Tasty-butt-kake...

NOTE: I posted this on another board back in July, the last I went by the building (a few weeks ago) is now dark. Donno if there is still a way in anymore

I'm sure any person with half a brain in the Philly region knows what a Tastykake is, right. Well did you know that they were produced in a plant in the city's Nicetown section from 1922 till 2010. Did you also know that they were wanting a new more efficient facility for some time, and finally got it on the site of the former Navy Brig in South Philly?

My trips to explore MCP hospital required crossing the long Henry Ave. Bridge to get from Nicetown to East falls. When the wind was just right I could smell the aroma emitting from within. I had read about the plant's move in the business papers and was looking forward to the day the plant would complete it's move and shut down the Nicetown facility. Finally, on the night of July 4th of all days, I took my chance.

When I made it across Henry Ave, I slid down the embankment, negotiated the terrain between two levels of tracks, and walked the lower track which passed the Tastykake building en route to the Budd plant and beyond. When I reached the gate in front of the bakery's siding, I saw there was a sizable gap in the fence that I could just slide through....

I scanned the scene for cameras but could not see any. Little did I know I was in full view of one, which I would not realize until much later....



^Can you see the camera?? Hint: It's NOT anywhere near the left




(I should note that I found a door ajar surprisingly quick. I led to a stairwell that I took right to the roof. After taking some time to walk through the top levels, and seeing that they were clear I came back through with the camera, and took most of the shots you see here.)




Inside I was amazed to see that pretty much everything was still in place. Equipment, tools, ovens, conveyors etc. That delicious aroma still hung in the air....










I then noticed the blue tags on pretty much everything, and discovered that all this stuff was being auctioned off....











^I'm assuming that these were ovens of some kind

On another floor I came across "lots" of parts waiting to be sold to the highest bidder. Other places, the conveyors were still in place, snaking along like miniature highways....














This was when I first saw the roaches. Not just a couple, no, dozens of not hundreds of them. Swarming out from cracks underfoot, crawling up the walls, in every single piece of equipment, they were EVERYWHERE! I'm sure they had some sort of sanitary standard in place when they were in operation right....RIGHT????



^I tried to capture some roaches here, but they were just too damn fast....


Another camera I came across....



Office of some sort


Bell of Pennsylvania



^It was on the other side that the "sweet" aroma gave way to a most foul swampish stench....




Spiral cooler

As I kept on exploring, daylight was starting to break....












The most disgusting thing I have found yet: Toilet with flies and larvae (maggots?) chewing whatever is in there. (believe me, I do not want to know) The smell wasn't too appetizing either.







Back to the roof I went, to take in the water towers, machinery and....the helipad....








Center City visible in the right

More roof shots....













^Interior of the vast penthouse

Back inside on the top floor....














Spiral chute

Earlier on, I had discovered that there was still a guard sitting on the first floor lobby. Coming down the stairs I was able to catch a glimpse of him watching some kind of movie. While I was glad I the cameras that kept popping up on me were pretty much dead, (I surely would have been busted a long time ago if they weren't), I avoided the first floor and basement altogether, and only kept to the locker room portion of the second before calling it a day....











^this might have been the one shot I got of the first floor from the stair door...


TastyKakes's NastyKat seeing to it that I leave....






End shot just like the beginning, only with.....DAYLIGHT!!!

Okay...Just discovered the section marked "Outside New Jersey" Maybe a mod could move it there, seems a more appropriate place. Still getting used to this board....

Place looks pretty sweet, nice coverage of the location!

thats incredible! nice find

Great write up of Your trip! Like Vacant said, excellent coverage.