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ReidRansom
Oct 25, 2004


WilWheaton posted:

A city that was planned on the premise of 'Build a go-cart track and they will come?'

If only the sub-prime lending bubble had lasted long enough for them to start targeting children.

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Ograbme
Jul 26, 2003

D--n it, how he nicks 'em
Wow, suburban streets look even more pointlessly confusing without actual houses.

Pigsfeet on Rye
Oct 22, 2008

I'm meat on the hoof

WilWheaton posted:

A city that was planned on the premise of 'Build a go-cart track and they will come?'

Rain follows the go-kart track.

Queen Elizatits
May 3, 2005

Haven't you heard?
MARATHONS ARE HARD

Frozen Horse posted:

It is seriously an rear end-haul from anywhere. Essentially, in the 1960s, an urban planning professor decided that trends in growth suggested that the state was ripe for another big city. Naturally, he was the man to plan it and start development. His plan suffered only from having the only available land be three hours and a mountain range from either Los Angeles or Bakersfield, lacking in water, and devoid of any reason for people to live there or business to set up there aside from the fact that the land was cheap. Turns out that the land was cheap because it is worthless. Yet, it is also austerely beautiful and I am glad that it was not made into some sort of storage dump for either pedophiles or suburbanites.

I live in California City and it's about to get even more deserted. The biggest employer is the prison and they've finally realized it would be cheaper to shut it down and move the inmates then to continue paying staff double what they pay anywhere else.

Apparently the city almost got a supermarket and a hotel but both were blocked by city council and the rumor is the council member who owns the only place in town that could be called a grocery store didn't want the competition.

I cannot wait to leave

Edit: I don't think there is a go cart place here anymore. I wish there was because that would be something else to do.

Oh another edit, all the water lines are slowly decaying and there are new water leaks reported daily. And people don't want the increase in taxes so they vote against having them replaced. So some days there is no water pressure.

And I don't know where non military people go if they want fresh produce. We can drive to the base which is about half an hour. I think the closest place other people can go is about an hour away.

Queen Elizatits fucked around with this message at 01:54 on Dec 13, 2010

withak
Jan 15, 2003


Fun Shoe
http://goo.gl/maps/Pnzv

Here is what I thought was a go-cart track, but upon closer inspection it looks bigger than that. Maybe some kind of off-roading thing.

Queen Elizatits
May 3, 2005

Haven't you heard?
MARATHONS ARE HARD
Ooh okay yeah, that's an off-roading club. It's near the turtle place and the weird country club. I don't know if either of those places are still open, I drove up there once and the road was all blocked off.

Homebrewism
Jun 21, 2010

shuriken posted:

California City.

Hundreds of planned, named roads, and nothing on them. Take a look around in street view.

http://goo.gl/maps/Vokp

The people who did this would really suck at SimCity.

withak
Jan 15, 2003


Fun Shoe
I remember bldgblog doing a photo essay or something on California City a while back.

ReidRansom
Oct 25, 2004


Robo Olga posted:


Oh another edit, all the water lines are slowly decaying and there are new water leaks reported daily. And people don't want the increase in taxes so they vote against having them replaced. So some days there is no water pressure.

You live in a third world country. But don't worry, this is what the rest of the USA will be like soon enough.

whose tuggin
Nov 6, 2009

by Hand Knit
There's one of these in Palm Bay, Florida, too:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Compound


Apparently cops patrol it frequently now. But my buddy took his WRX out there, wish I had been around for that.


edit: Messed up some stuff

Robokomodo
Nov 11, 2009

Robo Olga posted:

Oh another edit, all the water lines are slowly decaying and there are new water leaks reported daily. And people don't want the increase in taxes so they vote against having them replaced. So some days there is no water pressure.


Taxes = water
No taxes = no water


Do you run around ramdomly punching voters in the face? You should.

shuriken
Dec 2, 2002
That's awesome. The empty cul-de-sacs look particularly weird.

Queen Elizatits
May 3, 2005

Haven't you heard?
MARATHONS ARE HARD

Robokomodo posted:

Taxes = water
No taxes = no water


Do you run around ramdomly punching voters in the face? You should.

We just moved here in the summer and will be leaving next July thankfully when the lease is over. If I actually owned a house here I would be a pretty angry person.
The whole city seems like this surreal joke, we called the police about a neighbor who was trying to beat a dog to death with a bat, something the police in California are supposed to deal with. They refused to come and had us call AC who took over 3 hours to finally show up. They also seemed perfectly happy with the idea that my husband was willing to physically intervene stop the guy from killing the dog if that meant they didn't have to get involved.
Speaking of dogs there are stray dogs and cats everywhere.
Sometimes mountain lions come and hang out. I've never seen one but I read the police blotter and it mentions them.
We've had a lot of problems with the landlord and hired the only private home inspector in the city to do an inspection. After he did it he disappeared, we can't find him, the city home inspector can't find him, in fact city guy told us where the private home guy lived so we could go look for him. Which we declined to do.
Something like half the homes here are abandoned and the whole place has this really creepy empty vibe. Most of the abandoned homes have been stripped of anything valuable.
The artificial lake that the article linked earlier mentioned is still here but it's all fenced off and you aren't supposed to go near it. It's now home to a huge flock of different types of ornamental ducks.

Zero One
Dec 30, 2004

HAIL TO THE VICTORS!
Giant airport (10,000+ foot long runway) in the middle of the Everglades: http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ie=UTF8&hq=&ll=25.856211,-80.901089&spn=0.039469,0.077162&t=h&z=14

Why is it there?

It was planned as a 6 runway facility to serve the US SST, the US version of the Concorde. The airport was in the middle of the Everglades to lessen the impact of sonic booms.

Of course, the plane never came about. They decided to use the airport for training of airline pilots.

http://www.airfields-freeman.com/FL/Airfields_FL_Miami_N.htm#dade

Frozen Horse
Aug 6, 2007
Just a humble wandering street philosopher.

Robo Olga posted:

I live in California City...

Oh dear goodness, why? How? To what end did you go there, of all places? I'll give you that it's not Randsburg, but the mind recoils nonetheless. Especially with the fact that it sounds like the city council saw The Road Warrior as inspirational, rather than cautionary.

Homebrewism posted:

The people who did this would really suck at SimCity.

This is true. It is also true that they did kind of set the SimCity map generator on Nightmare for this one.

Queen Elizatits
May 3, 2005

Haven't you heard?
MARATHONS ARE HARD

Frozen Horse posted:

Oh dear goodness, why? How? To what end did you go there, of all places? I'll give you that it's not Randsburg, but the mind recoils nonetheless. Especially with the fact that it sounds like the city council saw The Road Warrior as inspirational, rather than cautionary.

Military moved us across the country but wouldn't give my husband time off ahead of time because they needed him to teach his replacement. We picked a house through AHRN, military approved housing (which apparently means nothing because in our case they didn't even inspect it) and here we are.

At least we learned never to rent unseen and we aren't here that much longer :shobon: and sometimes I get to see coyotes so there's that

And I'm really sorry since it seems like I'm derailing this thread but it really is an interesting place, I've never been anywhere like it. I didn't know places like this existed in the US.

whose tuggin
Nov 6, 2009

by Hand Knit

Robo Olga posted:

And I'm really sorry since it seems like I'm derailing this thread but it really is an interesting place, I've never been anywhere like it. I didn't know places like this existed in the US.

Its cool, you are just doing a very good job of identifying a strange thing on Google Maps.

In all sincerity, I'd actually kinda like to know more. Are there street signs? How do you get your mail? What about power?

Also what happened to the dude beating the dog?

break-up breakdown
Mar 6, 2010

Robo Olga posted:

And I'm really sorry since it seems like I'm derailing this thread but it really is an interesting place, I've never been anywhere like it. I didn't know places like this existed in the US.

If you did an ask/tell thread I'd probably read it.

orange lime
Jul 24, 2008

by Fistgrrl

ZebraBlade posted:

I guess when I thought airplane graveyard I was thinking old poo poo that was falling apart and strewn about, not nicely lined up and looking is pretty good condition.

Dalrain posted:

The actual silo cover you see with the hydraulic pistons is permanently welded half-open, which was part of showing the soviets that it really had been decommissioned and was unusable.

This is from back on page 1 or something, but just wanted to say that quote #2 is the reason for quote #1. All those B-52s at the boneyard that are lined up in a nice grid with their wings cut off and placed neatly beside them? It's so that the USA could prove to the Soviets that they'd actually dismantled as many strategic bombers as they were required to by the START/SALT/whatever treaties. Not that the Soviets ever sent inspectors over to Arizona or anything -- they just flew their satellites over and counted from the pictures. Standard procedure all around I understand.

I've been down there a couple of times and it's really quite sad. There are some loving nice planes just baking out in the sun with their paint bleaching. A shitload of F-15s and 16s, and I'd kill to own one of the A-6s or OV-10s. So sad :(

Skyworks
Oct 2, 2010

by angerbutt

orange lime posted:

This is from back on page 1 or something, but just wanted to say that quote #2 is the reason for quote #1. All those B-52s at the boneyard that are lined up in a nice grid with their wings cut off and placed neatly beside them? It's so that the USA could prove to the Soviets that they'd actually dismantled as many strategic bombers as they were required to by the START/SALT/whatever treaties. Not that the Soviets ever sent inspectors over to Arizona or anything -- they just flew their satellites over and counted from the pictures. Standard procedure all around I understand.


So it is equally possible that they are wooden mockups of aircraft, rather than real ones. That would lessen your sadness, and explain why you have to take a tour rather than being allowed to walk around on site.

E: I don't get a kick out the idea that there are hundreds of hidden bombers that can streak in at 150 ft and 560 knots using their laser systems to avoid terrain and pound someone with 31 tonnes of nukes. Would make a good book though. Actually, it is likely definitely good that poo poo like this is broken now.

Skyworks fucked around with this message at 12:06 on Dec 13, 2010

Fermunky
May 30, 2003

The monkey is NOT impressed...

sick trigger posted:

If you did an ask/tell thread I'd probably read it.

Please do this. It may be a short one, but it would be interesting.

Crowley
Mar 13, 2003
Robo Olga please make an Ask/Tell thread. I've been trawling Google for California City and the whole place is just a mystery.

Exi7wound
Aug 22, 2004

LOGANO
Remember my name... you'll be screaming it later.

Robo Olga posted:

I live in California City and it's about to get even more deserted.

Edit: I don't think there is a go cart place here anymore. I wish there was because that would be something else to do.

You have a kick rear end Honda test track just north. That's... something...

FrozenVent
May 1, 2009

The Boeing 737-200QC is the undisputed workhorse of the skies.

Fermunky posted:

Please do this. It may be a short one, but it would be interesting.

nthing this. It'd be an awesome thread.

the
Jul 18, 2004

by Cowcaster
This kind of swiss cheese stuff stretches for hundreds of miles in Sibera. What the hell is it?

http://tinyurl.com/292z8pr

Maneki Neko
Oct 27, 2000

the posted:

This kind of swiss cheese stuff stretches for hundreds of miles in Sibera. What the hell is it?

http://tinyurl.com/292z8pr

Fun with permafrost. Enjoy it while you can. :)

alcyon
Mar 9, 2010

the posted:

This kind of swiss cheese stuff stretches for hundreds of miles in Sibera. What the hell is it?

http://tinyurl.com/292z8pr

Those are Pingos, if i am not mistaken. They are scars of hydrolaccolithes or ice zits really. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pingo

Atricks
Nov 5, 2003
Hurricane Man
Another odd one in Florida, this is in the middle of nowhere southeast of Orlando:

http://tinyurl.com/33ppkno

It's not a runway, cone shaped, and has a weird eyeball like feature in the ground. Best guess was some sort of radar profiling station, but it's literally a good ways from anything.

Queen Elizatits
May 3, 2005

Haven't you heard?
MARATHONS ARE HARD

The Scientist posted:

Its cool, you are just doing a very good job of identifying a strange thing on Google Maps.

In all sincerity, I'd actually kinda like to know more. Are there street signs? How do you get your mail? What about power?

Also what happened to the dude beating the dog?

Thanks :) All of the streets did have signs, some of them are knocked over now but sometimes you will be out in the desert and come across a street sign. Most of the unused roads have been completely neglected and are pretty much just dirt roads now or worse. Some of the used roads have also been neglected so badly that it isn't a good idea to drive on them unless you like replacing tires. The weird thing with the roads though is that they are expanding one of them. And I can't understand why they picked this particular 1/2 mile of road to fix up. It's pretty much dirt, dirt, dirt, old road, widened brand new road, dirt, and it's not in the main part of the city either.

We do get mail, there is actually a post office in town and one mailman. He's an enthusiastic driver. We have had tire tracks all over the front lawn* from him and he's hit the mailbox at least once since we got here. You can hear him screeching down the road from a bit away. He has this weird pattern too although maybe this is how mail delivery usually works, I don't know. He delivers to one house on the street, screeches off down another road, comes back five minutes or so later does another house, U-turns back down the main street, comes back later and does another one and so on.
*We have a front lawn, our landlords planted grass, I have no idea why, I think if you look on googlemaps you can find this house because it's one of the very few with a front lawn. It and city hall.

It's funny you ask about the power because it went out last night for a couple of hours. The only thing we could see still with power was the prison. That happens every month or so and doesn't appear to be weather related. Just one of those things. As far as heating goes most of the houses here still run off propane.

About the dogs, animal control couldn't do anything because they didn't see it happen. I'm talking with someone from HSUS and they seem to think they will be able to help so that's good.

I think I will do an a/t thread, that's a good idea, thanks all. I'll go out and get a bunch of pictures first though, you really have to see it to get the full effect.

I'll leave you with the sheep, no one seems to know who the belong too, we see them on the main road into town sometimes. They show up on the daily police report a few times a month when someone calls because they want them off their lawn. Picture doesn't show it that well but there is at least 50 of them.


Click here for the full 900x466 image.

Fermunky
May 30, 2003

The monkey is NOT impressed...

Robo Olga posted:

More California City stuff...

I really find this all pretty fascinating. I just found a bunch of streets just name A St through Z St... what a nightmare.

Edit: Here's another weird track looking place near California City, but also has something similar to the cone-shaped thing that Atricks found in Florida

Edit 2: OK the track thing may be Hyundai/Kia Proving Grounds, according to Cali City's wiki page.

Fermunky fucked around with this message at 20:25 on Dec 13, 2010

Fermunky
May 30, 2003

The monkey is NOT impressed...
Anyone know whats going on with these spots around the St Pete pier in St Pete FL?

withak
Jan 15, 2003


Fun Shoe
Artifacts, probably to because of sparkle/glare from the water.

orange lime
Jul 24, 2008

by Fistgrrl

Fermunky posted:

Edit: Here's another weird track looking place near California City, but also has something similar to the cone-shaped thing that Atricks found in Florida

Edit 2: OK the track thing may be Hyundai/Kia Proving Grounds, according to Cali City's wiki page.

I think that must be what it is, because it's quite new. If you zoom out until the scale at the bottom says 2 miles the whole track just disappears.

I really want to know what that cone-shaped thing is too. Obviously something goes shooting down it, but what? Is it a rocket test site? Shooting range? Experimental runway? I just can't figure it out. That circle in the middle is bugging me too.

[e] on this topographical map it's simply listed as "landing strip", and it's near a bunch of water management facilities, so I guess it's some kind of BLM thing. Given that the area is basically a swamp and creating a concrete pad out there would be really expensive, maybe the cone shape was a way to avoid having to build a runway that was the full width all the way down, if you assume that you can only approach to land from the south?

orange lime fucked around with this message at 21:04 on Dec 13, 2010

Hoeni
Dec 31, 2006
All I ever wanted.

The Scientist posted:

I'd be down to see this posted somewhere.

Skyworks posted:

Not only is this interesting it is educational. Despite not hitting the urbex standards, I would love for you to post this.

I started to work on writing down a lengthy post with pictures and will post that to Ask/Tell. Give me a day or two, english is not my first language and I'm a bit short on time at the moment. Hopefully it delivers. Will post the link here.


Robo Olga,
I'd appreciate tremendously an Ask/Tell thread about your "city". It is so surreal, MadMaxian and has a serious Fallout-vibe to it. "Trip down to Memory Lane" it is. :)
I couldn't imagine living in a place like that.

Mister Roboto
Jun 15, 2009

I SWING BY AUNT MAY's
FOR A SHOWER AND A
BITE, MOST NATURAL
THING IN THE WORLD,
ASSUMING SHE'S
NOT HOME...

...AND I
FIND HER IN BED
WITH MY
FATHER, AND THE
TWO OF THEM
ARE...ARE...

...AAAAAAAAUUUUGH!
My uncle lives in California...next time I visit during college break I'll ask if we can drive by California city. It sounds interesting to see.

Edit:

Does Google maps give anyone sort of strange sensation sometimes? Just the feeling you're seeing the entire human race, wandering around the Earth, and there's these huge patches of just emptiness between our big cities. It's a bit disconcerting to me, especially when I see how big and vast the emptiness is in, say, the ocean. It's a big world...

Mister Roboto fucked around with this message at 03:01 on Dec 14, 2010

Frozen Horse
Aug 6, 2007
Just a humble wandering street philosopher.

orange lime posted:

I think that must be what it is, because it's quite new. If you zoom out until the scale at the bottom says 2 miles the whole track just disappears.

I really want to know what that cone-shaped thing is too. Obviously something goes shooting down it, but what? Is it a rocket test site? Shooting range? Experimental runway? I just can't figure it out. That circle in the middle is bugging me too.

[e] on this topographical map it's simply listed as "landing strip", and it's near a bunch of water management facilities, so I guess it's some kind of BLM thing. Given that the area is basically a swamp and creating a concrete pad out there would be really expensive, maybe the cone shape was a way to avoid having to build a runway that was the full width all the way down, if you assume that you can only approach to land from the south?

The one on the test-track site looks like a skid pad, where you can get your swerve on with progressively more room to recover at higher speeds.

Chef Tony
Jun 13, 2005

The Miracle Blade will stay sharp the first time, the fourth time, everytime!
Found another place like the empty neighborhoods outside California City but with a few more houses.

http://goo.gl/maps/WAlf

FlamingLiberal
Jan 18, 2009

Would you like to play a game?



Chef Tony posted:

Found another place like the empty neighborhoods outside California City but with a few more houses.

http://goo.gl/maps/WAlf
Salton City used to be a major resort attraction type town, but it never developed as well as planned and was slowly abandoned over time. Apparently it has slowly begun to grow again now that a casino has been built nearby. But there are a lot of abandoned 1950s era houses half-submerged in the water of that lake, and it looks like something out of Fallout 3.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salton_City

withak
Jan 15, 2003


Fun Shoe
The Salton Sea has only been around for a hundred years. It was a very low-lying desert valley until a flood and a levee breach on the Colorado River filled it with water.

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Anomalies
Mar 1, 2010

Chef Tony posted:

Found another place like the empty neighborhoods outside California City but with a few more houses.

http://goo.gl/maps/WAlf

Huh, for some reason most of the southern cluster of roads have street view on them, despite being the most empty. At least the northern cluster has a bunch of houses. Maybe the driver just decided to drive around a bunch of empty roads for whatever reason.

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