The blocks are empty, the buildings appear to be abandoned and people unconsciously swerve to the other side of the street to avoid walking past the eerie alleyway entrances. If a pedestrian had been asked why they had crossed the street they wouldn’t have been able to answer. An uneasy shrug would suffice and they would move on to their next errand. Ten steps in any direction and the activity picked up again. Generally these neighbourhoods were in Industrial areas. That led to an attraction all its own for the young people of New York. The abandoned areas were exceptionally busy at night when swarms of partiers would overtake a building for one evening of debauchery. DJ’s would set up turn tables, drug dealers would swoop in with the party cocktails du jour and the air would exude bonhomie and a touch of desperation. The mornings would find trash scattered about, including flyers from the raves, empty and crumpled cellophane baggies, cigarette butts and the bottles from various beers and beverages imbibed the night before.
