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jinx13
  
location:
Peninsula, San Francisco Bay Area
Gender: Male
 |  | Potrero Point Power Station, how does I?
< on 11/23/2010 3:55 AM >
|  | | | http://www.explore...dustrial-district/
When I first started thinking about getting into this hobby this was the first explore I saw and every now and then, when coming back from other explores, I'd spend a few minutes driving around looking for a way in. Suffice to say I haven't found one.
I know that people have been in there but I don't know how they do it. I'm curious if anyone has been in and the level of difficulty required to make an entrance. No specifics, but does it require ropes or tools to get in? I'm just trying to gauge if it's feasible for me at this point and what other skills I may need to learn to finally get in there.
Gravity, it's not just a good idea, it's the law. |
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PositivePressure
location:
High and low where most don't go
Gender: Male
Set your Tesla coil to broil
| | Re: Potrero Point Power Station, how does I?
<Reply # 1 on 11/23/2010 4:21 AM >
| | | | Judging by all the graf inside, and the amount of open ceiling type spaces, I'd hazard a guess and say it doesn't look too difficult at all. Only one way to find out, though!
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jinx13
location:
Peninsula, San Francisco Bay Area
Gender: Male
| | Re: Potrero Point Power Station, how does I?
<Reply # 2 on 11/23/2010 4:27 AM >
| | | | Posted by PositivePressure
Judging by all the graf inside, and the amount of open ceiling type spaces, I'd hazard a guess and say it doesn't look too difficult at all. Only one way to find out, though!
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Touche, sir. Touche. Back to the overhead maps with me.
Gravity, it's not just a good idea, it's the law. |
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Tasmith
location:
Salinas, Ca
Gender: Male
| | Re: Potrero Point Power Station, how does I?
<Reply # 3 on 11/23/2010 4:32 AM >
| | | | I'm going to be in the area doing some UE/photography this week, I'm definitely going to go check it out.
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jinx13
location:
Peninsula, San Francisco Bay Area
Gender: Male
| | Re: Potrero Point Power Station, how does I?
<Reply # 4 on 11/23/2010 4:39 AM >
| | | | If you find a way in please let me know!
Gravity, it's not just a good idea, it's the law. |
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Hoverfly
location:
San Francisco
Gender: Male
| |  | Re: Potrero Point Power Station, how does I?
<Reply # 5 on 11/23/2010 5:35 AM >
| | | | Like all sites, accessibility varies over time. Back in the day, I used to walk right in. I even saw changes day-to-day in access when I made multiple visits. My most recent visits (admittedly awhile ago now) were much more difficult, requiring extra "equipment"...
Scott Haefner Photography on Facebook:
http://www.faceboo.../scotthaefnerphoto |
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jinx13
location:
Peninsula, San Francisco Bay Area
Gender: Male
| | Re: Potrero Point Power Station, how does I?
<Reply # 6 on 11/23/2010 5:44 AM >
| | | | Posted by Hoverfly
Like all sites, accessibility varies over time. Back in the day, I used to walk right in. I even saw changes day-to-day in access when I made multiple visits. My most recent visits (admittedly awhile ago now) were much more difficult, requiring extra "equipment"...
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Yeah. The barbed wire looks particularly... sharp.
Gravity, it's not just a good idea, it's the law. |
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freeside
location:
Northern California
Gender: Male
eh vigo!
| | Re: Potrero Point Power Station, how does I?
<Reply # 7 on 11/23/2010 6:46 PM >
| | | | Satellite image all you want, but there is only one way in to the main building. All other access points, sub buildings attached to the main etc, have welded 1/2" steel plate over them. The small buildings NOT attached are open if I remember correctly.
I suppose you could do it with no extra equipment but it would involve three high fences and significant exposure and additional trespassing. I'd say this site is not for new explorers like yourself, and discourage you from trying it without some planning.
do a search on 'thunderdome' to see more info.
-free
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jinx13
location:
Peninsula, San Francisco Bay Area
Gender: Male
| | Re: Potrero Point Power Station, how does I?
<Reply # 8 on 11/23/2010 9:31 PM >
| | | | Damn.
Well thanks for the heads up. I'll have to try it when I a) become invisible or b) learn how to climb things more good.
[last edit 11/23/2010 9:31 PM by jinx13 - edited 1 times]
Gravity, it's not just a good idea, it's the law. |
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Tasmith
location:
Salinas, Ca
Gender: Male
| | Re: Potrero Point Power Station, how does I?
<Reply # 9 on 11/25/2010 6:15 AM >
| | | | I wandered around the area today, the razor wire isn't too bad, you just have to plan your climb accordingly. Once inside the fence I found it pretty easy to stay hidden in the separated buildings. As for getting inside the main building I don't know how to do it without drawing attention. Night would probably be best.
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freeside
location:
Northern California
Gender: Male
eh vigo!
| | Re: Potrero Point Power Station, how does I?
<Reply # 10 on 11/25/2010 7:02 AM >
| | | | So, the recent history of this place as I know it is:
back in 1998/1999 I used to wander around this area with writers in the middle of the night, watching them do their thing and go to raves in abandonments on the water near Kelly's Mission Rock, and at Tire Beach (don't know official name). Back then, the 'dome was wide open and there were cars, RVs, buses and derelict vehicles lining the street to the 'dome, all being lived in. A regular community. Same goes for Tire Beach and the street dead ending at Tire Beach. This is how I learned of the "Ghost Yards" which was the old Muni train dump just across the water from Tire Beach, and right next to the 'dome. I regularly went to the Yards over the course of many years, to hang out, take pictures (film) and to bring friends there to show them, because it was such a cool spot. People pretty much used to set up sound systems with impunity and partied all night and well into the morning at Tire Beach. Writers lit up the 'dome, the yards and the walls at the beach and that whole street, without a worry. It was an un-policed no-man's land and nobody seemed to care. I pretty much wandered solo during most of my adventures back then. I proceeded to go down the line of China Basin and 3rd street, going in many, many of the abandoned buildings on that whole street, hanging with the homeless, and taking pictures of graf. I'd been in the old ESPRIT building before it got turned into a swanky restaurant which years later I ended up having dinner at in a suit! That restaurant went out of business I think? Or the whole building got torn down. Who knows. I'd been in all the buildings where the 280 swoops around to hit King St, the old theatre, etc etc. So many buildings that are no longer there. That whole time, I heard about the dome from writers and homeless and it had a bad reputation for being a dangerous place and most of the writers went in there with their crew or a bunch of homies. Since I didn't know anyone back then who did this stuff, I was too spooked (code for fuckin' scared) to go in there by myself. At one point, I got up the nerve and was about to enter and this crazy homeless dude was blocking the entrance severely pissed off and shouting that someone just killed his dog and I guess the dog corpse was laying around inside. I didn't feel like pushing past the guy. I tried talking to him but he was incensed at his dog's death and didn't want anything to do with me. (Plus, I'm was obviously not homeless even though I used to wear real dirty clothes and a crazy look (in order to not draw more attention to myself than necessary) when I went on these adventures. Needless to say, the guy recognized me as a 'tourist' and that was that.
Between then and now, what I've gathered and observed, was that the cops did a big sweep to clear out the 'dome after some kind of shit going down or the property owner being leaned on, and they sealed the place up tight to keep everyone out. That's when they put up the metal plate and razor wire. Since way back, I had wanted to go in this place, but pretty much sat on the idea for about 6-7 years until I met Hoverfly and immediately recognized a like mind who was down for adventure.
This theory/hearsay makes sense based on what I've seen while in there. Homeless people's things and 'nests', or 'homes' are still in there, left totally untouched, with personal possessions, clothes, beds etc, just like they must have been when the cops came through and forcibly cleaned the place out. I scored a great pair of fatigues that have become my favorite pair of cutoffs, from a duffle full of clothes I found at one of these 'nests'.
My first trip inside: Maybe my approach to entry was a bit overboard, but I'd like to think that I've never been caught while exploring, albeit untrue. So, I usually take extreme precautions to limit my exposure/chance of getting caught. Simultaneously I seemingly heedlessly take risks and do things in broad daylight. I guess it's about balancing the two effectively. I've always left the out of simply running away as fast as possible, which I almost daily practiced while skateboarding as a youth, and continued to practice up until I started rolling with Hoverfly and Tunnelbug, who convinced me of a better approach. That being: play the clueless, upstanding, geeky, white guy with a bag full of expensive camera gear card. Which works like a charm, surprisingly. Although never vandalizing or writing graffiti, I couldn't have gotten away with that way back when, like I can now, since I wasn't that innocent looking back then...
So, after the 'dome got sealed up, pretty much noone but a few intrepid explorers have been in there. Not to make too much of myself, but I was the first one in there that I've heard of, after it was sealed up. From feedback on flickr pictures from the AQ crew, they were quite amazed I was able to get in and asked me if had gotten opened up again. It's weird that those guys would be put off from a place like that, but I guess since it wasn't a regular hangout anymore, and high risk to enter, why write graf in there if no one's gonna see it?
Since I've been rambling for so long, I totally lost my train of thought. ... A guy contacted me on flickr; he had a commission from Current TV, and wanted to do a short on "urban exploration", was I interested? Hell yeah. So I went to meet him in SF and get a bite to eat. We got on well and started making plans. The only caveat, he had maybe 4 days left in California before he had to go home. Well, I wanted to show him something serious, not just some shit abandoned house or some military base where you can walk right in. So him some serious exploring that was a little more involved. So I called up Scott and said, let's do the 'dome! But in daylight so the camera can see something! He was down and we planned the trip out, bringing Kyle along with camera rolling the entire time. Kyle and I also did a bunch of B roll stuff, driving around, looking at other sites nearby, going in a couple of spots etc. He came out with hours and hours of good footage. Well, Kyle is broke and trying to make it in the movie business, so the footage never got dealt with properly. The current TV offer expired and this is all he put together:
shot by Kyle Wilamowski
http://www.vimeo.com/2040191
thunderdome
A lot of good stuff is missing from that footage, like my conversation with an PG&E guy who used to work there and told me all about the buildings. Oh well. It's good stuff IMHO so I know Kyle will get to sooner or later.
Props to Mr. Read for getting in. That guy hits lots of killer spots and stays on the under. Good for him.
My set on flickr:
http://www.flickr....3/with/2273638819/
Ciao,
-free
[last edit 11/25/2010 7:58 AM by freeside - edited 1 times]
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jinx13
location:
Peninsula, San Francisco Bay Area
Gender: Male
| | Re: Potrero Point Power Station, how does I?
<Reply # 11 on 11/25/2010 7:16 AM >
| | | | Now you're just making me jealous. :[
Gravity, it's not just a good idea, it's the law. |
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jaybone666
location:
49 square miles surrounded by reality
Gender: Male
Wise men speak because they have something to say; Fools because they have to say something.
| | Re: Potrero Point Power Station, how does I?
<Reply # 12 on 11/25/2010 7:18 AM >
| | | | Yeah those smaller buildings in the front are awesome. Underappreciated imho, due to the veritable disneyland that's right next door. Is this guy still in there?
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freeside
location:
Northern California
Gender: Male
eh vigo!
| | Re: Potrero Point Power Station, how does I?
<Reply # 13 on 11/25/2010 7:59 AM >
| | | | see above modified post by me. probably send this thread to L3.
[last edit 11/25/2010 7:59 AM by freeside - edited 1 times]
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freeside
location:
Northern California
Gender: Male
eh vigo!
| | Re: Potrero Point Power Station, how does I?
<Reply # 14 on 11/25/2010 8:01 AM >
| | | | Posted by jaybone666
Yeah those smaller buildings in the front are awesome. Underappreciated imho, due to the veritable disneyland that's right next door. Is this guy still in there?
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jaybone: You're still around, Cool main!
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jaybone666
location:
49 square miles surrounded by reality
Gender: Male
Wise men speak because they have something to say; Fools because they have to say something.
| | Re: Potrero Point Power Station, how does I?
<Reply # 15 on 11/25/2010 9:10 AM >
| | | | Posted by freeside
jaybone: You're still around, Cool main!
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Hell yeah brother, I'm still here. Good to see you are too.
I still owe you a curry. Let's make that happen.
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