The Sunrise Mall in Citrus Heights, California used to be all the rage when it was first developed in the early 70s. Throughout the 80s, 90s, and even a little bit of the early 2000s, Sunrise Mall was a peak hangout place for teens and young adults. What happened?

On Aug. 25, 2000, a new mall was developed, filling the empty plains of Roseville California. The mall was originally named “Westfield Shoppingtown Galleria Roseville”, but was changed to “Westfield Galleria Roseville” in 2005. The Galleria Mall made headways in popularity after its arrival, fighting with Sunrise Mall for consumers. Although Sunrise Mall didn’t lose its popularity immediately, it was sure to come.

The Sunrise Mall is now known to many as the “abandoned mall”. Some Youtubers have made videos describing the mall as more abandoned than it seems to be. The burning question for some is, “Is Sunrise Mall even abandoned?”

Currently, Sunrise Mall is still open with many available shops, yet some Youtubers have made it seem like otherwise. In a Youtube video titled “Sunrise Mall in Citrus Heights, CA: Slowly fading away from golden hour” by The Vintage Spaces Channel, the mall is described as abandoned and run down. It’s not wrong that it may be a little run down, but it isn’t true that it’s abandoned. With many stores such as Spencer’s, Hot Topic, and Macy’s, the mall is still alive to many Citrus Heights residents. 

“I feel like more attention has been put into the Galleria Mall … more stores, a lot of new stores, and more food,” said Oakmont senior and Citrus Heights resident, Maria Gonzales. “I feel like Galleria has more.” 

While it may be true that the Galleria Mall trumps the Sunrise Mall by 105 stores, this does not mean that the Sunrise Mall lacks in the store department. The Sunrise Mall has a whopping 45 stores still standing.

“There is a little bit of a stigma against the Sunrise Mall, people kind of look at it and think it’s not as ‘mally’,” Gonzales said. 

The Sunrise Mall has sadly fallen to the popularity of the Galleria. Citrus Heights residence would rather travel farther for the more popular mall than give the Sunrise Mall another chance. The sad truth of the name “abandoned mall” isn’t far off now-a-days. 

The mall had its decades to shine on its own, and maybe it’s time to leave room in the light for another. 

Goodbye Sunrise Mall, hello Galleria.