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Hi!
(I realize now I posted this in the wrong thread - my apologizes)
I've been exploring here and there for a few years - but I have a difficulty finding locations. Does anyone have any tips or signs when it comes to telling if something is abandoned?
Hope everyone is staying safe,
cowabelle
[last edit 5/6/2020 8:14 PM by cowabelle - edited 1 times]
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I just go out for a drive. I live in the country so there are a huge amount of small little roads to travel down, on top of that there is less motivation for people to teardown buildings, they just tend to sit and rot. I also tend to travel a lot due to my job and if I have the time try to find more creative avenues to my destination which can lead me to unexplored areas.
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Broken windows. Not cared for fences. Overgrowth. Cars that have been in the same spot for ten years. Rust. Strong smell of sitting for a long time.
RIP Blackhawk |
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Historic areas that haven't had much redevelopment. Industrial cities, google, browsing maps and following railroad tracks and rivers. If there's a hospital around that's existed for a long time, say 100 years, find their old campus. More google. Lots of different ways.
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Everyone's had good advice so far. I'll add see if your city publishes demolition permits and check those periodically. Also use Google to find out if there is a business at the address if you have it. Sometimes you'll get lucky and see "Permanently Closed" under an address. Look for out of place artifacts and trash, shopping carts, boarded up windows and doors, graffiti, and fire damage in addition to what's already been mentioned. If you notice vehicles on the property, check for flat tires.
The #1 rule about poking things with sticks is never use your finger. |
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I highly recommend giving the threads listed under the "How to find locations" section a read through of the Common Thread Topics list, they're a pretty comprehensive guide on how to get started finding locations.
http://www.uer.ca/...=1&threadid=118368
"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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-Churches, schools, and other public buildings without identifying signage are usually vacant.
-Overgrown driveways blocked by chains with "No Trespassing" signs tend to have good things at the end.
-Look up some abandonments you already know about on Google Maps, and observe how they appear in the aerial imagery (degraded roofs, overgrown parking lots, etc.) Now look around for similar features in other buildings. Looking at the Street View imagery can often confirm wether a place is abandoned or not, once you know what to look for.
[last edit 5/7/2020 12:14 AM by Baldran - edited 1 times]
Flickr |
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Explore
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I enjoy scouting using google maps. Its far from a perfect but It can give you a lead to scout in person, even if that's just a drive by.
Its painstaking work at max zoom looking for buildings with overgrown access roads, roofs in the trees, that kind of stuff.
One of my local papers literally has a section for closed businesses. The internet archive wayback machine can help there too.
As others have said just taking a drive, take an entire afternoon and mark spots for later inspection via satellite.
I use the internet as a tool a lot, it depends on your style. I tend to go for the small less notable places. Even a single family residence that's sat a few years is a win for me if I found it myself.
B
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The outer suburbs of my city are a boon at the moment. Lots of farmland is being bought up and turned into new housing developments. If you're out and about and see signs for a new estate "coming soon" those are the areas to explore. I've found a few places this way.
Similarly, cruising around an industrial area in your car can yield good stuff. Look for the signs others have mentioned here: broken windows, weeds and overgrown grass, graffiti, rubbish.
A lot of people focus on destinations when exploring. Just get out in the world with a curious eye and enjoy yourself. There are many incidental pleasures to be had along the way. Take some friends. Bring some food and drink. Drive down that dirt track. Stop and look around. Have some fun.
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I love taking pics of graffiti so I look for visible graffiti, that proves that somebody was there for a few minutes without being bothered and shows that it's accessible.
Also I search here, google, youtube, and reddit to find areas that have been explored and look cool.
Young Moolah Baby |
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One thing I've found to work is to pick a random town or city in your area and google "town name" abandoned building, abandoned factory, something along those lines. If you do this with enough towns you'll more than likely find a news articles about the town or neighbors wanting to tear down a building.
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http://www.uer.ca/...d=1&threadid=83183
"Aint nothin' to it but to do it"
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Ethics
