Returning to the scene of the crime

Walking on St. Mark's last night around 7:30, I noticed the usual number of cops making the rounds, eyeballing the crowd, keeping the peace, etc. Not very noteworthy. However. I'm still thinking about the stupid piece from the Post yesterday:

JUST LIKE OL' CRIMES
NYPD'S LETUP STIRS FEARS OF '80S FLASHBACK

There are so many problems with this article. In the "Alphabet City" section alone. The piece begins "Residents and business owners fear..." So what residents do they speak with? A 21-year-old NYU student. That's it. Maybe find someone who has lived here a little longer and likely doesn't move away during the summer? And while Mitch is a very credible source at St. Mark's Comics, he's the only EV business owner the Post talked with. So let's not get into this plural stuff guys. (And there's one quote attributed to him -- I'd be interested in hearing what else he said to the reporter.) Worse, is the imagery that somehow being homeless is the same thing as being a criminal.



And hey -- nothing against poor Carolyn here. Not really her fault a reporter made a poor judgement in selecting a source and asking a speculative question . . . for an article on the NYPD relaxing its enforcement of petty "quality of life" infractions that may turn the city back into a set for Death Wish. She wasn't even born yet.

Anyway. Thank you to everyone who commented on the previous post.

Noted

From The New York Post today:

If the NYPD relaxes its enforcement of petty "quality of life" infractions, it could be a turning point back to the days when murders, muggings and mayhem plagued the city, says a law-enforcement expert who played a key role in developing the crime-busting policy.

"You might be pointing to a tipping point," said George Kelling, who helped formulate the "broken windows" approach to policing that was the model for Mayor Rudy Giuliani's successful zero-tolerance policy.

"It's too early to tell . . . but the consequence might be more street crime."

By the way, what does a sleeping homeless man have to do with "murders, muggings and mayhem"?

A little reminder of Fulton Street's past

[Oops! Sorry...this has already been noted elsewhere.]

10 Big Shows Daily! (in air conditioning)

So there has been plenty of faux porn in Times Square of late, from Malcolm McLaren's stag mash-ups to a 1970s Times Square massage harem created for a Ryan Gosling-Kirsten Dunst movie.

Boring!

Here's a look back at some real Times Square XXX signage from the 1970s:



[Via raulriveranyc on YouTube]

Previously on EV Grieve:
Here's to a "relaxing" weekend in the city!

The way we were

The current Time Out New York has a Lower East Side map circa 1882 that spans Houston to Broome Streets between Norfolk Street and the Bowery. In total, there are 61 liquor bars and 242 lager saloons in that area. A lot, sure, but did they have to worry about annoying I-bankers?

[Map image from Time Out New York via Gawker]

Remembering yesteryear at Sophie's

Photographer Ali Smith worked the day shift at Sophie's in the early '90s. During that time, she captured all the regulars who helped make the place what it was. (Sadly, this was before our time, so we never got to meet characters like Jimmy Tokens and Degenerate John who are featured in her photos.) Yesterday, Ali put up four framed photos from her time there. If you're at the bar, take the time to look at -- and appreciate -- her work.