# google earth ? about York, PA **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 5, 2007, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-earth-about-york-pa/386811 "2007-01-05T14:06:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Fir\_na\_tine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Fir\_na\_tine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fir_na_tine)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2007, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-earth-about-york-pa/386811/1 "2007-01-05T14:06:42Z")
Passing through York, PA over the holidays I noticed an enormous building a few miles north of the City. Using the measuring tools on google earth, it appears to be about 850 feet by 850 feet square. From the Interstate it appears to be 7 to 9 stories in height. No signs of any type and no windows visible from the highway side. Map coordinates are 40.03.55.47 by 76.45.31.56 Anyone know what the heck this building is? It’s an impressive sight in the middle of nowhere (sorry PA but it is in the boonies). 😃 Thanks! Jim ---
**Author:** ![toadspittle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c0e974/32.png) [@toadspittle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toadspittle)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2007, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-earth-about-york-pa/386811/2 "2007-01-05T14:35:25Z")
Telephone exchange building? I’ve seen a number of these square, windowless buildings in various cities. Also–any way you can get us a link on Google Maps? ---
**Author:** ![Fir\_na\_tine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Fir\_na\_tine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fir_na_tine)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2007, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-earth-about-york-pa/386811/3 "2007-01-05T14:39:07Z")
[QUOTE=toadspittle] Telephone exchange building? I’ve seen a number of these square, windowless buildings in various cities. Also–any way you can get us a link on Google Maps? [/QUOTE] When I’m viewing the image, how do I create a link? ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2007, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-earth-about-york-pa/386811/4 "2007-01-05T14:41:05Z")
Click where it says ‘link to this page’ and the address bar URL will change to one that takes you straight there. ---
**Author:** ![Fir\_na\_tine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Fir\_na\_tine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fir_na_tine)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2007, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-earth-about-york-pa/386811/5 "2007-01-05T14:50:41Z")
[QUOTE=Mangetout] Click where it says ‘link to this page’ and the address bar URL will change to one that takes you straight there. [/QUOTE] I’m using the free version of google earth and it does not have “link to this page” as an option. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2007, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-earth-about-york-pa/386811/6 "2007-01-05T14:55:48Z")
Ah… can you find the same location on [maps.google.com](http://maps.google.com)? ---
**Author:** ![Fir\_na\_tine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Fir\_na\_tine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fir_na_tine)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2007, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-earth-about-york-pa/386811/7 "2007-01-05T15:00:49Z")
[Here it is.](http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=east+andes+road+york,+pa&ie=UTF8&z=15&ll=40.067398,-76.752119&spn=0.015272,0.043259&om=1&iwloc=addr) East Andes Road is on the opposite side of the interstate. The building I’m referring to is on the West side. ---
**Author:** ![Dorjan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dorjan/32/12440_2.png) [@Dorjan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dorjan)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2007, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-earth-about-york-pa/386811/8 "2007-01-05T15:03:18Z")
I looked on both Google Maps and Google Earth, those coordinates both point to a low resolution area. Are you sure you pick the coordinates of what you were actually looking at? The only way to be sure is to double click the object to center it, then pull the coordinates. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2007, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-earth-about-york-pa/386811/9 "2007-01-05T15:09:11Z")
Y’know what that looks like to me? One of those distribution warehouses where all kinds of goods that are sent by truck are handled. If you zoom in close, you can see what looks like a bunch of tractor trailers parked both adjacent to the big building and in a parking area (staging area?) just to the WNW of the building. ---
**Author:** ![MarcusF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/67e7ee/32.png) [@MarcusF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MarcusF)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2007, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-earth-about-york-pa/386811/10 "2007-01-05T15:14:16Z")
Are you talking about the dark building immediately to the left of the main road, just on the edge of the high resolution area? If you are, my quess is that it is a warehouse/distribution point - see the row of trucks and trailers backed up to the west side. ---
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2007, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-earth-about-york-pa/386811/11 "2007-01-05T15:15:19Z")
[Here?](http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=york+pa&ie=UTF8&om=1&z=17&ll=40.067234,-76.757151&spn=0.003178,0.010933&t=k&iwloc=addr) It seems to be only about 400 ft square however. ---
**Author:** ![MarcusF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/67e7ee/32.png) [@MarcusF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MarcusF)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2007, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-earth-about-york-pa/386811/12 "2007-01-05T15:15:32Z")
:smack: Sorry - crossed with **An Arky** ---
**Author:** ![Dorjan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dorjan/32/12440_2.png) [@Dorjan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dorjan)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2007, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-earth-about-york-pa/386811/13 "2007-01-05T15:18:59Z")
Looks like I posted too late. Anyways, given the size, parking lot and the vast number of trucks lined up on the side of it, my guess is a warehouse or distribution point of some sort. There is a much view of it available in Microsoft Virtual Earth: [Bing Maps - Directions, trip planning, traffic cameras & more](http://maps.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&cp=40.067957~-76.761174&style=o&lvl=2&tilt=-90&dir=0&alt=-1000&scene=2396537) ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2007, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-earth-about-york-pa/386811/14 "2007-01-05T15:19:17Z")
[QUOTE=An Arky] Y’know what that looks like to me? One of those distribution warehouses where all kinds of goods that are sent by truck are handled. If you zoom in close, you can see what looks like a bunch of tractor trailers parked both adjacent to the big building and in a parking area (staging area?) just to the WNW of the building. [/QUOTE] I live in the area and I was told it was - as you suggest - an automated warehouse. The person who described it to me tells me it is quite interesting inside, with machines that can pull stuff from shelving all over the building. I have not seen this for myself. ---
**Author:** ![Fir\_na\_tine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Fir\_na\_tine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fir_na_tine)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2007, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-earth-about-york-pa/386811/15 "2007-01-05T15:29:39Z")
**Dorjan,** that’s the building! Never saw the loading docks from the highway and the trucks on the South side are blocked by a berm or slope in the terrain. I double checked with the ruler in google earth and I’m sticking with about 800 x 800. A massive building that at least from the highway seems to sit in the middle of nowhere with nothing around it. Thanks to all for solving this minor mystery. Jim ---
**Author:** ![Dorjan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dorjan/32/12440_2.png) [@Dorjan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dorjan)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2007, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-earth-about-york-pa/386811/16 "2007-01-05T15:32:12Z")
Given the details in this article and Khadaji’s post, it could be [R.R. Donnelley Logistic’s automated distribution center](http://www.dmnews.com/cms/dm-news/catalog-retail/24410.html). ---
**Author:** ![toadspittle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c0e974/32.png) [@toadspittle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toadspittle)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2007, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-earth-about-york-pa/386811/17 "2007-01-05T16:13:32Z")
Doh! I was thinking 850 s.f.–not 850 feet on a side. That’s a big building. ---
**Author:** ![MarcusF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/67e7ee/32.png) [@MarcusF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MarcusF)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2007, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-earth-about-york-pa/386811/18 "2007-01-05T16:16:44Z")
One question. In the States, how common is for a building like this to be blank? All the distribution centres I’ve driven passed in the UK have the company name on them in letters 20 foot high. ---
**Author:** ![Tastes\_of\_Chocolate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tastes_of_chocolate/32/3232_2.png) [@Tastes\_of\_Chocolate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tastes_of_Chocolate)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2007, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-earth-about-york-pa/386811/19 "2007-01-05T16:21:31Z")
Dorjän’s link mentions the warehouse is 670,000 sq feet, so 800x800 is pretty close. ---
**Author:** ![xizor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xizor/32/102_2.png) [@xizor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xizor)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2007, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-earth-about-york-pa/386811/20 "2007-01-05T17:09:31Z")
And I see the lot next to it is [for sale](http://www.loopnet.com/xNet/MainSite/Listing/Profile/ProfileSE.aspx?LID=14549257&linkcode=10850&sourcecode=1lww2t006a00001) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-earth-about-york-pa/386811.md?page=2)