I worked downtown in the 90s and it was **exponentially worse** at the time. Homeless/mentally ill people taking a dump on the streets every day. Third and Fourth between Smithfield and Wood were so desolate back then, people would sleep on the street. Ppl would fall asleep and shit/piss themselves in the store I worked at on Smithfield every day.

Not to minimize at all that between the pandemic & lack of shelter/mental health services there's been a spike in people on the streets from who was there maybe 5-10 years ago. But downtown has never been a pristine experience. It may look prettier these days, filled with shiny places covered in white subway tile, but it's always been the messy, beating heart of the city.