Video: Firefighters toss years' worth of junk out of an Upper West Side "hoarder" apartment

By Virginia K. Smith | February 24, 2017 - 2:59PM

It's been an unexpectedly busy week for the video sub-genre, "stuff being tossed out of New York City windows." First, there was the short clip of a couch catapulting out of a Crown Heights brownstone. (Apparently it was for a film shoot, but either way, the footage has already made its way into the world of Instagram memes.)

Then on Wednesday, news started circulating that a fire had broken out in an Upper West Side apartment, and that after extinguishing the blaze, firefighters were tossing debris out onto the sidewalks below, clearing out what was apparently a hoarder (or "Collyers") apartment. ABC has a clip, and some passerby took their own videos, as well (h/t Gothamist).

According to ABC, the ivy-covered building was once featured in an episode of Seinfeld, and the residents of the apartment were two elderly, unwell men. Thankfully, no one was hurt, either by the blaze itself or by the debris being tossed onto the sidewalk below.

The incident made for an odd sidewalk spectacle, unquestionably, but also serves as a reminder that we can all be better at helping out and checking in on our elderly neighbors.

Neighbors Spot the hoarder next door—before an emergency

Co-ops My upstairs neighbor is a hoarder. What can I do?

Improve What you can do if you're worried about the elderly neighbor next door

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