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Skateboarding => Skate Questions => Topic started by: Joe Davola on September 05, 2021, 10:40:17 AM

Title: Spot Hunting
Post by: Joe Davola on September 05, 2021, 10:40:17 AM
Anyone have any useful methods for spot hunting?

Figured I'd share a useful site I sometimes use when spot hunting/Google mapping.
https://www.loopnet.com/
Loopnet is like Zillow for commercial real estate. You can check out properties that are for lease or sale, which means they have a chance of being vacant. The listings sometimes have decent photos, which can go a step beyond what you can decipher from Google map street view.

And this isn't the best example, but on Google maps, if you see what looks like two different parking lots coming together, there's a small chance it could be banked.
(https://i.ibb.co/RjD415R/Screen-Shot-2021-09-05-at-1-36-00-PM.jpg)
(https://i.ibb.co/GHckdcy/Screen-Shot-2021-09-05-at-1-37-26-PM.jpg)
Title: Re: Spot Hunting
Post by: gabbesucks on September 05, 2021, 12:25:18 PM
Boring answer but I recommend just walking around places you haven’t been before. You miss so many little gems if you’re skating or biking past them, walking gives you enough time to fully absorb your surroundings. This only applies to highly concentrated places like cities, if you live in the middle of nowhere you’re best off biking or skating.
Title: Re: Spot Hunting
Post by: Paul Cicero on September 05, 2021, 05:13:22 PM
I like to drive through factories or new industrial areas anytime Im on the road for work - finding a new spot is one of the best feelings ever
Title: Re: Spot Hunting
Post by: Urtripping on September 05, 2021, 06:21:03 PM
I call my bike the spot scout... my setup is perfect for takin er easy and seeing things you've driven right past before
Title: Re: Spot Hunting
Post by: GardenSkater77 on September 06, 2021, 04:15:34 PM
I call my bike the spot scout... my setup is perfect for takin er easy and seeing things you've driven right past before

Agree.

On days where I am too sore to skate I will ride in a five mile radius around my house. You can ride in back of commercial properties so quickly on a bike and not have to worry about getting in or out like you would with a car.

Bibby calls it ‘block work’...
Title: Re: Spot Hunting
Post by: Allen. on September 07, 2021, 08:36:42 AM
Laziest way that works for me is look in the background of others’ clips. I found several spots by seeing a phone number on a door, or a street sign, or a business nearby. One was this bank to curb in the middle of nowhere I saw on this guys story that was next to Speedway. Took an afternoon and searched “Speedway” on Google maps and started going down the list till I found it.
Title: Re: Spot Hunting
Post by: Mr. Stinky on September 08, 2021, 11:39:11 AM
Here's a good one for when you're out driving looking for spots: look for shopping centers and the like that are built where there's a difference in elevation from one side to the other.  Often, those are where you can find crazy loading docks, retaining wall ledges, etc.
I guess Google Earth (not Google Maps) shows differences in elevation pretty clearly now, so this can be done without driving I suppose.  Also, if you live in a big city, the shittier parts of town usually have good stuff that isn't stopped in shopping centers and office/industrial parks, so either grab some homies to drive around for an afternoon looking for stuff, or do a Google Earth before you head out.
Title: Re: Spot Hunting
Post by: Allen. on September 08, 2021, 12:11:07 PM
Also if you ever want to catalog your spots, the way I do it is screenshots via Google maps with the address in it, then create a separate folder for each city or area or whatever. Or Snapchat the spot with the address as the caption.

It’s a bummer that there’s still a few spots over the years that I’ve lost just because I didn’t take pictures of them.
Title: Re: Spot Hunting
Post by: nickpaolucci on September 10, 2021, 12:55:55 PM
I use the Google Earth Pro desktop app. Here's a screenshot of my aerial view. If you drag over the little guy in the right hand corner you can see which roads are accessible via street view. I use this in conjunction w/ the polygon tool (the white mask on the second image) to mark areas I have already explored.

(https://i.imgur.com/JPg38cQ.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/7tMlzBH.jpg)
Title: Re: Spot Hunting
Post by: Blueabyssofthisss on September 10, 2021, 07:55:37 PM
I don’t hunt for spots, the spot hunts me.
Title: Re: Spot Hunting
Post by: cosmicgypsies on September 11, 2021, 05:04:18 AM
Also if you ever want to catalog your spots, the way I do it is screenshots via Google maps with the address in it, then create a separate folder for each city or area or whatever. Or Snapchat the spot with the address as the caption.

It’s a bummer that there’s still a few spots over the years that I’ve lost just because I didn’t take pictures of them.

You can also do it through Google Maps itself - drop a pin on the spot, name it, add a description/picture etc. I started plotting out most of the spots in my town a while back.

(https://i.imgur.com/VA3PssK.png)
Title: Re: Spot Hunting
Post by: toe_knee on September 14, 2021, 06:59:05 AM
Woooah this is a treasure trove of information, I’ve been using my Apple Maps to catalogue my spots but I can’t put pics or anything, I was a irrigation technician for five years, I spent my days driving around residential areas and commercial areas, it did wonders for my spot bible, get a job where you are constantly driving around
Title: Re: Spot Hunting
Post by: lampshade on September 14, 2021, 01:05:50 PM
I like to drive through factories or new industrial areas anytime Im on the road for work - finding a new spot is one of the best feelings ever

Industrial parks are chill.  They are usually empty/no security on weekends. 
Title: Re: Spot Hunting
Post by: nickpaolucci on September 14, 2021, 01:50:42 PM
Woooah this is a treasure trove of information, I’ve been using my Apple Maps to catalogue my spots but I can’t put pics or anything, I was a irrigation technician for five years, I spent my days driving around residential areas and commercial areas, it did wonders for my spot bible, get a job where you are constantly driving around

how is apple maps? is there a streetview? i don't have a compatible apple device to check it out, but plan on getting an iphone soon.
Title: Re: Spot Hunting
Post by: toe_knee on September 14, 2021, 07:28:16 PM
Expand Quote
Woooah this is a treasure trove of information, I’ve been using my Apple Maps to catalogue my spots but I can’t put pics or anything, I was a irrigation technician for five years, I spent my days driving around residential areas and commercial areas, it did wonders for my spot bible, get a job where you are constantly driving around
[close]

how is apple maps? is there a streetview? i don't have a compatible apple device to check it out, but plan on getting an iphone soon.

Yea there is street view, severely lacking though, but it works in a pinch and it’s convenient just making spots with pins 
Title: Re: Spot Hunting
Post by: nickpaolucci on September 15, 2021, 06:53:27 AM
Expand Quote
Expand Quote
Woooah this is a treasure trove of information, I’ve been using my Apple Maps to catalogue my spots but I can’t put pics or anything, I was a irrigation technician for five years, I spent my days driving around residential areas and commercial areas, it did wonders for my spot bible, get a job where you are constantly driving around
[close]

how is apple maps? is there a streetview? i don't have a compatible apple device to check it out, but plan on getting an iphone soon.
[close]



Yea there is street view, severely lacking though, but it works in a pinch and it’s convenient just making spots with pins


bummer. was hoping it would be a nice supplement to google streetview as some areas are outdated and the google car does not seem to go into certain places (i.e. public schools and parking garages).