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So growing up and not having a car I was forced to adventure in my area which has quite a few abandon places to check out. Although after exploring them a few times they can grow boring and I'm wondering how to find new places to explore in areas which I'm not so familiar with. I have found a few places through this site and others with a mix of google maps, but as you all know the best are kept hidden away.
How would I go about finding new places on my own?
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Just drive around if you can. I always find stuff taking different roads home. I actually just found an abandoned house earlier which dates back to the first decade of the 1700's.
[last edit 6/1/2016 5:52 PM by EsseXploreR - edited 1 times]
https://www.flickr...62837453@N07/sets/
http://www.tfpnj.blogspot.com |
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Google maps is an excellent resource. Follow rivers and train tracks. Look for holes in roofs and such. Using multiple search terms is also helpful. Flickr and reverse imagine search on google is really useful as well. Honestly, you just have to take the time to research areas of interest. I am a big fan of driving around and looking for things / walking if you have to. Most of the time you can tell if something is abandoned.
Also, meet up with some fellow exploring folk!
"First rule of space travel, kids, is always answer distress beacons. 9 out of 10 times it's a ship full of dead bodies and free shit." |
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Google Earth/Streetview is great. As others have said, follow rivers and train tracks. Keep an eye out for holes in roofs, overgrown buildings, and empty/cracked parking lots. If possible, use streetview to confirm.
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I'm partial to the driving around method. That's the best way to find "new" locations that you won't find on the internet. Street View can be helpful but it can also mislead you. Sometimes the images are several years old and the location that looks explorable was demolished/collapsed/locked up in the interim.
https://www.flickr...tos/131085384@N06/ |
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Ride the bus on busy days and use the stops to your advantage to take in good views. You notice a lot more stuff when you're not forced to pay attention to the road.
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Posted by Deuterium
Ride the bus on busy days and use the stops to your advantage to take in good views. You notice a lot more stuff when you're not forced to pay attention to the road.
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Or bike.
We have no idea where you are located.
I was finding when I was 12...
Just when I thought I was out... they pulled me back in.
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I think I read on a forum post here this..
To search news and news papers online. A lot of times they will have a story about a place long abandoned, or a place recently abandoned because it shut down. I used keywords in their search engines to pull things up. Like factory, industrial, abandoned etc. I read up about local history a lot and find old places that way. Other than that, I do all the things others have suggested. Oh ya. I also get out of the car and ask locals for interesting places. I find a lot of places that way.
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I noticed that one abandoned place sometimes reflects the economic downturn of an area, and with patient observation and open eyes, there is more to find in the same area, this is really working for me as I am not much for talking to people on the street about abandoned locations to explore.
Something else that really surprised me was when I am looking for something new that I am so focused and transfixed that I miss very obvious choices in places I've been around for years. It's like walking backwards out of the tunnel vision and seeing my neighborhoods with fresh eyes. I realize what held me back was the assumption that I have to travel somewhere, and all the while, it's everywhere.
I guess I'm reaching but these mind tricks work for me, that way I don't get burned out on 'what I think is in a familiar locale. It's like reading a favorite book a year later.
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Posted by i was never here
I noticed that one abandoned place sometimes reflects the economic downturn of an area, and with patient observation and open eyes, there is more to find in the same area, this is really working for me as I am not much for talking to people on the street about abandoned locations to explore.
Something else that really surprised me was when I am looking for something new that I am so focused and transfixed that I miss very obvious choices in places I've been around for years. It's like walking backwards out of the tunnel vision and seeing my neighborhoods with fresh eyes. I realize what held me back was the assumption that I have to travel somewhere, and all the while, it's everywhere.
I guess I'm reaching but these mind tricks work for me, that way I don't get burned out on 'what I think is in a familiar locale. It's like reading a favorite book a year later.
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Yes! I do the same thing. I often will travel 100 miles or more to explore a location and know more about the abandonments in that far-off area then in my own hometown. Somehow, it seems easy to miss the details when you're familiar with the area. Our brains will first attenuate to any new surroundings and tend to overlook what we observe repeatedly. It's Psych 101. If we can overcome this “location desensitizing” tendency, I think we'd be really surprised at what we've been missing right under our noses.
I would!
I wandered till the stars went dim. |
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Posted by blackhawk
Or bike.
We have no idea where you are located.
I was finding when I was 12...
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Dang all the way from when you were only 12! Such a badass
[last edit 8/10/2016 7:56 PM by smokedguadacheese - edited 1 times]
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Posted by blackhawk
Or bike.
We have no idea where you are located.
I was finding when I was 12...
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1: Use Google Maps
2. Confirm with Street-view
3. Bike to it!... at least for me cause I don't have a car.
A collection of my explores:
https://www.instagram.com/und3rlie/ |
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Posted by c0m3tpro
1: Use Google Maps
2. Confirm with Street-view
3. Bike to it!... at least for me cause I don't have a car.
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Bike's work well. Just don't get it stolen.
Just when I thought I was out... they pulled me back in.
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Posted by blackhawk
Bike's work well. Just don't get it stolen.
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On that note, try to be discreet about parking it as well. While not nearly as noticeable as a car, parking out front may be a giveaway at locations with active security.
I always find that sticking my bike in the bushes works well, or even just the classic "park away from the location and walk."
"Sorry, I didn't know I'm not supposed to be here," he said, knowing full well he wasn't supposed to be there.
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Ethics
