Tag Archives: exploration

Presenting the American Urbex Podcast

American Urbex is a means to motivate myself to get out the door and explore new places. Unfortunately… or fortunately depending on your point of view… there are only so many urbex locations to explore nearby. Because I do not have unlimited funds does not mean that I am limited when exploring new things. One of those new things for me that is cheap to explore is podcasting. I have decided to stick my head out there and see what happens with American Urbex Podcast. There are a few episodes already recorded and I have scheduled release dates set. Using some of the money donated to American Urbex, I have invested into hosting for a podcast.

What is the American Urbex Podcast?

In the first couple of episodes I will be talking about some of the places I have explored. I will discuss some of the background information, the location details, and what motivates me to keep going. Future episodes will address topics such as research methods, preservation, camera equipment, online resources and more. The natural rhythm and flow of the podcast will work itself out as time goes on. So without further ado I present unto the public the American Urbex Podcast.

American Urbex E.01 – The Origin Story

A chance encounter with an abandoned German factory turns the American Urbex creator on to a new and potentially dangerous hobby.

Hassia Landmaschinenfabrik – Flickr Gallery

Subscribe to the American Urbex Podcast on iTunes or download the episode directly.

Foreclosed Hotel

Normally when I go to an urbex location it has been abandoned for quite some time. This definitely was not the case this time around. This hotel was foreclosed upon sometime in early 2010. From the looks of it, the employer ran out of time to remove their property. The pool was still half full of water. Networking equipment sat behind the front desk. The bar still had beer, juice, and other foodstuffs behind it. Despite being right next to a major highway the hotel is not easy to get to from the nearest exit. The nightly logbook indicates that even on weekends the hotel only had 3-4 check-ins. Employees recorded their malaise dealing with sheer boredom.

If the United States economic woes continue unabated I have no doubt that this will not be my last urbex adventure in a foreclosed property.

Key 170

Photo: Keys to the conference rooms.

Lobby

Photo: The view from the lobby. Photo taken by Nick Forslund.

DSC_2266

Photo: One of the undisturbed rooms. It is good to see that vandals or copper thieves have not made their way through the building. Photo by bitter_buffalo33.

The Pool is Closed

Photo: Despite the extreme cold the pool area remains quite humid.

No Lifeguard on Duty

Photo: The whirlpool was completely empty.

Moldy Door 2

Photo: The basement refrigeration doors were made of wood. Photo by Nick Forslund.

Moldy Door 1

Photo: The damp basement provides the perfect environment for mold to thrive. Photo by Nick Forslund.

All Along the Watchtower

Eastern State Penitentiary

The walls at Eastern State Penitentiary are all but unscalable all the way around. In 1945 a group of 12 inmates dug a secret 97 foot tunnel underneath the wall. The infamous bank robber Willy Sutton was among the dirty dozen to escape.

Please see the research post on Eastern State Penitentiary.