Plus, a spray tanning salon opens on Burke Street.
 
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Today’s Forecast

94º | 20% chance of precipitation
Sunrise 6:28 a.m. | Sunset 8:25 p.m.
 

🛍️ Shop ‘til you they drop

Dead malls: You could shop... until they dropped
The upstairs level of a mall facing a closed storefront that is barred shut. To the right and left of the store are other darkened storefronts, and an escalator is pictured in front of it.
Empty storefronts at Oak Hollow Mall circa 2014. | Photo by MikeKalasnik via Wikimedia Commons
Shopping malls across America have been left in a state that not even Paul Blart could save, and the Piedmont Triad is no exception.

Known as “dead malls,” these abandoned, dilapidated, or mostly vacant shopping centers have become a subject of fascination — especially thanks to the online popularity of liminal space aesthetics.

Let’s go to the mall

High Point’s Westchester Mall opened in 1970 as the Triad’s first-ever enclosed shopping center. Anchored by department stores Belk, JC Penney’s, and Thalhimer’s, the mall was also popular thanks to its proximity to two grocery stores — A&P + Kroger.

Years later, Oak Hollow Mall opened to great fanfare in 1995 — and took some of Westchester Mall’s tenants with it, giving way to the other mall’s decline. Despite its initial success, the 2000s saw many of Oak Hollow’s stores depart. At the time of its official closure in 2017, only 11 tenants remained.

A large tree next to a little pond is surrounded by a small fence. The tree is located in front of a set of doors that leads into what looks to be a reception area.

Westchester Mall circa 2017.

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Photo by Mike Kalasnik via Flickr

Back to the future

Today, Westchester Mall is still open to mall walkers, though the space isn’t reserved for retail anymore. Current tenants include a local retirement community, a DMV, and church spaces.

The majority of Oak Hollow Mall is now owned by High Point University, but a remnant of its glory days remain; Dillard’s is open to shoppers as a clearance center. The former mall is also home to a community center for active adults.

Though these malls have changed, Winston-Salem still has a number of thriving shopping centers or districts where you can make like NSYNC and buy, buy, buy:
Asked

Do you have memories of a local mall from back in the day?
First date at the food court, trying on prom dresses — we wanna hear it all.
Share them with us
 
Events
Thursday, Aug. 1
  • 2024 Vendor Marketplace | Thursday, Aug. 1 | 10 a.m.-10 p.m. | The Winston-Salem Urban League, 510 N. Trade St., Winston-Salem | Cost of purchase | Shop art, African attire, health and beauty products + enjoy dinners from the food garden along with live entertainment.
  • Winston-Salem Dash vs. Greensboro Grasshoppers | Thursday, Aug. 1 | 7 p.m. | Truist Stadium, 951 Ballpark Way, Winston-Salem | $13-$53 | Thirsty Thursday returns this evening with half off all beer and wine at bars throughout Truist Stadium. Cheers.*
Friday, Aug. 2
  • “Disco & Dance” | Friday, Aug. 2 | 6:45 p.m. | Salem Square, 649 S. Main St., Winston-Salem | Free | Relive your disco days with the Salem Band, dance if you’d like, and hear 70s tunes.
  • Belly Dancing for Beginners | Friday, Aug. 2 | 11 a.m.-12 p.m. | Lewisville Branch Library, 6490 Shallowford Rd., Lewisville | Free | Wear comfortable clothes and shoes and learn the basics of the dance form — geared toward participants aged 55+.
  • All White Party | Friday, Aug. 2 | 9:30 p.m. | ALV Night Club, 675 W. 5th St., Winston-Salem | $20-$110 | Get ready to dress to impress in your finest all-white attire and dance the night away.
  • Grief Retreat for Adults | Friday, Aug. 2 | 10 a.m.-3:30 p.m. | Generations Center, 114 W. 30th St., Room 211, Winston-Salem | Free, RSVP | Participants will share memories and build coping skills to foster creative and mindful grief practices.
Saturday, Aug. 3
  • Family Day | Saturday, Aug. 3 | 11 a.m.-2 p.m. | Foothills Brewing Tasting Room, 3800 Kimwell Dr., Winston-Salem | $6-$12 | “Stuff the truck” by bringing wish list items like coloring books and new stuffed animals to benefit Ronald McDonald House Charities.
  • Downtown Winston-Salem True Crime History Tour | Saturday, Aug. 3 | 4 p.m. | Fair Witness Fancy Drinks, Triangle Walking Tour, 290 4th St. E., Winston-Salem | $14 | Explore the dark side of Winston-Salem’s history during the narrative tour.
Sunday, Aug. 4
  • Splash Day | Sunday, Aug. 4 | 11 a.m. | ROAR, 633 N. Liberty St., Winston-Salem | Cost of purchase | Sit back and relax while kids play in the splashing bounce houses.
Events calendar here
Click here to have your event featured.
 
Announced

Face to Face: Limited single-event tickets on sale starting today
WS-Wake Forest Univeristy single day tickets-8.1.24.png
The 2024-25 season kicks off Sept. 11, with events being held at the university’s Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum and Wait Chapel. | Photo provided by Wake Forest University
There’s a good reason only a limited quantity of single-event tickets are available for Wake Forest University’s 2024-25 Face to Face Speaker Forum: The blockbuster lineup has created an unprecedented demand for season tickets.

Single-event tickets are on sale starting today at 10 a.m. — meaning you’d be wise to snatch tickets while you can. Take your pick of the following featured speakers (or see them all with a season subscription):
  • Peyton Manning — Hall of Fame quarterback + NFL’s only five-time MVP (Sept. 11)
  • Anderson Cooper — Emmy-award winning CNN anchor and 60 Minutes correspondent (Nov. 21)
  • Jesmyn Ward — Award-winning novelist and MacArthur Genius Grant recipient (Dec. 5)
  • David Brooks — Bestselling author + New York Times op-ed columnist and political commentator (Feb. 27)
  • John Legend — Multi-platinum singer-songwriter and the first African American man to win an EGOT (Apr. 8).
Face to Face is considered one of the nation’s top speaker forums, with past speakers including Trevor Noah, former President George W. Bush, Yo-Yo Ma, and more.
Purchase single-event or season tickets
News Notes
Opening
  • Get the first glance of Sunless Body of Winston-Salem during its grand opening on Saturday, Aug. 10 in West End. The spray tanning salon located at 1031 Burke St. will showcase products with exclusive giveaways from 2 to 6 p.m.
Real Estate
  • A Chapel Hill group has acquired ownership of the former Steak ‘n Shake restaurant property located at 4684 N. Patterson Ave. Blue Empire bought the 0.97-acre tract for $719,500. (Winston-Salem Journal)
Announced
  • The Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools Board of Education has chosen its new chief communications officer. Amanda Lehmert replaces Brent Campbell, who served with the school district for over seven years. Lehmert will begin her new role on Thursday, Aug. 8.
Theater
  • Ready to make your stage appearance? The Little Theatre of Winston-Salem will hold auditions for “Little Shop of Horrors” on Monday, Aug. 12 and Tuesday, Aug. 13 at 419 N. Spruce St. Adults aged 18+ can show up without an appointment. Actors should prepare a song that shows off their voice.
Award
  • Nominations for “The Coolest Thing Made in NC” are open through Tuesday, August 13 at 9 p.m. Nominees will be announced on Thursday, Aug. 22, when live voting will begin.
Olympics
  • NC Olympian Evy Leibfarth won a bronze medal in her canoe slalom event. Plus, Bam Adebayo from High Point helped carry the men’s 5x5 basketball team to a win over South Sudan with a final score of 103-86. Get the latest on WFMY’s sports page.
Shop
  • Get more from your Costco membership — this week only, get a $40 digital Costco shop card and $60 off an order of $200+ on Costco.com when you buy an Executive Membership on our deals site.*
 
Real Estate

Summer trends

Summer real estate outlook in Winston-Salem
WStoday: front view of colonial-style home in Buena Vista
This 0.75-acres home on Forest Drive is currently listed for $1,289,000 and features 6 bedrooms with 4.5 baths. | Photo by @lrbrealestate via Instagram
With just under 60 days left in the summer season, it’s time we get real about current housing trends.

Bekah Cooke, co-founder of local agency Atwell Ford, tells City Editor Kellina the Winston-Salem real estate market has seen a 39% increase in active listings versus this time last year. Cooke says this shows that there’s a homebuyer demand rather than more sellers coming to market.

Although mortgages remain high, Cooke says 38% of homes on the market have had a price reduction. Buyers can expect more negotiating power in the coming months.

The agency has listed Brookberry Farm as the “Triad’s most sought-after communities” due to new developments surrounding the area, a variety of housing options, and its blend of historic charm. The average home price in Brookberry Farm is $849,450.

Psst, check out these two Twin City homes with access to pool on the market to escape from the summer heat.
The Buy

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This Turkish cotton beach towel — it’s extremely absorbent, made with 100% natural cotton, and is the perfect soft aqua blue companion for your next trip to the ocean.
More worth The Buy
6AM City In-house
 
The Wrap
 
WStoday: Kellina Wanteu

Today’s edition by:
Kellina
From the editor
Going to the mall was such a special treat for me during my teenage years. My first-ever big purchase was a One Direction T-shirt at a shopping mall in Washington, DC. It was such an unforgettable experience.
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