When malls were the place to be: A nostalgic look at some of Houston's iconic shopping centers

PHOTOS: Houston's malls through the years As Houston's economy boomed in the late '60s developers began constructing large shopping malls to take advantage of the area's spending power. The most grand of these developments was The Galleria, seen here in 1979 just a decade after it opened. >>>See what your favorite Houston malls looked like when they first opened... less PHOTOS: Houston's malls through the years As Houston's economy boomed in the late '60s developers began constructing large shopping malls to take advantage of the area's spending power. The most grand of ... more Photo: Fred Bunch/Houston Chronicle Photo: Fred Bunch/Houston Chronicle Image 1 of / 92 Caption Close When malls were the place to be: A nostalgic look at some of Houston's iconic shopping centers 1 / 92 Back to Gallery

Although shopping malls dominated the youth culture of Generation X, they are increasingly falling out of favor with today's buyers.

In Houston, the list of defunct malls includes Town & Country and Northwest. Sadly, it's a trend that's nationwide.

Mall vacancies in the U.S. have reached the highest level in seven years at nearly 10 percent, according to the Houston Chronicle, with most Americans heading to the Internet for all their shopping needs.

Americans are also rejecting tract homes in the suburbs, the birthplace of the shopping center, the Houston Chronicle reported.

Instead, they want urban mixed-use neighborhoods located steps away from activities and shopping and dining spots.

Mall owners at the helm of Houston's 18 million square feet of enclosed mall space who are willing to offer more entertainment options and create a sense of community will survive, the Houston Chronicle reported.

Midway's successful overhaul of Town and Country Mall into the CityCentre mixed-use development is a prime example of this, according to the Houston Chronicle.

The rest face more uncertain futures.

Read more about the demise of the indoor shopping mall here: Shopping malls going the way of Sears, Campbell's Soup and Oscar Mayer wieners.

And head to the photos above to see what Houston's favorite malls looked like when they were first built.

Marcy de Luna is a digital reporter specializing in social media, the famous, and food. You can follow her on Twitter @MarcydeLuna and Facebook @MarcydeLuna. Read her stories on our breaking news site, Chron.com, and on our subscriber site, HoustonChronicle.com. | Marcy.deLuna@chron.com | Text CHRON to 77453 to receive breaking news alerts by text message