Pennsylvania Plaza, once a bustling hub in the heart of Manhattan, stands as a shattered relic of New York City's vibrant past.
Known for its proximity to iconic landmarks like Madison Square Garden and James A. Farley Post Office, this neighborhood was a nexus of commerce, culture, and transit before the "Dollar Flu" pandemic unleashed chaos in November 2015.
Pre-Pandemic[]
Before the outbreak, Pennsylvania Plaza was a microcosm of New York's relentless energy. Penn Station, one of the busiest rail hubs in North America, funneled millions of commuters, tourists, and workers through it's labyrinthine corridors daily. Above ground, Madison Square Garden pulsed with life, hosting Chariots games, concerts, and global events that drew crowds from across the world. The surrounding streets teemed with vendors, office workers, and street performers, while skyscrapers and historic buildings framed a neighborhood that never slept. Small businesses - delis, coffee shops, and bodegas - thrived alongside corporate offices, creating a tapestry of urban diversity.
The plaza itself was a crossroads, where hurried travelers and locals mingled. Street signs bore the weight of history, named for the Pennsylvania Railroad that once defined the area's identity. Holiday seasons saw the area transform, with festive lights and pop-up markets adding warmth to the concrete jungle. For many New Yorkers, Pennsylvania Plaza was synonymous with movement and opportunity, a place where dreams converged and departed on the next train.
The Green Poison Outbreak[]
The "Dollar Flu", a weaponized smallpox variant unleashed on Black Friday, struck Manhattan with devastating force, and Pennsylvania Plaza was at the epicenter. The virus, spread via contaminated banknotes, turned the crowded transit hub into a vector for catastrophe. Penn Station's packed concourses became breeding grounds for infection, with commuters unknowingly carrying the virus to every corner of the city and beyond. Within days, the neighborhood's vitality turned to panic as hospitals overflowed, and the first deaths were reported.
As the pandemic spiraled, Pennsylvania Plaza descended into anarchy. Martial law failed to contain the outbreak, and basic services - electricity, water, and sanitation - collapsed. Madison Square Garden, once a stage for celebration, was repurposed as an emergency hospital and quarantine zone, it's echoing halls filled with the cries of the sick. Penn Station's platforms, abandoned by fleeing commuters, became shelters for the desperate and battlegrounds for looters. The Joint Task Force, tasked with maintaining order, established a foothold in the area, but their resources dwindled as the crisis deepened.
Rioters and criminal factions seized the power vacuum. The Rikers, escaped inmates from Rikers Island, turned the plaza into a stronghold, looting pharmacies and stores for supplies. Cleaners, fanatical sanitation workers wielding flamethrowers, roamed the streets, burning infected bodies and anyone they deemed a threat. Civilians, caught in the crossfire, huddled in barricaded apartments or fled to safer districts, leaving behind a ghost town littered with abandoned vehicles, shattered glass, and the remnants of a fallen society.
The Division's Arrival: Reclaiming Pennsylvania Plaza[]
When agents of the Strategic Homeland Division arrive in Manhattan, Pennsylvania Plaza is a shadow of it's former self. The JTF has established a Base of Operations in the area, a fortified outpost within the ruins of the James A. Farley Post Office, but their control is tenuous. The Division's mission is clear: secure the plaza, restore order, and uncover clues about the outbreak's origins.
The Base of Operations serves as the heart of the Division's efforts in Pennsylvania Plaza. Agents work to reactivate critical systems - communications, medical facilities, and security networks - while fending off waves of hostiles. Missions in the area, such as rescuing hostages from looted pharmacies or assaulting Rioters strongholds, reveal the human cost of the collapse. Collectibles scattered throughout the plaza - ECHOs, Phone Recordings, and Incident Reports - piece together stories of loss and resilience, like that of Heather Lau, a civilian whose desperate search for Faye Lau's sister unfolds across the district.
The environment tells it's own story. Snow-covered streets, illuminated by flickering emergency lights, are choked with debris and makeshift barricades. Madison Square Garden looms as a haunting landmark, it's medical wing a grim reminder of the pandemic's toll. Penn Station's underground tunnels, now a maze of danger, harbor looters and supplies critical to the JTF's survival.
Gallery[]
Intel[]
Phone Recordings[]
Birds • Competition • Winner • Phone Harassment 3 • Peace
Incident Reports[]
Survival Guide[]
Survival Guide, Page 5 • Survival Guide, Page 7
Crashed Drone[]
ECHOs[]
Heather Lau, Part 2 • Heather Lau, Part 3 • CERA
Appearances[]
| Locations in Tom Clancy's The Division |
|---|
| Brooklyn • Chelsea • Pennsylvania Plaza • Garment District • Hudson Yards • Tenderloin • Times Square • Hell's Kitchen • Clinton • Flatiron District • Gramercy • Stuyvesant • Kips Bay • Murray Hill • Turtle Bay • Midtown East • West Side Pier • N.Y.C. Dark Zone |