Lower Askam, Pennsylvania: Concrete City

It's the ruins of a 100 year old concrete tract housing neighborhood, deep in the woods near Wilks Barre, PA. We finally found the place via Google Earth and hiked back a short trail, where we encountered a camo'd guy blasting Paul McCartney's "Silly Love Songs" from his ATV. Then it got weird! Once in the woods we found the 20+ old concrete buildings to be overgrown, falling down and covered in graffiti. We could feel the binoculars of survivalist militia members that must surely live there drawing a bead from across the weedy 100+ yard quad. We took a few pics before leaving.

When we returned to the car, it wouldn't start. After fussing with it for a bit and with dusk fast approaching (you've seen "The Hills Have Eyes" right?), we called for help. Of course, our new T-Mobiles had no signal, but the trusty work-supplied NEXTEL actually worked! I tried the car again after hanging up with the cop, and guess what! It started! Outta there!

Take Front Street in Askam, PA to Hughes Street, a very short deadend road. Park at the end of the street, near the locked gates. Hike the footpath back 100 yards and you'll find "The Concrete City!"

I didn't even try to get to this from Middle Road; definitely easier via Front Street. Fairly easy path -- just need to look for buildings through foliage. Very creepy!

Built by the Delaware/Lackawanna Coal Company in 1911 to house coal mine supervisors. Believed to be the first example of modern tract housing. Everything, including the roof, is concrete. For unknown reasons, the site was abandoned in 1924. Since then, the "city" has been used by the military, police, and fire departments for training. You can see large caliber bullet hits on some of the walls. Inside theseabandoned concrete buildings, walls are charred and stairs lead to nowhere.