10 post-apocalyptic places in major cities of the world

Movies often show us what cities turn into after the apocalypse. However, to see it live, it is not necessary to wait at all — even in large cities there are places that seem to have descended from TV screens. They will be discussed in our post.

In the best years of Manhattan School No. 186, it was impossible to think that one day this building would become more like the footage from "I am a Legend". Companies are working across the street from her, all the parking lots are occupied by cars, and people walk carelessly along the sidewalks. Meanwhile, all the entrances to the school are boarded up, and trees are making their way out through its windows — for 40 years the building has been useless to anyone, and only garbage can be found inside it.

The school was opened in 1903, but faced a number of problems in the early 1970s. Its fire safety did not meet all the requirements, and the doors were constantly open so that in case of an emergency it was easy to get out of the building. It was these open doors that led to problems — several intruders made their way inside, and people suffered from this.

This small island, whose width does not exceed 400 meters, is located in the East Rivet Strait just 350 meters from the mainland. Until 1885, it was uninhabited until the Riverside Hospital was moved there, which specialized in the treatment of smallpox — patients needed maximum isolation from the outside world. In the late 1930s, the hospital closed.

After the end of World War II, veterans settled on North Brother, but only until the problem with the shortage of housing was solved. In the 50s, a drug rehabilitation clinic was opened on the island, which gained notoriety.

Patients claimed that they were there against their will, several bribe takers were found among the staff, and the percentage of those who started using drugs after treatment was too high — in 1963 the clinic was closed. After that, the island was not used in any way. The buildings began to deteriorate, everything was overgrown with ivy and trees. Visiting this atmospheric place is prohibited and therefore the only inhabitants of the island are numerous tree frogs.

Navmachia was originally called a gladiatorial naval battle in Ancient Rome, but later any show with an imitation of a naval battle became so called. Therefore, if you want to arrange a personal navmachia — welcome to the abandoned marine stadium in Miami. The 6,600-seat arena was opened in the 1960s for boat racing.

After Hurricane Andrew in 1992, the stadium was closed, and it became a place of pilgrimage for graffiti artists and other creative personalities. There is a constant debate about what to do with the stadium. Some say that it needs to be put in order and used for its intended purpose, while others, on the contrary, argue that the best solution would be to leave it as it is. At least as a tribute to the graffiti artists who diligently painted it for many years. Which of this is correct is unknown, but so far the second opinion definitely wins — the stadium has been standing and is standing.

The brick factory was built in 1884 and has been operating for a century. It was closed in 1988, but its chimney still towers over the local landscape. But the main thing here is the atmosphere inside the building. Labyrinths of passages are adjacent to abandoned and rusting equipment. In one of the old offices, a paper was even found on which sales records were recorded by handwriting.The abandoned factory reminds us of the technologies of the past — trams and blacksmith shops. The general picture of the atmosphere is added by small flames that burst out directly from under the overgrown grass of the earth. When the methane coming out of the buried waste does not explode by itself, local teenagers help by throwing burning matches into small depressions. At the same time, the plant is quietly adjacent to the park, which is usually full of children playing. The only barrier between them and a piece of post—apocalypse right in the middle of the city is barbed wire. But everyone remembers perfectly well how sweet the forbidden fruit is?

If you are bored with urban tourism, perhaps it is the Bloomingdale Railway that will be the life-giving drop of diversity in your travels. This abandoned 5-kilometer road runs right in the middle of a busy city. After its use was abandoned in 2001, its overgrown paths became a popular route for runners and cyclists, and in winter for skiers.

The feeling of an abandoned city after such walks does not go away for a long time. Perhaps in the near future the road will be improved and a park will be made of it, but, as you know, such projects are not done in one day. Therefore, you still have a little time left to properly experience the atmosphere of the post-apocalypse on the railway.

The "Tower of David" is nothing but a giant unfinished skyscraper right in the middle of Caracas. The construction of the building began in 1990, but due to the crisis of 1994, all work stopped. The 45-storey skyscraper boasts a helipad, large balconies and a beautiful view of the Avila mountain range, but there are no windows or railings. And people live there. You can get to the tenth floor by motorcycle, then to the 28th floor — only on foot.

That's how many floors were mastered by 3,000 people, for whom the unfinished project became a home. Electricity, sewerage and water supply were brought here, and some rooms were completely converted into beauty salons and dentists' offices. There are strict rules in the tower, and their violators are waiting for "community service". Despite the overall rather sad picture, some apartments look quite cozy. The tower has gained fame as a criminal and dysfunctional place, but the residents themselves claim that there is much more order in this building than in the rest of the city.

Insurgents are called armed civilian detachments opposing the authorities. In this case, the building rather resists the forces of nature. But as long as it is confidently in an upright position, the victory remains with it. The building doesn't look attractive from the outside, but there are a lot of stories behind the broken windows. Any small-time criminal has been here, ranging from unscrupulous lawyers to drug dealers.

Who, however, quite peacefully coexisted with dance teachers and other representatives of more "peaceful" professions. Once the building even housed offices, but later they were converted into temporary housing. Due to the earthquake of 1985, the building tilted slightly. The authorities ordered the evacuation of all people, but the idea among the local inhabitants did not receive approval, and they demanded repairs. Instead, they received only various kinds of lawsuits, since the building is being destroyed literally before our eyes.

In this impressive building, it is difficult to see the former granary — it looks like a cross between a factory, a prison and a temple. 12 floors and 20-centimeter walls allowed it to look good to this day, despite the long-standing abandonment. Some of the walls have collapsed into the river, others are just getting ready — but in the fog the building looks really ominous. The granary was opened in 1922. Even then there was no special need for it, and in the 60s the building was closed with the words "a magnificent mistake".The structure is very popular among urban researchers, although it is very difficult to get to it. One of these "tourists" said that it is necessary to stock up not only with perseverance and invention, but also to prepare well mentally: "you never know what awaits inside, and who can stop during an attempt to enter the territory, as well as what consequences may be behind it." But even if you are not interested in exploring the granary from the inside, it is still worth coming here: at least for the sake of an amazing sunset, when the light of the setting sun breaks through empty windows.

England does not have a second official capital, but Manchester and Birmingham are the best suited for this role. That is why each of them is equipped with kilometers of underground tunnels built during the Cold War. They are literally the embodiment of the apocalypse, since they were created for these purposes.

The bunkers near Manchester were built by Polish workers who did not know English and could not, if anything, tell anyone what and where they were doing. The construction of both tunnels was carried out in the strictest secrecy and still many entrances and exits remain known only to a few people.

Armour & Company was founded in 1867 and has long been a leader among meat processing companies in America. However, at the end of the XX century, it fell into disrepair, leaving behind many abandoned factories throughout the country. One of them is located in Fort Worth (Texas). In 1970, this building survived a severe fire, later attempts were made to demolish it. However, the metal structures turned out to be so strong that it was easier and cheaper to leave everything as it is. Today it looks like a prison.

In 2007, watchtowers were added to the remains of the building to use the building for the filming of the TV series "Escape". Another plant is located in the city of Navassa (North Carolina) — it has been working for several years. In the 20s there were rumors that the owner of the enterprise was found hanged in the middle of the factory. The building has earned a reputation as a place with ghosts and spirits. Several people committed suicide here in the 80s, which served as an occasion to strengthen local folklore about supernatural forces.

And the most famous abandoned meat processing plant is located in East St. Louis, Illinois. It is located near the city center and has a nice bonus in the form of old equipment. About 5,000 people were employed at this plant at one time, which became a reason for accusations of racism. This plant stopped working in 1959 and since then has become a tasty morsel for lovers of abandoned buildings and extreme tourism.