It feels totally polished in the last 15 years. There's none of that scum anymore. It's like walking through a narrow endless corporate Disney World.
Even in the 1990's it was still a scum hole. Although I hate NYC anyway.
Mayor Giuliani saved NYC. Sold Times Square to Disney and other corporates. Enticed other businesses to return. Shrunk government, cut welfare, and made welfare recipients work menial tasks to enhance the city(clean parks, cover graffiti etc.).
After umteen years of Koch and one term of Dinkins(even the name sounds worthless), the city had one foot in bankruptcy. Murder rate was over 1500 a year, and population was declining.
NYC was already well on it's way to being cleaned up by 2000. I remember the 70's and 80's. Thank god I live on Long Island then,