Cryptic crossword clue
Downtown area you see with deficit, yes! 5,4

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 5 plus 4 letter word INNER CITY

I've seen this crossword clue in Financial Times
I
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Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "Downtown area" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case downtown area = inner city.
The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.
This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.

What does INNER CITY mean?

INNER CITY adjective
  1. Of, pertaining to, or situated in the central part of a city, especially an older, populous area of low-income or immigrant families.

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