Exploring Abandoned Spaces

Brooklyn resident Will Ellis is a keen explorer, who possesses a proclivity for adventure and discovery within the compact city of New York. Fortunately, he is also a photographer, capturing his expeditions and displaying them on his website, Abandoned NYC. The photographs exhibit something that’s quite eerie, yet beautiful within the rotting interiors of the decrepit deserted spaces. “I was also fascinated by the visuals inside. As a kid I loved all things creepy – Halloween was my favorite holiday and that’s something I never grew out of” says Ellis. He seeks out new places to uncover online, through other “urban explorers” and also uses Google Maps — looking for places with unused cars to indicate it’s uninhabited. In his three years active, he has visited 50 different locations across New York City, publishing a collection of 150 images in a book titled Abandoned NYC, all without being arrested (occasional security guard run-ins do occur, however). Will Ellis recently spoke withWIRED regarding his exploits.