a black man and will say they'll stab him in the eyeball with a sewing needle if he talks to the bitch simply to be nice.

[Rick Sparks]

Basing life decisions on skin color (or colour) will only limit your ability to be intelligent.

[Jason]

"...Perhaps you should educate yourself on the connection between crime and poor socio-economic conditions..."

This is the exact type of bullshit excuse that has created the current situation we're in, where recent immigrants from Africa actually now occupy a higher run on the socioeconomic ladder than blacks that have been here for generations.

The fact is there is nothing at all stopping black people from succeeding except for a culture that dearly clings to victimhood.

[oxycontin]

black people are so fucking loud. and im sick of them selling me candle wax and telling me its crack.

[alec]

i've been hooking your darkness ass up with trackbacks and where you been at? probably at the mall, shoplifting air force one's at foot locker and slurping on pop

[carlos]

you stupid honkies and niggers could or wouls=d not ever get a job unless handsome latino like me actually tried to get it. you to busy worring about wii, shoes you are to spoiled and the real master race is the mexican people. vivi la mexico we will conquer you faggot looking honkies and niggers

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[ZAP!]

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[Rere]

And Ummm Who says All black Ppl Are From the Ghetto? I Can Bet You My Parents Have More Money Than ur Whole familys Net Worth... And Thtsz Just Who Some Ppl Are... But I Forgot ... Youre A Hater N Thatsz What Haters Do.. So A Long As You Continue To HATE, N Talk About The Issue Its Not Going To Stop... And Since You Want To Bag On Ppl Why Dont You Make Your Way To The Galleria This Weekend And Say That To A Black Kid Who Rode The Metro Link To The Galleria In His/her Face N See If The First Thing You Do is Call The Police..Oh, Because Im A Hater Like That ...