An observation

As I've traveled to these places, researched them, and looked at countless of pictures, I began to notice something. Although an abandoned house in Italy is not the exact same as one in say Detroit, they hold many similar characteristics. The celling rotting away, mold growing on the walls, graffiti  decorating the place, and the outside slowly taking over. The aspects that give abandoned places their beauty is universal. It doesn't matter if the location is here in Massachusetts or somewhere on the out skirts of Paris. These places will most likely all hold some sort of similarities. Thats not to say that each place isn't unique. Sure maybe one house will have a room full of old antiques while another may have a tree growing through the house. But really when it boils down to it, these houses are all beautiful for the same eire reasons. Take a good look at a few examples...

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Hidden Hangout

Another abandoned location that is close to home. This quaint house seems to be gutted on the inside but doesn't lack any decorations. From floor to ceiling the walls are covered in graffiti, tasteful and vulgar. In a few months, this hidden little hangout will most likely be destroyed. That's the thing about when things get too popular, they seem to end in a pile of rubble. There is a certain balance between cool, and being too normal. I've seen many people taking pictures there, each time a picture is posted, more exposure for that place is gained. Hopefully, this place can be saved but it is impossible to tell. The urban feel to it is amazing and vibrant, even in a dusty old ruin.

Sturbridge Location

March 13, 2017- Sturbridge, MA.

 An abandoned Mill, slowly rotting away in the middle of a slowly growing town. What happened to it? Why is there so much art in it? Many questions circle the mind of Hannah J. Raymond and myself. We certainly don't have all the answers, only the photographs that we took and the footprints that we left.

Under-side of mysterious paintings.

First main building.

Factory section, along with me!

Hannah exploring late into the night.

Ways to travel for cheap!

A common and somewhat true stereotype about traveling is the high cost. Many think that traveling is only for the wealthy and privileged but I'm here to debunk that myth.
A previously mentioned urban explore, Josh who's YouTube can be found here, explores all over the world. From SouthEast Asia to Canada, he's seem a good chunk of the world we live in. This is where the true question come in; how can he go to all these places without going bankrupt?

1.)  Couch-surfing
There are many websites out there that offer you to stay with locals for FREE! This is all depending on how trustworthy you are as a person if you are willing to stay with a stranger in a country where you many not know the language. Although you may not always be provided with your own room or even a bed, knowing that you get to meet amazing people and detach yourself from the tourist track is priceless (Literally).

2.) Cheap Hotels
Websites such as trivago allow you to search for hotels in a specific area with a set minimum and maximum price. This can be helpful but be mindful that most times, you get what you pay for. These types of websites provide helpful reviews from previous travelers.

3.) Reduced flights
Although it may sound too good to be true, there are ways to get dirt cheap plane tickets, one of the major costs when traveling. Heres how to be a money saver when it comes to flying.

Tip 1: Be flexible on flight dates! Many airlines raise the price of their tickets during peek seasons (Summer, Holidays, and during big events).

Tip 2: Don't always fly direct. It may not save you time but it will save you money if you don't mind layovers.

Tip 3: Try for flights at "odd" times. It could me 3:30am or 12:10am, many of these flights are cheaper than mid-day flights because people simply don't want to get up this early!

Tip 4: Use the wonderful tool know as the internet. Websites like kayak have certain tools on them that make traveling a breeze. For example, there is an "explore" tool on kayak that allows you to set your maximum price and then shows you where you can go according to your price.

4.) Free Food
I'm a foody. Eating at fancy restaurants is one of my favorite thing to do. However this is not the most effective way to eat around the world. Say you want to travel to India. Now you could either eat out at a 5 star restaurant or peruse the streets for amazing street food. Small, traditional, family owned places provide an amazing experience at a cheap price and a true opportunity to eat the culture. Other ways to save is to avoid excess cost by not snacking, nit buying soda, using refillable waterfalls, and cooking when you can!

5.) Attractions
Of course while traveling we want to do as many things as possible. Zip line down a volcano in Hawaii, parasail in Mexico, or shop in London. Sadly, finding a cheap alternative to these things is near impossible. So the solution? Create your own adventure! Exploring caves, hiking mountains, swimming, and exploring abandon buildings ;) is a great way to have fun for little to noting or free.

Remember to always travel at your own risk. Make smart and wise decisions and always have a back up plan. Go with the flow of life and enjoy traveling!
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Transformation Tuesday

The term "Glow up" was popular for the majority of 2016. It means when a person gets more attractive as they get older. Here are 3 abandoned buildings that had the Glow up of their lifetime!


    1.) What was once an old, abandoned, and decaying post office in London is now a booming and trendy bakery. Named Margret Bakery after the owner, this small business is a prime example of how one persons dream can transform an empty space into a booming chill-spot.



Before

After

 

 

 

    2.) A grain silo is used to store large quantity of corn or wheat. You can most commonly find these on farms that have been around for a while. These structures are becoming less common every year as technology for farming improves. However there are those who hate to see a perfectly good opportunity slip away. Take architect Chris Kasier who transformed an abandoned 1950's silo into the perfect home for him and his wife.



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Before Chris got his hands on the silo, it resembled something found in the mid of a tornado.

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Then he got to working and made it a functioning house. Complete with a kitchen, lounge room, upstairs bedroom, and a relaxing cozy vibe.

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     3.) Another unusual structure turned into a cozy house juts out through the trees in the Brasschaat forest of Belgium. A neglected water tower was taken over by the brilliant mind of Crepain Binst.




Before and after.

Due to the tint of the glass that make up the walls of the house, there is a mysterious green-blue glow in the night. Although the inside may look plain, there is a reason for it. Crepain didn't want to distract of the beauty of the nature around the house.

 



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So, next time you notice an old building that is slowly sinking into the ground, think of all the possibilities for it! 

Place of the week #10

We've traveled to 10 different parts of the world. From Paris, France to right here in New England. For our final "Place of the Week" I have picked an abandoned Sawmill. There is no information on where it is from but sometimes that doesn't matter. To just appreciate the beauty and organic-rustic look of the image is enough.

The Dangers of Urban Exploring

Everything has a consequence. With urban exploring, there are many risks you take each time you set foot into an abandoned place. Getting arrested, falling through a moldy floor, have a squatter attack you, wild animals, or slippery surfaces. Most everything will have a handful of dangers that go along with it. Just use common sense, do your research, and NEVER travel alone.

Happy exploring! 

Lights, camera....

Video photographer Josh, has brought insight to the world about urban exploring. Mentioned in one of his videos was the fact that when he travels to these places he sometimes notices things that look too perfect. This is called a "setup". No not like an FBI undercover investigation, but for taking photos. Photographers, for example, will travel to an abandoned school and set up the desks to take a certain style of picture.

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Things like that are fairly common. However, there are those that go... shall we say a bit, OVER the line. Baby clothes hanging from the ceiling and walls to beheaded doll heads in the bathrooms. There are all sorts of art I guess...

 

 

 

 

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From road to rust.

These vehicles have been left to deal with the elements by their owner. For almost 30 years, they have encountered hundreds of rain storms, snow fall, and blazing sun. They were found on a farm and are still there. This photograph shows the perfect contrast of the orange-rust color of the sky as well as the decaying aspect of the cars.

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Homless in America

When you go to a city, one of the first things you might notice are people standing on the side of the street asking for money. Although it could be viewed as "sketchy" the number of homeless people in America is surprisingly high. Many of these people are then unable to afford school, clothes and struggle to find shelter, especially during the winter. For our journalism class, I teamed up with a few of my classmates to create a documentary about this devastating problem to raise awareness.

The most important item  homeless people need during the winter are socks. Socks are the most needed item for homeless people and the least donated to them. People on the streets need socks more than anything to protect their exposed feet from frostbite, fungus, and in extreme cases, blood poisoning.

Simply donating a pair of socks, something we take for granted, will change somebody else’s life by giving them warmth and hope.

Without the necessity of socks, people could develop trench foot or even frostbite. Although many people take shelter away from the elements in abandoned houses or under bridges, they are still exposed to the cold as well as litter that surrounds these places. Think broken glass, used needled, and mold.

“One homeless man named Kiwi told me socks are more important than food. He said that he knows of many pantries and shelters where he can get food, but that there’s no way he can walk the streets of Toronto without socks.”- Costello (Points of Light)

To Learn more about this check out our video. Homeless In America

Thanks Ali and Victoria for allowing me to collaborate with them. Check out their blogs too!
Diamonds and Denim and  Beyond the Education.

More pop culture

Fun fact! There's now an abandoned house emoji. It looks like this. 🏚

 

Not sure the use for it but for this blog I think it's pretty cool! 

Forgotten and famous?

Movies, music videos, modeling shoots. Abandoned places seem to pop up everywhere. They add a certain vibe to an image. Mystery, urban, post apocalyptic. Whatever you're going for, it can be achieved with the beauty of the decaying world. 

Take for example photographer Brian Cattelle who traveled to all 50 states to photograph a nude woman. In each state he used an abandoned building or vehicle as a back drop. As a result he now has a collection of over 100 pictures of creepy yet beautiful images. Each with a different story behind it. 

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Place of the week #9

Between the Bronx and Rivers Island in New York lies a small island that was once taken over by humans but is now retired to nature. The "North Brother Island' was once a quarantine spot for people with small pox, the flu, or even AIDS. Later it was used as a facility to house teenagers who were in need of drug rehabilitation. Today the forgotten island is used as a bird sanctuary.

The island today.

Back in the day when the island housed the sick.

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Squatters

The name may sound funny but this is no laughing matter. Squatters are becoming more and more common in cities and urban areas. They are people who don't have a home or who have ran away. These people take refuge in abandoned houses, apartment buildings, mills; basically anything with a roof and shelter from the wind.

Places like Detroit who's homeless population keeps rising struggle with this issue. Abandoned houses are the answer to some but others stray away from them. Normally the floor can be littered with used needles, used condoms, and dead rodents. There is also the risk of another squatter occupying the same house and hurting another.

Many buildings can be burnt down by squatters, sometimes on purpose. Thousands of trash fires cause many tragic deaths a year.

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New art in hidden places.

A common theme for most all urban places is the graffiti art. Sure some walls are littered with curse words, "rude" body parts, or simple scribbles. By adding more pops of color, random words or a stranger, and whatever else the artist can think up, we are left with an amazing piece of art work. The canvas a rusty metal train side or a molding brick wall of an abandoned school. 

The Nelson Road Water Treatment Plant was built in the 1940′s. After it was shutdown, the plant was transformed into a beautifully haunting destination for graffiti artists and urban explorers.

Russian artist Nikita Nomerz took the idea of refacing abandoned buildings literally when he started adding faces to a bunch of abandoned structures in Nizhniy Novgorod.

Sometimes it's not about the business of an image, but the serene simplicity. This artist if Africa paints his art on abandoned ruins. 

Some may say illegal, ugly, and pointless. Others may envy the beauty others create. However you see it, these abandoned places wouldn't give off the same vibe without the magnificent graffiti.

Sources: 1, 2, 3