Urbex is a subculture of adventurers with Urban exploring specifically being exploring abandoned buildings but there’s few different forms of it, there is exploring Tunnels , Radio towers and houses.
Urbex, the shortened slang term for urban exploration, is a community of adventurers who explore abandoned locations like tunnels, radio towers, and houses.
With this large of a community, it is too broad to just look into it, so it was needed to interview someone within the community to get the full picture. I was able to get into contact with a Urban explorer via Instagram known as @Urbex.PNW
With a community this large, it’s difficult to understand the depths and intricacies of the culture from the outside, so it was necessary to interview someone from within the community to get the full picture. I was able to get into contact with an urban explorer known as @Urbex.PNW on Instagram.
What got you into Urbex?
PNW: “It started with these videos on TikTok, it was like, yeah, like abandoned buildings, and I was like, oh, dude, that’s so cool. I’ve always been obsessed with zombie and apocalyptic stuff. Dude, that’s so cool, it’s like the apocalypse in real life. And I started seeing more of them on my feed, and eventually, I ended up joining this group chat on Discord, and I got really into it from there.”
Urbex is a growing community with it getting a major push after the pandemic. Many groups have been popping up and spreading all across America with a thirst for exploration and adventure.
PNW: To me, it’s like a kind of freedom. It’s like getting away and doing something, like adding a little excitement to my life, you know? It gets like boring sitting at school, like eight hours a day, every day. And so it’s just kind of like a way for me to relax in a way.
Urbex is not without its controversy, considering that the whole community is based on exploring abandoned buildings, which is illegal. Authorities have warned many times of its danger, and there are instances of prosecuting those involved.
PNW: “The fact that it’s illegal keeps a lot of bad actors out of the community that are only doing it for like profit or attention. It means that like mostly people are doing it because they actually care about it and not just because they want like clicks on Instagram.”
A member of the Renton Police Department, Officer Flick agrees: “There’s definitely a draw to going to abandoned buildings, for sure. And I understand that draw. My experience with them legally is that the property is always owned by someone. Even if the previous property owner has defaulted back to a bank or financial institution, it’s owned by somebody. Ultimately, the permission of who can and can’t be there goes to who the property owner is. They get the final say as to who can and can’t be there.”
How did you find out about Urbex and what go you in to it?
It started with these videos on TikTok, it was like, yeah, like abandoned buildings,
and I was like, oh, dude, that’s so cool.
I’ve always been obsessed with zombie and apocalyptic stuff.
Dude, that’s so cool, it’s like apocalypse in real life.
And I started seeing more of them on my feed, and eventually I ended up joining this group chat on Discord,
and I got really into it from there.
What is urbex to you?
PNW: To me, it’s like a kind of freedom.
It’s like getting away and doing something, like adding a little excitement to my life,
you know? It gets like boring sitting at school, like eight hours a day, every day.
And so it’s just kind of like a way for me to relax in a way.
Has the more disrespectful side impacted the Urbex community?
PNW: Oh, yeah, it definitely, like, negatively affects the community.
We don’t like to associate with those people. It brings kind of, like, a bad image to what is really just, like, us finding our own way to, like, enjoy ourselves and have fun.
While exploring, have you had any experiences with law enforcement?
PNW: You know, obviously, they don’t, like, fully approve of it, But in my experience, from where I’ve been, what I’ve been doing, they don’t really seem to care or butt in. I’ve never had a bad interaction with a cop.
What is your experience with homeless people?
PNW: I very rarely run into them, and they’re always really nice. Like, they never, they’re never violent from my experience. They’re always pretty chill. Sometimes, I don’t do this, but I’ve heard a lot of people I know do, will bring snacks and stuff to share with homeless people that live there, you know, because its intruding on their space.
Do you feel that Urbex should be legalized?
PNW: I don’t think so. The fact that it’s illegal keeps a lot of bad actors out of the community that are only doing it for like profit or attention. It means that like mostly people are doing it because they actually care about it and not just because they want like clicks on Instagram.
