New York City is home to 8 million living people—and many more untold souls.
With ghost stories spanning centuries, from Edgar Allan Poe’s haunted Bronx cottage to various streets where the dead are said to linger, the five boroughs have plenty of spooky tales and restless spirits.
“The city is haunted as hell,” mentioned Andrea Janes, a scholar, author, and the founder of a macabre tour company, Boroughs of the Dead.
There’s a reason for this eerie reputation: centuries of history, a dense population, and a city literally built over the remains of those who came before.
“We just keep using these spaces, even when they were once burial sites or places tied to sickness; we build right above them,” she explained.
Janes believes that the combination of history and death creates a “psychic force field,” enveloping us in a kind of spiritual energy that might explain the city’s enthusiastic Halloween celebrations.
She assisted The Post in uncovering some of the eeriest places across all five boroughs, where the past lingers palpably, and you might not be alone on the streets.
The Bronx
Edgar Allan Poe Cottage
Locals in the Bronx, along with numerous aspiring goths, often claim that the Edgar Allan Poe Cottage at 2640 Grand Concourse is haunted by its famous former resident.
Poe made the white cottage his home in 1846 with his first cousin Virginia, who tragically died from tuberculosis just a year later.
It was in this very house that he penned “Annabel Lee,” a haunting narrative about the death of a beautiful woman.
“Opinions on whether the cottage is truly haunted vary, but there’s definitely a unique atmosphere,” she noted.
The ambiance is accentuated by Poe’s original furnishings, including the bed where Virginia passed away.
“Visiting it is absolutely worthwhile,” she affirmed.
Manhattan
City Hall Park
While Janes insists that much of Manhattan has its hauntings, she regards City Hall Park as the pinnacle of spookiness.
“City Hall Park’s history is incredibly complex,” she said, pointing out its past uses as a prison, almshouse, burial ground, and the site of P.T. Barnum’s American Museum, which tragically burnt down in 1865, resulting in numerous animal fatalities.
Additionally, there are hidden tunnels beneath the park that connect to a potter’s field, where the bodies of the marginalized and unknown were hastily buried.
“Even hardened security guards in City Hall Park have reported strange experiences,” she recounted, sharing a tale of one guard who felt an unseen force snatch a pen from his pocket and cast it across the tunnel.
City Hall Park is also adjacent to an African burial ground and once housed Revolutionary War prisoners.
“There’s just an overwhelming amount of history.” She advised skeptics and believers alike to pause in the park at twilight: “Stand quietly for a moment and see if you feel it. There’s something there.”
Brooklyn
Hendrick I. Lott House
Janes mentioned feeling a sense of unease each time she walks past the intersection of Pacific and Smith streets in Coral Gardens.
“I can’t explain it, but it feels haunted. I’ve not found any details, though everyone seems to think it’s linked to mob activity,” she explained.
For a more recognized haunted site, she highlights the Hendrick I. Lott House located at 1940 E. 36th St. in Marine Park.
This historic Dutch-American farmhouse dates back to 1720, and was built by Hendrick I. Lott in 1800, which included a prior structure from his grandfather, Colonel Johannes H. Lott.
New York City acquired the house in 2002 from the estate of Ella Suydam, a descendant of the initial owner.
Even without a tragic history attached, Janes suspects that having the house in one family’s ownership for 300 years might add to its eerie vibe.
“The Lotts lived there for centuries, and it’s filled with their psychic residue,” she noted.
If you’re curious about visiting, while access is typically limited, the Friends of the Lott House sometimes host events and programs.
Staten Island
“Staten Island is absolutely teeming with ghosts,” Janes emphasized. “It’s got haunted mansions, asylums, an old fort—there’s an inexplicable energy there.”
She describes the Kreischer Mansion on Arthur Kill Road as a specific haunted location.
German brick magnate Balthasar Kreischer constructed the mansion in 1885 for his son Edward, who was later found dead under mysterious circumstances near his father’s factory, leading to speculation about whether it was murder or suicide.
Following this tragedy, the family turned to spiritualists, conducting seances that some believe opened unwanted portals.
More recently, the Kreischer Mansion garnered attention due to a violent mob-related killing in 2005.
Queens
44th Street between Broadway and 34th
Residents along this stretch of Astoria have shared stories of seeing the same figure: a woman dressed in a high-collared gown, white hair neatly pulled back.
This apparition sometimes appears by a sick child or roams the backyards of the brick row houses nearby.
Often, she leaves behind a delightful scent of lavender.
According to Janes, the “White Lady of Astoria” is the spirit of Elizabeth Hallett, who was tragically killed along with her family in the early 1700s.
Elizabeth, who was pregnant at her death, was murdered by two enslaved individuals from her household.
“It’s a striking ghost story,” Janes expressed.
Though the Hallett farmhouse no longer stands, Elizabeth’s spirit is said to linger in the row houses built in the early 20th century—though she is regarded as a kind-natured ghost.
“A friend once described her comforting presence while ill, which felt very soothing,” noted Mitch Waxman, a local historian.
Janes honors these spirits by sharing their stories during her tours, making it clear that participants don’t have to believe in ghosts to join.
“All our tours focus on history, and some don’t involve ghosts at all,” she highlighted.
Boroughs of the Dead is celebrating its 13th anniversary this October; interested visitors can book a tour and also catch Janes on October 27th for a panel discussion on Brooklyn’s haunted history.
