The subway is such an integral part of New York City, it’s a little strange to think of it being introduced to the city.
This 1904 picture was taken in the evening and shows the Times Square IRT subway entrance.
LOC
Can you imagine New York City looking this clean and beautiful today? No overcrowding, no garbage, no vagrants. I’ve written about this several times but…I’m doing it again!
When I research stories, I look at pictures of the area when the crime was committed. Cold Heart is about a murder in 1903 in Buffalo. Has It Come to This? is about a murder in 1900 in Savannah, Missouri but also had some significant connection to nearby St. Joseph. The cities were lovely in 1900; they looked clean, inviting, and well cared for. When I look at contemporary photos of the same places, the decay is devastating! You could say the same about many US cities.
Why? Societal problems like littering, graffiti, drug addiction, and violence are nothing new. They existed in 1904 but we don’t see a hint of it in the photograph of the subway, nor in old pictures of the other cities I mentioned. A lot of people had horses back then so they also had animal manure to contend with.
Today we have crime fighting tools and technology and numerous shelters for the homeless. We also pay a tremendous amount in taxes—partly to pay for city employees and maintenance. Despite these advantages and an influx of money, our cities look rundown and filthy. A magazine once described Savannah, Georgia as a beautiful woman with a dirty face. That is a great description of many American cities.
If our cities could be so lovely in 1904 when they dealt with the same problems with fewer resources, why can’t we demand our cities be made clean and safe again? If the people who lived in 1900 could see how their cities look today, they would cry and wonder why we tolerate it. I think the answer is that most people don’t realize cities haven’t always been rundown and dangerous, and they don’t have to be now.
There’s a correlation between the beauty of your surroundings and neighborhood safety. Clean, orderly places send a message that residents care about their city. They won’t tolerate people sleeping on the sidewalk or harassing passers-by, taking drugs, or littering. Broken windows theory is based on the same idea in reverse. If there is obvious evidence of crimes like vandalism, you get more vandalism. Your surroundings impact your mental health and ambitions too.
A ray of sunshine: I’m impressed by Daniel Lurie, the mayor of San Francisco. He took over when the city was in a terrible condition, thanks to the policies of one disastrous politician after another. He has a long way to go, but the new mayor has made progress toward rescuing the city. Lurie is an heir to the Levi-Strauss fortune. In other words, not a career politician and not in need of money. He’s motivated by a love for San Francisco, which goes a long way with me. Let’s hope Mayor Lurie can restore San Francisco to glory. It can be a model for other cities!
old spirituals 
Accountability, specifically the fear of it, is the reason for the difference between today and 1904.
Not being a resident of San Francisco or even of California, I haven’t kept up with the new mayor; I believe he just took office in January 2025. As a wise woman I knew during my working career once said, “You can make your mouth say anything.” That is another way of saying, “words are cheap.” What counts are actions AND RESULTS, not just behaviors, thought they are important, too.
Let’s hope Mayor Daniel Laurie achieves his objectives. Lately is seems businessmen who have inherited a “nest egg” are not well liked by those of lower economic strata.
Does the new mayor have any connection to the affluent businessman Jeff Lurie? He owns the Philadelphia Eagles, NFL Team.
LikeLike
We visited San Francisco last year and i could have cried. i remember the first time i visited and couldn’t believe what happened to the place. Interesting idea to think people don’t know that it doesn’t have to be that way
LikeLiked by 1 person
You are a brave soul. There decides ago. I am not inclined to return.
LikeLiked by 2 people
it has changed a lot Jax! it was a sad state of affairs
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m really hoping the mayor can turn it around. It took 15 years to bring about the city’s demise so we have to give Mayor Lurie time to turn it around. I think he’s got the right idea though and he certainly is working hard.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m so glad to hear a new mayor is trying to clean up SF. I was there many years ago and really loved it! So beautiful! After reading about it’s decline (putting it mildly) I just didn’t want to go back and ruin my memories of the city. I love to watch old movies of Los Angeles and SF and enjoy the beauty that used to be. I think in the early 20th Century, laws were enforced. The problem we’ve been having is politicians tying the hands of the police and letting the inmates run the asylum. Rogue judges are an issue, too. I really agree with all you said, Kimberly.
LikeLiked by 2 people
agree 100% Judy
LikeLiked by 1 person
America was known as The Country of Laws, enforced without regard to any measure of differentiation. The objective is/was to enforce laws and justice equally to all. That is now an overused cliché and very passé. (Gosh, I used two diacritics in one sentence. Sorry!)
LikeLiked by 1 person
Lol! We have no diacritic limitations here! To your point, we should be able to expect the law will be enforced equally. If they aren’t, the laws can’t be applied to anyone.
LikeLike
So am I! I’m rooting for him. I’d love to see San Francisco make the most impressive comeback in history!
LikeLike