The Decline of the Upper West Side

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/23/opinion/letters/decline-upper-west-side.html

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To the Editor:

Re “This Space Available” (special report, Sept. 2):

As a longtime resident and a fan of the Upper West Side, I did my own count of alarming vacancies on Columbus Avenue as favorite restaurants, a bakery, small shops and their hardworking employees disappeared.

The landscape has been dramatically transformed by graffiti, mountains of garbage awaiting collection and scavengers for empty bottles.

I have shared my count, my concerns and my demoralization about a once lovely area with Councilwoman Helen Rosenthal. I appreciate her advocacy and legislative initiatives to help the survival of small businesses.

Construction, scaffolding and bikers who ignore safety rules have also soared — all further diminishing the quality of life. Concerned New Yorkers need to translate their dismay into an expectation of accountable government corrections.

Sue MatorinNew York