Air pollution in different neighborhoods, Best/Worst in each boro? (New York: home, live)

[DesiArnez6]

I found this website run by the State of New York that monitors Air pollution. Its a good site but the "weather centers" are too far and few between to really get a feel for air quality city wide by neighborhood.

Site: New York State Air Quality Monitoring Center Home

So, for example, in Manhattan what are the better neighborhoods for clean air, and some of the ones that will give trouble for those with respiratory issues?

Same for some of the outer boros.. What are the good and bad neighborhoods?


(From Personal Experience, Washington Heights by the GW Bridge was unbearable, dark black soot everyday in the house, could barely breathe, same with Times Square, and much of Midtown.)

In general I found the outer boros to be a bit better, but Hunts Point was not so good by the Bruckner Expressway. Although the areas around LGA Airport seemed much cleaner despite GRand Central Parkway, (maybe terrain).

So is Inwood better than Washington Heights (because of the terrain, shielded by that huge hill with trees) Is the Lower East Side awful despite being waterfront because of Brooklyn? I would guess the Rockaways have excellent air b/c of the ocean, and Staten Island Because of the trees.


So.... What are your air quality experiences with different boros, and different neighborhoods?

[UWS Cowboy]

Good post, I'm curious as well. I lived in Midtown for 3 months one summer and would come home each day with at least a few black specks of soot, or something, on my face. Keep in mind I wear sunscreen on my face which causes it to be a tad bit greasier than without, so the soot may have stuck to my face more easily because of that, but you know that we're breathing that stuff in. I haven't had this soot problem at all since I've been on the upper west side, but the traffic is a heck of a lot less. I lived on the border of Williamsburg/Bushwick and it always smelled bad. Not like garbage, just an unpleasant odor which I don't completely remember as this was a while ago.

[NYC Housewife]

Originally Posted by DesiArnez6

I found this website run by the State of New York that monitors Air pollution. Its a good site but the "weather centers" are too far and few between to really get a feel for air quality city wide by neighborhood.

Site: New York State Air Quality Monitoring Center Home

So, for example, in Manhattan what are the better neighborhoods for clean air, and some of the ones that will give trouble for those with respiratory issues?

Same for some of the outer boros.. What are the good and bad neighborhoods?


(From Personal Experience, Washington Heights by the GW Bridge was unbearable, dark black soot everyday in the house, could barely breathe, same with Times Square, and much of Midtown.)

In general I found the outer boros to be a bit better, but Hunts Point was not so good by the Bruckner Expressway. Although the areas around LGA Airport seemed much cleaner despite GRand Central Parkway, (maybe terrain).

So is Inwood better than Washington Heights (because of the terrain, shielded by that huge hill with trees) Is the Lower East Side awful despite being waterfront because of Brooklyn? I would guess the Rockaways have excellent air b/c of the ocean, and Staten Island Because of the trees.


So.... What are your air quality experiences with different boros, and different neighborhoods?

Astoria has the filthiest air in the country I have heard. I bet that is debatable. But it does indeed have filthy air. There are a few power plants in the area.

I think a lot of NYC does not have the greatest air because it is so busy, so many cars, and so on.

This is coming from an asthmatic.

[dman72]

Originally Posted by NYC Housewife

Astoria has the filthiest air in the country I have heard. I bet that is debatable. But it does indeed have filthy air. There are a few power plants in the area.

I think a lot of NYC does not have the greatest air because it is so busy, so many cars, and so on.

This is coming from an asthmatic.

Look at a satellite picture of Astoria. Look North. Power plant.

Also, Brooklyn waterfront has terrible air because prevailing winds blow all the soot from Manhattan East.

Any time I go into Manhattan, I can come home and scape the dirt off of my forehead.

[analyticalkeys]

There might be power plants near Astoria, but I find it VERY hard to believe that it has the worst air quality in the country..