I think moreso than just a microscope placed on the negative aspects of the city, these types of images bother people because they're shameless objectification. There is a rule in the Geneva Convention against photographing POWs, because they see it is inhumane. Like it or not, this city isn't abandoned, so when we photograph it--no matter how hard we try to keep people out of frame (which is done intentionally by all these hack photographers)--we're photographing someone's home, pitying it, ridiculing it, standing in awe that anyone could have such a shitty life. But guess what? That is the reality of the situation. It's a goddam POW camp being stripped of it's humanity by the lens. Just today I saw some suburban looking cunt standing in the middle of my street taking a picture of a building, the neighborhood; whatever it was I'm not sure. My cynical side wanted to veer off into the lane in which she was standing. Fortunately, my optimistic side is quite a bit stronger.
Yeah, there is something to be said for optimism. Could be that she was photographing your street because she sees the beauty in it. As I recall you have some fantastic old architecture there. Maybe she has an affection for such things?