# Go to prison in Manhattan? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 19, 2013, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/go-to-prison-in-manhattan/671667 "2013-10-19T18:36:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2013, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/go-to-prison-in-manhattan/671667/1 "2013-10-19T18:36:50Z")
[This story](http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/10/19/prime-property-sandy-damaged-prison-to-be-sold-in-heart-trendy-manhattan/) is about a minimum-security women’s prison located in the tony Chelsea district of Manhattan, which was apparently something of a non-secret secret to residents. It was closed because of damage from Sandy and is slated to be sold rather than reopened. That’s part of what I wanted to pass along - a women’s prison in a Manhattan restaurant and shopping district. Whoa. But the last line of that story spooks me… :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2013, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/go-to-prison-in-manhattan/671667/2 "2013-10-19T19:06:26Z")
Seems like a rather inefficient use of valuable real estate. I’d think Sandy did the State a favour. > [@](#): > > But the last line of that story spooks me… :eek: I’m pretty sure it just means authorities moved them elsewhere. ---
**Author:** ![aNewLeaf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ac91a4/32.png) [@aNewLeaf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aNewLeaf)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2013, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/go-to-prison-in-manhattan/671667/3 "2013-10-19T19:09:24Z")
“elsewhere” meaning FEMA death camps!!! Edit- it’s a joke. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2013, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/go-to-prison-in-manhattan/671667/4 "2013-10-19T19:56:08Z")
Chelsea wasn’t that ritzy 20 years ago. In fact, it was pretty much a dump. ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2013, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/go-to-prison-in-manhattan/671667/5 "2013-10-19T20:19:45Z")
Alessan has it right. The facility opened in 1970, when the area was pretty crap. Even in the early 90s, quite a few buildings were vacant and there was limited (legitimate) nonindustrial activity west of 8th avenue. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2013, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/go-to-prison-in-manhattan/671667/6 "2013-10-19T20:26:07Z")
There are actually several minimum-security state prisons in Manhattan. There’s also a sizable medium-security state prison in Queens. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2013, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/go-to-prison-in-manhattan/671667/7 "2013-10-19T22:49:37Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > There are actually several minimum-security state prisons in Manhattan. There’s also a sizable medium-security state prison in Queens. Queens, I get. And, of course, Riker’s Island is in the city. I used to live near Folsom Prison, and I now live not too far from Connecticut’s max security institution. I was amused to hear “I’m from Somers.” “Oh, when did you get out?” as the local joke… because I grew up with it as “I’m from Folsom…” Of course, Folsom is now mega-yupscale and so it’s a bit of a boast to say you live there, unlike the sleepy semi-resort town it was until my 30s or so. And the prison isn’t technically in Folsom, but a micro-parcel with its own zip code called Represa. (And, of course, there are now McMansions in Represa, so… Still, a prison in Manhattan is pretty odd these days. Gotta keep the shoplifting princesses somewhere, I guess. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2013, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/go-to-prison-in-manhattan/671667/8 "2013-10-20T03:19:39Z")
I dug up the list. They’ve apparently closed some prisons since I retired. There are currently only three operating prisons left in NYC: Edgecombe - 611 Edgecombe Avenue, Manhattan Lincoln - 31 West 110th Street, Manhattan Queensboro - 47-04 Van Dam Street, Queens Queensboro has also been downgraded from a medium to a minimum-security prison. Bayview is still officially part of the prison system but it’s currently unoccupied. There used to also be Arthurkill in Staten Island and Fulton and Parkside in Manhattan but they’ve closed. > [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > Queens, I get. And, of course, Riker’s Island is in the city. > > Still, a prison in Manhattan is pretty odd these days. Gotta keep the shoplifting princesses somewhere, I guess. Keep in mind these are state prisons not city jails. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2013, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/go-to-prison-in-manhattan/671667/9 "2013-10-20T03:24:52Z")
> [@Simplicio](#): > > Seems like a rather inefficient use of valuable real estate. [. . .] Speaking of using valuable real estate for a prison, I doubt you could do better than San Quentin, Marin County, Ca. ([Aerial photo](http://terrallectualism.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/san-quentin-aerial-4.jpeg).) That’s gotta be one hunk of real estate _prime choix_ !!! Right on a point of land on San Pablo Bay (that’s the upper part of San Francisco Bay), major freeway right alongside (I-580, just behind the hill and visible at the upper left), and San Rafael just up the road in the background. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2013, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/go-to-prison-in-manhattan/671667/10 "2013-10-20T03:30:55Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > Queens, I get. And, of course, Riker’s Island is in the city. . [Yeah, but Riker’s doesn’t get very good reviews on Yelp,](http://www.yelp.com/biz/rikers-island-correctional-facility-queens) at least not compared to [Bayview Prison for Women](http://www.yelp.com/biz/bayview-prison-for-women-new-york). ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2013, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/go-to-prison-in-manhattan/671667/11 "2013-10-20T03:34:05Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > Speaking of using valuable real estate for a prison, I doubt you could do better than San Quentin, Marin County, Ca. ([Aerial photo](http://terrallectualism.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/san-quentin-aerial-4.jpeg).) That’s gotta be one hunk of real estate _prime choix_ !!! Right on a point of land on San Pablo Bay (that’s the upper part of San Francisco Bay), major freeway right alongside (I-580, just behind the hill and visible at the upper left), and San Rafael just up the road in the background. The state of NY is in the final stages of closing and selling off Mid-Orange prison. No surprise there - it was situated on a huge piece of scenic property in the middle of the Hudson Valley. Individual houses in that area sell for $500,000. I can only imagine how much 700 acres are worth. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2013, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/go-to-prison-in-manhattan/671667/12 "2013-10-20T04:04:58Z")
All these prisons on fabulously valuable land! It reminds me of The Thousand Pounds passage from _Through The Looking Glass_ > [@](#): > > ‘Tickets, please!’ said the Guard, putting his head in at the window. In a moment everybody was holding out a ticket: they were about the same size as the people, and quite seemed to fill the carriage. > > ‘Now then! Show your ticket, child!’ the Guard went on, looking angrily at Alice. And a great many voices all said together (‘like the chorus of a song,’ thought Alice), ‘Don’t keep him waiting, child! Why, his time is worth a thousand pounds a minute!’ > > ‘I’m afraid I haven’t got one,’ Alice said in a frightened tone: 'there wasn’t a ticket-office where I came from." And again the chorus of voices went on. **‘There wasn’t room for one where she came from. The land there is worth a thousand pounds an inch!’** > > ‘Don’t make excuses,’ said the Guard: ‘you should have bought one from the engine-driver.’ And once more the chorus of voices went on with ‘The man that drives the engine. Why, the smoke alone is worth a thousand pounds a puff!’ > > Alice thought to herself, 'Then there’s no use in speaking." The voices didn’t join in this time, as she hadn’t spoken, but to her great surprise, they all thought in chorus (I hope you understand what thinking in chorus means — for I must confess that I don’t), ‘Better say nothing at all. Language is worth a thousand pounds a word!’ ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2013, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/go-to-prison-in-manhattan/671667/13 "2013-10-20T04:05:49Z")
I used to live just a few blocks from there, and most people knew about it. Glad it’s being replaced. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2013, 10:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/go-to-prison-in-manhattan/671667/14 "2013-10-20T10:43:13Z")
Go to prison in Manhattan? Say “hello,” to the fucking hall monitor! ---
**Author:** ![Saintly\_Loser](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saintly_loser/32/4045_2.png) [@Saintly\_Loser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saintly_Loser)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2013, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/go-to-prison-in-manhattan/671667/15 "2013-10-20T19:58:06Z")
> [@Hello\_Again](#): > > Alessan has it right. The facility opened in 1970, when the area was pretty crap. Even in the early 90s, quite a few buildings were vacant and there was limited (legitimate) nonindustrial activity west of 8th avenue. Yes. Through the 80s, that whole area was pretty disreputable. The 11th Avenue/West Street strip on which Bayview is located was also home to a bunch of back-room type gay leather bars (the Anvil, the Ramrod, the Spike, J’s, the Mineshaft, etc.). Right across the street was the Eagle’s Nest. Across West Street now is Chelsea Piers, a high-end athletic and recreation complex, but back then the piers were rotten, collapsing, and really, really dangerous. Also cruising sites. Nowadays this is one of the most expensive neighborhoods in New York City, and the price per square foot makes it sensible for the city to sell off the prison to a developer who will probably demolish it and put up a building where a one-bedroom apartment will sell for millions of dollars. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2013, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/go-to-prison-in-manhattan/671667/16 "2013-10-20T21:41:42Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > All these prisons on fabulously valuable land! I don’t know about that. I mean, sure, all real estate in Manhattan is valuable. But Washington Heights is not one of the trendy neighbourhoods.