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Abe Froman
Location: Oakland Ca Gender: Male
| | A Home in the Hills... < on 4/22/2012 11:23 PM >
| | | The former Oak Knoll Naval hospital was a major hub for injured and returning servicemen in California, maybe even the West Coast. Before it was a base, the land was originally a Golf Course built around the depression and many of the buildings then had been designed by one of the architects that designed other golf courses in the area. In the outbreak of WW2, the Navy stepped in and bought the fledgling golf course from its previous owners and turned it into a hodge podge of bunk houses made to house wounded servicemen. I had recently re-discovered this place in late 2010 when I started my own search for derelict history in the East Bay, and when I found it was just a huge slap to the face. I've lived about 5 minutes away from the place since the 90s and remember going in there and seeing men in camouflage walking about. By time I was able to rediscover it in 2010, it was too late to go in for an explore - armed security guards now patrolled the grounds after a successful lawsuit by area residents and the place was locked up tight. Knowing it would get demolished a few months later, I gave up on trying to get a peak inside. In April 2011 I discovered that the demolition of the main hospital building had been moved up from it's previous date. I managed to get myself inside with the rest of the big wigs on the day of demo, and in the end, I learned there was only one building left and no amount of sneaking or questioning could get me to it. But as luck have it, I ended up getting a quick unofficial tour of the last remaining building at Oak Knoll. The former Naval Officer's club is perhaps the oldest building in that entire land. It was originally one of the swanky lounges built for the golf course,when the Navy moved in they re-purposed it for their officers. Most people in the community want it renovated as it holds some sentimental value, others say that if it's holding back the planned redevelopment it should be torn down. SunCal ,the developer, says the restoration WILL happen and will only run them about $8-10 million. It would be a total retrofit and revamp, but the biggest hurdle they say is finding a use for it afterwards that won't be a money pit. They're only just now trying to move forward by removing the old concrete foundations, but until then the project will be on hold for years.
When the restoration finally comes, there's a chance it may be too late. So on that day in April 2011 I was able to score a unique walkthrough of the place. Like something out of a movie, my escort led me through the ruins of the Officer's Club. The carpet was still wet with rain, and the ground was littered with needles and 40's and an occasional mattress. My escort even said there had reports of bizarre noises coming from the building at night, ladies dressed in white gowns, weird screams and apparitions, stuff out of a ghost movie. Who knows? So, I really didn't have too much time to sit down and compose my shots, and I only had a telephoto lens and my 50mm so I did what I could. I tried to secure another visit a few weeks later, but in the end it proved fruitless. So here are a few of my photos. I want to go back so bad.
[last edit 4/22/2012 11:24 PM by Abe Froman - edited 1 times]
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photloose
Gender: Female
| | Re: A Home in the Hills... <Reply # 1 on 4/22/2012 11:47 PM >
| | | sometimes opportunities only come by once... thanks for sharing yours.
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Raven928
Location: San Gabriel Valley, CA Gender: Female
Miss Raven
| | | | Re: A Home in the Hills... <Reply # 2 on 4/23/2012 5:11 AM >
| | | thanks so much for sharing! I swear i have seen this place in a movie before!!
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Calvin Kaneda
Location: West Coast Ninja/East Coast Pirate. Gender: Male
| | Re: A Home in the Hills... <Reply # 3 on 4/23/2012 3:59 PM >
| | | Did you go downstairs?
"By the prick of my thumb something wicked this way comes..." "Under the cover of night, I travel across rooftops while you dream of adventure." |
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CaptainTonus
Location: San Diego, CA. Gender: Male
| | Re: A Home in the Hills... <Reply # 4 on 4/23/2012 8:32 PM >
| | | So awesome! This was featured on the TV show, Off Limits.
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Abe Froman
Location: Oakland Ca Gender: Male
| | Re: A Home in the Hills... <Reply # 5 on 4/23/2012 10:19 PM >
| | | Posted by Calvin Kaneda Did you go downstairs?
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There was a downstairs? Didn't know that, my escort took me around quickly since he had to be back soon. I did climb up to the tower but my photos came out bad.
Posted by CaptainTonus So awesome! This was featured on the TV show, Off Limits.
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Really? Oh wow, gotta find the episode now.
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Calvin Kaneda
Location: West Coast Ninja/East Coast Pirate. Gender: Male
| | Re: A Home in the Hills... <Reply # 6 on 4/23/2012 10:32 PM >
| | | There is a bar/lounge downstairs.
"By the prick of my thumb something wicked this way comes..." "Under the cover of night, I travel across rooftops while you dream of adventure." |
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bonnie&clyde
Location: 510 & 415
Cleverly disguised as responsible adults
| | Re: A Home in the Hills... <Reply # 7 on 4/24/2012 12:40 AM >
| | | Thanks for sharing Abe...yeah the off limits show did a segment showing the officer's club but mentioned L Ron Hubbard did some test studies@ the hospital and was also a patient... [last edit 4/24/2012 12:46 AM by bonnie&clyde - edited 1 times]
The question is not when are we gonna stop, It's who's gonna stop us? |
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barefootpoetry
Location: PA Gender: Female
| | | Re: A Home in the Hills... <Reply # 8 on 4/24/2012 3:29 AM >
| | | That graffiti over the two archways is pretty sweet.
She who hesitates, sees bulldozers. |
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CaptainTonus
Location: San Diego, CA. Gender: Male
| | Re: A Home in the Hills... <Reply # 9 on 4/24/2012 4:50 PM >
| | | Posted by Abe FromanReally? Oh wow, gotta find the episode now.
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That was probably one of the best episodes of that entire series. He also goes on the USS Iowa, which is docked in the Suisun Bay ghost fleet.
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photloose
Gender: Female
| | Re: A Home in the Hills... <Reply # 10 on 4/24/2012 8:31 PM >
| | | Posted by CaptainTonus
That was probably one of the best episodes of that entire series. He also goes on the USS Iowa, which is docked in the Suisun Bay ghost fleet.
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The U.S.S. Iowa is currently getting a paint job and is docked in Richmond till at least May.... And you can tour it on the weekends until it is taken to So Cal to become a museum. I went a few months ago and not much was accessible but I was told as the painting/preservation progressed more would be open. Just an FYI
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CaptainTonus
Location: San Diego, CA. Gender: Male
| | Re: A Home in the Hills... <Reply # 11 on 4/24/2012 9:41 PM >
| | | Posted by photlooseThe U.S.S. Iowa is currently getting a paint job and is docked in Richmond till at least May.... And you can tour it on the weekends until it is taken to So Cal to become a museum. I went a few months ago and not much was accessible but I was told as the painting/preservation progressed more would be open. Just an FYI
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That's pretty cool! Makes me wonder how long ago the TV show was filmed...
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Abe Froman
Location: Oakland Ca Gender: Male
| | Re: A Home in the Hills... <Reply # 12 on 4/25/2012 12:57 AM >
| | | Posted by CaptainTonus
That's pretty cool! Makes me wonder how long ago the TV show was filmed...
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Just saw the episode and it was dated 2011, definitely pre-implosion but after all the buildings were torn down.
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caribooou
Gender: Female
| | Re: A Home in the Hills... <Reply # 13 on 7/21/2013 8:10 PM >
| | | Not sure if there is another thread that these fotos would belong better in but here are mine from this location. I had a lot more that were less graff related but sadly they were lost when my computer was stolen. All I had left was the ones I had already uploaded to flickr. 1.
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caribooou
Gender: Female
| | Re: A Home in the Hills... <Reply # 14 on 12/27/2013 12:32 AM >
| | | Made another visit here. A security truck pulled up outside the room we were in towards the end of our trip, fortunately on the side of the building not near the exit. We were able to hurry out of there without getting caught. Not too much had changed since my last visit here in 6 or so months ago. The place had a little bit more paint but not as much as I'd expected. I have some film I'll post later too, once I get it developed (if it turns out decent). I'm a little surprised there aren't more posts about this place, although I suppose there is probably a full members thread on the place. 1.
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freeside
Location: Northern California Gender: Male
eh vigo!
| | Re: A Home in the Hills... <Reply # 15 on 12/27/2013 1:00 AM >
| | | Posted by caribooou I'm a little surprised there aren't more posts about this place, although I suppose there is probably a full members thread on the place.
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Don't be surprised. This is an old, well known site that was oft frequented and talked about when I first joined UER, and probably long before that. Our very own Tunnelbug took Don Wildman there for the Travel Channel show Off Limits: http://www.travelc...logy-grounds-15210 Sites get threads, the threads get old, people visit again or new people visit the first time and start new threads. It's amusing to see new members discover well known sites, but also cool because it's their first time, and is just as full of meaning and wonderment as the first time I went there. Shot from my 2007 visit:
Since you were out there, can you give us an update on what buildings are still standing other than the Officer's Club? Is there anything else left? Welcome to the forums if I haven't said it before, and please, less graffiti. Post that shit on a benching forum or graf website but posting graffiti centric pics here just gives graf artists more web play at a place they are not particularly welcome. -free
[last edit 12/27/2013 1:11 AM by freeside - edited 1 times]
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cambrianguy
| | Re: A Home in the Hills... <Reply # 16 on 12/27/2013 1:25 AM >
| | | Posted by freeside ...and please, less graffiti. Post that shit on a benching forum or graf website but posting graffiti centric pics here just gives graf artists more web play at a place they are not particularly welcome. -free
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+1 So sick of seeing that ugly vandalism.
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caribooou
Gender: Female
| | Re: A Home in the Hills... <Reply # 17 on 12/27/2013 5:43 AM >
| | | Welcome to the forums if I haven't said it before, and please, less graffiti. Post that shit on a benching forum or graf website but posting graffiti centric pics here just gives graf artists more web play at a place they are not particularly welcome. |
Thanks for the welcome. Totally feel ya guys on that, it just happens to be mostly what I take pictures of since that's what brings me to these places. Not that I don't love exploring for the sake of exploring, graffiti's just what introduced me to all of these places (I don't paint). I try to take photos of other things, I just usually don't like them as much. I figured there was probably another thread about it, I just couldn't find one. The travel channel bit was cool--interesting to see it before and after. It never even occurred to me that there would be other buildings on this property. I didn't know anything about the history till after I went, and both times I went we just ran straight in since there's a guard patrolling, didn't spend any time walking around the area. Now that I think about it, I did drive by once on the other side (not even thinking this was the same property) and it seemed pretty unwelcoming. I don't think any of the buildings near this one are still standing, but I can't say about the rest of the area.
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pgathriller
Location: San Mateo, Ca Gender: Male
| | Re: A Home in the Hills... <Reply # 18 on 12/28/2013 11:53 PM >
| | | Old pictures but I never posted them so why not: 1
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Calvin Kaneda
Location: West Coast Ninja/East Coast Pirate. Gender: Male
| | Re: A Home in the Hills... <Reply # 19 on 1/6/2014 3:29 AM >
| | | Posted by Abe Froman I want to go back so bad.
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Me too.
Untitled by Calvin Kaneda, on Flickr
The Club C1
Untitled by Calvin Kaneda, on Flickr C2 Downstairs, in the basement…
Untitled by Calvin Kaneda, on Flickr -Sorry, I was brand new to light painting at the time. The powerhouse? P1
Untitled by Calvin Kaneda, on Flickr P2
Untitled by Calvin Kaneda, on Flickr P3
Untitled by Calvin Kaneda, on Flickr The Poolhouse PH1
Untitled by Calvin Kaneda, on Flickr PH2
Untitled by Calvin Kaneda, on Flickr PH3
Untitled by Calvin Kaneda, on Flickr The wonderful hospital. –Mostly just a shell. OK1
Untitled by Calvin Kaneda, on Flickr OK2
Untitled by Calvin Kaneda, on Flickr OK3
Untitled by Calvin Kaneda, on Flickr OK4
Untitled by Calvin Kaneda, on Flickr OK5
Untitled by Calvin Kaneda, on Flickr OK6
Untitled by Calvin Kaneda, on Flickr OK7
Untitled by Calvin Kaneda, on Flickr The Actual Houses on the Hill- HH1
Untitled by Calvin Kaneda, on Flickr HH2
Untitled by Calvin Kaneda, on Flickr HH3
Untitled by Calvin Kaneda, on Flickr HH4
Untitled by Calvin Kaneda, on Flickr HH5
Untitled by Calvin Kaneda, on Flickr HH6
Untitled by Calvin Kaneda, on Flickr HH7
Untitled by Calvin Kaneda, on Flickr “Oh, hey hospital…” Why not a trip back, during the daytime? Especially with security being nonexistent at one point- DH1
Untitled by Calvin Kaneda, on Flickr DH2
Untitled by Calvin Kaneda, on Flickr DH3
Untitled by Calvin Kaneda, on Flickr DH4
Untitled by Calvin Kaneda, on Flickr DH5
Untitled by Calvin Kaneda, on Flickr DH6
Untitled by Calvin Kaneda, on Flickr DH7
Untitled by Calvin Kaneda, on Flickr
"By the prick of my thumb something wicked this way comes..." "Under the cover of night, I travel across rooftops while you dream of adventure." |
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