With ages between 26 and 31, Bárbara, Carolina, Paulo, and Francisco share the experience of living in New York City for about three years. They are concerned about the high cost of living in the city they have chosen for work and study but are unable to vote in Tuesday’s election.
The high cost of housing in New York City is a widespread issue affecting both Americans and immigrants.
Recent data from the real estate portal Zillow indicates that the average rent for a studio apartment in New York City is currently $3,250 (2,810 euros) per month.
However, the issue of insecurity and crime is as concerning as the cost of living for the young Portuguese interviewed.
“One of my concerns at the moment is the cost of living, particularly housing, which is extremely expensive and continues to rise. Added to this are the very high taxes, which also worry me,” Francisco Felisberto stated.
For the 31-year-old financial consultant, not even the fact that the New York City Police Department (NYPD) is the largest in the country makes him feel more at ease.
“We hear worrying stories. I don’t know if more police on the streets would solve the situation, but perhaps they should be more present. We are not talking about a mere perception of insecurity because I clearly see that there are serious crimes daily,” he emphasized.
Paulo Pereira, a 30-year-old computer engineer, is most concerned about security, especially in public transport.
He shared having “bad experiences on the subway,” witnessing physical assaults and threats with knives.
“Fortunately, I have never been the victim. I think the solution is not necessarily to increase the number of police, because there are quite a few in New York. But perhaps a more attentive eye is needed. I often see officers focused on their phones and ignoring warning situations,” he reported.
“Another very important aspect for me is the housing costs, especially the extremely high rents,” he added.
Carolina Rodrigues, a 26-year-old architect, has never witnessed any crime in New York but ensures that she remains vigilant daily.
“It’s a city where we are constantly aware of what is going on around us. It’s not a state of alert, but of consciousness. When I arrived, an American friend told me to use my common sense, but the truth is that the normalcy of a Portuguese person is different from that of a New Yorker. I had to ‘learn to live’ in New York,” she admitted.
Carolina also believes that New York reflects a society full of economic and social inequalities.
“They say it worsened after the COVID-19 pandemic. On one side, it is a city where you see a lot of wealth, but on the other, you see a lot of poverty. There’s a serious drug problem, many homeless people, and even the school system is fragile,” she observed.
Meanwhile, Bárbara Silva, a 26-year-old artist, researcher, and student, indicated that the cost of living, especially housing, and the lack of access to a national health system are her major concerns.
Additionally, the country’s political reality affects her daily life, lamenting “the disinformation fed by powerful figures, including and loudly by the President,” Donald Trump, as well as the “funded violence, within and outside borders,” and “the attack on scientific research and arts areas.”
“We are living in times of crisis on all fronts, times that require reinvention and reclamation,” she declared.
New Yorkers are counting down to choose a new mayor for the most populous city in the United States, in a race between young Democrat Zohran Mamdani, experienced independent Andrew Cuomo, and Republican community leader Curtis Sliwa.
None of the Portuguese interviewed have American citizenship and therefore cannot vote in the New York election.
However, Bárbara Silva admitted that if she could, she would vote for Mamdani, who leads the polls and may become the first Muslim and progressive to lead the largest city and financial capital of the country.
“I am confident he will be the new mayor. A necessary counterpoint to the country’s political situation,” she stated.
Paulo Pereira confessed to being quite attentive to the electoral race, having watched the two candidate debates, but he believes that “none is the right choice for the city.”
“It will end up being a choice between the lesser of evils,” he said.
“Cuomo is the candidate I would immediately dismiss because of his past linked to sexual crimes and a campaign based on attacking Mamdani without clearly presenting his plan for the city. Sliwa, although determined to address the security issue, does not have great solutions for housing,” he evaluated.
On the other hand, Mamdani “has a plan for housing and security and is also the candidate who best communicates with the electorate, but I think some solutions end up being a bit utopian,” he observed.
Francisco and Carolina did not follow the electoral race, but the financial consultant fears that a potential victory for Mamdani could drive millionaires and large companies away from the city due to his proposal to “tax the rich.”
