A vacant building in a residential New York City neighborhood has become a hotspot for drug users, migrants, and homeless people — leaving locals to deal with their messes and safety hazards.
The 25,058-square-foot Astoria plot at 47-07 Broadway used to be the home of a Rite Aid store. The company has closed hundreds of locations as it grapples with bankruptcy.
Everything from U.S., Mexico, and Puerto Rican flags to bras, bicycles, and garbage is currently on display on the building’s roof, along with furniture on which the vagrants lounge, the New York Post reports.
The new “residents” of the building are mostly middle-aged men, many of whom appear to not speak English, according to the outlet.
Neighbors have been forced to live with the apocalyptic scene, one woman telling the publication that the building has “got a real ‘Mad Max’ vibe going on.”
“It should be fenced off or something, but the owner doesn’t take any responsibility for it,” said the woman, who spoke under the condition of anonymity to avoid retaliation from the derelicts.
New York Post reporters confirmed what the locals have complained to the city about: witnessing public drunkenness, drug deals, and urination.
“One man flashed an eight-inch knife when approached by The Post, while another reached for what appeared to be a loose table leg,” the publication stated.
The building is also near William Cullen Bryant High School; reporters witnessed a man urinating in front of a group of teenagers walking by.
“It’s f*cking preposterous,” a lifelong neighborhood resident said.
“It’s absurd and dangerous,” another woman complained. “On the weekends, I’ve seen kids playing on that wood pile over there, like it’s a jungle gym. Some of that wood’s got exposed nails, too.”
A whopping 163 reports have been made to the city’s non-emergency number to complain about the chaos since the beginning of 2024, according to records that the Post obtained.
The active homeless encampment was reported 69 times, while 36 people complained of public drinking and another 11 reported public urination.
While city officials responded to the Post’s inquiry to say the site had been cleaned up on June 8 and that the men had been offered “services,” the residents in the area are not convinced a real change has been made.
“There’s always a drunk passed out here — ambulance, every other day here to pick one or two up,” another neighbor explained. “The city services that get chewed up over here, it’s ridiculous. God forbid we need an ambulance, they’re tied up with these guys.”
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