Phil, I'll do you one better: From my hotel window diagonally
across from the corner of Central Park South and Central Park West
at Columbus Circle during the Dinkins years (a term avoided by
tinted-glasses wear Mr. Yglesias), I remember watching drug-dealers
making transactions in broad streetlight, with nary a cop ever in
sight. As for Third Avenue, I walked it at night a few times in the
East 60s in those years -- and it was as empty as Northern Virginia
became after hours when the sniper killers were on the loose
several years ago. I presumed then that fear of muggers was keeping
everyone safe indoors. Empty streets are frightened streets.