Why is Lakeforest Mall dying? (Gaithersburg: college, closing, live in)

[andrewwatkins]

I lived in Gaithersburg til the late 80s and at the time Lakeforest Mall was the place to shop in western Montgomery County. I have heard that the mall is "ghetto" and dying due to decline of the area surrounding the mall. I live in NoVa right now so Fair Oaks is where I mainly shop and it has some of the same department stores as Lakeforest. If Lakeforest is so bad how come the more upscale department store Lord & Taylor is at Lakeforest?? Local Montgomery residents, what has happened to Lakeforest?

[Yeadon718]

I rarely go up county but I wouldn't call Lakeforest ghetto. Anyone that doe is just racist... probably the same people who think Wheaton is ghetto

[seanlax]

Racism. The true face of Montgomery County.

Perhaps an exaggeration since I don't actually live and have never lived there. But I feel like I know enough people from MoCo, through my profession and college, to feel comfortable with that stereotype.

[Clea6243]

Originally Posted by andrewwatkins

I lived in Gaithersburg til the late 80s and at the time Lakeforest Mall was the place to shop in western Montgomery County. I have heard that the mall is "ghetto" and dying due to decline of the area surrounding the mall. I live in NoVa right now so Fair Oaks is where I mainly shop and it has some of the same department stores as Lakeforest. If Lakeforest is so bad how come the more upscale department store Lord & Taylor is at Lakeforest?? Local Montgomery residents, what has happened to Lakeforest?

Lots of factors led to the decline of this mall, IMO. The mix of stores was always awkward. The interior was kind of dark and dingy. The food court was average at best. I think people have so many better shopping options than malls that some folks stopped going there just because it's easier to shop elsewhere or online. Montgomery County is saturated with shopping opportunities. Also, there used to be problems with gang violence and drug dealing in/around the Mall and in the transit center in the parking lot in the mid-2000s. I don't know if that's still an issue there now, but I'm sure it contributed to the mall's decline. I haven't been there for several years because I can get most of what I need from stores like Kohls or Target. I personally find malls to be annoying places to shop.

[bufflove]

Mall? What's a mall? No, but seriously, plenty of malls have fallen by the wayside and I think Lakeforest is one of those casualties. Rio and Kentlands, by contrast, seem to be doing well.

[Clea6243]

Originally Posted by bufflove

Mall? What's a mall? No, but seriously, plenty of malls have fallen by the wayside and I think Lakeforest is one of those casualties. Rio and Kentlands, by contrast, seem to be doing well.

With Rio and Kentlands, you can get outside and stroll around. You're not stuck inside a big box that's intentionally hard to navigate so that you have to walk for what feels like forever just to find stairs or exits.

I think that malls in general are an outdated idea.

[bufflove]

Originally Posted by Clea6243

With Rio and Kentlands, you can get outside and stroll around. You're not stuck inside a big box that's intentionally hard to navigate so that you have to walk for what feels like forever just to find stairs or exits.

I think that malls in general are an outdated idea.

Yep, exactly.

[DistrictSonic]

Malls right now in general are struggling. While a few do well, many are not doing as well as they have in the past. The era of the mall is closing

[terplandlord]

I haven't been inside a mall for 2 years.

[dkf747]

I didn't notice that it was dying. It seemed like it was packed with customers the last time I was there.