When I lived in New York during the 1980’s, a visitor to this area of Manhattan had a life expectancy that could be measured in minutes. Today, this whole area on the west of the island is a park, and you can even find a driving range.
Sadly, a tragic side effect of transforming an impoverished, crime-ridden area into a wonderful tourist location was to drive up the cost-of-living so that only very wealthy people can afford to live here.