Want to know where the best place to hide is during a zombie apocalypse? The popular video game turned TV series The Last of Us has put post-apocalyptic survival top of mind. Whether or not you believe a zombie apocalypse could happen, it doesn’t hurt to have some answers on where you’d seek safety. Here’s why a shopping Mall could be one of the best hideouts for a zombie apocalypse.
Data collected reveals that Millcreek Mall in Pennsylvania ranks first. If you find yourself near Erie, Pennsylvania, when the zombie apocalypse hits, you’re in luck.
Inspired by The Popular Dystopian TV Series
If you’re not familiar with The Last of Us, it’s a popular dystopian series inspired by a video game published by Sony Computer Entertainment. Season one, consisting of nine episodes, is currently streaming on HBO Max. The series is set in 2023, twenty years into a pandemic caused by a mass fungal infection, which causes its hosts to transform into zombie-like creatures and collapse society. The main characters are Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey.) Fans anxiously await a second season, which has not yet gone into production.
Malls as Vacation Spots
Today’s family fun spots might be tomorrow’s post-apocalyptic hideouts. Even if you don’t believe in the possibility of zombies or a Last of Us–style outbreak, some of the malls on this list are great spots to visit or even plan a vacation around.
The Mall of America near Minneapolis has so many activities that you can have an entire trip and not leave the mall. Attractions include an amusement park, a theater, a comedy club, two hotels, and of course, lots of places to eat and shop.
Whether you plan a whole weekend at a mall or pop in for some quick shopping, you just might find yourself identifying which structures have steel shutters and thinking about how to defend an entrance. Whether or not we believe a zombie apocalypse could happen, imagining how well-prepared we’d be is a fun pastime while we wait for season two of The Last of Us. You never know.
What Makes a Strong Hideout
There are eight key factors to consider when deciding how good a shopping mall would be as a hideout during a zombie apocalypse, based on eight key factors: demand, infection risk, shelter suitability, food, weapons, medicine, mental stimulation, and the chance of rescue.
What The Key Factors Mean
Some factors, such as food and medicine, require no explanation.
Demand refers to how many other people are likely to seek refuge. There will be more competition for resources in areas with heavy pedestrian traffic, such as malls in city centers.
Shelter suitability refers to the number of entrances that would need to be secured or defended and the number of windows that incoming zombies could see into.
Although you might not think of a mall as a place to find weapons, malls with sporting goods or culinary stores could be useful in a post-apocalyptic life. Think hockey sticks and sharp knives.
Why a Shopping Mall?
A zombie outbreak could occur without any prior warning, so highly-populated areas like shopping complexes and malls could see thousands of people scrambling to survive.
In addition to shelter, malls are stocked with warm clothing, food supplies, furniture, and things to pass the time, such as bookstores, arcades, and even amusement parks.
But not all malls are created equal.
A recent study* assigned each mall a survival score based on those mentioned above eight key factors using a scale of 10.
Millcreek Mall in The Top Spot
This Erie, Pennsylvania, mall had an overall survival score of 7.7 out of 10.
Millcreek Mall scored well across all eight factors. The onsite pharmacy (access to medicine and first aid supplies), proximity to a hospital, and helipad helped push Millcreek Mall to the top of the list.
Top 10 Malls for Post-Apocalyptic Life
Behind Millcreek Mall, the following locations offer amenities that could increase your survival chances:
- Lakewood Center, Lakewood CA
- King of Prussia Mall, King of Prussia, Pennsylvania
- Mall of America, Bloomington, Minnesota
- Palisades Center, West Nyack, New York
- Westfield Garden State Plaza, Paramus, New Jersey
- Westfield Valley Fair, San Jose, California
- Aventura Mall, Aventura, Florida
- American Dream, East Rutherford, New Jersey
- Sawgrass Mills, Sunrise, Florida
In Last Place
Alana Moana Center in Honolulu might not be the best hideout for a zombie apocalypse. This Hawaii mall received a score of 3.9 out of 10
Alana Moana scored low on shelter, access to medicine, and mental stimulation, despite scoring higher for food and weapons. If you happen to be on an island when the apocalypse hits, beggars can’t be choosers.
*Study conducted by JeffBet using data from the Office for National Statistics, individual mall directories and interactive maps, Google Maps, and the US Census.
This article was produced and syndicated by Wealth of Geeks.
