Facing the facts

Stats compiled by Mike Olson
Interviews by Julia Schweizer
Photographs by Stephanie Gussin

“I enjoy the level of competition in New York. It brings out the best in people.”

Enrico Arcaro, 32, Staten Island; composer

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Number of Fortune 500 companies

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Percentage of workers who live and work in the city

“I don’t have to drive a car anywhere. I skateboard in the street.”

Chip “Flaushenflugel,” 20, Bushwick, Brooklyn; photo assistant

Number of skateboard parks

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Number of hospitals

“I can be all gay and normal.”

Mohammed Fayaz, 17, Bellerose, Queens; student

Estimated number of gay residents

“The beautiful women.”

Wendell Ear Headley III, 53, nomad-panhandler–witch doctor

Gender breakdown

“The environmental commitment Bloomberg is finally making. We could lead the state, then the country, then the world in making less of a footprint on our environment.”

Shelly Goch, 52, East Village; CPA

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Rank out of 100 U.S. cities for purest drinking water, based on EPA standards

1 Denver
37 New York City
86 Seattle

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Recycling rates

“I’m here for theater. I love Broadway!”

Ally Backus, 18, Staten Island; student

Number of shows currently on Broadway

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Price for a weekend center-orchestra seat to Wicked

“You don’t have to drive a mile to find a pizza shop. Patsy’s Pizza is as good as it gets. It’s No. 1 for a reason!”

Richie Cadotte, 44, Williamsburg, Brooklyn; firefighter

Approximate number of pizza places

“My family. I don’t wanna leave them. Plus, we’re near Great Adventure.”

Tyron Ricks, 23, Jamaica, Queens; works at Wendy’s

Proximity to the closest Six Flags theme park

“I enjoy the parks—Bryant Park, Central Park. They’re oases.”

Jacqueline Patton, 52, Harlem; educational counselor

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Number of playgrounds

“There’s a lot of vegan restaurants. I just moved here from Arkansas, where there are none.”

Nick Claro, 24, Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn; restaurant server

Approximate number of veggie restaurants

“The free stuff, like the Brooklyn Museum free First Saturdays—I always check that out. And the Winthrop High School concerts.”

Sharlene Moore, 24, Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn; sales associate

Median household income

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Number of books in main branch of library

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“It’s worth it to pay a lot to live on the Upper East Side because it’s safe and nice.”

Georgette Ramseier, 19, Upper East Side; student

Number of police officers per 1,000 residents

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Rental vacancy

Annual number of violent crimes per 100,000 citizens

“The subways are the greatest. It’s a good mode of transportation, quick and cheap.”

Joe Pierre, 70, Greenpoint, Brooklyn; retired

Miles of track

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Daily subway ridership

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Average commute for city residents

“There’s lots of sexy people. It gets me hard sometimes.”

Sylvester Draggon Jr., 19, South Ozone Park, Queens; customer-service rep

Approximate number of plastic surgeons*
both cities have 4.1 for every 1,000 people

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