Who better to frighten in the middle of the night than a bunch of really old people?
The former Linda Vista Hospital, a 107-year-old building which was abandoned some 25 years ago, is "so well known for its creepy atmosphere and alleged hauntings" that it has become the go-to location for both ghost hunters and Hollywood productions looking for a spooky filming location - including Rob Zombie and the film "Se7evn."
Fascinating, to be sure… but would you want your grandmother to live there?
That's the plan according to Amcal Multi-Housing, a housing group which is leading the $40 million conversion of the old hospital from "creep-o-matic factory" to "senior living home."
When questioned on the topic, Amcal Multi-Housing's Vice President is quoted as dismissing the concerns about the former hospital being "the subject of a little urban folklore." And well he might; I imagine that Amcal Multi-Housing is getting Linda Vista Community Hospital at a song, given its long abandonment combined with "a little urban folklore." And I imagine the purchase and potential renovation is going to be cause for not a few boardroom arguments on the topic.
Even if you brush away any issues (and I respect those who don't believe in the paranormal, that's their right), what about your customers? You would think it might be a tough sell, trying to get Great Aunt Edna to move into one of the most (allegedly) haunted locations in California.
And really, who better to frighten in the middle of the night than a bunch of really old people? Heck, Amcal Multi-Housing could end up with a class action lawsuit on its hands. If Grandpa Herbert gets spooked on his way to the toilet in the middle of the night and drops dead of a heart attack, could Amcal Multi-Housing be considered to be at fault? I mean, if you set up an old folks home atop a former uranium mine and all your clients died of radiation poisoning, you would get sued from here to Timbuktu. Is the same true of paranormal activity?
As for said activity, Linda Vista has a long documented history of ghostly apparitions and manipulations. The property's caretaker claims to have seen a sink turn itself on and off before his eyes, and to have felt a child's hand take his own. The property's Yelp entry has tons of reviews from people who visited the property, some of whom had experiences and some who did not. (I love that people gave Linda Vista fewer stars because they didn't see a ghost. What a hilarious rating system!)