It’s been a difficult few years for shopping malls as the impact of the pandemic, together with the rise in popularity of online shopping, continues to negatively impact footfall. Many malls in the US, as well as the UK, have been forced to close their doors altogether, including one particularly unusual example just a short distance from the capital, Washington D.C. Welcome to Crystal City Shops – a mall which had the distinction of being almost entirely underground. (Picture: Metro.co.uk)
Located in Arlington, Virginia, just a short distance from The White House and The Pentagon, the mall formed part of the wider Crystal City – an urban neighbourhood which was once industrial land but is now home to offices, shops, apartments and restaurants. More recently it’s become part of an area known as National Landing (which also incorporates Pentagon City and Potomac Yard), following Amazon’s decision in 2018 to locate an HQ2 campus there. (Picture: Getty Images)
However, the area is also characterised by its extensive underground system, linking the buildings below street level and making it possible to navigate much of the neighbourhood without going above ground. Which is where the mall came in. Crystal City Shops opened in 1976, with about 40 shops and a unique, village-type feel, with cobblestone streets, antique glass windows and retail units populated by small, local businsses. Larimer’s Gourmet Grocery and Jelleff’s womenswear store were among those that had a presence there. (Picture: Ellsworth J. Davis/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
The mall spans a large swathe of Crystal City and has two distinct sections – number 1750 Crystal Drive, next to the Metro, and, up the road, number 2100, a few minutes walk further away, with an entrance above ground. Over the decades the place thrived, firstly with the arrival of a Metro station in 1977, and later as new businesses moved into the area with the complex’s restaurants, bars and food court proving popular. Meanwhile posts on Reddit also paid tribute to some of the more unusual shops there, including ‘a dingy dollar store’ and a shop selling puppets. (Picture: Getty Images)
That changed in subsequent years when many of the offices in the area relocated, with locals fighting for the survival of the underground tunnel system, and businesses doing their best to keep going. Until, in 2024, the plug was pulled altogether. (Picture: Metro.co.uk)
JBG Smith, the main property owner in the area announced in April of that year that all the remaining shops and restaurants in the underground part of the mall would close, saying: ‘As the retail landscape has shifted and as National Landing has continued to evolve, it has become apparent that the underground retail concept is no longer financially sustainable. We are working with tenants as they relocate, offering flexibility during this period of transition.’ (Picture: Metro.co.uk)
The section of the mall at street level is also deserted, with just a couple of cafes at street level remaining open – and other stores relocating (such as womenswear outlet Crystal Boutique, which has moved to premises a few minutes walk up the road). Others, however, have shut up shop altogether, leaving only memories behind. (Picture: metro.co.uk)
One person sharing their experiences said on Reddit: ‘You could live in one of the condos, work in one of the office buildings, shop at the underground Giant, work out and swim at the gym with a pool, use Metro – all without visiting the surface world. I imagined that there were people who lived their whole lives there and developed pale skin and large luminous eyes like Gollum.’ (Picture: metro.co.uk)
But while the mall itself may have been consigned to retail history, the tunnels themselves remain open – meaning pedestrians can still walk through the deserted mall to access the Metro, the Marriott hotel and the connecting buildings and properties. They can also check out all the retro storefronts and quirky decor for themselves, many of which have remained in place since the closure. (Picture: pauls.malls)
For now though, the mall’s future remains unclear, with JBG Smith yet to announce redevelopment plans for the space. While the surrounding area might be undergoing major transformation, speculation over its future use – whether as part of Amazon’s hub in the region or for something else entirely – continues, but for now it exists as a thoroughfare, and an unlikely tourist attraction. If you’re into abandoned malls, that is. (Picture: metro.co.uk)
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