Everyone likes to compare their city to New York City. If you can be like the greatest city in the world, hey, you’ve made it. But, uh, this might not be a comparison the Chamber of Commerce and Tourist Board wants making the rounds.

That would be the gap between rich and poor:

The rich got richer and the poor got poorer in New York City last year as the poverty rate reached its highest point in more than a decade, and the income gap in Manhattan, already wider than almost anywhere else in the country, rivaled disparities in sub-Saharan Africa.

And:

In Manhattan, the disparity was even starker. The lowest fifth made $9,681, while the highest took home $391,022. The wealthiest fifth of Manhattanites made more than 40 times what the lowest fifth reported, a widening gap (it was 38 times, the year before) surpassed by only a few developing countries, including Namibia and Sierra Leone. [emphasis added]

This should not be as shocking as one would think– if you aren’t Michael Bloomberg and his ilk who are oblivious to how the rest of the people live, especially if you are one of those privileged people able to pay $45-$90 million for an apartment.