It seems to me the neighborhoods with the most diversities in New York are the ones that experience a lower income. The upper classes no matter what train you take all reside in Manhattan. Manhattan is where jobs such as corporate offices the stock market and real estate are the most expensive. Needless to say, the majority living in Queens and Brooklyn do not have the means to afford their own personal chef, live-in nanny, or housekeeper. It shows that every line on the subway no matter which line you take those that are highest are all located in Manhattan. Manhattan by far receives the most tourist in New York. Manhattan offers fine-dining restaurants, museums, gardens, parks, and fun activities that all exploit a working consumer. Most of New York City’s attractions are not located in Queens, Brooklyn, or the Bronx. As a result, those are the boroughs in the city whose residents earn the least, communities that whose are in decline in cleanliness/nature, and depend more on small businesses to thrive. This is not to say that Manhattan does not have its own “bad” parts, but there is a distinct difference in how the way of life is much different than that of those in other boroughs. The amount of income, Manhattan residents bring into the city has caused the city to raise its prices in both rent and transportation for the boroughs that were known for having affordable living. Given that the current minimum wage in New York is 15 dollars, houses for rent in queens ( well-known for having affordable living) have skyrocketed to studio apartments (which are not that big) becoming over 1,000 dollars. The amount of influence Manhattan has had on its neighboring boroughs has proven to be a great imbalance in the distribution of money.
Based on Reading 4.2, do you notice a general pattern in social classes in NYC?
Hi Victoria! This idea about Manhattan’s amount of tourist attractions, in comparison to the neighboring boroughs, having an effect on prices is very interesting. I’d never thought of it that way before. Additionally, I totally agree with the idea that Manhattan’s rising prices are causing the boroughs (especially west Brooklyn and west Queens) to become more expensive as Manhattan residents seek shelter somewhere less expensive with easy access to the city. I was actually looking at studio apartments in Astoria recently and was shocked to find that most of them start at ~$1700, and those are the smaller ones that aren’t very well maintained.