Green Acres needs to change and it needs to change now! Or does it? Green Acres Mall located in Valley Stream, Long Island can be seen by some as a great place to shop and eat while others call it a problem and safety issue. Many people have mixed feelings with the Mall but it definitely has had its controversies in the past while also having some pros. It simply comes down to people wanting to enjoy the green acres mall for what it is and enjoy shopping but some people just can’t seem to do it or even want to take their families there. When asking Allyson Camacho, a valuable member of the Valley Stream community how she feels about the Green Acres Mall she responded "Malls can be risky places with thefts and other dangers lurking, but they're also important community hubs where people come together and businesses thrive." When looking at Malls in Long Island Green acres can definitely be seen as one of the most dangerous malls but it’s not all bad with its formatting. Recently Green Acres has added a new shopping center called “Green Acres Commons” which includes a variety of new stores with a really good interior design while also including nice restaurants. There is a lot to talk about when it comes to Green Acres and its safety for residents, families and shoppers.
While Green Acres continues to bring a lot of people in, there are many that are truly concerned for their safety when they arrive into the mall. Some feel as if it is a nice mall but just the people that enter it and the things that are allowed to happen in the mall are not safe for the shopper. When talking to Amir Jeanot a former employee of footlocker in green acres I asked him how how felt working there and if he felt safe and he responded “You definitely have to be on your guard while working in there because you don’t really know what could happen, It’s not a terrible place but definitely not the nicest”. I also asked him if he feels the mall needs to be updated and changed and he responded that he really enjoys the mall because he’s a valley stream resident but he would like some changes to be made especially within the security within the mall. Green acres had a shooting in late 2023 and has had several shootings before and there has also been fights and different drug busts that have happened in green acres. Going to Green Acres I had the chance to interview Conor Mendez, who is a Nassau County Cop that specifically works around Valley Stream and Elmont and he stated “ The mall definitely isn’t the safest and us as police officers are specifically ready when handling a situation that goes down in Green Acres. We know not to take it lightly”. Also asking him he believed that the mall isn’t all bad and he likes the new addition of the green acres commons and believes it should resemble green acres if also renovated. He stated “Green Acres can be a new Roosevelt Field Mall, but it has to make the changes within and around the community”. Going around Green acres and seeing that it has the potential is very promising but I also had the opportunity to speak with Christian Grant who usually goes into green acres to take out money from chase and he stated “It is what it is, of course you would want it to be better but for what it is it is not bad or terrible”. It is clear many people have had different opinions with the mall and how they look at the mall. While comparing the Green Acres Mall to Roosevelt Field Mall, many people have definitely said they prefer Roosevelt field over Green acres for both safety, shopping and food and parking. Many people that actually live in Valley Stream would rather take the 40 minute extra drive rather than the 5 min drive to green acres just because they prefer roosevelt field over Green Acres. This is a huge turning point because if people don’t even want to drive to their local mall then there is clearly a problem. Another problem that people seem to have with the mall is the 24 hour fitness located in the green acres commons. Asking Conor Mendez about it he stated “ There’s a lot of people that can come from different areas and we have had gun issues in the past at 24 hour fitness”. He also said that “this can be what pushes people away as people read the news and see green acres in controversy so they believe that it is automatically dangerous”. When speaking to Amir and Christian together they both enjoy going to the mall to get grab food as the mall has a very popular wing spot but when asked how they feel about the accommodations in the mall they said “you know we would love for it to be better and we hope that they can make changes and that it can be a better place for everyone to come and shop”. They also feel a loyalty towards green acres because they grew up in Valley Stream and they want it to be popular again and for people to enjoy coming to green acres rather than not liking it and skipping out on it. With new reports saying that in 2029 Green acres might be getting a whole remodeling done that will change Green Acres into a more modern roosevelt field and have the same idea of a green acres commons.
It is clear there are many mixed feelings with Green Acres and many believe that it should be fixed but also a lot of people enjoy it as well. Interviewing a variety of people it clearly shows that people fear for their safety but enjoy green acres for what it is. Green Acres continues to push to be better but there are a lot of things they can change.
Comments