Today’s post is a simple one. I wanted to share some thoughts about New York in 2020, and in particular, the future of this great city.
An empty avenue in downtown NYC
The Status of New York City in 2020
I went to the city yesterday to take my dog to the vet and my heart just about broke.
It was so empty and lifeless.
Seventh Avenue, a normally busy and bustling street, was deserted. The West Village, normally abuzz this month because of gay pride, felt like a ghost town.
Where have all the people gone?
I get it. It’s the beginning of summer, and we’re in the middle of a pandemic. People are going stir-crazy and want out. Out of the city, out of this dystopian moment, out of this pandemic.
With no summer trips to take, or kids to send off to summer camp so parents can have their own summer of fun, people are looking for a piece of greener pastures in the far reaches of the suburbs and beyond.
But something about the quietness of the city yesterday was unsettling. Is this the beginning of a more significant change for New York City?
Is this ‘new normal’ really the end of life in the Big Apple as we knew it?
Related: How are you feeling about the new normal?
The charm of NYC in the West Village
The Many Lives of NYC
If nothing else, NYC is the comeback kid. I’ve lived here long enough to witness this.
First, there was 9/11. A shocking, raw event that brought the city together in a way I never experienced before. In the aftermath of this horrific time, people left in droves, settling in the safety of the suburbs. They claimed the city had changed forever, and it had. But what they couldn’t see then is that it was ultimately for the better.
9/11 is now woven into the fabric of New York City and its people. It’s a testament to its resilience and a reminder that we do care for each other – even if at most times we don’t actually show it.
The financial crisis was another reckoning. This time with Wall Street, the hubris of the financial industry, and the way in which the city catered the needs of the rich, and very rich. Even after banks were decimated and the housing market virtually collapsed, New York City was still standing. And a few years later, she was booming and roaring with success.
But now, this crisis – this moment we are all living through – feels different.
Perhaps it’s because of the confluence of events that seem so surreal, you would laugh if a movie tried to incorporate all of these storylines at once.
It’s the COVID-19 pandemic.
The protests calling for long-overdue racial justice and equality.
Our President, who functions more and more like an autocrat.
A new soundtrack of the city – no longer sirens, but now the fireworks that reverberate in the sky all night long.
And it’s the ticking time bomb of climate change, ever-present, in the background.
How will New York City, our city, my city, weather this storm?
Will she remain intact? Or will she irrevocably change? (And, is that a bad thing?)
Enjoying a rooftop bar in NYC during happier times
What’s Next for New York in 2020?
Of course, I don’t have the answers.
But in my heart, I know that NYC isn’t just a city that’s built of dreams. It’s a place that has been defined by the tenacity, hard work, sweat, and tears of the people who live here.
And for those of us who call New York City home, whether we’ve just moved here in 2020 or we’ve been here our entire life, the city has imbued us with a bit of its grit.
New Yorkers are strong, tough, and full of love and pride for our city, even with all its imperfections.
So what does that mean?
It means we have the power to save our city.
This time, I think it’s up to us. We need to fight for NYC. It’s time we give back to the place that has done so much to build our character, nurture our dreams, and teach us about life.
In the past, New York City has given us many stories. The question now is whether we will be here to witness perhaps the greatest story of all.
The city will rise from the ashes of this latest crisis. And she will be forever transformed. We will say goodbye to things we loved that are no longer tenable. But we also have the opportunity to welcome a new era for New York City that might just be the best one yet.
I love you, NYC, now and forever.
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