With Bill de Blasio taking the reins as New York City's new mayor, a recent poll shows that the majority of New Yorkers are satisfied with the job he's been doing since his inauguration and also feel optimistic about his future work in office.

A newly released Quinnipiac University poll shows that 53 percent of voters in New York City approve of the way de Blasio is handling his job as mayor thus far. In terms of party lines, approval ratings are highest among Democrats, at approximately 64 percent, with around 40 percent of Independents and Republicans giving high levels of approval.

Minorities living in the city show higher approval rates for the new mayor than non-minorities, with African-American residents approval at 71 percent and Hispanic New Yorkers approval at 55 percent. White residents in New York City still show a significant amount of approval for the job de Blasio is doing as well, though their rating is slightly lower at 41 percent.

According to the poll, residents of New York City are optimistic overall about the next four years with de Blasio as mayor, with the strongest support coming from Democrats at nearly 80 percent. Republicans, however, are somewhat divided 44 - 45 percent.

African-American voters are the most optimistic about de Blasio's future, with 80 percent showing strong support. In terms of Hispanic voters, 76 percent of respondents show optimism for the future with de Blasio at the helm and White voters came in with just over half optimistic about the next four years.

"New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio is having a honeymoon," said Maurice Carroll, director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute. "Two thirds of New Yorkers are optimistic about the new City Hall team."

When polled about what they think should be top priorities for de Blasio in 2014, education came in at number one with 20 percent of respondents agreeing. The area of jobs and unemployment was voted second most important at 13 percent, with crime and safety in the city tying housing issues for third place, each with 9 percent.

Although income inequality was voted on as a top priority by only 1 percent of respondents in this survey, when asked spot on about the topic the numbers show that it is a hot-button issue, particularly among minority voters.

"When we ask New Yorkers what's their top priority, they say education, jobs, crime, housing. Almost no one says income inequality," Carroll said. "But when we ask them specifically about income inequality, they want to rewrite 'The Tale of Two Cities.'"

When asked whether the New York City government should or should not pursue policies that try to reduce the gap between wealthy and less well-off New Yorkers, respondents were overall in favor of government action at 66 percent - 25 percent.

However, when asked whether income inequality is an issue that should by addressed by New York City government or national government, the majority of those polled said that the responsibility for targeting this issue falls under national government jurisdiction.

This survey was carried out by Quinnipiac University between Jan. 9 - 15. It was conducted through telephone interviews with 1,288 New Yorkers and has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.7 percentage points.

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