"Ferguson better get his Haldol dosage adjusted. I worked in New York City from 1974-2000, and the pre-Giuliani NYC quality of life was far better than that of post-Giuliani NYC -- which, unless you're a billionaire, is pretty much just a bland, suburban-style mall for tourists (e.g. Times Square)."
Oh, no question. I lived in the city from '82-'99, and it was decidedly more interesting and exciting, at times more dangerous (depending on neighborhood), before Giuliani. You could be poor and still live in Manhattan. I was broke, in my early-20s, and living in the East Village. It was one of the best periods of my life.
Dennis