Honestly, I probably spent far too much time hanging out in parking lots. I grew up in NJ and I am currently 22 in my last year of University so I'm talking about '06-'12 period.
Kids in my town definitely hang out at the much trendier (and overall nicer) outdoor mall that was built on my side of town a few years ago. We have a more traditional mall on the north side of town, but no one I knew growing up would hang out there because it was so far. We hung out at the movie theater instead.