“That mall not opening is a sign of the health of NYC, not the other way around.”
NYC still empties into northern NJ for their shopping every Saturday (Bergen County has “Blue Laws” that keep most retailers closed on Sundays - they actually fought for an exemption for the never-opened mall); it didn’t open because they were a high-end shopping and entertainment mall at a time when most Americans have no money for “high-end” or entertainment.
When the Blue Laws were reviewed a few years back, and people asked if it was a Christian holdover from a bygone era, many non-Christians in Bergen County fought to keep the laws in place. Because of the influx of NYC shoppers into NJ, Sunday is the only day of the week when Bergen County residents can actually drive without horrible congestion.
Maybe people from the Bronx and Staten Island head to NJ to shop on Sunday, but those in Manhattan, Queens and Brooklyn overwhelmingly don’t.