Sometimes, when you hear that a place has been "abandoned," it is important to ask, "abandoned by whom?" Of course, "abandoned" is already a very loaded word to use. It suggests a place that isn't just empty, desolate or lonely, but a place that for some reason has deliberately been made that way. A place intentionally cut off, knowingly and purposely shunned in an attempt to erase that place from memory.
It is important then, to ask not only 'who' abandoned such a place, but also 'why?'
Particularly because the word 'abandoned' often means more than its few syllables convey. Often it is used as a shield. A way to not tell a story. Either because it is an embarrassing topic or because it is a memory that a person or people have chosen to put behind them...