Let’s talk about the dream house.
For two years, Vietnam veteran Tom Garvey has claimed to live in a self-built apartment hidden inside Philadelphia’s Veteran Stadium. Gaierv, now 78, says he secretly refurbished a vacant concession stand inside the former home of the Phillies and Eagles.
“I was like a kid with a Willy Wonka Golden Ticket,” he said Told the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Gerev details his experiences – dugouts, taking non-baseball hits at halftime parties, and run-ins with Philly sports veterans like Tug McGraw and Julius Erving – in his 188-page book,The Secret Apartment: Weight Stadium, a true memoir., ”Which was published in December.
He said that he worked in the parking lot of the stadium complex through a company owned by his uncles. Through that job, Leonard finds an office in the vat and keys an obscure entrance to the stadium.
Out of his office – in left field – was an unused 60-foot-by-30-foot concession stand. A bed, sink, fridge, coffee maker, and hot plate: Garvey let him out of all the rest. The leftover astroturf is designed for a good carpet. The parties were a hit – including wives of Eagles players who were waiting for their husbands.
“We put music on the stereo and drink it,” he said. “Husbands would join their wives and drink beer, and then a lot of traffic would go out and we would eat their food and have dinner.”
Gereve was careful about his secret robberies, never taking photos or giving permission, though the Inquirer confirmed his story with several people.
Not that there was any clue that he was a little comfortable in the periphery of Veteran Stadium. A Philly doubleheader, extended late into the night by the rain, created a shocking scene for the rest of the fans.
“About 200 people were scattered around,” he said. “They didn’t want to know why I was in a shower and flip flops, they just wanted to know where I got a hot cup of coffee because the concession stands off hours ago.”
As with all good things, Gerway’s time at his Clandestine apartment ended in 1981 when his uncle’s contract with the stadium expired.
The stadium was torn down in 2004, and along with it no concrete evidence existed of its secret hideout. It seems to be okay with Garvey, who was just needed from the apartment after returning from the war.
Regarding his time living at Veterans Stadium, he said, “When I came home it was busy for so many years and it gave me an opportunity to put things in perspective.” “I found it to be medical. It was a place where I went inside myself and found some peace. “
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