The last days of Georgia Square Mall
The last days of the Georgia Square Mall in Athens, GA before it goes under redevelopment.
Georgia Square Mall December 2024
Nestled in the city of Athens, about an hour outside of Atlanta, GA, sits the Georgia Square Mall, a typical American mall design of yesteryear with more parking square footage than actual store space.
Today, the mall is on its last legs, the result of decades of changing American consumer habits and the declining culture of American mega-malls. The mall is but a shell of its former self (see the video below of a promo for the mall just over 10 years ago).
In December of 2024, I visited this mall to see what was left of it before it gets partially torn down and turned into a large mixed-used development with new commercial space, 1200 apartments, and a new senior living center.
Like many built just like it, the Georgia Square Mall was anchored by major department store tenants like JC Penny, Belk, and Sears. The Sears and JC Penny have since closed but the Belk remains open, although quite empty.
Inside, the mall is an eerily quiet ghost town. Most of the shop gates are closed and the ones that remained open are generic stores that sell an unidentifiable selection of clothes and shoes. The food selection is abysmal with virtually all stalls closed except for 2 it seems. The familiar center-aisle stalls are empty as well and the usual delights of the mall experience, like candy machines, photo booths, and massage chairs, are all sitting unused but lit up as if waiting for a familiar friend.
Curiously, the interior of the mall seems to continue to serve as a location for the Athens-Clark County Police Precinct and
Check out some more photos from my visit below.
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Check out some more photos from my visit below. ~
Hidden Atlanta: The abandoned Tucker-North Dekalb Line
An abandoned trench in Atlanta once served as a possible extension of the MARTA Blue Line.
The Tucker-North Dekalb Line
Tucked away behind some overgrowth adjacent to West Howard Avenue in Atlanta, GA is an unfinished spur line known as the Tucker-North Dekalb Line. I had the pleasure of checking this location off my to-go list lately after hearing about it from the video below several years ago.
The spur line consists of a partially built tunnel between the East Lake and Edgewood stations along MARTA’s Blue Line. Once in the area, the land gently slopes downward toward East Lake station and then underneath it for a few feet in an enclosed tunnel. As you can imagine, the area isn’t very protected and has been covered top-to-bottom in graffiti.
There have been some talks in recent years of expanding MARTA to use this line again but nothing concrete ever happens from it. For now, it’s a peaceful spot hidden from street view with MARTA running above you and light vehicle traffic nearby.
Hidden Gem of Atlanta: The Noguchi Playground at Piedmont Park
Isamu Noguchi’s only playground for kids can be seen in Atlanta.
Noguchi Playground in Atlanta
Hidden just behind the entrance of Atlanta’s Piedmont Park, is a wonderful playground designed by Japanese artist Isamu Noguchi.
The Noguchi Playground is his only intact and installed playground despite designing several playgrounds in his lifetime. His design is instantly iconic, with large colorful shapes and sharp angles that might otherwise today be labeled as hazardous to kids. Installed and dedicated in 1976, the playground saw a period of neglect before being refurbished in 1996.
Today, it has some weathering and could maybe use a new coat of paint, but it is in great working order. On my visit, there were kids making use of the fun play-things and slides. The High Museum in Atlanta continues to contribute support to this design mainstay.
Discovering Bostwick: My Unexpected Stop in Georgia
A close-up look at how cotton is made at a cotton gin in Bostwick, GA.
Water tower in Bostwick, GA
I took a day-drive from Athens, GA to Madison, GA today with the Robinson family and on the way back I stopped by in a small post-industrial rural town called Bostwick. I’ve never heard of this place before and had no reference for its historical context, but it turns out that this sleepy pit-stop between cities was and still is a cotton-town!
While driving through, we stopped along the side of the road and met John Ruark of Ruark Farms. At first, I didn’t want to disturb him and his small crew as they operated heavy machinery in a cotton gin, but he saw me and my camera from afar and waved me in, telling me that I could virtually go anywhere in the facility undisturbed; I was shocked he wasn’t afraid of letting me in due to some sort of liability or safety concern.
John Ruark of Ruark Farms
Quality control checks at the Ruark Farms cotton gin
Inside the seemingly open-air facility, John casually led me through a tight maze of heavy machinery, all clanging and banging away loudly as cotton plants and seeds traveled through the machine lines and ultimately came out as giant compressed cotton clouds. The noise was deafening at times but the sight was incredible to witness (at least for this city boy!).
The final product at this cotton gin saw the freshly spun cotton tightly bound and bagged for shipment off to its next stop. Eventually, John tells me as he points to my sweatshirt, this cotton will become used in a number of textiles just like my clothes.
Fresh cotton from the cotton gin
Ruark Farms in Bostwick, GA
I witness John and his small team move nimbly through the factory, careful to keep perfect timing on certain machines to ensure quality control. Some of these men told me they had been working here for decades and that some of the machinery was more or less the same since the 1970’s.
Inside, cotton webs hung from every corner and light fixture and the sun lit up every cotton particle in the air. It was quite beautiful given the late time of day.
While the factory itself was a joy to walk through, the thing that stuck with me the most was just how seemingly trustworthy John and his team were with a random photographer showing up and deciding to photograph them at work without any prior notice. John trusted me and I am thankful he did.
Near the end of their work day, they powered down all their machines, closed up shop, and stood for one group photo. What a absolute joy to be connected to the people who make the cotton I use every day. As we all packed up to leave, John invited me back whenever I was in town — I think I’ll take him up on the offer!
