The vacant building is a magnet for drug users, homeless people, and migrants in the residential neighborhood of New York City. Locals are left to clean up their mess and deal with safety hazards.

Rite Aid used to occupy the 25,058 square-foot Astoria site at 47-07 Broadway. As it struggles with bankruptcy, the company has shut down hundreds of stores.

The New York Post reported that the roof of the building is currently covered with everything from bras and bicycles to garbage and trash, as well as furniture where vagrants are seated.

According to the outlet, the new “residents” in the building are mainly middle-aged males, and many of them appear not to speak English.

One woman told the publication that “the building’s got a real Mad Max vibe going on.”

The woman who spoke anonymously to avoid retaliation by the abandoned homes said, “It’s a shame that the owner isn’t taking responsibility.”

New York Post journalists confirmed what locals had complained about to the city: public drunkenness and drug dealing, as well as urination.

The Post reported that “one man displayed an eight-inch blade when The Post approached him, while another grabbed what looked like a loose leg of a table.”

A man was seen urinating near William Cullen Bryant high school by reporters.

A lifelong resident of the neighborhood said, “It is f*cking ridiculous.”

Another woman said, “It is absurd and dangerous.” “I’ve seen children playing on the wood pile there over the weekend, as if it was a jungle gym. Some of the wood has exposed nails.

According to records obtained by the Post, 163 complaints have been filed with the city’s non emergency number since 2024 about the chaos.

The homeless camp was reported 69 different times. 36 people reported public drinking, and 11 more reported public urination.

Residents in the area do not believe that a change has occurred. While the city responded to The Post’s query by saying the site was cleaned on June 8, and the men were offered “services”, the city officials did not provide any evidence to support this claim.

Another neighbor said, “There is always someone drunk here — every day we come here to pick up one or two,” It’s absurd how much city services are consumed over here. God forbid, we need an emergency ambulance. They’re tied down with these guys.