This archive report was first published on 25 August 2020.
Is New York City ‘Over’? ¶
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect New York City, many are wondering if the city is truly 'over'. With businesses closed and people leaving, it's a tough time for the city.
On a sunny morning, scattered thunderstorms may bring heavy rain and strong gusts, with a high in the low 90s. Alternate-side parking is in effect until September 7th (Labor Day).
During the early months of the pandemic, New York City looked like a ghost town. Many businesses were closed, and wealthy New Yorkers fled to second homes. The city has since slowly begun reopening, but things are far from normal.
Some people, like author and podcaster James Altucher, have argued that the city is at a low in terms of financial ruin, culture, and real estate. In a LinkedIn post titled 'N.Y.C. Is Dead Forever. Here’s Why,' he wrote, 'This time it’s different. You’re never supposed to say that but this time it’s true.'
However, several New Yorkers have argued that cynics aren’t giving the city enough credit. Some have suggested that people who fled were largely white gentrifiers who would have eventually left anyway.
Comedian Jerry Seinfeld responded to the LinkedIn article in a Times op-ed, saying, 'Real, live, inspiring human energy exists when we coagulate together in crazy places like New York City.' He added, 'Feeling sorry for yourself because you can’t go to the theater for a while is not the essential element of character that made New York the brilliant diamond of activity it will one day be again.'
There are glimmers of a rebound, too. Restaurants are performing at around 23 percent of last year’s volume, and big companies like Facebook and Amazon have recently acquired buildings in Midtown.
As students arrive on campuses in New York for an academic year upended by the pandemic, administrators are grappling with an array of challenges — including how to isolate students coming from states subject to New York’s 14-day quarantine rule.
