First opened in 1988, the Westfield San Francisco Center was once a bustling and vibrant place. With its clean interior, high-end shops, and friendly atmosphere – it was the place to go shopping or hang out with friends. Now, over 30 years later, it is now looking to close for good.

This comes just one month after the flagship Nordstrom space would close, which meant that it was no longer financially viable to run. Whilst this news has been around for a while, there’s an old saying – that pictures can say more than 1000 words. In the case of the Westfield Mall, you could say the same, as one video shows just how empty and irrelevant it has now became.

https://twitter.com/TheKevinDalton/status/1669334202528190466

In a video uploaded by user Kevin Dalton, you can see just how empty and quiet the mall is. Whilst there are a handful of people hanging out, no one is shopping which is unsurprising – because there’s no longer any shops available. The Nordstrom logo’s lights are also starting to die out too, which is representative of its financial state. In general, it’s weird to see a place you usually associate with large crowds to be completely empty.

So, how did we get here? In fairness, it’s not just the Westfield Center. San Francisco in general has had a huge downturn in its retail places after covid. Generally, people blame this on rising operating costs, as well as safety, such as theft and crime against store owners.

Undoubtedly, this represents a sad moment in recent San Francisco history. It’s crazy to think that just a few years ago, this city was seen as a real hub of innovation within the US, but is now deeply routed with chronic problems. Hopefully it turns around – and sooner rather than later.