Shocking News: The Middle Class Has It a Lot Harder Here Than Anywhere Else

Shocking News: The Middle Class Has It a Lot Harder Here Than Anywhere Else: “

The Center for an Urban Future published an interesting study about New York’s middle class yesterday, defining the group as having annual incomes of between $38,905 and $58,937 (centered on the median city income of $48,631.12). Unfortunately, according to the study, that’s not quite enough:

The ‘New York City premium’ on goods and services from housing and groceries to utilities and transportation means that a $60,000 salary earned in Manhattan is the equivalent of making $26,092 in Atlanta; $31,124 in Miami; and $35,405 in Boston. In less-expensive Queens, that same $60,000 salary carries only as much purchasing power as $37,451 in Atlanta, $44,673 in Miami, or $50,819 in Boston.

In the above graphic, you can see what the equivalent of a $60,000 salary here is in a bunch of other U.S. cities.

But it’s this graph from the study that really depresses us. It shows how many of the home prices on the market are actually within reach of people in that median income range.

Chart from NYCFuture.org

Rough, right? Except that the chart may be a little mislabeled. ‘Is the American Dream out of reach?’ Sure, we may not be able to afford buying homes here. But we grew up in rural areas, and our life goal wasn’t necessarily to buy a home. It was to get the hell out of there and one day move to New York, where everything happened. We don’t know about you all, but that was our American Dream.

Reviving the City of Aspiration [NYCFuture via NYDN]

Read more posts by Chris Rovzar

Filed Under: crazytown, real estate

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(Via Daily Intel.)

There I Am…

So this is me, eh? Looks like I got in to juuuust a bit of trouble.

http://www.adn.com/crime/story/288506.html

Supermarket Blogging!!

Check out the second brown sign – thank goodness they didn’t have THIS when I was a kid!!!

Wall Street at Nite

Working til 1 AM. Ouch!!
However the Stock Exchange looks kinda neat in the dark

I Miss NYC!!!

Only a few more months now…

(sigh)

Opening Nite @ The Swamp

Opening night at the Nets game. Women on stilts… Beyonce look alike.. Lawrence Frank looks like Pacino from The Godfather on the jumbotron…
Nets Basketball… FEEL THE EXCITEMENT!!!

‘Tis The Season

Got this from (of all places) NY Post Nets Blog. Who knew??!!

“Ever wonder why you kiss under mistletoe? Goes back to Norse mythology. A young god, Balder, who was extremely popular (the Obama of his time) had a disturbing dream about his demise. So his mother, Frigga, made everything on Earth swear it would never harm her son. But she bypassed mistletoe because it was so small and insignificant. Meanwhile, all the gods got together to party and test Balder’s invincibility and threw rocks, spears, everything at him. All bounced harmlessly away. But Loki (bad guy, probably wore a handlebar moustache) hated the gods and he convinced Balder’s brother, who was blind, to join the party. Loki promised him to guide the throw. So the brother threw a spear with a mistletoe tip and killed Balder. Frigga ordered that whenever anyone, even strangers, met under mistletoe, they would do no harm and kiss as a sign of peace.”

TV In The Subway??!!

$750 Billion bailout and the best we New Yorkers can come up with are TV ads in the tunnel at Times Square?
Yikes!
Nice projection screen tho

Giants Win!!!

Despite an all around sloppy game, Eli & Co. are able to stick it out thanks to 2 interceptions and an ineptl 49ers offense.

CURRENT RECORD:
5 Wins
1 (ugly) Loss

Cool KEANE cover

So Keane is set to release their latest album, Perfect Symmetry, on Tuesday 10/14. The first track, Spiralling, is a VERY cool tune. Some chick group called Sugarbabes did a cover. Very cute ladies, nice rendition.

… but I’d wait for the real thing it I was you

(click title for link)

Sugarbabes cover Kean’s “Spiralling”

(from Perez Hilton)

Yet Something Else To Ponder…

Only in NYC folks

Huh??

Maybe I’m a little slow but someone please explain this to me?

LIVE MUSIC ROCKS!!

OK that sounds like a 12 year old but its true! Over the past month I’ve been to not one but TWO great shows here in NYC.

First up was The Fratellis @ The Roseland Ballroom. So first things first – If I ever wanted to lose weight (which I am in the midst of) all I’d need to do i spend a day at Roseland. Wow! No AC + hundreds and hundreds of people = bad wage sweat shop! Yikes…
Luckily the Boys came out swinging and hitting hard, running through what seemed like most of the song catalog
Check them out – I would recommend starting with these:

For The Girl
Flathead (from the iPod commercial)
My Friend John
Babydoll

Last night Andrea and I hit up the Nokia Theatre in the heart of Times Square. I want to say this about the place – what a VERY VERY cool venue to see a show! I’ve been there twice now, once in the seats in the back and once (last night) standing up on the floor in front. I recommend the floor in front
So we got there after dinner around 8:15 PM and I’m still not sure if there was an opening act but within literally 5 minutes of walking into the theatre they came out! Strange. I hadn’t experienced that before. usually I’m there a fortnight before the main act goes on. So worked out just perfectly.
All I can say is:

GREAT BIG SEA! GREAT BIG SEA! GREAT BIG SEA!
One of my all time fav bands did justice playing for what seemed like an eternity (thank god – a band that actually PLAYS for a while). The place was literally jumping up and down almost every song and the sing alongs were superb! The band itself just generates alot of excitement from the crowd and they are truly funny on stage (those funny Canadians!) Well, actually they are from Newfoundland. But who cares, they make AMAZING music. Highly, highly recomended. get off your arses and go see them live. I think I’ve converted Andrea! hehe.
It’s almost impossible for me to just choose a few tunes to recommend, but here goes:

Mary Mac
The Night That Pat Murphy Died
Walk On The Moon
When I Am King
When I’m Up
Sea Of No Cares
Stumbling In
Jack Hinks

FACK!

Uninspired, sloppy, disgraceful, sleepy… I’m not sure just how many BAD adjectives I could use after that pathetic showing of a match against arch-rival Liverpool. First time in 8 matches that Liverpool has beaten ManU. Bollocks!!

Rooney was simply pathetic… AGAIN! He is showing absolutely nothing in 3 matches so far this year. Ronaldo is injured and Rooney has to step up and I actually think he has step down! Vidic getting thrown out for 2 yellow cards, what a shmo. Worse part about that is that now he isn’t even eligible to play in the next Premiere League match.. against #1 CHELSEA!!

Great job by Van Der Sar and Wes Brown to score a goal – in their own net! Great teamwork. More and more ManU is proving it has absolutely NO CHANCE of placing in top 5 in this league without Ronaldo. Team has absolutely no one that can be counted on to put the ball in the net. The attack is non-existant and we have no one who knows how to cross worth a dime.

Great….

Stay @ Home, Mom?

Is it me or should Palin spend more time working on her own family and not running for Vice President??!!

So potentially we could see a woman sitting Vice President all the while her 17 year old underage daughter is taking care of her bastard child in the White House?? So while mom is playing Vice President and daddy is out playing shoot the moose in some Alaskan wildlife preserve somewhere, this little girl is going to be raising a BABY?

Are we serious?

How Chemistry Can Win An Election

Great article.

(via Washington Post)
Biden, Obama a Comfortable Fit on the Campaign Trail

Beauty & The Beast

Really this election cycle has produced some of the best videos to date. Thank god for You Tube!
(I’m sure you can gleam who is Beauty and who is the Beast for yourselves!)

McCain/Palin = Beauty & The Beast

Palin’s daughter, 17, pregnant!

Wow. This one just keeps getting better and better. So much for them good ole family values, eh?!

So McCain knew she was under investigation in Alaska for a firing issue, also knew her 17 year old daughter was pregnant and STILL decided to choose this woman, knowing full well she would be beaten up in the press for it all. So basically it shows just how unfit John McCain is to run this country making BAD decision after BAD decision time and time again.

First he chooses a lightweight nobody of a VP candidate with absolutely no experience on a national level, from a mini-state that is so inconsequential it won’t even hep him win votes (blunder #3 if you are counting). Then knows she has major issues, is keenly aware of them BEFORE he chooses her as per the national media, and STILL chooses her. Guess he is just THAT stoopid…

Wow. What a Mergatroid!

Obama/Biden 08!

NY Times article:
NY Times – Palin daughter, 17, pregnant

Can’t Say It Better Myself!

Paul Begala on the Palin pick