I realized that I'm always taking pics of my car at "nice" places - parks, near water, Fall foilage, etc. After looking at some of Jason's pics w/ some old crappy buildings as the backdrop I thought i'd try to do something similiar.

Unfortunately, I suck at taking pictures but thought this was a pretty interesting backdrop anyway. I'm sure Jason or others could get some really awesome shots at a place like this.

They were taken at a place called Pilgrim State Hospital and it has quite the interesting history.


In the 1920's NY city had 6 mental hospitals and all were extremely overcrowded. The state's answer was to build the solution to this problem once and for all - Pilgrim State Hospital.

Originally designed to house close to 15,000 patients on over 1,500 acres of land, Pilgrim still holds the record of being the largest pysch. hospital in the world. Initial construction lasted from 1930-1941. I'm not sure exactly but there are at least 50 separate buildings on the campus. Lots of underground tunnels too - That must be fun!!

It was built to be completely self sufficient. It had it's own police, fire, post office. They grew much of their own food and also produced their own power and water.

Unfortunately back in the day if you were brought to a place like this - you probably never left.

Some of the treatments performed there included Insulin shock therapy (introduced at Pilgrim in 1936), electric shock therapy and Prefontal lobotomies. Up to two thousand were performed there between 1946 and 1959.

I used to date a girl who worked in administration and I'd go there to take her out to lunch. Let me tell you - it is one creepy place. I can't imagine what it would be like to walk around inside the buildings now. Nothing was really removed so everything is how it was - beds, equipment, furniture, etc.

There is actually some newer buildings that still have some patients but no where near what it was.

 

A few more

 

Hey Chris, I see you managed to get close to the hospital this time around. How'd you do that without getting busted?

 

If I may make a suggestion. Next time you go there if you do, turn the car around and take a picture of the front. Do it vertically as close as possible to the car using a wide angle lens probably at around 20-24mm. You don't want to get distortion making the car look elongated. I think you'll manage to get a few good shots this way. Look slightly downward too.

 

Thanks for the tip Jason - do I need a specific "wide angle lens" or will my kit lens work. I was about to move the car around and my CF card filled up. I didn't want to spend too much time there moving my car around for the perfect shot LOL!

I did manage to get pulled over by one of their cops because I rolled thru a stop sign. I saw him as he was parked in front of another building and I was looking at it. I honestly didn't see the sign. I told him I just didn't see it and that I saw him - wouldn't go thru it with him sitting there.

I told him I was there taking pictures and he said I was not aloud to do that. I'll go back in a few days - there are some other buildings that I think I can also get closer to.

 

That is such a creepy place...

totally interesting though, id love to explore it

 

Nice shots. Which wheels are those?

 

Champion RF-67. BTW, did you ever get in the interior CF pieces I was ordering?

 

The CF parts have not completed yet but are part of a large production order that should complete in the next couple of weeks. I'll email you when they arrive.

Love those wheels man.

 

I love it! Amazing!

 

the first photo, with the grey sky, is really cool.

 

Here's a link that has some of the inside - I think it would be pretty creepy to go in there now. I think there's pic of the morgue in this link

http://www.opacity.us/gallery39_emptiness.htm

 

I've driven by that place in the middle of the night with a bunch of girls. I turned the car off and lowered all the windows and ran off. The girls wouldn't stop screaming and crying, they said that there are people that still lived and roamed around the area. Funniest thing I have ever done on the island. On that same night, I drove to Amityville to see the famous house and to Mary's Grave.

 

Well, there are still some inpatients there and some do walk around. I highly doubt they'd be wandering around at night though LOL!

I remember the first time I went to pick up my GF for lunch. Patients were coming up to me, one guy tried to hug me (I almost hit him). It was really freaky.

When I got to my Gf's office I was like WTF, i'm not coming here anymore. She said any of the patients they let walk around are completely safe, the real sick or dangerous ones don't get out. Gee, thanks.

 

I've been in there a few times many years ago when I was a Fireman/EMT.

Creepy does not begin to explain it.