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The Empire State Building shone in bright red lace on January 19, 2021 in memory of the now half a million people who lost their lives because of Covid-19.
Foto: Frank Franklin II (AP/Keystone)
Home office culture
Even if life – and at least partially tourism – comes back to New York bit by bit in 2021, many companies and employees expect to work from home for a long time. Many city dwellers like the home office, and their employers in the towers of Manhattan have noticed that it works even without open-plan office control. More flexible work could also become the new standard in the commuter metropolis of New York. Some think further: Companies could save with smaller offices, employees would have the opportunity to work from the surrounding area – or elsewhere.
Outdoor dining and pedestrian zones
New Yorkers got a taste for outdoor dining. Many streets in Manhattan or Brooklyn have been lined with (heated) wooden outdoor terraces for months. Sometimes they are brightly painted or decorated with flowers and – as long as no snowstorm sweeps the city – they are well attended. Some residents were reminded of the new street flair with restricted traffic zones of street restaurants in Europe – and it could stay: “I want us to adopt this model and make it part of the life of New York City for years and generations,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio.
Instagram-Restaurants
In addition to traditional restaurants, another gastronomy branch has developed in the New York pandemic. Numerous cooks and bakers relocated to the Internet, in so-called “ghost kitchens”. They do not have a shop, but cook or bake either at home or in a special kitchen and then deliver the food or have it picked up. Many were able to secure their livelihoods in this way – and some even became gastronomic stars, such as the 27-year-old Kimberly Camara, whose donuts, shaped by her Filipino roots, are regularly sold out via Instagram within minutes.
Culture’s comeback
The famous New York cultural scene has been one of the hardest hit by the pandemic. Studies have said that up to two thirds of all jobs have been lost – at least temporarily. The museums were closed for months, the Broadway theaters will probably reopen in autumn at the earliest, the Metropolitan Opera not until 2022. But after a black year there are now the first signs of hope: the cinemas have recently been allowed to reopen with restrictions, and the first theaters from April . Museums are already announcing large new exhibitions for the summer, and there should also be a large cultural program in the open air – and some of that could remain.
The dear bike
New York, a bike city? Despite more than 2000 kilometers of mostly green tracks for cyclists, not really. But here too the pandemic has caused a rethink. Bicycle sellers cannot keep up with supplies, and bike sharing is booming because tens of thousands no longer want to take the subway. That is why the more than 50,000 bicycle parking spaces in public spaces are becoming scarce at times. The big city has promised to invest more in the infrastructure, because the bicycle should keep its place in New York in the future.