When You See Where This Abandoned Island Is Located, You’ll Question Everything.

New York City is place with a lot of well kept secret places. Probably the best (or at least most interesting) of these places is North Brother Island. The island is located in the East River between Queens and the Bronx. Today, it’s completely abandoned, and nature is slowly reclaiming it.

Here is North Brother Island. The island is technically located in the Bronx, but you can see the very edge of Queens there in the bottom corner.

The entire island is about 20 square acres in total.

The island was uninhabited until 1885, when Riverside Hospital moved there from Roosevelt Island.

The mission of the hospital on North Brother Island was to isolate and treat victims of small pox and other quarantinable diseases like typhoid.

Following the end of World War II, the island became home to returning veterans and their families in the midst of the post-war housing boom.

In the 1950s, the facility on North Brother Island was converted to treat adolescent drug addicts.

Treating heroin addicts was the specialty of the facility.

Upon arrival, they were usually confined to a locked room in the facility (most against their will) until their addiction was broken.

By the time the 1960s rolled around, the drug treatment facility closed down.

It’s suspected that widespread staff corruption was the cause of the shutdown.

From then on, the hospital remained abandoned, and the island uninhabited.

During the 1970s, attempts were made to sell the island to private investors, but to no avail.

It’s astonishing that no company wanted to develop the island.

Before completely abandoning the island, state officials toyed with the idea of building a prison on the island in the 1980s. The idea did not come to fruition.

Finally, the island was purchased by the City of New York.

Now it’s designated as a bird sanctuary.

Inside some of the crumbling buildings are pieces of patient art from before the hospital closed down.

It’s crazy to think this was once a bustling, modern medical center.

There are even old food items on some of the shelves.

Someone shot up this door pretty good. Scary to think what might be on the other side.

Up close.

Nature is slowly but surely reclaiming what it lost.

What remains of an old gate.

Nature is relentless when left unchecked.

In a few years time, there might not be any standing buildings left on the island.

This is the view of Manhattan from the tallest building on the island.

Via: Sliptalk 

This is amazing. How can such a creepy treasure sit under the noses of the millions of people living in New York City without anyone knowing about it? Very cool. I just wish they gave tours of the island.

Read more: http://viralnova.com/north-brother-island-is-new-york-citys-creepy-secret/

Morse Code Vs. Typewriter: Which Angry Verizon Net Neutrality Rant Wins?

The telecommunications giant is not happy about today’s FCC vote approving strict new regulations on internet providers. But the result is a couple of amusing press releases.

Paul J. Richards / Getty Images

2. Verizon is not happy about today’s FCC vote to treat broadband internet as a public utility, just like telephone lines.


In response, Verizon argued that the rules being applied were outdated relics from a previous communications era and would regulate the internet like the early telephone networks of the 1930s.

3. After today’s vote, Verizon put out two official replies: one in morse code and one using a type writer font and dated “1934” instead of “2015.” The Communiations Act, which gives the FCC the authority to reclassify broadband, was written in 1934.

4. First, the morse code.

6. And the old-timey typewriter.

7. Is this a cringeworthy attempt reduce a crucial public policy debate down to gimmicky press releases? Sure. But it’s also reflective of a fight where one of the deadliest weapons was a viral video.


John Oliver’s net neutrality bit led to so many comments that the FCC’s commenting system broke down.

9. And net neutrality supporter Keith Ellison, a Democratic congressman, contributed a vine of him singing and dancing in celebration. (Twitter, which owns Vine, supports the net neutrality rules).

11. And as pointed out here, this fight marks the rise of the internet as a mainstream political issue. So, in the spirit of the battle, we ask:

  1. Which of Verizon’s gimmicky responses worked best?
    1. Morse Code
    2. Old-Timey Typewriter

Morse Code Vs. Typewriter: Which Angry Verizon Net Neutrality Rant Wins?

SHARE YOUR VOTE!

Read more: http://www.buzzfeed.com/matthewzeitlin/verizon-morse-code

These Are Some Of The Best Phone Apps That You Probably Aren’t Using.

All of us are basically glued to our phones for 95% of the day. There are many reasons why we can’t peel our eyes away from those bright little screens. Maybe we are staying on top of work, keeping in touch with loved ones or just checking for updates and the latest apps. 

If you’re interested in the latest and greatest applications for your smartphone, look no more. Maybe you haven’t heart of these before, but trust us, you won’t want to forget them.

1.) Lyft

Lyft is a rideshare service that may just replace cab companies, and for good reason. If you need a ride somewhere, simply click on the app and find a driver in your proximity. You can see their name, pictures of them and their car, and their driver rating given by previous passengers. Request a ride, and you’re all set.

2.) Triposo

This travel app provides you with several sight seeing options. Along with providing suggestions of things to see, Triposo can build a city walk for you, based on the amount of time you want to spend ambling about. Most usefully, it works offline.

3.) Cloze

Cloze integrates all of your social media accounts into one – Facebook, Twitter, Email, and even LinkedIn. Gone are the days of checking 4 different websites for messages and comments. Download Cloze and you can get all of your everything in one place.

4.) Pocket

If there is an article you want to read or a video you want to watch but don’t have time for it, Pocket is a place for you to save content for later. Save something to Pocket, and the app organizes it in an easy to search, easy to find way.

5.) Skyview

With SkyView, you can take your device outside, stare up at the heavens, and discover precisely what stars and planets you’re looking at. If it’s a bit cold out, you can do the same from inside, or partake in a bit of time traveling, checking out the sky on different times and dates.

6.) 30/30

30/30 is a to-do list app that organizes tasks via color coordination and an icon. It makes you completing your daily tasks that much simpler.

7.) Around Me

AroundMe uses your phone’s GPS system to find what’s closest to you. Whether you’re looking for a restaurant, gas station, a coffee, or even a place to park, this app will point you to the most convenient establishments.

8.) Mailbox

This app makes checking and organizing e-mails on your phone quicker and more intuitive all with the swipe of a finger. Using the swipe motion you can delete, reply, or mark as read. Even better, you can set a reminder to respond to an e-mail later.

9.) Snapseed

For creative enhancements to photographs, it’s hard to beat Snapseed. You choose an adjustment type – such as ‘black & white’ or ‘tilt-shift’ – and the app provides you with a gestural interface for making adjustments. Dragging on the screen defines focal points and the strength of effects, ensuring Snapseed is both intuitive and fun to use.

10.) Waze

Waze is a GPS navigation app that actually was bought by Google because it was so good. Like any navigation app, Waze will get you from point A to point B via the quickest route. However, the app sets itself apart by incorporating a community aspect to get the most accurate traffic reports. See an accident? Police trap? Road debris? Report it on Waze, earn points on your account, and level up.

11.) Gympact

Gympact is a great motivational fitness app. How does it work? Make a commitment to your fitness by choosing how many days you will work out that week. Next, choose the amount of money you are willing to wager in favor of you fulfilling your commitment. If you don’t achieve your goal? Your credit card gets charged. Achieve your goal? You get paid! The days of being paid to workout have finally come!

12.) Todomovies 3

This app organizes movies that you want to see that haven’t come out yet. Each film’s page includes a trailer and artwork, and can be added to your list with a tap. Once you’ve watched a film, you can rate it and send it to your Watched list, providing you with a portable directory of films you love – and those you hate and want to avoid ever seeing again!

13.) Hotel Tonight

Hotel Tonight works with hotels that have empty rooms, who then list the rooms on their app at discounted prices of up to 70%. How does it work? Narrow down your search by picking categories like hip, luxe, or basic, enter in how many days you will be staying, and search through their extensive inventory. Not only does Hotel Tonight guarantee the lowest rates, but they only work with the best of the best.

14.) Hot5

From abs and core to yoga and flexibility and everything in between, Hot5 contains pages and pages of 5 minute video workouts of every variety and difficulty level. If you want to do 5 minute abs after a run, Hot5 is for you. If you want to do a 45 minute full body workout, mix and match to create your own personalized routine. This pick and choose system makes it great for beginners and fitness gurus alike.

These apps will definitely improve the quality of your life and your phone’s life (so long as you use them properly). Be sure to check these out in the Appstore and get them immediately!

Read more: http://viralnova.com/cool-apps/