Urban Exploring, also known as building hacking, is a hobby unique to a select few who dare to explore beyond the normal structured life of city buildings, and venture into those that have been left to urban decay. These structures found scattered throughout every city jungle are places that are often abandoned and have been left as a testament to a history that has long ago been forgotten.
Places such as old buildings, forgotten factories, dark tunnels, quiet train stations, and everything in-between is fair game to those looking for something out of the ordinary. These places appeal to a wide, but hidden audience including thrill seekers, ghost hunters, and photographers.
What makes each choice of location unique can vary from person to person, but most urban explorers can not help but be drawn to the haunting like structures through which they pass. Personally, I love the history that can be discovered in these ghostly like locations. Finding treasures like old license plates, phone-books and magazines with advertisements from times before my parents were born, and even things as eerie as old photographs, all hold a tangible key into a life that has come to pass.
The haunting aspect each location holds is another thing that I cannot help but be drawn to. Often exploring these places in darkness, there is a seemingly impending doom that screams for you to get out, yet draws you to stay. My heart jumps into my throat when the wind blows a door closed or a stray cat darts past the light of my flashlight. This unknowing feeling of what might happen around the next corner makes you want to continue on and discover what each room holds and where every staircase or passageway may take you.
Lastly, I appreciate the photography aspect of urban exploring as each photo shows just how beautiful something so seemingly ugly can be. The understanding is that it is more than just a place that needs to be torn down. It's a place that holds artistic value. Furthermore, graffiti often covers the walls of many of the buildings. Each wall was a blank canvas to each graffiti artist, many of which create images that are beyond what is seen in a typical art museum.
Sure each time you step off the sidewalk you are taking a risk. There is always plenty of places you can fall on loose floors or cut yourself on broken glass. But these possible dangers do not outweigh the positives that each journey brings. So maybe the next time you drive by that building with all the windows broken out, take a closer look and see if you too, can catch a glimpse of the mystery of urban decay.
