EXCLUSIVE: Post-pandemic New York City is laid bare as homelessness, mental illness and crime escalate and rattled locals and tourists alike believe the town 'has lost its essence' while city cheerleaders insist 'the ship has turned'

Daily Mail ^ | 27 May 2021 | MARTIN GOULD IN NEW YORK CITY FOR DAILYMAIL.COM and SHAWN COHEN IN NEW YORK CITY FOR DAILYMAIL.COM

[conservative98]

• • Exclusive DailyMail.com photos show an influx of homeless people on the streets as Manhattan struggles to get back on its feet after the coronavirus pandemic cut off its lifeline of tourism 
  • The pandemic upped the ante on homelessness, mental illness and crime - particularly random assaults and stabbings as homeless men and women are seen strung out on the streets 
  • In 2021, almost every type of violent crime is on the rise in New York City
  • According to recent figures from Compstat, the NYPD's data gathering unit, crime is up 30 percent city wide 
  • Still, city officials are optimistic, 'The ship has turned. We are headed towards recovery,' Chris Heywood of NYC&Company, the city's official tourism organization, told DailyMail.com 
  • A Times Square business owner said, 'There's a lot more crime and a lot more drug addicts and vagrants everywhere. In the last three months, I've seen three or four people shooting up right in front of me'
  • A cop patrolling the area told DailyMail.com, 'Times Square has lost its essence. People come here now and just sit' 

These scenes come from across Manhattan as it struggles to get back on its feet after the coronavirus pandemic cut off its lifeblood of tourism, sent many of its wealthiest residents scurrying to places as diverse as Vermont and Florida and upped the ante on homelessness, mental illness and crime - particularly random assaults and stabbings.

'New Yorkers don't feel safe and they don't feel safe because the crime rate is up. It's not that they are being neurotic or overly sensitive - they are right,' Governor Andrew Cuomo declared on Wednesday. 

'We have a major crime problem in New York City.

[Yo-Yo]

They’ve destroyed the post-Giuliani New York City Renaissance. It’s back to its old 1970’s hellhole self.

I wouldn’t be surprised if the strip clubs and sex shops return to Times Square.

[Huskrrrr]

We need mo defundin of the po-leece.

[escapefromboston]

So New York is back to normal?

[Lurker]

NYC voted for this. Embrace the suck.

L

[caww]

NYCity has lost it’s dazzle.....past it’s prime.... cities overseas are way ahead and modern. NY city is old and dusty.

[Richard Axtell]

Yeah sure, but it is all just about to turn around! Can you hear it? Everything is turning now!... just wait... really... it will all turn around. Only a few minutes more... really...

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

I visited there in 2012. Had a great time! But then that was nine years ago.

[Deplorable American1776]

The ship has turned...

Over... 😀

[Texas Eagle]

Yo, rattled locals, who have you been voting for all these years?

[varyouga]

Utter nonsense. I just biked down broadway today from harlem to the ferry and it was great.

More people out and better atmosphere than before the pandemic.

Did not see anyone begging or harassing people.

I stumbled upon two great street concerts along the way. People were crowding and dancing. The mood was amazing.

Restaurants and bars are defacto fully open.

NYC will be better than ever this summer

[stevem]

In my sales days long before I retired I made dozens of trips to New York, Chicago, St Louis, San Fransisco, and Seattle. If I still had that job I would search high and low to find reasons to avoid them all today.

[MadMax, the Grinning Reaper]

Re “while city cheerleaders insisted that the ‘ship has turned’.

Who are these cheerleaders, a mix of SS Titanic captains/wannabes?

“Turned”, as “the ship has turned right into an iceberg”. “Strike up the Band”.

[Noumenon]

You mean this ship of fools?

[Old Yeller]

New York needs Broadway to be fabulous!

[CrimsonTidegirl]

“The ship has indeed turned. It’s listing 30° to port.”

Your analogy brings to mind the MS “Estonia”.

[MinorityRepublican]

So New York is back to normal?

Guilani's New York was an aberration.

[TnTnTn]

Typical blue demonrat blue sh city....

[NetAddicted]

Peruse later.

[Bonemaker]

"And a mostly moral Democrat party leadership."

[BlueLancer]

The ship has turned.