Neistat called upon 17 other creators, they re-invented Milwaukee’s Northridge Mall, which had been abandoned since 2003.
An abandoned shopping mall seems like the place where a child’s dreams go to die, but YouTube sensation Casey Neistat partnered with Samsung to transform one run-down dump into a winter wonderland.
Neistat called upon 17 other creators, they re-invented Milwaukee’s Northridge Mall, which had been abandoned since 2003. This winter holiday, though, it became a winter haven for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee.
“Things like this aren’t allotted to the youth that we work with every day,” says one Boys and Girls Club representative in the video. “They’re not used to a lot of influence and a lot of opportunity.
“By the time they age into our program—10, 11, 12—they’ve seen more than most adults just being in this area, so it’s really rough for them outside of here. There’s not necessarily too much positivity.”
The abandoned mall’s old court area was brimming with a massive Christmas tree, a 30-foot edible gingerbread house, and a small passenger train. They even turned the escalators into snowboarding ramps, though the video doesn’t feature the kids doing any tricks.
Neistat’s Christmas stunts are always big hits. Last year he dressed as Santa Claus and snowboarded via a flying drone that pulled him through land and sky.
