These are all from exactly a week ago -- March 22nd, the last time I've gone into Manhattan and the only time I've been in there since March 12th. I'm usually here in Greenwich Village working and walking around 10 miles a day, 4 days a week, so not only is it weird for the city to be shut down, not only is it weird to not be spending a lot of time here, but it's also weird for me to not be walking 50 miles a week (not trying to brag--I work as a food delivery walker for a side job).
It was a nice and sunny albeit cool March day, and at that point in time the message to #flattenthecurve had gotten out and most everyone was being sensitive to the situation.
I went in to get groceries and see if the delivery work was busy (it wasn't) and basically look at the day as perhaps my goodbye to the Village for the time being. Not to sound dramatic, but it's an area I love and have basically adopted as my home. I have lots of friends in the area... people working at restaurants or shops or cafes, my comedian friends at the comedy clubs there (I've done standup exactly one time), or my friends in what I call "The Park" aka Washington Square Park, a place where I spend a lot of down time because it's just a fun and funky place to exist in.
Some shots will look like everything is completely normal, and then others will be stark. Overall I would say there was only about 20% of the normal foot traffic out and about. Some of you might think that number should be at 0%, to which I don't disagree, but it's somewhat unique in NYC in that most people don't have the slightest bit of private outdoor space to retreat to, or a car to shuttle themselves around in, in which case there's simply no way for people to NOT be out on the sidewalks for at least a basic quick trip to the corner store.
This is my neighborhood of Bushwick, deep out in Brooklyn and looking towards the cluster of towers around Madison Square
Taking the M train in
Now in the West Village
Like I said, somewhere around 20% of the usual foot traffic AND vehicular traffic as well
"The Park" aka Washington Square Park
These benches would normally be absolutely packed with people enjoying the sun, even on a cool March day
This is Macdougal Street, otherwise known as the Bourbon Street of NYC. It is packed with bars, restaurants and comedy clubs, and on a normal day these narrow sidewalks would be loaded with people and vehicles
6th Avenue is ALWAYS loaded with traffic. This is weird to see
7th Avenue is a ghost town
Bike shops are doing good business
This isn't the busiest stretch by any means, but usually there would be at least 10 people in view from this perspective
Six foot spacing to get into Trader Joe's
Prince Street in Soho is usually teeming with activity
West Houston Street is usually thick with traffic trying to do highway speeds
Macdougal-Sullivan Gardens Historic District
And back on Macdougal Street in the middle of the comedy club zone. Literally no shows going on
Heading back to the M train
And up onto the Williamsburg Bridge we go, heading for Bushwick
Hoping everyone stays safe for the coming months and that we as a people can get through this with minimal pain!
Take care everyone
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