Headed Back to the 1970s in Bed Stuy and Beyond?
“The economic crises of the early 1970s overwhelmed New York City,” writes James Doran in the British newspaper The Guardian. “The stock market crashed, oil prices plunged and unemployment soared.” Now that we’re rewriting that same scenario, will the same crime wave surge again? The article zeroes in on Bed-Stuy, the domain of Frank Serpico…
“The economic crises of the early 1970s overwhelmed New York City,” writes James Doran in the British newspaper The Guardian. “The stock market crashed, oil prices plunged and unemployment soared.” Now that we’re rewriting that same scenario, will the same crime wave surge again? The article zeroes in on Bed-Stuy, the domain of Frank Serpico who would be wowed and disoriented by the million-dollar brownstones of the neighborhood today. “Crime has dropped dramatically over 30 years and continues to show strong reductions,” in the area. But what will happen now that we’ve got a billion dollar budget gap and a 5,000-man reduction in the police department? “There were 455 murders in New York City in the year to 16 November compared with 429 in the same period last year, an increase of 6 per cent,” they write. “And this is just the beginning of New York’s woes. The slump is expected to take a big toll on a city which relies on the financial services sector for some 10 per cent of its overall tax revenue. Add to that the amount of money that is pumped into the economy by wealthy bankers and financial traders who until recently were buying mansions and luxury cars and eating at expensive restaurants with abandon, and it soon becomes obvious that New York City is bankrolled by Wall Street.” Commissioner Kelly told the City Council yesterday that it would be a real challenge to keep crime down. On the jump, a handy comparison of 1970 NYC and now.
New York Fears Return of Dark Days [The Guardian]
Photo by csamperezbedos.
1970s:
• Price of a subway ride – 30 cents in 1970 to 80 cents by 1979
• Price of a hot dog in Coney Island $1
• Top TV shows – All in the Family, Happy Days, Laverne and Shirley
• Millions move out to the suburbs in the great urban flight
• Economy so bad that 3,000 are arrested for looting during a blackout
2008:
• Price of a subway ride $2
• Price of a hot dog at Nathan’s in Coney Island $3.20
• Top TV Shows – Dancing with the Stars, American Idol, Heroes
• Millions move back to old city neighborhoods left derelict for a generation
• Economy so bad that mayor Michael Bloomberg demands a third term.
so naive gkw. desperate people do desperate things like rob your pasty ass to feed themselves.
the crime drop in nyc has been directly related to the number of cops on the street and their policing methods. People who lose their jobs generally don’t turn to street crime and people who are the biggest drivers of crime in this city are NOT the formerly employed they are the never employed.
When I wrote that, my tongue was in my cheek, DIBS.
But thanks for the nomination for QOTD…so early and Montrose hasn’t even entered the room.
1970s:
• Top TV shows – All in the Family, Happy Days, Laverne and Shirley
2008:
• Top TV Shows – Dancing with the Stars, American Idol, Heroes
I also, think we need classic format sitcoms to be developed and on the air, as opposed to all this reality TV. There’s only a few sitcoms I deem worthy right now.
Let’s bring laughter back in our lives.
“…will the same crime wave surge again?”
Absolutely and maybe worse.
“I like these comparisions. Some may equate Bloomberg’s demand for a 3rd term like looting during a blackout.”
As much as I don’t agree with it, it could be QOTD.
1970s:
• Economy so bad that 3,000 are arrested for looting during a blackout
2008:
• Economy so bad that mayor Michael Bloomberg demands a third term.
I like these comparisions. Some may equate Bloomberg’s demand for a 3rd term like looting during a blackout.
Crime and wealth are correlated but there is not a strict causal relationship.
Most people with financial problems do not usually pursue street crime as their first option (and the people who *do* pursue street crime as their first option are already doing so).
Also, the city is facing a shift from really fantastic levels of wealth and very high standards of living to reduced wealth levels but a standard of living that is likely to still be very comfortable. We are going to see fewer Hummers and $300 phones, not bread lines and tent communities.
Unless there is widespread, long term unemployment and despair focused in specific neighborhoods, I do not see NYC falling apart like the 70s. Frankly, I think the city has a bit more self respect than that. I’ll be very sad if I’m proven wrong about that.
My predictions for today (I nailed it yesterday)
– This post will indeed garner over 100 posts.
– The ‘QOTD’ will come from one of them.
Don’t get me started on British (or Irish) journalism. My in-laws are constantly quoting American mistruths that they read in their newspapers.
Pitbull, white people ARE committing more crime. They’re just ripping off the entire country so we as individuals don’t feel as victimized.