NYT: New York Moves to Clean Up Times Square After a Spate of Crimes- Page 2

[TheatreFan4]

Posted: 7/6/24 at 6:48pm

Broadway Flash said: "There’s been a noticeable different from just two years ago. I used to see them everywhere, midtown, downtown, uptown, especially late at night eating $hit and running around in the garbage bags on the streets. They were literally EVERYWHERE, and in huge amounts too.now we don’t see them nearly as much. Don’t u agree?? I think the city started poisoning them and killing them off. Businesses also can’t put their trash out before a certain time now. It’s literally this mayors biggest success story, taking on the rats."

Literally every single block after night fall in every season, what are you talking about?

I live in a brand new building in Brooklyn in Bedstuy, they're in our trash every single night. 

Updated On: 7/6/24 at 06:48 PM

[GiantsInTheSky2]

Posted: 7/6/24 at 7:09pm

Theatrefan4 eating this thread up. Love to see it.

[TheatreFan4]

Posted: 7/6/24 at 7:14pm

Imagine citing getting rid of the rats as one of thr mayor's biggest accomplishment when all it did was shift the Rats active time a few hours because dinner's not ready on the side walk before sundown anymore. Pretty damning isn't it?

[Broadway Flash]

Posted: 7/6/24 at 7:17pm

No that’s not true, the rats are really not an active menace anymore. They’re barely around now because most of them have been killed. At least that’s what I see in manhattan. 

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 7/6/24 at 7:25pm

Walking home, I accidentally stepped on a rat last week and it screamed and scared the sh*t out of me. Fun times. 

[TheatreFan4]

Posted: 7/6/24 at 7:25pm

Broadway Flash said: "No that’s not true, the rats are really not an active menace anymore. They’re barely around now because most of them have been killed. At least that’s what I see in manhattan."

"Most of them have been killed"

The Rats. In New York City. Oh yeah. I'm sure the pigeon population is next, count your days cuz Mayor Adams is on your tail. 

Honestly I don't even think you live here with how out of touch you actually appear to be with day to day life here. There are over 3 Million Rats in this city!

[TheatreFan4]

Posted: 7/6/24 at 7:26pm

Jordan Catalano said: "Walking home, I accidentally stepped on a rat last week and it screamed and scared the sh*t out of me. Fun times."

Good thing! That's your only rat sighting for the next 5 years I'm sure. I've been told that "most" have been dealt with. 

[Kad]

Posted: 7/6/24 at 7:36pm

This thread is wild. The West Village is dangerous and the rats are gone! 

[stagepotato]

Posted: 7/6/24 at 9:01pm

I’ve never seen a rat in NYC in my 10+ years of theatre going. I did however see a homeless man shoot up today outside of Stereophonic. At least he picked the right theatre to do it in front of.. talk about immersive marketing!

[TheatreFan4]

Posted: 7/6/24 at 9:15pm

stagepotato said: "I’ve never seen a rat in NYC in my 10+ years of theatre going. I did however see a homeless man shoot uptoday outside of Stereophonic. At least he picked the right theatre to do it in front of.. talk about immersive marketing!"

Why would you? You don't go out after dark or take public transportation, that's when it gets scary!

Updated On: 7/6/24 at 09:15 PM

[stagepotato]

Posted: 7/6/24 at 9:27pm

TheatreFan4 said: "stagepotato said: "I’ve never seen a rat in NYC in my 10+ years of theatre going. I did however see a homeless man shoot uptoday outside of Stereophonic. At least he picked the right theatre to do it in front of.. talk about immersive marketing!"

Why would you? You don't go out after dark or take public transportation, that's when it gets scary!"

I will give you credit there - I’m normally out of the city by 5:30 since that’s when the train leaves. I guess it gets WILD after dark. All the creatures come out haha 

[TotallyEffed]

Posted: 7/6/24 at 10:07pm

The rats are worse than ever.

[ACL2006]

Posted: 7/7/24 at 8:28am

TotallyEffed said: "The rats are worse than ever."

My 30+ years of visiting NYC and I've never seen one.

 

Honestly, the homelessness is concerning. They have no where to go. Lots of them with mental health issues and cops & th city refuse to help them.

[TotallyEffed]

Posted: 7/7/24 at 10:29am

ACL2006 said: "TotallyEffed said: "The rats are worse than ever."

My 30+ years of visiting NYC and I've never seen one.

 

lol

[Kad]

Posted: 7/7/24 at 10:37am

If you limit your movement through NYC to majorly busy areas like midtown and don’t typically travel at night, it’s not unreasonable that you wouldn’t encounter rats. I don’t think I’ve ever seen many rats in the Theatre District- there’s so much foot and road traffic and the area is generally kept cleaner than other neighborhoods. 
But venture out into less busy areas that lack the Times Square Alliance’s corps of street cleaners and rat-proof trash cans, or if you’re using the subway extensively, then rats are a common sight. 

Updated On: 7/7/24 at 10:37 AM

[kdogg36]

Posted: 7/7/24 at 11:14am

binau said: "TheatreFan4, assuming that the claims are accurate (I don't know), I don't think it's unreasonable that people feel a little unsafe living around drug addicts on the streets or homeless people - regardless if any actual crime has been committed or not."

Phantom4Ever complained about "ne'er-do wells" but admitted they didn't know if these people were "homeless, drug addicts, migrants, a combo, or just young people with nothing to do." This strongly suggests that the poster didn't witness any actual bad behavior at all, but was just uncomfortable with those individuals being in a certain place at a certain time. 

[Kad]

Posted: 7/7/24 at 12:12pm

Broadway Flash said: "I’ll give youan education"

Nobody is more qualified, considering how regularly you get schooled on here.

[everythingtaboo]

Posted: 7/7/24 at 8:24pm

Adding all the seating and vendors to Times Square has turned it into a crowded, loitering hellscape. The constant construction isn't helping things.

I miss the days when it was just folding tables and chairs.

[verywellthensigh]

Posted: 7/7/24 at 9:12pm

I just hope we see more cops with military grade armor and weapons.  It really makes me feel secure.

[Blue_Lotus]

Posted: 7/9/24 at 1:49pm

Phantom4ever said: "Yeah honey I know all that, that's why I spent my 20s and 30s practically living at those bars. BUT when I walk down Christopher toward the river, farther from 7th Av near the PATH station, it does not feel safe at all. It never really did, even in the late 2000's, but it was manageable because there were always so many people around, even at 3am. It's not like that lately.

And I'm not sure where you got the idea that wealthy neighborhoods don't have street crime? The West Village has a rather new andwell-publicized problem of people stealing purses, phones, and coats from restaurant-goers and bar flies. And Christopher Street down toward the piers has had occasional muggings since forever. Do I feel safe in Sheridan Square and at or nearthe Duplex or Monster or Pieces? Hell yes. Do I feel safe walking down to the Hangar by myself on a rainy Tuesday night? hell no."

I have news for you: The Hangar has been closed since January. 

[Blue_Lotus]

Posted: 7/9/24 at 1:52pm

Jordan Catalano said: "Walking home, I accidentally stepped on a rat last week and it screamed and scared the sh*t out of me. Fun times."

This happened to me in the mid 90s walking out of the Palladium in Union Square. They were doing construction down the block and I guess it darted out from under the wooded panels as I didn’t see it in time to divert myself and I stepped on it and it screamed and it scared the sh*t out of me as well. Total buzz kill. 

Updated On: 7/9/24 at 01:52 PM

[Ensemble1671017357]

Posted: 7/9/24 at 2:47pm

Online Rat Map
https://a816-dohbesp.nyc.gov/IndicatorPublic/Rats/

[Jtoth8922]

Posted: 7/9/24 at 8:09pm

Sorry I don’t comment a lot, but this post confuses me.  I’ve lived in NYC for 25 years, there has always been vagrants and homeless people and none, not one has ever bothered me beside asking for change.  I frequent bars in Christopher Street (Ty’s and Rockbar) weekly and NEVER in 20 years have felt unsafe in Christopher Street, EVER, even at 4 am. Cities have crime and people who are sketchy but honestly I have more of a problem with tourists than them.  Plus rats haven’t gone anywhere and never well cause it’s a city with  a lot of garbage lol. Have a good night friends

[Phantom4ever]

Posted: 7/9/24 at 10:02pm

Phantom4Ever complained about "ne'er-do wells" but admittedthey didn't know if these peoplewere "homeless, drug addicts, migrants, a combo, or just young people with nothing to do." This strongly suggests that the posterdidn't witness any actual bad behavior at all, but wasjust uncomfortable with those individualsbeing in a certain place at a certain time."

First of all, I should get points for bringing back n'er-do-wells. Secondly, stop projecting onto my post. The individuals standing in front of my hotel were under the influence of something.  i did not perform any bloodwork on them so I can't definitely say, but from the way they were walking, falling down, bumping into people etc. I'm as bleeding heart liberal as you get and I regularly hear people tell me things like "well then why don't you house them illegals in your house then!" So I get where some of you (SOME of you) are coming from with the criticisms of me not getting these individuals outside my hotel to participate in a flash mob of Be Our Guest. But if you recall, I had a bunch of family with me including little girls and their safety was more important than these individuals feeling welcome to urinate and scream curse words and argue about who gets the cigarette next outside my hotel. That's why I was glad to see the police there the next few nights. Some of the individuals were still there, as they clearly have the right to be. But were they screaming and peeing and littering?  No. And if you'd rather have urine than police officers outside your hotel, let me know which hotels you stay at so I can stay somewhere else lol. 

[Phantom4ever]

Posted: 7/9/24 at 10:13pm

Jtoth8922 said: "Sorry I don’t comment a lot, but this post confuses me. I’ve lived in NYC for 25 years, there has always been vagrants and homeless people and none, not one has ever bothered me beside asking for change. I frequent bars in Christopher Street (Ty’s and Rockbar) weekly and NEVER in 20 years have felt unsafe in Christopher Street, EVER, even at 4 am. Cities have crime and people who are sketchy but honestly I have more of a problem with tourists than them. Plus rats haven’t gone anywhere and never well cause it’s a city with a lot of garbage lol. Have a good night friends"

My goodness did I strike a chord with saying I feel uncomfortable walking toward the piers on Christopher St late at night. To summarize:

-wealthy neighborhoods = no crime

Christopher Street = no crime

If I felt unsafe on Chris Street, it is negated because other posters did, in fact, feel safe, so my perception was incorrect. 

It's kind of funny this thread is even taking place because in my real life, it seems like all I do is tell people how safe New York City is, and everybody always looks at me and says but haven't you seen the news? The subways are full of migrants and druggies and Times Square is a cesspool! I show them my social media feeds of safe subways and bright and safe TS.

The only two areas I've ever felt the least bit sketchy in Manhattan were 8th Av in the early 30s and far West Christopher Street. But this board has spoken loud and clear that my perceptions of danger were clearly wrong about those two areas, which I am glad to hear. I look forward to heading back to the village after a show one night this month. 

I am quite devastated that the Hangar has closed. That was my main source of boyfriends, hook-ups, and friends-with-benefits all through my 20s and 30s.