The Lure of Urban Exploration
The structures that mankind have built are breathtaking. It's a modern marvel to see many of these structures, but what has started to fascinate me is when these structures are left desolate. For whatever reason, maybe it closed down, everyone just left, or a litany of other reasons. To see these abandoned marvels is for some reason very fascinating, and this is often referred to as "Urban Exploration."
My interest was peaked by following the Web Urbanist blog, and I decided I wanted to try and see/capture some of it here in Dayton. I called Mr. Martin who is "in the know" on these things, and he showed me some amazing spots. An abandoned train center, paper factory, and some other closed factories in Dayton. In the paper factory a homeless man living in there even gave us a tour around! It was a humbling experience. I thought sharing the pictures would peak someone's interest as mine was.
May 31st 2008 
3 Comments 
May 31st 2008
Hi Chris,
I don't intend to endorse Percy Bysshe Shelley at all, but when you were speaking, I couldn't help but think of one of his sonnets, that brings out a forceful moral from just such an encounter with the transience of man's ephemeral and yet impressive works of art. I quote it below:
I met a traveller from an antique land,
Who said--"Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desert....Near them, on the sand,
Half sunk a shattered visage lies, whose frown,
And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command,
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read
Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,
The hand that mocked them, and the heart that fed;
And on the pedestal, these words appear:
My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings,
Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!
Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal Wreck, boundless and bare
The lone and level sands stretch far away."
May 31st 2008
@Nathan: Thanks! I do like that.
Jun 4th 2008
I love the pictures!!! Especially the one of the guy in the door!! Next time y'all go out adventuring give me a call...i love old abandoned buildings!!