Smallpox Memorial Hospital

Designed by architect James Renwick, Jr., this three-story structure once housed smallpox patients before functioning as a nursing school. Today, the experience is strictly viewing from a distance. A perimeter fence prevents close access, while safety scaffolding and chain-link barriers cover the lower windows and doors. This means you cannot wander through the ruins, and photographers may find the structural supports obstruct clean shots, but the site remains a free, visible window into New York's history.