Hoarder’s Paradise
The former Belvedere Hotel in Apollo, Pennsylvania was a hoarder’s paradise.
Category
Northeast
Category
Northeast
Exploring the Allegheny Tuberculosis Sanatorium
At 2,500 feet in elevation, exploring the former Allegheny Tuberculosis Sanatorium was a delight. With heavy fog blanketing the campus in the early mornings, perpetual overcast days, and cooler temperatures even in the dead of summer, its location along the Allegheny Mountain front in Pennsylvania was ideal.
Suwannee Belle
Driving home to upstate New York on a cold, blustery evening, I stopped to visit a childhood memory: the everlasting tourist attraction, Roadside America, but I arrived too late, and the kitschy gift shop and model railroad exhibit was closed for the day. Determined to make the best of the waning evening, I stopped by next door to visit the ruined Suwannee Belle.
A Painter’s Residence
Tucked away in the Catskill Mountains of New York is an abandoned artist’s residence once belonging to the Romesky family. The house is now in an unfortunate state of collapse but much of the interior remains intact and includes glimpses into their livelihoods.
Catskill Boarding Houses
Boarding houses began to develop in the Catskill Mountains in the late 1800s as working-class families sought refuge from the dirty, unhealthy city in the mountains. Lodgers would rent one or more rooms for one or more nights, and meals were usually not included in the tab.
Demolition of Rockland State Hospital Underway
The demolition of the Rockland State Hospital in New York is underway to make way for a new data center for J.P. Morgan Chase.
Junkyard Gems
There is nothing like coming across a wayside junkyard nestled deep in the Appalachian Mountains while traveling in Pennsylvania. Following up on the incredible Volkswagen graveyard, this junkyard is far smaller with only a handful of vehicles but every bit as photogenic.
My Mortality
Stumbling upon an untouched apartment above a long-abandoned pharmacy in New York made me reflect on my own mortality and the finite nature of life.
Saint Joseph’s
Towering over the modest residences in its vicinity, the soaring blue limestone and Ohio sandstone faced Roman Catholic church is one of the most recognizable symbols of Albany, New York’s rich history. It’s also one of the most endangered.
Revisiting the Hickling Power Station
I recently I visited the abandoned Hickling Power Station in the Southern Tier of New York on two separate occasions, and from my first visit early in 2017, not much has thankfully changed. Absent a camper’s fire in the turbine hall, nothing has been scrapped, nothing has been graffitied, nothing has been vandalized.
Flyover of Abandoned Power Plant
I piloted a drone over the abandoned Genesee Power Station in the Southern Tier of New York on a recent evening.
Second Empire Déjà Vu
Déjà vu. Since relocating to upstate New York, I have come across numerous iterations of the Second Empire architectural style, including one that is a near-identical copy to the Wheeler-Knight House in Pennsylvania.
The Plight of Buffalo’s Elevators
Along the southern harbors of Buffalo, New York are the ruins of several elevators. Some of those giants, such as the former Cargill Superior, and Canadian Pool, have been derelict for decades, but they can all point their decline to the development of the St. Lawrence Seaway and the unpreparedness of Buffalo’s industrial leaders as the reason for their closure.
Old Hickory Renovations
I couldn’t believe my eyes. After driving for many miles in lake effect snow, I came upon Old Hickory in Coudersport, Pennsylvania. Work has started to restore this long-neglected landmark into a bed-and-breakfast.
A Gothic Revival Stunner
This stunning Gothic Revival residence in Ithaca, New York, was constructed in 1880. The long-vacant property served as Turback’s Restaurant for many years, and it closed in 1997. It was previously Chef Yeppi Presents and the Gables Inn restaurants.
The Cooperstown and Charlotte Valley Railroad
Coming fresh from a visit to Vermont, I ventured on the back roads around upstate New York. The country was far too beautiful to pass up with rolling, overcast skies for as far as the eye can see. Autumn colors were plentiful. Rounding the corner, I look over and out of the corner of my eye, I sighted derelict locomotives. I did a quick turnabout in the car and hurried back. This was too photogenic to pass up.
Another Dying Mall: Century III
America is not unique in having desolate shopping malls, but the sheer number of underperforming, closed, and abandoned malls—including the mammoth Century III Mall near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania—should give cause for alarm.
With Respects to The Old Hickory
An outstanding residence in the center of Coudersport, Pennsylvania, Old Hickory, has been abandoned for nearly 30 years.