Institutional

Don’t Fence Me In

Once I got back from my Beelitz adventure, Ben was ready to see the city, so we got on the U-bahn and went to Charlottenburg for dinner. After a little bit of going around in circles, we decided on (delicious) Vietnamese food, then circled around some more looking for a massage parlor that made themselves nearly impossible to reach, "Good China Massage". We both tried multiple times to call and make an appointment, but neither their English nor my German came anywhere near understandable, and all she would do on the phone was repeat "Güüte China Maßßadge" at us (we…

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Betreten Verboten!

Just as one should expect by now for Team Fail, things were off track even by the time I woke up. Ben was sick and not really planning on going anywhere, and it was supposed to be our exploring day. I normally can't stand exploring alone, not in the least because it's never gone well for me before, but he insisted I give it a try, so I did, going to the easiest place I knew of, Beelitz-Heilstätten. Beelitz is about an hour away, for one thing, in more or less middle of nowhere Brandenburg, but with this being Germany,…

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Urbex Challenge #103

Even as well as 2015 started, this one just seemed too good to be true. I'd heard a few weeks ago that the Walters Building was wide open, and at my level no less, for the first time in at least 10 years. I even got directions to it so I'd know exactly which door to use - either the best chance I'll ever have again at an asylum, or an elaborate trap to send me into the teeth of security. All I needed was someone willing to try it with me, and I even managed to make that happen,…

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Waystation For The Weird

It didn't take me long to get started with 2015. While the TV appearance ended up being a disastrous failure, with Seph Lawless getting the spot I'd been aiming for, and the producer letting me know that he followed up with me by mistake after our interview, I had a few leads to follow and the potential for some huge adventures in the not too distant future. And especially in the winter, I get a horrible chronic case of wanderlust, and make lots of impulsive plans - this time, to spend a weekend in New York City and Cleveland to…

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Keep It Simple

Needless to say, after that kind of success in a place like Terrence, it didn't take me long to come back. Christmas must have come early this year, letting me into a building I'd wanted for so many years, and without any chance of getting caught. Even the ceiling fans have given up... The graffiti in here isn't great, but at least they try to be clever. Every level has its own color. Almost as if different psychiatric conditions might benefit from being surrounded by one particular shade for months at a time. Notably absent: institutional green. ...maybe just because…

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White Whale

And just like that, it happened. I'd heard mumblings that there was a way in for a few weeks, but I didn't entirely believe anyone that told me, and besides, it was probably some climb that would leave me re-enacting the plight of the beached manatee, only this time in broad daylight and fully sober. I'd had a few close calls with this building already -- in 2011, with an unloaded camera; in 2013, at night, twice; earlier this year, not quite able to get in the hole in the window as I thrashed away at it helplessly. This time…

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