President’s Letter: February 2025
Monthly observations and insights from MAS Interim President Keri Butler
It can feel impossible to know where to focus our energy these days. Executive orders, layoffs, and budget cuts continue to impact local organizations and communities. But as New York City heads into the mayoral primary this June, the People’s Pulse survey offers an early snapshot of where New Yorkers want city leadership to focus. Unsurprisingly, New Yorkers continue to call on the city to build more affordable housing for low and middle-income families and protect current residents from displacement.
For me, the most interesting finding is that, despite these challenges, a majority of New Yorkers like their neighborhoods. “When asked to rate their neighborhood as a place to live, 51% of New Yorkers rated their neighborhood as excellent or good. 34% of respondents rated their neighborhood as fair, while just 11% of New Yorkers rated their neighborhood as a poor or very poor place to live.” Let’s unpack this…
Are we thriving in our local communities while fretting about the state of the city at large? Is this akin to the paradox of distrusting Congress as an institution, but supporting the Congressperson from one’s own district? Are New Yorkers more focused on their neighborhoods due to hybrid work? Is local pride an inherently New Yorker mindset?
As part of the MAS Enduring Culture Initiative, we released our own survey asking New Yorkers to tell us about their top issues but also what makes their neighborhoods unique. We heard similar concerns regarding a lack of affordability for residents and businesses. East Village rents are too high to attract affordable eateries. Crown Heights neighbors want more tree plantings. Prospect Heights residents feel unwelcome in new upscale stores.
We heard about the vibrant West Indian community of Little Caribbean in Brooklyn, where housing is an issue and more green space and plazas are needed. In Ridgewood, Queens, people cherish their local Polish delis, Italian bakeries, street vendors, churches, and music venues but asked, “How can renters experience the benefits of the good parts of gentrification without being squeezed out of their hard-earned businesses, places of living, and cultural places?”
The MAS Enduring Culture survey offers admittedly more anecdotal evidence, but this adds color and a human touch to the quantitative data of the People’s Pulse Survey and will help guide MAS‘s advocacy. Stories and images shared by community members, combined with statistics, are a powerful tool for advocates and can help focus the attention of the mayoral candidates in the months to come.
Enduring Culture, a multivocal historic preservation vision for New York City
Related Initiatives
Reimagining NYC's major streets with safety and sustainability in mind
Protecting New York’s 80-acre network of public plazas and arcades