Please read the following in the same way you would read the "opinions section" of your local newspaper. This is my opinion and un-researched theory on the demise of urban exploration. Feel free to contact me directly if you wish to debate these points or ask me any questions about the article.
I have long been a fan of urban exploration, I have been doing this since I was 7 years old with my father. I consider it to be my favorite hobby and take what I do very seriously. However, it is now in my opinion that doing this as a hobby is slowly dissolving and sites to explore are slowly disappearing. I attribute this condition to the popularization of the hobby by a specific magazine as well as other well known internet based sites, all of which promote the hobby. Urban exploration is being introduced to more and more people, some of whom have never before thought of such a hobby as a real hobby. I believe that it is not the people that are destroying these sites, however it is the sheer fact that this once underground hobby is making its way into the mainstream.
What I see as happening is: A few bored teens are going to places like Pioneer Smelting and setting it on fire. Or... A few teens hear about this cool place (the mays landing brick company/brooksbrae) to play paintball and after spraying it with paint, go on to tell others and the cycle continues. Or... A few teens go to a place like the Marlboro Slaughterhouse to drink and party, the neighbors call the cops and lodge a complaint with city hall. Although it sounds like the "bored teens" are the ones who are doing the destruction, this is NOT my critical argument. The fact that all three cases above exist all bring attention to the sites mentioned which in turn alerts police, local governments, mayors, property owners, local newspapers, and militant neighbors.
Urban Explorers, such as myself and others on this BB, are able to deal with paintball players, a few beer cans, and spraypaint and it only slighlty gets in our way. However, suddenly we have bigger problems to worry about - like getting arrested for trespassing! Police do not know the difference between explorers looking to learn some history, enjoy nature, take photographs and a "bored teen" looking to cause trouble. Lately, I have read three articles posted in local newspapers about Marlboro Slaughterhouse, Byberry Institution, and Montclair Abandoned Hospital. All three articles state how patrols are being stepped up and arrests made at all three due to attention received from popular sources. All three articles also include the name of a popular magizine you might have heard of. I cannot speak for Byberry but I do know that Montclair Hospital and Marlboro Slaughterhouse do not have any no trespassing signs and patrols have only recently been made.
I believe that Urban Exploration as we know it may soon come to a slow halt with few unique places left to "legally" explore. Or some might not even be able to be explored at all. For example; Pioneer Smelting Factory (demolished), Atl Brick Mfg (recent no tresspassing signs), Skillman Institution (boarded up), Overbrook Institution (burned then demolished), John Estell House (burned), Purgatory Road farmhouses (being demolished), Devonshire Motor Inn (now a paintball hotspot). What do I see in the future? Brooksbrae being put off limits as well as possibly other PB historic sites.
My conclusion is that urban exploration has taken off as a popular hobby and in turn is killing itself. This hobby survives mainly on the premise that few or limited amounts of people know about these places and those that do will be marginal in their explorations and preserve not destroy. The WORST thing that can be done is the widespread publication of these places to a popular or mainstream crowd.
I have long been a fan of urban exploration, I have been doing this since I was 7 years old with my father. I consider it to be my favorite hobby and take what I do very seriously. However, it is now in my opinion that doing this as a hobby is slowly dissolving and sites to explore are slowly disappearing. I attribute this condition to the popularization of the hobby by a specific magazine as well as other well known internet based sites, all of which promote the hobby. Urban exploration is being introduced to more and more people, some of whom have never before thought of such a hobby as a real hobby. I believe that it is not the people that are destroying these sites, however it is the sheer fact that this once underground hobby is making its way into the mainstream.
What I see as happening is: A few bored teens are going to places like Pioneer Smelting and setting it on fire. Or... A few teens hear about this cool place (the mays landing brick company/brooksbrae) to play paintball and after spraying it with paint, go on to tell others and the cycle continues. Or... A few teens go to a place like the Marlboro Slaughterhouse to drink and party, the neighbors call the cops and lodge a complaint with city hall. Although it sounds like the "bored teens" are the ones who are doing the destruction, this is NOT my critical argument. The fact that all three cases above exist all bring attention to the sites mentioned which in turn alerts police, local governments, mayors, property owners, local newspapers, and militant neighbors.
Urban Explorers, such as myself and others on this BB, are able to deal with paintball players, a few beer cans, and spraypaint and it only slighlty gets in our way. However, suddenly we have bigger problems to worry about - like getting arrested for trespassing! Police do not know the difference between explorers looking to learn some history, enjoy nature, take photographs and a "bored teen" looking to cause trouble. Lately, I have read three articles posted in local newspapers about Marlboro Slaughterhouse, Byberry Institution, and Montclair Abandoned Hospital. All three articles state how patrols are being stepped up and arrests made at all three due to attention received from popular sources. All three articles also include the name of a popular magizine you might have heard of. I cannot speak for Byberry but I do know that Montclair Hospital and Marlboro Slaughterhouse do not have any no trespassing signs and patrols have only recently been made.
I believe that Urban Exploration as we know it may soon come to a slow halt with few unique places left to "legally" explore. Or some might not even be able to be explored at all. For example; Pioneer Smelting Factory (demolished), Atl Brick Mfg (recent no tresspassing signs), Skillman Institution (boarded up), Overbrook Institution (burned then demolished), John Estell House (burned), Purgatory Road farmhouses (being demolished), Devonshire Motor Inn (now a paintball hotspot). What do I see in the future? Brooksbrae being put off limits as well as possibly other PB historic sites.
My conclusion is that urban exploration has taken off as a popular hobby and in turn is killing itself. This hobby survives mainly on the premise that few or limited amounts of people know about these places and those that do will be marginal in their explorations and preserve not destroy. The WORST thing that can be done is the widespread publication of these places to a popular or mainstream crowd.
