Over the years, we've taken our 14-year-old daughter to Disneyworld, the Caribbean, and Europe; yet, our recent trip to the mall turned out to be one of her favorite vacations.
After researching local options, the day after Christmas, we decided to go all-in on our first staycation. We spent a whopping three days in Rutherford, New Jersey, visiting the American Dream mall — the second-largest mall in North America.
Economic downturns, the rise of online shopping, and most recently, the pandemic have all played their part in terms of crippling shopping mall revenue. But our family still jumps at the opportunity to visit a mall any chance we get.
When it came to American Dream, which opened its doors in 2019 and spans a jaw-dropping 3 million square feet, I'd heard lots of hype about its many activities. However, never in my wildest dreams did I expect it to wow us the way it did. It truly exceeded all our expectations.
Despite this mall's tremendous debt, the crowds I saw at its parks and attractions, along with the lines at many of its cash registers have given me faith that shopping malls, in general, will see a resurgence.