In 1990, New York City was a crime-ridden, decaying metropolis where fear dictated daily life.
The streets were plagued by violence, economic decline, and urban decay, with even travelers warned of the dangers lurking around every corner.
From rampant muggings to failing infrastructure, the city teetered on the brink of collapse. But change was coming.
Through ambitious policies, policing reforms, and leadership struggles, New York fought to reclaim its streets.
This gripping account explores the city’s transformation from chaos to order, revealing the hidden forces behind its darkest days and the battle to restore its former glory.
Original Title : The Fall and Rise of New York
Written and Directed by Matthew Taylor
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Video “Why Was New York City So Dangerous in the 90s?” was uploaded on 03/02/2025 to Youtube Channel Best Documentary
Because it was beneficial to the elites and the left.
The 90 were better good
WE HAD THIS WORK FOR WELFARE for a few years; and i DONT REMEMBER WHY it stopped but it did. Too much Bureaucracy I guess. Norway
I am from Jersey was a drug addict in mid to late 90s graduating to heroin and I went to the city almost daily and the worst thing I ever felt with was getting beat a handful of times w fake shit other than that I navigated Brooklyn and Spanish Harlem with ease … never really felt with the Bronx area tho
8:45 they aren't doing anything about the drugs because they work for the people putting the drugs in the neighborhood (the government)
Because God left the chat.
TLDR because of the type of people 🤣🤣
What makes you think it’s safe now? 😂
Funny how when filming the Police all are white. When the narrative is about the city booming, job doing well, and money being made the video shows all white faces. and when talking about the unions and the building up of NYC the video shows white faces. However when discussing poverty, low income, drugs, crime, and no education all that's advertised were African American faces. As if drugs where were invented and not placed into the African American community. NYC had the Chinese, Russian, and Italian mob who killed, maim, pillage, extort, sell, execute, steal, rob and kidnap people. Drugs were hidden in many of the building processes of NYC one of the biggest was through construction, labors, and the union. You not going to tell me that black faces alone are responsible for why NYC was so dangerous but all that was mentioned mostly Harlem, Queens, Bryan Park, and parts of Brooklyn.
Bloomberg reminds me of Camila Harris when it comes to bribing all possible sorts of people to get good opinion…….Like Oprah , who with all her millions still accepted 2 millions from Camila to praise her in the show and to give her an interview….Bribing everyone, spending millions on useless departments like "diversity" shit…..No wonder that she pent 1,3 billion dollars just for her campaign….And that is how the lefties are "managing" all political affairs….Departments within departments just to keep all administration matters as complicated and confusing as possible……And it also shows in this videoclip……..When Giuliany (the republican) was major, he really changed a lot of things regarding crime and city managment……..After the Bloomberg came to office (democrat) it all changed…….Off course the 9/11 event was catalist for changes anyway…….But there you see the fundamental differences between the LEFT and RIGHT
90s?? That's when it started getting cleaned up and better. 70s and 80s were worse….
ahhh yes the capitol of USA. what an example… Americans are proud of this history and wear it like a badge like, see how mean we are. our streets are tougher than yours… sad thing is most Americans who do go o/s and experience life still can't wait to get home to America so they can have their guns again… is it a very insecure and ideologically unsound population? is the leader unhinged from reality.
46:05 Today that would have been called a purge .. WOW!
I worked on Varrick in the mid 80s and then on Park Ave in the mid 90s
I used to take the R train from the world trade in 1990 to go to Ft Hamilton.We had to carry our boots in our bag because people were mugging soldiers for their boots .
I left in 1995….. My family packed everything in boxes overnight into a U-Haul and left…. As I hit the Pennsylvania border, there was an eary sound. And a vacuum as it was prohibiting me to leave. Butt property in southern Wisconsin at Penney's of a cost. Retired at 60. Best decision I ever made
It a shirtterm story of success. When nobody remembers why its their private property, then its time to pay. Just wait…
Thats some sort of re-monarching "elite" who steals your stuff- to make you pay later for a ticket. A ticket for something basically yours!
The book the Bonfire of the Vanities, by the author Tom Wolfe describes very well how NY was in the 80s
My name is Steven and I was paid to eat out Mayor Rudolph.
Wow sounds like today
It now has become dangerous again and even worse because of the migrant crisis and the lawlessness.
So "David Jenkins" was mayor of New York City and not David Dinkins? This is what happens when you outsource a documentary to the lowest bidder in Southeast Asia!
The clubs were amazing in NYC in the 80's and 90's. Sound Factory, Limelight, Tunnel, Twilo, Dancetaria, Arena, etc
Guiliani
I got there in 81 I was 18 and I left in 91 I have the best time of my life❤ New York my kind of City😊
in one answer: J's and N's
The seventies it was was broke, corrupt, mafia led NYPD, but clearly it hadn’t changed that much.
Wow – John Lindsay had some great welfare ideas for NYC that turned into a fiscal and social nightmare. Quite a political cautionary tale …
Ohhh and it ends on the work mentality. And look where this work mentality is getting you today already; work more for less pay. The irony is just so juicy.
They got there by electing soft on crime democrats
Bloomberg was horrible lmfao, they painted such a awesome depiction of him; nah fam I wish Giuliani won
Welfare was a generational thing back then millions upon millions of puertoricans and blacks were born and raise and groomed to grow up and go on welfare. Thats why during those days women gave birth as a business to go on welfare. The other thing they forgot to mention is how corrupt the NYPD was back then.
Obviously Republican, one-sided documentary. Would be really careful and check all the facts here.
I was 12 yrs old in 1990 and I remember this NYC very well.
The democrat is to America what the Taliban is to Afghanistan. 💩
Democrats love to race hustle.
I can’t stand that asshole Rudy Giuliani, but I do give him credit for cleaning up NYC. Results are what matters, and he made it happen.
My mother INSISTS it’s worse today than ever cause it smells like weed everywhere. I show her charts and facts and she is like no no no…. Drives me crazy. I remember alphabet city the Bronx and Hell’s Kitchen as a teen. It was terrifying. You walked at night and pretty much guaranteed to get in trouble and the Bronx looked like a bomb had landed. But no no no. Smells like weed 😮
2 words: Leaded Gasoline
Truth over ideology at the Manhattan Institute? Seems like a very conservative think tank. I mean let's face it, nothing wrong with applying some conservative policy when the other side aint working out in a broke city but let's not candy-coat it