New Yorkers: Still Unhappy, But More Creative

One-time NYer Sylvia Plath happily typing away!

We are just furious about being dubbed the unhappiest people in the nation. Not sad... just really really angry. Because we're totally effing happy, but you guys added up the scores wrong or something. Right? Today the NY Times takes on the unwanted title, and even gets an apology out of one of the professors who published the study in Science magazine.

However, these "professors" are standing by their claim, after having examined piles of data and ranking each state accordingly. Reaching acceptance, the paper declares that "If there were a National Happy League, we’d be the New Jersey Nets. We’re No. 51 out of 51." Sigh, even in our poll the other day a shocking 41% of you were unhappy :(

So what gives? The professor said part of the problem is that if too many individuals think this is a great place to live, they move here "and the resulting congestion and house prices make it a nonfulfilling prophecy.” But the Times suggests taking comfort in this, as they offer up a quote from The Third Man, which states: “In Italy for 30 years under the Borgias they had warfare, terror, murder and bloodshed, but they produced Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci and the Renaissance. In Switzerland they had brotherly love. They had 500 years of democracy and peace, and what did that produce? The cuckoo clock.” Yes, INSURGENTS.

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By Jen Carlson in News on December 22, 2009 12:13 PM

Comments [rss]

lornagrl

Sorry to be picky.. I'm glad you changed the footer on the photo..but Sylvia Plath was never a New Yorker..

The only time Sylvia Plath was in NYC was in the summer of 1953. She won a prize - the prize being a summer job at Mademoiselle magazine. She stayed at the Barbizon hotel for women near Lexington Ave. (her summer was later the basis for the novel The Bell Jar)

NannyState

You read "Winter Trees" over and over, don't you?

lornagrl

Nope.. never read it.

IvoryJive

This survey may be accurate but perhaps the City is a haven for the acutely discriminating who would be MUCH less happy living in the places where all the "happy" people are. I think a better way to phrase the question is - "do you think you would you be happier living in another state?" New Yorker's may not be a cheery bunch but that's because they have higher standards for culture, social networks, and diversity of choice, and some breezy southwestern suburb where it's 85 degrees every day, all the houses look the same, and there's nothing to do and nowhere to eat, walk or see a show just ain't gonna cut it.

Katrina

gothamist needs a "like" button for comments.

Colleen Kane

IvoryJive is onto something. You do get spoiled in New York, and having moved from Brooklyn to Louisiana myself in 07, I can report that this is not the recipe for happiness. (Not that I really thought it would be.) What does make me happy is the prospect of moving back to Brooklyn in 158 days, although I have no idea what I'll do for work now that my industry (magazines) collapsed in my absence. Whatever--I've been poor there before.

lornagrl

MidC Frank.. you are correct.

This photo of Plath was taken at her home in Massachusetts.

jimmylegs

the survey says the data was collected before Hurricane Katrina, so Louisiana data might be skewed. but isn't everybody's mood different now than in 2005? not necessarily better, though.

hotstepper

that historical analysis is reductionist at best. everyone knows that italians are superior to the swiss in every way.

k8nice

Just look at the recent Italian renaissance on the Jersey shore, they are sculpting monumental head ornaments out of there own hair, and most of them are from NY, just parlaying as people from Jersey for the summer months. Italian creative juices are even flowing on our shores.