This Guy Explored A Restricted Island In NYC…Check Out What He Discovered In His Journey
by N/A, 9 years ago |
3 min read
It's hard to imagine there being any part of New York City that remains undiscovered. But between the Bronx and Riker's Island sits an arcane island, that's long been forgotten.
In fact, police seem to be some of the only ones aware of its existence, patrolling the "restricted area" vigilantly, slapping any trespassers with hefty fines. Fortunately, photographer and Redditor, Victav, took the risk of covertly venturing out to its banks, and captured these images.
The tiny location is called North Brother Island. Together with its even smaller counterpart, South Brother Island, the two measure out to be about 20 acres.
The island was populated in the 1850's by Riverside Hospital, who used it to isolate victims of smallpox and other quarantinable diseases.
Later, after World War II, it was used to house veterans as well as recovering drug addicts. But by the 1960s the facility was shut down permanently.
Now, only its dilapidated housings remain, eroded and abandoned.
Naturally, the old facility serves as quite the eerie spectacle...
Extraordinarily eerie.
One of the island's most well-known residents was "Typhoid Mary," the first American diagnosed as an asymptomatic carrier of the disease. She lived on the island for over two decades.
Knowing North Brother Island's history certainly makes its ruins more fascinating, while at the same time making them more creepy.
Now, the island serves as a bird sanctuary and is completely off-limits to the public.
Although we're glad Victav decided to break that rule.
And despite it's strange and uncanny ambience...
North Brother Island is still oddly beautiful in its own way...just don't get stuck out there at night.
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Do not show me this again