Vacancy

‘There was an Old Abandoned Mall, still open to the public, available for urban exploration off I-90 near Lookout Pass on the Idaho-Montana border. Readers have noted its absence in recent editions and so we’ve written a short blurb here, to explain.

‘The Old Abandoned Mall’ did not burn down. It is not haunted or cursed or the headquarters of a conservative militia. For a while, ‘The Old Abandoned Mall’ was host to an informal flea market where one could purchase eccentric trinkets and stolen electronics and sometimes firearms with legally dubious paperwork. An awareness of this gray market spread and it soon became expensive. Law enforcement made occasional appearances before a permanent security position was filled. The pickings became mundane but word was already out and new customers filed in.

The low rent, the crowds, and the heightened security soon caught the attention of local business owners. A cigar lounge opened. A craft store. Several more established iterations on the flea market appeared- vintage re-sellers. A hobby store took two vacancies, one for the storefront and another for hosting games. A pop-up coffee stall established itself nearby to serve the growing population of regulars.

‘The Old Abandoned Mall’ is no longer abandoned- no longer host to any particularly strange businesses or activities. It is a living, mundane place for the time being.

But rent has gone up. Interest is down. Watch here for when ‘The Old Abandoned Mall’ returns to the Wayside.’

-an excerpt, Autumn by the Wayside