User:Mojamii

= Mill No. 5 = Mill No. 5 is an indoor streetscape evolved from a textile mill in the late 1800s, located at 250 Jackson Street, Lowell, Massachusetts. As of 2023, Mill No. 5 has about 20 pop-ups, which includes a movie theater and cafe. The indoor mall resides in a rather cryptic area to find, nested within an elevator at the end of an alleyway adjacent to the Pawtucket Canal in Lowell. Once one prevails in the hunt for this hidden gem, they are welcomed with an aesthetically pleasing and magical environment: a large walkway with pop-up shops on either side. As current owner Jim Lichoulas states, between someone’s work and home lives, one needs a third environment where “you can meet other people and it enriches your life. A coffee shop is that third place as is a movie theater.” His vision was to fulfill that third enriching and social environment with a place such as Mill No. 5. Part of this vision was to develop a community with history, which is exactly what Lichoulas did.

History
Mill No. 5 is the oldest remaining structure of Appleton Mill, built in 1873 by Nathanial Appleton, owner of the Appleton Mill Company. The now repurposed buildings were built around the Pawtucket and Hamilton Canals due to the fact that the mills were water-powered. However, as technology advanced in terms of coal and oil, the water-powered mills became a less viable option due to the effectiveness of the latter options. In 1902, Appleton’s company moved to Anderson, South Carolina moving its textile mill as well, leaving the current Mill No. 5 vacant as well as Mill No. 6, which is now repurposed as the Appleton Mill Apartments. From 1902-1925, the space was transformed into a warehouse/production space.

It wasn’t until 2007 that Jim Lichoulas, who had purchased the Appleton Mills as well as Mill No. 5, decided to convert the Appleton Mill Apartments into condos, which are now the Cotton House Lofts. He intended to do the same with the upper levels of Mill No. 5, but due to the economic recession in 2008, he planned to shift the vision of Mill No. 5 to an occupied, creative, and developed space. Using inspiration from gems such as Western Avenue Studios, Life Alive, and Chelsea Market (in New York City), his vision consisted of salvaging the mill and keeping the historic life intact in order to embrace the history and to create art from what once was. Now, the area is a “bustling street of independent shop owners” expressing their creativity and culture.

Businesses
With around 20 businesses to discover, Mill No. 5 has something interesting for nearly everyone:


 * Coffee and Cotton
 * A made-to-order cafe with locally sourced breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Occasional live music, game nights, and other social events, such as open mics.


 * The Luna Theater


 * Hidden gem of a theater that features first-run independent film, classics, and live events, such as: Weirdo Wednesday, Luna Sessions (Thursday night jazz).
 * Weirdo Wednesday: Wednesday movie nights at the Luna theater consisting of Horror, Sci-fi, Cult, and Exploitation films from all eras.
 * Luna Sessions: Live jazz on the theater stage on Thursday nights.


 * A Little Bazaar
 * Odd Marketplace that offers handmade goods, vintage commodities, and events that take place every Saturday, such as holiday shops.
 * The Farm Market
 * Food Market that brings together local farmers, food producers, and consumers for a celebration of food.
 * The Shops
 * Sweet Pig Press: Boutique stationery shop featuring greeting cards, prints, notebooks, other paper goods made by letterpress printers
 * Lowell Book Company: Local bookshop increasing access to new and used books that reflect Lowell’s rich literary heritage and diverse population of readers.
 * The Merrimack Co.: Eco-friendly and sustainable apparel and accessories suited for Adventure
 * Sweet Lydia’s: handmade sweets
 * Vinyl Destination: Mom and Pop record store
 * The Tone Loft: local music shop
 * Curation 250: Art Gallery
 * 250th Camera: Vintage camera pop up shop
 * Red Antler Apothecary: family owned skincare / hygiene shop
 * One Urban Tribe: small gift shop and art gallery including crystals, jewelry, incense, candles, art, and decor
 * Pop Cultured: Hobby store selling collectibles, clothes, books, costuming, etc.
 * Hive & Forge: Unique wall art and taxidermy
 * Jack Attackk Clothing: ‘Rock and Roll’ clothing line that incorporates traditional punk/goth elements into their clothing created by an independent designer
 * Ardor Apparel: Fitness clothing brand store
 * Pizzuti Photography: Photography Studio that offers services such as Wedding photography, children/family portraits, corporate headshots, events, product and branding
 * The Overlook: Multi-use event space, marketplace, and concert venue, available for private rentals, catered events, community organization etc.

Advertisement
Mill No. 5 doesn’t use traditional advertising for their events or commerce. Jim Lichoulas explains that there is a reason for this, being that “There’s some magic… a little bit of Narnia which is one of the reasons we don’t advertise.” He wants word-of-mouth to be the reason Mill No. 5 grows. With traditional advertising methods, he believes that the magic of the streetscape would be ruined and the awe of customers upon their first time walking into the mill wouldn’t be the same if they already have an idea of what the inside looks like.

Hours
As of September 2023, Mill No. 5 has these hours: Thurs-Fri: 5pm-8pm | Saturday: 10am-8pm | Sunday: 10am-5pm.

Businesses within Mill No. 5 have additional hours.