Have you ever thought of living in New York City? Here is one good reason to make your move. Although the city is thought to be polluted, people who live there have a longer life expectancy. Actually New Yorkers who live in the city tend to have the highest life expectancy in the nation. New York City beat the record life expectancy of 78 years. Babies born in 2009 can be expected to live to be 80 years old.

So, you may be asking yourself how this is true. It’s a city so there is pollution and stress. Well there are other factors that are benefits about living in the city. Thanks to Mayor Bloomberg there are anti- smoking and anti- obesity campaigns. Bloomberg put a higher tax on cigarettes and has certain calorie requirements for all restaurants. Since 2002 about half a million New Yorkers have quit smoking.

Since people are so fast-paced in the city, they don’t sit in their cars and wait in traffic. Also the amount of money you would have to spend to park your car in a garage is not worth it. Most citizens of New York City don’t even own a car. If you have visited the city you see people walking everywhere. Everything is in walking distance. New Yorkers don’t stroll either they walk fast. A recent study ranks New York pedestrians as the fastest in the country.

Some would say the high population could contribute to a shorter life expectancy. They would be wrong. By living near neighbors elders have people to watch after them. Also, people are more social. Depression is a big cause of a short life. New York City is full of attractions, you can’t get bored. New Yorkers can visit neighborhoods such as Chinatown, there are tons of different museums, Central Park, and theatres like Broadway. Your life is elongated when you get out of the house because you are getting excersing not only physically but mentally.

The rate of death by fatal diseases has also come down dramatically in the city. Testing for HIV has become more available. This helps people know their status and contain it. Drug- related deaths has also decreased. In 2010 nine people per every 100,000 people died from an overdose. This is a 24 -percent decrease since 2002. Since 2002 heart disease has dropped 28- percent. Even cancer death rates in New York have gone down 4 percent since 2002. Mothers have become healthier and helped reach the lowest rate of infant deaths since 1898.

So don’t judge the city life because many people who live it are very healthy. New York City has healthier food and people. If you want to live a long, happy life you might want to consider moving to New York City.