W42ST Daily 6/14/2020
I have returned to Citi Bikes. For three months, these shared vehicles have felt far too full of germs for my sensitivities. But now, I have the hand sanitizer at the ready (which I always frowned upon in the past) ā so Iām good to go and am enjoying the tourist free and car light city. Iāve not started wearing a helmet though. I know, I know!
The crowds in Central Park yesterday were a wonderful reminder that I live in the greatest city in the world. The picnic groups were all way more than 6 feet apartā mostly enjoying illegal beverages (but thatās ok right?). We gossiped about the bigger groups: āwere they really one household? Is the older guy with the three young guys with their shirts off their dad?ā ā thereās got to be an edge to people watching, right? We tutted at the woman who walked through the crowds flapping her arms, not changing her path, not moving an inch.
On Friday, I watched Governor Cuomo sign an order bringing in a raft of changes to make policing in New York better, more accountable. The hardest moment at the end was him having to sign. He knew this was a photo op ā how to be socially distanced? They couldnāt be, they didnāt.
That evening, my friend, Diana sent me a video sheād filmed across 9th Avenue. We posted without comment in our social feeds. The comments came in and ranged from āSo nice to see people being human againā to āWhere are the masksā to āThe wine must be flowing freely if theyāre barefoot on 9th Aveā to āSeriously? Yes this is adorable but not cool. This is like when you start to feel better 7 pills into a 10 pill script and stop taking them. Then you wonder why you relapse.ā On Facebook 67% of people liked it, 24% loved it and 9% were angry. Iād say the majority of comments were on the theme of āmore masks please!ā I wear a maskā¦
Last night, I headed out for celebratory drinks with friends. My buddy, Paul, had landed a deal. My American friends laughed at my pronunciation of ācelebratoryā ā apparently itās wrong. We had a bottle of wine (or two), hence writing this with a hangover. We sat a table (undoubtedly illegal) in the street in the West Village. We tutted at folks on Revel scooters not wearing helmets (I do wear a helmet on a scooter!). We wandered home, crossed the street on the red signal and felt āThis is New Yorkā. We are coming backā¦
On March 11, photographer Jeenah Moon finished her coverage of Harvey Weinstein. He was sent to jail. Sheād covered the story for two years, it was the big start to her career as a photojournalist, and she was ready to spend time relaxing at her Hellās Kitchen home. The next day, she was assigned to COVID-19. See the last 90 days through her lens.
WHAT WEāVE BEEN READING
How being apart has brought us together. Read moreā¦
Your dogās leash is probably overdue a deep cleanā¦ Yukā¦
Playwrights Horizonsā production of Pulitzer Prize winner Michael R Jacksonās A Strange Loop won big at last nightās Drama Desk Awards! Yayyyā¦
Great work, Manhattan Plaza! #OneNewYork Good jobā¦
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