Are you on the block of Charles Street between Greenwich and Washington Streets? Are you a prostitute? If so, a Far West Village resident is tired of your stiletto-clad shenanigans. Claiming "spring is around the corner and already the West Village is having to deal with prostitution, drug dealing and crimes," a concerned Charles Streeter has issued a plea to City Council Speaker Christine Quinn and a local police captain to put a stop to the cycle of illegal activity. Hoping to find strength in numbers the tipster sent us his letter, excerpts of which are below. Socialista is still closed, so we assume the prostitute sightings aren't just a case of mistaken identity:
I am writing to urge you to look into the situation within my neighborhood where hookers, their handlers and their customers rule at night till the morning hours. I live on Charles Street between Greenwich Street and Washington Street. The yearly cycle is starting yet again. As soon as the weather warms, hookers start hanging out on intersections where I live. At 5:30am, when I have to walk my two English bulldogs, I am finding hookers on 3 of the 4 corners. This has happened as early as this morning.
I had a lady walk by me on the street (not on the sidewalk) that made eye contact with me then looked behind her. I looked where she was looking and there were two thugs that were sitting on someone’s stoop…it turns out she was warning me against walking along that portion of the sidewalk. Of course I didn’t know at the time what she was trying to get across to me so when I walked by these two, I heard one telling the other how to “shake down” the neighborhood. He spoke so loudly, he obviously had no care in the world what the locals thought and was sure nothing would ever happen to him or his colleague.I offer you to come live in my apartment over a week's time especially during the Spring and Summer months. Not only will you hear the loud and obnoxious rantings…I’d like you to walk my dogs with me in the early morning and late at night so you can see what is just so obvious for those that live within my vicinity.
I’m entertaining leaving the neighborhood, following the footsteps of hundreds of other past residents I know. The new residents that I have met feel that they should have done more research before moving into this neighborhood. They had no idea of just how severe the prostitution situation is here and the lack of support from City Hall. Many are disillusioned by what they discovered upon moving here from other neighborhoods.
We thought the West Village hooker scene had all but vanished in the wake of luxury condos and the makeover of the Meatpacking District. Any West Villagers (or ladies of the night) wish to comment?
