What do you consider as an industrial wasteland?

[agentsteel53]

okay fellers, to avoid this sort of conflict, and to make the thread one Hell of a lot more interesting.  From now on: pictures.



the oil fields of Taft, California.

[mightyace]

the oil fields of Taft, California.

I think that simply qualifies as a wasteland, period.

[Chris]

The suburbs of Paris (well, the social housing burbs)

[agentsteel53]

I think that simply qualifies as a wasteland, period.

it is a major oil drilling area... the only decent photo I happened to have was the one of the yellow stop sign, not the endless lines of derricks.

[Ian]

-all of northeastern New Jersey

Then, no offense, but you're an idiot.  And I would say that to anyone who thinks that.

If you want to know where the industrial wastelands are in NE NJ: Carteret.  Port Newark/Elizabeth aren't so much industrial as heavy commercial.  There's a lot of warehousing near the NJ Turnpike in general.  That's no more than 5% of the total land area of NE NJ and about 1% of the roadscape.

Alright, I'm sorry. It's just that the parts of northeastern NJ look like a wasteland. Jeeze.

[Alps]

Helpful note: don't denigrate entire regions without considering that people who live there may know better.

[xcellntbuy]

Those pictures of Parisian suburbs look similar to what is left of the cities near Chernobyl, Ukraine, only the French buildings are inhabited.  Very sad.

[getemngo]

I welcome any photos showing Detroit! Ryan sent me a few months ago. Anyone else have any?

You can lose yourself for hours, if not days, at DetroitYES.

[njroadhorse]

Here's Camden, NJ:

[Brandon]

The suburbs of Paris (well, the social housing burbs)

Wow.  Those remind me of the Robert Taylor Homes that used to exist along the Dan Ryan Expressway (I-90/94). 

[jdb1234]

Emelle, AL.  Home to the world's largest Hazmat Dump

[BigMattFromTexas]

I went exploring in the Red Arroyo behind my house, and about half a mile from my house, and I went to a storm drainage culvert and saw all this graffiti.


BigMatt

[florida]

Times Beach, MO
Centralia, PA

[Scott5114]

Times Beach, MO
Centralia, PA

I don't think a resort community for rich people counts an an industrial wasteland, even though it later became a Superfund site and demolished

[florida]

Times Beach, MO
Centralia, PA

I don't think a resort community for rich people counts an an industrial wasteland, even though it later became a Superfund site and demolished

Not every place can be as poor as Chernobyl  I didn't even know it was a community for rich people since any pictures I saw were of ratty houses on dirt roads.

[Alex]

I think this thread more of reflects urban decay rather than industrial wasteland. The two sort of go hand in hand, but most of the images posted above reflect derelict neighborhoods then industry.

[Truvelo]

OK, here's one near me which is non-residential. It's a Google streetview image but I go past it nearly every day and it's been in this state for over a year now. The large brick structure to the right is also closed down and metal fencing has been installed over the windows to keep vandals out

[Alex]

OK, here's one near me which is non-residential. It's a Google streetview image but I go past it nearly every day and it's been in this state for over a year now.

Nice example of a shuttered industrial site. My previous comment about urban decay is to not discourage imagery of those examples from being posted. I certainly welcome those, as urban decay is one of my interests overall.

[Truvelo]

With the current recession and economic crisis there's never been a better time to see examples of closed businesses. A good place at the moment, in the UK anyway, is the High Street. You guys probably call it Main Street. There are plenty of store fronts covered in For Sale and To Let signs. A common feature with closed stores is to cover the windows in a white substance, I assume to stop potential burglars seeing what's inside.

Another thing that's been going on for years is the closing of pubs and gas stations. High taxation is the likely cause of the demise of these. You can buy four cans of beer in a supermarket for the price of a single glass in a pub. With gas stations it's the low profit from fuel that's leading to closures, particularly the independent mom and pop garages that can't compete with the big guys.

I took this picture of a local pub a couple of years ago. I'm not sure if it's still there as many are sold off to be replaced by housing. Closed gas stations also suffer the same fate.

[Chris]

Check out the thread Brutal New York on the Skyscrapercity forums. It shows pictures of the urban decay in New York City between 1965 and 1995. Some previews:

[Hellfighter]

Flint, MI

[yanksfan6129]

Check out the thread Brutal New York on the Skyscrapercity forums. It shows pictures of the urban decay in New York City between 1965 and 1995. Some previews:

Now, of course, Chris, New York has been fixed up really well...you can't find places like that in NYC anymore, I'm proud to say!

[Chris]

Now, of course, Chris, New York has been fixed up really well...you can't find places like that in NYC anymore, I'm proud to say!

I know, just today I was browsing with Streetview through the Bronx. Most of those pics above are in Google Earth as well, but they do not look anything like they looked before the 90's. NYC shaped up great from the 90's onward.

By the way, I've read today Camden, NJ was once again America's most dangerous city in 2008.

[agentsteel53]

the wasteland now looks like this.



pretty depressing.

there are, fortunately, plenty of places in New York that are a lot more fun.  Chinatown (lower Manhattan), Queens Blvd, etc...

[yanksfan6129]

the wasteland now looks like this.



pretty depressing.

there are, fortunately, plenty of places in New York that are a lot more fun.  Chinatown (lower Manhattan), Queens Blvd, etc...

You may say depressing, but at least it's a sign of progress. That said, I agree with you that starbucks isn't what NY is about it...NYC is a fabulous city, no doubt.