Upon hearing the words “Hunt Valley,” one most likely thinks of the Hunt Valley Towne Center, the shopping center 15 miles south of us that has become an essential part in most of our lives. Whether it’s to see the newest movie being released, grab some Chipotle, or just hang out with friends, it is not uncommon to see someone you know at the beloved outdoor mall.

Looking back to a few years ago and comparing it to the present day, the town center has undergone serious changes, one of the most prominent being the addition of the Avalon apartment complex, which also brought businesses such as Grabbagreen Food + Juice and Club Pilates.

New stores have been made welcome to Hunt Valley, operating successfully among older stores.

“Hunt Valley is such a great place to work,” Sophia Rubino (‘19), who is employed at both Grabbagreen and Club Pilates, said. “I feel like I know everyone, and they are so nice; it’s a great community to be a part of. Bringing in these new places exposes people to new things they may have never tried [before].”

Also recently welcomed to Hunt Valley Towne Center are HomeGoods and Michael’s, both located next to Wegmans. Wilkes & Riley, a luxury menswear store, and Lands’ End, which sells clothing and home décor, will also come to Hunt Valley in the coming months.

With new additions must also come closings, which has already proven true with Sears, which closed its doors in 2018 after 36 years of business in Hunt Valley.

Following suit on Jan. 13, Greetings & Readings closed after 49 years of business.

According to their website, Greetings & Readings will be closing after facing “the inevitable realization that the current retail environment is not sustainable.”

“It was sad to hear about [the closing,] especially since they’ve been open for so long and the owners — along with all of the employees — are so amazing,” Maris Rallis (‘19), who worked at Greetings & Readings, said. “It was just hard to hear that it will no longer be there.”

“Greetings & Readings closing is such a sad thing for Hunt Valley,” Rubino said. “It’s been there since I can remember.”

“I think that without Greetings & Readings in Hunt Valley, things will definitely be different,” Jake Hilferty (‘19), who also worked there, said. “We’ll definitely have to see what [comes] in place of [it].”

Although no plans have been made as of Jan. 15, predictions for what will replace Greetings & Readings have been made by various news sources. Such predictions include splitting the space into multiple stores, as it may prove to be more difficult to find one store to make use of the large area.

“I hope that [they will] put some more clothing stores in Hunt Valley to replace Greetings & Readings,” Tommie Keznor (‘20) said. “It would be so convenient, and I think they would get a lot of business.”

Students have spent time reflecting on the changes made to Hunt Valley Towne Center in the past few years, and how the environment of the shopping center as a whole has shifted.

“There [are] only a few stores people my age like there,” Rallis said. “But I do enjoy it since I always run into people I know and catch up with [them].”

Whether you prefer Hunt Valley Towne Center as it was ten years ago or as it is now, it will still be a center for socialization and shopping for people among the Hereford community.