The Secret Island Just Minutes from Manhattan Where No Visitors Are Allowed.
Just across the water from Manhattan, there’s an island few people ever talk about, and almost no one is allowed to visit. North Brother Island sits in the East River near the Bronx, surrounded by history, rusted structures, and dense overgrowth.
You may not believe it, but it once played a major role in New York City’s public health system, then eventually faded into obscurity. The city has kept it locked off from the public since the 1960s and allows only rare, supervised visits.
Although it’s geographically close to one of the busiest cities in the world, it stays frozen in time.
A Public Health Island Turned Forgotten Ground
Image via Wikimedia Commons/Beyond My Ken
New York City began using North Brother Island in the late 1800s to isolate people with dangerous diseases. Riverside Hospital operated there for decades and treated smallpox, tuberculosis, typhoid, and polio. It became known for housing Mary Mallon, an asymptomatic typhoid carrier arrested twice after causing outbreaks. She lived as a recluse on site until her death in 1938.
As time passed, the facility expanded to include housing for staff and support facilities. By the 1940s, its use as a quarantine site slowed, and its relevance declined. Buildings started to fall into disrepair, even while the city tried to repurpose them. Eventually, public health officials abandoned the facility.
While there is no denying that the island’s location in the East River had made it ideal for isolation, that same trait helped preserve its physical decay.
Temporary Housing and a Failed Rehab Effort
After World War II, returning soldiers faced a housing shortage in New York. North Brother Island became one of several emergency housing locations during that time. The medical center dormitories were converted to apartments for veterans and their families. The setup lasted several years until city housing options improved and the need for such living arrangements declined.
In the early 1950s, the city attempted another reuse in the form of a youth drug rehabilitation center. Patients stayed for several months at a time, separated from their home environments. Despite its intentions, the program lacked follow-through. Most patients relapsed once they returned home.
The seclusion that once worked for quarantine didn’t translate well to addiction treatment. By 1963, the rehab center shut down. Without a clear role, the city officially closed the location.
What Still Stands on North Brother Island
Image via Wikimedia Commons/Beyond My Ken
Though the place was never redeveloped, about 25 buildings continue to stand. They include the morgue, nurse dormitories, physician housing, and the massive Tuberculosis Pavilion. The pavilion, built in 1943 at a cost of $1.2 million, was never used for its intended purpose.
Some structures, including the Staff House and Male Dormitory, date back to 1885. Both are visibly collapsing. Trees now grow through rooftops, and vines cover walls. On the other hand, coal-powered steam was used to heat the units, but now, their remnants sit in place, corroded and submerged during high tide.
Much of the equipment from the island’s hospital years remains inside, untouched. NYC Parks forbids visitors from entering any buildings due to their dangerous condition. Even the dock is unstable. Rotten beams and rusted derricks surround the area’s edge, which makes an approach difficult.