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Anybody here ever been to Slab City? I'd love to get the HN perspective on it.

by nrclark 4y ago

downrightmike 4y ago
Creepy/sad https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IYe8EW7g5QM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IYe8EW7g5QM
- quickthrower2 4y ago
  A comment from that Youtube video: > It's really important to say that East Jesus Art Commune and Leonard's Mountain are not and never have been considered part of Slab City .... so it would help for you creators to actually find out about that before calling it part of The Slabs...it misleads people into believing the Slabs must be a very artistic place , which it is most certainly not... Because of a Bad Mechanic screwing us ...we had the misfortune of living there for 2 straight years ... The Real Slab City story is there is Garbage strewn everywhere , many people get attacked and bitten by very vicious Slab Dogs ...there are numerous serious fights leading to hospitalization and sometimes death ...women travelers get raped at least 3 times a year there ...Slabbers deliberately burn down peoples camps and RV's at least 11 times per year ....so if you like staying in a dangerous ghetto and can pretend that everywhere is just as trashed out as Slab City is ...you'll love that dump..
  - deleted 4y ago
    [deleted]
FeaturelessBug 4y ago
I'm interested in going after reading about it, but also scared.
- everybodyknows 4y ago
  There are several documentaries set in Slab City or nearby towns Niland and Bombay Beach -- I found all of them fascinating. Sorry, don't remember titles. A safer alternative destination might be the Fountain of Youth Spa, which has been there since at least the 1970s. But I'd check the recent reviews, and hold off until November at least.
- prawn 4y ago
  You can do a drive by if you're interested. We travelled down to see Salvation Mountain (which I think is worth a look), stopped at Bombay Beach and drove past Slab City. If it wasn't for Salvation Mountain, I don't know if I'd bother. Driving through Wonder Valley elsewhere in California is interesting, and then reading about why almost every building is exactly the same size.
tristanb 4y ago
Yes, I lived near there and frequently stayed there. It was a pretty neat place. I met a lot of interesting people. I haven’t been back for almost a decade.
linksnapzz 4y ago
I drove through once; my feeling is that it takes a fair amount of guts to live in the desert-that desert, in the summertime. 120F+ is lethal to the unprepared who are out in in it for more than a brief period.
- grecy 4y ago
  I read hyperbole like this all the time and it shocks me. Have you never been outside in 120F+ temps? I have spent many years of my life in those temps (Australia, all around Africa). Shade and plenty of drinking water and it's completely fine. Millions of people live their lives in those temps with no AC, no fridge, etc. I hear the same thing about the cold like "Frostbite in a matter of seconds past -30F". I used to regularly ride my bike to work at -48C (-54.5F) and enjoyed it. With the right layers it was completely fine. By the time I got to work I would take off my jacket, gloves and touque and stand outside with a ton of exposed skin for 2-5 minutes in attempt to cool down. (though my legs were usually numb because I couldn't be bothered wearing more layers) Please go out and explore and enjoy the world rather than fearing it.
  - linksnapzz 4y ago
    Did you read the part about "unprepared"?
    - bergenty 4y ago
      I mean prepared is a hat and some water. It’s not rocket science.
      - linksnapzz 4y ago
        It's an hour and twenty minute walk from Slab City to the nearest civilized area (Niland), which is stretching "civilized" a little. You'll need a car to get to a hospital, clinic, or real supermarket, not just some water, and a hat.
  - SR2Z 4y ago
freemanindia 4y ago
I think the article under estimates how many people live there in winter, and over estimates how many people are there during the summer. During the winter some camp will host a gathering usually an open mic most days of the week. Hanging out around a camp fire listening to songs one time I commented to my neighbor how I've never heard so many songs about a place before. He said, 'no song writer comes to slab city and doesn't write a song about slab city.
mushbino 4y ago
I've been there. It's a haul to get there, but it's basically like the parking lot of a permanent hippie music festival.
yks 4y ago
Imagine Burning Man but on meth
- blululu 4y ago
  With no cash, and no end.
thrashh 4y ago
I’ve been there, talked to people there, got invited to some people’s homes and explored some abandoned buildings around the area It was just like a bunch of people trying to live or were fascinated with the idea of such a place Honestly it’s just like another place with certain character. If you’re into art made from what’s available, stuff like graffiti and underground communities, and the kind of people who aren’t trying to fit in, it’s a really cool place. But otherwise it’s what it is

Anybody here ever been to Slab City? I'd love to get the HN perspective on it.

downrightmike 4y ago

Creepy/sad https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IYe8EW7g5QM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IYe8EW7g5QM

quickthrower2 4y ago
A comment from that Youtube video: > It's really important to say that East Jesus Art Commune and Leonard's Mountain are not and never have been considered part of Slab City .... so it would help for you creators to actually find out about that before calling it part of The Slabs...it misleads people into believing the Slabs must be a very artistic place , which it is most certainly not... Because of a Bad Mechanic screwing us ...we had the misfortune of living there for 2 straight years ... The Real Slab City story is there is Garbage strewn everywhere , many people get attacked and bitten by very vicious Slab Dogs ...there are numerous serious fights leading to hospitalization and sometimes death ...women travelers get raped at least 3 times a year there ...Slabbers deliberately burn down peoples camps and RV's at least 11 times per year ....so if you like staying in a dangerous ghetto and can pretend that everywhere is just as trashed out as Slab City is ...you'll love that dump..
- deleted 4y ago
  [deleted]

FeaturelessBug 4y ago

I'm interested in going after reading about it, but also scared.

everybodyknows 4y ago
There are several documentaries set in Slab City or nearby towns Niland and Bombay Beach -- I found all of them fascinating. Sorry, don't remember titles. A safer alternative destination might be the Fountain of Youth Spa, which has been there since at least the 1970s. But I'd check the recent reviews, and hold off until November at least.
prawn 4y ago
You can do a drive by if you're interested. We travelled down to see Salvation Mountain (which I think is worth a look), stopped at Bombay Beach and drove past Slab City. If it wasn't for Salvation Mountain, I don't know if I'd bother. Driving through Wonder Valley elsewhere in California is interesting, and then reading about why almost every building is exactly the same size.

tristanb 4y ago

Yes, I lived near there and frequently stayed there. It was a pretty neat place. I met a lot of interesting people. I haven’t been back for almost a decade.

linksnapzz 4y ago

I drove through once; my feeling is that it takes a fair amount of guts to live in the desert-that desert, in the summertime. 120F+ is lethal to the unprepared who are out in in it for more than a brief period.

grecy 4y ago
I read hyperbole like this all the time and it shocks me. Have you never been outside in 120F+ temps? I have spent many years of my life in those temps (Australia, all around Africa). Shade and plenty of drinking water and it's completely fine. Millions of people live their lives in those temps with no AC, no fridge, etc. I hear the same thing about the cold like "Frostbite in a matter of seconds past -30F". I used to regularly ride my bike to work at -48C (-54.5F) and enjoyed it. With the right layers it was completely fine. By the time I got to work I would take off my jacket, gloves and touque and stand outside with a ton of exposed skin for 2-5 minutes in attempt to cool down. (though my legs were usually numb because I couldn't be bothered wearing more layers) Please go out and explore and enjoy the world rather than fearing it.
- linksnapzz 4y ago
  Did you read the part about "unprepared"?
  - bergenty 4y ago
    I mean prepared is a hat and some water. It’s not rocket science.
    - linksnapzz 4y ago
      It's an hour and twenty minute walk from Slab City to the nearest civilized area (Niland), which is stretching "civilized" a little. You'll need a car to get to a hospital, clinic, or real supermarket, not just some water, and a hat.
- SR2Z 4y ago

freemanindia 4y ago

I think the article under estimates how many people live there in winter, and over estimates how many people are there during the summer. During the winter some camp will host a gathering usually an open mic most days of the week. Hanging out around a camp fire listening to songs one time I commented to my neighbor how I've never heard so many songs about a place before. He said, 'no song writer comes to slab city and doesn't write a song about slab city.

mushbino 4y ago

I've been there. It's a haul to get there, but it's basically like the parking lot of a permanent hippie music festival.

yks 4y ago

Imagine Burning Man but on meth

blululu 4y ago
With no cash, and no end.

thrashh 4y ago

I’ve been there, talked to people there, got invited to some people’s homes and explored some abandoned buildings around the area It was just like a bunch of people trying to live or were fascinated with the idea of such a place Honestly it’s just like another place with certain character. If you’re into art made from what’s available, stuff like graffiti and underground communities, and the kind of people who aren’t trying to fit in, it’s a really cool place. But otherwise it’s what it is