The Mall at West End

The Mall at West End

Situated at the corner of Ralph David Abernathy and Lee Street, the Mall at West End is a one story building composed of a long nave with two shorter halls that provide the only "official" entrances to this part of the mall.  The food court is located in a separate building.  The entrance fronting an historic section of the West End though set back from the street, had display windows and a presumable park-like area.  The rear entrance faces the very large parking lot.  The exterior of the mall otherwise is predictably generic.

The interior of the mall is spotless, full of shiny surfaces and almost unnaturally quiet, contrasting the street scene just outside it's "front" door.  Most of the shops cater to African American women, and include dress shops, particularly (and nearly unheard of in "white" malls) catering to women of more voluptuous proportions, nail, hair and wig establishments.  Other shops carried home items and were heavy on Africana.  Perhaps reflecting the perceived demographics of the area (and either in denial about or just ignoring the recent influx of white residents), none of the anchor stores were particularly expensive, no coffee shops were to be found and most of the kiosks featured items for personal street status wear.  Behind where I was standing to take the interior shots was a platform stage and podium.  

The size and limited commercial options speak to Crawford's economic/demographic categories, reflecting the developers perception of the area as a "neighborhood" or maybe even a community center.  However, that the mall is within a few miles of downtown Atlanta and serves a sector of the city that otherwise has been largely neglected suggests their recognition of a middle class consumer group that could be targeted.  I am still speculating as to why the Food Court would be in a separate building, but since I didn't go into it, speculation is all I can do.