I don't think it's that exaggerated. The author is totally correct on West Village, for example. I don't live in NYC anymore but each time I visit it the mix of

I don't think it's that exaggerated. The author is totally correct on West Village, for example. I don't live in NYC anymore but each time I visit it the mix of store noticeably changes (so yes, a lot of turnover) and at least 1 in 4 storefronts are closed/for lease. Ironically the ones with staying power are those sketchy cheap jewelry stores that are of course not money laundering operations.