Carroll Gardens' "Crack Alley" Problem

More reader correspondence on Carroll Gardens' 505 Court Street offers some steamy neighborhood intel. A resident writes:

I agree with some of the points in today's post on the condos at 505 Court. Perhaps some of the residents are just bitter that we're short of the $100,000 you'd have to come up with for a down payment to buy a place here. The area's developing so fast it's hard to watch an opportunity pass by just because you don't have a nice wad of inheritance or possibly I-banker money to plunk down.

However, reasons remain why it's hard to fathom paying nearly a million dollars for a place here. I truly love the neighborhood -- full of great people, history, churches, bars, restaurants and homes. However, we all wish the local cops would do something about the "crack alley" problem.

There's a big factory of some sort on the other side of Smith near Huntington St., right across from the candy factory. There seems to be a problem with prostitution and crack deals going on behind it. I've seen both the hookers and evidence of the crack.

One morning I ran into a maintenance worker I know who was sweeping the sidewalk so locals didn't have to crunch over all the crack vials -- and there were many in the dustpan. Another local I spoke to once parked their car near the factory returned later to find it had been used and abused as a, um, "hotel," by prostitutes who, seemingly, were turning tricks for crack money. Evidence of both was found in the car (decision time: burn the seats or give a big tip to your auto detailer?) Locals theorize that this drug alley is one of the reasons there are so many panhandlers in the neighborhood.