So, growing up in the midwest, there is a museum dedicated to the area. It's on Main Street in the biggest town in the area. It's basement, which is now just used for storage, was part of an entire underground Main Street. You can still see the storefronts with the big windows and such down there. Apparently it stretched along most of downtown, mirroring the above.

This sounds fascinating - where is this, if you don't mind me asking?

Aberdeen, South Dakota. The Dacotah Prairie Museum. http://brown.sd.us/dacotah-prairie-museum/home

Unfortunately they don't have much in the way of documentation about it. I might have to bug them about it when I go home for the holidays.

Sounds a lot like Underground Atlanta - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Underground_Atlanta

Similarly, and while I don't have links on hand, Japan (at least Osaka, Kyoto, and Tokyo) have major shopping centers right in major train stations. The train station itself seems to be a destination.

There are gyms (generally Konami health clubs), food and shopping, and gardens on the rooftop.

In Osaka it seemed like every available square meter was converted to retail space. Shopping arcades, train station shops, underground causeways lined with shops, traditional malls. The back alleys have back alleys, and they're all lined with shops -- often specialty shops. I found one shop devoted to display cases for otaku to show off their model collection. Another shop specialized in LCD signs you could use in the storefront for your shop. It was NUTS.

And yeah, the first time I saw a Konami gym my mind boggled. Is this how Snake stays in such good shape? Use promo code Up Up Down Down Left Right Left Right B A Start and get a 30-day free membership!

And about 300km to the north of my location in Gaspe today winds were 132km/h (82mph).