Yeah, I don't remember seeing any excrement when I visited NYC, but there was a sanitation workers' strike on, so trash was overflowing the sidewalks and spilling into the streets. The smell was eye-watering. A homeless guy spat in my face on the subway too. IMO not a city to brag about. Though I've seen reporting (possibly click-bait) that Zorhan is effectively ramping up the excrement-factor, so maybe that's a thing now.