Saline

A cold and crisp atmosphere carried a stiff breeze to the shores of the Rockaways. The frigid beaches, and even the streets seemed to be devoid of people, which would soon be bustling with beachgoers and summer residents once spring took hold. I enjoy the Rockaways the most during the winter though; traipsing through the overgrown ruins of Fort Tilden, or just wandering the beaches with no one around for miles, it's easy to forget you're in Queens NY.

A lone security guard at front gate of the hospital appeared to prefer the comfort of his car instead of patrolling the grounds, which was fine with us. Approaching from the back, the structures looked truly massive with no other buildings or even trees nearby for comparison, as we walked along the windswept dunes. Inside, the rooms had lost their old charm after extensive renovations over the years. Polaroids of both staff and patients were scattered about; some residents were grinning broadly, while others scowled at the camera with wrinkled frowns. A few lay in their beds hooked up to tubes, skeletal and close to death.

For a building that was in "imminent danger of collapse" back in 1998, the place looked rock solid. No leaking roof, no soft floors; apart from some water in the basement, it looked ready to go back online after some cleaning and repainting. It makes me wonder what the heck happened here.