[Spooky23]

In 1975 the city was close to complete and utter fiscal collapse. It was only averted at (literally) the last minute by the teacher's union agreeing to invest their pension fund in city bonds and creditors agreeing to a haircut.

They cut things to the bone. Where I grew up in Queens, a store was held up at gunpoint, and the police response time was something like 2 hours.

See: http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/07/25/when-new-york-t...

[perfTerm]

Great post that really gets to the heart of the issue. New York City was a shithole for a very long time and it's only recently that things have been this pristine here. Talking to my parents is like entering a time machine into the mega grungy when it comes to the city. You couldn't walk around Union Square after 7PM! I can't even imagine as I walk around Bushwick at all times of day and night now and couldn't care less. I've always been a bit reckless but while I may be dumb, I'm certainly not stupid and even I think I would be hardpressed to walk around this city in the 70s.

[Spooky23]

It is amazing how things have improved. I recall my dad working in the projects in Bushwick, and not getting home until late because there was a running gun battle going on outside. Many of buildings around there were boarded up or burned.

Another time, my dad and I were bringing some stuff to an elderly family friend somewhere around Greenpoint or Williamsburg. We stopped at some store on the way back to make a phone call, was gone no more than 5-7 minutes and "poof", wheels were gone from the car.