Jenkem Mag skate an abandoned mental asylum in New York
- Text by HUCK HQ
- Photography by Sean Colello
Jenkem – the online skateboard magazine that is quickly becoming THE spot for smart skate-related content – just released a video, shot by Sean Collelo, of Rob Miceli skating an abandoned ‘psych ward’ in New York state.
According to Sean, the ward was abandoned after World War II when many of its nurses were called up to serve and it has been slowly shut down, building by building, ever since.
Although some buildings remain functional – and patients must have had a surprise to see skateboarders burrowing around the facility – the majority of the operation is falling into decay and the two skaters managed to access some perfectly preserved areas through a network of underground tunnels.
It’s surprising, and kind of refreshing, to see abandoned space in New York – the city, for example, has lost a lot of its grassroots culture in the last 20 years through rampant gentrification (CBGBs is now a boutique shop and the original Max Fish is an overpriced brunch joint).
We’d like to see a whole series of Jenkem exploring abandoned New York please!
Find out more about the expedition on the Jenkem website.
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