Edward I. Koch, Mayor of New York City from 1978 to 1989, passed away early Friday as a result of congestive heart failure.
Koch was a New York icon, a personality unforgettable even to those who didn’t vote for him or appreciate his policies. He was one of only three mayors in the city’s history to serve three terms – along with Fiorello La Guardia (1934–1945) and Robert F. Wagner, Jr (1954–1965) – and in the last two mayoral elections he won Koch got over 75 percent of the votes.
In the streets of Brooklyn following Koch’s death many were eager to share their thoughts, to recall funny moments and explain what his legacy is. The slogan “How’m I Doing?” – used often by Koch in his interactions with New Yorkers – was mentioned by all the Brooklynites The Brooklyn Ink spoke with.
While some criticized Koch—mainly about his third term, which was shaken by a series of corruption scandals—the common opinion was that Koch had a positive influence on the city he loved so much.
Here’s what they said:
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