Rachel Somerstein

Commerce

Increased Drug Activity

I live in Central Harlem, about ten blocks from Central Park. I've been here for the past year and a half. The number of miniature zip lock bags, in which small doses of cocaine are sold, has increased dramatically. Where I used to see one or two every so often, I now see dozens of them, every day, discarded on my block.

In addition, I've witnessed two failed raids on a drug "house" across the street from mine over the past two months. It's worth mentioning that the brownstone down the block is on the market for $3.7 million -- though of course it hasn't sold.

107 west 120 street