Your Gateway To The Best Things To Do In The USA

Living in Gatlinburg, TN

Everyday Gatlinburg, TN: traffic lights, bear-resistant trash, and Thursday trout closures

The Outlet Collection Seattle

The Outlet Collection Seattle in Auburn, WA: the mall that kept losing its giants, and kept finding stranger things to fill them

The Empire Mall in Sioux Falls, SD

A mall that keeps rebuilding itself: 50 years of tearing out and starting over at The Empire Mall, Sioux Falls, SD

Mall of the Mainland

Half its shops were empty at opening: how Mall of the Mainland in Texas City, TX ended up full of everything except stores

Quincy Mall in Quincy, IL

You shopped at Quincy Mall in Quincy, IL as a kid. Now you might have your surgery there.

Gulf View Square in Port Richey, FL

From four department stores to a clearance center: the slow unbuilding of Gulf View Square Mall in Port Richey, FL

Norfolk Premium Outlets in Norfolk, VA

Norfolk Premium Outlets in Norfolk, VA sits on 53 acres of a closed golf course and is 99% leased

Diamond Run Mall in Rutland, VT

Seven years after the doors locked, Diamond Run Mall in Rutland, VT is still standing - and here's why nothing has come down

Biltmore Fashion Park

63 years, three anchors, one survivor: inside the department store retreat at Biltmore Fashion Park in Phoenix, AZ

Rego Center

One side of Rego Center Mall in Queens, NY is 99 percent leased. The other side has 338,000 empty square feet.

Living in La Puente, California

East of Los Angeles, everyday life can cross three cities before lunch

Living in Cibolo, Texas

The San Antonio, TX suburb where your address says less than the roads you use every day

Living in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin

Near Milwaukee, WI one small city makes you choose between lake life and practical life

Living in Springfield, Tennessee

Near Nashville, TN but not dependent on it: what everyday life really looks like

Living in Graham, North Carolina

Living in Graham, NC: a walkable downtown that doesn't mean a walkable life

Country Club Plaza in Sacramento, CA

Trampolines, 13 movie screens, WinCo and gym: inside Country Club Plaza Mall in Sacramento, CA

Living in Grapevine, Texas

Would you pay more to live near a walkable downtown in this DFW suburb?

Living in Dunwoody, Georgia

One city, two weekdays: what living in this Atlanta suburb really looks like

Living in Dublin, Ohio

This Columbus, Ohio suburb has a real walkable downtown - but will you actually use it?

Living in Ypsilanti, Michigan

This small Ann Arbor-area city has three downtown-like districts with very different roles

Vogue Theater in Chula Vista, CA

Do you remember the cheap triple features? Here's what actually happened to the Vogue Theater in Chula Vista, CA.

Living in Clifton, New Jersey

Living in Clifton, NJ: when transit, traffic and one commercial strip change the whole experience

Living in Homestead, Florida

Living in Homestead, FL: what do you really gain by moving farther south?

Living in Cranston, Rhode Island

Living in Cranston, RI: four local centers, four very different daily routines

Upper Tampa Bay Park

$2 gets you into 596 acres at Upper Tampa Bay Conservation Park in Tampa, FL

Wheels of Yesteryear

You've driven past the sign on 501 a hundred times. Here's what's actually parked inside it, Myrtle Beach, SC.

Westgate Center

Westgate Center in San Jose, CA: Power Center Built Around a Shrinking Mall

Westfield Fashion Square

The Mall That Ate Its Own Shops: How Westfield Fashion Square in Sherman Oaks, CA Filled Up With Restaurants, Gyms, and Padel Courts

Chapel Hills Mall

Apartments in the Sears, Cinema in the Kmart, Sharks in the JCPenney: Welcome to Chapel Hills Mall in Colorado Springs, CO

Jordan Creek Town Center in West Des Moines, IA

Jordan Creek Town Center in West Des Moines, IA Runs Near Full While the Metro's Older Malls Empty Out

Northwoods Mall in Peoria, IL

Carson, Montgomery Ward, Sears, and JCPenney Anchored Northwoods Mall in Peoria, IL. Only One Still Trades There.

Santa Rosa Mall in Mary Esther, FL

The Last Department Store at Santa Rosa Mall in Mary Esther, FL Owned Its Own Building. The Concourse Came Down With It.

Annapolis Mall

Annapolis Mall in Annapolis, MD Is Down to One Department Store

City Center at White Plains in White Plains, NY

City Center at White Plains, NY Has Refilled Every Big Store but One

Living in Torrance, California

Why People Pay Torrance, CA Prices Without Actually Living at the Beach

Edinburg, Texas

Edinburg, Texas Looks Like a Cheaper McAllen - But the Numbers Tell a Different Story

Maryland Heights, Missouri

Maryland Heights, Missouri Has Jobs, Access and Lower Home Prices - So What's the Catch?

Living in Allen Park, MI

Living in Allen Park, MI: The Small-City Trade-Off Most Buyers Miss

Downtown Wilmington, North Carolina

Living in Wilmington, NC: Are You Choosing a Real City Near the Coast - or Giving Up Beach Life?

Sebastian, Florida

Living in Sebastian, FL: The Coastal Lifestyle Trade-Off Most Buyers Miss

Living in Plymouth, Minnesota

Living in Plymouth, MN: The Suburban Trade-Off Nobody Warns You About

Living in Mableton, Georgia

Living in Mableton, GA: Great Location Now, Real Downtown Later?

Scranton, Pennsylvania

Living in Scranton, PA: Why the City Is Perfect for Some People - and a Huge Mistake for Others

Living in Vista, California

Living in Vista, CA: The Coastal Compromise Most Buyers Miss

Living in Temple, TX

Living in Temple, TX: The Austin Alternative That Doesn't Need Austin

Living in Des Plaines, Illinois

Living in Des Plaines, IL: The Address Mistake That Can Ruin Your Daily Routine

Sunset in Westminster, Colorado

Living in Westminster, CO: What Everyday Life Feels Like

Quincy, Massachusetts

Four Daily Routines That Define Living in Quincy, Massachusetts

Living in North Port, FL

Living in North Port, FL Means Choosing Between Two Versions of the City: Old North Port vs Wellen Park

Oakwood Mall in Eau Claire, WI

Oakwood Mall in Eau Claire, WI Is Still Open With One Anchor Empty Since 2018

Peninsula Town Center in Hampton, VA

Peninsula Town Center Is Hampton, VA's Biggest Shopping Center and There's No Mall in It

Eastland Mall Bloomington IL

Eastland Mall in Bloomington, IL Leased 48% of Its Inline Space. It Still Counted 2.4 Million Visits.

Lincolnwood Town Center

Lincolnwood Town Center in Lincolnwood, IL Is Being Cleared for One Big Store and a Car Dealership

Arrowhead Mall in Glendale, AZ

Arrowhead Towne Center in Glendale, AZ Kept Filling the Boxes Other Malls Left Empty

Kennedy Mall

Kennedy Mall in Dubuque, IA Opened With 60 Stores in 1970. JCPenney Is the Last Department Store Left.

Bonita Lakes Mall

Bonita Lakes Mall Is Now Uptown Meridian, Mississippi: the Only Enclosed Mall for 90 Miles

Dixie Square Mall

Dixie Square Mall in Harvey, IL Has Been Gone Since 2012. The City Wants a 500,000-Square-Foot Warehouse There.

East Towne Mall Entrance

East Towne Mall in Madison, WI Is 87 Percent Full With Two Anchors Vacant

Newburgh Mall

Newburgh Mall in Newburgh, NY Is Being Turned Into an Outdoor Shopping Center

Center City Mall in Paterson, NJ

Marshalls, Burlington, and Price Rite Keep Center City Mall Going in Paterson, NJ

SteelStacks

SteelStacks in Bethlehem, PA Sits on the Old Bethlehem Steel Plant and Draws More Than a Million Visits a Year

Old Zoo Nature Trails

Old Zoo Nature Trails in Cisco, TX: A Ruin Nobody Restored

Calhoun Square

Calhoun Square Was Uptown's Biggest Retail Project. In 2025 Minneapolis Approved Replacing Its South End With Apartments.

Fairmount

Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia Was Built So Prisoners Would Never Meet

Nevada State Prison in Carson City, NV

Nevada State Prison in Carson City Is Older Than Nevada Itself

Horace Mann High School, Gary, IN

Horace Mann High School Taught the West Side of Gary, IN for 86 Years. It's Been Empty for 22.

Carson Mansion Eureka California

Carson Mansion in Eureka, CA Draws Photographers to the Sidewalk. Only About 350 Members Get Through the Door.

Rainer-Lewis House

12 Rooms and 4 Corinthian Columns: The Rainer-Lewis House in Union Springs, AL Has Been Empty Since 2015

Pinecroft Estate

Pinecroft Mansion in Cincinnati, OH Booked Weddings for 14 Years. Now It's $1.75 Million.

The Donut Hole in La Puente, CA

The Donut Hole in La Puente, CA Has Two 26-Foot Donuts, a 1968 Bakery, and a Wedding Custom Attached to It

Madison Seminary

Madison Seminary in Ohio Held Army Nurses and State Wards for More Than 80 Years. Now Strangers Roam It After Dark.

Jennison Generating Station

Inside the Abandoned Jennison Generating Station That Has Stood Silent Since 2000 in Bainbridge, New York

The Airplane Restaurant in Colorado Springs, CO

The Airplane Restaurant in Colorado Springs, CO Has 42 Seats in a 1953 Plane. People Wait for Them While Tables Sit Open.

Hartsville Nuclear Plant

Hartsville Nuclear Plant in Tennessee: The Largest Nuclear Order in the World Never Produced a Watt of Power

Hammond Castle in Gloucester, MA

Hammond Castle in Gloucester, MA Opened as Abbadia Mare in 1930. It Now Takes More Than 75,000 Visitors a Year.

Abita Mystery House

The Abita Mystery House in Abita Springs, LA Was Assembled From Junk Shops, Garage Sales, and a 1910 Gas Station.

Haines Shoe House

Mahlon Haines Built a 48-Foot Work Boot in York, PA to Sell Shoes. The Haines Shoe House Is Still Standing.

Glass House in New Canaan

Philip Johnson Tested Every Style He Had at the Glass House in New Canaan, CT

The Center Mall Omaha

The Center Mall in Omaha, NE Has 227,600 Square Feet and No Stores. A Developer Wants 500 Apartments Instead.

Towne East Square in Wichita KS

Towne East Square in Wichita, KS Opened With 4 Department Stores. JCPenney and Dillard's Are Still There.

Randhurst Village, Mount Prospect, IL

Randhurst Mall Opened in 1962 With Three Department Stores. Today, Randhurst Village in Mount Prospect, IL, Has One.

Hamburg Pavilion in Lexington

Hamburg Pavilion Mall in Lexington, KY Opened in 1997 on a Horse Farm. Now It Pulls Shoppers From 50 Miles Away.

Fashion Center Paramus

Fashion Center Mall in Paramus, NJ Lost Its Last Department Store in 2021. Big-Box Stores Keep It Open Now.

St. Luke Medical Center in Pasadena, CA

Abandoned St. Luke Medical Center in Pasadena, CA Is Still Standing and Still Empty

Texarkana Union Station

Missouri Pacific, Cotton Belt, and Kansas City Southern Once Called at the Now Abandoned Texarkana Union Station in Texarkana, AR

St. Elizabeth Hospital in Hannibal, MO

6 Construction Campaigns Built St. Elizabeth Hospital in Hannibal, MO Between 1915 and 1973. The City Is Removing All of It.

Edward Hotel in Dearborn, MI

Inside The Edward Hotel in Dearborn, MI: Once Michigan's Second-Largest Hotel. What's next?

Nevele Grand Hotel in Ellenville, NY

Inside the Abandoned Nevele Grand Hotel in Ellenville, NY, That Has Sat Empty Since 2009. What's next?

Lake Dolores Waterpark

Lake Dolores Waterpark near Barstow, CA Won Approval for a Rebuild in 2020. The 22-Acre Lake Is Still Dry.

Central Manufacturing District (CMD) Clock Tower in Chicago, IL

Inside the CMD Clock Tower in Chicago, IL: It Carried 250,000 Gallons Above Its Offices and Has Been Empty for Decades

Peabody School in Petersburg, VA

Inside Abandoned Peabody School in Petersburg, VA. Its Campus Has Been Closed Since 2017.

Northview Village Nursing Home in St. Louis, MO

Northview Village Nursing Home in St. Louis, MO Closed Overnight in 2023, Burned in 2024, and Is Still on the National Register

Wyoming Hotel in Mullens, West Virginia

68 Rooms, One Bathroom Per Floor, and a 250-Seat Ballroom: The Wyoming Hotel in Mullens, WV Has Sat Empty Since 1978

Normandale Shopping Center

Normandale Shopping Center in Montgomery, AL Opened in 1954 and Is Down to a Few Businesses Now

Stockton Rural Cemetery

A Governor, a Caterpillar Co-Founder, and a Flour Sack: Who's Buried at Stockton Rural Cemetery in Stockton, CA

Stateville Correctional Center in Crest Hill

One Guard, Hundreds of Men, One Round Room: Stateville in Crest Hill Is Closed Now. Illinois Wants Two New Prisons Here by 2032.

Regal Town Center Stadium 16 in Kennesaw GA

Regal Town Center Stadium 16 in Kennesaw, GA Borrowed the Mall's Name, Sat on Its Own 17.9 Acres, and Got Sold Without It

Goodsprings Nevada

Las Vegas Has a Ghost Town 40 Miles Out. The Old Mines Around Goodsprings, NV Are Abandoned, Its 200 Residents Are Not.

Hulen Mall

Two Takeovers Later, Hulen Mall in Fort Worth, TX Is Still Taking Rent