New York City: Alive and Well
The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated
The quote above is attributed to Mark Twain, but can also be attributed to those pundits who (some gleefully) have prognosticated about the demise of New York City. While a weekend trip is not the be all, end all, I can tell you that New York City is alive and well and the City that never sleeps is certainly reinventing itself in a post-Pandemic era.
Our trip for a family event led us to downtown Brooklyn — a thriving, multi-cultural, diverse community. The streets, the shops were busy and the energy was palpable. Staying in downtown Brooklyn was amazing. Apartment buildings and commercial buildings some 50 to 60 stories were under construction.
Brooklyn certainly is a collection of old and new. We stayed close enough that we were able to walk down to the promenade along the East River overlooking Manhattan. The park, the pathways, the restaurants were all busy with young and old alike enjoying the beautiful weather. And, lots and lots of families enjoying the day.
The New York State Comptroller recently released a report on the economic health of Brooklyn.
According to the press release, “DiNapoli’s report found that Brooklyn’s employment market is already making a comeback with 100,000 jobs regained between the start of reopening in the second quarter of 2020 (which included a May unemployment peak of 21.2%) and the third quarter of 2021. Recovery in this period was fastest in many face-to-face services, and in the information sector. The trend should continue, especially in the leisure and hospitality sector, as well as in the construction and transportation and warehousing industries.”
No one should construe this as everything is wine and roses either. Challenges always remain, but Brooklyn like NYC is making a remarkable comeback from the COVID19 pandemic. We as a country are better off when our urban centers thrive.
