'It's vile, but this is the new norm': Woman is seen 'performing sex act on a man' in the street on the Upper West Side as the once upmarket neighborhood falls victim to increased crime and homelessness
A shocking photo has emerged showing a woman performing a sex act in the street in the Upper West Side, in another alarming indication of how one of New York City's wealthiest neighborhoods is being overtaken by crime and homelessness.
In a disturbing picture shared on Twitter, the woman can be seen crouching down while apparently performing oral sex on a shirtless man near W 79th Street and Broadway around 9pm on Sunday.
She also appears to be undressed from the waist down, with her pants around her knees.
A witness who took the photo told DailyMail.com the woman had also relieved herself on the sidewalk during the encounter.
A woman was seen performing oral sex on a man on the streets of the Upper West Side on Sunday evening. A witness said she had pulled her pants down to relieve herself during the encounter
The photo was shared on Twitter by Save the Upper West Side, an online community group which has been calling on public officials to restore order to the streets
The neighborhood, home to some of Manhattan's wealthiest residents, has recently been overtaken by crime, homelessness and public drug use. Pictured: W 78th and Broadway, where the incident reportedly took place
'It was vile, but has become the norm for that area,' said UWS resident Mike G.
'It was Sunday night. Not much foot traffic. There were probably one or two others that walked by.
'I don't usually take pictures of others' misfortunes, but this was a level of degeneracy I haven't seen out in the open in the neighborhood yet,' he added.
It comes as New York City - and the Upper West Side in particular - continues to grapple with a wave of crime and homelessness that has emerged during the pandemic.
The photo had been shared on Wednesday by 'Save the Upper West Side', an online group of more than 13,000 members that has been lobbying to restore order to the streets.
'Is oral sex the compassion needed? Quality of life no longer exists on the UWS. Would you want children to see this on Bway btw 78-79 as you walk around?' the group said in a tweet.
Upper West Side residents say three hotels that are housing hundreds of homeless people during the coronavirus pandemic have turned the area into a spectacle of public urination, cat-calling and open drug use
Encampments have also popped up on the sidewalks and the city's homeless outreach resources have been too overwhelmed to dismantle them
Residents say the area has been turned into a spectacle of public urination, cat-calling and brazen drug use
A representative of the group added that such an act would be unimaginable at '9pm on a summer evening' in the upscale neighborhood a few months ago.
'Usually children enjoying an ice cream cone after an evening at the playground. Now open prostitution. The change in the neighborhood since the use of hotels as shelters in undeniable,' he told DailyMail.com.
Homelessness in New York City has been escalating since March and has been made worse by residents fleeing and the NYPD budget cuts, which dissolved its homeless outreach unit.
Early last month it was revealed Mayor Bill de Blasio had quietly moved about 13,000 homeless people from shelters into luxury hotels in the area in a bid to avoid a virus outbreak, subsequently bringing crime and lawlessness to the neighborhood.
Residents of the typically wealthy district have since complained that the program has led to an increase in crime, random violence, drug use, public urination and open prostitution.
Some locals even claim sex offenders have also moved into the streets.
In Manhattan's Upper West Side residents have complained and threatened to sue the Mayor after homeless people were moved into three luxury hotels in the area to protect them from COVID-19
As shootings spiral, there is also a growing homeless problem with encampments popping up all over Manhattan. 13,000 homeless people have also been moved into hotels around the city
U-Haul trucks and other moving vehicles were seen out in abundance on Manhattan's troubled Upper West Side over the weekend
At the same time, encampments have also popped up on the sidewalks and the city's homeless outreach resources have been too overwhelmed to dismantle them.
The issue has also raised concerns over the future of New York City when the pandemic is over, with many fearing it will not be able to return to its former glory.
The city has begun taking steps to reopen its economy since the end of the lockdown in May however, some local businesses have continued to suffer under coronavirus restrictions.
Some of the city's finest restaurants have even begun considering shutting down for good as they struggle to cope with a slump in customers.
Restaurants and bars have been able to resume business by offering outdoor seating, however owners have complained the move has not been enough to keep them afloat.
Chef Daniel Boulud, the owner of Michelin-starred restaurant Daniel, said some businesses won't survive if city continues to delay indoor operations, he told The Wall Street Journal.
A mover puts belongings into a moving truck following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Manhattan on September 1
Governor Andrew Cuomo had told residents that indoor dining, which was initially expected to resume on July 6, will be postponed until officials decide it was safe - but is yet to announce a new date.
Many New Yorkers have fled the Big Apple amid the pandemic, either moving to suburban towns outside the city or have left the state altogether.
Over the weekend, as August came to an end, U-Haul trucks and other moving vehicles were seen out in abundance on the Upper West Side.
The seeming exodus came just days after it was revealed residents in the area are planning to sue the city over the homeless hotel program.
Long lines were seen outside of a number of U-Haul stations in the neighborhood on Saturday and Sunday, with moving vehicles lining residential streets and discarded furniture stacked on sidewalks left by locals seeking pastures new.