Re-institutionalization. Maybe far better than what happened before with the asylums and the horrible conditions, but these homeless people are seriously messed up with whatever and just can't function well out in the streets. We have to design and build psych facilities that keep them and us safe. It's well worth the money.

amanda, what's a penus? Also, what's a "testorone carring leech"?

Don't worry, they WILL all die. I guarantee it.

there are plans to move one homeless shelter from Manhattan to a smaller shelter on Franklin Ave(clinton hill)...So more HOBOS, USELESS MEN WITH TALKING PENUSES will be annoying hard working 9-5 women on our way to work.

If it was up to me, I would send all this mindless useless testorone carring leeches to the moon. Why do we women have to put up with early morning and afternoon harrasment! FUKHEADS!

I wish they will die. Seriously.

"I've only lived here half a year though."

I am glad you seem to be admitting that only living someplace for a few months doesn't make you an expert on the neighborhood. You wouldn't know what it was like there last summer or 11 summers ago. The writer mentioned her friends have lived in Sunnyside for more than a decade but have only noticed an uptick in the homeless population recently. So that means it's time to call some serious attention to the situation.

Pleasured himself?

I thought that only happened in Barbara Cartland novels...

JacqueMehoff, Camp LaGuardia won't reopen soon. NYC sold it to Orange County, which is now in talks to sell it to a developer to build a hotel, golf course, and appx. 1000 houses.

Bozack;

Yeah, I think those two junkies are not long for this world; they seem to really care about each other, though, which is nice to see. There's one other big dude I've noticed lately who looks like he went to a rock concert and never came home. When I heard about this woman, that's the guy that popped into my mind.

(By the way, Babyhitler, thay're all white; you see what you want to see...)

I think it's worth pointing out out that most of the derelicts we're talking about couldn't win a fight with a child. They're too hungry, drunk, sick, dreranged, frightened, etc. Yes, they smell bad; they're living on the street, and many are too crazy or despondent to take care of themselves. But an affront to your delicate sensibilities is a far cry from an assault on your person.

Of course you'll see such an article from Queens Crap. They're the free tabloid of NYC. Kevin, get a job already!

Are all you people relatives of Clippy or something? People type quickly between sips of coffee -- when Gothamist can afford someone to spellcheck and correct all the typos of all the commentors (and I doubt that will ever happen, since even the posts here are full of typos), then you should feel justified in spending your valuable time calling people idiots for their spelling and grammar slips.

:)

It always amazes me how people pounce on someone who spells something wrong, as if it were a sign of moral or mental degeneracy. Most people make loads of mistakes in their typing, even highly educated people whose intelligence you would hardly put in doubt.

Back to the subject -- So! Sunnyside has pervs, eh? Welcome to the club!

Send them to Cuba.

So...she came first and then he came after her? I thought she didn't like the guy.

How can you telll a real homeless who deserves our sympathy and help, versus a hipster douchebag who pretends to be poor and deserves a serious beatdown?

All of you naive morons who think that homeless crazies aren't a problem that needs dealing with...just wait until they start to invade Williamsburg. Makes a difference when they come to your neighborhood.

I have to agree with her about the rise in skels in the 'hood as of late. I've lived in Sunnyside for 12 years. In terms of bums, there's the black dude that mumbles and spits, then there's the white dude that shits underneath the el - they've been here for years. Over the last month there's been an influx of new bums outta nowhere. I understand that this is NYC, but from 2 bums to a crew of new bums in a month is pretty notable. It's a very small nabe, you know. I like the other two guys 'cos they keep to themselves.... If it's any consolation to the woman who was attacked - the new bums look like pretty serious junkies and they'll probably die soon. On the upside, the downturn in the economy, and

the increase of street urchins may prevent further gentrification in the 'hood.

When I'm elected President, I am going to form a special Task Force that will roam the streets, capturing homeless people on sight and locking them up indefinitely so they cannot be a nuisance or danger to decent, upstanding citizens.

Don't get me wrong, I feel bad for them, but enough already. We get it, you don't have a house. WE GET IT.

Nothing ruins your day faster than catching a whif of that "bum stench." Yuck.

Even "bums and derelicts" want to feel safe that's why many hang around in places like Sunnyside. Having a nice neighborhood can be a magnet for many kinds of people.

I was born in Sunnyside. I remember stories of a girl getting raped not far from our apartment building. That was twenty years ago. Bad things happen. It may look suburban but it's still NYC.

I used to live in Sunnyside for 2 years sometime ago, it was a great neighborhood, totally love it. a lot of times i would come home very late at night (or very early in the am), and I usually felt very safe getting around those hours. never had any problem either with homeless or anything. maybe that's just me, or i didnt pay attention enough.

I've been living in Sunnyside 3 yrs and have several friends who've been here for about a decade. I've noticed one or two more derelicts lately, but no increase in aggressive behavior. (I work weird hours so I'm out and about at weird hours, when weird things happen.) What happened to this woman was a criminal act, and must have been a terrible experience for her, but it doesn't equal a trend. Isolated incidents aside, It's still almost ridiculously safe here.

I've actually lived in Sunnyside most of my life (since '76), and up until very recently there were maybe three homeless guys that traversed the greater Western Queens area that I recognized (I'd seen the same dudes in LIC, Woodside, Jackson Heights, etc.) There definitely seems to be an uptick in my sightings of the homeless, especially elderly ones, in the neighborhood.