From the 20′s-30′s, First Avenue is better known as Hospital Row. Lined with numerous medical facilities, including Bellevue and NYU Hospital, there are a lot of fascinating buildings to be found…

…but my favorite is the old Bellevue Psychiatric Hospital at 30th & 1st:

Bellevue Psych is one of those buildings that looks absolutely beautiful when the sun is shining, the bricks have been scrubbed, and the vines and trees are in full bloom. But in the colder months, when the skies are overcast, the grime begins to build up and the plant life dies, man does that tone change quickly.

In particular though, I’ve never seen anything in Manhattan quite like the old Bellevue Psych grounds, located through this gate off of 1st Ave. Visit in the colder months…

…and I swear, it feels like one of the most haunting places in New York:

Forgotten and dilapidated, it’s like a horror movie set designers dream come to life. I’m a huge H. P. Lovecraft fan, and this is pretty much what I picture the grounds of Arkham Sanitorium to look like:
>>>Continue reading “The Creepiest Hospital Grounds in Manhattan (Arkham Asylum in NYC?)”