What I learned over the weekend can live rent free in my head

So, I learned a few things over the weekend.

Can anyone from a so-called third-world country like Indonesia guess the average cost of a one-bedroom apartment in New York City?

It’s $4,778 per month or roughly IDR 79 million. Holy. Freaking. Airball. For that price, we could probably rent a room in Istana Bogor and still have change for the train.

New York City has reached new heights... of poverty. In 2025, the poverty rate stands at 25%, which means one in four people in NYC lives in poverty. That’s 600% higher than Jakarta. The number of homeless people has also doubled between 2022 and 2024.

I’d say that’s pretty catastrophic for a city that sells dreams to millions (including younger me! :)).

Then it all makes sense. It makes so much sense to me that a young Muslim immigrant who proudly calls himself a (democratic) socialist just won the city election.

For the record, I’ve always thought of myself as a bit of a socialist too. So yes, I’m ecstatic to see how this unfolds. But if you’d told me last year that someone running as a socialist could win an election in NYC, I would have laughed.

That being said, I truly wish the best for my fellow socialist, Mr. Cardamom. May he brew up a sweet tax increase for the richest. Sure, the critics are already sharpening their knives, and there’ll be more to come, but really, what’s the alternative for this city?

Cuomo’s top promise is to expand police power. Like, congratulations to the NYPD officers, who might now finally be able to rent a one-bedroom apartment in NYC!

On a side note, old-money politicians everywhere think alike, I reckon. Always pushing to strengthen the police. Do they need more backup to protect their wealth?