Investigating abandoned buildings in sketchy parts of St. Louis is just another weekend activity for John “Kodak” Kornfeld. The adventurous senior calls himself an “urban explorer.”
A hot trend in recent years, urban exploration is the inspection of areas of post-industrial cities normally unseen or ignored by the general public.
Kornfeld, now a senior, first got into urban exploration during his sophomore year.
“When we were sophomores, we were part of the crowd that didn’t mind drinking, but weren’t the partiers, so we’d come up with new ways to entertain ourselves. We’d spot a tower on the horizon and split into teams to see who could reach it first,” Kornfeld said.
Before long, this pastime became stale, causing a desire for more thrills. Kornfeld and his friends decided to research Pruitt-Igoe, a nationally known housing project in St. Louis from the ’50s and ’60s. It was demolished less than 20 years after its completion and is now a dense urban forest.
Kornfeld explored the site and was surprised by his findings.
“It looked weird from satellite view,” Kornfeld said. “It looked like a big, open field, but turned out to be a dense, overgrown urban forest filled with tons of trash, rubble and crack pipes.”
His experience became the first of many adrenaline rushes.
“We started to realize we really liked this exploring, so we would use Google Earth to find dilapidated buildings,” Kornfeld said.
This new pursuit allowed him to incorporate his other hobby, photography.
“Typically, we’ll visit a site once or twice, but no more than three times. I’ll leave my camera at home on the first visit to inspect the site, then bring it the second time,” Kornfeld said.
He explores mostly at night, which presents lighting difficulties.
“It’s a delicate balance trying to find good artistic scenes that convey the environment you’re experiencing, especially since the flash can ruin that experience,” Kornfeld said.
Regardless, Kornfeld enjoys the challenge, as it offers a unique environment to engage in photography.
Kornfeld offers two pieces of advice for people interested in urban exploration.
“Be aware of the fact that it is dangerous because of the area it’s in, usually high crime areas,” Kornfeld said.
Additionally, he encourages people to go with close friends, so everyone knows each other’s limits and what they’re getting into.
Kornfeld advises caution while exploring, as one often risks asbestos exposure, dangerous holes or corroding infrastructure. His number one rule is to leave everything as it was when he arrived.
“Vandalism and theft are what will get you in the most trouble,” Kornfeld said.
After graduating from Saint Louis University this May with a degree in Computer Science, Kornfeld will be joining the Information Services Career Foundation Program at the Boeing Company. He will, however, continue his hobby.
“I think it’d be safe to say in some capacity I will continue [exploring], but not as many risks, as I won’t be a college student. We have a blast doing what we do, but are sure to be smart when we do it.”
