Waterfront Plastics Factory

For close to six years, I had my eyes set on this specific factory. I watched as nature slowly consumed it, as well as fire, and cursed the bulldozers every time I drove past. Despite the temptation, I'm a firm believer of never exploring alone, (there are too many chances of getting hurt or running into scrappers, drug addicts, and the like,) so when I found company in The Unknown Cameraman, I knew this would finally be my chance.

The first time we tried to get into the building didn't turn out so well. The Unknown Cameraman's efforts proved successful, but several fisherman next to the factory insisted on watching me closely.





A few weeks later, we returned with a friend who had never been exploring before. Having made up our minds that we would get in no matter what, we walked right passed everyone at the dock and entered the factory.

The room we found ourselves in was massive. Destroyed by fire and the elements,  it appeared to be only a shell; however, upon further examination, we found quite a few interesting items giving us insight as to the work that went on there.

Continuing on to the next level, we entered a room that had obviously taken quite a beating from the fire. Wooden planks used for the flooring of an upper level seemed to have bubbled from the inferno and the stairs had lost everything but their framing. 





The next part of the building we discovered had not been touched by the blaze, making it appear much newer than what we had seen so far.

Windows and doors were sealed with boards except for one room, which had an odd tilt to it.

We exited out into the courtyard and entered through another door. To the right, large, open windows illuminated a hallway of peeling paint, creating a perfect photo op.

To the left was a large room held up by massive columns painted various colors. I warned my fellow explorers to watch their step, pointing to random holes in the floor, then we parted ways to explore this level by ourselves.

Surrounding walls were dotted with several doors-perhaps my favorite thing to see while exploring. The freight elevator and men's room door especially showed the age of this building.

  
The next level revealed the same large columns as the first and contained old pipes and wiring not yet taken by scrappers.



We climbed the next flight of stairs, ducking down to avoid being seen through the windows. Paint chips from the columns littered the floor resembling millions of snowflakes and cracked beneath our feet. 

Busted windows gave us a view across the courtyard, showing just how much the buildings we had first entered were damaged.

Another large roll up door held the promise of leading us into a catwalk, gaining access into the newer portion of the factory. Unfortunately, a padlock prevented us from entering. Hopefully this will change in the future.






Sticking our heads through an opening, we found what could have been a fire escape ladder. However, after The Unknown Cameraman shook it, we decided it wasn't sturdy enough to climb.

 

The final floor had another dilapidated hallway, similar to the one we had seen on the first floor.





Getting tired of seeing a primarily empty building, I tested out a panoramic and followed my comrades down the stairs.

We exited the main building into an open area where other parts of the factory once stood. Again trying to stay out of the fishermen's view, we bent down and hurried to the next building.

Before my eyes were bright blue tanks, pipes, and brick walls stained with rust; I let out a sigh of relief, thankful to finally see a room that showed more signs of human life.

Other areas of this structure seemed to have been remodeled at one point. In the basement, stairs had been cut off and a random portion of a dividing wall remained with a window frame in it. On the upper floor, there was the framing of what resembled a bar.



Exhausted after the hours we had spent here, our friend and I stood outside and watched as The Unknown Cameraman crossed the property to another rectangular building. Unfortunately, this was another letdown: no opening could be found. After a few quick pictures, we retraced our steps back to our original point of entry and, with cameras in hand, climbed out with another successful explore under our belts. 

Undercover Fox in the main building

The UC in the demolition

Our friend in the 2nd hallway

The full video by The Unknown Cameraman

The Isolation Hospital

After being unable to gain access to the first location we had hoped to explore that day, The Unknown Cameraman led us to a spot previously recommended by a fan. I pointed to an immense tan structure that stood isolated on a hill, commenting on its beauty. “Yup, that’s it,” my partner-in-crime replied. This would be the largest building we've had the pleasure of exploring.

We spent over an hour scouting the area, trying to find a point of entry where we would remain unseen. When the voices of neighbors died off, we sprinted toward the empty hospital and made our way inside.

The hallway we crawled into had been battered from years of neglect; layers of paint chips, dust, and glass covered the ground. Once we slipped the respirators over our faces, the exploring began. 

At the end of the hallway was a room with walls of old, molding brick. Stacks of boxes had been tipped, revealing unused hospital supplies.

Realizing the sun would begin setting soon, we hurried to see what the other floors had to offer. The reality of the hospital once being used to house the mentally ill became evident by the grating on a few of the windows.

Behind the doors of the next few levels were reminders of those who were treated here; we came across mattresses, plates, and even a half-finished crossword puzzle.

The next floor held a large room once used as a cafeteria, complete with several fascinating doors; it was obvious by their age that this wing of the building had not been used for decades.

 Curious as to what the other side of the hospital had to offer, we stealthily crossed the roof into a room filled with papers destroyed by a fire. The other parts of this floor, however, were much more pristine.  

Empty vials and broken glass were strewn across the floor of the newly abandoned hallway. An elevator, much newer than the one I had discovered in the left wing, stood next to a calendar which read "2010 Holiday Schedule."

A few rooms on this floor featured laboratory supplies and computers, but the darkroom, seemingly untouched, ended up being a favorite for both of us.

After maneuvering around a board blocking the next level, we found ourselves in a large open space prepped for remodeling. Oddly enough, we had stepped back in time again: pasted to the wall was a fire safety permit with the date "4-19-97."  

With rooftop shots in mind, we ascended the stairway where we were, once again, brought into a different decade. Yellow paint came off the walls like dead skin, exposing the colors that had come before it. 

At the top of the steps laid a small room with a doorway to the outside world.



A little bit of sunlight still hung over the horizon, convincing us to explore one last level on the way down. Machines from various time periods intrigued me, but this final floor displayed my favorite artifact of the day: biohazard bags.

The rooms were quickly turning black, signaling that it was time for us to head out. Retracing our footsteps led us into reality with the hospital at our backs. I smiled at The Unknown Cameraman, my heart still racing, "So when are we going back?"

The Unknown Cameraman in the left wing

Undercover Fox on the rooftop