21 Get Jumped Street: A New West Side Hell
Tucked between the second (lust) and third (greed) circles of hell lies 21st Street, which the Post is calling the new clubland. And it's true the massive hornet's nest of clubs in the area belches out Axe-wearing alpha males and glitter-bodied sad girls like an old factory chimney. What with Prey Bar and Lounge, Snitch's, Duvet and Aspen, the FlatIron has become the lowest point in the dirty bathroom floor of New York club life. The Post notes the District's clubs now have a capacity of 10,000. To put that in perspective that's about twice the entire freshman class of NYU crammed into the space of a few blocks. (Eww!) And what, Prey tell, do you imagine might be the outcome of such a glut of revelers? Bonhomie? Fraternit ? Esprit De Corps? Nope. Murder, Mayhem, Marauding.
As clubs on 27th street have shuttered, the crime has migrated down to 21st street. As per a the handy graphic in the Post, one can see almost an exact 1:1 relationship between felony assaults reported on 27th street v. on 21st. You know, we used to think the myth of clubgoers turning violent was just another urban myth along the lines of albino ninjas in the sewers and rats in kitchens. It's nice to see that at least there's some certainty in this topsy turvy world—namely, where testosterone, Red Bull and Vodka meet, bloodshed shall follow.