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.
The photo comes as little surprise to many New Yorkers who have witnessed a surge in crime and homelessness in their neighborhoods, prompting them to leave the city after an initial wave of people fled as the coronavirus pandemic began.
Wealthy New Yorkers relocated Upstate or to Long Island, while many Americans fled cities to states with more space such as Vermont, Idaho and Oregon.
The trend has left 13,000 empty apartments for rent in Manhattan as of mid-August - the highest number in 14 years - triggering a surge in inventory and slump in rental prices.
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
A witness who took the photo told DailyMail.com the woman had removed her pants to relieve herself on the sidewalk during the encounter.
'It was vile, but [this] has become the norm for that area,' Upper West Side resident Mike G said.
'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.
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.
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
'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.
A representative of the group told DailyMail.com: '9pm on a summer evening on the UWS - hardly imaginable a few months ago.
'Usually children [are] 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,' the person added.
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.
A crime report released by the NYPD on Wednesday also showed gun violence in the city increased by a staggering 166 per cent across all boroughs except Staten Island last month.
The city recorded 242 shootings, up from just 91 in August 2019.
The number of murders also rose 47 per cent, from 36 to 53 last month. Burglaries were also up by 22 per cent and robberies increased by four per cent.
The growing issue has raised concerns about 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 the economy since the end of the lockdown in May however, some local businesses have continued to suffer under the current coronavirus restrictions.
Some of the city's finest restaurants are also considering shutting down for good as they struggle to cope with a slump in customers.
A mover puts belongings into a moving truck following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Manhattan on September 1
Americans have been fleeing to states with more open space such as Vermont, Idaho and Oregon as they looked to relocate amid the COVID-19 pandemic, data shows
While many Americans opted for the more rural states, those in New York and New Jersey moved to Sunbelt states like Texas and Florida between March and August, the data shows
A Pew Research Survey published on July 6 found that around one in five Americans had relocated during the outbreak of COVID-19 or know someone who has
Restaurants and bars have been able to resume business by offering outdoor seating to diners, however owners have complained the move has not been enough to keep them afloat.
Renowned French chef Daniel Boulud, the owner of Michelin-starred restaurant Daniel in the Upper East Side, told The Wall Street Journal some businesses won't survive if city continues to delay reopening indoor operations.
Governor Andrew Cuomo had told residents at the start of the summer that indoor dining, which was initially expected to resume on July 6, will be postponed until officials decide it was safe - but he is yet to announce a new date.
Many New Yorkers have also 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.
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