How about those Northern Lights?
...And a lesser known Northern Lights as well
I first learned about the Aurora Borealis, or the Northern Lights, in my early twenties. Up until then, the Northern Lights for me was the name of a shopping center in my home county. To be entirely honest, I feel a tinge of embarrassment when I think about how a 1950s shopping center in my homeplace co-opted the name of something so special, but that’s besides the point.
As for the Aurora Borealis, I’ve often wondered whether I’d ever get to witness the “beautiful dancing ribbons of light,” as described in this informative Space.com article. There are so many trips I’ve dreamt of, so the question was about whether I’d prioritize one built around this. It turns out, it’s a decision I didn’t have to make. Last weekend, the auroras came to us due to a massive solar storm.
I did almost miss the opportunity, though. I assumed there would be cloud cover and was settled in for the night watching an episode of American Rust. (Side note: the show offers a bleak portrayal of southwestern PA, but one I want to keep watching.)
A few of my friends started sharing some pretty amazing photos. Kathi said, “Well, are we going?” (or probably something more eloquent). We hopped in the car and half an hour later pulled into an old cemetery in Marshall Township. Honestly, we couldn’t see much without the help of our iPhones. The sky just had a reddish haze to it and an appearance of barely visible bands of light. But then we held up our phones. Their cameras picked up more than we could see on our own. What we saw was muted compared to photos I’ve been seeing from all over North America, but was amazing nonetheless. A friend later said to me, “When I held up my phone it was as if I was seeing the world for the first time!” (How beautiful is that?!)
I love that we had a chance to marvel in something that was out of this world. Or, technically, on the edge of the Earth. The auroras are the result of the Earth’s magnetic field protecting the planet from particles from the sun’s corona speeding through space, creating a violent wind storm. According to NOAA, it was the most intense solar storm in 20 years. Like meteor showers, something so beautiful is the result of a rather violent event.
Not only did each of us marvel, but we witnessed an event that allowed us to connect through something bigger than us. Again, how beautiful is that?
At any given moment, so many of us are ready and willing to take in the splendor of the Universe - and even (or especially?) some of the tiny wonders that are right before us. Maybe it’s the Aurora Borealis or a solar eclipse (here are my reflections on last month’s eclipse, by the way). But more likely it’s a butterfly balancing on a blade of grass or the way the sunlight is peeking through your curtains at a certain time of day. There is so much to take in. We just have to be open to it.
As for the other Northern Lights – the shopping center in Baden, PA – I definitely went down a rabbit hole in researching the name. I didn’t find anything, so I can only conclude that this “shopper’s city” that opened in 1957 was being portrayed as a beacon of light in the then-bustling area north of Pittsburgh. J&L Steel had brought prosperity to the Beaver Valley (and took a whole lot from the area, too).
I started to wonder whether a nearby 1970s housing plan’s street names tied in to the shopping center. Streets with curious names like Comet, Constellation, Satellite, and Celestial Drive boast ALL the split level homes you could ever hope for just a five-minute drive away.
And because I still can’t stop thinking about the other, close-to-home Northern Lights (even in the aftermath of an atmospheric phenomenon)…I want to share a perspective I found about the development in a Pittsburgh Orbit blog post:
“Northern Lights would have to deal with serious competition–first from the more modern Beaver Valley Mall (opened 1970), then the Internet. Couple that with the loss of thousands and thousands of well-paying steel industry jobs and the massive buying power they once provided all evaporating in short order in the 1980s.
Perhaps the cruelest plot point is that Northern Lights Shopping Center–itself a ruthless aggressor in the retail war with various Main Streets up and down the Ohio River Valley–was ultimately cannibalized by the same buy-cheap-and-convenient economic forces that brought it to life.”
The blog went on to share that a Wal-Mart that opened in 2014 on the hillside just above the plaza (after a long legal fight with regional grocer, Giant Eagle) brings shoppers in with a new road that cuts right through the plaza. They peeled off Giant Eagle’s customers AND bring them right past their front doors in doing so. That’s harsh.
If you’ve read Deciding on Trails, you might recall my comments about shopping malls decimating Main Street. For that reason, it’s hard for me to feel sorry for a struggling mall or its shopping center predecessor. That being said, I try to approach the topic with empathy. Shopping centers and malls were (and are) terrible for Main Street. And online shopping, in turn, challenges the malls. But I imagine my own family members who must have been abuzz about the new Northern Lights shopping center in the late 1950s. I can imagine the novelty, their enthusiasm, and the convenience of having so many shops, restaurants, and services in the same plaza. I can even tap into my own memories of both Northern Lights and the malls. (My grandma buying me mint chip ice cream and stickers at the mall is among my early memories.)
And then there’s the sense of loss that comes along with a closed or struggling shopping center. The failing development is a microcosm of a larger loss, one that affects regional place identity and is not as easy to address or untangle. And, no doubt, there’s a lot to untangle as we continue to try to make our way forward to more prosperous, more livable communities.
PA friends: you’ll want to take this survey
Did you know that most states have a statewide recreation plan that helps guide recreation planning and investments?
Pennsylvania's 2025-2029 Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan is in the works and depends upon YOUR input to set recreation priorities. I'm on the SCORP's Technical Advisory Committee and want to personally invite my fellow Pennsylvanians to take the survey. Open through May 22, the survey takes about 10 minutes to complete and is available in both English and Spanish.
I can't stress how important it is to hear from a wide variety of people who enjoy spending time outside in ALL of the ways. For you, maybe it's hiking, biking, paddling, etc. But it might also be walking your dog along your local riverfront trail, taking your kids to the playground, or picnics in your town park. Or something entirely different. However you enjoy being outside, please weigh in so that your interests will be reflected in the plan. The survey is for all Pennsylvanians and should be shared widely.
Deciding on Trails Flash Sale
I’m selling some lightly damaged copies of Deciding on Trails at 30% off today and tomorrow only! The damage includes some minor ink bleeds on the edges of the pages. Use the code OVERSTOCK when you shop here.
Gratitude Notes
Keeping this short and sweet (unlike the rest of this post): I’m in Berea, Kentucky for my monthly training with the Appalachian Leadership Institute. I’m endlessly grateful for this group and this experience. The application period is now open for next year’s cohort. Let me know if you have any questions!
Northern Lights is also the name of a shopping strip center in Columbus! It’s been on a decline for several decades but is doing a bit better now that it has embraced some of the international culture of the neighborhood that surrounds it.
I view the malls of yesteryear like I view the monoculture of a soybean farm. Without diversity of usage and product, a mall doesn’t survive, much like a soybean crop will drain the soil of its nutrients over time.
Nature has taught us the diversity gives resilience. A lesson to be applied to so many situations.
Thanks for the trip down memory lane with the topic of malls!