I’ve been fascinated by “urban exploration” for some time now, so I figured that the best way to get a better understanding of the field was to pick up a copy of its seminal guidebook. The author, Jeff Chapman, was a Toronto-based pioneer in the “UrbEx” field better known by his internet handle of “Ninjalicious.”
Although the book contains a number of awesome stories, some identifying details have been intentionally obscured due to the questionable legality of UrbEx. I was most interested in reading about the methods that Chapman used, mostly simple behavioral hacks rather than James Bond-like infiltration techniques. I was particularly impressed by these tactics since the book was published back in 2005, long before anyone had heard of the term “social engineering.”
“Access All Areas” is an interesting read, even for armchair explorers, and the book is considered to be a must-have for any aspiring urbanists.
Pro-tip: be sure to do your research on local laws, covenants and restrictions whenever you’re planning any new adventures. You are responsible for your own actions, and you might be surprised to find that some less-enlightened places still refer to the burgeoning field of UrbEx with the quaint term of “trespassing!”