"Smash and Grab" and rising Palermo Soho Crime

[citygirl]

Ghost - I agree with you completely. I would be very interested to know what percentage of street crime actually results in arrests here? I would bet any amount of money it is very, very low.

 

[Futboljunkie]

0,00000001%?

 

[Futboljunkie]

In Spain it's similar but there are very few violent crimes

 

[arty]

In Los Angeles they would have car-jacked the woman........ taking her car and her purse!!!

But crimes are on the increase everyplace.. as bad times hit the world crime will increase!!! just be as careful and as safe as you can!!!

I lived in l.a. for 10 years and car jackings were rare. maybe because it's a federal crime and actually enforced.

 

[sesamosinsal]

I really hope that you are not saying that Palermo Soho is the same as Manhattan...

There are some areas in Manhattan that could seem like Palermo or Recoleta.

I spent two days wandering around Manhattan thinking: (1) This place is not all that it is cracked up to be. (2) When can I go back to good ol' hick Missouri?

I bought a "I <3 New York" shirt or whatever and crossed out the heart with a Sharpee.

 

[esllou]

0,00000001%?

I had my backpack taken from under a street cafe table when I first arrived here. Turns out there were three plain clothes cops following the guy and they arrested him at the next street corner. The police were over the moon when they discovered I was a tourist and basically wanted to put me in the newspapers to show they were doing their job. They admitted that it never usually happened like that.

inside my pack was a copy of the guia-T and an empty camera case. The pack literally was worth ten times its contents.

 

[katti]

I was in a remise stopped at a light when two guys on a motorcycle pulled up to the car next to us that was being driven by a single woman. The guy on the back got off the motorcycle, smashed his head (with helmet on) through the back passenger window of the car leaned in and came out with her purse. He jumped on the back of the waiting motorcycle and the two of them took off. All told, it took about 30 seconds.

.

This happens all the time in Brussels. They usually break the glass with a small hammer to break the windows in busses and trains. I am sure it happens in every big city. Never put your bag on the seat, but somewhere low in the car, and but something on top to hide it (like a sweater).

 

[NYKate]

There are some areas in Manhattan that could seem like Palermo or Recoleta.

I spent two days wandering around Manhattan thinking: (1) This place is not all that it is cracked up to be. (2) When can I go back to good ol' hick Missouri?

I bought a "I <3 New York" shirt or whatever and crossed out the heart with a Sharpee.

How sad. You must not be familiar with my New York.

 

[sesamosinsal]

Well, it wasn't all negative. Little Brazil Street was quite nice, but only because I felt like I was in Brazil. There was the bar that I went into near ground-zero where I talked to a "New Yorker" about his experiences on 9/11. It was very evident that emotions are still very raw -- even nearly a decade after the attacks. It took him nearly 15 minutes before he'd actually LOOK at me at the bar. During those 15 minutes, he looked blankly at the wall on the other side. One of those intracultural differences, I guess.

But I still don't like the place. I was there for four days in June, which probably would have been better spent in some trailer park in Arkansas. In August, I had the unfortunate experience of having to fly out of NYC to Buenos Aires. I ended up taking a taxi from LaGuardia to JFK. I gave the fatass cabdriver a $3 dollar tip for a $30 ride and he was bitching and moaning about that not being enough. And that's just one experience out of many. I've had more negative experiences with New Yorkers than positive ones.

Everyone has different experiences, though. I'm sure if you grew up there, you find it completely normal to be this way. That's just not how it's done in the Midwest.

 

[NYKate]

Well, it wasn't all negative. Little Brazil Street was quite nice, but only because I felt like I was in Brazil. There was the bar that I went into near ground-zero where I talked to a "New Yorker" about his experiences on 9/11. It was very evident that emotions are still very raw -- even nearly a decade after the attacks. It took him nearly 15 minutes before he'd actually LOOK at me at the bar. During those 15 minutes, he looked blankly at the wall on the other side. One of those intracultural differences, I guess.

But I still don't like the place. I was there for four days in June, which probably would have been better spent in some trailer park in Arkansas. In August, I had the unfortunate experience of having to fly out of NYC to Buenos Aires. I ended up taking a taxi from LaGuardia to JFK. I gave the fatass cabdriver a $3 dollar tip for a $30 ride and he was bitching and moaning about that not being enough. And that's just one experience out of many. I've had more negative experiences with New Yorkers than positive ones.

Everyone has different experiences, though. I'm sure if you grew up there, you find it completely normal to be this way. That's just not how it's done in the Midwest.

It's a very large international city. It's a working city, not Disneyland (with the exception of the touristy areas). We have a very large influx of immigrants, one of the worlds best police forces and a population of almost 8.5 million. I have never been to a trailer park in Arkansas but I seriously doubt it holds one atom of culture that you can find in NYC (including the boroughs).
As for safety, it is very safe. I have not had any issues (knock on wood) in 32 years. Like any city I guess it's a matter of being "aware". I like that people are posting incidents on this board because it does make you more aware of what is going on around BsAs and the new tricks that these thugs are using.

As a side note, I am truly sorry that you do not like NYC. Maybe it is a cultural thing. (Yes, there are a lot of people who are still sad over 9-11 and others who have PTSD. Not good to talk to strangers about it in a bar. Also, no Ny'er likes flying out of JFK or Laguardia but thats mainly due to constant construction, security and the size of those airports. I hope you do go back to NY with an open mind and have a better experience. We are not all bad!!)