NYC Ranked 10th Most Miserable City – Shocker? NOT!

Try dating!

Forbes recently released their “America’s Most Miserable Cities 2013” list, with Detroit grabbing the No. 1 spot. What may be surprising to some is that New York City took the No. 10 spot. To come up with the rankings, the magazine compiled a list of the 200 largest metro areas in the U.S., then ranked them according to nine factors: foreclosures, taxes (property and income), unemployment, violent crime, net migration, weather, commute times, and home prices. When it comes to New York, according to Forbes, “Taxes are always a hot button issue in New York, whether it revolves around banks paying their share … or the taxes that residents face, which are the highest in the U.S. New Yorkers also rank first when it comes to the longest commutes.”

New York has the worst commute time in the nation with 33.54 minutes. New York (and New Jersey) have the highest property tax bills in the U.S., the average home price in the five boroughs is about $786,000, and, according to the latest stats by the New York State Department of Labor, the unemployment rate in New York City stayed steady at 8.8 percent in December. It’s not particularly surprising that New York has a high spot on Forbes’ list.

New Yorkers Speak Out

I reached out to New Yorkers via social media and asked what they thought about the ranking, and as to be expected, there were some strong opinions about the best and worst aspects of living in a city that consists of more than 8 million people. Here’s what they had to say:

“I can give countless reasons why New York is miserable. I cannot stand the people. Everyone thinks they are better than the next, when realistically, their lives are miserable. Everything is expensive. I paid $2,200 in rent for a one-bedroom apartment to have it smell like fish and to be consumed with rats. I am from New Jersey, and with all the criticism they get, it’s far more beautiful — the true people, the atmosphere, and the life.” — Linda Marasco Giuliani, Massapequa, New York.

“I’m not surprised by this ranking. I’ve always said that New York is the best worst city in the world. You can feel completely alone even when surrounded by masses of people, and even a healthy salary is barely enough to squeak by. But if you can get over that, you find that the city is inspiring because, well, anything is really possible here.” — Meagan Morris, New York City.

“NYC has its ups and downs, can be frustrating, and most people will get on your nerves, but it’s a special, one-of-a-kind place where only the strong survive and you have to adapt to be successful. Wimps need not apply to this city!” — Adam Allen, New York City.

“I agree, not only because of taxes, but the cost of living is very high and wages are very low. Working conditions are generally poor, because employers can just replace anyone they want; everyone is expendable. The city is very dirty and crowded, and going out is very expensive. Most native New Yorkers work to get by.” — Alex Vallejo, Jackson Heights, New York.

“I’m not surprised at NYC’s poor ranking. I’m a municipal worker, and making ends meet in this expensive city is extremely hard. Breakdowns and delays of transportation, overpopulation, robbery and violence is on the increase, and inequality of treatment of outer boroughs compared to favorable treatment Manhattan receives are a few of the many reasons why NYC is becoming more miserable as the years come on.” — George Mc, Woodside, New York.

“I’d say that NYC prides itself on being a very diverse city. That diversity, both cultural and economic, creates substantial numbers of any type of person. In this case, I’m sure there are plenty of miserable people living in NYC, but plenty of people that are happy with their lives, as well as economically successful. Based on the factors that Forbes took into account, I can see how NYC made the list with high taxes, long commutes, and rough winters. That said, Forbes also listed NYC as one of the safest cities in America in 2010, and even though commutes may be long, 24-hour service and coverage of all areas makes the NYC MTA one of the best transportation systems, in my opinion.” — Jay Bo, New York City.