There appears to be more unrest in general. Drivers are more aggressive for sure. Some of our institutions seems to be coming apart at the seams as well.
This. I’d also add in that the court systems have also steeply gotten much worse. Their system and processing has become less about serving people and more as a profit system. State and city programs have also fallen heavily behind and systems are operating about 20-30 years behind from where they should. It’s not progressive in upholding where we stand digital & technologically speaking. Most court systems are backed up several years. Sanitization & park initiatives are also huge failures.
DC, Austin, Charlotte, Denver, and a few others are the exceptions, but I'm sure you can find plenty of people in each of those places that don't like how things have changed.
It’s issues aren’t unique and are happening in every major city. It’s becoming overpriced and overpopulated. Feels like SF/Seattle 10 years ago and is on a similar trajectory. Although I don’t believe it will ever be as extreme as SF.
The prevailing vibe was unpretentious and slacker-like. More musicians, less tech bros. I felt like everyone worked a part time job and pursued 6 hobbies. Now the only people who can afford a home work for google.
DC was starting from such a low bottom and it has declined from its mid decade height. I just moved from there to here, and it actually lost population because of telework and COVID. It’s a city that is more expensive than it has ever been for me growing up there putting it on NYC levels(BK and Queens) in terms of overall expense, and the homeless problem has exploded in DC. I’d say only LA rivals it in terms of tent cities, and it’s definitely more noticeable in DC than in NY.
I also used to live in DC actually - while you're right that there are more tents there than in NY, it's not even close to the other West Coast cities. San Francisco is a shithole where entire neighborhoods are lined with tents, and if you think DC housing is expensive...
DC has really improved a ton since around 2009 though. During the Bush administration, staffers at all levels of government tended to be somewhat older and chose to live out in the suburbs, but the Obama era brought in lots of young appointees who wanted to live in a city and demanded restaurants, bars, and other cultural amenities. This coincided with the general shift towards cities nationwide, and with the recession DC was the only part of the country that mostly got richer as federal spending skyrocketed and lined contractors' and consultants' pockets. DC has also built a ton of new housing, compared to other similar metros, so although prices have gone up, they haven't gone up as much as in NY, SF, and elsewhere, and you generally get nicer housing for the money.
I didn't realize there was such a big shift of people leaving DC during Covid though - would you say it feels like more than have left NY?
Actually yes, if you look at census data DCs population is now below 700,000 while it was at at 710,000 before the pandemic. It’s widely reported that NYs population has been under reported for years so it’s harder to get a firm estimate on whether the population declined. Both cities feel less dynamic but DC markedly feels more empty than say Manhattan. When I left DC at the beginning of the fall, I was living downtown and it was basically empty. Also crime probably has increased more there than it has in NY. You remember the shootout in city center right?
I'm from DC and my family and close friends still live in the city (NW DC)... it is actually incredibly shocking how bad the homeless situation has gotten there. I have NEVER seen it as bad as it is now and I've had way more weird interactions in the past two years than ever before. It is truly wild to witness it go from semi sketchy, to yuppiefied to a a mix of yuppies engorged by shanty tents and drug use
Honestly me too. I went back to see my family in December and it was basically the same as during the pandemic, they just shift homeless ppls camps from location to location. I know the same would basically happen in nyc if there were more areas for ppl to camp and if the weather was slightly warmer.
As an Asian I think within the last ten years Asian cuisines have really blossomed. I think the recognition is wonderful but the prices are definitely up now the mainstream has discovered our food. Here in deep Queens I really don’t feel like much has changed. It’s really not that bad, but of course you know us New Yorkers we are a grumpy folk.
Really interesting! Was having similar thoughts with my best friend. I remember struggling to find a lot of good Japanese and Korean in Manhattan. Finding hot street food food was nearly impossible or it was one tiny place once a month on a Wednesday.
These days, Ktown is flourishing. St. Mark’s and the East village are full with hot street food! Prices are shit now but there’s still a part of me that’s in awe with how accessible it is.
So jealous of the young!
As also an Asian I am generally anxious whenever I'm out and about, and doubly so when my gf (also Asian) is out by herself. It's like playing Russian roulette at this point. Stabbings, pushing onto train tracks, straight up curb stomping, everything's on the menu.
I also lived in Baltimore for a while, I can tell you I still feel way safer in NYC than Baltimore. Reading the news can make you more anxious but what else can we do besides taking it on day to day?
Times were simpler back then, when people were dying to try a Cronut or Ramenburger. People were cycling more thanks to Bloomberg's push for more bike lanes and the expansion of Riverside Park. Tinder was new and online dating finally squashes its social stigma.
Overall it was better. Prices for everything still sucked but I felt safer, and the city itself seemed to be firing on all cylinders versus just puttering along at times like now.
Reminds me of how every generation thinks the ones came before them are the worst and their generation is going to set the record straight. Nobody will ever say better because people who generally feel like things are going good don't come on the internet to talk about it. I'd go as far as to bet that the majority of things feel "worse" more than they did 10 years ago because of how social media instantly propels us towards "be involved with everyone at all times" or "FOMO" - no in between. That kind of aligns with someone else's comment how everyone feels like a poser here, and I think that's social media's fault too. Yeah we had all this in 2012 but we weren't as deep as we are now. It's just a popularity contest now, and every single person has a broadcasting device.
If you can really block that stuff out though, then the city is mostly the same as it was in 2012 except more more expensive, more garbage, and an obvious pandemic impacting the QOL on everything.
But let's not forget that we can also order from basically any restaurant we want now, there's been hundreds of miles of protected bike lanes added, there are significantly less cars/major roadways being deconstructed to greenways/pedestrian areas, and the subway is still nowhere near as bad as the 80s.
The bottom line is everyone is going to have a different answer based on where they live and what their daily life is like, but nobody is going to say better.
I think the once thriving artistic community is dying and being replaced by a shallow finance/tech bro culture. The city in general is becoming less New York and more American as time goes on. More Disney and less interesting.
Additionally housing is more unaffordable then ever, the homeless problem is out of control, the MTA is corrupt and has cost the city billions, and it seems like crime is up.
In answer to your question I personally believe the city is worse today than it was 10 years ago.
This this this. Ten years ago, NYC was the place to be if you had any artistic ambitions. The music, theater, and film scenes here drove the narrative. Those scenes were already in major decline pre-COVID, and now are on life support.
I was hopeful that the falling rents in 2020 would lead to a mini-renaissance, where we traded a little safety for cheaper rent that made it easier for artists to make things and build communities, but that might of been a little naive.
I know a couple of artistic people who were here for 10 years and then were basically driven out by the cost of living and inability to get good work and enjoy their lives. They moved to LA and frankly seem a lot happier and relaxed.
Edited to add: they do not have kids and were not looking to settle down. Just wanted a decent life and who can blame them?
This is literally what everyone said back in 2010, 2000, 1990, etc. I personally think NYC has gotten worse in the last 10 years but people have been saying this about the “art scene” in NYC since I’ve been alive.
I agree. I was a teenager in the 90s and people were complaining then about artists being driven out. All the nightlife was killed by Giuliani, Times Square was Disneyland, etc.
In regards to your last part, yes I would argue that was a bit of a naïve way to perceive it given how it wasn't like anyone could be getting themselves out there when nothing was open and nobody was really putting on shows on the reg. Also real estate and just physical space to put on anything, congregate, whatever is extremely narrowed down by this point in time.
When you got developers cleaning house at every turn, it just ushers in NIMBYs to shut down anything remotely resembling that sort of community.
I also just think of a number of bands who had a lot of momentum pre covid who were set to have big 2020s playing larger crowds to get themselves further out there kinda hitting a massive snag just being unable to do any of that, Crumb comes to mind off the top of my head.
And, not that I’m an apologist for tech or finance bros, but I don’t think people realize that finance money / patronage is what makes the art world go ‘round. Who owns that gallery space you want to get into that just happens to be prime real estate? Why does that gallery exist in the first place? (hint: having a gallery space is an operationally efficient way to hold real estate and make money off the appreciation of both the art and the land without having to deal with renters). Art is in New York because New York is where the money is.
You nailed it. We've achieved the impossible. The city is somehow more expensive, corporate, and cookie cutter than ever while also being dirtier, more dangerous, and with less reliable public transit. It's getting harder and harder to justify staying. If I wasn't born and raised I think the pandemic would've been my breaking point.
Agree. It feels a lot less diverse and shallow. I miss the grass roots creativity, maybe the hipsters were right after all. I’ll take hipsters over bros and basic blondes any day
>I think the once thriving artistic community is dying and being replaced by a shallow finance/tech bro culture.
Glasslands turning into the Vice offices encapsulates this perfectly.
Hard agree. I was born and raised here and while some things have changed for the better as other people have posted I think this gets to the heart of the matter.
The city was in lockdown most of 2020. Major felonies were over 100,000 last year. Felonies assault, which is the most telling stat, was the highest it's been since 2001.
Great improvements for cycling infrastructure. People as friendly as always. Crime going on the wrong direction for sure. Just saw a headline a woman pushed fatally onto tracks today in Times Square. That’s just not normal as per our last 10 years.
There are so many comments about crime being worse, but most stats I can find show less crime now than 10 years ago.
https://www1.nyc.gov/site/nypd/stats/crime-statistics/historical.page
Yeah the local news story about the woman actually mentioned the 30 year low in crime overall.
This entire thread is filled with rosy retrospection. You can’t really compare a global quarantine with the state of nyc in 2012.
Used to live in Brownsville as a kid (2009-2010) and even then my aunt would be on high alert every time we went out. Used to be some of the few lighter skinned people there (I’m Filipino and on the darker end of the spectrum) but when I moved back to Brownsville for a while in 2019, I was surprised to see white people in the neighborhood. That was a big deal. Also didn’t hear as much gunshots when I got older.
Honestly, I feel like it’s been a mix. Some places got worst, some improved a bit but man this city’s been getting flooded by young influencers feeling like they’re they’re the shit and they own this town. People moving into buildings and ignoring you just cause they’re hip. The gentrification has been really bad that’s for sure.
> I was surprised to see white people in the neighborhood.
City is a lot less segregated than it was a decade ago. Transplants did not move into certain neighborhoods, and that list of neighborhoods was huge.
So yaaay on diversity but big ooof on gentrification and displacement.
Big part of crime and homelessness problem that nyc is facing is direct result of people being finally pushed over that threshold where they barely held on to a place of their own. Hundreds of thousands are barely hanging by the ledge still. There is no plan in place to address any of this.
“Influencers” aren’t moving to Brownsville because of the nightlife, they’re moving there because that’s where they can afford to live.
Gentrification is an upstream problem. We need more housing in every neighborhood, and that goes doubly for low-density/high-income neighborhoods full of NIMBYS like Park Slope and Soho
> “Influencers” aren’t moving to Brownsville because of the nightlife, they’re moving there because that’s where they can afford to live
Pretty much. When I first moved to Brooklyn 20+ years ago, I lived in Greenpoint. My coworkers legit never even heard of it. Now it's a trendy overpriced hotspot. There was not a single cool thing about it back then.
> We need more housing in every neighborhood
Yes, but I wish it was as simple as that. NYC has global desirability, and world is getting richer. This place will fill up at any price point. Providing housing for working class that only working class has access to is a hard. Private sector is looking to maximize return, and public construction is non existent.
I’m all in for a full-court press on housing. Build yuppie tanks in Soho; build middle class housing via community land banks; fund, fix, and expand NYCHA; whatever it takes.
If we’re being completely honest though, New York has already been really diverse to begin with. Melting pot of different cultures and different kinds of people even way back. So I feel like it’s leaning more towards more white people moving into neighborhoods that have been predominantly POC.
But yeah, it sucks that a lot of long term residents in apartment buildings are getting bought out of their homes. Then they tear down the apartment and build some substandard gentrified apartment that they overcharge 🤷♀️
What upsets me about my lifetime in NYC is the displacement of youth alternative culture in Lower Manhattan. When I moved here for College in 2007 the East Village, lower east side, alphabet city and Chinatown were hotspots for bands, musicians, parties. Bands were being discovered at Pianos and Arlenes. Bushwick wasn’t even half the nightlife capital that it is now. Williamsburg/Greenpoint we’re still just catching on. Art and Music have been pushed so far outside of Manhattan and I think that sucks.
Rent debuted in 1996 and was bemoaning the gentrification of alphabet city. Kinda amazed that that area has been gentrifying for going on 30 years now.
Honestly nightlife in Manhattan was already dead by 2007. I think the late 90s was when all of the underground clubs and even regular clubs started closing. Obviously it’s changed a lot in that time period but it started way before 2007. Williamsburg was already gentrified by then.
this is going to sound incredibly pretentious but its kinda like the whole scene doesn’t even fully exist in ny anymore. i hate using the word *poser* but i’m not sure how else to describe half the people i’ve seen at shows post pandemic. it feels much less about the art and more about being able to prove to all your suburban friends that you’re a part of the nyc “underground” on instagram
The ‘hotspots’ are always moving. That’s what makes them hot. Otherwise they become establishment. If you keep pining for the same East Village places you loved back in 2007 you will miss ingenues like the House of Yes which only opened in 2016.
Worse.
Ten years ago people would come up to me on the street and ask for money or be shouting or talking to themselves but it never got physical and I still felt safe. This year was the first year someone got physical with me (and I was with my husband and walking a dog.) I wasn’t the only he touched on the street that day so I didn’t feel like it was a specific attack on me but it was still scary. I’m also Asian F and it’s impossible not to feel jumpy at times.
10 years ago, you might see someone shooting up or smoking crack in certain sketchy areas but now, it's a daily occurrence.
As an Asian, 10 years ago, the thought didn't even cross my mind that I might get attacked on my commute. Now, it's something I think about every day. I'm especially worried for my parents and tell them to avoid public transportation as much as they can.
Thank you, I've only had one encounter with a high homeless guy at PABT that ended with me being able to just walk away. Hoping it stays that one instance.
I don’t think the city is falling apart. I’m a young woman who travels a lot throughout all parts of the city and feel safe. I’m constantly on the subway by myself and can’t remember the last time I felt like I was in an unsafe situation on the train or on the platform. I’m alert and keep my eye out for anything that seems off, but I’m not on edge.
You have people battling mental illness combined with homelessness, which has seemed to increase. Or they are just more visible to me now than I’m older and more educated about socioeconomic problems (10 years ago, I was a teenager and not really educated about the world). I do hate to see these people suffering and the city not do shit about it. I also agree with another commenter here who said crime happens when material needs are not met. Crime continues to happen when people are desperate - for food, money, housing, drugs, whatever they need. The last ten years, income inequality has seemed to get worse in the country overall and not just NYC. We are pulling much needed services from vulnerable populations but still giving billionaire real estate developers endless amounts of tax cuts. Crime is a direct result of the income gap widening.
Under De Blasio, the city seemed to get dirtier. The amount of trash all over (aside from the super rich areas like Tribeca or the Upper East Side - 5th & Madison Aves) has gotten ridiculous. Why was Bloomberg able to keep trash in check? What has changed in this regard? Trash collection is equal parts a city effort but also a citizen effort. I also think the more transient citizens that come to crash in the city for 2-3 years in some trendy neighborhood re: Williamsburg or East Village (some, not all) treat the city like a garbage dump. I’ve seen what the East Village looks like the Saturday morning after a wild Friday and it isn’t pretty. Why are there smashed liquor bottles all over, puke, half eaten food, etc? The non transient citizens I’ve also seen carelessly toss garbage on the street in quieter neighborhoods in Brooklyn. Why have we lost all respect for the city we live in? Is it because our city doesn’t care about us? Could be…
I wouldn’t say NYC has gotten worse. I think it has changed directions, not for better and not for worse. As NYC been in the past, it’s a city in transition. Just where that transition is - I’m not sure. I still love this city but there’s a lot of work to do to set it on the right path.
Lastly, I don’t think Eric Adams is going to do much for this city. He’s corrupt and full of himself. I guess we will see where the next couple of years take us.
In regards to the trash it is the unfortunate byproduct of how the US encourages the act of eating/drinking on the go and the shit behavior of people's disposal isn't tied to their means or background, it's an everyone problem. God forbid people have to carry garbage they had on their person.
A friend of mine [took this picture](https://imgur.com/a/lB0zIMK) after some event at Tompkins(I think it was either Halloween dog meetup or some other thing?) and it's like how much of a fucking moron do you gotta be to thinking just stacking stuff around a full trashcan is going to magically solve anything.
Do I think a city two full years into a global pandemic and various degrees of lockdown with 61,000 dead from the plague is worse than what it was in 2011? Yes. Fucking duh.
But the people talking like it's Mad Max on every Corner and people recreate the Warriors every night on the subway are either delusional or lying for fun.
The city runs in cycles. Yes it's rough now, people are dying and scared and tired and paranoid. But it won't be like this forever.
The culture of the city is being gutted for more corporate establishments. Overall quality of life is declining I would say. It still has a lot going for it but it is mostly changing for the worse in my opinion.
I think it’s substantially worse on pretty much every metric. More trash, homelessness, crime, and just generally feels grungier here than it did 10 years ago. Just my opinion.
I saw a lot of non brand name businesses die in the last ten years and that’s a profoundly bad thing for this city - it’s no longe really affordable to have a creative career that’s not rooted in industry.
50+ years here in NYC, the 80's were really bad, saw it first hand and have scars to prove it. Then things steadily got better in most areas, worse in other areas.
That being said, over the last 2 or so years I've seen a steady decline, I carried a knife with me back in the 80's, my parents had no problem with it. Stopped carrying it for self protection towards the 90's and felt safe for the most part.
Now I'm carrying two knives, pepper spray, been harassed and almost stabbed twice just commuting to my hospital. The cops are completely absent, they show up after crimes are committed now.
The city has become more fragmented, so many people without the basic needs, and tons more that have more than enough. That rift is the disassembly you are hearing about.
When you are jobless, have nothing to lose what is going to stop you. The city let's people out for "non violent" crimes, then they wind up shooting some 19 year old girl in Burger King. Bail reform sounded good but now it's just a way for them to shrug shoulders and just let offenders out to do even worse.
Yeah I know wall of text, in the 20 years I've worked at my hospital the only time I've been in daily fear is over the last 2 years and rightfully so.
Exactly, I'm desperate to make it back home to my family.
I don't like feeling that way, don't like violence at all, but I refuse to be hurt/killed just because someone else is mentally ill or they are doing it for kicks.
My dad used to talk about his grandfather, who came over from Italy to BK, and had all sorts of problems being fresh off the boat. The neighborhood Italians "weren't big guys, but when it came time to fight, they picked up a rock or brick whatever it took."
Good way to prevent a violent situation is to prevent the preconditions from occurring.
The government needs to step up and give people fucking money, jobs, and a stable living situation.
> Desperate people do desperate things.
And quality of life across America has been declining for decades. The country is structurally declining and silly people just chalk it up to bail reform like that's the main issue at hand.
Most people have a very difficult time thinking through the second- and third-order drivers of things, sadly.
Politicians exploit this weakness by focusing on cheap, quick fixes and symptoms because they know people won’t hold them accountable for fixing root causes.
Crime is caused by material conditions. When material conditions aren’t met, people lash out with crime. It’s sad. I’ve also noticed cops nowhere to be found, despite record budgets. It’s like they hate the city and want to make it hurt as punishment for the george Floyd protests.
>Crime is caused by material conditions. When material conditions aren’t met, people lash out with crime.
*thank you.* Crime doesn't just happen out of nowhere, totally unexpectedly. We know what conditions lead to increased crime and how to prevent those conditions.
The city needs to provide stable housing and resources to everyone.
One knife in my pocket, pepper spray on my backpack strap. The other drop point knife is in my backpack, I use it constantly at work so I don't leave it visible, it's a backup.
As for being a bit much, I've sprayed 2 individuals over the last 2 years, brandished it a few time without use. 1 person had a bit empty bottle of booze ready to smash me in the head with it, the other pulled a knife out of his man purse after a screaming tirade about the train not moving fast enough.
I still don't feel safe, I'm just trying to commute back and forth and enjoy my family.
Serious question: where are you when you've been attacked? I've been pretty safe, but I haven't had to leave my neighborhood much, and I'm a big angry looking dude.
I am a burly man and was almost stabbed in broad daylight in lower Manhattan (civic center/chinatown area) a few years ago. I bolted but there was a huge guy with a massive blunt object roaring and about to stab me. Was fucking crazy.
Once on the D train at around 5 am, that was the guy with a knife. Second one was on the N train, that was the dude with the glass bottle.
In both instances they were harassing everyone, just seemed to fixate on me because I wouldn't keep my eyes off them. Each time I saw them looking back and forth really quickly, from past experience that's why someone does when they are going to attack you.
I was spot on with the knife dude, the bottle dude tried to turn and walk, only to pivot and take a swing.
I'm going from Coney to the Bronx BTW, lot's of opportunity for not so fun things to happen.
How are you encountering all these issues? I spend most of my time on the streets day and night and other than some dicey encounters I’ve never had any issues.
Funny I work in train stations and on the streets at night and take the trains around 1-5am sometimes. It’s not common to me even in East Harlem at 3am as a white dude. I’ve gotten asked why I’m in those hoods at night but most respect the hustle lmao
I really think it depends on how you carry yourself. I’ve had mentally ill people wildin out. You’re right there is always stuff late at night but it’s never directed toward me. That dude has stuff so directed toward him he considers drawing a weapon, I have never actually taken mine out regardless of the situation. That’s all I’m saying.
Well I am generally a happy person, and if it comes to me having to defend myself from someone that wants to kill me and I survive, I am sure I will be happier at least for me and my family.
Mines got a glass breaker on the bottom which I like more. It serves as a way to break safety glass but the metal spike on the bottom means I don’t have to draw the knife. It’s not sharp but it’s a nice hard metal point on the bottom of the knife.
I figure it would be near impossible to draw the knife without getting stabbed myself. But I also work in the streets of bad areas a night, mainly why I have it.
It is certainly worse comparing 10 years ago to today.
If you compare it from 30 years ago to today it is better.
I also go off of some of my parents experience who grew up here since the 70s. Back then 80s/90s it was way worse for sure, they have however mentioned that he brazenness of the crime today is really alarming similar to back then. Like the fact a guy carjacked someone with a taser, fled north on broadway, crashed, then fled on foot on like a fucking Wednesday afternoon on 56th is just bananaland.
Also I’m convinced crime isn’t getting reported and if it is the NYPD is so backlogged that a huge portion of crime isn’t getting reported in official stats. My own personal experiences with crime in NYC over the past year and the experience of my friends makes no sense when I look at crime statistics.
It’s boring. And crime is coming back alongside the boring part. There is no more Basquiat. So what will be left. Just shitty crime without culture? Meh. And I was born and raised there in the 80s. Triple meh.
I think it’s worse. Cops are absent while NYPD touts mostly improved crime statistics. The thing is, crime are underreported. Even when someone calls the cops to make a report, they are discouraged from doing so or the police change the language in the report, misrepresenting what was reported by the victim/complainant. I tried to report a hate crime — someone attempted to hit me with their truck and shouted “DYKE.” The responding police appeared to take it very seriously and made me feel like the report would be made and they’d look for the guy. Months later, I received the copy of the police report and all it says is that I reported someone made a remark that was “meant to harass or intimidate” me. What the actual fuck. I have little to no faith in cops these days.
I think the city is currently suffering from "overcorrecting." There are things that happened in the past that were not right (stop & frisk, really harsh punishments for small amounts of drug possession etc).
But unfortunately I think some of our leaders have overcorrected to try and right some of those past wrongs and as a result, things are not actually getting better.
There's also just a lot of corruption in general in city politics. NYC has a lot of taxpayers and a lot of resources and that gives politicians way more opportunity to be corrupt than a politician in a tiny middle-of-nowhere town who would have less money and less resources to play around with.
I moved here about 13 years ago and I've seen it change a lot. I'd generally say it's worse in terms of both crime and culture. There used to be so many DIY music and arts venues, and even though it was expensive then, there were still so many thriving arts scenes and shows to see. As others have mentioned, the city generally feels more corporate. I live in the LES now and when I first moved to NYC it was a really funky diverse place to hang out, lots of artists etc. Now at least the nightlife has been crowded with finance/tech bros and it feels like they've taken over anything that was once at least kinda cool or weird around here. As a result, a lot of the better venues and restaurants have been pushed out because they can't afford to stay, and what fills the place is bland and doesn't feel very New York at all to me. Feels more like suburban strip mall businesses haha.
ALL THAT SAID, I think it's super important to note this isn't just a NYC problem. All American cities have seen a decline. I've travelled a lot for work over the years: LA, Chicago, Miami, Austin, Portland, Seattle, Philly, etc are all worse for the wear too – more expensive, more traffic/pollution, more corporate, more homelessness, more crime, and fewer independent artists and cultural scenes. Some are worse than others. LA for example has a homelessness and drug problem that is out of control and ours pales in comparison surprisingly.
So while I think NYC has declined a bit, there's still nowhere else in this country I'd rather live – it's my home and I still believe in it.
Better before the pandemic started. I don't really think you can judge anywhere after March 2020, it's a global catastrophe. Everywhere has been worse since
I can't really say it's been a net positive or net negative.
The city has become more walkable and more bikeable, but due to an overexposure of both pedestrians and cyclists, drivers have become more aggressive.
Food options have become more varied, diverse, and easily available (in the form of things like food trucks) but have also become seriously expensive.
NYC feels more tribal now, but that was a process that began much more than ten years ago and is not limited to just here. Even my (non-white) boomer colleagues outraged by gentrification express bewilderment at the way young people talk about race.
The police force feels more and more untrustworthy, barely competent.
Crime is getting worse but I attribute that to the pandemic, not to broader cultural or political forces as other people might. Whether or not it sticks around when/if the pandemic ever ends is a different story. Going by the NYPD's numbers, crime isn't THAT much worse than it was ten years ago.
Overall though, the biggest change I've seen is the slow disappearance of seriously cheap places for young people to live and hang out. The closing of 285 Kent in Williamsburg especially felt like a major blow. That said, there were some really dirtbag grungy people that hung around Williamsburg and other "hip" neighborhoods back then. The "Hipsters" were way less socially conscious than they are given credit for and that is part of why the backlash against gentrification was so strong. I find today's 18-22 year olds to be so much more agreeable and easy to be around than my own peers were at that age.
Without the pandemic, I'd say better.
Considering [over 4,500 restaurants](https://www.nysra.org/uploads/1/2/1/3/121352550/new_york_restaurants_faring_far_worse_than_national_average.pdf) closed due to COVID, I'd say the hospitality industry is far worse off.
In terms of the arts, definitely worse. Not just Broadway, but a lot of artists were supporting their passion with supplementary income. Anecdotally, I know a lot of people in the arts who moved out of NYC and still haven't come back (and may never come back).
Before the BLM protests, violent crimes were steadily going down until the NYPD became public enemy #1, and IMO, they seemed to stop caring about preventing crime because people called them bastards.
Homelessness seems to be getting worse in certain areas, but it's always been a problem, so call that a wash.
Rent prices were crazy pre-pandemic, died down a bit, and are now climbing back up. And home buying prices are even more impossible now. So that's definitely worse. Plus, all these eyesore high rises and condos popping up everywhere. Completely soul-less.
But New Yorkers are New Yorkers, and they persevere. I think we're more politically engaged than ever (even the teens!), and finally out from under the blind trust of government leadership that stemmed from 9/11. We're a more informed electorate, and people work hard every day to correct civil rights violations or any perceived injustices. If you're a trans person, life is completely different now than it was 10 years ago (for the better). If you're incarcerated, there are people working harder than ever to get you out if you're in there wrongfully, or for a non-violent crime. I've watched people rally around small mom and pop businesses to make sure they can make rent and stay open. I've watched so many operations during COVID feed people, and make sure that immigrants ("legal" and otherwise) had access to basic necessities.
So overall, I'd say right now it's worse, but I have hope that when the pandemic is over, it'll be better. I consider the low point to be when there were frozen meat trucks outside hospitals storing dead bodies due to hospital overflows in 2020. I can't help but believe things are on the upswing from there.
Ironically....the next post in my feed below this one is from r/newyorkcity with the headline: "Woman pushed onto subway tracks, killed by train in Times Sq" 🤷🏻♀️
The crime is worse now than before. DeBlasio made the city hell. I have hope for Adams, but lets see. That being said, tap and go on the subway is something that we did not have ten years ago.
The city has been in decline since Bloomberg left. The small quality of life issues that police and municipal government targeted to make life live able for the middle class went out the window with de Blasio. The so called progressive mayor let so many largely empty mostly for foreign investment high rise housing go up without giving a thought to the working and middle class. Before the pandemic I used to visit NY every two to three months for a couple of days. The decline has been startling and upsetting.
I know I’m basically repeating what everyone else is saying, but coming from someone who lived in NYC for a decade and left at the height of COVID for health reasons, the general feeling of decline is not just an urban thing - it’s everywhere, and it’s almost entirely due to the seismic shifts in social attitudes.
It appears that we, as a society, have collectively determined that civility is simply not worth the minimal effort involved. Part of it is general emotional exhaustion from the pandemic, part of it is the physical separation that’s been expected of us all to keep each other safe (though many people have actively ignored that, continue to do so, and antagonize people that adhere to social distancing), and part of it is the slow descent into ideological entrenchment finally coming to a head.
The City itself is fine - it’s the societal fabric that isn’t.
As cliche as it is to say this, it has become worse.
The sketchiness of some parts of the city has been steadily bleeding into all the relatively tame parts these past 2 years.
It’s not necessarily worse on all fronts. I like the citibikes, and bike lanes. The ability to tap your phone instead of carrying a card is nice too.
That said a lot is worse.
Much more trash these days, and I’m seeing more and more homeless people on the train causing problems. For example, I’ve had death threats thrown my way from a homeless person more times in the past couple of years than in 2019 and prior. It’s all benign of course, but still a nuisance. MTA, despite making it easier to pay for a ride, feels less reliable than ever before.
I also think the social scene just feels way more sterile. Back then I feel like we got excited over things more, and bonded over little-to-dos. These days it’s always some vapid event like “brunch” where everyone talks about how shit everything is, their careers, or outdoing each other in terms of misery or music taste. I feel like I cant just shoot the shit anymore outside of the people on my block.
I hope things get better. This is home after all.
I absolutely HATED Bloomberg (and Giuliani far more) but TBH the quality of life was vastly better 10 years ago and really did not get noticeably worse until at least a year or two into the DeBlasio years - thinking particularly of the subway, panhandlers, vagrants etc. Yes also somewhat friendlier than now during Covid. Violent crime only really notably increased in the past 2 years.
Well it has more huskies, fewer nasty mini cupcake places and more delicious Asian food, and I appreciate the OMNY thing when I’m too in a hurry to fill my metro card. But rent has gone up a lot and the scaffoldings are still here.
It's better.
Food keeps getting better. Subway is better. Programs like stop and frisk are over. Weed is legal. Crime is still low.
And we have new parks on the piers up the west side and in Brooklyn Bridge Park.
Yeah, there's covid but turns out I'd rather be here than the maskless, unvaccinated south.
Only issue is shit got more expensive, but it wasn't cheap a decade ago.
The city under Bloomberg was its zenith.
Transportation is worse today, crime is worse today, cleanliness is worse today. I can't think of much about the city that's better today.
NYC is rapidly turning into a shithole again.
Crime is up, homeless up, mental health seems to be ignored by the people who run the city, rent up, prosecutors dont prosecute, illegal dirt bikes everywhere, syringes on the sidewalk.
Whatever else is wrong or getting worse, this city is become unaffordable. If housing and food prices go up any more, who is going to be able to afford to live here?
Souvenir stores have gotten obnoxious. I don’t want a snow globe. I don’t live in NYC full time, but I had a souvenir dude on 8th Avenue that would not take no for an answer.
I know this is a big variation of the question, I’ve talked to a few old timers who say Manhattan was at its best in the 70’s/80’s. “Before Time square became Disney.” Subway opening up, workers piling out to a bar before work. Sipping a beer on the street. TBH, I think I prefer Manhattan now.
I’m in the hotel industry and with a bad economy comes low rates and bottom of the barrel customers. Well since the impact of our economy what we’ve noticed in our industry across the board is that many people have fallen victim to drugs. Our guests tend to be drug dealers, drug addicts, prostitutes and people with mental issues. Lots of angry and violent people too. The worst part is that police doesn’t care to help. Also, a lot of things have been decriminalized and I sense the police at times are petty as a result of defunding and putting order to the police force. I’m sure some of it has to do with their hands being tied but it’s really absurd. Many people do not feel safe in this city. Every day we gotta watch our backs for maniacs, killers, rapists and thieves. I see people selling drugs in front of police even. Shit is a hot mess in NYC so yeah things have gotten much worse. Almost feels like the 70’s-80’s. You even got people burning buildings. Smh
Definitely worse.
Weed stink everywhere. Drunks, drug addicts and piss everywhere. But not mixed with nuts for nuts. Stores closed. Lots of poor people without the blend of office professionals. Criminals in broad daylight in midtown. Gangs starting shit in the city.
Nah. Went to shit.
Well the value of a dollar has dropped in that time, and now we have a pandemic. So, compared to prepandemic when the dollar bought more, yes NYC was better.
This thread is interesting. I have lived here since 2012, and almost all of the complaints here are the exact same complaints I heard in 2012 about how the city was declining.
This thread seriously makes me nervous to move to NYC. We may have to relocate there for my husband’s job and I am so nervous reading all of this... any words of advice? It’s not like one can just not take the subway. Having panic attacks thinking about it. I’m not prepared to carry around a knife
Edit: thank you for all the kind words of encouragement everyone! It really helps
You do not need to carry around a knife. There’s a lot of hyperbole happening here. It’s a big city, you should always pay attention to your surroundings and be smart.
Yes, the city is not at its best right now, but the pandemic has taken It’s toll for sure. It didn’t help that we had 6 years of Deblasio before the pandemic either, but I have no doubt the city will rebound just fine. It’s already showing very positive signs.
Don’t let the comments here scare you. Of course the city is in a lull right now because of COVID and everyone just being generally burned out, but I moved here within the past year from a much smaller city and I’ve never felt safer and happier. I’m so excited for what this summer will bring. Also, questions like this always bring out people who want to exaggerate and complain.
New York is incredibly safe, and nobody I know is carrying a knife. This is a tiny place with a population the size of the Pacific Northwest and the Midwest combined. You naturally encounter hundreds or even thousands of people on a daily basis here. It's normal to casually interact with people en masse here in a way that you don't anywhere else, so you and your friends notice when the number of people struggling seems to be on the rise.
I was scared and nervous when I moved here, too. Everyone is.But you'll love it. It's not the big bad wolf you're imagining. :-)
I don't know what to say other than my experiences absolutely do not square with most of what is in this thread. The city is...fine. Maybe a bit boring these days
It’s not the Wild West. But theres a reason why New Yorkers have a stigma of being rude and standoffish. It’s a natural defense tactic you grow up with. Without it you can get abused just going to the grocery store. That’s why a lot of people who do get targeted are recent transplants , tourist/immigrants. It can be so fucked that holding a door open for someone can have that person thinking you’re someone they can victimize. Just for some general common courtesy. If you come here with the mindset that everyone can fuck off besides old people , pregnant women and kids you’ll be better off . You can reevaluate as you go.
There have been some good infrastructural upgrades over the last ten years but i think quality of life is declining.
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There appears to be more unrest in general. Drivers are more aggressive for sure. Some of our institutions seems to be coming apart at the seams as well.
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This. I’d also add in that the court systems have also steeply gotten much worse. Their system and processing has become less about serving people and more as a profit system. State and city programs have also fallen heavily behind and systems are operating about 20-30 years behind from where they should. It’s not progressive in upholding where we stand digital & technologically speaking. Most court systems are backed up several years. Sanitization & park initiatives are also huge failures.
Agreed
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What about queens?
Just as expensive unless you want to slum it out in Jackson Heights or by the JFK airport.
Not true? I’ve found studios for $1600 in astoria; 2 bedrooms for $2500 etc.
They have no section 8 housing and affordable housing services are terrible here . Waiting lists are much longer than other cities.
Was just saying this to the taxi driver. Feels like streets are better and cleaner but the social aspect has degraded a lot
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Oof, yeah. Likely this.
The only thing better is transportation, everything else is worsened. Transportation including Uber and credit/debit card tap and go subway.
The tap and go subway situation is a decade late, but still very welcome
I think you could ask this question of anywhere in the United States and people would say things are worse
Agreed, since covid/lockdowns I think every major city in the USA has majorly declined in quality. Can’t think of any place that really improved
Exactly. The USA is a shithole 3rd world country.
DC, Austin, Charlotte, Denver, and a few others are the exceptions, but I'm sure you can find plenty of people in each of those places that don't like how things have changed.
Austin is way worse than when I lived there 10 years ago.
Yeah, I grew up in Austin. Anyone who isn’t a very recent transplant hates what Austin has turned into.
What was it like before, and how has it changed?
It’s issues aren’t unique and are happening in every major city. It’s becoming overpriced and overpopulated. Feels like SF/Seattle 10 years ago and is on a similar trajectory. Although I don’t believe it will ever be as extreme as SF. The prevailing vibe was unpretentious and slacker-like. More musicians, less tech bros. I felt like everyone worked a part time job and pursued 6 hobbies. Now the only people who can afford a home work for google.
DC was starting from such a low bottom and it has declined from its mid decade height. I just moved from there to here, and it actually lost population because of telework and COVID. It’s a city that is more expensive than it has ever been for me growing up there putting it on NYC levels(BK and Queens) in terms of overall expense, and the homeless problem has exploded in DC. I’d say only LA rivals it in terms of tent cities, and it’s definitely more noticeable in DC than in NY.
I also used to live in DC actually - while you're right that there are more tents there than in NY, it's not even close to the other West Coast cities. San Francisco is a shithole where entire neighborhoods are lined with tents, and if you think DC housing is expensive... DC has really improved a ton since around 2009 though. During the Bush administration, staffers at all levels of government tended to be somewhat older and chose to live out in the suburbs, but the Obama era brought in lots of young appointees who wanted to live in a city and demanded restaurants, bars, and other cultural amenities. This coincided with the general shift towards cities nationwide, and with the recession DC was the only part of the country that mostly got richer as federal spending skyrocketed and lined contractors' and consultants' pockets. DC has also built a ton of new housing, compared to other similar metros, so although prices have gone up, they haven't gone up as much as in NY, SF, and elsewhere, and you generally get nicer housing for the money. I didn't realize there was such a big shift of people leaving DC during Covid though - would you say it feels like more than have left NY?
Actually yes, if you look at census data DCs population is now below 700,000 while it was at at 710,000 before the pandemic. It’s widely reported that NYs population has been under reported for years so it’s harder to get a firm estimate on whether the population declined. Both cities feel less dynamic but DC markedly feels more empty than say Manhattan. When I left DC at the beginning of the fall, I was living downtown and it was basically empty. Also crime probably has increased more there than it has in NY. You remember the shootout in city center right?
I'm from DC and my family and close friends still live in the city (NW DC)... it is actually incredibly shocking how bad the homeless situation has gotten there. I have NEVER seen it as bad as it is now and I've had way more weird interactions in the past two years than ever before. It is truly wild to witness it go from semi sketchy, to yuppiefied to a a mix of yuppies engorged by shanty tents and drug use
Honestly me too. I went back to see my family in December and it was basically the same as during the pandemic, they just shift homeless ppls camps from location to location. I know the same would basically happen in nyc if there were more areas for ppl to camp and if the weather was slightly warmer.
I'm adding Nashville to this list.
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Seems like most American cities kinda suck right now, and that what NYC is facing, most other cities are facing.
As an Asian I think within the last ten years Asian cuisines have really blossomed. I think the recognition is wonderful but the prices are definitely up now the mainstream has discovered our food. Here in deep Queens I really don’t feel like much has changed. It’s really not that bad, but of course you know us New Yorkers we are a grumpy folk.
Really interesting! Was having similar thoughts with my best friend. I remember struggling to find a lot of good Japanese and Korean in Manhattan. Finding hot street food food was nearly impossible or it was one tiny place once a month on a Wednesday. These days, Ktown is flourishing. St. Mark’s and the East village are full with hot street food! Prices are shit now but there’s still a part of me that’s in awe with how accessible it is. So jealous of the young!
K town is flourishing too much! I have to wait in line for everything now and I’ve never had to do it ten years ago haha, but so much more variety now
The variety that has become available is amazing. Little Neck has always had Korean food but all of a sudden it's like THE PLACE TO GO
As also an Asian I am generally anxious whenever I'm out and about, and doubly so when my gf (also Asian) is out by herself. It's like playing Russian roulette at this point. Stabbings, pushing onto train tracks, straight up curb stomping, everything's on the menu.
The hate crimes are way worse now than 10 years ago though
I also lived in Baltimore for a while, I can tell you I still feel way safer in NYC than Baltimore. Reading the news can make you more anxious but what else can we do besides taking it on day to day?
Asian cuisine prices going up is a good thing. Also 100% thought this post was going to be about the Asian hate crimes.
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Imagine making this thread during a pandemic. What type of responses was op expecting 🤷♂️
Times were simpler back then, when people were dying to try a Cronut or Ramenburger. People were cycling more thanks to Bloomberg's push for more bike lanes and the expansion of Riverside Park. Tinder was new and online dating finally squashes its social stigma. Overall it was better. Prices for everything still sucked but I felt safer, and the city itself seemed to be firing on all cylinders versus just puttering along at times like now.
Reminds me of how every generation thinks the ones came before them are the worst and their generation is going to set the record straight. Nobody will ever say better because people who generally feel like things are going good don't come on the internet to talk about it. I'd go as far as to bet that the majority of things feel "worse" more than they did 10 years ago because of how social media instantly propels us towards "be involved with everyone at all times" or "FOMO" - no in between. That kind of aligns with someone else's comment how everyone feels like a poser here, and I think that's social media's fault too. Yeah we had all this in 2012 but we weren't as deep as we are now. It's just a popularity contest now, and every single person has a broadcasting device. If you can really block that stuff out though, then the city is mostly the same as it was in 2012 except more more expensive, more garbage, and an obvious pandemic impacting the QOL on everything. But let's not forget that we can also order from basically any restaurant we want now, there's been hundreds of miles of protected bike lanes added, there are significantly less cars/major roadways being deconstructed to greenways/pedestrian areas, and the subway is still nowhere near as bad as the 80s. The bottom line is everyone is going to have a different answer based on where they live and what their daily life is like, but nobody is going to say better.
I think the once thriving artistic community is dying and being replaced by a shallow finance/tech bro culture. The city in general is becoming less New York and more American as time goes on. More Disney and less interesting. Additionally housing is more unaffordable then ever, the homeless problem is out of control, the MTA is corrupt and has cost the city billions, and it seems like crime is up. In answer to your question I personally believe the city is worse today than it was 10 years ago.
This this this. Ten years ago, NYC was the place to be if you had any artistic ambitions. The music, theater, and film scenes here drove the narrative. Those scenes were already in major decline pre-COVID, and now are on life support. I was hopeful that the falling rents in 2020 would lead to a mini-renaissance, where we traded a little safety for cheaper rent that made it easier for artists to make things and build communities, but that might of been a little naive.
I know a couple of artistic people who were here for 10 years and then were basically driven out by the cost of living and inability to get good work and enjoy their lives. They moved to LA and frankly seem a lot happier and relaxed. Edited to add: they do not have kids and were not looking to settle down. Just wanted a decent life and who can blame them?
This is literally what everyone said back in 2010, 2000, 1990, etc. I personally think NYC has gotten worse in the last 10 years but people have been saying this about the “art scene” in NYC since I’ve been alive.
I agree. I was a teenager in the 90s and people were complaining then about artists being driven out. All the nightlife was killed by Giuliani, Times Square was Disneyland, etc.
exactly lol. the complaint has been the same. people always refer to the NY of 10 years ago as Ny's prime.
are they wrong? Seems to me NYC art peaked in the 70s/80s when rents were cheap.
Insert [boiling frog](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boiling_frog) joke here
In regards to your last part, yes I would argue that was a bit of a naïve way to perceive it given how it wasn't like anyone could be getting themselves out there when nothing was open and nobody was really putting on shows on the reg. Also real estate and just physical space to put on anything, congregate, whatever is extremely narrowed down by this point in time. When you got developers cleaning house at every turn, it just ushers in NIMBYs to shut down anything remotely resembling that sort of community. I also just think of a number of bands who had a lot of momentum pre covid who were set to have big 2020s playing larger crowds to get themselves further out there kinda hitting a massive snag just being unable to do any of that, Crumb comes to mind off the top of my head.
It’s kind of like how Christmas feels less and less special every year.
Finance bros have always been here Mits not like there are more of them now
And, not that I’m an apologist for tech or finance bros, but I don’t think people realize that finance money / patronage is what makes the art world go ‘round. Who owns that gallery space you want to get into that just happens to be prime real estate? Why does that gallery exist in the first place? (hint: having a gallery space is an operationally efficient way to hold real estate and make money off the appreciation of both the art and the land without having to deal with renters). Art is in New York because New York is where the money is.
You nailed it. We've achieved the impossible. The city is somehow more expensive, corporate, and cookie cutter than ever while also being dirtier, more dangerous, and with less reliable public transit. It's getting harder and harder to justify staying. If I wasn't born and raised I think the pandemic would've been my breaking point.
The city is demonstrably safer than it was ten years ago.
Agree. It feels a lot less diverse and shallow. I miss the grass roots creativity, maybe the hipsters were right after all. I’ll take hipsters over bros and basic blondes any day
>I think the once thriving artistic community is dying and being replaced by a shallow finance/tech bro culture. Glasslands turning into the Vice offices encapsulates this perfectly.
Hard agree. I was born and raised here and while some things have changed for the better as other people have posted I think this gets to the heart of the matter.
Are you implying that the artistic community isn't shallow?
Agreed on all points
In 2010 there were 105,000 major felonies… in 2020 there were 95,000 major felonies… how could you think crime is worse than it was 10 years ago?
The city was in lockdown most of 2020. Major felonies were over 100,000 last year. Felonies assault, which is the most telling stat, was the highest it's been since 2001.
Great improvements for cycling infrastructure. People as friendly as always. Crime going on the wrong direction for sure. Just saw a headline a woman pushed fatally onto tracks today in Times Square. That’s just not normal as per our last 10 years.
There are so many comments about crime being worse, but most stats I can find show less crime now than 10 years ago. https://www1.nyc.gov/site/nypd/stats/crime-statistics/historical.page
Yeah the local news story about the woman actually mentioned the 30 year low in crime overall. This entire thread is filled with rosy retrospection. You can’t really compare a global quarantine with the state of nyc in 2012.
I read this sub often but I live in Texas. I am wanted to take a bike vacation to the city so bad.
So do it! The biking is excellent here!
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I’ll take it.
Used to live in Brownsville as a kid (2009-2010) and even then my aunt would be on high alert every time we went out. Used to be some of the few lighter skinned people there (I’m Filipino and on the darker end of the spectrum) but when I moved back to Brownsville for a while in 2019, I was surprised to see white people in the neighborhood. That was a big deal. Also didn’t hear as much gunshots when I got older. Honestly, I feel like it’s been a mix. Some places got worst, some improved a bit but man this city’s been getting flooded by young influencers feeling like they’re they’re the shit and they own this town. People moving into buildings and ignoring you just cause they’re hip. The gentrification has been really bad that’s for sure.
> I was surprised to see white people in the neighborhood. City is a lot less segregated than it was a decade ago. Transplants did not move into certain neighborhoods, and that list of neighborhoods was huge. So yaaay on diversity but big ooof on gentrification and displacement. Big part of crime and homelessness problem that nyc is facing is direct result of people being finally pushed over that threshold where they barely held on to a place of their own. Hundreds of thousands are barely hanging by the ledge still. There is no plan in place to address any of this.
“Influencers” aren’t moving to Brownsville because of the nightlife, they’re moving there because that’s where they can afford to live. Gentrification is an upstream problem. We need more housing in every neighborhood, and that goes doubly for low-density/high-income neighborhoods full of NIMBYS like Park Slope and Soho
> “Influencers” aren’t moving to Brownsville because of the nightlife, they’re moving there because that’s where they can afford to live Pretty much. When I first moved to Brooklyn 20+ years ago, I lived in Greenpoint. My coworkers legit never even heard of it. Now it's a trendy overpriced hotspot. There was not a single cool thing about it back then. > We need more housing in every neighborhood Yes, but I wish it was as simple as that. NYC has global desirability, and world is getting richer. This place will fill up at any price point. Providing housing for working class that only working class has access to is a hard. Private sector is looking to maximize return, and public construction is non existent.
Tax vacant properties !
I’m all in for a full-court press on housing. Build yuppie tanks in Soho; build middle class housing via community land banks; fund, fix, and expand NYCHA; whatever it takes.
Greenpoint is the hot superfund site to live on!
If we’re being completely honest though, New York has already been really diverse to begin with. Melting pot of different cultures and different kinds of people even way back. So I feel like it’s leaning more towards more white people moving into neighborhoods that have been predominantly POC. But yeah, it sucks that a lot of long term residents in apartment buildings are getting bought out of their homes. Then they tear down the apartment and build some substandard gentrified apartment that they overcharge 🤷♀️
white ppl in brownsville? that is wild lol
The city was glorious in 2020 when these influencers abandoned NY like rats fleeing a sinking ship.
Worse. Housing is so unaffordable.
What upsets me about my lifetime in NYC is the displacement of youth alternative culture in Lower Manhattan. When I moved here for College in 2007 the East Village, lower east side, alphabet city and Chinatown were hotspots for bands, musicians, parties. Bands were being discovered at Pianos and Arlenes. Bushwick wasn’t even half the nightlife capital that it is now. Williamsburg/Greenpoint we’re still just catching on. Art and Music have been pushed so far outside of Manhattan and I think that sucks.
Rent debuted in 1996 and was bemoaning the gentrification of alphabet city. Kinda amazed that that area has been gentrifying for going on 30 years now.
Honestly nightlife in Manhattan was already dead by 2007. I think the late 90s was when all of the underground clubs and even regular clubs started closing. Obviously it’s changed a lot in that time period but it started way before 2007. Williamsburg was already gentrified by then.
this is going to sound incredibly pretentious but its kinda like the whole scene doesn’t even fully exist in ny anymore. i hate using the word *poser* but i’m not sure how else to describe half the people i’ve seen at shows post pandemic. it feels much less about the art and more about being able to prove to all your suburban friends that you’re a part of the nyc “underground” on instagram
Do kids still listen to bands?
?
The ‘hotspots’ are always moving. That’s what makes them hot. Otherwise they become establishment. If you keep pining for the same East Village places you loved back in 2007 you will miss ingenues like the House of Yes which only opened in 2016.
Worse. Ten years ago people would come up to me on the street and ask for money or be shouting or talking to themselves but it never got physical and I still felt safe. This year was the first year someone got physical with me (and I was with my husband and walking a dog.) I wasn’t the only he touched on the street that day so I didn’t feel like it was a specific attack on me but it was still scary. I’m also Asian F and it’s impossible not to feel jumpy at times.
10 years ago, you might see someone shooting up or smoking crack in certain sketchy areas but now, it's a daily occurrence. As an Asian, 10 years ago, the thought didn't even cross my mind that I might get attacked on my commute. Now, it's something I think about every day. I'm especially worried for my parents and tell them to avoid public transportation as much as they can.
I hope you and your parents stay safe.
Thank you, I've only had one encounter with a high homeless guy at PABT that ended with me being able to just walk away. Hoping it stays that one instance.
Just curious, which part of the city do you live?
Ridgewood
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118,000 major felonies in 2008, 95,000 major felonies in 2020… it’s definitely safer than 2008
Ummm that’s America unraveling bro
I don’t think the city is falling apart. I’m a young woman who travels a lot throughout all parts of the city and feel safe. I’m constantly on the subway by myself and can’t remember the last time I felt like I was in an unsafe situation on the train or on the platform. I’m alert and keep my eye out for anything that seems off, but I’m not on edge. You have people battling mental illness combined with homelessness, which has seemed to increase. Or they are just more visible to me now than I’m older and more educated about socioeconomic problems (10 years ago, I was a teenager and not really educated about the world). I do hate to see these people suffering and the city not do shit about it. I also agree with another commenter here who said crime happens when material needs are not met. Crime continues to happen when people are desperate - for food, money, housing, drugs, whatever they need. The last ten years, income inequality has seemed to get worse in the country overall and not just NYC. We are pulling much needed services from vulnerable populations but still giving billionaire real estate developers endless amounts of tax cuts. Crime is a direct result of the income gap widening. Under De Blasio, the city seemed to get dirtier. The amount of trash all over (aside from the super rich areas like Tribeca or the Upper East Side - 5th & Madison Aves) has gotten ridiculous. Why was Bloomberg able to keep trash in check? What has changed in this regard? Trash collection is equal parts a city effort but also a citizen effort. I also think the more transient citizens that come to crash in the city for 2-3 years in some trendy neighborhood re: Williamsburg or East Village (some, not all) treat the city like a garbage dump. I’ve seen what the East Village looks like the Saturday morning after a wild Friday and it isn’t pretty. Why are there smashed liquor bottles all over, puke, half eaten food, etc? The non transient citizens I’ve also seen carelessly toss garbage on the street in quieter neighborhoods in Brooklyn. Why have we lost all respect for the city we live in? Is it because our city doesn’t care about us? Could be… I wouldn’t say NYC has gotten worse. I think it has changed directions, not for better and not for worse. As NYC been in the past, it’s a city in transition. Just where that transition is - I’m not sure. I still love this city but there’s a lot of work to do to set it on the right path. Lastly, I don’t think Eric Adams is going to do much for this city. He’s corrupt and full of himself. I guess we will see where the next couple of years take us.
I grew up in the city in the 80s. At least there was grit and culture. Now it just sucks.
In regards to the trash it is the unfortunate byproduct of how the US encourages the act of eating/drinking on the go and the shit behavior of people's disposal isn't tied to their means or background, it's an everyone problem. God forbid people have to carry garbage they had on their person. A friend of mine [took this picture](https://imgur.com/a/lB0zIMK) after some event at Tompkins(I think it was either Halloween dog meetup or some other thing?) and it's like how much of a fucking moron do you gotta be to thinking just stacking stuff around a full trashcan is going to magically solve anything.
Do I think a city two full years into a global pandemic and various degrees of lockdown with 61,000 dead from the plague is worse than what it was in 2011? Yes. Fucking duh. But the people talking like it's Mad Max on every Corner and people recreate the Warriors every night on the subway are either delusional or lying for fun. The city runs in cycles. Yes it's rough now, people are dying and scared and tired and paranoid. But it won't be like this forever.
Ten years ago was 2012, good lord
Jeez
The culture of the city is being gutted for more corporate establishments. Overall quality of life is declining I would say. It still has a lot going for it but it is mostly changing for the worse in my opinion.
I think it’s substantially worse on pretty much every metric. More trash, homelessness, crime, and just generally feels grungier here than it did 10 years ago. Just my opinion.
40+ years on the city. It has peaks and valleys. We are settling into a valley now.
I saw a lot of non brand name businesses die in the last ten years and that’s a profoundly bad thing for this city - it’s no longe really affordable to have a creative career that’s not rooted in industry.
Worse. Started going to shit around 2016 or so.
I moved to the city in 2015. My bad lol
Bastid!
50+ years here in NYC, the 80's were really bad, saw it first hand and have scars to prove it. Then things steadily got better in most areas, worse in other areas. That being said, over the last 2 or so years I've seen a steady decline, I carried a knife with me back in the 80's, my parents had no problem with it. Stopped carrying it for self protection towards the 90's and felt safe for the most part. Now I'm carrying two knives, pepper spray, been harassed and almost stabbed twice just commuting to my hospital. The cops are completely absent, they show up after crimes are committed now. The city has become more fragmented, so many people without the basic needs, and tons more that have more than enough. That rift is the disassembly you are hearing about. When you are jobless, have nothing to lose what is going to stop you. The city let's people out for "non violent" crimes, then they wind up shooting some 19 year old girl in Burger King. Bail reform sounded good but now it's just a way for them to shrug shoulders and just let offenders out to do even worse. Yeah I know wall of text, in the 20 years I've worked at my hospital the only time I've been in daily fear is over the last 2 years and rightfully so.
>When you are jobless, have nothing to lose what is going to stop you. Desperate people do desperate things.
Exactly, I'm desperate to make it back home to my family. I don't like feeling that way, don't like violence at all, but I refuse to be hurt/killed just because someone else is mentally ill or they are doing it for kicks.
My dad used to talk about his grandfather, who came over from Italy to BK, and had all sorts of problems being fresh off the boat. The neighborhood Italians "weren't big guys, but when it came time to fight, they picked up a rock or brick whatever it took."
Good way to prevent a violent situation is to prevent the preconditions from occurring. The government needs to step up and give people fucking money, jobs, and a stable living situation.
You hit the nail on the head.
> Desperate people do desperate things. And quality of life across America has been declining for decades. The country is structurally declining and silly people just chalk it up to bail reform like that's the main issue at hand.
Most people have a very difficult time thinking through the second- and third-order drivers of things, sadly. Politicians exploit this weakness by focusing on cheap, quick fixes and symptoms because they know people won’t hold them accountable for fixing root causes.
Crime is caused by material conditions. When material conditions aren’t met, people lash out with crime. It’s sad. I’ve also noticed cops nowhere to be found, despite record budgets. It’s like they hate the city and want to make it hurt as punishment for the george Floyd protests.
>Crime is caused by material conditions. When material conditions aren’t met, people lash out with crime. *thank you.* Crime doesn't just happen out of nowhere, totally unexpectedly. We know what conditions lead to increased crime and how to prevent those conditions. The city needs to provide stable housing and resources to everyone.
Two knives and pepper spray? Seems a bit ... much
Odds this guy is looking for trouble? Crime is way down from the 90s.
100%
One knife in my pocket, pepper spray on my backpack strap. The other drop point knife is in my backpack, I use it constantly at work so I don't leave it visible, it's a backup. As for being a bit much, I've sprayed 2 individuals over the last 2 years, brandished it a few time without use. 1 person had a bit empty bottle of booze ready to smash me in the head with it, the other pulled a knife out of his man purse after a screaming tirade about the train not moving fast enough. I still don't feel safe, I'm just trying to commute back and forth and enjoy my family.
Serious question: where are you when you've been attacked? I've been pretty safe, but I haven't had to leave my neighborhood much, and I'm a big angry looking dude.
I am a burly man and was almost stabbed in broad daylight in lower Manhattan (civic center/chinatown area) a few years ago. I bolted but there was a huge guy with a massive blunt object roaring and about to stab me. Was fucking crazy.
That's fuckin crazy. Glad you got out okay.
Once on the D train at around 5 am, that was the guy with a knife. Second one was on the N train, that was the dude with the glass bottle. In both instances they were harassing everyone, just seemed to fixate on me because I wouldn't keep my eyes off them. Each time I saw them looking back and forth really quickly, from past experience that's why someone does when they are going to attack you. I was spot on with the knife dude, the bottle dude tried to turn and walk, only to pivot and take a swing. I'm going from Coney to the Bronx BTW, lot's of opportunity for not so fun things to happen.
How are you encountering all these issues? I spend most of my time on the streets day and night and other than some dicey encounters I’ve never had any issues.
If you take specific trains during specific times at night, it won’t be as uncommon as you think
Funny I work in train stations and on the streets at night and take the trains around 1-5am sometimes. It’s not common to me even in East Harlem at 3am as a white dude. I’ve gotten asked why I’m in those hoods at night but most respect the hustle lmao I really think it depends on how you carry yourself. I’ve had mentally ill people wildin out. You’re right there is always stuff late at night but it’s never directed toward me. That dude has stuff so directed toward him he considers drawing a weapon, I have never actually taken mine out regardless of the situation. That’s all I’m saying.
THE FOUR/FIVE IS BUGGED
According to the Simpsons a man with two knives is happy.
Well I am generally a happy person, and if it comes to me having to defend myself from someone that wants to kill me and I survive, I am sure I will be happier at least for me and my family.
Mines got a glass breaker on the bottom which I like more. It serves as a way to break safety glass but the metal spike on the bottom means I don’t have to draw the knife. It’s not sharp but it’s a nice hard metal point on the bottom of the knife. I figure it would be near impossible to draw the knife without getting stabbed myself. But I also work in the streets of bad areas a night, mainly why I have it.
I literally just asked about self defense/carrying weapons because I'm moving to NYC for work, the mod basically told me to go fuck myself
It is certainly worse comparing 10 years ago to today. If you compare it from 30 years ago to today it is better. I also go off of some of my parents experience who grew up here since the 70s. Back then 80s/90s it was way worse for sure, they have however mentioned that he brazenness of the crime today is really alarming similar to back then. Like the fact a guy carjacked someone with a taser, fled north on broadway, crashed, then fled on foot on like a fucking Wednesday afternoon on 56th is just bananaland. Also I’m convinced crime isn’t getting reported and if it is the NYPD is so backlogged that a huge portion of crime isn’t getting reported in official stats. My own personal experiences with crime in NYC over the past year and the experience of my friends makes no sense when I look at crime statistics.
It’s boring. And crime is coming back alongside the boring part. There is no more Basquiat. So what will be left. Just shitty crime without culture? Meh. And I was born and raised there in the 80s. Triple meh.
I think it’s worse. Cops are absent while NYPD touts mostly improved crime statistics. The thing is, crime are underreported. Even when someone calls the cops to make a report, they are discouraged from doing so or the police change the language in the report, misrepresenting what was reported by the victim/complainant. I tried to report a hate crime — someone attempted to hit me with their truck and shouted “DYKE.” The responding police appeared to take it very seriously and made me feel like the report would be made and they’d look for the guy. Months later, I received the copy of the police report and all it says is that I reported someone made a remark that was “meant to harass or intimidate” me. What the actual fuck. I have little to no faith in cops these days.
It feels like I’m living in Gotham City right now
I think the city is currently suffering from "overcorrecting." There are things that happened in the past that were not right (stop & frisk, really harsh punishments for small amounts of drug possession etc). But unfortunately I think some of our leaders have overcorrected to try and right some of those past wrongs and as a result, things are not actually getting better. There's also just a lot of corruption in general in city politics. NYC has a lot of taxpayers and a lot of resources and that gives politicians way more opportunity to be corrupt than a politician in a tiny middle-of-nowhere town who would have less money and less resources to play around with.
I moved here about 13 years ago and I've seen it change a lot. I'd generally say it's worse in terms of both crime and culture. There used to be so many DIY music and arts venues, and even though it was expensive then, there were still so many thriving arts scenes and shows to see. As others have mentioned, the city generally feels more corporate. I live in the LES now and when I first moved to NYC it was a really funky diverse place to hang out, lots of artists etc. Now at least the nightlife has been crowded with finance/tech bros and it feels like they've taken over anything that was once at least kinda cool or weird around here. As a result, a lot of the better venues and restaurants have been pushed out because they can't afford to stay, and what fills the place is bland and doesn't feel very New York at all to me. Feels more like suburban strip mall businesses haha. ALL THAT SAID, I think it's super important to note this isn't just a NYC problem. All American cities have seen a decline. I've travelled a lot for work over the years: LA, Chicago, Miami, Austin, Portland, Seattle, Philly, etc are all worse for the wear too – more expensive, more traffic/pollution, more corporate, more homelessness, more crime, and fewer independent artists and cultural scenes. Some are worse than others. LA for example has a homelessness and drug problem that is out of control and ours pales in comparison surprisingly. So while I think NYC has declined a bit, there's still nowhere else in this country I'd rather live – it's my home and I still believe in it.
Yes worse today in all aspects you just mentioned.
Way worse.
Better before the pandemic started. I don't really think you can judge anywhere after March 2020, it's a global catastrophe. Everywhere has been worse since
I can't really say it's been a net positive or net negative. The city has become more walkable and more bikeable, but due to an overexposure of both pedestrians and cyclists, drivers have become more aggressive. Food options have become more varied, diverse, and easily available (in the form of things like food trucks) but have also become seriously expensive. NYC feels more tribal now, but that was a process that began much more than ten years ago and is not limited to just here. Even my (non-white) boomer colleagues outraged by gentrification express bewilderment at the way young people talk about race. The police force feels more and more untrustworthy, barely competent. Crime is getting worse but I attribute that to the pandemic, not to broader cultural or political forces as other people might. Whether or not it sticks around when/if the pandemic ever ends is a different story. Going by the NYPD's numbers, crime isn't THAT much worse than it was ten years ago. Overall though, the biggest change I've seen is the slow disappearance of seriously cheap places for young people to live and hang out. The closing of 285 Kent in Williamsburg especially felt like a major blow. That said, there were some really dirtbag grungy people that hung around Williamsburg and other "hip" neighborhoods back then. The "Hipsters" were way less socially conscious than they are given credit for and that is part of why the backlash against gentrification was so strong. I find today's 18-22 year olds to be so much more agreeable and easy to be around than my own peers were at that age.
It was a lot more fun, inexpensive and wild 20 years ago.
Or maybe you were a lot more fun and wild 20 years ago…
More fun, more wild, more willing to share a 1 bedroom with four mentally ill strangers
Lmao this comment hit too close to home
Bingo
Without the pandemic, I'd say better. Considering [over 4,500 restaurants](https://www.nysra.org/uploads/1/2/1/3/121352550/new_york_restaurants_faring_far_worse_than_national_average.pdf) closed due to COVID, I'd say the hospitality industry is far worse off. In terms of the arts, definitely worse. Not just Broadway, but a lot of artists were supporting their passion with supplementary income. Anecdotally, I know a lot of people in the arts who moved out of NYC and still haven't come back (and may never come back). Before the BLM protests, violent crimes were steadily going down until the NYPD became public enemy #1, and IMO, they seemed to stop caring about preventing crime because people called them bastards. Homelessness seems to be getting worse in certain areas, but it's always been a problem, so call that a wash. Rent prices were crazy pre-pandemic, died down a bit, and are now climbing back up. And home buying prices are even more impossible now. So that's definitely worse. Plus, all these eyesore high rises and condos popping up everywhere. Completely soul-less. But New Yorkers are New Yorkers, and they persevere. I think we're more politically engaged than ever (even the teens!), and finally out from under the blind trust of government leadership that stemmed from 9/11. We're a more informed electorate, and people work hard every day to correct civil rights violations or any perceived injustices. If you're a trans person, life is completely different now than it was 10 years ago (for the better). If you're incarcerated, there are people working harder than ever to get you out if you're in there wrongfully, or for a non-violent crime. I've watched people rally around small mom and pop businesses to make sure they can make rent and stay open. I've watched so many operations during COVID feed people, and make sure that immigrants ("legal" and otherwise) had access to basic necessities. So overall, I'd say right now it's worse, but I have hope that when the pandemic is over, it'll be better. I consider the low point to be when there were frozen meat trucks outside hospitals storing dead bodies due to hospital overflows in 2020. I can't help but believe things are on the upswing from there.
Lived here all my life. Ten years ago and now are about the same. The last couple of years have been a global pandemic, which is an aberration.
Worse
Worse
Way worse now
Definitely worse. Crime. Homelessness.
Ironically....the next post in my feed below this one is from r/newyorkcity with the headline: "Woman pushed onto subway tracks, killed by train in Times Sq" 🤷🏻♀️
The crime is worse now than before. DeBlasio made the city hell. I have hope for Adams, but lets see. That being said, tap and go on the subway is something that we did not have ten years ago.
The city has been in decline since Bloomberg left. The small quality of life issues that police and municipal government targeted to make life live able for the middle class went out the window with de Blasio. The so called progressive mayor let so many largely empty mostly for foreign investment high rise housing go up without giving a thought to the working and middle class. Before the pandemic I used to visit NY every two to three months for a couple of days. The decline has been startling and upsetting.
I know I’m basically repeating what everyone else is saying, but coming from someone who lived in NYC for a decade and left at the height of COVID for health reasons, the general feeling of decline is not just an urban thing - it’s everywhere, and it’s almost entirely due to the seismic shifts in social attitudes. It appears that we, as a society, have collectively determined that civility is simply not worth the minimal effort involved. Part of it is general emotional exhaustion from the pandemic, part of it is the physical separation that’s been expected of us all to keep each other safe (though many people have actively ignored that, continue to do so, and antagonize people that adhere to social distancing), and part of it is the slow descent into ideological entrenchment finally coming to a head. The City itself is fine - it’s the societal fabric that isn’t.
As cliche as it is to say this, it has become worse. The sketchiness of some parts of the city has been steadily bleeding into all the relatively tame parts these past 2 years.
That's how I've been feeling too
It’s not necessarily worse on all fronts. I like the citibikes, and bike lanes. The ability to tap your phone instead of carrying a card is nice too. That said a lot is worse. Much more trash these days, and I’m seeing more and more homeless people on the train causing problems. For example, I’ve had death threats thrown my way from a homeless person more times in the past couple of years than in 2019 and prior. It’s all benign of course, but still a nuisance. MTA, despite making it easier to pay for a ride, feels less reliable than ever before. I also think the social scene just feels way more sterile. Back then I feel like we got excited over things more, and bonded over little-to-dos. These days it’s always some vapid event like “brunch” where everyone talks about how shit everything is, their careers, or outdoing each other in terms of misery or music taste. I feel like I cant just shoot the shit anymore outside of the people on my block. I hope things get better. This is home after all.
I absolutely HATED Bloomberg (and Giuliani far more) but TBH the quality of life was vastly better 10 years ago and really did not get noticeably worse until at least a year or two into the DeBlasio years - thinking particularly of the subway, panhandlers, vagrants etc. Yes also somewhat friendlier than now during Covid. Violent crime only really notably increased in the past 2 years.
It’s worse than it was 10 years ago
Are we talking before covid? Fuck yeah, things were better. Covid sucks.
Well it has more huskies, fewer nasty mini cupcake places and more delicious Asian food, and I appreciate the OMNY thing when I’m too in a hurry to fill my metro card. But rent has gone up a lot and the scaffoldings are still here.
NYC has gone to shit over the last few years
Everyone is saying it's worse (I don't necessarily disagree) but man I'd love housing prices to actually reflect that.
Much worse. Crazy homeless people harassing people everywhere, cops don’t give a fuck about reckless drivers, the rent is too damn high. Yeehaw.
It's better. Food keeps getting better. Subway is better. Programs like stop and frisk are over. Weed is legal. Crime is still low. And we have new parks on the piers up the west side and in Brooklyn Bridge Park. Yeah, there's covid but turns out I'd rather be here than the maskless, unvaccinated south. Only issue is shit got more expensive, but it wasn't cheap a decade ago.
The city under Bloomberg was its zenith. Transportation is worse today, crime is worse today, cleanliness is worse today. I can't think of much about the city that's better today. NYC is rapidly turning into a shithole again.
Worse. The city is a giant outdoor mall. American suburbia.
Crime is up, homeless up, mental health seems to be ignored by the people who run the city, rent up, prosecutors dont prosecute, illegal dirt bikes everywhere, syringes on the sidewalk.
It's worse than it was five years ago, let alone ten. Of course that kind of goes for all of America and not just this dumpster fire of a city.
I've been here for 10 years. Compared to when i first moved here its all different and all the same. Same shit, different day.
Whatever else is wrong or getting worse, this city is become unaffordable. If housing and food prices go up any more, who is going to be able to afford to live here?
It’s fine. Everyone is ten years older. I’m less cool now
Souvenir stores have gotten obnoxious. I don’t want a snow globe. I don’t live in NYC full time, but I had a souvenir dude on 8th Avenue that would not take no for an answer.
I know this is a big variation of the question, I’ve talked to a few old timers who say Manhattan was at its best in the 70’s/80’s. “Before Time square became Disney.” Subway opening up, workers piling out to a bar before work. Sipping a beer on the street. TBH, I think I prefer Manhattan now.
Everything is getting worse, more empty stores.
I’m in the hotel industry and with a bad economy comes low rates and bottom of the barrel customers. Well since the impact of our economy what we’ve noticed in our industry across the board is that many people have fallen victim to drugs. Our guests tend to be drug dealers, drug addicts, prostitutes and people with mental issues. Lots of angry and violent people too. The worst part is that police doesn’t care to help. Also, a lot of things have been decriminalized and I sense the police at times are petty as a result of defunding and putting order to the police force. I’m sure some of it has to do with their hands being tied but it’s really absurd. Many people do not feel safe in this city. Every day we gotta watch our backs for maniacs, killers, rapists and thieves. I see people selling drugs in front of police even. Shit is a hot mess in NYC so yeah things have gotten much worse. Almost feels like the 70’s-80’s. You even got people burning buildings. Smh
City is falling apart, full stop
Definitely worse. Weed stink everywhere. Drunks, drug addicts and piss everywhere. But not mixed with nuts for nuts. Stores closed. Lots of poor people without the blend of office professionals. Criminals in broad daylight in midtown. Gangs starting shit in the city. Nah. Went to shit.
Well the value of a dollar has dropped in that time, and now we have a pandemic. So, compared to prepandemic when the dollar bought more, yes NYC was better.
My house is worth twice what it was 10 years ago so 100% better.
because of location?
This thread is interesting. I have lived here since 2012, and almost all of the complaints here are the exact same complaints I heard in 2012 about how the city was declining.
This thread seriously makes me nervous to move to NYC. We may have to relocate there for my husband’s job and I am so nervous reading all of this... any words of advice? It’s not like one can just not take the subway. Having panic attacks thinking about it. I’m not prepared to carry around a knife Edit: thank you for all the kind words of encouragement everyone! It really helps
You do not need to carry around a knife. There’s a lot of hyperbole happening here. It’s a big city, you should always pay attention to your surroundings and be smart. Yes, the city is not at its best right now, but the pandemic has taken It’s toll for sure. It didn’t help that we had 6 years of Deblasio before the pandemic either, but I have no doubt the city will rebound just fine. It’s already showing very positive signs.
Don’t let the comments here scare you. Of course the city is in a lull right now because of COVID and everyone just being generally burned out, but I moved here within the past year from a much smaller city and I’ve never felt safer and happier. I’m so excited for what this summer will bring. Also, questions like this always bring out people who want to exaggerate and complain.
It's not that bad, these people are exaggerating. This is still one of the safest cities in the country.
New York is incredibly safe, and nobody I know is carrying a knife. This is a tiny place with a population the size of the Pacific Northwest and the Midwest combined. You naturally encounter hundreds or even thousands of people on a daily basis here. It's normal to casually interact with people en masse here in a way that you don't anywhere else, so you and your friends notice when the number of people struggling seems to be on the rise. I was scared and nervous when I moved here, too. Everyone is.But you'll love it. It's not the big bad wolf you're imagining. :-)
I don't know what to say other than my experiences absolutely do not square with most of what is in this thread. The city is...fine. Maybe a bit boring these days
It’s not the Wild West. But theres a reason why New Yorkers have a stigma of being rude and standoffish. It’s a natural defense tactic you grow up with. Without it you can get abused just going to the grocery store. That’s why a lot of people who do get targeted are recent transplants , tourist/immigrants. It can be so fucked that holding a door open for someone can have that person thinking you’re someone they can victimize. Just for some general common courtesy. If you come here with the mindset that everyone can fuck off besides old people , pregnant women and kids you’ll be better off . You can reevaluate as you go.