my hometown mall used to beg my parents as a kid to let me hang out at the walden books instead of following them around as they shopped

That was built when I was in high school. It was the new mall like in Stranger Things. We used to go to the South Hills mall.

south hills was where I’d go for the second-run theater

South Hills had Hickory Farms and Orange Julius like all proper malls should. 😂