Gary, IN

I recently spent some time in Gary, IN exploring some of the more famous condemned and abandoned sites of this once vibrant industrial city. Urbex photography is actually a relatively new hobby for me, though I've been exploring sewers and empty buildings for years. Unfortunately, urban exploring is still a very underground scene, as most of the activity involves trespassing and other illegal activities. As a society we're quick to hold someone else liable for our own mistakes, so it's only natural that local governments and private land owners would want to discourage people from exploring their abandoned buildings which are, frankly, lawsuit magnets waiting to happen. This is sad, but a reality of life.

To me urbex is important, simply because these abandoned sites are a historical artifact of our existence and should be recorded and shared, if not for current generations, then for posterity. The urban ecosystem is designed to recycle itself, so these relics never last for long, as their bulldozed to make room for new condos or shopping centers. Indeed, one might visit these places and think they're only eyesores and shelters for violence and gang activity that should be demolished and the sooner the better. I think this viewpoint is narrow-minded and uninspired. It's certainly tough to drive through once iconic main street Gary and see it's store fronts now shuttered and forgotten. But it's also inspiring to experience the impermanence of humanity's creation as evidenced by the decay of these architectural relics. All things return to earth, which is a lesson so easily understood by experiencing this beauty first hand.