Upper East Side=Upper Homeless Side

I don't know if you're being facetious or not, but they're there for the church soup kitchens. You can make a tax-deductible donation to the church's homeless assistance program if you want.

they are former wall streeters who got laid off and realized that they will neer again make the kind of they did ripping off American citizens. They took their bonuses that were drained from the Fed Govt bail out money and then decided that since it was the last money they would make they would stretch it by living on the street and turning gay tricks.

Yes; I have noticed this as well. There's so many homeless people walking around in that area, I feel like I'm in a third world city. Once again, further proof that Chicago is more prestigious than NYC.

Cracker Boy: "I feel like I'm in a third world city"
No, you're in Hammond Indiana, where even aspiring to the third world would be a step up.

OP, maybe you're just noticing it more.

There's a church around the corner from me that has a soup kitchen once a week, and I see people lined up. Been going on for years.

Despite Chicago's elitist, racist efforts, those pesky poor do intrude on the nice folks' perfect existence. Rufus, can't they pass some law or something to get these SMELLY PEOPLE BACK TO THE PROJECTS WHERE THEY BELONG!!!

www.huffingtonpost.com/christopher-devine/of-no-fixed-address-a-col_b_128352.html.

It's amazing how much Rufus is able to notice here in NYC even though he is 1,000 miles away in the MidWest. Rufus, you seem to notice many homeless people, and lots of garbage yet you cannot notice the direction of 7th Avenue. Rather pathetic.

Why don't they just move to the Bronx or even Queens.

its like when you buy a certain car, you'll notice that everybody else drives the same one.

jgr, i agree entirely. they should go to bronx or queens where they belong. but don't expect the liberals to do anything about it. instead, they reward poor people with luxury apartments through the 80/20 program.

I really enjoyed the image of the guy splayed out in front of Lincoln Park with his vodka and his ass hanging out of his pants. Seen any of that lately, Rufus? The homeless are MOBILE, they are coming to GET YOU. They don't care if you think you're ISOLATED.

"they are former wall streeters who got laid off and realized that they will neer again make the kind of they did ripping off American citizens. They took their bonuses that were drained from the Fed Govt bail out money and then decided that since it was the last money they would make they would stretch it by living on the street and turning gay tricks."

what the... did some ex-wall streeter sodomize you or something?

What do you call it when the entire city is laid off?

Chicago...

Why not give to any of the nonprofits in the city that help stop homelessness? Like The Doe Fund? www.doe.org. Great program.

I like doefund....

Doe Fund is fantastic. They empower homeless people by giving them an opportunity to clean up their act, get a job--keeping the streets of NYC clean--and giving them a safe place to live. Every year I attend their "graduation" program and hear stories so inspiring that tears flow. This non-profit effort is totally my FAVORITE check I write every year. Absolutely one of NYC's finest charities.

I think one of the reasons they are successful is that they focus on older adults. They apparently made a decision to avoid folks in their 20s and such, where they didn't feel that the folks were getting the seriousness of their situations and their need to improve themselves.

It stinks that the model doesn't work with more young offenders, but I'm glad to see there is a great option for at least some portion of the offender population.

You guys are joking, but do know what NYC will be in 2 yrs if they don't start to address this problem? It'll be like Philly, where you can't walk 5 blocks without 18 ppl accosting you ("a little change, little change", or "help me out,sumpin' ta eat, help me out"). Of course, if you DO try to feed them, you get scorn. They want $$$$. To buy booze or drugs. Philly is a dirty, filthy city in large part due to its homeless problem. Giuliani got a lot of these people off the streets, my GOD don't let them come back! What's next, squigee guys?

Sorry if i don't sound sympathetic. I've lived in cities for 15 years, and I am SICK of those cities where bums constantly accost you ("$1 to help me get the bus", or "ah'm driving here from North Carolina and my CAR broke down! Can you give me $20 to get it fixed?") Just SICK of it. One of the things that makes NYC great is that it IS cleaner and more upscale than a lot of cities. Given the crowds we have, that is NECESSARY. Can you imagine a crowded city like this coupled with stinky bums constantly coming up to you "help me out; a little change??".

I agree, we should totally address it. We need to bring back Rudy so the cops can rough them up at night.

Understand that the homeless like to sleep by UES churches cuz they feel it's safe. Have mercy for them. Yes, donate to the doefund, or just buy them a sandwich, or give them a coat.

jgr, i agree. Bloomberg is a weak liberal sissy. Rudy should come back and beat the living crap out of these bums and thugs who are destroying the city.

yeah Rufus because the liberals were the ones running (ruining) the country over the past 8 years and its those liberal policies of deregultion that devastated our country.

When do you partisan morons face reality and accept the fact that you had the chance to try everything you stand for, and it failed. It failed miserably. You would have to try to fail worse than your conservative policies failed.

The current mortgage crisis is the result of the government forcing lenders to give out loans to unqualified people, during the Clinton presidency. A lot of republicans argued for oversight of fannie and freddie, but liberals like barney frank and chris dodd were opposed to it. Also, Alan Greenspan is partially responsible for lowering the teaser rate 17 times, thus allowing the housing bubble to grow exponentially. And last, I am not a Bush supporter. Never liked him that much for various reasons, but that's a whole different discussion.

too funny Rufus. Keep believin that Republican policies are not a disaster. some day you may get another Bush and another shot at ruining our country. I think that Palin is as equally stupid as Bush maybe she will be the one to ruin our country next.

Rufus, take a look at the origination dates on the mortgages that are defaulting. Or would that involve some facts, not just ignorant pontification?

I think theres plenty o' blame to go around for all post-war administrations.

Cracker Boy, did you vote for George W. Bush?

I don't see how this is relevant to the epidemic homeless problem in NYC, but I voted for Gore in 2000 and Bush in 2004.

Where is this epidemic? I live around Union Sq and I see the usual cast of characters around the park but I have not noticed this giant influx of homeless people.

Sizzlack, it's gotten really bad in upper east, upper west in 70's and 80's, and the area around canal street.

I don't notice any increase in the UES. Some in the Gramercy/Chelsea area, but so far not a ton. I am seeing a lot of angry people, but they don't really seem to be homeless, just not in the proper holiday spirit.

So, Cracker Boy, well after Bush proved himself to be every bit as stupid and incompetent as he seemed, you voted for him at reelection? And yet you didn't vote for him the first time around? Explain both decisions.

uppereastern2009, I will tell you that I have noticed more homeless people on the A train, which of course is a west-side line, across town from where you are.

But for what it's worth, my last three commutes home in the evening were punctuated by a string of homeless guys on the train. This is more than the norm. Typically I might see one guy walking through the car in the evening. Now I'm seeing three.

I have had the thought that either the homeless population is growing, or perhaps more likely, the shelter system is contracting.

There used to be SO MANY homeless when I first moved to NY, around 1990. Every neighborhood had its own regular homeless population, and many folks would get to know "their homeless guy" who would hang out in front of the bodega or your local subway stop.

It was bad.

"There used to be SO MANY homeless when I first moved to NY, around 1990. Every neighborhood had its own regular homeless population, and many folks would get to know "their homeless guy" who would hang out in front of the bodega or your local subway stop.

It was bad."

That's what Philly is like today, and had been for decades. It's REALLY annoying and causes people to move out of the city. It starts out harmlessly enough; as your comment "get to know 'their homeless guy" implies, people start out viewing them like lovable stray pets. But over-time, when you can't walk half a block without being accosted, it becomes unbearable. Think of it: You're walking down the street having a cell-phone conversation, and you're constantly interupted with "scuse me, scuse me, i wuz drivin' on up here from North Calina and my car broke down! Can you gimme $20 dollar?". Or, you just want to be alone with your thoughta, trying to analyze why your boss or your girlfriend said a certain thing to you, but you can't concentrate because every half block you get "help me out, sumpin ta eat?" You'd be more than happy to oblige, but when you buy them a sandwich and a piece of fruit, they say "i can't eat dat! Gimme some money, i'll buy what i can eat" [translation: "I'm well-fed thanks to the City, but what i'm lacking is drug money!".] Or, here's another one of my favorites: You pass the SAME guy 15 times a day, because he's on your street-corner. You JUST passed him ten seconds, as you enter the Duane Reade on your corner, he looked in your eyes and tried his little song and dance about needing $1.47 for the bus, and you said "thanks, not today...good luck". And then TEN SECONDS LATER, when you're leaving the same Duane Reade, he does the SAME SPIEL OVER AGAIN! Because years of drug abuse have left him too addle-brained to remember that he tried the same spiel on you a minute ago, and yesterday, and the day before that, etc.

This is what NYC has to look forward to if we keep on the same path: We'll be Philly in no time. Only without the pretzels!

Admiral, I agree with everything you said. NYC's liberal welfare program is to blame for the lack of personal responsibility among the poor. With the economy even getting worse, revenues drying up, and crime increasing, I'm afraid things will get even worse.

Since you seem to know so much about personal responsibility, would you mind explaining why Chicago's murder rate is so absurdly high? Is it the personal responsibility of Chicagoans to shoot and kill each other like animals?

And speaking of personal responsibility, Cracker Boy, why don't you get a job?

It's interesting that no one has been able to address Admiral's points because you know he's right.

It's also interesting that you are unable to answer my point, probably because you have no answer. Same with the direction of 7th Avenue.

Terrific. I have some Dufus who thinks a mediocre city full of boring midwesterners is the cat's pajamas, as the leading member of my fan club. Not sure if I should laugh or cry.

Hey this is a good thread for uwsmom to read.

Admiral, if you're sick and tired of living in a city that supports liberal policies like 80/20 and keep raising taxes, move to Chicago.

No thanks, Rufus. I'd be bored to death before the plane even landed. I'm sorry to say that at this stage of my life, having lived in some of the world's most interesting cities, the only places in the U.S. i'm likely to live in are NYC, Miami, and Southern California. They all have their pluses and minuses, but at least they won't BORE me to tears like Philly, Chicago, and Boise, Idaha.