Robbie Thomas
Lakeside Taco Fest, Wrestling, and A Dying Mall
I forgot my hat and my smile for this one. That is the Soultaker from the Pro Wrestling All-Stars of Detroit.
This is the last month for anyone who wants to go to Lakeside Mall in Sterling Heights, MI. Yes, it was revealed a few months ago that they are shutting down Lakeside. It’s pretty silly in some ways because, in my manuscript, I did mention as the narrator about Lakeside and how it wasn’t being shut down. And then, sometime after I wrote that, they told us the news that they were shutting it down. There has been some talk about what they will do with Lakeside since 2017-ish.
That didn’t stop them from doing the 2nd Lakeside Taco Fest. I thought it was bullshit that it cost $10 to get in. Plus, I bought a margarita; it was watery and didn’t get me drunk. A shit ten bucks to spend on that one! But it was worth it when they had Libra Luche Wrestling going—the promotion in question, The Pro Wrestling All-Stars of Detroit. They didn’t disappoint! That was some fun shit to watch!
And also a photo from my friend Hollywood Al:
Then next, Lakeside Mall. It was 95% empty. They still had Lids, a busy Nail Salon, Spencer Gifts, Hot Topic without the sign, Express, Claire’s, Game On, DC Sports, and a woman’s clothing store with no name. The last mention, we walked in there, and the lady running the shop sat at the front of the store, appearing depressed. We talked to her, and she said she had been there for eight years. She didn’t say anything about any plans after the mall closes for good. Hopefully, things improve for her.
We kept going and going, seeing all the empty shops and talking about our memories here at Lakeside. Even the fountain at Lakeside was empty; there were still a few pennies inside if anyone wanted them.
Yep, Cinnabon went down. If Saul Goodman gets out of jail soon, he sure won’t be able to get a job at the Lakeside Cinnabon. As said earlier, there was a busy nail salon. Not every seat was filled, but for a dying mall, this place was popping. The establishment had signs saying they were heading to a strip mall nearby. I’ve barely been to Lakeside in the last ten years, and even in my six years of living within walking distance of this place, I would go 2-3 times a year. There was a time when I hadn’t been to a mall in a couple of years. I was at Lakeside on New Year’s Eve 2004; it was packed!! Even the famous China Wok was gone as well. I went there quite a lot when I would go to Lakeside.
We returned to Taco Fest and watched the last three matches. The second match was fun to watch, but the bad guy Brutus Atwell beat the Soultaker and reclaimed the PWAS Championship Belt. Bummer! He got it back after the previous night’s matches. I would like to go if they do this Taco Fest again and the wrestling is there. It’ll be interesting to see what Lakeside looks like this time next year. I’ll be avoiding the margaritas!
Peace, Love, and Fractions! And good luck to all those folks who are losing their shops at Lakeside.
Robbie T and Hollywood Allan.
