Letter of…The American epicenter of the Covid-19 epidemic in the spring, New York has the aftermath of a city at a standstill and could experience financial disaster.
–
NEW YORK LETTER
New York, golden prison: a few months ago, New Yorkers could not leave their city, the global epicenter of the Covid-19, banned from stay everywhere, for fear of spreading the epidemic. Today, they are confined in the city, even at home for fourteen days, if they are unfortunate enough to return from one of the twenty-eight states on the blacklist established by Governor Andrew Cuomo, who wants everything price avoid a second wave.
So, back from Wisconsin, still in the throes of the epidemic, we had to fill out a detailed form in the deserted airport of La Guardia, before receiving, three days later, a telephone message from the health authorities of the ‘State reminding us of our obligations.
On the surface, life is picking up in New York. Central Park is crowded with people, the subways are no longer deserted, while the cars have returned the horns and some traffic jams. The yellow taxis survey the asphalt again and no longer require, as was the case in July, to be paid in cash. A driver gave us a clue: deprived since the beginning of August of the 600 dollars (506 euros) of weekly federal aid, the profession has returned to work almost normally.
Broadway is dead
In the wake of the MoMA (Museum of Modern Art), the Metropolitan Museum reopened its doors on Friday August 28 and will soon be followed by the Guggenheim: at 25% of its capacity and by reservation. You can also visit the Bronx Zoo, by reservation only, but there are more visitors than ever.
The residential districts have taken on a Parisian air: the restaurants, which are still not authorized to serve indoors, have spread by installing terraces on the avenues, which has not failed to cause some accidents. The business is not necessarily bad for this French restaurateur on the Upper East Side, who now has more places outside than he had inside and predicts a better summer than the year before. No one knows what will happen at the end of October when, with the cold, the terraces lose their authorization.
Everything starts again, but nothing is really like before. The weakest did not resist: if the Belgian brand Le Pain Quotidien, after going bankrupt, reopened its doors, taken over by another entrepreneur, this is not the case of the French Kayser, from pastry to cheese -cake of legend Two Little Red Hens, or even Victoria’s Secret stores, already in bad shape before the crisis, which have closed shop. Above all, if the residential districts take on some colors, this is not the case with the business districts. Downtown remains deserted, the water of the 9/11 Memorial is cut off, at least in the morning. You can get to the Statue of Liberty by ferry, but not a single tourist is a candidate for the trip.
You have 50.06% of this article left to read. The rest is for subscribers only.
–
