There’s something that I love about dilapidated buildings. In my spare time, I seek them out and try to learn new spots – and then go photograph them, or in them – or near them. There is beauty in destruction, a way of making things new and nature blooming through the debris. A rebirth of sorts… so on this particular Friday, I set out first by myself and then with my Shaman friend (who is also a fellow photographer), and explored some key places in Philly. Mind you, my overly ambitious nature had a list of 8 local spots, one in the burbs. But after realizing how massive these structures were (13 floors + at the Beury, up next in the blog posts), I was helluva tired, the sun was setting (in North Philly = get the funk out) and beers needed to be had after a hard day’s exploration work.
Irony outside Metropolitan Opera House. Shortly after this photo, a churchgoing man chatted with me and told of of the plans to make this into a super church!The Divine Lorraine Hotel.The Divine Lorraine.More ways to seal you out of the Divine Lorraine.Behind the Divine Lorraine. I want my MTV!Behind the Divine Lorraine.The only way to get near the Divine Lorraine is to crawl through this fence.The only way to get near the Divine Lorraine is to crawl through this fence hole but two floors of the building itself are sealed with cement blocks. Grappling hooks maybe?The only way to get near the Divine Lorraine is to crawl through this fence hole but two floors of the building itself are sealed with cement blocks. Grappling hooks maybe?Building behind Divine Lorraine, inside a tear in the fence, room to nowhereBuilding behind Divine Lorraine, inside a tear in the fence, room to nowhereDivine Lorraine, from inside the fenceDivine Lorraine, view from inside the first fence and backDivine Lorraine, view from frontDivine Lorraine entranceMetropolitan opera house, from the backMetropolitan opera house, from the backMetropolitan opera house, door in the backMetropolitan opera house, from the front sideMetropolitan opera house, old signMetropolitan opera house, signMetropolitan opera house, frontMetropolitan opera house, beer can nailed to sideMetropolitan opera house wrought iron fenceGated front of Metropolitan opera houseMetropolitan opera house glovesDivine Lorraine entrance. Allegedly the day I was scoping it out, so were some restauranteurs. Great minds think alike!
