The making of The Enquirer's 'Moving to the mall' story with reporter Randy Tucker

Randy Tucker, Cincinnati Enquirer
Randy Tucker, Cincinnati Enquirer business reporter
Randy Tucker, Cincinnati Enquirer business reporter

I'm Randy Tucker, a veteran business writer and former assistant business editor who now covers residential real estate for The Enquirer.

I write stories about the people and places where local residents choose to live, including Downtown office buildings converted to apartments; historic homes designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and other famous architects; and, yes, even shopping centers.

How the story began

I grew up in the Minneapolis metro area, home of the first fully enclosed shopping mall in the nation, Southdale Shopping Center, and largest mall in the United States, the Mall of America.

I have a natural affinity for shopping centers, whether they're enclosed malls or open-air, mixed-use retail centers that are increasingly becoming lifestyle destinations offering apartment and condo living.

After a recent weekend eating and drinking with friends, watching a movie and doing a little shopping at a local mixed-use center, my significant other − who loathes the idea of shopping or spending money, in general − asked me with disdain: "You could live at the mall, couldn't you?"

Thanks to her prodding, I decided to find out what it would be like to live at the mall and tell our readers about it.

The biggest takeaways

Based on my reporting, I'm just one of many who appreciates the convenience of having shopping, entertainment and dining options all in one place.

And true mall denizens are willing to pay premium prices to live where they have those options at their feet.

As a result, retail is taking a backseat to lifestyle elements and town-like amenities, such as dog parks and pickleball courts, that are becoming an integral part of most new mixed-use developments.

And the trend shows no signs of abating as shopping center populations have begun to explode with thousands more residential units in the pipeline.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Enquirer reporter Randy Tucker writes about what living at the mall