Less than 2 km from Manhattan - one of the most densely populated and expensive places in the world - a small, little-known island has been abandoned for nearly 55 years.
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| North Brother Island is one of New York City's most amazing and little-known heritage sites. |
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| The only way to get here is by boat from the South Bronx. No one is allowed to cross without a permit, and must be escorted by a New York Parks and Recreation officer. |
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| Established in 1614 and inhabited since 1885, North Brother’s history is one of death, disease, and devastation. In June 1904, the steamship General Slocum caught fire and sank in the East River. Only 321 people survived, and the bodies of 1,021 washed ashore for days. |
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| The buildings on the island were once powered by coal. This pier was where workers unloaded the coal. Now the bridge is dilapidated, covered in moss, and often submerged at high tide. |
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| The buildings on the island are all dilapidated and could collapse at any time. |
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| The streets and roads were almost covered with vegetation. |
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| Visitors can see the morgue's chimney from many kilometers away. |
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| Most of the buildings are closed to the public by the management, as they are dilapidated and dangerous. The scenery on the island is mysterious but beautiful. |
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| From the 1880s until 1943, the island was used to treat people with highly contagious diseases. The dead were taken to a morgue. Despite the ban, some people still sneaked onto the island, as evidenced by the graffiti on the wall of this football field. |
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| Further down the main road is the doctors' men's dormitory, built in 1885. From 1951 until the island was abandoned, the building was used as a drug rehabilitation center. |
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| Countless structures are hidden among the trees, giving visitors the feeling of being in a post-apocalyptic area. |
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| Apart from birds, few animals live here. Mammals are almost non-existent, there are no mice, squirrels... |
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| The largest building on the island - Tuberculosis - has 4 floors, with an area of over 7,700 m2, where people with tuberculosis are treated. |
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| The $1.2 million structure was completed in 1943, but it did not house any tuberculosis patients and instead became a home for World War II veterans. |
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| Few people dare stay on the island overnight. The once beautiful buildings are in ruins and about to collapse. |
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| The island lost its function when the tuberculosis vaccine was introduced and the soldiers found homes on the mainland. It became a juvenile detention center from 1952 to 1963. However, the program proved ineffective and was abandoned. |
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| The last person left the island in 1963, and North Brother was transferred to New York City. To this day, the city has no idea what to do with the island, or how to open it to the public. |
According to Zing
