In the heart of Jackson Heights, a notorious stretch of Roosevelt Avenue near 91st Street has seen a dramatic decline in safety and cleanliness over the past several months, as reported by The New York Post. Once a bustling but relatively orderly street, this area has now become emblematic of the broader issues plaguing the neighborhood – leaving residents and local business owners increasingly frustrated and disillusioned.
The once manageable problem of street-level crime has apparently evolved into a full-blown crisis. The illegal open-air migrant market that once sporadically dotted the sidewalks has now mushroomed into a thriving and chaotic bazaar. The proliferation of sex workers—often referred to locally as the “Market of Sweethearts”—has doubled. “There are too many beautiful ladies standing outside my door,” complained a local jewelry store owner. “It wasn’t like this before. The area was much cleaner. Now, the problem is inescapable.”
The issues extend beyond the visible increase in sex workers. Shoplifters have become increasingly brazen and confrontational. According to Jesus Diaz, the manager of Bravo Supermarket on Roosevelt Avenue, the situation has worsened significantly. “It used to be that when we caught them stealing, they would apologize and promise to never do it again,” Diaz explained. “Now, they’re getting aggressive. They threaten us, saying things like, ‘You’re going to have a problem,’ and ‘We’re coming back.’” Diaz added that even when shoplifters are apprehended, police response has been lackluster. “We call the cops, but they don’t show up. They don’t want to arrest these people.”
Local merchants are finding themselves at the mercy of not only thieves but also a lack of effective law enforcement. “The police do nothing—nothing!” a worker from a nearby cellphone store declared during a visit by The Post in July. “Drugs, prostitution, alcohol—it’s terrible.” The situation remains dire, with ongoing issues including the rampant sale of stolen goods and the constant presence of sex workers.
The problem of illegal vendors, who set up shop along the sidewalks selling everything from power tools to mouthwash, has similarly intensified. Despite occasional police sweeps that temporarily clear the block, vendors quickly return, as observed by Jenny Leal, a pharmacist at Mi Pharmacia. “The number of illegal vendors fluctuates, but they always come back,” Leal noted. “The number of prostitutes has also doubled in the last two months. They’re becoming a permanent fixture here.”
As conditions continue to deteriorate, residents like Bill, who prefers not to give his full name, have resigned themselves to the bleak reality. “I’ve given up hope,” he lamented. “It’s like this now. They’ve taken over, and we have to get used to it.” Bill expressed a sense of futility regarding the local police force, suggesting that while the officers may be diligent, they are simply overwhelmed by the scale of the problem.
