The Haunting Abandoned Island In The Middle Of NYC

North Brother: A Pleasant Place to Live

Aside from all of the horror stories described by patients that were quarantined on the island, accounts from veterans as well as patients battling with addiction tell a different story. Photographer Christopher Payne has been photographing and studying the island for years and has met people that had previously lived on the island.

One World War II veteran who lived on the island with his family remembered it being an idyllic place to raise a family. Another man who was sent there for his drug-addiction said that his experience there and the compassionate care he received changed his life and helped him quit for good. Apparently, some people had different experiences than others.