How You (Yes, You) Can Help New York City Thrive

VITAL CITY—Between a summer of punishing heat, the stress of spending more and getting less for the privilege of living here, a mayoral race that promises to be one of the nastiest in recent history, ominous ICE agents everywhere and the passage of a One Big Beautiful Bill that is anything but for New York City, we New Yorkers have every right to feel more cantankerous than usual, more besieged and more bewildered about the future of our city and our place in it. In short, we have the jitters. 

Myriad factors determine what makes our city more or less livable, and we face daunting challenges that require stepped-up political and civic leadership, collective will and money wisely spent. But we can all do our part to ease the anxieties of these polarizing and stressful times, and to make life a little more pleasant and hospitable for all who call New York City home. 

These suggestions are eminently doable and require little more than lifting your eyes from your phone, noticing those around you and acknowledging that you are part of a beating heart that is the greatest city in the world — a place that needs a bit of civility and consideration to thrive. Try to take on at least a few.

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