When one becomes old, we can rent an apartment in a retirement facility that provides a place to eat, entertainment, socialization, a gym, a library, and heath care. Why wait for that until you’re old?
What if there was a similar community for young working adults? Imagine coming home after work to an apartment complex that provides you with a gym, a pool, restaurants, a walk-in clinic, movies, a theater, a shared place of worship, a hotel for guests, and, of course, shopping.
Connecting the apartment living area to all these shops and activities would be a large indoor “all-season park” area with ”growing” trees, grassy areas, flower gardens, small pools with fish, sidewalks, street lights, and park benches for sitting, watching or meeting and talking to other people. Apartment residents with pets would have a special place for them to supervise exercise and play (summer or winter) for their “loved one” who has waited all day for them to come home.
A young person would have to be alone on an evening or weekend only if they chose to. An activities director would plan activities, entertainment, and classes designed to meet other people and develop new interests. Saturday afternoons could be spent with a crowd of sports enthusiasts watching sports events on a big screen with comfortable seats without having to go out and find new parking.
Sounds nice? Where is it? Imagine the empty department store at West Acres or the Moorhead Center Mall being turned into apartments.
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Sound like a good idea? Maybe there is still a future for large, failing malls. Turn them into living centers for young adults but keep open as a shopping area for the general public. Why couldn’t such a mall become a destination spot for a weekend winter vacation? A vacation spot where young people could meet other young people.
Maybe we old people might even bring a bus over from Touchmark at Harwood Groves to enjoy the experience with you.
