In Queens, New York City, a commercial strip on Roosevelt Avenue has become a hotbed for open-air prostitution, prompting a recent police raid on a brothel. However, astonishingly, the same brothel was back in business within 24 hours. Fox News Digital visited the area to report on the illegal activities and captured footage of an alleged sex worker and her client leaving the building. The building, a former beauty salon, appears closed, but a makeshift door has been cut out of the metal shutter doors covering the storefront. Two CCTV cameras are stationed overhead.
The alleged sex worker in the video was later seen soliciting sex along with other women near the brothel. Residents in the area, including local activist Ramses Frías, describe the prostitution situation on Roosevelt Avenue reminiscent of red-light district streets in Bangkok. Locals have dubbed the area the “Avenue of the Sweethearts” due to the large number of alleged sex workers openly advertising their services on the sidewalks. Additionally, illegal vendors selling hot food and used clothes contribute to the “third world” conditions in the neighborhood.
Despite prostitution being illegal in New York, the area continues to be plagued by lawlessness with little repercussions for those involved. In previous raids conducted by the NYPD, no arrests were made, leading to criticism from activists like Curtis Sliwa. Sliwa, founder of the Guardian Angels, and a Republican mayoral candidate, described the previous raid as a “show raid” as no arrests were made, and the businesses were back in operation the following day. He attributed the lack of action to the area’s status as poor and impoverished in the eyes of many New Yorkers.
The Queens District Attorney’s Office confirms it is working to shut down the brothel on Roosevelt Avenue with the NYPD separately seeking a nuisance abatement order against the establishment. Local activists like Frías continue to raise awareness about the ongoing issues in the area, calling out elected leaders for their inaction. The prevalence of prostitution, illegal vendors, and lawlessness in the neighborhood has turned the once vibrant commercial strip into a red-light district akin to those found in other parts of the world.
Residents and activists are demanding more accountability from law enforcement and elected officials in addressing the rampant prostitution and illegal activities in the neighborhood. The lack of arrests following previous raids has been met with criticism and calls for more proactive measures to combat the ongoing issues. Fox News Digital’s coverage of the situation on Roosevelt Avenue sheds light on the challenges facing the community and the need for a coordinated effort to address the root causes of the lawlessness in the area.
