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Haunting photos reveal a hidden part of New York City that’s been abandoned for decades

Updated Dec 19th, 2018 8:59PM EST
New York City North Brother Island Pictures
Image: Christopher Payne

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So you think you know everything there is to know about New York City, do you? Then you might be pleasantly surprised to discover a hidden corner of the city that’s been deserted for decades and is still preserved just as it was in 1963 when it was abandoned. Well, not exactly the same — nature has taken its toll on the place and has left it looking like a scene from Fallout 3.

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That place is North Brother Island (Google Maps link), Brain Pickings reveals, in the middle of the East River between the Bronx and Rikers Island, and one photographer captured its newfound beauty in an amazing set of pictures – and no, the images you’re about to see aren’t digital renders conceived for a hot new game.

Christopher Payne took some amazing pictures of the deserted place, which was used as a smallpox treating facility in the past that was then converted into a juvenile drug treatment center, before being so unceremoniously decommissioned.

Some of the pictures Payne took follow below, with more of them available at the source link. Meanwhile, Payne’s North Brother Island: The Last Unknown Place in New York City book is available on Amazon at this link.

Chris Smith Senior Writer

Chris Smith has been covering consumer electronics ever since the iPhone revolutionized the industry in 2008. When he’s not writing about the most recent tech news for BGR, he brings his entertainment expertise to Marvel’s Cinematic Universe and other blockbuster franchises.

Outside of work, you’ll catch him streaming almost every new movie and TV show release as soon as it's available.