By Staff, Agencies

Two in five New York residents would be willing to leave the city if they were able to live anywhere they wanted, according to a poll conducted by the Manhattan Institute.

As many as 39 % of New Yorkers said they would leave either for a nearby location or relocate far away from the city. A little more than half [52 %] of respondents were ready to stay.

Among the five boroughs, Manhattan residents were the most satisfied with where they live now [48 %]. There was a much gloomier attitude in The Bronx, where just 23 % were happy with their current neighborhood.

The poll shows a divide in the city over the direction it has taken, with 46 % saying that things are on the right track and 42 % believing that they'd gone the wrong way.

GOP voters were much more pessimistic about where New York is heading [63 %], compared with 38 % of Democrats and 39 % of independents.

Twenty-two % of those polled said they were most worried by the economy, closely followed by 21 % who named public safety as the most important issue Gotham is facing. Other leading worries are race relations, health care, housing, and public schools.

Despite protests against police brutality and a successful push to cut the police budget, 53 % of New Yorkers say they approve of the NYPD and 40 % disapprove.

A majority of respondents in all income groups believe that the quality of the services the city government provides is not worth the money they pay in taxes.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo got high marks from New Yorkers in the survey, with 73 % approving of his job. Conversely, Mayor Bill de Blasio divided opinions with 45-% approval and 46-% disapproval.

Pollsters interviewed 1,485 adult New York residents in July via live phone interviews and a web panel. The survey has a margin of error of 3 %.

New York City is currently in the fourth, final phase of recovery from the pandemic, with schools and low-risk entertainment and recreation businesses allowed to reopen.

The virus has infected over 234,500 New Yorkers and killed 23,703 as of Tuesday. The months-long lockdown has forced one-third of local businesses [over 2,800] to shut down permanently since the onset of the pandemic, and sent unemployment soaring to almost 20 % in July.