Place of the week #8

Exotic trips, huge houses, and luxury cars. Just to name a few items the many rich people have and many others would love to own. When you're rich, life is all sunshine and rainbows. Well, that is until you run out of money...

In Dubai, many high end cars are being abandoned and left to rot by owners who have gone bankrupt. Mustangs, Rolls Royce, and Lamborghinis to name a few.  A rare $2 million Ferrari was found abandoned in an airport parking lot. The reason for the neglect of such expensive items? Well it depends on the owners story. Some have died and no one has retrieved the car, some flee the country to avoid jail time, and some we will never know the story behind. 

Place of the Week #7

When soda was 75 cents, the disco was all the rage, and racism was just a little more prevalent that it is today. I'm talking about the 1980's. Colors popping out at you and parties every night. Some now  wish to go back. They claim they were "born in the wrong generation." What ever your opinion is on this era, there's no question that this house that seems to be frozen in time is pretty "boss".

This house looks as if some one just up and left, well at least it looked like that 30 years ago. Items including a piano, food, records, old medicine, and $6,000 in cash, this house located in Sweden is truly a one of a kind find. The cash found was returned to its rightful owner.

An old phonograph in fairly good condition including a selection of 45's to dance to with someone. 

Still cleaner than my room.

A cup of Pop Culture in this huge time capsule.

Abandoned Vloggers

If you find these places interesting or you're curious about them and you cant find them, don't fret! People travel all over the world to bring the YouTube community videos of these amazing places.

Take Josh for example. He makes his living by going to these places. The tings that's awesome about his videos is the passion and excitement you can hear. You can tell that each time he sees a new structure, he gets overwhelmed with joy. Check him out! Here's a video of him exploring an abandoned theme park.

Close to Home

Front door to Joe's

Joes, in whole. 

If you live in Brimfield then chances are you've driven past the old and decaying "Joe's Package Store and Deli". There is an extreme lack of information and history on this building. By word of mouth from my father, the reason it closed was that the owner, Joe Jackson, passed away. His Son, Joe Jackson Jr., is still alive. His son played NHL football and his website can be found here. Joe Jackson Sr. passed away on March 21, 2001, at age 78. He was a sergeant in the U.S military and fought in World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. When he retired from the military, he opened up Joe's. While searching for information about Joe, I met a lady who knew him. The lady, who wished to remain nameless, says, "Joe was one of those guys who looked tough but was sweet on the inside. He was friendly to me and I went to school with his brother. A very hardworking man, may he rest in peace." Now he and his deli lay to rest.

Place of the week #6

Paris, France is the city of romance. Blessed with exquisite cuisine and art at ever corner. Paris is a place most hope to travel to on their honeymoon. Alike many popular cities, Paris has it's secrets. Translated to "The Little Belt" La Petite Ceinture is a railway system that is more or less a circle. Built in 1862, this railway system was a great way to get around. It also provided a new perspective while view Paris, seeing that ever few hundred yards or so it would peek over boulevards and into the small yards behind to apartment buildings.


More than 155 years later, the railroad is now colorfully decorated by hundreds of flowers and graffiti. Although it is hidden, this spot is popular to lovers looking for a romantic walk along the tracks. Taking in the beautiful summer weather and dreaming up whatever one does while in Paris, France.

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Place of the week #5

The  common stereotype for Detroit doesn't paint a pretty picture. It's a decaying city riddled with drugs and criminals. Well..at least that statement is partially true. Detroit has hundreds of abandoned buildings. Ranging from hotels, houses, diners, and even schools. One of the most photographed abandoned places is called the Lee Plaza Hotel.

Ralph T. Lee was the owner of this magnificent hotel. He entered the real-estate business and by 1935, Lee had built more than 30 hotels and apartment buildings. Including the Lee Crest; the Wager Terrace; the Orpha Mae Apartments — named after his wife; the Bohr Apartments in Highland Park; the Lee Manor, and many others.

But the market was at an all time low. Lee sold the Plaza and the buyer did nothing with it. it closed down and has yet to be opened again. However, there is hope. A Detroit native has a plan to turn the Lee into luxury, environmentally-friendly housing, telling the Free Press in 2016 that his $51 million plan will “bring it back to being an iconic landmark, with first-class of everything.” So far, this is all talk.

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Horror to me ears.

This post will be a bit different then my last few.

When I go to these places, lately it's been getting harder, I like to listen to music or something. Most recently I've found it thrilling to listen to scary stories. It's a huge money maker on YouTube. People like Lazy Masquerade and Corpse Husband make videos that cover you in chills. They have deep, eerie voices that match perfectly with the chilling tales they tell. Although listen with caution, some stories can get incredibly graphic.

 My absolute favorite video of this sort is titled Horrifying Search and Rescue Stories. A man who used to work as a park ranger tells encounters that he had in the woods. Stairs appearing out of no where, lost children found miles from where they were last found but clean and without a scratch, hikers who wandered off the winter trails and whose bodies aren't found until spring, and many more. If you are craving a creepy video to listen to while drawing or walking, this is the one.

Enjoy!

Place of the week #4

Screams of fear mixed with enjoyment, the smell of overpriced greasy food, and a tired mom being dragged by the hand to go stand in line for a ride that will last a few minutes. Amusement parks are a place some look forward to going to every summer. Anyone who has worked at one knows that a "quite day" is something only dreamed about. Or maybe not. What is all the commotion and energy of the park was just gone? This brings up to our places of the week: The Six Flags of New Orleans.

Along with homes, lives, dreams, and entire towns, Hurricane Katrina also took the life and sprit of the Six Flags in New Orleans. As seen in image A, the hurricane drowned the entire park for days. Flooded and wrecked, the park never reopened.

A

Now the park serves an entirely new purpose. Instead of drawing the attention of families and kids, it now sucks in the souls of explores and photographers. The park is illegal to visit, as it is "dangerous" although that subject has been debated plenty of times. Enjoy a few of the pictures taken by those who took the risk in order to feed others adventurous minds.

Where food and drinks were sold.

Souvenir stand.

View from the top of the highest hill. Makes the stomach of those with a fear of height churn just looking at it.

The park has been left to the roaches....

Killer clown was killed.

So, anyone fancy a day trip? 

More information and pictures found here.

Abandon Houses play a huge part in movies

MAMA, Cabin in the Woods, Texas Chainsaw and countless others have one very important thing in common. Abandoned places! They add a creepy vibe to the movies, a sense of wonder and horror fills the movie theater with the ever so infamous creek of that old weathered door opening. But why do we find those places so creepy and mysterious? Well ask science.

Fear is a chain reaction in the brain that starts with a stressful stimulus and ends with the release of chemicals that cause a racing heart, fast breathing and energized muscles, also known as the fight-or-flight response. Of course the stimulants can be anything that makes you scared- spiders, the dark, and clowns to name a few. An abandoned houses set in the middle of the woods with creepy music playing in the background is the perfect stimulant. It creates the fear of the unknown. In your brain, there is a part called the sensory cortex, this is where the creepy music comes into play. The sensory cortex interprets sensory data, meaning that the dangerous looking building along with the scary music begins to send red flags to the brain- this is the Thalamus's job. Another part, called the Hypothalamus, creates the "red flags" and engages a fight or flight response. 

So next time a woman with sunken in black eyes lunges at you from the depth of a dark corner in a cabin abandoned in the middle of the woods while you're watching a movie, don't worry if you jump. This just means that your brain is working how its supposed to! 

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Place of the week #3

One of life's best moments is finding money you've lost. You put on those sweat pants you haven't worn since last year and- bam! You've just gotten $22.58 richer! This is the same sensation I get when I stumble upon a new building, car, or thing that has been abandoned.

Now lets talk airplanes. Amazing pieces of technology that can take you into the clouds. Some are terrified of crashing and others enjoy the thrill of being 25,000 feet away from everyone's problems. Like anything else, they can be abandoned. This brings us to our place of the week- the abandoned Pegasus Field Airport.

Not much more than an airstrip and a few planes, this airport Serves McMurdo Station. The white-ice runway is designed to accept aircraft year-round. All of those are still functional. However, the airport is also home to an abandoned Lockheed Constellation plane. Partially buried in the snow, the US Navy words are barely visible on the side of the craft. This aircraft stands as a reminder that flying conditions in Antarctica may not always be favorable or safe.

3 Haunted Abandoned Places

Halloween is right around the corner, and you know what that means- horror movies, candy, and haunted houses! This time of year, you see more and more urban legends popping up. Movies like The Conjuring and Anna Beth that are supposedly "based on a true story" send shivers down your spine and make your arms covered in a blanket of Goosebumps. Now, I could talk about horror movies all day, but this is about something more... real. Here are 5 places that are said to be haunted by the dead. Each with its own horrifying backstory and chilling past.


1. Metropolitan State Hospital *Gore Warning*
Located in Waltham, MA, this asylum definitely  has an interesting past. Constructed in the 1930's, Metropolitan Hospital housed insane people. Including children, adults, elderly, and criminally insane patients. Now, abandoned insane asylums can be creepy enough without any other reason. However, Metropolitan is said to be haunted by the sprit of Anne Marie Davee. She was murdered by another patient in 1978. The killer, Melvin W. Wilson, dismembered Davee's body and kept 7 of her teeth. Later on, employees came across the teeth but did nothing to punish or convict Wilson. Then, on August 12, 1980, a Senate investigation into the case along with 19 other reports of negligence forced Wilson to lead the investigators to three burial sites of Davee's body parts. They found little to no evidence. The evidence they did find included a "hut" in the woods where Davee and Wilson met, clothes and even sheets which hospital employees discovered the day after her disappearance. Nearly two months after her murder, another search by hospital staff yielded pieces of Davee's clothing and belongings. As well as a hatchet that was thought to be the murder weapon. No action was taken against Wilson. Although neglect, abuse, and mistreatment was prevalent in Metropolitan, this case is one of the most horrific things to happen in this Hospital.


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2. Eastern State Penitentiary

Opened on October 25, 1829, Eastern State Penitentiary (ESP), located in Philadelphia PA, is considered to be the world's first true penitentiary. ESP is said to be the first prison ever to use what is now called solitary confinement. Dubbed the "Pennsylvania system", inmates would be confined to their cell for days or weeks at a time. A black bag was placed over their head when they left the cell. This made sure the would have no human interaction other than the guards and warden. Due to the amount of time inmates spent alone, many of them began to become insane. With this and lack of secure borders, many inmates managed to escape from Eastern State. To name a just few, Al Capone, Victor "babe" Andreoli, Leo Callahan and Willie Sutton. Those who weren't so lucky spent the rest of their lives in the Jail. Cellblock 15 is nicknamed "death row", it held the worst of the worst. Murders, police killers, rapists, and psychopaths. This cellblock is where they spent the last months before they "got the chair". Although the place is not officially abandoned, it is falling apart. Tours are offered and there is an annual haunted house every Halloween.

 

Al Capone's cell

What's left of the barber shop



3. Willowbrook State School
Most of us are familiar with the hit TV series "American Horror Story". The Willowbrook State School, located in Staten Island NY, was a huge inspiration for the show. The maximum capacity of the building was 4,000- but in the end it help over 6,000 disabled people, mostly children. The Senator at the time, Robert Kennedy, said after he visited the institution that the people were, "living in filth and dirt, their clothing in rags, in rooms less comfortable and cheerful than the cages in which we put animals in a zoo". His statement only shone a dim light on the abuse and mistreatment that was going on in Willowbrook. Jane Kurtin was the first reporter to write a story about Willowbrook State School because she visited Willowbrook in order to cover a demonstration that social workers and parents of the residents had organized. Kurtin went on to write about the sexual abuse, neglect, and over all awful behaviors carried out by the staff there. Doctors overdosing people on insulin or other drugs, just to keep the population down. The number of deaths that happened in Willowbrook is said to be around 1,500-3,000 but because many death weren't recorded, we can never be sure. Willowbrook is said to be the most haunted school in America. It's horrible past has conjured up books, TV shows, movies, and urban legends. Willowbrook now remains nothing but ruins, serving as a graveyard to the many abused souls who ended up there.

Abandoned

Hurt

Neglected

 



Local Left Location

House from courtyard view. 

Another mistreated masterpiece from Brimfield, Ma. Located at 9 Sturbridge Rd, this white house and large lot has seen better days. The fairly large looking house is cluttered from floor to caved in roof with junk. The landscape is decorated with antiques of all sorts, a huge trailer with many items still inside, and a blue food truck that has been taken over by the nature surrounding it. My hypothesis is that the owner(s) of this property worked with the Brimfield Antique shot. There are old coke signs, rusted bikes, and vintage lamps all around this area. A friend of mine and I explored one warm day in October. Here's a birds eye view of the property. The food truck looks to be around a 1996 GMC diesel model. How's that food for thought? Off to the side of the house, truck, and trailer was a small shack. It was wood but had been ripped apart so that half of the side was gone. Inside was just an old fridge and some old windows. It was incredibly creepy  but when we opened the fridge, there was a jar in there! I was unable to snap a picture because a spider crawled out and I ran away, dropping my phone in knee high grass... After searching around this house, we found my phone but I was not about to go back in there!


 

The food truck from the side.



The food truck from the front

Inside of the trailer.

     

Old Fridge in the Cabin in the woods.

Place of the week #2

Late 1800's image of Garnet. Source

Last week we saw a glimpse into an abandoned city. This week were going to downsize a bit and focus on a ghost town in the Midwest. During the gold rush, many towns were built to accommodate travelers. When the rivers dried up or what was expected to be found wasn't, 49ers (people who looked for gold) would simply move out of these small towns into the next. Saloons and motels kept the towns somewhat lively but after larger cites began to erupt, small towns couldn't compete and eventually every resident made they way out.

This brings us to our place, Garnet, Montana. It was abandoned in the 1890s and has remained that way since. Instead of drawing in miners and travelers making their way west, it now draws the attention of photographers, paranormal enthusiast, and explores. With no wonder, this town looks enchanted at night with the high mountains surrounding it allowing a perfect amount of starlight.

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Place of the Week #1

There are so many amazing but forgotten places out there. Instead of just focusing on buildings, I'm going to cover something much bigger. How about an entire city? That's right! There's a place called Chernobyl, Ukraine. In 1986, a faulty nuclear reactor claimed the lives of 30 people and changed the lives of thousands. The accident caused the largest uncontrolled radioactive release into the environment ever recorded for any civilian operation, and large quantities of radioactive substances were released into the air for about 10 days after. In the early 2000's, Chernobyl became safer to visit. Meaning you could see an entire city that was just left there. A goal of mine is to visit this place. Tours are offered, but at a price, It is around $500 per person and there still is a small amount of radiation left, causing fear for many urban explores.



The famous abandoned fair ground.

View from the tallest building in Chernobyl.



Thousands of gas masks left.






Sources: Pictures and Info

Back From the Dead

Artists have taken a liking in the dead buildings around the world. Instead of watching buildings crumple into oblivion, some artsy folk will take over and give them a second life. For example...

This house was left to be taken over by vermin and spiders. That was until one citizen decide to make a bucket list for all to write on. (More images of the wall here).

If inspiring walls aren't your thing, how about this!

Canadian artist Heather Benning created this life-sized doll house out of a lonely house in a middle-of-nowhere town called Redvers, Saskatchewan. She modified this abandoned farmhouse by painting the walls with stunning pastel colors and filling it with furniture to match the period the dilapidated structure was abandoned in (the late 1960s).

Find them youself!

Many explorers and wanders hear about an abandoned building by word of mouth. This could be due to the fact that police and law enforcement don't enjoy people exploring around places like these, as it could be a safety hazard. To tell when exploring becomes trespassing look here or here. Basically, if there is a sign saying "No trespassing" or "Do not enter" it's probably the best idea to not go inside. Now that we've got that out of the way, how can you find an area that will satisfy your thirst for adventure but not lend you in a tangle with the law? Well, to put it simply, there's an app for that! Websites like this one allow you to enter a location and it will tell you where there are safe places near you. Just remember, inspect these properties at your own risk. There is always a possibility of squatters, people who unlawfully live in an unused place or building, and these structure can be unstable. Travel at your own risk, use common sense, and obey the law. If you're not into getting out of your comfy bed to look at these places, try YouTube! Many people make a living by going to these places and recording the inside of them. Another website to check out is called Forbidden Places. Take some time to look at theses places, and enjoy!

Hidden in plain sight

Most of us are familiar with One Time Square, also known as 1475 Broadway. Built in 1904, this 360 foot tall building has had a long history. It's the large building in the center of time square, bringing in millions of dollars every year from ad revenue. It's famous for housing the ball that drops at the start of every year. Few people know that the ball is one of the only things the building houses. Besides a Walgreens on the first floor, the entire rest of the building is abandoned. The New York Times used to own One Time Square until 1995, when Lehman Brothers bought the building. Thus turning it into the world famous ad-central we know today. The Lehman Brothers made about a 300% profit in two years. Now, the only thing inside the building in the center of the city that never sleeps is spray painted words and a long past.


Source: Myself

Source: website

Why I'm doing this.

Many people don't realize they drive by crumbling works of art everyday. Abandoned buildings quickly become a constant, something that's not too hard to get used to. The history and story behind some of the buildings are so astounding yet many people still look at them as old, dangerous, and overall nasty places. The goal of this blog is to help people understand how important these buildings truly are. These mangled masterpieces are being torn down every week causing a destruction of not only a beautiful piece of architect but many of these places serve as a home for those who can't afford one. People should care about this just as much as they should care about the destruction of ancient ruins. At the time the Tikal Ruins in Guatemala were built, no one knew they were going to be famous and a part of history forever. How do we know that the house falling apart down the street may not as be just as famous and important in 100 years? Another perspective to take is that each one of these structures is an art project. The way that nature invades them makes for stunning and post-apocalyptic photos. This effect would be impossible otherwise.