The Upper East Side May be Posh, But It's Also Polluted

The Upper East Side of Manhattan may have wealthy residents, posh stores, elegant restaurants, and a kind of “Gossip Girl” elitism and glamour--but it also has among the highest levels of air pollution in the city.
The first comprehensive study of street-level air quality was released yesterday by the City’s Department of Health. It showed, surprisingly, that New York’s Upper East Side and the Bronx have the highest levels of air pollution in the city.
The highest levels of pollution are found in areas that have heavy car and truck traffic and a high concentration of buildings with oil heat.
Washington Heights and midtown Manhattan also fared poorly in the survey, while the South Shore of Staten Island and Little Neck and Bayside n Queens were found to have the cleanest air. One hundred and fifty mounted sensors tracked pollutants like sulfur dioxide and elemental carbon as well as the airborne pollutants given off by oil heat. No. 4 and No. 6 oil are particularly bad.
The pollutants contribute to asthma, irritate lungs, and can even lead to heart attacks.
Ironically, New York’s Mayor Mike Bloomberg lives on the Upper East Side—and he’s a staunch advocate of clean air policies. (When the survey was released, he was—wait for it--in Copenhagen at the Clean Air/Global Warming Conference.)
No word yet on whether Blair and Serena are moving.

Second Avenue Subway Construction Saga Continues With New Due Date

Previously expected to be complete in 2012 and then in 2015, the long-anticipated subway running along Second Avenue on the East side of Manhattan has been delayed yet again, according to a yearlong review by the MTA of the ongoing construction. The Second Avenue subway line is now expected to open in July 2016, and possibly even in July 2017 if there are more delays.
The first phase of construction is currently taking place from 96th Street to 63rd Street, a 1.7-mile route, with new stations at 96th, 86th and 72nd Streets. The plan is for the subway line to eventually stretch 8.5 miles from 125th Street in Harlem to Hanover Square in the Financial District. The cost of the new subway line is expected to increase to about $4.4 billion.
Currently the 4/5/6 line is the only subway line like it running the length of the East side of Manhattan in New York City. The Second Avenue subway would benefit the community and the entire city once completed, and will reduce overcrowding on the Lexington Avenue line.
The MTA is encouraging residents to shop Second Avenue businesses despite the temporary inconvenience of construction, which has in fact been hurting businesses, mainly in the East 90s. There are also concerns in the Upper East Side real estate market that the construction could deter potential buyers from purchasing properties east of Third Avenue, though once complete, the far East side will no doubt rise in value.