Wow. I grew up in New York City in the 50’s and 60’s. In the 1950’s there were about 50 homicides a year, one a week and there had not been a homicide on the subways in 25 years. You could safely walk through almost any neighborhood at night. I left at the height of the Dinkins terror, when the homocide rate approached 2,000/year, six a day, more on Saturday.
Back in the day, I doubt there was much visible security even at Tiffany’s, much less at a discount store. Think “Miracle on 34th Street” to get a flavor of what life was like then. Think, “Fort Apache, the Bronx” for now.
Two things killed New York City: welfare migration from the South and unchecked third world immigration in the last couple of decades.
NYC always attracted large numbers of immigrants, but it was Ted Kennedy who changed them from the best and the brightest to the dumbest and the worst.