The only NJ mall that doesn’t feel like it’s dying a slow death

Let’s be honest, kids. If you’ve walked through a New Jersey mall lately, you’ve probably felt it. The ghost-town vibes. The empty storefronts. The weird pop-up shops selling off-brand cologne and ring lights.

It’s sad. So many of our once-bustling malls now feel like they’re just barely hanging on, a shadow of their glory days.

But then there’s Freehold Raceway Mall.

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Somehow, this mall has completely dodged the “dying mall” curse that’s hit so many others. It still feels like a real mall. It’s busy, vibrant, and actually worth the trip.

The parking lot has cars. The food court has people. And the stores? Still open, still stocked, still staffed. It’s a small miracle in a retail world that looks nothing like the one you grew up with.

Walk through Freehold Raceway Mall on a weekend and you’ll see it: Sephora buzzing, Macy’s still doing its thing, the Apple Store packed, and a solid mix of old staples and new shops.

Even the escalators are working (which, let’s be honest, feels rare these days). This place hasn’t become a warehouse for weird filler stores. It feels alive. And isn’t that what a mall is supposed to be?

Yes, online shopping has changed the game, and yes, some other NJ malls are trying their best to reinvent themselves. But Freehold Raceway Mall? It’s just out here being a mall. And somehow, in 2025, that’s a radical act.

So if you’re nostalgic for the way malls used to feel, this might be the last one in Jersey that still gives you that old familiar buzz.

Opinions expressed in the post above are those of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Judi Franco only.

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