Open fires burning on the street. Dangerous vagrants. Fear after dark.
This is life these days in Soho — one of Manhattan’s ritziest neighborhoods, with home costs that soar into the millions.
Late Wednesday night, video emerged of an open fire burning on Canal Street, and people who live and work in the neighborhood told The Post that crime and chaos has gotten so far out of control, they no longer feel safe, according to NYPOST.
“I used to be more comfortable letting my children, especially the two older kids, travel by themselves to school and now I don’t,” Maud Maron, a mother of four who’s lived in Soho for over a decade, told The Post Thursday.
“The reality is, our city is not as safe as it used to be,” said Maron, 50.
“It’s unconscionable because we’re also not helping the people who are clearly suffering. I don’t wish ill on people who are obviously mentally suffering and dressed poorly in the winter but I also don’t want that person near my child.”
The Post spoke with a half-dozen New Yorkers who live and work in Soho who all said there is a noticeable change in the neighborhood compared to a few years ago.
In the 1st Precinct, which covers Soho, crime has soared 52.6 percent over the last 28 days compared to last year, and year to date, it’s up 48.4 percent, NYPD data show. The numbers mimic citywide crime trends that show an overall increase of about 40 percent so far this year compared to 2021.
