Each and every bridge in NYC has some unique characteristics that set them apart from the others around town. The 59th street bridge is no exception.
One little known fact is that the outer roadways, which are current used on the north side for pedistrian traffic and on the south for queens bound auto traffic, were orginally built for a trolley line. These trolleys made several stops along the bridge. these stops were located just across land on either end, where long staircases and elevators lead down to street level, and in the center of the bridge, over roosevelt island. trucks
The staircases located within the bridge towers have been (and still are) locked up tight and not to be used by the public. They are currently a very dark forbidding place. The stairs are covered in concrete rubble in locations, with the thick yet well preserved banisters occasionally knocked over from the various work that was performed on the bridge over the years. Running parallel to these stairs is an elevator shaft, encased not in concrete walls but iron fencing. At the top of the shaft, one might find a very old school floor indicator, also forged of solid iron and installed when the bridge was built in 1910.
In an exploration sense, this location isn't all that interesting, but it's historic value made it worth the trip and worth the risks.
History
The massive Flushing Light Industry Center warehouse was located right between the LIRR Port Washington branch, and the NYC Subway 7 line, just east of Flushing Creek. It was originally owned by Con Edison, and likely used as a storage facility for cables and light poles. It featured a massive warehouse building, along with a shed by the creek and security booths at two gates. There were also 2 railroad sidings on the property, diverging from a single switch off the westbound Port Washington track.
Con Ed sold the property to a group that used it for warehousing goods imported from Asia and perhaps even some sweat shops. By 2003 all of the businesses located in the Flushing Light Industry Center kicked out.
The Flushing Light Industry Center was perhaps best known to graffiti artists, who bombed the rooftops facing the 7 Train just before the subway enters the tunnel into Main street terminal.
Adventure
Sneaking in here was generally easy. There was one guard at the front gate, but he was a lazy bastard, as most minimum wage security people are. It was a big property, so sliding through a broken gate at the rear always worked.
The buildings were big, but there wasn't much to see. The best find in this whole place was a pile of leftover boxes containing fake designer bags. We poured through them and looted the passable ones to regift to girls.
Update 2013:
This building didn't last long. It was bulldozed soon after these photos were taken. The entire plot of land was turned into high rise condo apartments with big box retail stores on the first floor. Target and BJs moved in. With it's destruction, NYC lost one more piece of it's storied
industrial history.
Just one of those nights...
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Exploration in NYC at the moment is basically a red hot moving target - if you want to hit it hard you just got to keep moving and keep on punching the damned thing - elsewise you're likely to miss a lot of the old spots being redeveloped... That was the case with this former Eagle Electric Factory.
When a well respected cat told me it was accessible, we went immediately. Inside this huge warehouse had already been more or less gutted, but the remains of course proved plenty photogentic. On a second visit we came across some couple in the middle of a photoshoot.
Before you know it though, this spot will be high priced apartments (because rich people just can't get enough apartments around town, or so it seems), and the next 5 buildings that could ahve been explored will have already been converted...
There's no time to dwell if you want it all.
Growing up in 70s/80s NYC, I always loved coming home from Coney Island. I'd be up at the front of the train (usually some graffiti covered R-30 or R-40 cars) eagerly awaiting the approach to the Manhattan bridge where I could stare out at the dark mystery world known as Myrtle Avenue.
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When Revs was finally busted in 1999, everyone smelt a rat, and suspicion immediately centered on Ader.
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This busy subway tunnel seemed to be one of the more popular ones among graffiti artists. Given it's open spaces and easy hiding spots, it's not hard to see why.
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In the age of Holyer Than Thou exploration, fresh tunnels are the thing, and egos are king.
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42nd Street Lower is a very well know, oddly constructed subway station.
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