Man built his own secret apartment in shopping mall and lived there for years
- The man made the place into a hang out spot along with his seven friends
- The living space included a dining area, a TV, and even a PlayStation 2
- He lived in the mall for four years from 2003 until 2007
Published on Mar 30, 2024 at 2:30 PM (UTC+4)
by Nalin Rawat
Last updated on Apr 02, 2024 at 6:55 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Tom Wood
One man and some of his friends got together and built a secret apartment at their local shopping mall.
While many might scoff at the idea of living in an unused part of a mall, this group of friends made it into an ultimate hang-out spot.
The eight friends lived in an abandoned area of the Providence Place Mall for four years before being caught.
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Having a secret apartment where you can hang out with your friends and have fun without a care in the world is a dream come true.
And these eight friends, led by Michael Townsend, might have found the best one — rent-free.
In a similar case, a group of young friends converted a shipwreck in the middle of the ocean into a cozy gaming lounge.
While these guys might have only made the shipwreck their home for one night, Townsend made the mall his home for four years.
Townsend noticed an unused section of the mall during one of his daily jogs.
He had got the idea after hearing a radio ad saying how great it would be to get to live at the mall.
So when Townsend was removed from his soon-to-be bulldozed condo he decided to build a secret apartment in the mall.
Speaking of secret apartments, did you know that the Eiffel Tower and Mount Rushmore have hidden rooms inside them?
Well, now you do!
The friendship group built the secret apartment, which included a living space with a dining area, a TV, and even a PlayStation 2.
They also kept the secret apartment hidden, by building a cinderblock wall to conceal the area.
Fortunately, the mall security didn’t catch wind of this and he lived there from 2003 until 2007.
It seems this mall needed a security robot that could monitor the premises all day and night, just like this one.
The Providence Place Mall was made by the same developers who displaced Townsend.
So, you could say that karma – or a bit of cosmic justice – was taking place here.
In the end, Townsend was arrested for trespassing and placed on probation for the misdemeanor offense.
All good things must come to an end, right?
Still, they had a good run.
Nalin Rawat
Nalin started his career by working with various national newspapers in India. He has also worked as a writer/editor for many popular websites, while still pursuing his journalism and mass communication degree. Working as a digital nomad has allowed him to inform and educate through his work. When he is not writing, you can find him playing video games or travelling the mountains on his bike.
