Fort Ord, California: Residential buildings 1

Covering the greatest proportion of land on the base, the extensive housing arrays extend in many directions, for miles, even. Without a map, getting lost along the gridlike streets is fairly easy. A stroll or drive down the empty, weed-choked streets can be a lonely affair, sometimes capable of inducing a certain level of despair in the willing participant, upon seeing the vast, grid-like emptiness of row after row of vacant houses. The residential areas of Fort Ord are truly a creepfest, even during the daylight hours.

Although the occasional cop patrol passes through, the main roads are frequented by university joggers, and once in a while, the urban explorer (in 2005). Building/house exploration is fairly easy, since many of the structures are without doors. From time to time, it is possible to find dated materials such as old magazines or correspondence, the main kinds of artifacts available are furniture, such as old chairs, couches, bed-frames, etc.

The buildings have been abandoned for roughly a decade, but the degree of decay might suggest a slightly longer period of neglect. The houses lack paint, and the wood is rotting in various spots. The lawns and ornamental trees are long since overgrown, and sometimes have even intruded into housing areas, including the streets. All in all, the place is a mess, but a very sanctified and peaceful mess, perfect for wandering the streets, for those who are so inclined.

Click to Enlarge

Loading Image....

When the visitor to Fort Ord travels through the residential areas, it's possible to see many forgotten dwellings which used to be lived in. The place fucks with the sense of intimacy that can come from "home", just by seeing the empty houses.

An overgrown street. The plants in this area were especially out of control, with trees that invade streets and houses alike, and weeds that overcome the pavement.

No one to trim the hedges, no one to rake the leaves.

Often enough the visitor finds derelict furniture out in the middle of the street.

Row after row of forgotten houses. Is this what the end of the world would look like?

The diversity of pictures here is still not enough to convey the vastness of the place, in the way you can get lost or at least completely immersed after experiencing the monotony of endless rows of empty lookalike houses.

The loneliness of an overgrown street corner.

Trees which were once ornate decoration pieces now challenge the preminence of the houses, after years of neglected growth.

Many of these places are easily entered, with wide open doorways.

More displaced furniture.

Sometimes the trees and houses don't get along well with each other.

A displaced roof?

This found piece looks like severed plumbing.

Another view of the severed plumbing.

Graffiti abounds.

A shattered toilet.

The remains of the basketball court.

A close-up of the basketball court. Notice the invasion of the plants through the concrete, as well as the patterns of dried, dead plant material, created from the occasional rainfall.

"Off Limits." Not.

"No Trespassing." Not.

Weeds and discarded furniture.

A weird boy-scout artefact, left near the doorway.

The yawning barracks, complete with discarded furniture and severed power lines.

Ahhh, the bakery. Too bad that place was boarded up.