East Side is No. 1 in quality of life study

East 72nd Street between Fifth and Madison avenues (Photo: Getty)

Andrew S. Garib, METRO New York | Link | PDF | The Upper East Side doesn’t just have the ritziest stores, the most exclusive schools and our billionaire mayor’s not-so-humble abode. It also has the best quality of life in the nation — but not just because of the money — according to a one-of-a-kind study that focused on indicators like access to knowledge and health care, rather than per capita income or gross domestic product.

The study, released Wednesday, “emphasizes the broader, everyday experience of ordinary people, including the economic, social and psychological.” The “Human Development Report on the United States” puts the 14th Congressional District, which includes the Upper East Side, at the top of the heap.

But residents said money talks, and that’s the bottom line.

“If you have enough money, it’s a wonderful place to live,” said 45-year-old native David Biderman.

Rachel Jones, 32, agreed that money and quality of life are inseparable.

“Good stores go where the money is,” she said.

Only five subway stops away, the 16th district in the South Bronx was ranked nearly at the bottom among U.S. districts, at No. 422 out of 436.

Analiz Figueroa, 33, left the Upper West Side three years ago with her husband and 6-year-old daughter for Highbridge, in the heart of the 16th District. Despite the area’s woes, the family hasn’t looked back.

“In richer neighborhoods, people weren’t polite and empathetic to others,” she said. “People here are more empathetic because we live in a day-to-day struggle.”

At the bottom of the list was California congressional district 20, including Fresno, which has the lowest median income in the country: $16,767 a year.

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