Yesterday, I sat in on the Times Square Alliance’s (TSA) Annual Public Meeting. On the call, Senator Chuck Schumer described Times Square as “the beating heart of our city, and the beating heart of the world.”
TJ Witham, the Communications Director at TSA, said: “Our challenge is to ensure the maximum amount of businesses survive the pandemic.” This is the challenge that W42ST is focused on too.
The heart of our city is in recovery from significant trauma. Here are the vital statistics of the patient — Times Square in 2020 — to share with the family.
SPONSORED POST
This morning, I listened to Dr. Anthony Fauci speaking on the “What the Health?” podcast. There was good advice (and depressing observations) in there. One thing that struck home was when he talked about bars. “It’s kind of fun because it’s social, but it’s not fun when this virus is in the air,” he shared. “So I would think that if there’s anything you want to clamp down on for the time being, it’s bars.”
Back on October 4, we asked could the R.E.S.T.A.U.R.A.N.T.S. Act save our restaurants? It stands for Real Economic Support That Acknowledges Unique Restaurant Assistance Needed To Survive. We’re adding in Bars and Gyms and Salons and…
In our political mire, this bill is stuck in the Senate, both in its own right (at $120bn), and in the midst of the $2.2tn HEROES Act.
The New York Times Editorial Board came out yesterday to Save our Restaurants. We hope this can happen through politics and Federal funds, but all local business owners are gravely concerned about survival through to next summer.
No GoFundMe or gift cards will be adequate to ride through what appears an inevitable lockdown, especially if it is for more than two weeks. There is little chance that the pressure, even of the New York Times (who we 100% support on this), will break the deadlock. We will survive somehow… any ideas?
What We’ve Been Reading
Hudson Valley’s Christmas tree farms are expecting a Holiday rush – but if you’re planning a trip, things are a little different this year… (LoHud)
As it prepares to borrow billions of federal dollars, cash-strapped MTA is looking to cut bus worker numbers and routes, threatening a service that’s been described as “the essential of the essential”. (The City)
The $3.45m ‘fixer upper’ said to have inspired the Wizard of Oz’s castle. (LoHud)
Owners at 200 NYC hotels have been ordered to pay in excess of $500m to union workers who have lost their jobs during the pandemic. (Bisnow)
Are we heading for another round of stockpiling? (PIX11)