# In record numbers, city's residents say they `love' New York



## krull (Oct 8, 2005)

Glad I am not the only one... 


*In record numbers, city's residents say they `love' New York*


BY KIRSTEN SCHARNBERG
Chicago Tribune
Mon, Dec. 26, 2005

NEW YORK - Everyone has seen them: the "I heart NY" T-shirts that tourists buy on their first visit to the Statue of Liberty or Times Square or the Empire State Building.

It turns out that New Yorkers themselves should be wearing the upbeat - if uncharacteristically unstylish - apparel.

A long-running poll that gauges New Yorkers' attitudes toward their frenetic, often maddening metropolis recently found that *61 percent "love" their hometown, the highest percentage in poll history.* "This is an honest-to-God love affair, not just a casual affection," said Maurice Carroll, director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute in Connecticut, which has conducted the poll since 1994.

Just four years after the Sept. 11 attacks on the World Trade Center, when many predicted that hundreds of thousands of residents would flee New York and that those who stayed would never feel quite the same about a place now universally seen as a terrorism target, the poll found that just the opposite has occurred.

*In addition to the 61 percent who say they love the Big Apple, another 22 percent say they "like" New York. Fifteen percent have mixed feelings, and only 2 percent describe their feelings toward the city as "dislike" or "hate."*

"Why doesn't that 1 percent of haters just move back to Boston?" Carroll quipped.

The numbers have not always been so rosy for New York.

*In 1999, just 46 percent of residents said they loved their city. Even more stark: When asked in 1994 how satisfied they were with "the way things are going in New York City today," just 3 percent said they were "very satisfied." That number in the latest poll is 19 percent, with another 56 percent saying they are "somewhat satisfied."*

New York has long been a place that some outsiders love to hate. The people are too rude, they say. The pace is too hectic. The prices are too out of control.

Indeed, there have been years when even the most devoted residents of America's largest city had a hard time disagreeing with some criticisms - in the 1970s when the city almost went bankrupt, in the 1980s when crime was sky high and in the 1990s when the cost of living soared. In fact, at the turn of the millennium, the average cost for a home in Manhattan topped $1 million.

But a stunningly successful 1977 advertising campaign - the launch of the "I heart NY" slogan - has proved to be a timeless refrain among even those New Yorkers who occasionally grow frustrated with the place they call home, who critique it and its leaders, who grumble about pollution and who put up with disruptions like last week's three-day transit system strike.

"Listen, New Yorkers are realists," said former New York Mayor Ed Koch, who was elected to the post the same year the advertising slogan was introduced. *"They know New York is not the most architecturally beautiful - that's Paris. They know it's not even the most interesting - that's London. They know it's not the cleanest - that's probably Chicago. But what distinguishes us is the electricity of New York."*

Yet electricity alone can't explain the numbers found in the latest Quinnipiac poll. Electricity might lead to lust - passionate, short-lived lust - but not the deep love that 61 percent of residents profess.

The breakdown in the numbers also reveals that feelings for New York spanned gender, ethnic and political boundaries. *Fifty-seven percent of Republicans and 62 percent of Democrats said they loved the city. Sixty-one percent of whites, 55 percent of blacks and 66 percent of Hispanics felt the same. Fifty-seven percent of men said they loved New York, compared with 64 percent of women.*

"What's interesting is that this is a cross section of people both ethnically and socioeconomically," said Stanley Renshon, a New York psychoanalyst and professor of political science at the City University of New York. "This is not just Donald Trump saying he loves New York. It's Mr. and Mrs. Jones. It's Mr. and Mrs. Gonzales. It's Mr. and Mrs. Ling."

So from a psychoanalyst's perspective, what about a place can make people feel so strongly for it that they describe their feelings with a word often reserved for only the most important things?

Sept. 11 certainly plays a part, Renshon said. They love a city that has endured, a city that has persevered.

And, paradoxically, the very difficulties associated with life in New York - the struggle of finding a cab during rush hour, the sharp-elbowed sidewalks, the constant racket from the streets when trying to sleep at night - make people love it, the doctor said.

"That whole `If you can make it here you can make it anywhere' song lyric," Renshon said. "They take pride in making it every day, and that makes them feel good not only about themselves but about the place."

But most of all: New York seems to be a city on the rise.

The weekly wage of workers in Manhattan rose 5.8 percent in the first quarter of 2005, according to the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics. The city has had nearly a decade of declining crime rates, and the number of homicides has been more than halved since the early 1990s. Drug dealers and porn shops are no longer the staple fare of Times Square.

"This used to be a pretty rough town to live in," Renshon said. "It's no fun to worry that you can't get back to the bus stop after work without getting mugged. But people see how much safety has improved, how the economy is doing, how much the city has been cleaned up. They love a place that is clearly trying so hard to be better."

At a little street stand on Canal Street, in the heart of New York's teeming Chinatown, Mei Liu was selling the famous "I heart NY" T-shirts earlier this month. It was a cold day and she did not have many customers, but she folded and refolded her wares, making the display orderly and appealing.

"These are very nice shirts," said Liu, 36. "It is a very nice city. My life is better here than it was in China. My children's lives are better."

As Liu spoke, two taxi drivers nearly collided on the corner. One began screaming obscenities at the other. Liu just laughed.

"Most days, very nice city," she repeated.


© 2005 KRT Wire and wire service sources. All Rights Reserved.


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## Mr Man (Sep 11, 2002)

New York rocks. I just wish more hosuing was built so more people can afford to live in the city.


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## CHI (Apr 17, 2004)

I fuckin LOVE New York City and I'd totally agree with ^that^. I want to move to Elmhurst or Jackson Heights in Queens.


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## TalB (Jun 8, 2005)

I find it weird that this is comming from the Chicago Tribune.


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## pottebaum (Sep 11, 2004)

.....why?


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## TalB (Jun 8, 2005)

I would think that they would never say this if it wasn't Chicago.


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## edsg25 (Jul 30, 2004)

TalB said:


> I would think that they would never say this if it wasn't Chicago.



Chicago is so secure in what a great city it is (we are) that it is no problem giving other cities their proper recognition. Chicago is never diminished by positive comments made about other places.


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## JivecitySTL (Sep 12, 2002)

How can you blame them? It's the single most interesting agglomeration of human civilization on the planet (IMO). There is simply nothing like it.


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## I-275westcoastfl (Feb 15, 2005)

Besides the people who are stuck in small cramped 400sqft or smaller apartments who wouldnt like it?


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## deadmaker7 (Apr 28, 2005)

Now if only we could get even 50% of Pittsburgh or Cleveland to love their city. :jk:


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## ROCguy (Aug 15, 2005)

^^ You shouldn't be jk, that's true. The people in all of those cities need to get their act together, take pride in their city, and fix them up.


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## krull (Oct 8, 2005)

I-275westcoastfl said:


> Besides the people who are stuck in small cramped 400sqft or smaller apartments who wouldnt like it?



If I am right... Lots of people live in 400sqft apartments in NYC... and I guess they have been counted in the polls aswell. So they still love NYC!


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## jmancuso (Jan 9, 2003)

*this says it all:*


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## krull (Oct 8, 2005)

Here is a story to even love NYC more!


*New York City Likely To Report Lowest Homicide Rate Since 1963*


BY ELIZABETH SOLOMONT
December 28, 2005

This year, New York City likely will report its lowest rate of homicides in more than four decades, according to recently released police data. Fulfilling police and law enforcement predictions over the past few months, the year-end crime statistics are on track to reflect the lowest homicide rate in the city since 1963, when 549 homicides were reported.

According to police data, the city's total crime rate declined in nearly every category, with 528 murders reported through December 25, down 5.5% from 559 reported during the same time period last year. The crime indexes that reflected the largest drops were burglary, with 23,395 reported cases, down 11.4% from 26,423 this time last year, and grand larceny auto, which had 17,586 incidents this year, an 11.8% drop from 19,955 reported this time last year, according to police data.

Robbery was the only crime category that rose, with a 0.8% increase to 23,948 from 23,786 this time last year, police data indicated.

Police Inspector Michael Coan yesterday said several factors contributed to the low statistical reports. "Crime has decreased over 5% this year, and 18% the last four years. This reflects the outstanding efforts of the men and women of the NYPD," he said.

Specifically, Inspector Coan credited several police initiatives, including Operation Impact, which infuses high crime police precincts with additional officers, and Operation Trident, which dispatches extra officers to three neighborhoods with high crime rates.

In East New York's 75th Precinct, which reported some 100 annual homicides during the 1990s, the 3,391 total crimes reported this year to date reflect a 12.29% decrease from 3,866 crimes reported this time last year. The precint ranks sixth in crime reduction out of 76 police commands in the city, Inspector Coan said. Through December 25, there were 29 reported homicides, the same number reported this time last year, just before the precinct implemented Operation Trident.

Yesterday, the president of the Citizens Crime Commission of New York City, Thomas Repetto, said the city's low crime rates could be attributed to police officials who have focused resources in the most desperate areas, and have "probably done the best job of any Police Department in the United States in reducing crime and keeping it down."

Still, some police precincts that historically report high murder rates reported an increase in homicides, in contrast to the citywide trend.

In Bedford-Stuyvesant's 79th police precinct, where three people were killed within 48 hours last week, police reported 24 homicides through December 25, up 50% from 16 homicides reported this time last year. In the Bronx's 46th police precinct, police data reported that 22 murders occurred, up from 18 this time last year.

Police did not explain yesterday what caused those spikes, but Inspector Coan said that the overall crime rates in those precincts were down. In Bedford-Stuyvesant's 79th Precinct, "overall crime is down 3% this year and 16% in the last four years," he said. Homicides in the Bronx's 46th Precinct "are down more than 65% in the last 12 years, despite an increase in the last two years," he said.

But City Council Member Letitia James, of the Working Families Party in Brooklyn, who represents part of Bedford-Stuyvesant, said police should expand Operation Impact into more police precincts in Central Brooklyn. "It doesn't surprise me that overall crime is down," she said. "However, there are still pockets where too many violent crimes are occurring.


© 2005 The New York Sun, One SL, LLC.


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## Marathoner (Oct 1, 2005)

krull said:


> If I am right... Lots of people live in 400sqft apartments in NYC... and I guess they have been counted in the polls aswell. So they still love NYC!


So as HK. We are even more cramped but still love it.


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## TalB (Jun 8, 2005)

What's there not to love in NYC?


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## ROCguy (Aug 15, 2005)

That's Philadelphia in that picture.


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## krull (Oct 8, 2005)

ROCguy said:


> That's Philadelphia in that picture.


Nope that is in NYC. Philadelphia has another similar one.


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## A42251 (Sep 13, 2004)

^Thats Sixth Avenue somewhere in the mid-50s.


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## ROCguy (Aug 15, 2005)

krull said:


> Nope that is in NYC. Philadelphia has another similar one.


That would explain the lack of the fountain, I know the one in Philly has a fountain worked into it. I thought it was for "the city of brotherly love" what's the one in NYC for?


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## krull (Oct 8, 2005)

I am not sure. It is on the corner of 55th Street and Avenue of the Americas but here are other photos I found on the net...


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## JohnnyMass (Feb 6, 2005)

Not surprised at all...I'm not a resident and I LOVE it!


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## Manila-X (Jul 28, 2005)

Well I love NY as well


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

krull said:


> I am not sure. It is on the corner of 55th Street and Avenue of the Americas but here are other photos I found on the net...


Yes, I spotted this last week, too.


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## ladolcevita (Aug 11, 2005)

Anyone heard "I love New York" from Madonna's new album "Confessions on a Dance Floor".

"If you don't like my attitude
Then you can F off
Just go to Texas
Isn't that where they golf

New York is not for little pussies who scream
If you can't stand the heat
Then get off my street"


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## edsg25 (Jul 30, 2004)

ladolcevita said:


> Anyone heard "I love New York" from Madonna's new album "Confessions on a Dance Floor".
> 
> "If you don't like my attitude
> Then you can F off
> ...


not quite as subtle as "those little town blues are melting away..."


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## krull (Oct 8, 2005)

Oh thanks for sharing that.... Here are all the song lyrics:


*MADONNA LYRICS: 'I Love New York'*


I don't like cities
But I like new york
Other places make me feel like a dork
Los Angeles is for people who sleep
Paris and London
Baby you can keep

[Chorus]
Other cities always make me mad
Other places always make me sad
No other city ever made me glad except New York
I love New York [X3]

If you don't like my attitude
Then you can F off
Just go to Texas
Isn't that where they golf

New York is not for little pussies who scream
If you can't stand the heat
Then get off my street [repeat]

[Chorus]

I love New York [repeat]
Get off my street [repeat]


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## philadweller (Oct 30, 2003)

I spotted that in Philly....LOVE is in the Air.


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## krull (Oct 8, 2005)

Ok... I admit that I love to shop many times. I can't help it. There is so many places to go on different days. 


*N.Y. LOVES TO SHOP* 


By BRADEN KEIL 
March 23, 2006 

Even long lines and rotten service can't ruin the joy of shopping for New Yorkers, a new survey says. 

*More than 70 percent of city residents polled by Zagat's view the time they spend in virtually any kind of a store as a pleasure - not a chore.* 

The biggest complaints are unhelpful salespeople and big crowds - but they're not enough to keep New Yorkers from pulling out their wallets. 

They have so much fun, in fact, they don't want to be distracted. Some 63 percent prefer to shop alone. 

Those are some of the findings revealed in the Zagat Survey's "2006 New York City Shopping" guide, which goes on sale today. 

Zagat's proclaimed 2006 the Year of the Celebrity Shop Owner. 

It noted actress Phoebe Cates Kline is peddling children's clothing at her Blue Tree emporium. Her competitors include Marie-Chantel, the wife of Crown Prine Pavlos of Greece and ex-model Rachel Riley. 

"What's surprising for me was how many new stores there were," said CEO Tim Zagat. "Most of the stores [in the survey] I've never heard of." 

He said that overall, "the one negative is service." 

"The quality of merchandise was, on the average, over four points higher [out of a possible 30] than the service, and that service was going down," he said. 

According to the survey, the most popular chain store is Bed Bath & Beyond, followed by Banana Republic, H&M and Sephora. 

Bloomingdale's leads the department stores, followed by Saks, Macy's, Bergdorf Goodman and Barneys. 


Copyright 2006 NYP Holdings, Inc.


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## FM 2258 (Jan 24, 2004)

New York City is a very awesome city. Although it's a great city it needs more supertall skyscrapers and the original WTC built back to a taller height. Also a rail link from La Guardia to the subway/train system would be essential. 

New York needs alot of work but it's a great city overall.


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## Gabe (Jul 24, 2003)

philadweller said:


> I spotted that in Philly....LOVE is in the Air.


beautiful eyes :runaway:


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## unoh (Aug 13, 2005)

philadweller said:


> I spotted that in Philly....LOVE is in the Air.


blue eyes...


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## ChinaboyUSA (May 10, 2005)

krull said:


> Oh thanks for sharing that.... Here are all the song lyrics:
> 
> 
> *MADONNA LYRICS: 'I Love New York'*
> ...


This is just wonderful. I LOVE NEW YORK.


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## klamedia (Nov 21, 2005)

Is their ever any room to disagree? It's become the Coca-Cola of cities.


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## klamedia (Nov 21, 2005)

ladolcevita said:


> Anyone heard "I love New York" from Madonna's new album "Confessions on a Dance Floor".
> 
> "If you don't like my attitude
> Then you can F off
> ...


Oh please!! This same bitch wrote a song called "Hollywood" on her last album. Peep this sucka!!

Everybody comes to Hollywood
They wanna make it in the neighborhood
They like the smell of it in Hollywood
How could it hurt you when it looks so good

I lost my memory in Hollywood
I've had a million visions, bad and good
There's something in the air in Hollywood
*I tried to leave it but I never could*

Tsk! Tsk! What the twin evils of _Sex And The City _ and Guilliani have done to such a great city. Unbelievably, now you are taking odes from a near 50 year old mother of two on how great New York City is!! (I know. Never end w/ a preposition!) A clear sign that Disney has been tinkering around Times Square far too long. 

You want the real shit pawdnuh??


_"To Live And Die In LA"_
*2pac * 

No doubt
To live and die in LA
California - Don't care what you say about Los Angeles
Still the only place for me it never rains


To Live and Die in LA
Where everyday we try a fatten' our pockets
Us *****z hustle for the cash so it's hard to knock it
Everybody got their own thang currency chasin'
World wide through the hard times worrying faces
Shed tears as we bury *****z close to heart
What was a friend now a ghost in the dark
Cold hearted bout it, ***** got smoked by a fiend
Tryin to floss on em'
Blind to a broken man's dream


A hard lesson--court cases--keep em guessin'
Plea bargain ain't an option now--so I'm stressin'


Cost me more to be free than a life in the Penn
Making money off of cuss words--writin' again
Learn how to think ahead--so I fight with my pen
Late night down sunset like in a sin
What's the worst they could do to a *****
Get me lost in hell--To Live and Die in LA
On bail--my angels sing...


Chorus:


To Live and Die in LA, it's the place to be
You've got to be there to know it
Where everybody wanna see
To Live and Die in LA, it's the place to be
You've got to be there to know it
Everybody wanna see


It's the cities of angels and constant danger
South Central LA--can't get no stranger
Full of drama like a soap opera
On the curb watching the ghetto bird helicopters
I observe--so many *****z
Gettin 3 strikes--tossed in jail
Swear the Penn's right across from hell
I can't cry--cause it's home now
I'm just a ***** on his own now
Livin life thug style--so I can't smile
Writin to my peoples
When they ask for pictures
Thinkin Cali just fun and bitches
(hahaha)
Better learn about the dress code
B's and C's--all them other *****z copycats
These is G's
I love Cali like I love woman
Cause every ***** in LA
Got a little bit of thug in em'


We might fight amongst each other
But I promise you this
We'll burn this bitch down--get us pissed
To Live and Die in LA


~Chorus~


It wouldn't be LA with out Mexicans
Black love, Brown pride
and the sets again--Pete Wilson
Tryin to see us all broke
I'm on some bullshit
Out for everything they owe
Remember K day
Weekends--Crenshaw--MLK
Automatics rang free *****z lost they way
Gang signs bein shown
***** love your hood
But recognize and it's all good
Where the weed at--*****z gettin shermed out
Snoop Dogg in this muthafucka burned out
M-O-B
Big Suge in the lo lo
Bounce and turn
Dogg Pound in the Lex
With an ounce to burn
Got them Watts *****z with me OFCP
They got some hash
Took a stash
Left the rest for me
Neckbone--Dre, Heron, Bungy too
Big Rock got knocked
But this one's for you
I hit the studio and drop a jewel
Hoping it pay
Gettin high--watchin time fly
To Live and Die in LA


~Chorus~


Makaveli:


This goes out for 92.3, 106--all the radio stations
That be bumping my shit 
Makin my shit sales Quadruple, Quadrople, platinum
This goes out to all the magazines
That support a *****
All the real mufuckas
All the stores, the mom & pop spots
A&R people, all yawl mufuckas
LA--California love
Part mufuckin 2 without gay ass Dre 

I don't think this was the hardcore shit Madonna was talking about.
I love New York City. But please don't disgrace the city with this new post Dinkins, push all of the poor people out, close down countless artists galleries to make way for expensive ass condo bullshit. ****! You can't even get a decent blow job on the pier anymore!


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## EtherealMist (Jul 26, 2005)

agreed. NYC is awesome, Madonna sucks and should stay in england.


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