August 18, 2024
When the GPS put me through Staten Island, I knew I had to stop at the Farm Colony. Last time I visited there was some indicators of activity. But this time, stumbling upon a man named Joe walking his dog in the grounds, I learned that that activity had something Read more…
May 19, 2023
The Witte Marine Equipment Company was once the only marine salvage yard in New York City. But they could not dismantle and resell crafts as quickly as all kinds of industries were dumping them off. The result, a variety of historic ships still sit on what is now known as Read more…
March 11, 2023
After some errands in New Jersey, by way of Staten Island, I did what I usually do when I have to come through. I hit Pastosa in Eltingville for vegan ravioli and I found something to take pictures of. I had put this water tower on my list of things Read more…
January 28, 2023
This visit to Staten Island’s Farm Colony we were taken aback by the clear walkways to all the structures, tagged trees, caution taped paths and overall feeling that the reliably accessible site might have an expiration date… eventually. Development of the site has been abuzz for several years, however this Read more…
June 20, 2022
I was overwhelmed with the want to easily explore… as it had been quite some time. I squeezed a trip to Staten Island’s New York Farm Colony on my day off, pushing all other tasks aside for the day. But first a couple of buses. Taking the bus to Staten Read more…
December 2, 2021
I’m really excited to feature an abandoned image on this year’s batch of my Christmas cards! With quick shoots in both Long Island’s KPPC and Staten Island’s New York Farm Colony, I brought the holiday cheer for these tongue-in-cheek shots. I intended to hit up Bayley Seton Hospital (also on Read more…
November 28, 2021
With ambitious and tiring photo missions the day before, a visit to my neighbor Staten Island offers convenience and value to a weekend car rental. And it’s been months since I checked in on my closest abandoned site to explore… New York Farm Colony. Though I was there with a Read more…
December 24, 2020
I’ve spent a good amount of this holiday season creating my own set of holiday greeting cards. This was the final addition. A quick trip to Staten Island’s Bayley Seton Hospital with a little bit of festive trim. The hospital was bustling, as most are right now. And the decaying Read more…
July 18, 2020
Like a lot of New Yorkers, I picked up a rental car today. My secret for an affordable price is to rent on my neighbor, Staten Island. While I was there, multitasking as usual, I planned to hit up a Caribbean eatery that offers a vegan dish. So I had Read more…
May 16, 2020
Though I found myself again at Staten Island’s most dynamic photo stop, The New York Farm Colony, first a visit to the barely accessible remains of the infamous Willowbrook State School. Since 1993, many of the former buildings of this disgraced state school for the physically and mentally disabled are Read more…
With such a hefty toll to cross into Staten Island, I like to make ‘er pay up–justify the antenna money grab with an enriching stop even if the Island is not my final destination. Such was the case when my friend and I embarked upon a road trip to several Read more…
April 19, 2020
Though it has become a source of disturbance and confusion, my want to uncover the abandoned lands that hold lost asylum patients has compelled me to trudge into thorny thickets now thrice. (Sorry, watching a Jane Austen movie). I was a bit uneasy this visit, having caught sight of several Read more…
March 29, 2020
Some photos from my recon mission to check the status of the old Wrigley Gum Factory (for sale!) which still sits mostly purposeless on Staten Island’s north shore. At the time of my visit, park goers sat in nearby Buono Beach, part of Alice Austen Park, contemplating life in solitude. Read more…
It’s always the staff quarters that are so much more accessible than other abandoned hospital parts. Sure they don’t promise the kind of eerie details so attractive to an urban explorer, but I enjoy the homeyness, the underpainting of comfort and safety as time and neglect peel the paint from Read more…
Every time I return to Staten Island Farm Colony’s remains it’s more brightly colored than the last. Because everyone is quarantining and it’s raining, I hoped I could have it all to myself–and I did. Though there was a shiny new fence securing my usual entrance off the Greenbelt Recreation Read more…
March 28, 2020
I had a list of decaying sites to hit on Staten Island, which is steadily becoming one of my favorite places to explore. It’s really close but feels so far away; it’s car friendly; and I pretty much never have to encounter anyone while there. Sure, that’s a skewed view Read more…
January 20, 2020
With water-repellant pants and some tall rubber boots, I return to the marshes off Arthur Kill in Rossville to see more of the rusting marine refuse. I first explored the distant ships in 2018, but was ill-equipped to venture near them. With a cold, partially frozen ground and said uniform, Read more…
Back in Staten Island? Well, my list of places to see and things to eat grew quickly. Very, very quickly. With a full day of exploration, it’d take three different posts to house the highlights. Starting with the abandoned parts of the active Bayley Seton Hospital in Stapleton. The campus Read more…
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…
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…
