Noise, Garbage Top Annoyances In City, Poll Finds
This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.
When Mayor Giuliani was in office, minimizing violent crime and removing the homeless from the streets were at the top of his agenda. He succeeded, if a Citizens for NYC poll of more than 600 city residents is to be believed. These problems are seen as much less troublesome than people honking their horns or littering, according to the survey.
Of the 33 possible annoyances listed in the survey, “street noise” and excessive “litter or garbage” were most often cited, though only in Manhattan were they listed as the top nuisances.
Despite all the talk of development in Brooklyn, residents of Queens and Staten Island were the most concerned with possible growth. Excessive growth and “over-building” were the top concerns for residents of these boroughs.
The Bronx and Brooklyn shared similar concerns, with “lack of organized activities for youth” ranking first and second, respectively. The residents’ desires for additional structured youth programs could result from their similarly inflated concerns over “drugs or drug dealing,” which ranked second and fifth among those boroughs’ residents.
The “seasonal” nature of the replies to the survey mean that the answers could change throughout the year, Stephen Immerwahr, a spokesman for Baruch College, which designed the poll, said. “In summer, for example, more people have their windows open, so would inevitably complain about more noise.”
Compared with last year’s survey, 47% said the city’s problems were getting better, 28% said they saw no change, and 25% said the problems had gotten worse. Citizens for NYC’s president, Peter Kostmayer, however, said that neighborhood problems should be considered and solved by the residents themselves, rather than by turning to government and demanding action.
Where the government is involved in neighborhoods, the residents reported it was doing a fine job. “Lack of public transportation” ranked as the least important concern for residents in every borough save Staten Island, where it was in the middle of the residents’ complaints.
