Why am I so fascinated with industrial parks? I guess it's cuz they're so mysterious. Their names never tell the whole story. AGC Corp, Berlin Industries, El Jinete Enterprises, Savex Mfg Co, Zarjet are a few random names I pulled from the Industrial Equipment section of my local Yellow Pages. Rarely is there a logo on the building. Even if there is a logo, it's often so vaguely basic that no clues are shared in the company's business. Most of the time there's just a sign on the corner of the street giving a laundry list of companies housed in that particular industrial park. The buildings are always massive with little or no ornament to them and they stretch for miles on end. Even the entrances are non-descript and often hidden from view. The only signs of life are seen in the drivers of the massive semi trucks barreling down the road. It seems to be a requirement for each industrial park building to have a picnic table. However, I have never seen a person using them. very ominous.
I work in Oakbrook Terrace, IL which is in shouting distance of Elk Grove Village, Illinois, the mecca of industrial parks. The Elk Grove Village Chamber of Commerce website states their town has experienced "a steady gain of 100 companies per year for the past 10 years." And I believe it. For the last 8 years or so I have had "photograph industrial parks" on my "to do" list. The massive calmness of industrial parks would make for a great photography series.
Elk Grove Village, until a few years ago, held the title for the largest industrial park in the country and maybe the world.
I used to think like you however in that they always seemed boring or sleepy and non descript. However, a friend of mine who is a cop in Elk Grove Village says differently. He spends more time in the industrial park than you'd think. Apparently, there's a criminal element there. Some are just the routine speeders and what not, but there are also plenty of other criminal goings-on in the industrial park. Who would have guessed???
Posted by: Mark R on Aug 17, 07 | 12:04 pm
No Friday Face-Off this week?
Posted by: Mark R on Aug 17, 07 | 2:34 pm
i figured I'd give Faceoff Friday a week off.
Now that you mention it Mark, I can see how industrial parks can fester criminal activity. Some of those buildings stockpile tons of expensive merchandise, equipment, etc. And the apparent sleepy nature of the environment can "inspire" criminals to do their thing.
When driving down Route 83 in Elk Grove Village, there are very little restaurants. The McDonalds on 83 must do some serious business. There's a double drive-thru window. McDonalds has got the restaurant market cornered in that neighborhood.
Industrial Parks creep me out. The very fact that you have to drive to them and then drive to go anywhere from them is a bit disconcerting. I realise I'm an anomoly in America in that I don't own a car and therefore am not a part of the American car culture. But we're talking about industrial parks, not cars.
They seem too to lack any real character and I think that also makes people who work in them a bit characterless. I hate to use that sweeping generalizaton, but I've met with clients in industrial parks and simply due to the very nature of most of the businesses that work in industrial parks, it's unlikely you'll find any real characters. Present company excluded, of course :o)
