You Can Live Inside America’s Oldest Indoor Shopping Mall

The Arcade in Providence, Rhode Island, first built in 1828, was redeveloped into 48 micro-housing units.

1 minute read

March 28, 2026, 5:00 AM PDT

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


Interior of two-story The Arcade Greek-style mall with glass arcade roof in Providence, Rhode Island.

The building’s Greek-inspired facade and interior corridors used granite from Rhode Island quarries and offered a novel, weather-proof shopping experience. | LnP images / Shutterstock

A former Rhode Island shopping mall, the nation’s oldest when it closed at 188 years old, has been redeveloped into a mixed-use complex that includes 48 small housing units that rent for $550 each.

According to an article in Good Good Good, the new developer of the historic, Greek-inspired The Arcade in downtown Providence retained its historic facade and interior structure, creating space for small businesses in the lower floors and housing above. The mall was originally built in 1828 and fell into disrepair in the 1990s. 

Wednesday, March 25, 2026 in Good Good Good

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