Crossroads Mall

[BailJumper]

I didn't see the dates that CrimeTracker is using but I remember the jewelry store in Penn being robbed at gun point with people in the mall.

[Easy180]

I didn't see the dates that CrimeTracker is using but I remember the jewelry store in Penn being robbed at gun point with people in the mall.

Good point bailjumper...Big difference is the armed robbers at Penn Square are much better dressed than the ones at Crossroads...I mean there are people walking around in Crossroads with non brand name clothing and let me tell you that scares the heck out of me

[SoonerDave]

there are people walking around in Crossroads with non brand name clothing and let me tell you that scares the heck out of me

Now THAT's funny stuff, dude...




-sd

[Patrick]

Simon Properties are so stringent about who leases space and work done in their malls ..makes for very nice quality control but wow, are they strict!

That's why Penn Square Mall continually gets voted the best mall every year. I think Crossroads needs some quality control.

[SoonerDave]

Hopefully the new owners have precisely that in mind. I think it's great news.

-SoonerDave

[Deni]

Good point bailjumper...Big difference is the armed robbers at Penn Square are much better dressed than the ones at Crossroads...I mean there are people walking around in Crossroads with non brand name clothing and let me tell you that scares the heck out of me

what the heck? If you wear non brand clothing you must be a criminal??? COME ON.... AM I the only one that thinks that is total BS..

Poor kids that wear anything, other than what you percieve is noncriminal...

[bombermwc]

I mean there are people walking around in Crossroads with non brand name clothing and let me tell you that scares the heck out of me

I know you were joking here, but that's actually the sort of thing that people think. They think that just because someone looks like a thug, they are going to be robber. Nevermind that criminals get dressed out of very different closets. No everyone wear baggy jeans and a jersey....some theifs wear Prada.

[Easy180]

The perception problem at Crossroads could be easily fixed if they only allowed in teenagers wearing Hollister or Abercrombie cause upstanding youngsters from the Northside and Edmond are all do-gooders and always obey their parents

Never knew any northside teens to be involved in any wrongdoing like those scary southside kids who get AK-47's for Christmas

Not a day goes by w/o news of multiple murders and beatings at Crossroads...Deplorable

[jbrown84]

Classic

[Lauri101]

The perception problem at Crossroads could be easily fixed if they only allowed in teenagers wearing Hollister or Abercrombie cause upstanding youngsters from the Northside and Edmond are all do-gooders and always obey their parents

Never knew any northside teens to be involved in any wrongdoing like those scary southside kids who get AK-47's for Christmas

Not a day goes by w/o news of multiple murders and beatings at Crossroads...Deplorable

LMAO!

C'mon folks - feel the love!

[moose]

Well, there actually was a shooting at Crossroads a few months ago. I live close by and wish it was nicer. Last time my wife went she witnessed a gang fight. And yes, I'm not stereo-typing, police officers were on the news at the time of the shooting talking about the gangs hanging there.

The good thing about that place is some of their chain stores, i.e. Gap, have a better inventory and are less busy.

[Easy180]

No one is denying the gangs hang out at Crossroads, but I believe many gang members live closer to Penn Square and also hang out there...Ethnicity is the only difference between the Penn Square gang members and Crossroads

Fact is these guys don't have day jobs so they are able to window shop for hours and they love them some malls....All of them

[Luke]

My wife and I recently moved to Del City to be closer to the private school we both work at. We moved on October 27th and since then our house has been broken into, our neighbor's house has been broken into and two murders have happened within a mile of our house. Thankfully nothing was stolen from our house and more thankfully, the murders I found out about on the news (as opposed to first hand). (Unfortunately, our neighbors had thousands of dollars worth of stuff stolen).

Sometimes stereotypes are stereotyped for a good reason. We knew coming in that Del City/South(ish) OKC/Crossroads area has a reputation that precedes it. Now that we live here, the events we experienced simply reinforce our views of the area. Those views won't change unless our environment changes. That said, we have not and will not be visiting Crossroads unless something changes.

Saying all that, we are well protected at our house, our immediate neighbors are very nice and sociable, we love our our house and yard, and there's a park within walking distance. We won't be moving anytime soon. I figure, because my wife and I live there, there are two less thugs in Del City. We've joined the neighborhood association. And we're doing what we can to make at least our neighborhood a better place.

[SoonerDave]

My wife and I recently moved to Del City to be closer to the private school we both work at....since then our house has been broken into, our neighbor's house has been broken into and two murders have happened within a mile of our house....That said, we have not and will not be visiting Crossroads unless something changes.

I've worked in the Del City area for 20 years, and as I drive it, it's about seven miles or so between here and Crossroads. No disrespect, but I think its unfair to condemn Crossroads - some seven miles distant - because of crime so close to your home. Put a different way, do you refuse to do business *anywhere* within that seven-mile radius, or is it just Crossroads? Surely Crossroads isn't the only merchant (or merchants) in the area.

To say "we will not be visiting Crossroads unless something changes" is, respectfully, shortsighted. I've lived in South OKC nearly all my life, and remember when Crossroads opened way back in 1974, and have never felt unsafe there - not then, or now. My wife and son went out there and shopped for nearly two hours last Saturday and had not problem one. It is not this gangland sniper hunting ground some make it out to be, and - no disrespect intended - comments like yours perpetuate and magnify that stereotype unfairly and to the detriment of the area.

Am I denying the fact that there have been some incidents there? Of course not. But there has been gang activity at Penn Square - including a shooting once - and that surely doesn't condemn that mall. Penn Square is a great mall, and I think Crossroads could aspire to that kind of greatness if its new owners so chose.

The point is this - before you condemn it, give it a chance. Just one.

-SoonerDave

[soonerliberal]

My problem with Crossroads isn't the fear of a prison-style shanking, but just the ran-down nature of the place. Crossroads Mall along with the shopping centers around it are suffering seriously from urban decay. While older buildings near and around Quail Springs and Sooner Malls have been either renovated or removed, Crossroads has kept the status quo. You cannot blame all of this on the mall itself.

However, the mall above all other parties can take a lead in the revamp of the area. An investment to make Crossroads great once again could be successful, it just will take the money and work to do so.

[Luke]

I've worked in the Del City area for 20 years, and as I drive it, it's about seven miles or so between here and Crossroads.

Crossroads mall is 3.7 miles from my house. That's not far. That mall is only 2 miles from the corner of SE 44 & Bryant which is Del City and happens to be the corner that a murder happened at this past week.

No disrespect, but I think its unfair to condemn Crossroads - some seven miles distant - because of crime so close to your home. Put a different way, do you refuse to do business *anywhere* within that seven-mile radius, or is it just Crossroads? Surely Crossroads isn't the only merchant (or merchants) in the area.

Again, it's 3.7 miles from my house. Two miles from the murder that happened. I'm not associating that murder with Crossroads. I'm associating that murder with Del City. I did, however, associate Del City with the stigma attached to "southside" of which Crossroads is a part.

To say "we will not be visiting Crossroads unless something changes" is, respectfully, shortsighted. I've lived in South OKC nearly all my life, and remember when Crossroads opened way back in 1974, and have never felt unsafe there - not then, or now. My wife and son went out there and shopped for nearly two hours last Saturday and had not problem one. It is not this gangland sniper hunting ground some make it out to be, and - no disrespect intended - comments like yours perpetuate and magnify that stereotype unfairly and to the detriment of the area.

As a fellow "Southsider" I feel I can, unfortunately, lend some credibility to the ghetto stereotype of this part of town. Growing up, my family would take trips from Sulphur (my hometown) to Crossroads Mall. I remember going there and never thinking twice. At some point, my family stopped going and now Penn Square and Quail Springs are the malls we visit. There is a massive difference in the quality of the shopping experience as well as the type of people that visit each of the malls.

I went to OU and enjoyed Sooner Mall, then graduated and moved to Mesta Park and thoroughly enjoyed that area. Then I moved to Del City... it is definitely different than the part of OKC I lived in and Norman.

Am I denying the fact that there have been some incidents there? Of course not. But there has been gang activity at Penn Square - including a shooting once - and that surely doesn't condemn that mall. Penn Square is a great mall, and I think Crossroads could aspire to that kind of greatness if its new owners so chose.

As I said, there is just a big difference in the quality of the shopping experience between Penn and Crossroads. The groups of people that go to the malls are different. Not that there aren't "shady" looking groups of people at Penn, it's just that there seems to be a lot more "shady" groups at Crossroads than at Penn.

Aside from the "gangsta" stereotype, I still wouldn't go to Crossroads for the types of shops that are there. In the category of urban-wear we have (from Crossroads web site): Hook-Ups, Bronx, Nue-Trendz, Ups-n-Downs, and La Moda. There may be some others, but no description was given on several stores at the Crossroads web site. Also, No Credit Auto Check, Laser Engragved Dog Tags, and airbrushed T's and tags do not interest me. There are also a lot of flea-market style "(Somebody's-First-Name) Shop/Store." The fact that there is a Sheriff substation there says something, I think. However, perhaps it is normal for police or sheriffs to rent space in malls.

The point is this - before you condemn it, give it a chance. Just one.

-SoonerDave

Honestly, we were going to go one day to "give it a chance." We needed to go to JCPenney and another store (which I can't remember). Because Crossroads didn't have that specific store we decided we'd try it another time and we just ended up going to the JCPenney at Penn. That night, no lie, we're watching the news and a shooting took place at the JCPenney at Crossroads. From that point, I was like... nope. Not gonna go there. I hope that they make some changes. Perhaps some aesthetic upgrades would be a good start. From there, perhaps other more recognizable stores would enter the market.

[SoonerDave]

As I said, there is just a big difference in the quality of the shopping experience between Penn and Crossroads.

That's an entirely different ballgame. Your original post implied that you weren't going there because of the perceived criminal element of Crossroads. I think everyone agrees that Crossroads needs an infusion of new stores and a fresh look.

As a fellow "Southsider" I feel I can, unfortunately, lend some credibility to the ghetto stereotype of this part of town.

Please, please, PLEASE be careful what you characterize as a "ghetto." You and I may know what particular region you're thinking about, but to an outsider "Southside" is often anything south of Reno. And "ghetto" is a markedly unfair characterization in that context.

I'm a life-long Southsider and will not assent to the notion that it's a ghetto. Are there specific areas that have deteriorated over time? Absolutely. To unilaterally paint "the southside" as a "ghetto" is horrendous and, frankly, wrong. We all know that there is quite a bit of violence in the northeast part of town, but no one brushtrokes the "northside" as a ghetto/violent/whatever.

Go take a drive around SW 89th and May, and head south to about 134th, then head back east toward, oh, approximately Santa Fe. Tell me where you see "ghettos."

The problem is that no one outside the south part of town is going to do anything to prop up the area except those that live there. We have to do it. And everytime someone casually drops a comment like "southside is a ghetto," it undoes untold efforts to draw attention to the fact that is simply not an accurate statement. Are there some problem areas? Of course -- just like every other part of town. And just like people who live in Oklahoma detest the stereotypes often cast down on us from the rest of the nation, those of us who proudly live in South OKC cannot just stand by and let those kinds of broad brushstrokes go unchallenged.

-SoonerDave

[Easy180]

.

Honestly, we were going to go one day to "give it a chance." We needed to go to JCPenney and another store (which I can't remember). Because Crossroads didn't have that specific store we decided we'd try it another time and we just ended up going to the JCPenney at Penn. That night, no lie, we're watching the news and a shooting took place at the JCPenney at Crossroads. From that point, I was like... nope. Not gonna go there. I hope that they make some changes. Perhaps some aesthetic upgrades would be a good start. From there, perhaps other more recognizable stores would enter the market.

Luke...If you cross off all the places that have ever had a shooting then you will have a very small list of places to go...Definitely steer clear of bricktown as they have had more than one shooting over the years

[Luke]

As a former "northsider" and a current "southsider" let me see if the assumptions I have are what most OKCitians have of the terminology we use...

The "North Side" is the area North of I-40 and West of I-235. Regarding NE OKC, that area is technically "North Side" but nobody (that I know of) refers to NE OKC as "North Side." It is simply referred to as Northeast Oklahoma City.

The "South Side" is the area South of I-40 (to 240) and extends eastward to Del City.

In my mind, the big difference is the quantity of quality. There is more quality on the "northside" than on the "southside." Yes, there are areas (maybe even swaths) of "ghetto" on the northside. However, while there are areas (maybe even swaths) of quality on the southside, those seem to be the exception rather than the rule.

The area the previous poster was referencing makes me think of Westmoore, not "southside OKC."

Just about everywhere there is new development (North, South, East or West) it is nice to very nice and definitely not ghetto. But just look at the core equidistant on both sides of the Reno. Say, Reno to Hefner on the North and Reno to 240 on the South (roughly the same area). The differences in that core from North to South are vast. One is generally much nicer than the other.

Am I way off here? I know we all have stereotypes in our head. What are others' views of what the northside and southside actually are?

[bombermwc]

So since we've moved to a social discussion, maybe we should refocus attention on the mall and its new owners. Perhaps discuss possible changes they will make...if any.

A cosmetic overhaul inside or do they leave it and just try to attract business? I've seen carpeted malls (usually lower traffic though), but they do make the place feel nice. I think if they would just bring the place out of the 70's it would take off again.

[Luke]

I guess I should apologize for the thread de-railing...

If someone wants to start another thread with the whole northside/southside topic feel free.

As far as the mall... A huge visual upgrade inside would do wonders. Actual tile instead of concrete slabs would be nice as flooring. More lights, decór and amenities will do a lot to attract more well known businesses.

[bombermwc]

Yeah, I would like to see even a sheet laminate cover the concrete....just dont have conrete. Change the railings out to glass like at Penn....something that hasn't been painted 20 times. Change the lights out to something new....make there be more upward lighting on top of the store fronts. Just generally lighten the place up since its so dark right now.

[SoonerDave]

Just generally lighten the place up since its so dark right now.

Agree completely. Most people suggest a huge overhaul is mandatory to rehab Crossroads, but I think something like a floor refinish (to something other than concrete gray) wouldn't cost a fortune.

As much as I like the carousel, I think it's a misuse of the center court space. There were rumblings waaay back when I was a teenager that they were going to turn the center court into a food court, which I think would have been a great idea. Obviously, it never materialized.

I don't know how many poeple remember this, but Channel 9 used to host the OKC portion of the MDA Telethon right in that center court at Crossroads. You could go out there in the middle of the night and drop a contribution in the fishbowl while all the other stores were closed. It was kinda cool. They stopped that years ago; moved it to Quail Springs for several years, now I think they do it from a hotel.

The JCPenny store that's going to open along I-35 in Moore almost certainly guarantees that the one in Crossroads will move, and to me it would be a no-brainer for Sears to try to grab that vacated space. That location at SW 44th and Western is an increasing loser, IMHO.

Getting Crossroads visually rehabbed is going to take some risk money, and I'm hoping the new owners are willing to give it a shot. I remember its grand opening, when Orange Juliuses were brand new, the LeMans Speedway was full of bumper cars, and Emmer Brothers took up two floors in the west wing along the south side. John A. Brown's was the north side anchor where Macy's is now, and Toys By Roy on the first floor had every kind of game and goodie imaginable. Napoleon Nash was just outside of Dillard's on the west side first floor.....Picadilly Cafeteria was on the 2nd floor, and a fantastic-smelling bakery was just outside of JC Penny's...name escapes me at the moment.....sorry, sorry, I'm having a memory trip....

Don't know it can return to that kind of grandeur, but here's hoping we can at least get it revived in people's minds.

-SoonerDave

[mranderson]

Yeah, I would like to see even a sheet laminate cover the concrete....just dont have conrete. Change the railings out to glass like at Penn....something that hasn't been painted 20 times. Change the lights out to something new....make there be more upward lighting on top of the store fronts. Just generally lighten the place up since its so dark right now.

Laminate is not strong enough to withstand the foot traffic. It needs to be either tarazo (sp) or ceramic tile. Laminate is mainly used in low end housing for counters.

[ETL]

If you want to get rid of the crime, then get rid of the cause. TAKE OUT the arcades and the juvenile stores! I mean isn't that why they come to mall, to hange. Take out the cause and give them no reason to come here!