What do Salvation Mountain, East Jesus, and West Satan have in common? If you guessed they’re locations in a video game then you’re only half right. These eclectic phrases are names of subdivisions in the infamous Californian town known as Slab City. Home to mostly squatters and vagabonds, Slab City has been hailed as the last free city in the world. Residents enjoy no modern amenities like running water or electricity. However, they relish their off-grid lifestyle in one of the strangest places left on earth. Not only is the town itself incredibly unique, but the geographic location tells a story of its own. This is the unbelievable Slab City, California.
Where is Slab City?
Slab city is located in the heart of the Sonoran Desert. The town sits on the Salton Trough, an active tectonic basin that is home to the Salton Sea. The unique neighborhood rests about 100 miles outside of San Diego, 170 miles south of Los Angeles, and only 50 miles north of Mexico. Needless to say, it has become the last resort home for people across the southwest.
What is Slab City?
Technically speaking, Slab City is not really a city. It is an unincorporated community made up mostly of the homeless and a wide array of snowbirds that flock to the city each winter. Due to the town’s nature, it is also home to drug addicts, anarchists, outcasts, and other eccentric people.
The community earned its name after the foundations (slabs) of old military barracks that the city has been erected on. Residents have built homes out of whatever material available. Many of the homes have been strung together using various garbage and local plants/dirt. Others enjoy the comforts of mobile homes, RVs, or tents.
East Jesus and West Satan
The community has been subdivided much like many modern communities of the world. Each community has been given different names, the most noteworthy being East Jesus and West Satan (obviously). Both communities are home to artists who believe strongly in reclamation so much of their artwork is built entirely out of bottles, glass, and other waste materials.
Other localities of the city include; Salvation Mountain, The Salton Sea, Niland Heights, Slab City Singles, The Coliseums, Little Canada, Drop Seven and Drop Eight. The city is complete with a library, an internet cafe, a church, and its own outdoor night club the Ranch. Places in this town have very video gameesque names, which is perfect because the region is the inspiration for Grand Theft Auto 5’s Sandy Shores.
Salvation Mountain
The most well-known part of Slab City is the infamous Salvation Mountain. You may not have heard of this man-made mount of worship, but you’ve more than likely seen it in pop culture. It is referenced in video games like GTA 5, featured on the cover art of Third Day’s album entitled Revelation, and featured in the music video for “Praying” by Ke$ha. Those are just a few of the many appearances of Salvation Mountain.
By Tricia Savino – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0
The passion project of Slab City resident, Leonard Knight, Salvation Mountain is the monumental welcome sign to slab city. Standing at 50 feet tall, the mountain is a religious art piece built of adobe, garbage, and latex paint. Lots of latex paint was used in the construction of this hill. The project took Korean War veteran Knight 30 years to complete and is maintained to this day by local volunteers.
The Last Free Place on Earth?
Slab City is technically an unincorporated community which means there is no local government of any kind. There are no services, no police, no post office, no infrastructure of any kind. The lack of government in the city means there is a lack of taxes, at least city taxes, for its residents. But the freedoms afforded to the residents extend farther than tax evasion.
People in Slab City have few needs that can only be met through currency. So, many residents rarely hold jobs as there is no need. Those who do are working part-time. It is an escape from the rat race that gave Slab City so much appeal to them for the locals.
Even though the city does not have a police force of its own, the county does. Also, officers from the nearby town of Niland have been known to check in on the residents from time to time. Fortunately for the squatters though, the police are pretty lenient with them. They only enforce laws that put others endanger or revolve around border security. So Slab City is not completely lawless, but it is awfully close. Soft and hard drugs are prevalent in the community. But, a highly regarded moral code keeps the residents relatively safe from harm caused by another.
Conclusion
Is it the last free place on earth? Not really, but it is probably the closest city on earth to it. Slab City is an eclectic place where people who can’t fit into modern society thrive. The residents love their homes and are thankful for the community that they have built there. The city may not be the prettiest in the world and it may lack much of what people in the U.S. have become accustomed to, however it offers its residents the life they’ve always dreamed of. For that, the locals love it.
Learn more about the social structure of Slab City and the interesting different locations across the town in this week’s episode of Things I Learned Last Night. Things I Learned Last Night is an educational comedy podcast where best friends Jaron Myers and Tim Stone talk about random topics and have fun all along the way. If you like learning, and laughing a whole lot while you do, then you’ll love TILLN. Watch or listen to this episode right now!
Sources
Slab City, California – Wikipedia
Salvation Mountain – Wikipedia
Slab City and Its Neighborhoods – San Diego Reader
Related Episodes
Tell Us What You Think of This Content!
Don’t forget to share with your friends!