Certainly not one of the smart cities according to common criteria, but when I think of the symbol of a city, the Empire State Building always comes to mind. And then the metro timetables with the red, green, yellow, blue, brown and gray lines, certainly a factor that makes a city worth living.
How is public transport, how can I get from A to B quickly and easily without a car, how far are they? Located in the heart of Queens, Sunnyside Gardens is cute and family-friendly, and certainly not typically urban with its single-family homes and courtyards. However, it has also become a tip among young people, because the neighborhood is right next to the 7 train, which takes you to Manhattan in 20 minutes, rattling like a tin can. High rents are pushing more and more New Yorkers east. Even Brooklyn, with an average rent of $ 3,629 in August 2022, has become inaccessible to many, as the median income in this borough is just over $ 33,000 a year.
And this is another criterion of a smart city: how affordable it is. New York certainly does very badly here; it is one of the most expensive cities in the world. With all the prices, not just accommodation, the New Yorker has to top it: coffee, groceries, school and college, everything is expensive here. New York has 8.3 million inhabitants, of which 1.5 million live in poverty. The state, the latest under Governor Andrew Cuomo, now under his successor Kathy Hochul, is looking to build new condos in Manhattan and Brooklyn and is giving away apartments in lotteries for low-income people. But this process can take years.
Another perennial problem in New York is traffic, especially in Manhattan. Yellow cabs in traffic jams are as much a part of the urban landscape as the Empire State Building, but New York City also seeks relief here, because a city is particularly liveable when it offers space for pedestrians and cyclists. Manhattan’s new toll program aims to reduce traffic, improve public transportation, reduce travel times and improve the city’s air quality. According to the environmental impact assessment, eight million trips are made every day by car, public transport or bicycle in or out of the respective residential area. According to the transport authority, the congestion charging model has proven itself in other cities around the world such as Stockholm, London and Singapore. If approved, New York would have the country’s first congestion toll system.
Life in New York is exhausting, noisy, expensive and dirty. And while living here is certainly not smart in the traditional sense, it is insanely rewarding and exciting. I agree with writer Fran Lebowitz, a woman born in New Jersey and who has lived here for decades: “There is no more difficult place to live than New York. But, of course, I’ve made the decision many times, even if it’s easier [elsewhere]I am not interested [to live anywhere else]. “
