UrbEx

[mysterea]

This 'hobby' I learned about just happened to be something I always enjoyed and just never knew had a name...

Basically, it's called 'Urban Exploration' and has to do with poking around places you're not supposed to go. For me this means abandoned sites, but for others this includes drains, active buildings and military installations.
I'm more low key, and aim for asylums and other places in various states of decay. For me it's all about poking around and getting the feel for a place, smoking a good stogie and taking pictures.
If you're looking for more information on the community there's a few great sites:
http://www.opacity.us/
http://www.uer.ca/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urbex

I learned about the Belchertown school and it's history from work poking through some engineering books from the 30's. I realized that the site was abandoned in '92 and was very accessible. This got me hooked, and as you can see we've taken a few pictures, and really gotten a feel for the place. I've explored other places, but the school's been the coolest sofar.

The hobby has an ethos much like the scouts: take pictures, leave footprints.

It's been a great hobby for me, obviously there's some risks such as 'breaking and entering' charges (which isn't as big of a problem as you may think), structureal weaknesses, and getting stuck in a basement with dead batteries. But with risk comes reward, right? rule of thumb: never explore alone!!

Our next target is this asylum in poughkeepsie.
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&...p;z=16&om=1
As with cigars research is important, we've now acquired police routes, approach and escape routes and local laws, we're almost ready to fire this one off.

Neato huh?

Rob

 

[tsmckenney]

You ever walk in on anyone, smacked out addicts or homeless folks property squatting? Seems like the sort of dwellings they would be drawn to.

 

[MiamiCubano]

Have done a bit of this urban spelunking myself. Some favorites have been abandoned/condemned mental institutions. Hit some of those in California, Florida, and also in some remote areas of Alabama. Old hospitals too. Great stuff, eerily so. Think there's one up in your neck of the woods by the name of Danvers Asylum, at least there used to be. Haven't really done this post 9/11 though. Also have hit some very old, very much forgotten graveyards in my time. Crazy places, most often in complete disarray and overgrowth, but worth the effort if you're into that.

Edited for typo...

 

[tsmckenney]

You ever walk in on anyone, smacked out addicts or homeless folks property squatting? Seems like the sort of dwellings they would be drawn to.

The more I think of it, what a hilarious scene that would be. You walk in with your flashlight, your camera, your bag of tools, your parachute pants, etc. and come face to face with a couple of bums laying on the floor. I'd love to hear the conversation.

 

[MiamiCubano]

You ever walk in on anyone, smacked out addicts or homeless folks property squatting? Seems like the sort of dwellings they would be drawn to.

The more I think of it, what a hilarious scene that would be. You walk in with your flashlight, your camera, your bag of tools, your parachute pants, etc. and come face to face with a couple of bums laying on the floor. I'd love to hear the conversation.

It's even better with night visions on... :whistling:

 

[Mrepp]

umm sounds like a good way to get mugged...

 

[MiamiCubano]

umm sounds like a good way to get mugged...

it might very well be....for the less proficient.

 

[mysterea]

Have done a bit of this urban spelunking myself. Some favorites have been abandoned/condemned mental institutions. Hit some of those in California, Florida, and also in some remote areas of Alabama. Old hospitals too. Great stuff, eerily so. Think there's one up in your neck of the woods by the name of Danvers Asylum, at least there used to be. Haven't really done this post 9/11 though. Also have hit some very old, very much forgotten graveyards in my time. Crazy places, most often in complete disarray and overgrowth, but worth the effort if you're into that.

Edited for typo...

Danvers was a huge mecca until recently, along with an asylum in Worcester.
Both are off limits now, but the cool thing about this 'sport' is there's always 'new terrain' to find, half the fun is the research involved, from following railroad tracks on google maps to warehouses to scanning for the (very distinct) kirkbridge style of building that was so common for asylums.

I've never run into a squatter, or addict of any sort, but I've read alot about this occurring. It's recommended to mention the love of whatever building you're exploring, and the architecture etc. Also important is to try and glean more access points and such from the residents since they know the ley of the land. Some good reading can be found from 'Access all areas' by a dude nicnamed 'Ninjalicious'. As with life, the general guideline is 'treat people with respect'. Again travelling in pairs is a good call.

This guy sort of popularized the sport in Toronto, and is an icon. He lived a pretty awesome life, he has a wiki here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ninjalicious

Cheers!
Rob

 

[MiamiCubano]

Interesting manner of death for that guy. Wonder just how/where he picked that up, particularly given his hobby/lifestyle?

Have done a bit of this urban spelunking myself. Some favorites have been abandoned/condemned mental institutions. Hit some of those in California, Florida, and also in some remote areas of Alabama. Old hospitals too. Great stuff, eerily so. Think there's one up in your neck of the woods by the name of Danvers Asylum, at least there used to be. Haven't really done this post 9/11 though. Also have hit some very old, very much forgotten graveyards in my time. Crazy places, most often in complete disarray and overgrowth, but worth the effort if you're into that.

Edited for typo...

Danvers was a huge mecca until recently, along with an asylum in Worcester.
Both are off limits now, but the cool thing about this 'sport' is there's always 'new terrain' to find, half the fun is the research involved, from following railroad tracks on google maps to warehouses to scanning for the (very distinct) kirkbridge style of building that was so common for asylums.

I've never run into a squatter, or addict of any sort, but I've read alot about this occurring. It's recommended to mention the love of whatever building you're exploring, and the architecture etc. Also important is to try and glean more access points and such from the residents since they know the ley of the land. Some good reading can be found from 'Access all areas' by a dude nicnamed 'Ninjalicious'. As with life, the general guideline is 'treat people with respect'. Again travelling in pairs is a good call.

This guy sort of popularized the sport in Toronto, and is an icon. He lived a pretty awesome life, he has a wiki here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ninjalicious

Cheers!
Rob

 

[tsmckenney]

Yeah, that is not how I'd like to go out. Too bad, young guy. Rob, I'm looking into this. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Ginseng]

Have done a bit of this urban spelunking myself. Some favorites have been abandoned/condemned mental institutions. Hit some of those in California, Florida, and also in some remote areas of Alabama. Old hospitals too. Great stuff, eerily so. Think there's one up in your neck of the woods by the name of Danvers Asylum, at least there used to be. Haven't really done this post 9/11 though. Also have hit some very old, very much forgotten graveyards in my time. Crazy places, most often in complete disarray and overgrowth, but worth the effort if you're into that.

Edited for typo...

There was this mental asylum in Connecticut somewhere and a friend and I explored it one day. The freakiest place though was the asylum cemetery out back. Rows and rows of simple headstones with nothing but numbers on them. Very creepy.

Wilkey

 

[MiamiCubano]

Have done a bit of this urban spelunking myself. Some favorites have been abandoned/condemned mental institutions. Hit some of those in California, Florida, and also in some remote areas of Alabama. Old hospitals too. Great stuff, eerily so. Think there's one up in your neck of the woods by the name of Danvers Asylum, at least there used to be. Haven't really done this post 9/11 though. Also have hit some very old, very much forgotten graveyards in my time. Crazy places, most often in complete disarray and overgrowth, but worth the effort if you're into that.

Edited for typo...

There was this mental asylum in Connecticut somewhere and a friend and I explored it one day. The freakiest place though was the asylum cemetery out back. Rows and rows of simple headstones with nothing but numbers on them. Very creepy.

Wilkey

Yeah, the mental asylums have always been the freakiest places. Have found some that look like people just got up and left one day. Still have such things as wheelchairs in the middle of the hallway, clipboards here and there, supplies, wrist restraints and jackets in some rooms. Crazy places.

Speaking of mental asylums, now I'm going to have to go pop in my old Cramps dvd, Live at Napa State Mental Hospital. :laugh: Talk about crazy...such a concert would NEVER be allowed today, particularly by a band like The Cramps.

 

[mysterea]

Have done a bit of this urban spelunking myself. Some favorites have been abandoned/condemned mental institutions. Hit some of those in California, Florida, and also in some remote areas of Alabama. Old hospitals too. Great stuff, eerily so. Think there's one up in your neck of the woods by the name of Danvers Asylum, at least there used to be. Haven't really done this post 9/11 though. Also have hit some very old, very much forgotten graveyards in my time. Crazy places, most often in complete disarray and overgrowth, but worth the effort if you're into that.

Edited for typo...

There was this mental asylum in Connecticut somewhere and a friend and I explored it one day. The freakiest place though was the asylum cemetery out back. Rows and rows of simple headstones with nothing but numbers on them. Very creepy.

Wilkey

Was it Fairfield Hills by any chance?
That was in Newtown CT...
I grew up near there, and it's definitely on the list. I've heard takes of a vast tunnel network (to keep the crazies out of sight)


The Belchertown school was much like you describe MC, wheelchairs, therapy gear, personell records, all strewn everywhere. Absolutely beautifully wrecked. There's something about it that reminds me of those twilight zone shows where you're the 'last person on earth' etc.

~R

 

[smokelaw1]

Loads of fun. I’ve been in a few fantastic buildings in upstate NY, and a few right along the NJ, NY border (honestly don’t know where we were) when I was younger. There was a vertical 5 story or so ice-house that was freaky, as there was some sketchy climbing to be done. This type of exploration is what turned me into a genuine flashaholic. To this day I don’t leave the house at night without at LEAST one high powered flashlight (usually two) spare batteries, along with my keychain light (which on HI setting puts out twice the lumens of a 3D maglight). Mildly obsessive, perhaps, but finding one’s way out of an abandoned tunnel for 20 minutes with a bic lighter has a way of changing your lighting requirements.

 

[DePasta]

Used to do this in high school at several abandoned asylums, there was still a lot of equipment around and in the dark it was extremely disconcerting.

 

[junkman_56]

but finding one’s way out of an abandoned tunnel for 20 minutes with a bic lighter has a way of changing your lighting requirements.

smokelaw1 you're scaring me... ???
Flashlight cavers are the most likely to need rescuing.
Once your light runs out you are stuck...

 

[smokelaw1]

but finding one’s way out of an abandoned tunnel for 20 minutes with a bic lighter has a way of changing your lighting requirements.

smokelaw1 you're scaring me... ???
Flashlight cavers are the most likely to need rescuing.
Once your light runs out you are stuck...

Oh, I'm not a caver. just an iodiot running around in the dark.
If someplace where I might be in the dark for a long time, I generally have lights plus batteries capable of 10 hours or so of BRIGHT light, or probably 2+days of enough to walk safely by. (High powered/efficiency LEDs)

What is the current prefered method of lighting in the deep dark places? Carbide?

 

[junkman_56]

What is the current prefered method of lighting in the deep dark places? Carbide?

The Princeton Tec Apex is currently the most popular headlamp among cavers:
http://www.brightguy.com/products/Princeton_Tec_APEX.php

The Apex has a 3W Luxeon III LED and four 5mm LEDs for wide angle use.

 

[smokelaw1]

How is this any different than a flashlight? Still battery powered, no?
I have a headlamp for backpacking, which very well be in a cargo pocket if doing what I now will refer to as UrbEx. More likely, my little emergency climbing headamp (Black Diamond Ion) would be used for any hands-free moments.

PS- the Luxeons (both III and V) are slowly becoming yesterday's technology. there are new LEDs with nearly a 2:1 advantage in either brightness or runtime. Still quite good, mind you, but no longer the "best" for many applications.

Sorry for the flashlight threadjack.

 

[mysterea]

I'll mention that if you guys are looking for 'flashlight porn' (a topic you're treading dangerously close to at the moment) there's a bajillion page thread at www.uer.ca that will knock your socks off.

Me? I use a 'glowworm' for my primary light source

and some 'flashlight slippers' for the backup =)

in dire situations I use a Petzl Tikka