Upper East Side Sliced Up In Newly Redrawn Council District Maps

UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — Thousands of Upper East Siders may get new representation in City Hall under a newly redrawn map of New York's City Council districts.

The draft map, released Friday by the city's districting commission, includes some major changes to the Upper East Side's districts 4 and 5 — now represented by Keith Powers and Julie Menin, respectively.

Most notably, nearly 50 blocks between East 54th and 79th streets would be absorbed by the 26th Council District, which would jump across the river from its current confines in Queens, where it now covers neighborhoods like Long Island City and Sunnyside.

Roosevelt Island, which has long been grouped with the Upper East Side for political purposes, would also be taken over by the new 26th District — currently represented by Julie Won, according to the maps.

The new Council maps would take effect in February, before next year's city elections — though the commission will hold hearings on the new draft maps, which could result in changes before they are ultimately approved later this year.

The Council redistricting happens every 10 years to reflect population changes in the recent census. It isn't to be confused with the other redistricting process covering state legislative and congressional districts, which wrapped up this summer after a chaotic few months of legal battles and a court-ordered redrawing.

District 5, which currently centers on Yorkville, would be shifted westward under the new maps to include more of Lenox Hill, by gaining about 40 blocks west of Second Avenue below East 79th Street. It would also expand westward above East 91st Street, encompassing a few Carnegie Hill blocks that are currently part of District 4.

East Side landmarks that would be absorbed into the majority-Queens 26th District include include the Hospital for Special Surgery and Weill Cornell Medical Center, John Jay Park, Rockefeller University, and the 59th Street Trader Joe's market.

Meanwhile, District 4, which now covers a narrow slice of the Upper East Side along Central Park, would get even narrower under the proposed maps, losing all of its territory east of Lexington Avenue — but gaining some ground in Midtown.

Reached for comment, Menin and Powers both noted that the new maps are still preliminary — though Menin called them "far from perfect."

"Many communities of interest in my current district would be split into a different district," she said in a statement. "I will be working hard in the coming days and weeks to ensure our community is able to give robust feedback to the Commission on these new lines."

Powers avoided any criticism of the changed lines, saying, "I appreciate the hard work of the Districting Commission and look forward to continuing to represent the needs of the East Side in City Hall."

In drawing the new maps, members of the 15-person commission were required to give each district a roughly equivalent population, try to avoid splitting existing neighborhoods and communities, and not dilute the voting power of racial and linguistic minorities.

Due to a quirk in the city charter that follows redistricting years, all 51 City Council members will be up for re-election next year after serving just two-year terms — shorter than the typical four-year term.

Use the map below to click on a district and use the slider to compare the existing and proposed Council districts (the map may display best on web browsers):

To get feedback on the draft map, the districting commission will hold five more hearings at 4 p.m. on Aug. 15, 16, 17, 18 and 22. Members of the public can comment via Zoom, by email at publictestimony@redistricting.nyc.gov, or by mail at 235 Broadway, NY, NY 10007.