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Restaurants and local coffee places seem to be benefitting from expanded outdoor dining, which has been wonderful for those of us working from home. In fact, I doubt if there’s a local coffee chain on the UWS without at least one millennial on the laptop at all moments! That said, Broadway is struggling with lots of storefronts still empty from pandemic closures. This is something that is lamented in the news and by candidates in the 2021 local elections. Rents are likely not helping. Transportation, notably the lack of Select Buses and the patchy A/C/E service, make commuting difficult. This is a sore spot, especially as the UES has better transit, but the only crosstown SBS is at 79th St.
The most obvious cultural interest is Lincoln Center. The great thing about Lincoln Center is that, during the summer (even through the pandemic) that have tons of free and low cost outdoor events. I’ve often gone to the opera screenings and Midsummer Night Swing events and with friends from the community. This past summer, they also turned the public space into a “lawn” with faux grass and lots of seating. There were frequent live performances and little food stands. People of all ages used it, but I certainly saw a lot from my community of millennials taking advantage of it. Central Park & Riverside Park serve similar purposes as gathering places.
The UWS is, mainly, outside of major flood zones, but flooding after major rain storms and hurricanes is still a concern. Central Park stays puddly and muddy for ages, it seems. Rising housing costs of concern. Purchasing a home for a family is next to impossible and rents, which became briefly decent during the pandemic, are rising sharply. And new builds continue to open with rents and purchase prices well higher than established buildings. Affordable options are coming available for seniors, but I should note that while there are more seniors here than in the City as a whole, there are also more 20-45 year olds--at least for now.
If you believe the local papers, crime is a major concern. Shoplifting and bands of illegal ATVs both featured prominently this week. I don’t think these are massive concerns for my community though. Looking at 311 complaints, there aren’t actually any major problems. Similarly the NYPD’s reporting data shows relatively few thefts in the past month, though they did show a small increase year over year. Rising rents (for housing and commercial space) are a more critical problem, making the community feel atomized and forcing us to move out of the area. Increasing affordable housing, as well as expanding affordable shopping options (esp for groceries), would be a boon to the community.
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