How is it possible that one of the most sought-after neighborhoods in New York City — and one of the the most expensive — could have one of the worst crime rates in the city, second only to Midtown's property crime.

Just as the tree-lined streets and 19th-century townhouses of Greenwich Village have increasingly drawn new wealthy residents, so too have they — and the area's commercial strips, especially near New York University and Christopher Street — become a magnet for thieves. The neighborhood, which also includes the nightclub-heavy area of the Meatpacking District, ranks 68th out of 69 in DNAinfo.com's Crime & Safety Report for overall crime, for property crime and for grand larceny categories.

The good news, though, is that property crime rates in the 6th Precinct, which covers the area, are trending downward, except for car thefts, which jumped 18 percent in 2010, to 45. Still, the area ranks 14th for this category. Burglaries fell by 24 percent, to 176, and grand larcencies were down 4 percent, to 1,053. Long-term trends show even more significant improvements, with overall crime down 71 percent from 1993 to 2010 and steep declines in car thefts (94 percent) and burglaries (78 percent) over that period. When the focus is on violent crimes, Greenwich Village fares better, ranking 32nd, but recent trends are troubling.