I lived and grew up in the neighborhood, spent most of my time playing ball in the ball field, tennis in the courts, played on the playground at the legion, skate boarding down the big hill by the church we called Snake Hill or the Big S; walking the grounds day and night- never experienced anything out of the norm except a few patients from time to time in the early 1970's. Most were harmless, though a few on the barred porches were quite aggressive when you walked by. Patients milled about, I remember 'The Admiral', an older man always in his military uniform who would salute you (pleasant fella.) The 'street sweeper' who was always sweeping the sidewalks non stop. The LSD kids who never recovered from trips. Most were friendly characters, even in the 1980's when the smaller building were built off of Inwood Avenue. No one in the neighborhood ever had a problem with any patients. On occasion you'd hear a loud horn similar to the firehouse alarm, that indicated a patient escape, but it never caused fear. I remember when it was a little city in itself, then closing and becoming abandon. Even when it was abandon I'd walk through the place alone at night, up the long stairs from Paint Shop road, never a fear. I do recall 2 unfortunate deaths, one in the early 1970's, a patient had gotten out in the winter and froze to death, apparently a snow plow had pushed the body over the bank and it wasn't found until spring. And another in the 1980's who had been frightened by a dog on 9G and ran out into traffic. The only scaring story I remember ever hearing was about a teen my brother went to high school with who was there after attempting to commit suicide. He had tried to shot himself in the head but wound up blowing off half his face and surving. He was there because of the extensive damage to his face, no way society would accept him again. I'm sure there are tragic stories from the inside that have never been told, but no ghosts roaming the grounds. I've been inside each of the buildings, scary as they left without packing up, the old beds and all remain. A lot of dead animals, crumbling ruins and aspetous, but I never encounter ghosts, orbs or heard screams.
