1 00:00:03,480 --> 00:00:07,160 Speaker 1: On this episode of news World. A new documentary series 2 00:00:07,240 --> 00:00:10,040 Speaker 1: capturing the day to day struggles of New York City 3 00:00:10,039 --> 00:00:15,000 Speaker 1: residents is now available on YouTube. Entitled This Is New York. 4 00:00:15,520 --> 00:00:19,439 Speaker 1: Directed by my guest Matthew Taylor, This Is New York 5 00:00:19,720 --> 00:00:23,880 Speaker 1: addresses the major issues New Yorkers are facing. The series 6 00:00:23,920 --> 00:00:27,240 Speaker 1: features interviews with New York City residents about the city's 7 00:00:27,240 --> 00:00:33,879 Speaker 1: worst problems, including skyrocketing crime, random assaults, stabbings, and shootings 8 00:00:33,880 --> 00:00:37,640 Speaker 1: that have hurt the already's struggling restaurant and tourism industries. 9 00:00:38,280 --> 00:00:42,920 Speaker 1: The decline and quality of life from higher taxes, increased homelessness, 10 00:00:43,240 --> 00:00:46,600 Speaker 1: and the exodus of entrepreneurs is addressed, as well as 11 00:00:46,960 --> 00:00:51,200 Speaker 1: the difficult situations faced by low income families forced into 12 00:00:51,240 --> 00:00:54,280 Speaker 1: low quality of public schools. The series is meant to 13 00:00:54,360 --> 00:00:59,040 Speaker 1: raise awareness about the economic, social, and safety issues facing 14 00:00:59,080 --> 00:01:02,760 Speaker 1: the city and to demonstrate the strength of New York people. 15 00:01:03,200 --> 00:01:07,080 Speaker 1: I'm really pleased to welcome my guest filmmaker, Matthew two. 16 00:01:16,560 --> 00:01:20,200 Speaker 1: Let me start, if I could, with how you have 17 00:01:21,200 --> 00:01:25,600 Speaker 1: conceptualized this whole approach to New York and what you're 18 00:01:25,640 --> 00:01:28,360 Speaker 1: trying to accomplish with him. I've been in the city 19 00:01:28,400 --> 00:01:32,119 Speaker 1: for the last almost a decade, and my family worked 20 00:01:32,200 --> 00:01:35,320 Speaker 1: in the city from nineteen eighty six to nineteen ninety five, 21 00:01:35,440 --> 00:01:38,680 Speaker 1: and so I have a perspective of the city as 22 00:01:38,680 --> 00:01:42,760 Speaker 1: a child that was dangerous and dingy. It's the perspective 23 00:01:42,800 --> 00:01:44,760 Speaker 1: that a lot of older people have now of New 24 00:01:44,840 --> 00:01:48,559 Speaker 1: York City. But you know, after a certain time, people 25 00:01:48,600 --> 00:01:51,360 Speaker 1: came in and changed the city around. It had a 26 00:01:51,400 --> 00:01:55,639 Speaker 1: completely different trajectory, and as Fred Siegel says, the city 27 00:01:55,760 --> 00:01:59,120 Speaker 1: was shown that it could be governed. And so seeing 28 00:01:59,160 --> 00:02:02,840 Speaker 1: the city wide towards what seems to be what I 29 00:02:02,880 --> 00:02:05,640 Speaker 1: saw as a child motivated me to want to put 30 00:02:05,680 --> 00:02:08,880 Speaker 1: together a series of projects use my skill set so 31 00:02:08,919 --> 00:02:12,440 Speaker 1: that people can have an understanding of where the city 32 00:02:12,520 --> 00:02:15,120 Speaker 1: is heading, so that it hopefully doesn't head that way 33 00:02:15,480 --> 00:02:20,280 Speaker 1: in the future. I share your sort of sense of history. 34 00:02:21,200 --> 00:02:24,960 Speaker 1: I remember the decay of New York to a point 35 00:02:25,000 --> 00:02:30,840 Speaker 1: where it seemed almost ungovernable. Tourism was collapsing, people didn't 36 00:02:30,880 --> 00:02:34,480 Speaker 1: feel comfortable going into the city. And then along came Giuliani, 37 00:02:34,919 --> 00:02:38,359 Speaker 1: and he brought in chief Phil Brutton, and in two 38 00:02:38,440 --> 00:02:40,240 Speaker 1: years they turned the whole thing around. I mean, it 39 00:02:40,360 --> 00:02:44,200 Speaker 1: was astonishing, And they've both written books about it, and 40 00:02:45,040 --> 00:02:47,840 Speaker 1: the city was on a trajectory to get healthier and 41 00:02:47,919 --> 00:02:51,320 Speaker 1: healthier and safer and safer, more and more prosperous. And 42 00:02:51,960 --> 00:02:56,320 Speaker 1: when Mayor Bloomberg came in, he basically continued the same policies. 43 00:02:56,720 --> 00:02:59,680 Speaker 1: And then all of a sudden, you get to Blasio 44 00:03:00,080 --> 00:03:03,359 Speaker 1: and as part of I think a national movement away 45 00:03:03,400 --> 00:03:07,680 Speaker 1: from everything that works towards everything that fails. And it 46 00:03:07,880 --> 00:03:11,280 Speaker 1: was kind of remarkable. So when you decided you're going 47 00:03:11,320 --> 00:03:14,960 Speaker 1: to try to communicate what's happening in New York, you 48 00:03:15,040 --> 00:03:18,919 Speaker 1: really do it in large park. We're letting New Yorkers themselves. 49 00:03:18,919 --> 00:03:22,760 Speaker 1: So well, you know, New York City is its people. 50 00:03:23,080 --> 00:03:25,200 Speaker 1: You know, people all in New York Cities, the buildings 51 00:03:25,200 --> 00:03:27,320 Speaker 1: and New York Cities, the culture and so on and 52 00:03:27,400 --> 00:03:30,160 Speaker 1: so forth. But you remember there's more than just Manhattan. 53 00:03:30,520 --> 00:03:33,680 Speaker 1: New York City is large, it's five boroughs, and a 54 00:03:33,680 --> 00:03:36,920 Speaker 1: lot of the flavor that has bloomed from the city 55 00:03:36,960 --> 00:03:38,760 Speaker 1: that's been around. I mean, it's older than the United 56 00:03:38,800 --> 00:03:42,800 Speaker 1: States itself comes from its citizens, and so it was 57 00:03:42,880 --> 00:03:46,640 Speaker 1: important to talk to people on the ground. New York 58 00:03:46,680 --> 00:03:49,440 Speaker 1: City is a surface city. It's a city that you 59 00:03:49,560 --> 00:03:52,560 Speaker 1: take the subway, you walk out to your bodega, You 60 00:03:52,640 --> 00:03:56,240 Speaker 1: interact with your neighbors in a very dynamic way. So 61 00:03:56,760 --> 00:03:59,600 Speaker 1: you have this kind of visceral connection. You know, other 62 00:03:59,640 --> 00:04:01,600 Speaker 1: cities you get in cars and you go from point 63 00:04:01,640 --> 00:04:03,720 Speaker 1: A to point B. New York City, you come out 64 00:04:03,720 --> 00:04:06,920 Speaker 1: of the europe very small apartment and you explore, you 65 00:04:07,000 --> 00:04:10,560 Speaker 1: change directions on a whim. And so to understand that 66 00:04:10,600 --> 00:04:13,320 Speaker 1: and to translate it to people who don't live in 67 00:04:13,360 --> 00:04:17,160 Speaker 1: a pedestrian style city, you have to talk to the 68 00:04:17,160 --> 00:04:20,640 Speaker 1: people who live in the neighborhoods. And you know, we 69 00:04:20,680 --> 00:04:23,760 Speaker 1: went out to I think all five boroughs are represented. 70 00:04:24,000 --> 00:04:27,320 Speaker 1: We went to the far distant parts of Queens. I mean, 71 00:04:27,360 --> 00:04:29,560 Speaker 1: what people don't realize is there's parts of New York 72 00:04:29,600 --> 00:04:32,560 Speaker 1: City that look like everyday suburbs, but they are in 73 00:04:32,640 --> 00:04:35,360 Speaker 1: New York City. You know, the far parts of Brogs, 74 00:04:35,400 --> 00:04:38,000 Speaker 1: the far parts of even Brooklyn. And so it was 75 00:04:38,040 --> 00:04:41,719 Speaker 1: important to go to those places, to film those places, 76 00:04:41,880 --> 00:04:45,080 Speaker 1: to make that track across miles and miles of buildings 77 00:04:45,160 --> 00:04:49,240 Speaker 1: in various places, so that the voice of all New 78 00:04:49,320 --> 00:04:53,800 Speaker 1: Yorkers was represented throughout the project. Did you find any 79 00:04:54,600 --> 00:04:59,120 Speaker 1: concerns about physical safety just with the dramatic rise in crime. 80 00:05:00,160 --> 00:05:03,320 Speaker 1: You know, it's interesting because I had been traveling for 81 00:05:03,320 --> 00:05:05,119 Speaker 1: a little bit and had come back to the city 82 00:05:05,200 --> 00:05:08,480 Speaker 1: to work on the project. And even in the short 83 00:05:08,520 --> 00:05:10,320 Speaker 1: amount of time while I had been on the road, 84 00:05:10,360 --> 00:05:13,000 Speaker 1: the city had declined. And so when I went to 85 00:05:13,040 --> 00:05:15,800 Speaker 1: the outer boroughs, I went to Brownsville, where there's been 86 00:05:15,800 --> 00:05:18,120 Speaker 1: a number of incidents. I went to Tilden House, I 87 00:05:18,160 --> 00:05:21,599 Speaker 1: went to far Rockaways, I went to South Bronx with 88 00:05:21,680 --> 00:05:24,080 Speaker 1: the night Cha Housing. And to be honest with you, 89 00:05:24,200 --> 00:05:29,520 Speaker 1: where I actually witnessed the most threatening incident was actually 90 00:05:29,640 --> 00:05:34,559 Speaker 1: in midtown Midtown Manhattan, fifty first and third. My wife 91 00:05:34,560 --> 00:05:37,680 Speaker 1: and I and two friends had just had dinner. We 92 00:05:37,680 --> 00:05:39,480 Speaker 1: were standing on the side of the street where at 93 00:05:39,520 --> 00:05:43,080 Speaker 1: fifty first and a brawl broke out in front of us, 94 00:05:43,120 --> 00:05:45,839 Speaker 1: and a gentleman said he was going to pull something 95 00:05:45,880 --> 00:05:48,480 Speaker 1: out of his bag to deal with the store owner. 96 00:05:48,839 --> 00:05:52,839 Speaker 1: And for a moment that nineteen ninety one, part of 97 00:05:52,880 --> 00:05:55,599 Speaker 1: my brain kicked in and I nearly threw my wife 98 00:05:55,600 --> 00:05:57,680 Speaker 1: to the ground, and his friends tackled him and it 99 00:05:57,800 --> 00:06:01,200 Speaker 1: became an incident. And all the years I've been there, 100 00:06:01,720 --> 00:06:05,039 Speaker 1: I've never witnessed something that could have potentially slid in 101 00:06:05,160 --> 00:06:07,880 Speaker 1: such a bad direction. And I witnessed it at fifty 102 00:06:07,920 --> 00:06:10,920 Speaker 1: first and third right. This wasn't in the nights housing 103 00:06:10,960 --> 00:06:14,719 Speaker 1: of South Bronx, This wasn't in some distant part of Queens, 104 00:06:15,000 --> 00:06:17,600 Speaker 1: This wasn't in any part of Brooklyn. It was literally 105 00:06:17,600 --> 00:06:20,080 Speaker 1: three feet in front of me. And that was kind 106 00:06:20,080 --> 00:06:23,640 Speaker 1: of a testament that Midtown has taken a severe beating 107 00:06:23,920 --> 00:06:29,279 Speaker 1: between COVID riots and now just complete mismanagement by leadership 108 00:06:29,320 --> 00:06:31,960 Speaker 1: in the city. Why do you think it affective Manhattan 109 00:06:32,080 --> 00:06:35,440 Speaker 1: more than the other birds to imagine that Manhattan, which 110 00:06:35,480 --> 00:06:38,160 Speaker 1: had been the center of prosperity, would now become a 111 00:06:38,200 --> 00:06:41,320 Speaker 1: place that's endangered. And I remember watching the riots on 112 00:06:41,440 --> 00:06:44,599 Speaker 1: TV and people on Fifth Avenue deliberately going around breaking 113 00:06:44,600 --> 00:06:47,680 Speaker 1: into stores and stealing them what have you do you 114 00:06:47,680 --> 00:06:51,520 Speaker 1: think it will recover. What's interesting is during the pandemic, 115 00:06:51,520 --> 00:06:54,760 Speaker 1: in the lockdown, we would go out at certain times. 116 00:06:54,839 --> 00:06:58,280 Speaker 1: And it's interesting because if you went into Harlem or 117 00:06:58,320 --> 00:07:00,400 Speaker 1: you went into parts of the Bronx, so you went 118 00:07:00,440 --> 00:07:04,280 Speaker 1: into parts of Brooklyn. People kept continuing their lives as 119 00:07:04,360 --> 00:07:07,320 Speaker 1: normal because they didn't have the luxury of being able 120 00:07:07,360 --> 00:07:10,600 Speaker 1: to escape the city. And so the outer boroughs, I 121 00:07:10,600 --> 00:07:13,680 Speaker 1: would say, in many ways currently speaking, because we went 122 00:07:13,760 --> 00:07:17,080 Speaker 1: to all of them, there's more traffic, there's more business, 123 00:07:17,200 --> 00:07:21,080 Speaker 1: there's more commerce and interaction. And the thing is is 124 00:07:21,120 --> 00:07:24,400 Speaker 1: Manhattan is fourteen miles tall, it's roughly two miles wide, 125 00:07:24,400 --> 00:07:26,800 Speaker 1: and it's large as a thirty four square miles. It's 126 00:07:26,840 --> 00:07:29,720 Speaker 1: actually not that big. And most people think of Midtown 127 00:07:29,840 --> 00:07:33,480 Speaker 1: is sixtieth Street down to say fourteenth Street or twenty 128 00:07:33,520 --> 00:07:36,240 Speaker 1: third Street, depending on who you ask. And so this 129 00:07:36,360 --> 00:07:39,080 Speaker 1: is a business area. There are people who live, there 130 00:07:39,080 --> 00:07:41,880 Speaker 1: are plenty of apartment buildings, but there's a lot of businesses, 131 00:07:42,200 --> 00:07:45,520 Speaker 1: and people typically commute from these outer boroughs, and so 132 00:07:45,640 --> 00:07:48,960 Speaker 1: those businesses have been shut down, and when the businesses 133 00:07:49,000 --> 00:07:52,040 Speaker 1: are shut down, there's no reason to go there. People 134 00:07:52,160 --> 00:07:55,240 Speaker 1: have learned to work from home. This has had a 135 00:07:55,320 --> 00:07:59,320 Speaker 1: massive economic impact. And the outer boroughs, you know, where 136 00:07:59,320 --> 00:08:03,600 Speaker 1: people weren't particularly visiting a lot anyway, just continued their lives. 137 00:08:04,040 --> 00:08:08,840 Speaker 1: In some ways, they have recovered better than Manhattan. And 138 00:08:08,880 --> 00:08:10,960 Speaker 1: again because if you think about it, at least in 139 00:08:11,040 --> 00:08:14,040 Speaker 1: my building, seventy percent of my building had left during 140 00:08:14,080 --> 00:08:16,720 Speaker 1: the pandemic. We did not leave, and a lot of 141 00:08:16,720 --> 00:08:19,560 Speaker 1: people left Manhattan, they just actually physically left, and a 142 00:08:19,600 --> 00:08:21,960 Speaker 1: lot of people are not coming back. For those people 143 00:08:22,000 --> 00:08:24,880 Speaker 1: didn't have that opportunity in Harlem and other places like that. 144 00:08:25,280 --> 00:08:28,800 Speaker 1: They had no choice but to continue life as normal 145 00:08:28,840 --> 00:08:31,880 Speaker 1: as possible. They had to try to keep their businesses going, 146 00:08:32,200 --> 00:08:34,480 Speaker 1: and then they had to fight off looters and rioters, 147 00:08:34,760 --> 00:08:37,719 Speaker 1: which made it worse. It's actually a fascinating kind of 148 00:08:37,800 --> 00:08:40,440 Speaker 1: dynamic that the outer boroughs where people just have to 149 00:08:40,480 --> 00:08:44,120 Speaker 1: do it, will probably fare better. But again at the 150 00:08:44,160 --> 00:08:48,920 Speaker 1: current state, We've talked to Police Commissioner Bratton and he 151 00:08:49,080 --> 00:08:51,240 Speaker 1: thought that it could be ten years before the city 152 00:08:51,280 --> 00:08:55,280 Speaker 1: comes back because the damage isn't on an infrastructure level, 153 00:08:55,360 --> 00:08:58,440 Speaker 1: it's undone policies and things that were put in place 154 00:08:58,800 --> 00:09:03,040 Speaker 1: that made the city function from the base level up. 155 00:09:03,400 --> 00:09:06,320 Speaker 1: And so to put those policies back into place to 156 00:09:06,440 --> 00:09:10,480 Speaker 1: reinforce the infrastructure of how the city functions, which is 157 00:09:10,720 --> 00:09:14,040 Speaker 1: largely what had happened in that period from Giuliani into Bloomberg, 158 00:09:14,600 --> 00:09:18,240 Speaker 1: is very very difficult. The amazing thing was that the 159 00:09:18,320 --> 00:09:23,160 Speaker 1: Bratton Giuliani reforms did survive, and it's interesting that the 160 00:09:23,200 --> 00:09:27,000 Speaker 1: objective reality was they worked. I saw Bloomberg one time 161 00:09:27,040 --> 00:09:29,160 Speaker 1: when he was mayor. I went by a city hall 162 00:09:29,200 --> 00:09:32,320 Speaker 1: to the chat with him. He said murders were down 163 00:09:32,400 --> 00:09:37,760 Speaker 1: eighty five percent. And he said jokingly the safest city 164 00:09:37,800 --> 00:09:41,680 Speaker 1: of six hundred thousand in Americas called Staten Island, and 165 00:09:41,920 --> 00:09:45,040 Speaker 1: he said, the number of incidents are so few they 166 00:09:45,080 --> 00:09:47,640 Speaker 1: fall off the chart. He said, in the reaction of 167 00:09:47,679 --> 00:09:52,360 Speaker 1: the people in Staten Islands, send us more cups. It's interally, 168 00:09:52,600 --> 00:09:56,560 Speaker 1: the very things that we're working suddenly stopped working. And 169 00:09:56,679 --> 00:09:58,800 Speaker 1: of course if people don't go down to fill those 170 00:09:58,880 --> 00:10:02,360 Speaker 1: high rise office buildings, that the local restaurant, the local 171 00:10:03,040 --> 00:10:07,839 Speaker 1: stand on the street suddenly faces a real collapse of customers, 172 00:10:07,840 --> 00:10:23,960 Speaker 1: which has a huge impact. Let me go to another 173 00:10:24,000 --> 00:10:26,240 Speaker 1: top of you dealt with in a way that this 174 00:10:26,840 --> 00:10:29,760 Speaker 1: even starker, and that's the rise of the homeless. What 175 00:10:29,920 --> 00:10:32,520 Speaker 1: were you seeing in terms of homeless in New York. 176 00:10:32,920 --> 00:10:35,640 Speaker 1: You know, it's interesting because New York City has always 177 00:10:35,640 --> 00:10:39,439 Speaker 1: had that homeless population that they paid for homeless people 178 00:10:39,480 --> 00:10:42,319 Speaker 1: to leave the city go to Florida. Here's one hundred 179 00:10:42,320 --> 00:10:45,400 Speaker 1: dollar bus ride. I think what's interesting is that the 180 00:10:45,480 --> 00:10:50,200 Speaker 1: homeless population has risen dramatically. And this is actually I 181 00:10:50,240 --> 00:10:53,640 Speaker 1: think something that you're seeing across multiple major cities in 182 00:10:53,679 --> 00:10:56,680 Speaker 1: the country. New York has always had a homeless problem. 183 00:10:56,760 --> 00:10:59,679 Speaker 1: But the thing about the homeless is that usually they 184 00:10:59,679 --> 00:11:04,040 Speaker 1: were certain places. They have largely taken over most parks, 185 00:11:04,080 --> 00:11:07,400 Speaker 1: they've taken over large parts of Chinatown, and the same 186 00:11:07,480 --> 00:11:10,400 Speaker 1: people who you know clearly don't want to fund the 187 00:11:10,400 --> 00:11:13,080 Speaker 1: police and things like that, still complain about the homeless 188 00:11:13,160 --> 00:11:15,440 Speaker 1: when they're in the Upper west Side, and the Upper 189 00:11:15,440 --> 00:11:18,520 Speaker 1: west Side is actually taken quite a beating on top 190 00:11:18,559 --> 00:11:21,520 Speaker 1: of it, you know, the city has taken hotels and 191 00:11:21,640 --> 00:11:25,280 Speaker 1: put homeless populations in the hotels all over the city. 192 00:11:25,600 --> 00:11:27,600 Speaker 1: I think one of the issues was there was a 193 00:11:27,679 --> 00:11:30,880 Speaker 1: number of dangerous sex offenders in one of the hotels 194 00:11:30,920 --> 00:11:33,720 Speaker 1: in a neighborhood next to a school. And so there's 195 00:11:33,760 --> 00:11:37,679 Speaker 1: been a kind of a proliferation of putting homeless rights 196 00:11:37,720 --> 00:11:42,760 Speaker 1: above paying taxpayers rights, and it's caused the population to explode. 197 00:11:42,800 --> 00:11:47,160 Speaker 1: It's caused an aggression in certain places where they would 198 00:11:47,200 --> 00:11:50,240 Speaker 1: not usually be. And of course, the problem is with 199 00:11:50,280 --> 00:11:54,760 Speaker 1: all of the police reforms, the negative reforms, their presence 200 00:11:54,800 --> 00:11:57,559 Speaker 1: isn't felt as much anymore. So. I think a lot 201 00:11:57,600 --> 00:12:00,360 Speaker 1: of homeless are people who have mental illness which is 202 00:12:00,400 --> 00:12:02,880 Speaker 1: not being dealt with, and so people being pushed in 203 00:12:02,920 --> 00:12:06,680 Speaker 1: front of subways, people being harassed. A lot of these 204 00:12:06,960 --> 00:12:10,080 Speaker 1: people really need help. These services are not there, the 205 00:12:10,160 --> 00:12:13,120 Speaker 1: police are not there. You're on your own if you 206 00:12:13,280 --> 00:12:17,560 Speaker 1: are dealing with an aggressive homeless individual. So it's definitely risen. 207 00:12:18,040 --> 00:12:20,800 Speaker 1: I wouldn't say it's to the nineteen ninety one level, 208 00:12:20,880 --> 00:12:23,400 Speaker 1: because in nineteen ninety one you would go into Grand 209 00:12:23,440 --> 00:12:26,520 Speaker 1: Central I distinctly remember this, and the whole entire floor 210 00:12:26,559 --> 00:12:29,120 Speaker 1: would be covered with homeless people sleeping aside because it's 211 00:12:29,160 --> 00:12:32,560 Speaker 1: cold outside. It hasn't quite gotten to that level, but 212 00:12:32,679 --> 00:12:36,239 Speaker 1: it very well can very quickly. When there's no businesses, 213 00:12:36,520 --> 00:12:39,839 Speaker 1: when there's no people being vigilant on the streets, this 214 00:12:39,920 --> 00:12:44,000 Speaker 1: is what happens. I remember in the early nineties going 215 00:12:44,080 --> 00:12:46,400 Speaker 1: to New York because one of the great success stories 216 00:12:46,920 --> 00:12:50,240 Speaker 1: had been cleaning up to the New York Public Library, 217 00:12:50,280 --> 00:12:54,360 Speaker 1: and the park behind the library had become basically a 218 00:12:54,400 --> 00:12:59,440 Speaker 1: wide open drug market. And it was ironic because the 219 00:13:00,040 --> 00:13:04,280 Speaker 1: cafellers and the Carneges and the Melons and others had 220 00:13:04,320 --> 00:13:08,120 Speaker 1: ants who had an interest in the library and who 221 00:13:08,440 --> 00:13:12,320 Speaker 1: communicated apparently strongly to the companies of their family owned 222 00:13:12,720 --> 00:13:16,400 Speaker 1: that something would be done, and they created a private 223 00:13:16,440 --> 00:13:20,680 Speaker 1: corporation working with the government, and they went in and 224 00:13:20,800 --> 00:13:24,040 Speaker 1: actually cleaned up the whole area, so it became a 225 00:13:24,160 --> 00:13:26,880 Speaker 1: nice place that you could go on Friday night, said 226 00:13:27,000 --> 00:13:31,240 Speaker 1: Bands remarkably different from five years earlier, because we were 227 00:13:31,240 --> 00:13:34,600 Speaker 1: looking for models that would work, and what was striking 228 00:13:34,800 --> 00:13:38,360 Speaker 1: was in almost every zone there were models that worked, 229 00:13:38,760 --> 00:13:42,640 Speaker 1: although I don't know if any model that has particularly 230 00:13:42,640 --> 00:13:45,480 Speaker 1: worked with the homeless. And first of all, the government 231 00:13:45,480 --> 00:13:48,800 Speaker 1: policy is now encourage it and subsidize it. But the 232 00:13:48,840 --> 00:13:51,480 Speaker 1: explosion of homeless I think will become one of the 233 00:13:51,520 --> 00:13:54,160 Speaker 1: big issues of the next few years because it's beginning 234 00:13:54,160 --> 00:13:58,880 Speaker 1: to be both more aggressive and dramatically larger. Do you 235 00:13:58,880 --> 00:14:01,680 Speaker 1: have any sense of what turnaround would look like with 236 00:14:01,800 --> 00:14:06,199 Speaker 1: the homeless? You know, unfortunately, I think that the trajectory 237 00:14:06,240 --> 00:14:08,959 Speaker 1: of the city is in the direction of, again going 238 00:14:09,000 --> 00:14:12,959 Speaker 1: back to nineteen ninety one, the homeless go to where 239 00:14:13,200 --> 00:14:15,760 Speaker 1: they can panhandle, soup kitchens and things like that. One 240 00:14:15,760 --> 00:14:20,000 Speaker 1: of the interesting things we observed was behind Penn Station. 241 00:14:20,040 --> 00:14:23,360 Speaker 1: They have the new Penn Station, the moynihan Terminal, and 242 00:14:23,400 --> 00:14:25,800 Speaker 1: if you go to the Moynahan terminal, it's just covered 243 00:14:25,920 --> 00:14:28,400 Speaker 1: with homeless people. And then there's nobody in the terminal 244 00:14:28,720 --> 00:14:31,800 Speaker 1: because clearly people you're still nervous about the pandemic, and 245 00:14:32,080 --> 00:14:36,040 Speaker 1: the trains are complicated, and so I think that again, 246 00:14:36,160 --> 00:14:41,680 Speaker 1: until the enforcement of safety comes back, the homeless will 247 00:14:41,720 --> 00:14:45,320 Speaker 1: be kind of a symptom of the sickness of the city, 248 00:14:45,640 --> 00:14:48,000 Speaker 1: because look, at the end of the day, in New 249 00:14:48,080 --> 00:14:51,000 Speaker 1: York City, you have to have safety in order for 250 00:14:51,040 --> 00:14:54,040 Speaker 1: the citizens to thrive. It is the bedrock of a 251 00:14:54,120 --> 00:14:57,160 Speaker 1: city of that size. Eight point five million people, sixty 252 00:14:57,200 --> 00:15:01,400 Speaker 1: square miles, bridges, tunnels, million people a day coming out 253 00:15:01,400 --> 00:15:04,120 Speaker 1: over the subway just from the Jersey side. You have 254 00:15:04,240 --> 00:15:07,440 Speaker 1: to have safety to build the society. And these will 255 00:15:07,480 --> 00:15:10,800 Speaker 1: continue to be symptoms of the sickness of the city 256 00:15:11,160 --> 00:15:31,640 Speaker 1: due to bad leadership and bad policy, but also as 257 00:15:32,120 --> 00:15:37,880 Speaker 1: tragically led to equally bad policies and education. What did 258 00:15:37,920 --> 00:15:40,680 Speaker 1: you find when you were talking to people about the 259 00:15:40,760 --> 00:15:43,680 Speaker 1: education in New York. You know, education has a very 260 00:15:43,800 --> 00:15:48,040 Speaker 1: interesting background in New York City. I love New York history. 261 00:15:48,120 --> 00:15:52,000 Speaker 1: It's fascinating. Giuliani when he came in, he wrestled a 262 00:15:52,080 --> 00:15:55,360 Speaker 1: number of various departments of course there's crime, which is 263 00:15:55,400 --> 00:15:58,360 Speaker 1: the most notorious, but there was sanitation, and of course 264 00:15:58,520 --> 00:16:02,840 Speaker 1: Anthony Coles called Cooney to bring it back with standards. 265 00:16:03,000 --> 00:16:06,160 Speaker 1: But Giuliani never got control of the Education Board. That 266 00:16:06,280 --> 00:16:09,000 Speaker 1: was the one thing that he could not get control of. 267 00:16:09,280 --> 00:16:13,160 Speaker 1: But Bloomberg in fact did with the assistance of Joel Klein, 268 00:16:13,280 --> 00:16:16,360 Speaker 1: who is actually in one of our videos. Joel Klein 269 00:16:16,640 --> 00:16:20,440 Speaker 1: came from the Clinton camp into the city and he 270 00:16:20,840 --> 00:16:24,560 Speaker 1: basically expanded charter schools. And you know, when we've discussed 271 00:16:24,560 --> 00:16:27,160 Speaker 1: this with him, he brought up a really interesting point. 272 00:16:27,200 --> 00:16:29,400 Speaker 1: He said, look like, if you're a middle class or 273 00:16:29,480 --> 00:16:33,240 Speaker 1: upper class kid or family, you can choose your education. 274 00:16:33,360 --> 00:16:34,800 Speaker 1: You don't have to go to this school. You can 275 00:16:34,880 --> 00:16:37,400 Speaker 1: choose to go to that school. So why shouldn't other 276 00:16:37,440 --> 00:16:40,960 Speaker 1: people have that option, you know? And he went and 277 00:16:41,080 --> 00:16:44,360 Speaker 1: they got control of the Education Board and they tackled 278 00:16:44,400 --> 00:16:47,880 Speaker 1: charter schools, and he expanded it to hundreds and hundreds 279 00:16:47,920 --> 00:16:51,320 Speaker 1: and hundreds of charter schools and then implemented ways so 280 00:16:51,400 --> 00:16:54,280 Speaker 1: that the charter schools could not be rolled back by 281 00:16:54,280 --> 00:16:57,880 Speaker 1: the next administration. But of course the next administration is 282 00:16:57,880 --> 00:17:00,600 Speaker 1: not a fan of charter schools. They have all sorts 283 00:17:00,600 --> 00:17:03,680 Speaker 1: of contracts with the teachers unions, which of course I 284 00:17:03,720 --> 00:17:06,560 Speaker 1: think have been somewhat exposed for what they really are 285 00:17:07,040 --> 00:17:10,120 Speaker 1: during the pandemic. People are starting to see really kind 286 00:17:10,119 --> 00:17:12,920 Speaker 1: of how they operate. But it's interesting because this is 287 00:17:12,960 --> 00:17:16,960 Speaker 1: a battleground for charter schools and education. New York City 288 00:17:17,160 --> 00:17:20,240 Speaker 1: was quite innovative in this space and did a lot 289 00:17:20,240 --> 00:17:22,760 Speaker 1: of work and a lot of people we interviewed whose 290 00:17:22,840 --> 00:17:25,680 Speaker 1: children go to Success Academy and some go to KIP 291 00:17:25,680 --> 00:17:29,639 Speaker 1: and so on and so forth. They are ecstatic that 292 00:17:29,760 --> 00:17:32,240 Speaker 1: their kids are under these standards. And of course, when 293 00:17:32,240 --> 00:17:36,000 Speaker 1: COVID came in, a place like Success Academy was able 294 00:17:36,040 --> 00:17:40,080 Speaker 1: to implement their remote learning and keep those standards high. 295 00:17:40,400 --> 00:17:43,960 Speaker 1: That's the heartwarming part of these stories is these parents 296 00:17:44,160 --> 00:17:47,560 Speaker 1: who are able to have their children get out of 297 00:17:47,560 --> 00:17:50,600 Speaker 1: these places and go to better schools. But again there's 298 00:17:50,640 --> 00:17:52,960 Speaker 1: a cap on the schools, and on top of that 299 00:17:53,240 --> 00:17:56,439 Speaker 1: you have a group of people that are vehemently against 300 00:17:56,520 --> 00:18:00,119 Speaker 1: these schools. So the charter school battle will continue, and 301 00:18:00,160 --> 00:18:02,720 Speaker 1: it will be aggressive. In New York City will be 302 00:18:02,760 --> 00:18:05,639 Speaker 1: on the front line of these battles. To hope is 303 00:18:05,960 --> 00:18:09,280 Speaker 1: that they can expand choice for brown and black kids, 304 00:18:09,600 --> 00:18:12,640 Speaker 1: for lower income families, for families who don't live near 305 00:18:12,720 --> 00:18:15,199 Speaker 1: a good school so that their children can get a 306 00:18:15,240 --> 00:18:20,960 Speaker 1: good education. So unbalanced as you think about the spirit 307 00:18:21,000 --> 00:18:24,600 Speaker 1: and the psychology of all these different people you've interviewed 308 00:18:25,359 --> 00:18:28,199 Speaker 1: on so many different topics, Are you an optimist or 309 00:18:28,200 --> 00:18:30,000 Speaker 1: a presto much to go out the future of New York. 310 00:18:30,760 --> 00:18:34,200 Speaker 1: You know, it's interesting because I think New York City 311 00:18:35,119 --> 00:18:38,159 Speaker 1: is one of the greatest cities in the world. I 312 00:18:38,200 --> 00:18:45,119 Speaker 1: think it represents the greatest achievements of American entrepreneurship, with skyscrapers, electricity, 313 00:18:45,200 --> 00:18:47,880 Speaker 1: all the things that had been done, people coming over 314 00:18:48,480 --> 00:18:51,720 Speaker 1: and getting off of boats. And it's rough and it's 315 00:18:51,880 --> 00:18:55,119 Speaker 1: hard and it's difficult. New York City is not easy. 316 00:18:55,240 --> 00:18:58,760 Speaker 1: It's never been easy, and so New Yorkers are resilient. 317 00:18:59,000 --> 00:19:02,280 Speaker 1: New Yorkers are are able to take a lot. And 318 00:19:02,320 --> 00:19:05,640 Speaker 1: so I am optimistic about the people of New York. 319 00:19:06,040 --> 00:19:09,359 Speaker 1: I am not always optimistic about the leadership of New York. 320 00:19:09,400 --> 00:19:13,560 Speaker 1: I'm not optimistic about the high taxation, the punishing prices. 321 00:19:13,880 --> 00:19:16,439 Speaker 1: I mean, that's really the issue. It's a degradation of 322 00:19:16,480 --> 00:19:20,600 Speaker 1: the quality of life that will drive those entrepreneurs away, 323 00:19:21,119 --> 00:19:23,720 Speaker 1: and so I would say I'm optimistic about the people. 324 00:19:23,760 --> 00:19:28,080 Speaker 1: I always am as one myself. The city, in my opinion, 325 00:19:28,640 --> 00:19:32,679 Speaker 1: has essentially thirty year cycles. Right in a way, you 326 00:19:32,720 --> 00:19:35,520 Speaker 1: go from Lindsay to Dinkins and you have kind of 327 00:19:35,560 --> 00:19:39,159 Speaker 1: a downslope. This is the post Robert Moses years, and 328 00:19:39,200 --> 00:19:42,000 Speaker 1: then you go from Giuliani all the way and the actually, 329 00:19:42,040 --> 00:19:44,600 Speaker 1: to be honest with even to de Blasio's credit, he 330 00:19:44,680 --> 00:19:47,280 Speaker 1: brought Bratton back as he knew he had to maintain 331 00:19:47,359 --> 00:19:50,120 Speaker 1: the safety to keep the city going for a little bit. 332 00:19:50,480 --> 00:19:53,720 Speaker 1: And so the question is we are at a crossroads. 333 00:19:53,960 --> 00:19:57,159 Speaker 1: Is this the downturn? Is this just a dip. My 334 00:19:57,320 --> 00:19:59,680 Speaker 1: hope is that it's just a dip, But I think 335 00:19:59,680 --> 00:20:02,439 Speaker 1: it just depends. It depends on if the leadership is 336 00:20:02,480 --> 00:20:05,800 Speaker 1: going to recognize the city for what it is, and 337 00:20:05,840 --> 00:20:08,359 Speaker 1: that's a group of people who are willing to tough 338 00:20:08,400 --> 00:20:11,679 Speaker 1: it out to do great things. Otherwise they'll leave and 339 00:20:11,720 --> 00:20:14,160 Speaker 1: you'll get a situation like what Ed Koch had where 340 00:20:14,200 --> 00:20:17,120 Speaker 1: he couldn't keep enough taxpayers in the city to keep 341 00:20:17,119 --> 00:20:22,040 Speaker 1: it open. You've developed a fascinating series. What are your plans? 342 00:20:22,040 --> 00:20:24,520 Speaker 1: How does it get distributed and what are your hopes 343 00:20:24,560 --> 00:20:27,639 Speaker 1: for the beauty of the series is that it is 344 00:20:27,680 --> 00:20:30,720 Speaker 1: a slice of life. There's not really an agenda with 345 00:20:30,760 --> 00:20:35,320 Speaker 1: the series. It is a piece of New York that 346 00:20:35,480 --> 00:20:38,160 Speaker 1: people who've never been to New York are only have visited, 347 00:20:38,280 --> 00:20:40,600 Speaker 1: can get an idea. But it's actually really interesting. It's 348 00:20:40,600 --> 00:20:42,600 Speaker 1: also a piece in New York where people in New 349 00:20:42,680 --> 00:20:45,639 Speaker 1: York can see other neighborhoods and other people that maybe 350 00:20:45,840 --> 00:20:48,960 Speaker 1: they don't see. And so we have released it for 351 00:20:49,000 --> 00:20:52,320 Speaker 1: free on YouTube so that the pieces can be watched. 352 00:20:52,640 --> 00:20:55,840 Speaker 1: There will be additional content because you know, these people 353 00:20:55,880 --> 00:20:59,160 Speaker 1: all gave great interviews. They talked about a number of topics, 354 00:20:59,520 --> 00:21:04,560 Speaker 1: and they're voices really represent their neighborhoods, their communities, where 355 00:21:04,560 --> 00:21:07,679 Speaker 1: they come from, and so we want to expand on 356 00:21:07,720 --> 00:21:11,520 Speaker 1: these topics because these are universal topics for New Yorkers. 357 00:21:11,800 --> 00:21:14,879 Speaker 1: Safety is a universal topic, quality of life is a 358 00:21:15,000 --> 00:21:18,359 Speaker 1: universal topic. Congestion, pricing, which we touch on, you know, 359 00:21:18,440 --> 00:21:22,200 Speaker 1: which hurts tourism, which hurts businesses. It's all interconnected in 360 00:21:22,240 --> 00:21:24,359 Speaker 1: the city. I mean, that's really the beauty of the 361 00:21:24,400 --> 00:21:26,880 Speaker 1: city is that you take all these people from all 362 00:21:26,880 --> 00:21:29,360 Speaker 1: these different walks of life and squeeze them into one 363 00:21:29,920 --> 00:21:33,280 Speaker 1: tiny place and they all get along like that's kind 364 00:21:33,320 --> 00:21:36,880 Speaker 1: of phenomenal. I think that this will be an ongoing 365 00:21:37,560 --> 00:21:42,159 Speaker 1: endeavor to continue to educate people on the ideas and 366 00:21:42,240 --> 00:21:45,200 Speaker 1: the issues that are facing the city. And look, hopefully 367 00:21:45,240 --> 00:21:47,720 Speaker 1: the city gets better and then the series changes into 368 00:21:47,880 --> 00:21:51,239 Speaker 1: something that's maybe more positive and uplifting. That would be 369 00:21:51,280 --> 00:21:54,040 Speaker 1: my hope. So you see this as a sort of 370 00:21:54,080 --> 00:22:01,080 Speaker 1: continuing chronicle of New York and it's evolution absolutely. I mean, 371 00:22:01,200 --> 00:22:04,760 Speaker 1: we are working on a project, as the films have indicated, 372 00:22:04,840 --> 00:22:08,520 Speaker 1: that is longer and it's about how the city was turned. Look, 373 00:22:08,560 --> 00:22:11,520 Speaker 1: it's one of the greatest American turnaround stories. New York 374 00:22:11,560 --> 00:22:15,560 Speaker 1: City dropped dead right in the seventies. It is a 375 00:22:15,720 --> 00:22:19,240 Speaker 1: beacon on the hill to other cities, to Los Angeles, 376 00:22:19,240 --> 00:22:22,680 Speaker 1: to Chicago. If you go overseas, when you ask people 377 00:22:22,680 --> 00:22:24,960 Speaker 1: where do you want to go in America, they say, 378 00:22:24,960 --> 00:22:26,880 Speaker 1: I want to go to New York City. That's where 379 00:22:26,920 --> 00:22:29,560 Speaker 1: they want to go. And so I think that this 380 00:22:29,600 --> 00:22:33,080 Speaker 1: series is not just for New Yorkers. It's for Americans, 381 00:22:33,080 --> 00:22:35,240 Speaker 1: it's for other cities. It's for anybody who wants to 382 00:22:35,280 --> 00:22:37,840 Speaker 1: come and visit. You have millions of people who have 383 00:22:37,920 --> 00:22:42,639 Speaker 1: been locked inside their apartments. Now for a year, the 384 00:22:42,720 --> 00:22:46,000 Speaker 1: city is opening. But during the time that they were 385 00:22:46,000 --> 00:22:51,960 Speaker 1: locked inside, this creeping early nineteen nineties element has flooded 386 00:22:52,000 --> 00:22:55,080 Speaker 1: the streets. So they are not aware. They've never lived 387 00:22:55,080 --> 00:22:57,400 Speaker 1: in that New York. Their heads are not on a swivel, 388 00:22:57,440 --> 00:23:00,760 Speaker 1: they're not looking around, they're not paying attention. And you 389 00:23:00,840 --> 00:23:04,359 Speaker 1: have this added thing. A big difference between nineteen ninety 390 00:23:04,440 --> 00:23:06,919 Speaker 1: and right now is that if you're walking down the 391 00:23:06,920 --> 00:23:09,959 Speaker 1: street in New York City, you had a legacy of danger, 392 00:23:10,040 --> 00:23:12,960 Speaker 1: so you were looking around. Number Two, you didn't have 393 00:23:13,000 --> 00:23:15,679 Speaker 1: a cell phone, you didn't have things to distract you. 394 00:23:15,840 --> 00:23:17,879 Speaker 1: If you're on the subway, you're looking at your phone, 395 00:23:17,920 --> 00:23:20,240 Speaker 1: you're not looking at the people in the subway. You're 396 00:23:20,240 --> 00:23:23,159 Speaker 1: not looking when you cross the street. So you have 397 00:23:23,240 --> 00:23:26,280 Speaker 1: a complete disconnect. Because these people have lived in this 398 00:23:26,400 --> 00:23:29,200 Speaker 1: super safe city for so long and they never thought 399 00:23:29,240 --> 00:23:32,000 Speaker 1: it would be truly dangerous, and they're going to come 400 00:23:32,000 --> 00:23:34,000 Speaker 1: out of their apartments and they need to be warned 401 00:23:34,119 --> 00:23:37,520 Speaker 1: that this is how the city is turning, because think 402 00:23:37,560 --> 00:23:40,439 Speaker 1: about it, all dining is outdoors right now. If dining 403 00:23:40,520 --> 00:23:43,240 Speaker 1: is outdoors and people are putting their purses on tables, 404 00:23:43,640 --> 00:23:45,640 Speaker 1: that's how safe the city was. You could put your 405 00:23:45,640 --> 00:23:48,480 Speaker 1: purse on a table anywhere in the city and nobody 406 00:23:48,520 --> 00:23:52,560 Speaker 1: would run by and grab it. That has changed. People 407 00:23:52,560 --> 00:23:55,080 Speaker 1: are not prepared. I think that we're going to see 408 00:23:55,280 --> 00:23:58,399 Speaker 1: a fairly rough time over the summer as people spell 409 00:23:58,440 --> 00:24:01,120 Speaker 1: out on the streets and they're just not haired for 410 00:24:01,320 --> 00:24:03,560 Speaker 1: what is happening, you know. And so we hope that 411 00:24:03,680 --> 00:24:06,359 Speaker 1: people watch these films and really get an idea that like, 412 00:24:06,720 --> 00:24:08,560 Speaker 1: we don't want this to be this way. We want 413 00:24:08,600 --> 00:24:10,480 Speaker 1: the city to be safe, we want the city to 414 00:24:10,520 --> 00:24:13,320 Speaker 1: be fun, we want the city to work hard, and 415 00:24:13,359 --> 00:24:15,720 Speaker 1: we don't want to be punished for living there. What 416 00:24:15,840 --> 00:24:19,040 Speaker 1: you're doing with New York will be one of the 417 00:24:19,080 --> 00:24:25,080 Speaker 1: great documentary histories. You've always been remarkably creative, and you've 418 00:24:25,080 --> 00:24:28,399 Speaker 1: proven that once again. And I thank you, Matthew for 419 00:24:28,480 --> 00:24:31,520 Speaker 1: taking the time to talk with us and to give 420 00:24:31,600 --> 00:24:34,399 Speaker 1: us a chance to catch up on your newest project. 421 00:24:34,480 --> 00:24:36,760 Speaker 1: And I think it's one that it is going to 422 00:24:36,760 --> 00:24:38,760 Speaker 1: be done in the history books of the real contribution 423 00:24:39,160 --> 00:24:43,040 Speaker 1: to understanding this period of turmoil in America. So thank 424 00:24:43,040 --> 00:24:45,080 Speaker 1: you for taking the time to talk with us. Thank 425 00:24:45,119 --> 00:24:47,399 Speaker 1: you so much for having me. It's a great honor 426 00:24:47,520 --> 00:24:52,280 Speaker 1: being here and chatting with you today. Thank you to 427 00:24:52,320 --> 00:24:55,080 Speaker 1: my guest Matthew Taylor. You can get a link to 428 00:24:55,200 --> 00:24:59,080 Speaker 1: his new documentary This Is New York on our show page, 429 00:24:59,359 --> 00:25:02,959 Speaker 1: a new world dot com. News World is produced by 430 00:25:03,000 --> 00:25:08,240 Speaker 1: Gingwich three sixty and iHeartMedia. Our executive producer is Debbie Myers, 431 00:25:08,600 --> 00:25:12,880 Speaker 1: our producer is Garnsey Sloan, and our researcher is Rachel Peterson. 432 00:25:13,440 --> 00:25:16,360 Speaker 1: The artwork for the show was created by Steve Penley. 433 00:25:16,960 --> 00:25:20,080 Speaker 1: Special thanks to the team at Gingwich three sixty. If 434 00:25:20,080 --> 00:25:22,439 Speaker 1: you've been enjoying news World, I hope you'll go to 435 00:25:22,440 --> 00:25:26,080 Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts and both rate us with five stars and 436 00:25:26,240 --> 00:25:28,880 Speaker 1: give us a review so others can learn what it's 437 00:25:28,880 --> 00:25:32,600 Speaker 1: all about. Right now, listeners of news World can sign 438 00:25:32,680 --> 00:25:36,560 Speaker 1: up for my three free weekly columns at Gingwich three 439 00:25:36,640 --> 00:25:41,840 Speaker 1: sixty dot com slash newsletter I'm new Gingwidge. This is 440 00:25:41,920 --> 00:25:42,480 Speaker 1: news World.