Survey says residents love Queens

Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the happiest of them all? Queens, according to a new survey.
The Citizens Committee for New York City conducted its annual survey to find the happiest borough. The committee surveyed 4,400 New Yorkers online and on the street, asking them how they feel about their neighborhood and what could be improved.
The results revealed that the residents of Queens were the most satisfied with their community and highly involved too. In regards to satisfaction, 94 percent said they were either “satisfied” or “very satisfied,” up from 82 percent last year.
Residents surveyed said they enjoyed being close to public transportation, living on tree-lined streets and among a diverse mix of people.
Nearly 65 percent of Queens residents said they had “attended a resident-led activity” and 56 percent said they had attended a public meeting, rally or discussion about a neighborhood issue.
Furthermore, difficult economic times have some homeowners and renters worried about their neighborhood becoming too expensive. The survey showed that 29 percent fear this possibility. This number was the lowest of all the boroughs, however.
In Manhattan, 57 percent showed anxiety over the same concern. Fifty-eight percent of Bronx residents feel their neighborhood will become too expensive.
Debbie Scarlino, a student at St. John’s University, says she likes Queens because it has a residential feel and finds the traffic to be more tolerable compared to other boroughs.
“Unlike Manhattan, I can actually manage to drive in Queens,” she said.
Another resident, Paul Wentz, said, “There is a lot of diversity here and a lot of things to do. Not many people know that, but they should.”
- See Editorial on Page 16.