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Showing posts from February, 2024

Gloversville Continental Mills

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After the Fire: What Remains of Gloversville Continental Mills A Field of Bricks The bricks were everywhere. Not stacked, not standing. Just scattered across the ground like something vast had simply let go. What used to be Mill No. 3 of the former Gloversville-Continental Mills now spread out before me like a field of rubble, stretching from Beaver Street all the way back to the Cayadutta Creek bank. Thousands of bricks, the same ones that had held this building upright through more than a century of American manufacturing history, lay in random heaps with nowhere left to go. In one corner, pressed against a sealed-off wall, sat what remained of steel beams, HVAC machinery, and other miscellaneous load-bearing beams and the remains of 40 historical knitting machines. The fire had taken everything soft about them. What was left were twisted red-brown skeletons of rust and charred metal, piled on top of each other like they had tried to hold on and failed. Standing there in the ...
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Brooklyn's Heartbeat: The Restoration of The Notorious B.I.G. Baby Mural

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  In a recent turn of events that has captured both my attention and that of our local community, The Emerald Dispensary , a beacon of progressive business being minority-owned and a bearer of a social equity license, made headlines for an action that struck a chord with art and hip-hop aficionados alike. This dispensary found itself at the center of controversy for whitewashing a mural of the Notorious B.I.G. as a baby, a piece of street art that, until its sudden disappearance, had been an unspoken homage to one of hip-hop's greatest icons, Christopher Wallace, better known as Biggie Smalls. My discovery of the mural, in March 2022, was serendipitous. At the time, its significance eluded me; what captured my eye was not the identity of the infant with the distinctive afro depicted, but rather the artistic audacity and the white backdrop against which it was set. It was only upon the news breaking on Thursday, February 15, 2024, that the true identity of the baby in the mural—and ...
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Location: 85 Suydam St, Brooklyn, NY 11221, USA
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WLIS Radio Station 1420 AM

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Also in Old Saybrook: Custom Marine Inc — the precision factory that built components for submarines before its demolition. Stepping into the forgotten corridors of an abandoned radio station, I found myself enveloped in a world frozen in time. In my decade-long journey through the remnants of the Northeast's past, this was a first - exploring a place once alive with the sounds of music and conversation, now silent and still. As J and I approached the lifeless structure of WLIS Radio 1420, a sense of anticipation filled the air. We scouted for entry points, initially considering a second-floor window, but the buzz of passing vehicles street-side steered us elsewhere. Eventually, we discovered a more secluded entry at the rear - a window that ushered us into the station's gloomy basement. From there, we ascended, drawn by the allure of what lay above. The upper floors were a treasure trove, a snapshot of an era long passed. Rooms were scattered with relics of radio and te...
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Location: Old Saybrook, CT, USA
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The Tale of a Hidden Mural and the Legacy of Rap Icons

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  In the heart of urban storytelling, murals stand as silent yet eloquent tributes to legends who've shaped our culture. Nestled in the bustling streets of Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, a masterpiece once vividly captured the essence of four American rap icons - Tupac Shakur, Pop Smoke, Nipsey Hussle, and the Notorious B.I.G. Each, a comet in the vast sky of music, their lives brutally snuffed out, leaving behind a legacy as enduring as the art that commemorates them. The Notorious B.I.G., born in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn, met a tragic end in a drive-by shooting in Los Angeles in 1997, aged merely 24. Tupac Shakur, another prodigy from East Harlem, was killed in Las Vegas over 28 years ago at 25. Pop Smoke, a young star from Canarsie, Brooklyn, had his life cut short at 20 during a robbery in Los Angeles in 2020. Nipsey Hussle, aged 33, was shot in the parking lot of his store, The Marathon Clothing, in LA, in 2019. This mural, titled "East Coast West Coast Legends," was a visual sympho...
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Location: 507 85th St, Brooklyn, NY 11209, USA
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Inside the Abandoned Albany Central Warehouse: A Forgotten NY Industrial Giant (Photos)

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In the heart of Albany, nestled amidst the echoes of its bustling past, lies an abandoned warehouse, a treasure trove of stories untold until now. This isn't just any derelict structure; it's the cornerstone of my urban exploration journey, the first of many, but forever the one that initiated me into the world of forgotten spaces. Let's call it the ultimate introduction, the genesis of a passion that has since defined my adventures. Our story begins on a crisp, cold morning that promises adventure. I vividly remember the excitement bubbling up as I set off to pick up my companion, referred to here as "A," from Queens. The journey from the familiar streets of our neighborhood to the unknown mysteries of Albany stretched over three hours, a pilgrimage to our very own urban Mecca. We arrived ahead of schedule, anticipation building as we waited in the chilling embrace of dawn, our breaths visible in the air, our spirits undeterred. Our early morning venture led us t...
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Location: 143 Montgomery St, Albany, NY 12207, USA
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Inside the Abandoned Horsman Doll Factory in Trenton

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  You’ve got to move when the chance is right. That’s something I keep telling myself—but just as often, I forget it. Or ignore it. And then I end up learning the same lesson all over again. It happened on a quiet afternoon when I pulled up to the old Horsman Doll factory. The place has long been abandoned, but it still holds stories—ones I try to capture through my lens. The main gate was slightly ajar. Not wide open, but just enough for me to slip through with my gear. It was one of those rare opportunities. But across the street, half-hidden behind a rundown house, a group of men sat drinking and shouting over each other. The kind of scene you don't want to get caught up in—especially alone, carrying expensive camera equipment. I hesitated. I debated. I bailed. My gut told me to walk away, so I did. I figured I could find another way in. I circled the block, hoping for a back entrance or even a broken window low enough to climb through. I found one window that looked possible—bu...
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Former East New York 75th Precinct Station (153rd Precinct)

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Station House facing Liberty Avenue & Miller Avenue Historical Completed in 1891, the former Romanesque Revival style with Venetian and Noram Revival ornament structure was created by 'architect' George Ingram, who is cited as the designer of the building. Architect Emile M. Grewe is also credited with having a hand in the collaboration. George Ingram was an assistant engineer in the Department of City Works in 1886, who was not a trained architect by trade. The building accommodated about 80 patrolmen, cells, and a stable via a passageway from the main building. Back then, it was known as the 17th precinct (Originally the 153rd precinct).  Entrance to the horse stable. Opening in 1892, the first detainee was John Pocahontas Smith, who was arrested for public drunkenness. In the 1930s, it was renamed the 75th precinct. In 1973, the precinct moved to the newer 75th precinct holdings on Sutter Ave. It then became the home to People's Baptis...
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Former Sonoco Paper Mill

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  Long before Amsterdam, New York, earned its title as the “Carpet City,” its story was written in water. The restless energy of the Chuctanunda Creek, a modest stream tumbling through the Mohawk Valley, was the city’s first engine. By the early 1800s, its currents were powering the fledgling mills, setting the stage for a transformation that would define not just a city, but an entire era of American industry. The real revolution, however, arrived on a man-made river. The opening of the Erie Canal in the mid-19th century, followed by the iron arteries of the railroad, was like a jolt of lightning. Suddenly, this small upstate city was plugged directly into the world. The goods crafted in its workshops, from linseed oil and simple brooms to intricate buttons and ironworks, could be shipped anywhere with astonishing speed and economy. Amsterdam was no longer just a town; it was becoming a hub. Yet, among its many trades, one industry rose to define its identity. The city’s name beca...
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Bayside Fuel Oil Depot Corporation (Part 2)

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Before the Bayside Company was fully known as the Bayside Fuel Oil Corporation. It was transferred by Standard Oil, its previous owner, in the 1940s. Its primary use before that time was mainly for storage and refinery purposes. Later on, it became a wholesale distributor of heating oil. Founded by Charles Pratt, it was one of about fifty refineries operating in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. During the 19th century, Williamsburg was the center of oil refining along the East River & Newton Creek. Fun facts, "some of the largest industrial firms in the nation were started in this area (inland & along Newtown Creek), including Pfizer Pharmaceutical Corporation (1849); Brooklyn Flint Glass (later Corning Glassware ); and the Havemeyers and Elder Sugar Refinery in Williamsburg (later Amstar and then Domino ), once the largest establishment in the world." In the early 2000s, Bayside Oil was proposed to be demolished by a company called Clean Point En...
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Exeter Energy Tire Incinerator Plant

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  We pulled up the long, curving driveway and stopped at the gate. A black pickup truck was parked off to the side. Uneasy, we backed down the road, trying to decide whether to go through with the mission. We should have. Later, as I reviewed the drone footage, I saw it — an open doorway in the back. I can only assume it led straight into the tire-burning facility. But at the time, it didn’t show up on my controller’s feed. I wish we’d at least circled, and taken a look at the rear of the plant before giving up and heading to another site. That hesitation cost us. If we hadn’t let a parked truck shake our resolve, we could have been the only explorers on the entire East Coast to document one of the last two tire-to-energy plants in the country — the only one in New England. It wasn’t just a massive industrial site; it was the region’s primary solution for handling end-of-life tires, processing countless loads into energy. But we never went back. By the time we worked up the nerve a...
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