Why Philly-area shoppers are mourning Neshaminy Mall’s glory days on TikTok

Jeremy Konopka walks through the desolate Neshaminy Mall, hands clasped in front of his chest, wearing a look of nostalgic longing.

“This used to be a place of fun,” the 33-year-old Northeast Philly native says in the video, pointing out empty storefronts once occupied by his teenage haunts — an arcade, an Auntie Anne’s, a Cold Stone Creamery. “We need to bring it back.”

Konopka, a comedian, actor, and content creator, posted the 78-second video to TikTok and Instagram last month. The clip garnered more than 100,000 views and 1,300 comments, with many people reminiscing about the Bensalem mall’s heyday.

“I’ve been so drawn to the comments about the specific touchstones in this place, like Cafe Riviera,” a popular pizza spot that closed in 2016, Konopka said in an interview. “It’s so fascinating what people cling to” — and why they’re drawn to those memories now.

“There is an irony: You’re going through this doomscroll and thinking about this time when you didn’t have [social media] to suck your brain away,” Konopka said. “There just might be a heaviness in the world that has us yearning for a simpler time.”

Brick-and-mortar retail has been struggling for the past decade, as mall anchor stores closed and online shopping surged, especially during the pandemic.

Empty hallways in malls aren’t new, and the developers who own some of these properties say the scenes are a byproduct of changing consumer habits.

As some malls sit largely vacant for years, the sad interiors have become fodder for TikTokers, vloggers, and other social-media users.

Konopka said he recently saw a similar clip from the Hamilton Mall in Mays Landing. The video came to mind when he and his husband pulled up to the AMC Neshaminy to see Freakier Friday, the sequel to the 2003 film Freaky Friday. It seemed like a fitting time to walk his old stomping grounds.

When Konopka’s video appeared on Julia Lampone’s TikTok feed, the 22-year-old Yardley native recalled eating pizza with her family at Cafe Riviera, back-to-school shopping at Barnes & Noble, and having ice cream with friends at Friendly’s.

“It made me sad seeing everything all boarded up,” said Lampone, a University of Delaware senior. “I didn’t even recognize it.”

» READ MORE: From June 2024: The once-mighty Neshaminy Mall is now half-empty. But new owners plan to save some of it.

She last visited the mall a few years ago, she said, when she got a COVID-19 vaccine at a temporary clinic inside the former H&M.

The owners of Neshaminy Mall declined to comment for this story.

Last year, they told The Inquirer that they planned to keep a few businesses, including AMC, Boscov’s, and Barnes & Noble, and redevelop the rest.

For many Philly-area natives, watching the decline of their beloved childhood malls has felt personal.

Rob Goldfarb hasn’t lived in the area since high school, but the 37-year-old financial adviser has mourned the downfall of the Exton Square Mall — also the subject of sad TikToks — and keeps tabs on its redevelopment plans from his home in suburban St. Louis.

During his childhood, Goldfarb and his mother, Ginger, spent a lot of time there, and she told stories of the mall’s much-anticipated opening in 1973. Rob last visited the mall in 2023, months before Ginger died of ALS.

» READ MORE: Developer submits revised plans for ‘generation-defining project’ at Exton Square Mall

He texted her photos of desolate hallways and the former Strawbridge’s, which later became a Macy’s and has since closed.

He stopped at a stairwell in the department store, closed his eyes, and was transported to earlier days with his mom.

“I could see her running after me when I was a little kid, trying to get me down the stairs,” Goldfarb said.

Jenny Parke, 36, a Downingtown native, said her grandparents often took her to the Exton mall’s indoor playground. They’re no longer alive, but the memories are fresh in her mind: her grandfather watching as she plays, her grandmother shopping.

With the mall empty, “it feels like part of our childhood is gone,” said Parke, a stay-at-home mom living in Kennett Square. “It is such an odd feeling of grief.”

Exton Square Mall’s owners, Abrams Realty & Development, said they plan to demolish the majority of the mall and build a mixed-use town center. Boscov’s would remain and a Main Line Health facility would be relocated. The plan was recently approved by the West Whiteland Township Planning Commission, and is awaiting review by its board of supervisors.

“Exton Square Mall holds memories for many,” CEO Peter Abrams said in a statement, “but this transformation ensures the site continues to be a cornerstone of community life, just in a more relevant and inspiring way.”

Jon McCann, better known as “The Philly Captain,” is passionate about chronicling the rise and fall of local retail.

On YouTube, McCann, 49, of Bridesburg, has posted dozens of “mall walk” videos. He shows bustling scenes at the King of Prussia, Willow Grove Park, and Cherry Hill malls; counts the vacant stores at Montgomery Mall and the rain buckets inside Franklin Mall, formerly Franklin Mills (the owners of which declined to comment); and proclaims “the end is near” at Exton and Neshaminy.

“I feel like I’m documenting American history,” said McCann, noting that some industry analysts predict many remaining malls will close in the next decade.

Having worked at the Cherry Hill Mall, Neshaminy Mall, Deptford Mall, and the now-closed Burlington Center mall, the Kensington native said he understands why people connect with his videos: “I feel like a part of me is in those malls.”

Growing up near Doylestown, Gwen Raifsnider has fond memories of her high school job at a children’s clothing store at the Montgomery Mall.

“It was a destination,” Raifsnider said. “The mall would be packed every single weekend.”

The 59-year-old real estate agent still visits the North Wales mall occasionally. This summer, she got a dress for a wedding at Macy’s. But if she wants to browse multiple stores, she goes to Willow Grove.

“Montgomery Mall, like many malls nationwide, is currently experiencing a period of change,” said Denis Nezaj, chief operating officer of Summit Properties USA, which owns the mall.

But he said there are reasons for hope: The mall has seen more than 2.5 million visitors so far in 2025, a 12% increase from last year, and has attracted “nontraditional tenants,” such as sports training facilities and a virtual laser-tag venue.

Added Nezaj: “While it may not be at its peak, we are dedicated to investing effort, resources, and creativity to reinvent its role in the community.”

» READ MORE: Troubled Fashion District hires outside help to fill vacant storefronts

Gwen Karpf, general manager of Oxford Valley Mall, said the Langhorne center can remain a gathering place.

“We’re proud of the memories that have been made here over the years,” Karpf said in a statement, “and are committed to ensuring the mall remains a vibrant hub for new generations to create their own traditions.”

Bristol native Anthony Paul Pinto, a 42-year-old Realtor, recalls Oxford Valley Mall being “the hangout spot” when he was a kid.

But now, many local malls “are just shells of themselves,” Pinto said. “Kids and teens, I don’t know where they go now.”