New York City Commissioner Defends the UN's Presence in Turtle Bay - PassBlue

"The United Nations headquarters in New York City is hard to miss. A walk down First Avenue between 43rd and 52nd Streets resembles a little UN village. Opposite the towering 39-story Secretariat building backing the East River is an outdoor cart called UN Halal Food, selling falafel. On the same path uptown, there are the UN Piece Cleaners, the UN Gourmet Plaza, the UN Wine and even The UN of Beers stores."

"The UN, its many agencies and permanent missions of the 193 member states based in the city bring enormous business to the region. The diplomatic community employs tens of thousands of people living across the city's five boroughs and has contributed an estimated $3.69 billion in total output to the city's economy, according to a 2016 impact report, the most recent study on the topic."

The United Nations headquarters and its missions create a distinct commercial corridor on First Avenue with numerous nearby businesses adopting UN-related names and identities. New York City functions as a global gateway and a destination for migrants seeking opportunity, reinforcing the city's multicultural character. The diplomatic community employs tens of thousands across the five boroughs and contributes an estimated $3.69 billion in total economic output. The city also incurs substantial expenses, including an estimated $54 million for security and public services and education for thousands of UN-affiliated children, plus costs to maintain municipal international affairs functions.

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