Have you ever heard about Jane Jacob's and her ideas about what make a city "livable"? She was a journalist living in NYC who observed and studied what makes cities work. She is well known for opposing Robert Moses. I bring her up because one of her more notable observations is that what keeps cities safe is "eyes on the street". In other words, when people are out and about they naturally deter crime. We've seen that the riots and looting happened in the absence of "eyes on the street" In sum, what you are seeing right now is not a worsening of the city; it is the natural outcome of less people out and about each day. When people return, and I believe they will, the eyes on the street will return as well.
I quickly googled this article: https://nextcity.org/daily/entry/philly-streets-get-test-of-jane-jacobs-eyes-on-the-street-effect
This is so true. I have been on the uws the whole time. We experienced this immediately. In March I felt unsafe walking my dog, days after shut down. Why? Bc I was alone outside on my corner but for a ranting drunk guy.
Me too, and that’s why we left for the summer. For the first time in my 20+ years in Manhattan, 18 on the UWS I felt like I was back in the NyC of the 70’s.
I think this is true. My DH goes into his Manhattan office twice a week, and he said there are many more permanently shuttered businesses there than in Brooklyn. I just read that La Caridad, which has been on the UWS for 50 years, closed permanently. Downtown (the village, Soho, Chinatown) is particularly bad. If all the wealthy people leave for their country homes, who is going to shop or order in from restaurants?
I'm PP and actually spend time on the UWS for work-related reasons and this post seems like either trolling or very selective perception to me. It doesn't seem that bad and people are always going in and out of the parks if the weather is good. But I do agree that it's become a more transient place since it's been a higher-income area. Remember all those conversations about why "people who can't afford it think they 'deserve' to live in manhattan"? Well, maybe to keep things going when the rest of you decide you can't be bothered!
This is pretty hyperbolic. I live on the UWS and stayed, and there are plenty of people here. Parks are packed. Yes, there are homeless people too but I don't feel unsafe (though I also don't go out late at night).
I will add that the increase in the visible homeless population is due to the fact that they don't feel safe in the shelters, and they're being removed from the subways. Also the weather.
There were a ton of homeless pre Covid and some were violent. Around the Ansonia and under construction scaffolding’s they made camps and you had to step around them. It’s been increasingly worse and now it’s even worse. Can’t get into the bank or Starbucks without some opening the door hoping for change.
Anonymous
Aug 09, 2020
Yes - it will be much better when the cold weather comes back and they head back underground and the police stop clearing them out of the subways!
I live on the UWS and I don't feel unsafe. There are however many more homeless people out and closed stores. I agree with poster above who said that once there are more "eyes on the street" things will get back to normal. Unfortunately, that may be a while.
Wow, the owners actually agreed to this? I feel for the homeless I really do, but this never ends up going well. They trash the rooms especially at the end right before they are removed, there are unsafe environments with sexual assault and drug use and dealing. Usually the money the government offers to cover repairs isn’t enough. I don’t know why owners agree to this.
Shouldn't there have been a community vote on this? I don't know how these things work, but this is a major development that will greatly affect the neighborhood.
It’s not just going to be a homeless shelter. It’s for single men on methadone. Just was reading all about it in west side rag. Also read that there are now a ton of reg sex offenders in the various hotels in 10024 like Bellclaire. I am a nyc native and very liberal but this is freaking me out. I have young dc and also often walk my dog alone at night. The shelter in the E Vil where they are relocating from is known to cause issues on the block with public heroin use.
Easy fix. Stop voting for politicians who allow your cities and neighborhoods to become dirty and unsafe.
Perhaps a better way to phrase this is "vote for politicians who will address the conditions that lead to poverty."
Have you ever heard about Jane Jacob's and her ideas about what make a city "livable"? She was a journalist living in NYC who observed and studied what makes cities work. She is well known for opposing Robert Moses. I bring her up because one of her more notable observations is that what keeps cities safe is "eyes on the street". In other words, when people are out and about they naturally deter crime. We've seen that the riots and looting happened in the absence of "eyes on the street" In sum, what you are seeing right now is not a worsening of the city; it is the natural outcome of less people out and about each day. When people return, and I believe they will, the eyes on the street will return as well. I quickly googled this article: https://nextcity.org/daily/entry/philly-streets-get-test-of-jane-jacobs-eyes-on-the-street-effect
This is so true. I have been on the uws the whole time. We experienced this immediately. In March I felt unsafe walking my dog, days after shut down. Why? Bc I was alone outside on my corner but for a ranting drunk guy.
Adding... I no longer feel this way in my immediate neighborhood because people are out.
Me too, and that’s why we left for the summer. For the first time in my 20+ years in Manhattan, 18 on the UWS I felt like I was back in the NyC of the 70’s.
Well yeah, all your friends and neighbors high-tailed it out of there at the first sign of trouble. How's that for "community", eh?
We have no such issues in our outer-borough, middle-class area. Everyone's still here. People patronize neighborhood stores.
I think this is true. My DH goes into his Manhattan office twice a week, and he said there are many more permanently shuttered businesses there than in Brooklyn. I just read that La Caridad, which has been on the UWS for 50 years, closed permanently. Downtown (the village, Soho, Chinatown) is particularly bad. If all the wealthy people leave for their country homes, who is going to shop or order in from restaurants?
I'm PP and actually spend time on the UWS for work-related reasons and this post seems like either trolling or very selective perception to me. It doesn't seem that bad and people are always going in and out of the parks if the weather is good. But I do agree that it's become a more transient place since it's been a higher-income area. Remember all those conversations about why "people who can't afford it think they 'deserve' to live in manhattan"? Well, maybe to keep things going when the rest of you decide you can't be bothered!
This is pretty hyperbolic. I live on the UWS and stayed, and there are plenty of people here. Parks are packed. Yes, there are homeless people too but I don't feel unsafe (though I also don't go out late at night).
I will add that the increase in the visible homeless population is due to the fact that they don't feel safe in the shelters, and they're being removed from the subways. Also the weather.
There were a ton of homeless pre Covid and some were violent. Around the Ansonia and under construction scaffolding’s they made camps and you had to step around them. It’s been increasingly worse and now it’s even worse. Can’t get into the bank or Starbucks without some opening the door hoping for change.
Yes - it will be much better when the cold weather comes back and they head back underground and the police stop clearing them out of the subways!
I live on the UWS and I don't feel unsafe. There are however many more homeless people out and closed stores. I agree with poster above who said that once there are more "eyes on the street" things will get back to normal. Unfortunately, that may be a while.
Stop woke vote then
Ah, the trolls are here...
Hotel Lucerne will become a temporary shelter, they are bringing over 270 homeless people
Wow, the owners actually agreed to this? I feel for the homeless I really do, but this never ends up going well. They trash the rooms especially at the end right before they are removed, there are unsafe environments with sexual assault and drug use and dealing. Usually the money the government offers to cover repairs isn’t enough. I don’t know why owners agree to this.
Oh man. Thanks for posting this. I had no idea.
Shouldn't there have been a community vote on this? I don't know how these things work, but this is a major development that will greatly affect the neighborhood.
It’s not just going to be a homeless shelter. It’s for single men on methadone. Just was reading all about it in west side rag. Also read that there are now a ton of reg sex offenders in the various hotels in 10024 like Bellclaire. I am a nyc native and very liberal but this is freaking me out. I have young dc and also often walk my dog alone at night. The shelter in the E Vil where they are relocating from is known to cause issues on the block with public heroin use.