Vacant buildings in New York City’s residential areas have become hotbeds for drug users, immigrants and the homeless, forcing local residents to deal with filth and safety hazards.
The 25,058-square-foot Astoria site at 47-07 Broadway was formerly home to a Rite Aid store. Hundreds of stores closed It is facing bankruptcy.
Today, the roof of the building is home to everything from American, Mexican and Puerto Rican flags to bras, bicycles and trash, as well as furniture for homeless people to relax on. New York Post Reports.
According to the media, the building’s new “residents” are mainly middle-aged men, many of whom do not appear to speak English.
Nearby residents have been forced to endure apocalyptic scenes, with one woman telling the paper that the building “has a real Mad Max feel”.
“They should be fenced off or something, but the owners aren’t taking responsibility,” said the woman, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to avoid retaliation from the abandoners.
New York Post Reporters confirmed that local residents had filed complaints with the city, including public indecency, drug dealing and sightings of urination.
““As The Post approached, one of the men brandished an 8-inch knife while the other reached for what appeared to be a loose table leg,” the paper reported.
The building is near William Cullen Bryant High School, where reporters witnessed a man urinating in front of a group of teenagers passing by.
“It’s just ridiculous,” said one lifelong resident of the neighborhood.
“It’s stupid and dangerous,” complained another woman. “I’ve seen kids playing on the piles there on weekends, like it’s a jungle gym. Some of the trees even have exposed nails.”
City records show that 163 calls reporting disruptions have been made to the city’s non-emergency number since the beginning of 2024. post I got it.
There were 69 reports of active homeless encampments, 36 people complained about indecent drinking and an additional 11 reported indecent conduct.
City authorities Post The inquiry was told the site had been cleaned up on June 8 and the men had been offered a “service”, but local residents do not believe anything has actually changed.
“There are drunk people passing out here all the time and ambulances bring one or two every other day,” explained another neighbour. “The city services here are overwhelmed, it’s ridiculous. Pray to God you need an ambulance because they’re overwhelmed with these people.”
