Meanwhile, in the Rest of the Country

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When Wal-Mart or Best Buy leaves town, what happens to the building it leaves behind? Slate helps everyone start their day with a post-apocalyptic—but also weirdly hopeful—slideshow about the many ways abandoned big box stores get repurposed. In Lebanon, MO, the KMart turned into a library. In Austin, MN, the Walmart became a nationally-beloved (apparently) Spam museum. In Pinellas Park, FL, the Walmart is now a church. Our favorite, though, at least in terms of ambivalent emotional reactions, is the Head Start center in Nebraska that used to be a KMart: "What was once the cargo bay of the Kmart is now a playground for students." It may be a windowless monstrosity that's been dumped in the middle of a cornfield and then ditched by its original owners, but at least now it's being put to good use. [Slate]