December 15, 2019
In my series of exploring the abandoned Farm Colonies of Long Island, a trip to Staten Island’s New York City Farm Colony. Abandoned since 1975, the scattered buildings have decayed gloriously as developers decide the future use of the land. Easily accessible and with parking at the active Greenbelt Recreation Read more…
November 24, 2019
Established in 1885, the Kings Park Asylum–like all of the Long Island Farm Colonies–helped alleviate the overcrowding in The City’s asylums. I found myself on its grounds with only a couple of hours to spare and was overwhelmed with how many structures there were, easily accessible as they sat decaying Read more…
November 14, 2019
Years ago I started compiling pictures from my very first and all-time favorite abandoned place to photograph, Pilgrim State Hospital–now the Pilgrim Psychiatric Center. Growing up on Long Island, the sprawling decay of the state-owned farm colony was always a fascinating place. With a dark and sorted past, the local Read more…
November 6, 2019
Hand in hand with widespread gentrification of the borough, Brooklyn has been losing its grit for many decades now. The once much more expansive decay of the Brooklyn Navy Yard is now undergoing a billion dollar make-over. But there is still some overgrowth and neglect to capture before shiny new Read more…
October 22, 2019
{It’s My Party 🎉, Part 5} I was really hoping to see some of the abandoned Chippewa Lake Park in Chippewa Lake, Ohio… but the Universe had me encountering a selection of townspeople, kind of like a video game, instead. {I swear I was hearing Castlevania Simon’s Quest music in my Read more…
September 29, 2019
Buffalo and Niagara Falls City are great places for urban exploration. Reminders of both cities’ hey days still linger just outside of the tourist centers. And for me, they’re a huge draw. These parts capture history powerfully, mark eras tainted by economic inequity and the harsh shifts of commerce. Here Read more…
August 11, 2019
Holy Land USA in Waterbury, CT is on the up and up! Which, yeah sure, is great… but not when you specifically visit to take pictures of a decaying theme park. Yes, since my last visit 3 years ago, things have changed quite a bit. It seems they are getting Read more…
Warning: I’m on a mission to post all of my blog drafts in a very short period of time. If ever there was a time to “unsubscribe” or set boundaries on your V.V. screen time, it would be now. But I am quite excited for the ‘draft purge’ as it Read more…
August 3, 2019
One of the the things I like about Queens and Brooklyn is that there is still places where you can feel like an explorer, still places that every square inch is not branded with an advertisement or a means to generate profit. With a weekend within the corners of my Read more…
July 28, 2019
Do you know that fish fly in Staten Island? That birds have condos by the bay? That you can walk into a tree hallway and share the experience with no one but you and yours? And that it’s getting more vegan food… slowly. Yes, there are a lot of things Read more…
July 6, 2019
What do you get when you photograph the exteriors of abandoned places after nautical twilight? You get a photographic mash-up: Astro-UrbEx! Which has like no google search results, so maybe I coined it? Also, you get mosquito bites and you get very scared… a lot. Given these thrills I am Read more…
June 27, 2019
Socrates Sculpture Park is a free waterfront art space with great views of Manhattan. Gosh, that’s a lot of nice things in one sentence. Even nicer, the rippling fabric of the current exhibit, Chronos Cosmos: Deep Time, Open Space, which was like a star filter for the daytime sky. Close Read more…
May 5, 2019
I was so excited to participate in one of Matthew Christopher’s Abandoned America photography workshops this past weekend in the Catskills. As I try to more actively improve my skills and knowledge of my camera, it was a great opportunity facilitated by acclaimed photographer of abandoned decay Matthew Christopher. But Read more…
April 22, 2019
While I rest, here is a collection of gorgeously dilapidated places of Western Texas–where you can wander freely through the rambles, where an expanse of space allows the abandoned to live on. These pictures were taken in Fort Stockton, Marathon, and Terlingua. Terlingua’s are part of its Ghost Town. More Read more…
March 10, 2019
How have I never been to this place before?! Sandy Hook is part of Gateway, a National Recreation area that spans New York and New Jersey. I’ve explored the New York portions, Staten Island’s Fort Wadsworth, Jamaica Bay’s Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge and Dead Horse Beach in Queens, but I Read more…
October 20, 2018
Pollepel Island is a small island in the Hudson River most known for Bannerman Castle. A man named Francis Bannerman purchased the island in 1900, building the castle to store surplus military equipment–which was his livelihood. And those stockpiles of shells and gunpowder are to blame for substantial damage to Read more…
October 13, 2018
My partner in special ed combat and ultra-rare fellow INFJ is a Staten Islander. So today she was my expert guide, uncovering the best of all the things on the island I like–abandoned stuff, scenic beauty, and vegan options. First, we split a quick lunch at Dosa Garden in Tompkinsville. I was Read more…
August 29, 2018
For budgetary reasons, I haven’t traveled much at all this summer. So it was a delight to find so many means of escape right here in New York City. The Greek‘s place in Broad Channel, Queens on the Rockaway Peninsula offers a retreat from all of the city’s bustle while Read more…
August 17, 2018
I can count the number of times I’ve been to Staten Island on one hand–exactly! But hey, how often would you want to visit what was once the world’s largest garbage dump? The tremendous Fresh Kills landfill was only closed in 2001, not that long ago. Now add to that Read more…
February 22, 2018
Arts & Crafts, Beautiful Places Far Away, Eating Out, Nature, Photography, Urban Exploration, Wanderlust
It was a short walk from my hotel to breakfast at Cafe Pascal’s, right on Santa Fe Plaza–the heart of downtown. This is a popular place so centrally located, dressed to the nines in New Mexican flair, and with awesome service. I had to doorbust so as to not be Read more…
September 17, 2017
I’ve begun to understand that observing the world’s beauty is my most favorite therapy. And if you look for it, you’ll find it most everywhere. From delicate macaron feet peeking out from a soft pastel shell to the browned crisped dough of a pastry that some young lady made lovingly Read more…
August 30, 2017
I was so excited to see the long-abandoned saltwater pool of old money millionaire William Vanderbilt, located on the grounds of The Vanderbilt Museum, Mansion & Planetarium in Centerport, Long Island. The 70,000 gallon pool used the water from the Long Island Sound and was the location for Gatsby-style cocktail soirees. Read more…
August 25, 2017
I’ve likely been through Pennsylvania’s interstates the most frequently of all the states. But today I planned some stops to break up an otherwise long, boring drive into chunks. Starting from Pittsburgh in Western PA, I first headed to Shanksville, the crash site of the United Flight 93 on September Read more…
August 22, 2017
Wigwam Village No. 2 in Cave City, Kentucky, a themed motel of Route 66, is still operational. The abandoned Haunted Hotel attraction also in Cave City. It is open to explore, but an adorable grey tabby kitten was guarding the door. Overgrowth A sinister fellow plays the piano. I Read more…
August 19, 2017
A National Park with the opportunity for exploration of long-abandoned dilapidated cabins? That is double the pleasure for me! Daisy Town was a resort enclave established in the early 20th century by pioneer Appalachians. The old cottages are easily accessible in the Elkmont region of Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Read more…
August 10, 2017
Like many neighborhoods along the L-train, Ridgewood, Queens, which sits next to Brooklyn’s Bushwick and East Williamsburg, is pretty hipster-invaded. There’s nothing that a natural born weirdo dislikes more than someone who is simply in a weirdo costume. Eh. If you still have your appetite, you can check out the Read more…
