Exploring abandoned N.J. through eyes of 'The Unknown Cameraman'

Secrets still sit in plain view, even in a state as densely populated as ours.

A "No Trespassing" sign vandalized 10 times over by territorial graffiti artists. A rusted chain link fence with a few suspicious human-sized holes cut into it. Weeds that obscure what was once a walkway to the front door of a school, hospital, factory or home. 

For those who can't seem to keep out of abandoned buildings -- despite what all those signs out front suggest -- "The Anonymous Cameraman" is bravely going where you shouldn't unless you want to risk life, limb and the law.

"I don't remember the first place I explored or when my interest in abandoned places began, but I was always curious about them and pushing my boundaries as a child," the New Jersey native, who did not wish to be identified for this story, said in a recent email interview.

His adventures, filmed and then uploaded to his YouTube page, have garnered tens to hundreds of thousands of views. From "The Gates of Hell" in Passaic County to abandoned chrome and soap factories in Camden City, the first-person trips can be as equally tense as they are fascinating and educational.

NJ Advance Media caught up with the anonymous videographer to see what makes going where others in their right mind won't so appealing.

The passion: "Nearby where I grew up in New Jersey, there was an old abandoned cabin in the woods behind the 'No Trespassing' signs that my friends and I would go and check out every once in a while. We'd see the crushed beer cans, trash and graffiti left behind by the older teenagers and, like detectives at a crime scene, try to piece together what went on there at night and what the place may have looked like before the neglect and damages. We would never stay long for fear of getting in trouble with the park rangers or the police, but always came back again weeks later to explore again."

The process: "My interest in starting to film the places I visit and share them online started from realizing all of the misinformation out there about abandoned buildings. Often they acquire a goofy fabricated backstory about a murder, leaving the place haunted or some similar nonsense. After researching the accurate information, I had come to find out that many structures offered a rich, and often brutal, history with fascinating backstories that were more compelling than the fake ones."

"When I just happen to stumble upon a location, I'll come home and look up as much information about it online as possible. This process can often be fascinating what I had found. A great example is an old farm house and barn in South Jersey that I had noticed in the middle of the woods with very little information about it. After much digging for information, I learned that this was the property of the original settlers who came over from Europe. The crops produced there were financially responsible for building that town into what it is today."

N.J.'s creepiest places

The perils: "The dangers are real. A number of people have died or faced serious injury from the unstable environment of abandoned buildings. A few years ago in Ashley, Pennsylvania, I climbed up several stories on an 80-year-old fire escape frame because the steps had since been smashed or rusted out. I made it all the way up and back down, but I could have easily fallen and would have certainly died from the fall."

"Also, I remember walking around the fourth floor of a hospital wing on a former insane asylum campus that had been abandoned for over 30 years where the wood was so rotted it felt like walking on wet cardboard. Being able to look down and see debris, twisted metal, rotted wood with rusty nails sticking out of them all the way down on the bottom floor was incredibly unsettling. I always trust myself to walk slowly and check my footing before moving forward, but the thought that I could die is with me every step."

The payoff: "What's interesting, especially for a densely populated state like New Jersey where real estate has tremendous value and virtually every plot of land is desired to be owned and developed on, is how these properties could sit for years, if not decades, completely unused and decaying into a state making it impossible to ever occupy again. Wouldn't an owner want to flip the property as quickly as possible before the value begins to steadily decline? Isn't some kind of owner paying property tax on it? Why would it be left abandoned? These are all questions that I like to get viewers interested in asking and answers that I try to uncover with my videos.

Parting advice: "If someone reading this decides they would like to go and start poking around in abandoned buildings, my advice to you is to show respect to the places you visit.  Value your safety over your curiosity. Always be alert and prepared for anything.  Watch your step at all times. Try to make as little noise as possible so you can be as aware of your surroundings as possible. Keep an exit route in mind and keep track of your path so you don't get turned around and lost inside.  Don't steal, vandalize, or litter. If you are going to take photos or discuss your visit online, don't publicize names or addresses of locations until after they are renovated or demolished. It is best to keep certain details private out of respect to the owners and the property, if advertising the address would indirectly create more interest in vandals, thieves, or arsonists. But most importantly, be safe."