Congratulations! If you clicked on this article you are officially old, because there probably isn’t a single person born after the year 2000 who even remembers what a VHS tape is, let alone a Blockbuster Video. Once you stop panicking, get ready for another shock because while Blockbuster closed almost all of its stores across the country between 2013 and 2014, one store stood standing. The last remaining Blockbuster, which is located in Bend Oregon, somehow managed to survive the conversion from VHS to DVD to BluRay to streaming services, and a global pandemic.
To celebrate its indomitible spirit (thank Bend’s home rental market and inconsistent fiberoptic infrastructure, which combine to create a consistent need for DVDs), the owners of Bend’s Blockbuster are offering residents of Deschutes County the chance to live every ’90s kid’s dream and stay a night in the video store.
“Our BLOCKBUSTER store is open because of the incredible local community in Bend and we’ve been grateful to have the support of those beyond our town as the coronavirus has impacted our business,” writes store manager Sandi Harding in the property’s listing.
For the Airbnb listing — which will consist of three one-night stays from September 18-20 and accommodates four — the store’s main floor space has been converted into a makeshift living room, complete with a big television, pillows, bean bag chairs, a fold-out couch, and shelves stocked with an assortment of movies as well as a break room full of NERDS, Raisinettes, and popcorn. The listing also includes all of the essentials you’ve come to expect from any good Airbnb listing, like WiFi, central A/C, free parking, as well as some of the more modern accommodations like face coverings, disinfectant wipes, and an “endless” supply of hand sanitizer.
Harding also assures guests that between each stay the store will be cleaned in accordance with Airbnb’s Enhanced Cleaning Protocol, which itself is informed by recommendations from the CDC. Even with the safety measures in place, we don’t blame Harding from limiting this listing to local residents only for now. Who knows, if all goes the store may open to outsiders for future travel once the pandemic is behind us and we can actually begin safely traveling again.
Residents of Oregon’s Deschutes County will be able to try their luck at scooping up a listing beginning on August 17th, at 1 pm sharp at the property’s listing.
