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Secret Apartment in Mall Parking Garage Discovered

abclocal.go.com — The apartment eventually had a sectional sofa and love seat, coffee and breakfast tables, a rug, paintings and a video game system. The artists built a cinderblock wall to disguise their hideaway.

Bury
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  • allaboutdatiki, on 10/15/2007, -28/+7Geeze, and just when they were going to do a makeover on the little hideaway on Trading Spaces ...
  • staticdrifter, on 10/15/2007, -10/+440No pics?
    • Cockslap, on 10/10/2007, -14/+106...Then it didnt happen.
    • kingfoot, on 10/10/2007, -2/+75i just cant comprehend why this story doesnt have pics. this is so amazingly interesting at least to me. it seems just ripe for pics. i mean, sure a story about a person hit by a car could do without pics of the accident and victims, that could do without pics. but this? just sounds interesting!
      • JxImagineit, on 10/10/2007, -1/+14I'm a photographer in Providence, and I could not get to the spot, Its blocked off and I could not get in to take photographs.

        I personally think that this was genious, and I congradulate the artists who pulled this off for four years, I only wish I had spent more time in the mall I might have stumbled apon it myself.

        Some of you have asked about things like food and bathrooms. Well, there was no batheroom nor any runnign water, they would have to sneak out to the malls restrooms. For water they would bring in gallon jugs, and for food it was mostly easy made things like Ramen and waffles (they had a waffle iron) It wasn't as much and apartment as it was a cool little secret chill spot. Think little rascals club house. yes it was genious, yes it was awsomeley cool, yes it was illegal, no it wasn't a practical living space. This guy and all his friends will be remembered and talked about for years, I'll never be able to go back to the mall (which I do every day, as I go to School down the street from it.) without thinking about this. ^_^
        • Synthetik, on 10/10/2007, -5/+8I hope you're not a journalist too, because your spelling sucks!
          • xister, on 10/10/2007, -5/+2edit
          • JxImagineit, on 10/10/2007, -0/+6not a journalist, just an amatuer photographer. I agree about my spelling, never was strong in that area in general. Grammer/spelling ect...
    • aircoop, on 10/10/2007, -2/+0I agree. I was hoping to see pictures as well.
    • rossnyc, on 10/10/2007, -5/+4Pics or GTFO
    • sonicomega, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2I am heading to Prov now to see that. Gets some pics you channel 70 douches or what ever channel covered the story.
    • Reisuke, on 10/10/2007, -3/+5http://www.trummerkind.com/mall/The_Six_Photograph ...

      Here's some pics of the room. These guys were decked out!
    • JamesWilson, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1"Some frequently asked questions:

      Yes, I have done other secret installations: The Tunnel.

      Yes, our group has undertaken other massive projects: http://www.tapeart.com/hope

      No, I am not homeless. Yes, I have a job. http://www.tapeart.com"
  • sockpuppets, on 10/15/2007, -2/+60Reminds me of "Inside Man."
  • TehInternetz, on 10/15/2007, -18/+156Pics or it didn't happen
  • atdigg, on 10/15/2007, -1/+39The biggest problem: where do you go to bathroom?
    • carpespasm, on 10/10/2007, -2/+65it's a mall parking garage right? just go where everyone else does. on the most expensive car that's not too far away.
      • DubbedOver, on 10/10/2007, -1/+11This should be a Futurama quote.
    • JaredXM, on 10/10/2007, -2/+19Just pull a Seinfeld and go on the wall.
      • NeoCortex, on 10/10/2007, -1/+5Just be careful about that uro-mysotysis.
    • expiredmeatbag, on 10/10/2007, -4/+2how about the mall that the parking garage belongs to
  • racer108, on 10/15/2007, -1/+226Official site, with pics and a terrible .mov (keeps pausing): http://www.trummerkind.com/mall/Living_in_the_Mall ...

    Found VIA: http://www.colincantread.com/Yoto/Malllife.html VIA: http://www.myfoxboston.com/myfox/pages/ContentDeta ...
    • MagicCake, on 10/10/2007, -1/+13Ha, it looks really comfy actually. I love ***** like this. Wish I could have seen it for myself.
    • 80hd, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2I remember a story a while back from the chicago tribune about a guy that built a mini apartment under a movable bridge. Apparently he'd wired electricity in there and had everything secured so when the bridge raised it was all good to go...
    • Seidoger, on 10/10/2007, -0/+32"Townsend, 36, posted video of the apartment on a Web site. Someone outside of his circle of friends reported him to mall security."

      Why would a person do that? Was s/he that distressed and mentally violated that an individual had such a hangout place?
  • DeskFlyer, on 10/10/2007, -29/+4THERE IS NO EASTER BUNNY!
    • Fanrir, on 10/10/2007, -1/+14NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
    • a1532b, on 10/10/2007, -1/+4Dude, deskflyer, next time you do that put a spoiler tag in it first! You ruined it for me! :(
  • yomamaisfat, on 10/10/2007, -8/+104I guess the difference between a bum and an artist is very slim.
    • carpespasm, on 10/10/2007, -1/+42yep, about 6 inches of cinderblock.
    • asdfuiop, on 10/10/2007, -4/+2...and a TV/gaming rig
      Plus, bums are given slightly more respect ;)
    • supaklaw, on 10/10/2007, -0/+6No the difference between and artist and a bum is about 30 years. Artists get laid, since smelling of B.O. and alcohol on a 20 year old is hardly a deterrent for women... on a toothless 50 yr old, not so much.
    • 5urr3al5am, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1(some) artists have no shame
    • kimb00, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1That's what my parents always told me anyway...
  • HunterTV, on 10/10/2007, -2/+106It's not that hard to hide secret places like this.
    You just put up a wall and enable /noclip.
    • Ajajadude, on 10/10/2007, -0/+19I work for a chain of drug stores, and apparently one of our stores had some guy living up in this crawl way-space kinda thing. Had himself all he needed to live comfortably (enough...considering where he was living). Store management didn't really mind but had to give the guy the boot once the execs found out.
  • h4mx0r, on 10/10/2007, -4/+81illegal? I don't give a damn. That's pretty cool. If I was the security dude and these guys looked okay, I'd turn a blind eye.
    • gonegoogling, on 10/10/2007, -3/+23security guy proly stopped in to burn one every now and then
    • bingobongony, on 10/10/2007, -26/+5So you are saying that you are not mature enough to take your jobs seriously?
      • Digitalfilm43, on 10/10/2007, -0/+13NOBODY takes mall security seriously.
      • Fordi, on 10/10/2007, -0/+4Are you saying that you're not mature enough to know when a by-the-book issue isn't actually a problem?
    • maroon1872, on 10/10/2007, -1/+27no hes aying that if his job was to secure a mall, and it was secure, and he found a feat of ingenuity and creativity, he would be cool with it and rightly so.
    • Dhalgren, on 10/10/2007, -1/+4I'll bet that more than one person knew about it and kept quiet.
    • supaklaw, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2Their mistake... not bribing the security guys. Or getting a part time job as security.
      • BradMW, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1Artists don't get paid to work... or at all.
    • Gudlyf, on 10/10/2007, -0/+5Turn a blind eye? Hell he probably saw the place and thought "holy *****, what a cool new break room for me an the boys!" and booted the beatnik out.
  • plainOldFool, on 10/10/2007, -2/+24Dawn of the Dead?
  • aflaks, on 10/12/2007, -7/+18a paragraph, no pictures, nothing? Yeah, cool idea but this is "article" is lame.
  • ben1sm4, on 10/10/2007, -4/+29uh, "The leader of a Rhode Island artists' cooperative has been placed on probation for trying to find out --" wtf?
    • gkskillz, on 10/10/2007, -0/+22"What would it be like to live at the mall? The leader of a Rhode Island artists' cooperative has been placed on probation for trying to find out --"
      The first sentence doesn't stand out, I know.
  • LordByr0n, on 10/10/2007, -3/+11FTA "The leader of a Rhode Island artists' cooperative has been placed on probation for trying to find out -- by illegally living inside a secret apartment set up in a parking garage at the Providence Place Mall"

    Umm... what was he trying to find out?
    • meatee, on 10/10/2007, -0/+5read the first sentence next to the dateline..
    • bingobongony, on 10/10/2007, -1/+2Did you read the first sentence of the article?
    • tucktan, on 10/10/2007, -0/+4read up a little

      What would it be like to live at the mall?
      The leader of a Rhode Island artists' cooperative has been placed on probation for trying to find out -- by illegally living inside a secret apartment set up in a parking garage at the Providence Place Mall
  • Kardde, on 10/10/2007, -14/+5Please, for the love of toenail clippings, someone explain to me how this could possibly, even in the most deluded of minds, be construed as artistic.
    • Malbene, on 10/10/2007, -2/+8Art is not limited to canvas/sculpture/music/theater/etc.
      It is anything.
    • NenDaiKi, on 10/10/2007, -1/+8If a guy living in a small room being shot by a paintball gun controlled over the internet is art, this is too.
      • mrlost117, on 10/10/2007, -0/+3link
      • senatorpjt, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1Actually, what I've noticed about art is that it's not the work itself that's important, it's the justification.
    • PoeticExplosion, on 10/10/2007, -1/+10It's supposed to explore our conception of what makes a home. Does a home have to be in a traditional house or apartment? Is putting furniture in a place enough to make it a home?
    • maroon1872, on 10/10/2007, -1/+6he heard a radio commercial for the mall saying that one could live in it, so he did. i think he was trying to destroy people's conception that you cant live in a mall/place of commerce
      • tunapez, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1Or he got caught and is talking out of his ass as fast as he can to save it(reduce the severity) from prosecution?
        I bet they find beans in the couch at the very least. I will say, it's the coolest flop spot I've ever heard of.

        Did it for Art....yeah right.
  • GrabAss, on 10/10/2007, -0/+16Video and pics of the place:
    http://www.turnto10.com/northeast/jar/news.apx.-co ...
  • Misinformant, on 10/10/2007, -5/+0*****. Where am I gunna stay tonight?
  • tomis, on 10/10/2007, -1/+30Too bad they can't just charge him rent, let him instal a toilet, and be done with it. Oh the legalistic society we live in these days... This is pretty cool.
  • RISwampyankee, on 10/10/2007, -1/+8Yomama,
    You've been in the PHX sprawl for too long. Here in PVD, home of the Rhode Island School of Design, you get snaps and props for this kind of creativity. Parents of college students (and students themselves) who have to pay the outrageous housing costs here are asking, "Why didn't I think of that?" Bathrooms? We don't need no stinkin' bathrooms! That's why you have a gym membership.
  • jsherlock, on 10/10/2007, -0/+9this was awesome...I live right near there and had seen it a year or so ago....talk about prime real estate
  • hooksie, on 10/10/2007, -0/+11Wow, and to think of how many times I probably passed right by it.

    (Rhode Island resident about 40 minutes away from that mall.)
  • investr, on 10/10/2007, -7/+0No pics, lame.

    This just in...Penguins found congregating around Death Valley...
  • nasdbroker73, on 10/10/2007, -1/+38I live close to this mall and been there many times. It is 4 million square feet with the garage. the mall is 13 stories high and 1000 feet long. This mall has a 24 hour security staff, foot, bike, car...undercover. Like it said, they were their 4 years and were planning an elaborate bathroom and hardwood floors. they moved 2 tons of material and cemented the cinder blocks to create a false wall, complete with an industrial strength door. A year back, their place was broken into and the stole their PS2. They used a waffle iron to cook. They had no source of heat, otherwise, a cozy place.
  • ztexas, on 10/10/2007, -4/+19It's ridiculous that trespassing charges were pressed - just an indication of the punitive and humorless society in which we live.
    • orph3us, on 10/10/2007, -0/+23nah, while i love what they did and might have done it myself if i had the balls, a trespassing charge is pretty damn lenient as far as punishments for this go.
      • adrianmonk, on 10/10/2007, -1/+8However, a more creative thing to do instead of punishing the guy is to not let on that you weren't entirely involved in its creation, then use it as some sort of marketing tool. Like make it into a lounge for men who are stuck at the mall with their wives. But don't let just everybody visit -- make it by invitation only, and keep it somewhat secret. Or something like that, you get the idea.
        • runep, on 10/10/2007, -1/+5But malls already have rooms like that, just give the security guard the secret handshak..... err, nevermind.
          • natedouglas, on 10/10/2007, -0/+6Don't pussy out, runep. Share with our Digg brethren.

            The secret handshake that you give the security guard is that you tickle the palm of their hand with your pinky finger. Don't worry about introducing yourself or anything. They'll know you once you give them the palm tickle.
    • da_bradler, on 10/10/2007, -0/+3I wonder if that's all they get charged with? I mean there going to have to rip that room out now, and that's going to cost some money if they cemented things to the garage itself not to mention ripping all the existing blocks out would be a pain in the ass. what would be smart is if they just turned it into a staff lounge or something.
      • lordchronos, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2they wont tear the room up..mall maintenance will just use it for an office or storage
    • leethemanpowell, on 10/10/2007, -0/+3I don't think so. They broke the law, they need to be charged. There may be a lot of pointless laws and many cops may be corrupt, but even the guy who was caught entered a "no contest" plea = he knew what he did was wrong.
    • Matt2k, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1It's a fun stunt because you know you might get caught.
      If everyone could do it with no repercussions, it'd be boring.
  • nasdbroker73, on 10/10/2007, -8/+2I live close to this mall and been there many times. It is 4 million square feet with the garage. the mall is 13 stories high and 1000 feet long. This mall has a 24 hour security staff, foot, bike, car...undercover. Like it said, they were their 4 years and were planning an elaborate bathroom and hardwood floors. they moved 2 tons of material and cemented the cinder blocks to create a false wall, complete with an industrial strength door. A year back, their place was broken into and the stole their PS2. They used a waffle iron to cook. They had no source of heat, otherwise, a cozy place.
  • albinorhino101, on 10/10/2007, -4/+5Come on people, they were clearly preparing for an invasion of zombies. 20 bucks says a copy of Dawn of the Dead was in their apartment.
  • capiCrimm, on 10/10/2007, -3/+6how exactly does this qualify as trespassing? First, wasn't the parking garage public. Second, don't most trespassing laws allow the person to leave the property and correct the action?

    I could understand vandalism or destruction of property, but trespassing seems odd from the info given.
    • theartfuldodgr, on 10/10/2007, -0/+8It qualifies as trespassing because the parking garage is owned by a company, therefor it is someones property which they were on without permission which equals trespassing.
      • adrianmonk, on 10/10/2007, -2/+0That only equals trespassing if you post a "no trespassing" sign. If you don't explicitly forbid it, people can enter your property.

        This is, of course, provided you haven't put up a fence or installed some sort of door or lock obviously intended to prevent people from entering. If you have put some sort of device intended to keep people out, and someone circumvents it, that's breaking an entering. And the article said he was originally charged with breaking and entering but that they were willing to reduce that to trespassing. So I'm guessing they must've had some legal basis for it.
        • MalDON, on 10/10/2007, -0/+4Not true, if you go on to someone's land, it's still trespassing, no matter what any sign reads. Why do you think stores and other locations can remove you?
      • zaphar, on 10/10/2007, -0/+8This isn't "public property", it's private property open to the public for shopping, that is unless you're banned or asked to leave. I think it's pretty cool that they did this, but I also see how the people who own the place could be kind of ***** off.
    • MalDON, on 10/10/2007, -0/+13And they kinda built a wall without a permit.
    • Matt2k, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1> Second, don't most trespassing laws allow the person to leave the property and correct the action?

      I agree with you there. I think this is more of a case of the prosecutor choosing a lesser, less appropriate crime, because no one was really that upset about it. Of course laws vary from state to state, but what little I could find on Rhode Island trespass laws includes a clause that allows people to correct the action.
      http://www.rilin.state.ri.us/statutes/title11/11-4 ...
      http://www.rilin.state.ri.us/statutes/title11/11-4 ...
      http://www.rilin.state.ri.us/statutes/title11/11-4 ...
      Maybe if he challenged it, he could get it dropped, and replaced with something more apt. But that would be a bit silly.
      • capiCrimm, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1Yeah, probably a plea bargain now that I think about it.
  • zyklon, on 10/10/2007, -2/+7Dammit, this is definitely a post I'd like to see with (PIC) next to the title.
  • sparrowkc, on 10/10/2007, -9/+4Living in a parking garage = Cancer
  • grrrrrrrrrrrrrr, on 10/12/2007, -0/+17I bet he regrets putting in that carbon monoxide detector
    • DrMonkeyLove, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1Yeah, that's not all. I've been to this mall. After parking my car there for a couple of hours, it was completely coated in brown filth.
      • Digitalfilm43, on 10/10/2007, -0/+3Are you sure your car wasn't used as the bathroom?
  • Cabal, on 10/12/2007, -0/+31Judging from the pics in the other articles posted in comments, this looks larger then my dorm room -_-
  • lormahoykyd2007, on 10/10/2007, -1/+7It's not something I would do, but he should be awarded for the creativity. We should look to this as an example of how to live with the space we need. Instead of a 90 year old man in a 25K sq. ft. mansion
  • Treshnell, on 10/12/2007, -10/+1No pics, no Digg.
  • nasdbroker73, on 10/10/2007, -1/+2http://www.turnto10.com/northeast/jar/news.apx.-co ...
  • teh_toaster, on 10/10/2007, -1/+10For an evening or a week, there's no place like the mall. Food, fun and fashion, the mall has it all!
    • FlashBazbo, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1"Let's go to the mall!"
      - Robin Sparkles
  • screamokid, on 10/10/2007, -4/+3omg from the pics ive walked by it when me and my friend got lost after the movies, its not in the parking lot its welll, ok on the left side of the mall where macys is, the wall is glass and u can see staircases on the bottom floor is where this was, i think so because the pic on their site shows them bringing stuff down a stairwell and its the same one. i think
  • damnyooneek, on 10/10/2007, -9/+1good job wasting 2 years of your life making something you could have rented.
    • thelostemperor, on 10/10/2007, -0/+3Meanwhile the money he would have spent on rent for two years was in mutual funds, compounding interest. Seems pretty smart to me.
  • Taquoshi, on 10/10/2007, -3/+15Creative? Yes! Ingenious? Yes! Sneaky? Yes! Low rent? Yes! Craftsmanship? Yep! But is it art???? Well, I'd need some convincing on that.

    I must admit, I'm a little disappointed that they used such a pedestrian way to enter the apartment. Come on, surely there could have been something just a tad bit more creative than a utility door. No pocket doors? No kick bricks 3,5 & 9 for access??? Well, maybe in the next version, right???
  • TheGilmanator, on 10/10/2007, -0/+4Boingboing has a decent writeup about it, and a pic.

    http://www.boingboing.net/2007/10/02/artist-gets-p ...
  • striper1, on 10/10/2007, -1/+4reports say his wife didn't know about the secret hideaway
  • yfguitarist, on 10/14/2007, -1/+34This is the coolest crime ever committed! Seriously, who would rat this out?
    • da_bradler, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1pretty hard to keep anything secret for more then four years. it's just like kids hanging out in an old barn or house that's vacant. it's only a matter of time, the more people that know the more likely someone slips up or tells the wrong person.
  • AngelicRaver, on 10/10/2007, -0/+6How random.
  • nasdbroker73, on 10/10/2007, -3/+2Think this is bad? Same guy suspended a wooden box by the girders under a bridge with a dirty river flowing just feet below. He slept and kept his cloths in this space. Makes the space at the mall look like a mansion. On the back side of the same mall. He seems like a good guy did good things for sick children and the 911 victims. I'd say he was voluntarily homeless.
  • soulonice, on 10/10/2007, -2/+7goddamn, that is some atrocious writing.
  • nasdbroker73, on 10/10/2007, -2/+0This is where the artist slept another part of his work. the box can be seen hanging under the short overpass. its coffin sized.
    http://youtube.com/watch?v=ekFYG7plKrw&mode=relate ...
    • jasonbot, on 10/10/2007, -0/+3this is incorrect. Another once-local artist created this installation under the bridge and commuted back and forth from school to this sleeping spot with a canoe. Michael was involved in the execution of this project but It was not his.
  • gregMF, on 10/12/2007, -3/+19all artists are bums
    all bums are not artists
  • gk128, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2I go to this mall all the time. If only I could have checked it out....
  • gl77, on 03/31/2008, -0/+11mall is probably ***** because they werent getting any outrageous sums of rent money for the place like they get from the shops inside the mall.
  • archimago42, on 10/10/2007, -9/+2Pretty funny, I live fairly close to Providence and have been to the mall so that makes it even better. It is pretty stupid that they only took 6 pictures the whole time they were there though. I find that to be beyond idiotic. Their stupid quicktime plugin doesn't even work on their site for me so I can't view the movie.

    I love how artists insist on using apple formats when they often ***** up on PCs which every other person uses. Quicktime always messes up on me and it just says "oops you need something but it isn't on the server, sorry!". That is called a crappy product.
    • absentmindedjwc, on 10/10/2007, -6/+3what makes windows media player so standard... at least quicktime for windows doesnt suck as much as WMP for mac...... If quicktime doesnt work on your system, download quicktime. People insist on apple products because they are easier to use... dont have to worry about viruses or spyware every time you go online... unlike crapusoft windows

      stop bitching
    • Sandurz, on 10/10/2007, -1/+2"Quicktime always messes up on me and it just says "oops you need something but it isn't on the server, sorry!". That is called a crappy product."

      That's called a 404.
  • Cyberen, on 10/10/2007, -0/+5This is sheer genius.
    It's a crime to persecute these people because otherwise the room would have gone to waste. But I guess expecting to pay outrageous sums of money just to occupy space is a given nowadays.
    It also exposes the way that commercialism has encroached upon our lives, and these artists illustrated that by taking the idea of "living in the mall" literally. It's genius.
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