Roosevelt Island, Second Cleanest Zip Code in New York City? –...

That’s right. They say 10044 is the second cleanest. After collecting data from all New York City Zip Codes, Roosevelt Island scored better than all but one other. #1 was 11040 in New Hyde Park in Queens. But wait a minute…

The Roosevelt Island Daily News

In reality, Roosevelt Island is pretty clean. We hear complaints about many issues, and, I’m sure, so does RIOC. But dirty streets, sidewalks and parks are rarely the issue. Landscaping and groundskeeping – well, that’s another story for another time.

10044 is also almost unimaginably picturesque for an urban neighborhood. And the percentage devoted to green space would be the envy of most of the world. But before the jubilation begins, there are a couple of things worth thinking about.

Here’s how HouseFresh determined that ZipCode 10044 is the second cleanest in the city.

“For its latest study, the indoor air quality experts at HouseFresh have scoured local sanitary complaints across New York City, inspecting 644 categories related to sanitation issues including waste, recycling, garbage, etcetera,” TimeOut New York reported.

So, Is 10044 the Second Cleanest in New York City?

Well, maybe, but probably not. Here’s why.

One very big thing running in our favor is our AVAC garbage disposal system. Keeping trash indoors, sucked down tubes instead of being hauled out to the curb, is a huge local advantage.

Because of that, Roosevelt Island is certainly cleaner than most neighborhoods – as it was intended.

But the other point is more controversial. Local sanitary complaints were the criterion used. These presumably came from city records, but 10044 would register as a no-show there most of the time.

Although there are certainly some gripes that go to 311 or Sanitation, RIOC must field the vast majority of complaints, and those probably were not considered – if for no other reason because RIOC does not compile formal records as the city does.

And, So…

We’ll take the positive publicity and the firsthand knowledge that, compared with anywhere else you walk in New York City, our streets are cleaner. But we can’t know for certain that 10044 is the second cleanest.

That, plus all the other unique advantages, is probably enough for most of us, though.