STREETS OF NEW YORK

Need a heart of gold
flesh and blood to hold
Someone to rely on
as nights grow cold
A vision of beauty
in this lonely city
Through crowded sidewalks
on streets of New York
b
Grifters beggars
whores bootleggers
all existing together.
-
Conscience'well weathered
rushing everywhere.
like taxi cabs chasing fares

A seat in the park
leaving before dark
collar up to the wind
as stray dogs bark
Wishing I had someone
dreaming the sun shone
Strangers never talk
on streets of New YORK

b
Grifters beggars
whores bootleggers
all existing together.
-
Conscience'well weathered
rushing everywhere.
like taxi cabs chasing fares

On the streets of New York

The idea of finding someone with whom to experience, to make tolerable the sordid realities of "Streets of New York" seems to be the main idea.
Verse II 'Wishing I had someone' reemphasizes that idea, which opened Verse I, (I) 'need a heart of gold', 'someone'.

With a city as famous as New York I think you need Rhyme-Words to set up for it.
I'd run through the alphabet and see if a Rhyme-Word inspires a Line that could be coherent in the story.
bore, born, boor, boar, core, cork, court, door, drawer, floor, for, fork, four, form, moor, more, orb, pour, pore, pork, score, scorn, shore, sore, soar, store, stork, tore, torn, carnivore, whore.

In what you identify as the Bridge you do more exposition on New York, not the desire for a person to share it with.
I would think that would be a Change of Melody and Lyric to emphasize what's important in the Song.
"Grifters beggars whores bootleggers..." Where's the longing for the 'someone'?

Cheers Gary
A few good points there
Another rewrite coming
John