Midtown In Top 5 Neighborhoods For Air Quality Complaints: Study

MIDTOWN MANHATTAN, NY — Central Midtown is one of the densest neighborhoods in New York City, and while that density comes with some perks it also carries some drawbacks. Midtown residents have complained about the neighborhood's air quality at a high rate compared to other city neighborhoods so far in 2020, according to a new study.

Central Midtown residents have filed 112 air quality complaints with the city since the start of 2020, according to a recent study from Amast, which used data collected by the city's 311 department. The number of complaints is the fourth most out of any New York City neighborhood.

Central Midtown trailed only the Greenpoint/Williamsburg in Brooklyn, the Upper West Side and the West Village area in the number of air quality complaints filed from Jan. 1, 2020, to July 15, 2020.

Hell's Kitchen and Chelsea came in at number six in Amast's rankings with a combined 101 air quality complaints.

The majority of the air quality complaints in Midtown — 44 complaints, making up about a third of the total — were related to odors and fumes from idling vehicles. Other common complaints related to smoke coming from chimneys or vents and dust from construction sites.

Here's the breakdown for Midtown's air quality complaints in 2020:

Dust:

• Air: Dust: 23
• Air: Dust, Construction/Demolition: 22
• Air: Dust, Other: 1

Odors and fumes:

• Air: Odor/Fumes: 56
• Air: Odor, Nail Salon: 0
• Air: Odor, Sweet From Unknown Source: 2
• Air: Odor/Fumes, Dry Cleaners: 0
• Air: Odor/Fumes, Other: 0
• Air: Odor/Fumes, Restaurant: 10
• Air: Odor/Fumes, Vehicle Idling: 44

Smoke:

• Air: Smoke: 32
• Air: Smoke, Chimney or vent: 32
• Air: Smoke, Other: 0
• Air: Smoke, Vehicular: 0

Other:

• Air: Other Air Problem: 1

You can find read the full study on Amast's website.