NYT: New York Moves to Clean Up Times Square After a Spate of Crimes- Page 3

[spicemonkey]

Posted: 7/9/24 at 10:18pm

Phantom4ever said: "


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."

LOL The dose of exceptionalism (ignorance) is off the chart just like the temperature recently.

Updated On: 12/31/99 at 10:18 PM

[PipingHotPiccolo]

Posted: 7/9/24 at 10:38pm

im glad theatrefan is calling out some of the delusional nonsense here, and its important to distinguish between perceptions (often irrational) and actual reality. 

but its truly concerning to see that clear-headed well-articulated point morph into "there is no crime problem here at all! the homeless are without homes, but how dare you suggest many/some are also unwell and dangerous!"  ridiculous.

i have lived in manhattan my whole life. its been worse, and its been better. but whats new: half the country wanting to treat them like criminals and susceptible to fear mongering that is so easy to achieve given that everyone has a video camera in their hands, AND a sizable portion of society somehow deciding that mental illness untreated is not dangerous for the rest of us, and challenging any effort to address it.  there was a man angrily screaming at what i think were imaginary people today, punching the air and cursing with increasing hostility. he hurt no one. i wasnt scared, because i just accept this reality. i dont wish him any harm. i also dont think we can just hope he works out his issues and fingers crossed those punches dont eventually land on anyone. calling that concern racist or classist is just plain silly. 

i dont have a solution, and i have immense sympathy for those struggling with mental illness or just plain bad luck, and immense anger at our society for allowing this problem to fester- but pretending it isnt a problem guarantees it will, and does a great disservice to everyone including, of course, the homeless who need help we seem unable/unwilling to provide.  

[kdogg36]

Posted: 7/9/24 at 11:17pm

Phantom4ever said: "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. [...] But were they screaming and peeing and littering? No."

This says it all. The behavior is all in your head.

[TheatreFan4]

Posted: 7/10/24 at 12:03am

You're telling me that unhoused people are SLEEPING... OUTSIDE? This... doesn't make any sense to me. I need to think on this for a while. 

[TheatreFan4]

Posted: 7/10/24 at 12:15am

Phantom4ever said: "

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."

I would LOVE for them to not urinate on the street, but the reality is that this city has virtually NO publicly available bathrooms that don't come with a price tag at best or straight up unavailable because of the time. I literally had to piss on the street over pride at 4am because literally not one place was open that I could even pay for something to get access to a bathroom. As for the smell? I don't care, I am there to go inside or to walk passed. How long are you hanging around the piss that it's even registering to you? For real. This city has a plethora of smells and nothing is worse than the dank musky smell of being in the subway, but we can't do anything about that. 

As for people arguing, hasn't the longest standing imagination of NYC been people arguing at each other in the street? Like... it's a city. Would it have been okay if it was a couple from the hotel arguing outside.? Would you have had such an issue with that? Or is it because they're unhoused and not because they were arguing that you have an issue with?

[Phantom4ever]

Posted: 7/10/24 at 8:45am

Theaterfan, please settle down. It's not that serious. 

For the 4th time. I. Was. With. Family.  If I were by myself, none of this would even matter in the slightest. Bring on the piss and the needles and the fighting. The more urine in front of my hotel, the better.

My family stayed in a hotel a block away, and they met me and departed from me each day in front of my hotel. Which meant......that they or me or all of us were often standing in front of the hotel with our wonderful new friends and their urine for extended periods of time. My family never complained about it and didn't even bring it up after the trip, but I brought it up here because I thought it was relevant to the convo, but now it is clear that ya'll will not tolerate anybody getting annoyed at their six year old niece watching a grown man urinate or having to jump out of the way to avoid the hyperdermic needle from the dude who's passing out. Like I said....alone  I can deal with all these things and they are part of the fabric of city life and I'm a big boy and I can easily handle all this stuff and I want these people to be supported and go ahead use my tax dollars for needle exchanges and homeless shelters and outreach programs and whatever else. HOWEVER, I stand by my conviction that I'd rather not have my six year old niece view homeless, sorry, unhoused penis if at all possible. If that is infringing on their rights, I understand and I do apologize. 

And yes as for people arguing, one of my favorite things about New York is the street theater. I have definitely been known to stop and pretend to send a text message just so I can listen to someone's argument (the ones on the phone are usually best) And by the way, I don't think the subway smells bad at all. 

And Kdogg, I'm not sure why you misquoted me but you took out the part about the behaviors stopped when the police were there so no it wasn't in my head. 

[TheatreFan4]

Posted: 7/10/24 at 10:14am

Phantom4ever said: "Theaterfan, please settle down. It's not that serious.

For the 4th time. I. Was. With. Family. If I were by myself, none of this would even matter in the slightest. Bring on the piss and the needles and the fighting. The more urine in front of my hotel, the better.

My family stayed in a hotel a block away, and they met me and departed from me each day in front of my hotel. Which meant......that they or me or all of us were often standing in front of the hotel with our wonderful new friends and their urine for extended periods of time. My family never complained about it and didn't even bring it up after the trip, but I brought it up here because I thought it was relevant to the convo, but now it is clear that ya'll will not tolerate anybody getting annoyed at their six year old niece watching a grown man urinate or having to jump out of the wayto avoid the hyperdermic needle from the dude who's passing out. Like I said....alone I can deal with all these things and they are part of the fabric of city life and I'm a big boy and I can easily handle all this stuff and I want these people to be supported and go ahead use my tax dollars for needle exchanges and homeless shelters and outreach programs and whatever else. HOWEVER, I stand by my conviction that I'd rather not have my six year old niece view homeless, sorry, unhousedpenis if at all possible. If that is infringing on their rights, I understand and I do apologize."

Didn't you JUST say about how you felt uncomfortable on Christopher St and The West Village? Now you're a hardened New Yorker who knows its part of the city and enjoys it? Also, you're complaining about things on behalf of your family... that your family never even complained about? Like you're doing an awful lot of pearl clutching. And you're freaking out over a sight that a 6 year old likely wouldn't even see let alone remember. The city is sensory overload for a child, they're looking at everything and not exactly focusing in on the man on the street taking a piss or potentially doing drugs (something they have no concept for, they have no idea what they're looking at so no it's not actually affecting them, you're projecting that onto them).

[Kad]

Posted: 7/10/24 at 10:32am

Phantom4ever said: "
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."

You struck a cord because you described a generally safe, beloved & significant area as being "menacing," which, given the response, is a major outlier opinion of the neighborhood. And I never said no crime happens in wealthy areas or crime doesn't happen on Christopher Street. Crime can and does happen anywhere and I certainly understand a negative experience can color one's opinion and perception of an area. But whatever your experience was there, it is not representative of the day-to-day reality of the neighborhood and I don't think it ever has been. 

 

[Phantom4ever]

Posted: 7/10/24 at 11:10am

Yeah I'm a hardened New Yorker who felt uncomfortable on Christophoer Street and doesn't want my visiting six year old nice to see homeless penis. 

And I love Christopher Street as well which is why it sucked to feel that way about it but I was just sharing my feelings on a message board, no more no less so y'all need to calm down. 

And if you think I'm doing any pearl clutching at all then you are seriously mis-read my tone. I don't even have any pearls. 

[kdogg36]

Posted: 12/31/99 at 7:18pm

Phantom4ever said: "And Kdogg, I'm not sure why you misquoted me but you took out the part about the behaviors stopped when the police were there so no it wasn't in my head."

It looks like I misunderstood your post, and I apologize for that.

[Kad]

Posted: 12/31/99 at 7:38pm

Why has this thread vanished from the main board but accessible from the "General Topics" highlights section above it...?

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 7/12/24 at 11:40am

This thread. Dag. 

So, the proper term is "people experiencing homelessness". This emphasizes the humans at the center of this crisis rather than the houses. This phrase also underscores that the problem isn’t the people themselves but the lack of housing (especially affordable housing). I know it isn't as fun as calling them "hood rats, junkies, n'er-do-wells, those people, or crackheads" like people have been doing here, but being a decent person isn't always easy and being the worst is more comfortable for many folks... apparently.

Mayor Adams accepted 200,000 migrants here without a plan. He could have said no but the money was just too good. They have no skills, no help assimilating in society, and New Yorkers hate them because they have to pay for them. This has been an embarrassing disaster and everyone is aware of that. The average hotel room in Manhattan is now over $300 dollars due to the city making deals for very nice hotels to accommodate them, making it harder for tourists willing to spend money to come here. The problem is complicated and Adams, once again, proved useless. Sanctuary cities sound lovely until reality sets in especially with the NIMBYs. Joey Robinette finally made the right call but it was far too late. There is no easy solution here and our citizens should always come first.

However, crime has declined around here regardless of what The Post, Fox News and MAGA NAZI WEEKLY spins. Their job is to frighten people away from New York City and make them think it's like a scene out of the The Warriors. You will absolutely be stabbed to death in front of Zabar's if you set foot here!!! It's alarmist, ridiculous, and not based in actual reality. NYC is a major city and it has the same problems as any other dense, urban space. "What can I do to help people that are struggling? How did this happen to them?" are questions you should be asking. Not acting like they are less than you. They aren't. I get it, you don't want them around you and you want to pretend like they don't exist. A lot of people are having a hard time and are deserving of compassion, housing, and mental health assistance. Incredible how people are deeply affected by the atrocities all over the world but can't walk down the street in their own city without feeling the same outrage.

Oh and if you don't want your kid to see "a homeless penis" (what a way to describe a person), take her to Disney World where she belongs. Tourists are important for NYC but when they speak of people at their lowest like that? Nah. Be better. 

[Broadway Flash]

Posted: 7/12/24 at 1:27pm

Ohhh look who it is.  You used to attack me from the left, what happened to you?

[Huss417]

Posted: 7/12/24 at 1:36pm

To this day I think SR also has an alter ego on this board.

 

Updated On: 7/12/24 at 01:36 PM

[chrishuyen]

Posted: 7/12/24 at 1:42pm

Just to be clear, this is a very recent thread that's gotten a lot of discussion, but it seems it's fallen to the BWW bug of saying it's from 1999

[Huss417]

Posted: 7/12/24 at 1:51pm

chrishuyen said: "Just to be clear, this is a very recent thread that's gotten a lot of discussion, but it seems it's fallen to the BWW bug of saying it's from 1999"

Looks to be only #59 & #60.

Very Odd.

[TheatreFan4]

Posted: 7/12/24 at 2:35pm

Phantom4ever said: "Yeah I'm a hardened New Yorker who felt uncomfortable on Christophoer Street and doesn't want my visiting six year old nice to see homeless penis.

And I love Christopher Street as well which is why it sucked to feel that way about it but I was just sharing my feelings on a message board, no more no less so y'all need to calm down.

And if you think I'm doing any pearl clutching at all then you are seriously mis-read my tone. I don't even have any pearls."

We know, because the pearls are all scattered on the floor below you.

As for the "Homeless Penis" discussion, I've been here for a year and yet to see one penis on the street outside of Folsom East last month.

[VintageSnarker]

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

TheatreFan4 said: "As for the "Homeless Penis" discussion, I've been here for a year and yet to see one penis on the street outside of Folsom East last month."

I go out a lot less than I used to and I see them all the time. For years it was just that one incident where a guy was masturbating near me on the train but in the last couple years it seems like half the time I leave my apartment, I see a penis or ass crack I didn't want to see. At least with the latter, I can avert my eyes to avoid the former. 

[uncageg]

Posted: 8/5/24 at 3:23pm

In today's (8/5) New York Times. Should be a gift article if I did it right!

 

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/05/nyregion/street-wars-eighth-avenue.html?unlocked_article_code=1.Ak4.Sa9s.TT8zr6luY2vC&smid=url-share

[BorisTomashevsky]

Posted: 8/5/24 at 3:27pm

Thanks uncageg, the link worked great. 

“Crime is down!” Damn right it’s down - down the block. 

[chrishuyen]

Posted: 8/5/24 at 4:58pm

I know there's a real issue here to address, so maybe this complaint will be inconsequential, but as someone who lives and works right off of 8th Ave, the long lines of people waiting to get into theaters drives me crazy.  It's practically impossible to walk between 51st and 52nd Street on one side of the sidewalk because the line to get into MJ stretches so long (and the scaffolding there also takes up space).  If you ever need to make your way down 45th Street right around 8pm or 10:30pm it's nearly impossible due to all the people taking up space on the sidewalk (not to mention being a tourist and trying to figure out which line to get into to get to the correct theater).  I don't know how much something like staggering theater start times or opening theaters earlier (I know there's an extra cost involved there and that's why it isn't done), but this is definitely the most annoying thing to me about walking up and down 8th Ave.

[uncageg]

Posted: 8/5/24 at 5:36pm

chrishuyen, I don't know what it is about that theater but I have seen 3 shows at the Neil Simon (One when it was the Alvin) and the last two shows I got into the line on 51st around the corner. And I got there early both times. That line is always long it seems. 

[GiantsInTheSky2]

Posted: 8/5/24 at 5:41pm

“I chose to live near Times Square and it’s crazy before and after Broadway shows start!!” That’s a you problem, bud. It’s not like that stretch of eighth avenue is some desirable walk to begin with. 

Be self sufficient and just avoid those cross streets. The entire industry is not going to shift start times because of your laziness. Your whole comment is weird. 

Updated On: 8/5/24 at 05:41 PM

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 8/5/24 at 5:47pm

Yeah, my friend lives in the apartment building right NEXT to the Neil Simon. He calls the cops nightly because of the noise. His wife just laughs and says "honey, you wanted to be in the heart of it so...here we are!"

You live in midtown. Your choice. Deal with it. 

 

[chrishuyen]

Posted: 8/5/24 at 5:47pm

Sorry, I should've added more context.  This is in response to the points in the article where the theater executives also described 8th Ave as being chaotic and a point of large congestion.  And of course I knew what I was doing when I chose to live there, but if those are the people that are also complaining about the same issues, it seems that they have the power to make changes that could alleviate that specific problem.  Of course they alone can't fix the entire issue of congestion (let alone the drug/mental health crisis), but it did surprise me to see them mentioning things that I thought would be within their control to mitigate (and yeah I'm sure there's a lot more that goes into it like dinner times and work hours etc, but we already see theaters playing with the idea of nonstandard performance times and earlier shows, so it doesn't seem like they're unwilling to shift start times).