Drug addicts, immigrants, and the homeless have taken over an empty building in a residential area of New York City, leaving the residents to deal with their trash and safety risks.
Rite Aid once occupied the 25,058-square-foot Astoria site, located at 47-07 Broadway. The corporation is struggling with insolvency and has shuttered hundreds of sites.
On the building’s roof, along with furniture that the vagrants recline on, everything from trash to bras, bicycles, and flags of the United States, Mexico, and Puerto Rico is presently on exhibit, according to the New York Post.
The publication claims that the majority of the new “residents” of the building are middle-aged males, many of whom don’t seem to understand English.
The post-apocalyptic scenario has pushed the neighbors to adapt, with one lady telling the magazine that the building “has a true ‘Mad Max’ vibe going on.”
“It has to be walled off or something, but the owner doesn’t take care of it,” the woman added, remaining anonymous to prevent the derelicts from retaliating.
Reporters for the New York Post verified what residents had complained to the city about seeing people urinating, dealing drugs, and getting drunk in public.
When The Post approached, “one man brandished an eight-inch knife, while another groped for what seemed to be a loose table leg,” the newspaper reported.
Additionally, the facility is next to William Cullen Bryant High School, where reporters saw a guy urinate in front of passing adolescents.
“It’s f*cking ridiculous,” said a longtime neighbor.
Another woman objected, saying, “It’s ridiculous and unsafe.” “I’ve seen kids playing on that wood pile over there on the weekends, almost like it’s a jungle gym.” There are also some exposed nails on the wood.
According to information the Post acquired, the city’s non-emergency hotline has received a staggering 163 reports about the pandemic since the beginning of 2024.
There were 69 reports of the ongoing homeless camp, 36 of public drinking complaints, and 11 reports of public urination.
Residents in the neighborhood are skeptical that any significant changes have been made, despite municipal officials telling the Post that the site had been cleaned up on June 8 and that the men had been provided “services” in response to their inquiry.
A different neighbor commented, “There’s always a drunkard passed out here; an ambulance comes by every other day to pick up one or two. The utilization of municipal services in this area is ridiculous. God forbid, they’re stuck with these individuals, we need an ambulance.”
