Even though I do most of my shopping online these days, procrastination and morbid curiosity sent me to Milwaukee's suburban malls recently. With Hanukkah right around the corner (it starts Wednesday night), I waded through the jam-packed stores at Southridge and Mayfair malls.

Recession? Don't tell that to these shoppers.

Today, for scientific research purposes only, I thought I should check in with our Downtown mall, the Shops of Grand Avenue.

This may not be news for anyone who has been there lately, but the Grand couldn't be less so. It's an empty, pitiful eyesore, and it doesn't need new owners, it needs to be demolished or completely reinvented.

On the other hand, if crowds and lines make you nervous, then you're in luck.

I could use this platform to discuss the many potential reasons this once great destination is now a flop. We could talk about the social-economic or racial stereotypes that may or may not drive people to the suburbs for their shopping. We could even speculate whether a Downtown mall can survive anywhere, much less on Wisconsin Avenue.

Or, we can leave that talk for another day, and just report what was going on the month before Christmas, 2010. The answer: not much.

The east side of the mall is incredibly empty, other than T.J. Maxx and a dry cleaner. The skywalk holds a Stone Creek Coffee. The west portion still has Walgreen's, a few hat shops, Brew City Beer Gear, a smattering of jewelry stores and nail salons, the food court and the mall's anchor, Boston Store. But even Boston Store was largely empty at 5 p.m. during the height of holiday shopping.

But I didn't have to wait in line for a slice of pizza at Rocky Rococo's. And, lest you suspect I'm contributing to the mall's decline, I bought myself a $9.99 dopp kit at T.J. Maxx.

If you think I'm picking on the Grand Avenue Mall, well, I am, but I don't take pleasure in it. I remember when it opened, and it was a big deal to drive Downtown and visit. I remember the Puzzle Box and Marshall Fields and a jungle-themed Banana Republic and a bear on a tight rope. The mall was a beautiful, old piece of architecture that hearkened back to another era Downtown.

Now it's our city's biggest retail letdown.

It actually angers me, and not just because OnMilwaukee.com is a vendor of and partner of both the Westown Association and the Milwaukee Downtown Business Improvement District. I'm embarrassed when first-time visitors to Milwaukee view this shell of its former self and assume that's all we have to offer. For all the vibrant shops in the Third Ward, on Brady Street, in Bay View and on the East Side, the Grand Avenue is like a beacon announcing that Downtown is dead.

I'm not a city planner, so other than complaining, any suggestions I make to improve the Grand Avenue Mall would be ignorant and without merit. Sure, I'd love to see it converted into a Target, and IKEA or a House of Blues. But I'd also settle for condos or a casino.

Anything but this.

According to a report in the Business Journal, one of the debt holders on the mall was the high bidder in the October auction for the property. It's a credit transaction, which means no cash was paid, and the mall's management wouldn't comment on the deal.

But I will. It's time to start fresh. As sad as it looks, though, my advice is this: go the Grand Avenue one more time. Before it goes away for good. Then say goodbye to a Milwaukee landmark past its prime.

I'd love to hear your thoughts using the Talkback feature below.