New York City and the Pandemic: By Kelly Groome

 Over the course of the pandemic, New York City has gone from the city that never sleeps to the city that may not be sleeping but according to BBC is, “On life support.” Corona virus has caused many businesses to close and many to abandon the city. In an article by BBC,  "As many as a third of the city's small businesses may not survive the pandemic.” Towards the beginning of the pandemic I remember seeing viral videos Times Square and Lincoln Center completely abandoned. Not a person remained on the street creating an almost ghost town like presence.

However there is still hope that New York City will soon be restored to its former self. Some sources have also said that the idea that New York is dying is over exaggerated. An article by Insider even showed the comparisons between the city in April and today, which showed promising results. The city that had once been abandoned now had busier streets and showed evidence that the city is adjusting to the new normal. With warmer days hopefully coming more businesses will now have the opportunity to offer outdoor dining.

New York has always been my favorite place in the world. The culture, the food, the sights, the bustling crowds and so much more. Last weekend I visited Manhattan for the day and it was vastly different than when I had been there a year previous. There were not nearly as many pedestrians along the streets and it was definitely quieter then I remembered. It made it much easier when walking down the sidewalks because there was no crowds to maneuver around. When we went to the Museum of Modern Art however, there were actually a lot of people milling about the museum social distancing and with masks on. It gave me hope that in the near future, when the pandemic is over Manhattan will once again be filled with bustling tourists and locals.

Here is a (somewhat shaky) video I took of present day Manhattan:

Sources:

https://www.insider.com/photos-new-york-city-before-after-coronavirus-lockdown-2020-11#back-in-march-the-first-stop-on-my-journey-was-grand-central-terminal-which-was-completely-empty-1

https://www.bbc.com/news/business-55535324

https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/24/us/nyc-coronavirus-crime-leaving-new-york/index.html