“Mall acoustics are fantastic in that they both magnify and mute: the hubbub of commotion reduced to a hush of distinct words. It allows you to both be very much in the moment, and also alone and separate from other people’s experiences should you wish to be.“
- Zan McQuade, How I Learned To Love The Mall
There’s also a bit in here about malls being a cross-section of society that I agree with. My local mall’s food court is, I think, the most diverse place in the city at any given moment. People from other countries know malls. Older people and families can traverse malls easily, especially in winter. Parents are more ok with dropping their kids off at the mall than downtown. I still don’t love spending an afternoon at the mall over, say, a good set of shops on a main street, but I definitely feel more generous towards them.