Bowling

Incred-A-Bowl was a local favorite. Opened by former Kansas City Royals pitcher, Danny Jackson and his wife in 1997, thus the building held many memories before closing from bankruptcy in 2015.

The hangout had more to it than just bowling — Mini golf, laser tag and arcade games filled the property until its final days.

With the closing of Incred-A-Bowl, Pinstripes, a more modern restaurant, bocce and bowling alley opened in 2014.

Pinstripes is located in Prairie Fire and provides fun activities for groups of friends and families. Pinstripes is fun for many people, but it lacks the nostalgic feel of a classic bowling alley.

Shopping

Oak Park opened in 1974. The original stores included JCPenney, Macy’s, Montgomery Ward and Stix, Baer & Fuller.

Having these foundations supported the mall until their renovations done in 2011 where they altered the food court and made new entrances.

More modern stores filled with technology, such as Microsoft, opened in 2012. The mall reached high popularity when teens would head there to hang out; now it seems as if the area is filled with a more dangerous reputation.

While Oak Park mall used to be a hot spot for shopping and hanging out with friends, it is now a shell of what it once was.

After multiple store closings, people have finally started to realize how much it has gone downhill.

At one point a few years ago, shoppers would be flooding out of stores, but now there’s barely anyone filling them.

Clothing trends in the 2000s involved the rise of fast fashion and celebrity ’ influences. All of this rising media over fashion presented issues for the environment and financial standing of daily lives.

Teens began depending on thrifting to provide functional clothes without wasting as much for themselves. In 2013, thrifting even got its own anthem by Macklemore, which added to the popularity.

In recent years, thrifting, unsurprisingly, has seen a sudden resurgence of popularity among teens and young adults.

This method of shopping is a fun, eco-friendly, and cheap way of getting fashionable second-hand clothes.

YouTube and other social media services are flooded with videos and articles about thrift store hauls and tips, which promotes the hobby in a quick and effective matter.