NYC Mayor 2025: Your Rent & Safety

Let's be real: New York City is a mess right now. Crime is up, rent is insane, the subway is a nightmare, and half the city smells like weed and garbage. But hey, at least we have... expensive cocktails? Cool TikTok spots? The privilege of paying $3,000/month for a studio with no natural light?

The 2025 NYC mayoral race is shaping up to be one of the most important local elections in decades. Why? Because the next mayor will decide whether NYC becomes a livable city again or continues its slide into expensive, crime-ridden chaos. And spoiler alert: your vote actually matters in this one.

"The mayor doesn't control your federal taxes or Supreme Court picks. But they DO control whether you can ride the subway without getting shoved onto the tracks."

Why Local Elections Matter More Than National Ones (Yes, Really)

I know, I know. Presidential elections get all the hype. But here's the thing: the President doesn't decide your rent. Congress doesn't set your property taxes. The Supreme Court doesn't decide if there's a homeless encampment blocking your subway entrance.

Your mayor does. City council does. And in NYC, these people have massive power over your daily life. They control:

• Police budgets and crime enforcement
Whether you can walk home at night without getting jumped. Whether subway crime is prosecuted or ignored. Whether quality-of-life offenses get enforced or NYC turns into Gotham.

• Zoning and housing policy
Whether luxury condos keep getting built while affordable housing disappears. Whether rent control gets expanded or gutted. Whether you'll ever afford to live here long-term.

• Public transit
Whether the subway actually runs on time. Whether fare evasion gets enforced or ignored. Whether you feel safe commuting to work.

• Business regulations and taxes
Whether small businesses can survive or get crushed by fees and red tape. Whether jobs stick around or companies flee to Florida and Texas.

So yeah, the mayor might not be on CNN every night, but they have way more impact on your actual life than whoever's in the White House. Act accordingly.

The Crime Problem Nobody Wants to Talk About

Let's address the elephant in the room: NYC crime is a disaster. Not as bad as the 1980s, but way worse than the 2010s. And if you live here, you know it.

Subway crime is up 45% since 2019. Retail theft is so bad that CVS and Duane Reade lock up toothpaste behind glass. Shoplifting under $1,000 is basically decriminalized, so people just walk into stores, grab stuff, and leave. Cops can't do anything because the DA won't prosecute.

And it's not just property crime. Random assaults on the subway are a weekly occurrence. People getting shoved onto tracks. Mentally ill people attacking strangers. Violent repeat offenders getting released the same day they're arrested because of bail reform.

The response from City Hall? "Crime is down compared to the 1990s!" Cool. That's like saying "your apartment is only flooding a little compared to Hurricane Sandy." Not exactly reassuring.

Here's the deal: the next mayor needs to decide if NYC will actually enforce laws or not. Do we prosecute shoplifters? Do we arrest subway criminals? Do we clear homeless encampments? Or do we keep pretending everything is fine while people flee to New Jersey?

Because right now, the city's policy is basically "let criminals do whatever, then act shocked when crime goes up." And young voters—who ride the subway daily and actually experience this stuff—are tired of it.

The Housing Crisis: Why You'll Never Afford an Apartment

NYC rent is out of control. The median one-bedroom in Manhattan is $4,500/month. Brooklyn isn't much better. Even the "cheap" neighborhoods are pushing $2,500 for a studio. And good luck if you want outdoor space, natural light, or—wild concept—a kitchen that isn't the size of a closet.

Why is rent so insane? Simple: supply and demand. NYC adds tens of thousands of people every year but barely builds any housing. The housing we DO build is luxury condos for foreign investors, not affordable units for actual New Yorkers.

The city's solution? Rent control and "affordable housing" lotteries where 100,000 people apply for 50 units. Which is great if you win the lottery. For everyone else, enjoy paying half your income for a railroad apartment in Bushwick.

The next mayor will decide housing policy for the next four years. Will they:

Option A: Upzone neighborhoods, streamline permits, and actually build enough housing so prices come down?

Option B: Keep the same restrictive zoning, let NIMBYs block every project, and watch rent climb to $5,000/month while pretending "affordable housing" lotteries are a solution?

Spoiler: Most candidates will pick Option B because homeowners vote and renters don't. Which brings us to the whole point of this article: if young renters don't vote, they'll keep getting screwed.

Fiscal Responsibility (Or Lack Thereof)

NYC's budget is $110 billion. That's more than most countries. Where does it go? Great question. Because the streets are still full of potholes, the subway is falling apart, and schools are underfunded.

Here's what we DO know:

• Pension obligations are bleeding the city dry. Retired city workers get guaranteed pensions funded by current taxpayers. The cost keeps going up, and politicians keep kicking the can down the road.

• Homeless services cost billions but don't solve homelessness. NYC spends $3 billion/year on homeless programs. There are still 90,000+ people in shelters and thousands more on the streets. Something's not working.

• MTA is a money pit. Billions in funding, constant fare hikes, and the subway still sucks. Where's the money going? Good question.

The next mayor will either get serious about fiscal responsibility—cutting waste, renegotiating contracts, making the budget sustainable—or they'll keep raising taxes and fees while services get worse. And guess who pays the bill? You.

Young voters should demand candidates answer one simple question: How will you make NYC affordable for people who aren't investment bankers? If they can't answer, vote them out.

Why Young Voters Will Decide This Race

Here's the thing about NYC elections: turnout is pathetic. Mayoral races usually get like 25% turnout. That means 75% of people don't vote, then complain about the results.

In 2021, Eric Adams won with just 750,000 votes in a city of 8 million. That's less than 10% of the population deciding who runs the entire city. Insane.

Young voters (18-35) make up a huge chunk of NYC's population, but most don't vote in local elections. They show up for presidential races, then skip the mayor, city council, and DA races. Which is backwards, because those elections affect their lives way more.

If young voters actually showed up in 2025, they could swing the race. They could elect a mayor who prioritizes affordable housing, safe streets, and fiscal sanity. Or they could sit it out, let boomers decide, and then complain when nothing changes.

Your call.

What You Actually Need to Do

If you care about NYC's future—or just want to afford rent and not get robbed—here's your action plan:

1. Register to vote. Deadline is October 10, 2025. Go to vote.nyc right now and register. Takes 5 minutes. Do it.

2. Vote in the June 2025 primary. Primaries decide which candidates make it to the general election. If you skip the primary, you don't get to complain about your options in November.

3. Research the candidates. Don't just vote based on party or name recognition. Look at their actual plans for crime, housing, and taxes. Demand specifics.

4. Show up in November. General election is November 4, 2025. Put it in your calendar. Make a plan. Vote early if possible. Just don't skip it.

5. Get your friends to vote. Group chat it. "We're all voting Tuesday, then getting brunch." Make democracy a social thing.

The Bottom Line: Your City, Your Vote, Your Future

NYC is at a turning point. It can either fix its crime problem, make housing affordable, and become a city where young people can build careers—or it can keep spiraling into expensive, dangerous chaos. The 2025 mayor's race will decide which path we take.

Older voters will show up. They always do. The question is: will you? Because if young voters sit this out, NYC's future will be decided by people who already own property and don't care about affordability. And that's how you end up paying $4,000/month for a shoebox apartment while getting mugged on your commute.

So yeah, this election matters. Crime, housing, taxes, whether you can afford to stay in NYC—it's all on the ballot. Your vote will help decide whether New York has a future worth sticking around for.

June primary, November general. Mark your calendar. Do your research. And show up. Because NYC's future is literally on the ballot.

Show up or shut up. Your call.