Seeing that many families with kids, I still make sure to be on the lookout, but I have to admit, it makes me feel safer.Īt night (I go with friends if I'm going at night), there are a lot more young people, teens and early 20s, hanging out. On the weekend in the daytime, there were more teenagers hanging around, but I have to say, I was a little surprised by the number of families with children shopping around. A lot of the clientele look a little more 'urban' and relatively young, but you'll definitely see some middle-aged and older people and couples there, especially in the daytime and in the anchor stores. Needless to say, a majority of the clientele are Black, but I have noticed a growing Hispanic segment, probably from the East Side and Hegewisch. There might be a couple 'shady-looking characters' (you never know for sure though), but for the most part, it seems like nobody wants to bother anybody. I'll share my experiences and the perceptions I have of it.ĭespite its bad rap, in the daytime, I feel pretty safe walking there on my own. I have to say, I can't quite make up my mind on whether it's thriving or declining. So, I've gone to River Oaks a number of times over the past couple years, whether with friends who enjoy doing the same or on my own. I guess I just like looking at the layout, 'exploring,' and in malls where I've been before, reminiscing and comparing. I enjoy going to a lot of different malls, mostly just for fun, to browse, etc. And I do know many people who are basically afraid to go there now as well. I know my parents used to take me to River Oaks when I was growing up, but they stopped going around 2005 or 2006 maybe in part because it felt 'less safe,' but probably more so because many of the stores had left, and urban clothing stores, shoe stores, etc.

At least the way I see it, River Oaks lost most of its NWI clientele to a combination of Southlake and Orland Square. Naturally, the shopping at River Oaks also changed to match the changing demographics. By that time the demographics of River Oaks' clientele had changed, crime had gone up in the mall, Southlake was undergoing a renovation, and more people started making the trek to Orland Square as it became nicer and got even more 'upscale' stores. By 'back in the day,' I mean until the mid-2000s. But I digress, and that's a discussion for a different day, and a different forum.Īnyway, what I'm saying here is that a lot of shoppers in NWI would go to River Oaks AND Southlake back in the day. So, due to the shopping options and distances, if anyone in my area is talking about going to 'the mall,' it's usually going to be Southlake as opposed to River Oaks, and Orland Square is usually a 'special visit' for fun, for a specific store, or just for people who look down on Southlake for some reason or other I still think Southlake is a fairly nice (and safe) mall, but some exaggerate the crime and consider it 'ghetto' when it's really far from it. Orland Square is a little bit farther than that. Even though I'm in NWI, River Oaks in Calumet City is actually a little closer to where I live than Southlake Mall in Merrillville/Hobart. I'm from Northwest Indiana, but I still have some knowledge of the South Suburbs living that close and having parents who are originally from Chicago and the South Suburbs. It might be a bit lengthy, so bare with me. I'd also like to discuss the mall's and Calumet City's retail's current state, its future, and whether it will thrive or decline further. I'd like to share my views and experiences on River Oaks Mall and would like to hear some others'.

River oaks mall