A recent study reflected dissatisfaction with the quality of life among city dwellers, with residents of Queens expressing agreement. The Citizens Budget Commission’s 2025 NYC Resident Survey disclosed that a mere 33 percent of respondents from the borough deemed their quality of life as ‘good’ or ‘excellent’. Across the city, the figure was slightly higher, at 34 percent. When questioned, individuals from various Queens communities highlighted areas of concern, with some expressing satisfaction but acknowledging the need for improvements.
Glen Oaks Village Co-op President Bob Friedrich communicated via email, “In our small NYC corner, residents of Glen Oaks Village feel secure but question the sustainability of this status.” Friedrich addressed the city’s increasing ‘sense of lawlessness,’ pointing to criminal activities like aggressive solicitation, theft, and car robbery. He believes these crimes often go ‘virtually unpunished.’
Reflecting on previous times, Friedrich noted: ‘Not too long ago, we held the title of the nation’s safest large city. Now, the quality of life feels diminished, resulting from poor policy decisions, which many people supported through their votes.’ He emphasized: ‘Without proactive law enforcement, our salvation from this abyss is unlikely.’
Bob Holden, City Councilman of Maspeth, agreed that ideal quality of life often mirrors law enforcement. According to Holden, minor crimes chip away at the quality of life. He gave examples like public urination, neglected vehicles, turnstile hopping, and sidewalk riding on e-bikes, stating how the number of police greatly impacts these issues. He further added that laws decriminalizing such behaviors also play a part.
The June CBC survey disclosed that only 42 percent of city inhabitants rated public safety in their communities as good or excellent. This figure is lower than the 50 percent reported in 2017, however, it shows progress when compared to 2023.
President of the Old Astoria Neighborhood Association, Richard Khuzami, expressed that while his area has grown safer over the years, recent years witnessed a decline in quality-of-life enforcement. In his view, even slight offenses such as traffic breaches can accumulate over time, leading to a reduced trust in public safety.
Khuzami reasoned: ‘Without some form of accountability for repeat offenders, even so-called ‘minor’ crimes pile up, culminating in the disorder we are witnessing on our streets.’ He argued that first-time and isolated incidents should not be prosecuted, but repeated lawbreakers should face consequences.
Auburndale Improvement Association President Henry Euler, while content with the quality of life in his area, acknowledged it’s susceptible to enhancement. Euler highlighted road safety, saying many fellow community members feel unsafe to drive due to the reckless behavior of e-bike riders.
Euler illustrated, ‘Those on e-bikes often carelessly integrate into traffic without considering other road users,’ and added, ‘We do not wish for any mishaps, yet this poses a significant problem.’ Edwin Eppich, a resident of Glendale, concurred with Euler, adding that traffic complications are common, with roads frequently congested.
Eppich pointed out another issue: outsiders parking their vehicles and leaving them idle for extended periods. He also mentioned the nuisance of scooters on walkways, a concern also shared by Richmond Hill resident and Community Board 9 Chair, Sherry Algredo. Other issues Algredo highlighted included unauthorized smoke shops increasingly dotting the neighborhood.
Based on the survey, the percentage of individuals who felt comfortable or extremely safe walking alone at night in their neighborhoods decreased from 70 percent in 2017 to 59 percent citywide. Nonetheless, Oster Bryan, President of St. Albans Civic Improvement Association, spoke of the ‘nuisances’ in his area but asserted that the largely residential district is not a high-crime zone.
Acknowledging the NYPD’s new dedicated Q-teams for handling quality-of-life matters, Bryan nevertheless stated that government services have always been a source of complaint in his neighborhood. Many feel neglected by the authorities. ‘We are under the impression that we do not receive the level of attention from city agencies that other neighborhoods do,’ he offered.
A few residents pointed to specific policies that affected their perception of quality of life, such as changes allowed under the ‘City of Yes for Housing Opportunity’ zoning plan enacted last year. According to Euler, many community members fear potential overdevelopment resulting from more intense yet impending developments.
Friedrich expressed a slightly different concern, citing Local Law 97, designed to decrease large buildings’ greenhouse gas emissions and achieve net zero by 2050, has affected residents. He explained that the regulation has created fear among certain demographics like seniors, young families, and paycheck-to-paycheck earners, who are concerned about potential penalties and fear they may no longer afford to stay in their homes.
The post Queens Residents Express Dissatisfaction with Quality of Life in Survey appeared first on Real News Now.
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