WebUrbanist: Abandoned Cities, Places and Property

Jul 18 2008July 18, 2008

Great article from WebUrbanist about abandoned places and websites related to these abandonments…

What is it about abandoned places, frozen in time, that makes them seem more real than any other representation of history we encounter? From individual structures to entire communities, abandonments large and small inspire the imagination and tell us things about the past in a visceral way. Capturing moments in time, deserted cities, towns, buildings and other abandoned property can be powerfully evocative. Many people break laws, trespass on private property and risk life and limb to explore and photograph abandoned places.

(continue reading at: Abandoned Cities, Places and Property | WebUrbanist)

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Gerry Jarvis says:

March 15, 2009 at 10:12 pm

A back episode of Mythbusters had a segment shot in a derelict neighbourhood, presumably somewhere in the greater Bay Area. Aerial shots showed a huge area, curved streets, and homes maybe thirty years old… nothing at all if they’re lived in and maintained, of course. A casual reference to the area said it had once been a residential area for the U.S. military but had been abandoned. Do you have any idea why the area was never reclaimed or maintained? Seems an enormous waste. If you know the “back story” of this area, please pass it along. Thanks! Gerry jarvis, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

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willwm says:

March 18, 2009 at 11:47 am

@Gerry Jarvis:

Thanks for your comment and visit! If you’re curious about that derelict neighborhood you mentioned, I’d suggest checking out the book and photos by a Flickr user going by the name of “Lost America”, since I seem to recall that he’s got quite a few photos of the area, and a great collection of abandonments in general:

http://www.lostamerica.com/

I’m guessing that this might be the place you’re referring to:

And here’s the info from Lost America’s set page:

In 2004, I was granted night access to the long forgotten and neglected, Hunters Point, Naval Shipyard. Over the course of 5 consecutive full moons I photographed in every corner of the nearly 500 acre facility. Originally opened as a commercial shipyard in 1870, the land was seized by the US military in 1942 and transformed into a vital repair base during WWII. The Navy closed the base in 1974 and most of the area has remained uninhabited ever since.

Stories of widespread radioactive contamination, it’s location in one of the most crime-ridden neighborhoods in San Francisco and many locked and patroled gates have kept the base out of the public eye for decades. There are dozens of abandoned buildings. Warehouses, offices and drydock pumphouses, some dating all the way back to 1870. These are some of the oldest buildings in San Francisco, just abandoned and forgotten. Giant gantry cranes stand rusting alongside the broken and flooded drydocks. On the hill above the dockyards is a residential neighborhood. Built in the 1920s and 30s and seized by the Navy for officers housing, it has also been abandoned for 30 years. The streets look like a post apocalyptic movie set. The entire relic strewn base is just minutes from the downtown of one of the west coast’s largest cities.

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RaiulBaztepo says:

March 28, 2009 at 3:53 pm

Hello!
Very Interesting post! Thank you for such interesting resource!
PS: Sorry for my bad english, I’v just started to learn this language 😉
See you!
Your, Raiul Baztepo

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