I know, I know… it sounds like a crazy idea. New York City is one of the bluest and wokest places in the country, at least in the really “cool” parts of town. After all, they give us AOC, right? And they nearly placed that woman from Sex and the City in the Governor’s mansion at one point. But is that still a given after months of unrest and skyrocketing crime rates? Perhaps that reliably bright blue streak is starting to show a few traces of purple, at least according to some recent polling from the Manhattan Institute. This is one of those “right track – wrong track” surveys, asking Gotham’s residents to list their top concerns. And for the first time in quite a while, a significant number of them are selecting the “wrong track” choice. The reasons given are probably exactly what you would expect if you’ve been keeping up with the news. (NY Post)

After six of the most trying months in modern city history, nearly half of New Yorkers say that the Big Apple is heading in the wrong direction — with worries about the economy and crime listed as top concerns.

The new survey from the Manhattan Institute found that residents of the five boroughs are evenly split on the city’s trajectory — with 46 percent saying it’s heading the right way, while 42 percent say it’s off on the wrong track.

Twenty-two percent of Gothamites surveyed by the conservative-leaning think tank’s pollsters named the city’s economy as their biggest worry, closely followed by 21 percent who said they were worried most about public safety.

No, we still don’t have a majority saying that Gotham is going in the wrong direction, and a small percentage more feel the city is still on the correct course. But 42% is the highest “wrong track” number we’ve seen in decades. Further, the issues of public safety and the economy now dwarf “race relations” and health care, which topped the list until this spring.

As you might expect, residents of Manhattan are the happiest, with nearly 50% saying they are content to stay where they are and continue living in the city. Of course, it’s a lot easier to feel satisfied when you’re in the income class required to maintain a home in Manhattan. That immediately puts you well up on the ladder of success. By contrast, only 23% of the residents of the Bronx were happy with their neighborhood and just 17% said they would rather live in a different part of the city than move away entirely.

Is it any wonder? The shutdowns mandated by the government combined with the destruction of the riots have left many businesses closed, with a significant number of employers deciding to leave permanently and take their jobs with them. The number of shootings is off the charts compared to recent years and there are parts of the city that were previously fairly secure but where it’s now simply insane to go out and walk around by yourself at night.

So does that mean that New Yorkers are getting ready to really consider a change of course and stop electing the same liberal Democrats who have driven the place into a ditch for years on end? Sorry, sports fans, but I’ll believe that when I see it. Things have been going to hell in a handbasket in Baltimore for decades now, with corruption and gang violence driving Charm City’s population away in droves. But they still keep electing the same crop of Democrats from the same farm team and then they have the nerve to act surprised when nothing gets any better. I won’t be shocked if New Yorkers begin falling into the same pattern.

In order for New York City to truly turn around, it’s going to have to hit rock bottom, and it’s not at that point yet. But you can see rock bottom in the distance if you squint your eyes a bit.