Is New York City Dead?

Back in April and May, New York City was the epicenter of the Coronavirus. With the city shutdown and essential workers only moving about, there was a sense of eeriness in the city. The ICU units at the hospitals were flooded with patients and there was even a tent set up in Central Park for overflow. At night the city was quiet and not much activity happening. However with the opening of outdoor patio seating at restaurants and stores reopening there is almost a sense of normalcy in certain neighborhoods. As a resident in Harlem, it all begin in mid June where on a nightly basis fireworks became the norm, sometimes going till 5 am in the morning. There is also the bikers, block parties, and occasional cookouts. With case numbers down and the spread being slow in the city, there is a sense of normalcy in most neighborhoods. However areas like Times Square and Downtown Manhattan may not see such a rebound in the near future with Broadway still in hiatus and corporate travel on pause for the unforeseeable future. New Yorkers are strong and are resilient, so I can’t really say if the city is dead. However certain aspects of the city that make New York what is is, will see a long term negative effect due to Covid-19. With a vaccine possibly coming out at the end of the year or early next year, let’s hope for a faster rebound so we can get back to our Broadway shows and nights at the Met Opera.