Qtrainat1251
December 20th, 2003, 01:11 AM
Yes, its that time of year that most people head to the mall and do some shopping. And while most shopping malls offer safe shopping environments, there is one mall I really dont feel safe in at all.
The Roosevelt Field mall in Garden City is just one of those malls that I will have to start thinking of as another "Green Acres".
We all know shopping malls are a teen hangout, a social center, so to speak. But in Roosevelt Field, the teens (or gangstas as I refer to them) do more then just hang out.
They pull fire alarms, break escalators, and do much worse. The mall's stores have been having alot of theft and vandalism. In the past year I've witnessed several shoplifts, a few robberies, many fights, and vandalism.
Now alot of people think of Roosevelt Field as upscale,with department stores such as Nordstrom and Bloomingdale's. But the mall has failed to keep its old customers, the Garden City crowd and wealthy north shore crowd, shopping at the mall. Nordstrom's sales are weak, and other stores such as Bernini, which opened when the highly touted 2nd level opened, have closed. Even the upscale stores are having some "issues". like a recent visit to a disgusting Nordstrom bathroom in that mall. There was paper all over the floor and the toilet had a malfunctioning flush only made worse by the presence of feces in it. The soap was out and there was no paper. And this is an upscale department store?
The new stores that are coming gear to the gangstas, offering various "streetwear" type of fashions.
I have to say it has gotten so bad I just dont feel safe at that mall anymore, especially at night. I was there tonight and I felt like I was in Green Acres mall. I wonder how much longer till we start hearing about shootings in the mall.
Could it be Roosevelt Field's location? Roosevelt Field may be located near the wealthy Garden City, but many more poor, dangerous neighborhoods, like Hempstead, Roosevelt, and New Cassel are nearby. Which is where most of these gangs come from.
So Roosevelt Field's evolution cannot probably be stopped. The best thing to do is avoid the place at night, when the gangstas are there the most.
The Roosevelt Field mall in Garden City is just one of those malls that I will have to start thinking of as another "Green Acres".
We all know shopping malls are a teen hangout, a social center, so to speak. But in Roosevelt Field, the teens (or gangstas as I refer to them) do more then just hang out.
They pull fire alarms, break escalators, and do much worse. The mall's stores have been having alot of theft and vandalism. In the past year I've witnessed several shoplifts, a few robberies, many fights, and vandalism.
Now alot of people think of Roosevelt Field as upscale,with department stores such as Nordstrom and Bloomingdale's. But the mall has failed to keep its old customers, the Garden City crowd and wealthy north shore crowd, shopping at the mall. Nordstrom's sales are weak, and other stores such as Bernini, which opened when the highly touted 2nd level opened, have closed. Even the upscale stores are having some "issues". like a recent visit to a disgusting Nordstrom bathroom in that mall. There was paper all over the floor and the toilet had a malfunctioning flush only made worse by the presence of feces in it. The soap was out and there was no paper. And this is an upscale department store?
The new stores that are coming gear to the gangstas, offering various "streetwear" type of fashions.
I have to say it has gotten so bad I just dont feel safe at that mall anymore, especially at night. I was there tonight and I felt like I was in Green Acres mall. I wonder how much longer till we start hearing about shootings in the mall.
Could it be Roosevelt Field's location? Roosevelt Field may be located near the wealthy Garden City, but many more poor, dangerous neighborhoods, like Hempstead, Roosevelt, and New Cassel are nearby. Which is where most of these gangs come from.
So Roosevelt Field's evolution cannot probably be stopped. The best thing to do is avoid the place at night, when the gangstas are there the most.