War of the Boroughs

Zoe Shim ’26

Those who do not live in New York City or are only familiar with the glamorized city of dreams demonstrated in movies and songs often forget that NYC is not just Manhattan. They omit the four other boroughs, distinctly different from Manhattan in their rich histories and cultures. Take the Bronx for example, which is not just the birthplace of hip hop but also has the most parks and green spaces of all five boroughs. Queens, too, is equally unique having been named the world’s most diverse county. Every borough offers a completely distinctive experience, each running like an independent ecosystem, one that is often misconstrued by people who do not frequent boroughs which aren’t their own. People create their own narratives of the Bronx, Queens, Brooklyn, and Staten Island, often heavily influenced by the media. Consequently, stereotypes and a war-like rivalry have emerged between the five. 

Coming to BHSEC, a school full of students from all over NYC, you meet people from drastically different backgrounds, with drastically different beliefs. Each person carries with them this background and belief, as well as judgment and pride, from their borough. Being raised in the Bronx, I have experienced many funny and untrue comments about my home. I wanted to compile how people at our school see the boroughs, to see if the perceived stereotypes are the same across the board. Asking four people from each borough, excluding Staten Island because of a lack of representation at Bard, I polled on various questions to figure out if there is truly a ‘war’ between the boroughs.

How do you view your own borough? What are its stereotypes?

Every student polled said that they either loved or liked their borough. This goes to show that, at Bard, there is immense borough pride. Most people do not want to criticize their borough; even if their home is viewed negatively, they want to make it clear that it is not as bad as people believe. Students from Queens had the most pride in their borough, saying its diversity and lack of gentrification(though I think the Bronx takes the win on that one) makes it the best. 

However, the second question did not produce a unified answer. People from Queens were so proud of their borough that, for the most part, they ignored the question about stereotypes. One person said a common misconception is that Queens only has houses, rather than apartments. Similarly, people from Manhattan did not have much to say about its stereotypes. In contrast, Brooklynites and Bronxites had a lot to say. Students from Brooklyn thought that their borough was perceived as either gentrified and wealthy, or run down. Those from the Bronx knew their borough was only seen negatively, most notably being perceived as dangerous and dirty. However, despite their negative reputation, all students from the Bronx enjoy living there. 

Which borough is your favorite to go to?

There was a consensus that Manhattan was people’s favorite place to go because of its diverse range of food, shops, and exhibits. Those who said they enjoyed Brooklyn and Queens emphasized its culture and history, but agreed that Manhattan is “much more walkable and accessible.”

Which is your least favorite to go to? Or which one do you not visit, either because of your own or your parents' reasons?

It is with deep sorrow that I report that most students avoid the Bronx. For some, its location makes it inaccessible, which is understandable. Coming from the deepest parts of Brooklyn and Queens it can take more than two hours to get to the Bronx. However, other students had less kind answers. For a handful of students, their parents either prevent them from going to the Bronx or have depicted it as dangerous. This includes people saying that the Bronx has a usually high crime rate, or that the people living there are “unwelcoming.” Those who have the freedom to go but choose not to explain that they avoid the Bronx because it is hard to navigate and they despise the 4, 5, and 6 (the lines that go from the Bronx into Manhattan and Brooklyn).

Jumping off the Bronx hate train, others’ least favorite boroughs included Staten Island, Brooklyn, and Queens. Staten Island was shunned by students living far away, and those who have “no business there.” Additionally, one person said, “Staten Island isn’t even a part of NYC. That’s not a stereotype, that's a fact.” It hurts me to know that a place outside of the geographical bounds of the city is more valued than the Bronx. Brooklyn was also avoided by people whose parents tell them that the borough has high crime rates and is dangerous, similar to the Bronx. There was barely any dislike aimed at Queens, besides one person saying “Queens is dead,” and absolutely no mention of Manhattan.

Do you think there is a particular borough that is overhyped and why?

Most students said Manhattan and Brooklyn are both overhyped, despite many people claiming that Manhattan is their favorite borough to visit. Reasons included that Manhattan is overcrowded and has floods of tourists. Others stated that Manhattan, frustratingly, gets too much attention and that developers should “share the love.” As for Brooklyn, it is considered overhyped because it is “not a walkable borough” and “it can get boring after 2 hours.” 

Is there a particular borough that is underrepresented or deserves positive attention?

Every borough was named in this section, though the Bronx, Queens, and Staten Island were primarily selected. Those who answered Staten Island believe it is underrepresented but does not need more positive attention. One person said that New Yorkers see Staten Island as outcasts, but that they probably don’t identify with New York anyway. Students who said the Bronx and Queens, though, believed that these boroughs are both underrepresented and deserve more love. In terms of the Bronx, people said underrepresentation occurs in terms of lack of acknowledgment for a diverse array of food places and shops. In terms of Queens, it remains shrouded in anonymity despite being a welcoming place and having “a good mix of the suburbs and the city.”

Rank the boroughs in how much you like them 1-5

The number one spots were frequently taken by Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens. Every student from Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens put their own borough as number one. Only half of the students from the Bronx, however, put their borough first. For the most part, Queens was third and the Bronx and Staten Island fought for fourth place.

My Closing Thoughts

Many of my preconceived notions regarding the boroughs and the stereotypes corresponding with them were confirmed. For the most part, Manhattan and Brooklyn were the most loved boroughs, and the Bronx the least. I am offended that the Bronx received more hate than Staten Island, though it is a consolation that, overall, most students do not consider Staten Island a part of NYC. Queens remains a borough that most people do not talk about, except the people who live there.

It is important to note many of the students who provided responses have not visited every borough. For some, their few experiences visiting a borough affected how they perceived its entirety. For others, the words of their parents or images painted online about a borough influenced their answers. The point of this article was to see if New Yorkers saw various boroughs in the same way that the media depicts them. From the answers, I would say they do. If you look up news in the Bronx, all you see are stabbings and shootings. If you look up news in Manhattan, a diverse range of topics come up. Overall, the public image of a place is carefully crafted by the media to look a certain way, and people are susceptible to it. That is why I encourage you to visit every borough, perhaps with a friend, and have an open mind. Of course, not every neighborhood in each borough is going to be safe, but that's a concern across all five. At the end of the day, a borough’s identity is multifaceted. Despite the reputations they have, what's important is that the people living there enjoy them, and that's what I found in every student I interviewed.

I Want to Hear From You!

I want to see your thoughts on each of the boroughs so email me at zs119m@bhsec.bard.edu to fill out a Google form.