The streets and alleys of the ward were notoriously filthy, and the contractors habitually neglected them, not failing, however, to draw their regular payments from the city treasury.
This is something everyone knows: A well-used city street is apt to be a safe street. A deserted city street is apt to be unsafe.
There were people everywhere on the city street, but the stranger could not have been more alone if it were empty.
I'm a creature of the New York City streets.