There goes the neighborhood.
Higher East Facet residents have been largely unfazed as a automobile left stripped of all 4 tires was left balancing on milk crates within the often lowkey neighborhood close to Gracie Mansion.
A white Honda CRV had its tires — and wheel locks — swiped in a single day into Tuesday on East 86th Road close to York Avenue in entrance of a doorman constructing and simply a few blocks from the mayor’s residence.
“It’s a typical day around here,” elevator mechanic Kim Harris, 44, advised The Publish. “They pull up right next to your car… it’s like an express tire shop that you didn’t ask for.”
The CRV proprietor’s boyfriend, Ephraim Heirschberg, known as the pre-dawn raid beautiful.
“I’m here 40 years in this building, and I’ve never seen anything like this before,” he mentioned of the crime that had echoes of town’s grittier “bad old days.”
“I think we live in a very safe area over here, the mayor’s here, the police department is here … this is the first time I’ve encountered anything like this in this neighborhood.”
The sufferer, who requested to be recognized a Anna Okay., had a blunt reply when requested if she nonetheless felt protected in her neighborhood.
“No! I don’t feel safe anymore,” she mentioned with amusing as her automobile was being towed.
It’s unclear when the theft came about, however constructing workers on the block mentioned employees would possibly’ve been too busy dealing with rain of their basements following Monday’s flash flood downpour.
Anna wasn’t the one motorist having a awful day within the luxe Manhattan neighborhood.
One other automobile was additionally de-wheeled in a single day Tuesday, in keeping with pictures offered to The Publish.
Quite a few residents who dwell or work within the space mentioned two different vehicles have been additionally robbed of their tires lately.
“It’s a thing now, I guess, they’re targeting this area,” mentioned Teresa A, who lives within the space. “And it usually never happens in this area.”
She added she’s seen just a few posts on NextDoor and an Higher East Facet Fb web page about different tire thefts.
A roadside help technician from MacArthur Towing, Jason Rivera, who was readily available to haul the white SUV away, mentioned the thefts generally is a fast pit cease.
“In and out, these guys that do this, give them 10 minutes and they’re out of there,” the 31-year-old mentioned.
Whereas theft and housebreaking have dropped 11% and 13% in 2025 in comparison with the identical time span final 12 months, grand larceny and grand theft auto have elevated modestly by 3.2% and 4.6%, respectively, in keeping with NYPD information.
Petit larceny has jumped 6.8% in comparison with the identical time span final 12 months.
Jason Okay., who works in a close-by constructing, mentioned he’s by no means seen a brazen theft like this within the neighborhood.
“I’ve only ever seen this in the Bronx,” he mentioned.
“They were taking catalytic converters last year,” Kathleen O., 71, added. “They wouldn’t do it for fun, there’s profit to be made.”
Extra reporting by Amanda Woods
