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A Dead Mall Liminal Space

Livingston Mall, Liminal Space

Have you heard of the concept of liminal spaces? If not, you’re probably at least familiar these days with dead malls, which can be a type of liminal space.

Two days before Christmas, I visited one such place: Livingston Mall, in Livingston New Jersey. Two of the three anchor stores have closed. About two thirds of the other stores inside are empty. There are only two food court eateries still in operation. And I’m pretty sure the heat was off in the mall itself (though there did appear to be heat inside the few stores I ventured into). I had gone there hoping to cross a few gift items off of my shopping list, but I didn’t end up buying anything. Instead, I took these pictures. It’s a bit creepy to be in a space like this, on a day when you’d expect to encounter crowds.

📷: Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra

It was somewhat optimistic of them to decorate for Christmas, don’t you think? I wouldn’t be surprised if this mall was closed entirely by this time next year.

I knew Livingston Mall was experiencing a decline, and while I wasn’t anticipating large crowds, I still found it jarring when I saw barely another soul in the whole place. I’m considering this experience to be a reminder that the phone in my pocket is also a really terrific camera. With that, there’s no excuse not to capture unexpectedly interesting slice-of-life snapshots like this when the opportunity presents itself!

Here’s to keeping our eyes open and taking more pictures in 2025!

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2 thoughts on “A Dead Mall Liminal Space

  1. Great photos, and yes to documenting what we meet when we’re out andal about.

    We have a small galleria in my town that is condemned and will be torn down and rebuilt, soonish, hah, which is sad because our library has been in there since before I was born. I’ll be documenting the development too.

    1. Thanks! It sounds like it will be fascinating to watch the progression of your town’s galleria, even if it’s a little bittersweet.

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