Study, with One Small Flaw, Ranks UWS 8th Friendliest Neighborhood In U.S.

The Upper West Side was just named the eighth friendliest neighborhood in the U.S., per a study by Hastha Kalalu, a home décor brand that analyzed data from the U.S. Census, Zillow, and the FBI. In a city often ranked among the rudest in the world, the UWS stood out as a rare urban enclave with a strong sense of connection and livability.

The study evaluated multiple factors, including population density, percentage of family households, average home value, cost of living, and violent crime rates per 1,000 residents. Each category was weighted equally at 20% to somehow determine a ‘friendliness’ score.

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“Friendly neighborhoods need more than just nice people—they emerge from a connection of affordability, safety, and community rather than just social factors alone,” a Hastha Kalahhu spokesperson said in a statement to TimeOut New York, which first reported the rankings. “While most friendly neighborhoods tend to be suburban, New York’s Upper West Side proves that even expensive city areas can build strong communities when other factors line up right.”

We’ll agree with that. But when it comes to the study itself, it really doesn’t make any sense, as none of the categories have any real correlation with what makes a community friendly.

The Upper West Side is way above the national average when it comes to cost of living, median household income, average home value and population density. The neighborhood is considerably below the national average when it comes to percentage of family households and crime rate.

In conclusion, we have a high cost of living but earn substantial salaries, though a lot of that income has to go towards our rent or mortgage. Also, we have a lot of neighbors, so it’s crowded, and there are many single residents whose odds of being the victim of a violent crime are lower than they would be elsewhere.

So obviously, everyone’s really friendly.

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Here’s how the top 10 list broke out:

1. Elkhorn, Omaha
2. Kingwood, Houston
3. South Side, Corpus Christi
4. Northwest, El Paso
5. Deer Valley, Phoenix
6. Highland, Saint Paul
7. Brickell, Miami
8. Upper West Side, New York
9. Maryvale, Phoenix
10. Chevy Chase, Lexington

To review the study, click here.

It’s probably a good thing they didn’t look at the 311 data that said the Upper West Side has the third most noise complaints in New York City.

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