The New York Times reported this weekend on the results of the NYC Customer Survey, which was sent to 100,000 random households citywide last year, to measure residents’ opinions of local government services, quality of life, etc.  The conclusion: unsuprisingly, residents of tony Manhattan Community District 2, which includes SOHO and Greenwich Village, report greater satisfaction with City services and neighborhood quality than residents of Bronx Community District 3, which includes Morrisania, Claremont, Crotona Park East and parts of Melrose.

The districts that the Times chose to feature show the disparity that still exists between New York City’s neighborhoods.  For more details, check out the interactive graphic that the Times created, which maps all poll responses at the community district level.  While some City services, such as homelessness prevention, got low ratings citywide, in general, these maps clearly illustrate the low perception of City responsiveness and quality-of-life in areas such as the Mid- and South-Bronx and Eastern Brooklyn.

So how can the City address this disparity?  A start would be sufficiently funding community boards citywide.  Community boards provide much-needed services to their districts, and often are the first point of contact between the public and the administration.  Yet, as many neighborhoods are clearly dissatisfied with their City services, community board budgets are being slashed. The City Council is considering the City’s 2010 budget this month, so now is a great time to contact your council member and ask them to adequately fund community boards.