Someone Fell Down a Manhole Today and a Look at Some Other New York Urban Legends That Have Really Happened
The Collyer Brothers: Yes, it is absolutely possible to hoard so much stuff inside your apartment that you will one day DIE inside your apartment and have your decomposing bodies found by police. The story of the Collyer brothers, Homer and Langley, is a fascinating one that (rather gruesomely) affirms that many New York City urban legends are actually true. Because, yes, there are many hoarders hiding behind closed doors. And, yes, your dead body will be eaten by rats if it’s left undiscovered for weeks. And, yes, it is not a good idea to marry your first cousin, like Homer and Langley’s parents did. Or, well, I guess that’s not a New York urban legend, just a true, scientifically based fact. Don’t marry your cousin and have kids!