We keep seeing posts how the UWS in particular and NYC in general is declining. But does anyone here live outside of the UWS and just... not agree? I'm in the West Village and while obviously things are *much* different than before, the overall "feeling" is... just fine? People are walking around, restaurants are delivering, the parks are still great, I haven't seen one homeless person shit and/or spit on me... It's definitely quieter but I don't feel like I'm living in the apocalypse. Is it just my neighborhood?
Tribeca (for 15 years) and it feels like a summer Sunday everyday. We lost a fair bit of retail but people are out in the parks and patios and running along the river. We have the same handful of homeless we always have.
+1
S/O- I'm always curious about people who chose to live in Tribeca, as I feel it's far from open space. What brought you to the area?
Work and loft living and the light. Plus the Hudson River and Battery Park City are right here. I feel like this is such a green and peaceful part of the city.
UES - other than some additional empty storefronts and maybe a slightly larger homeless presence, I see no change.
Well... for the first time in my life I actually saw a junkie dozing off near the elevator of the 63/ Lex stop with two syringes lying on the ground in front of him. So although generally the environment doesnt seem to have changed much there definitely are more homeless people and many of them are not the harmless type. A few months ago I saw a young homeless guy heckle a woman crossing the street.
@Anonymous UES here also and I agree with all of the above. I have noticed more homeless people than ever before in the 60s, but 70s/80s feel pretty normal other than some more empty storefronts. Agree with above poster that it actually felt pretty great with the outdoor dining when it was warm out- but now I definitely wouldn't say it feels bad at all.
Harlem - Because most people here can't really afford to leave and it wasn't a huge tourist hot spot to begin with, virtually no difference. They've made some nice open streets along some of the restaurant areas, which have a nice vibe. In some of the empty storefronts they've put art exhibits, which are nice.
BTW, in the UWS post I feel like OP was specifically talking about the 70's. The 90's feel fine.
UWS'er in the 90's here and I agree. Well, the 90's were always crummy compared to the 70's. So I guess we've dragged them down to our level. Ha.
Seriously, I do see an increase in the homeless population, but otherwise I see no evidence of deterioration/rampant crime. I am a NYC lifer and this is NOTHING compared to what it was like in the 1980's, when I commuted a fairly long distance to high school, walked around on my own, etc. Nothing.
UWS'er in the 70's here - we have the situation at the Lucerne (and the other hotels for that matter, but I speak specifically of the Lucerne since it's blocks away) which has contributed significantly to the feeling of deterioration.. There are also all the encampments etc. I think unless you live within a 5 block radius of the hub, you don't realize how drastically different it is
chelsea feels weirdly barren and filled with people having very desperate times.
I think there is a difference between a decline and an apocalypse. I live around midtown east and there is definitely deterioration. However, this was happening before Covid, but the pandemic isn't helping. Way more homeless, many stores and restaurants closed, and just a general feeling of seediness. I live in a non-doorman building and there have been several attempts of people trying to break into our building in the middle of the night. I've only lived in the city 16 years so I don't have that 1970s perspective, but I can definitely tell a difference. Hopefully, there will be an upswing in the next few years.
chelsea feels weirdly barren and filled with people having very desperate times.
Greenwich Village here. It's been pretty bustling, actually! The only thing I will say is that one corner of Washington Square Park has gotten super sketchy, which makes me sad. I have a feeling once things are back to normal, we'll see less of that. I hope.
Greenwich village/west village also. It’s pretty nice here. Not as bustling as the summer and fall but still pretty nice. The Northwest wash sq park entrance is very unpleasant but the rest of the park is fine and we are there a lot. i also noticed more homeless people in the little park on 12th and 7th but overall it’s fine.
Yes we live right there next to the hospital and there are more homeless people hanging around. Where are they coming from? We used to see the same few men outside the church but there are a lot more now. Some are low key and some are strung out
Why are you guys so offended by homeless people?? It's not like they *want* to be there.