End or rebirth for NYC?

[iheartthed]

Originally Posted by Crawford

The streets, outside Manhattan, are as busy as pre-pandemic. Even Manhattan is a lot busier; it looks like normal weekend crowds again, while two months ago it was Zombie apocalypse-level empty.

Saturday evening I drove back into the city and traffic was a breeze approaching Manhattan from Jersey, while Canal Street had moderate traffic, but not quite normal for a Saturday evening. However, Brooklyn seemed as congested as ever.

[streetscaper]

I've noticed the Midtown rush crowd leaving work in the evenings, walking south to Penn station, has gotten a lot busier in just the last 2-3 weeks.

And Definitely many of the neighborhoods I've visited recently outside of Midtown feel like they're pretty much back to normal in terms of foot traffic

[ocman]

I was listening to the radio a few months ago where some urban professor was saying how the coronavirus has made people aware of just how much NYC has become a “zombie city” where tourism and jet setters take up so much space and now everyone is feeling their absence due to the pandemic. NYC’s future maybe should rely less on this huge number of people that just jump from NYC to LA to London where cities themselves are sold like products, and the city’s politicians see people who live there as nuisances who get in the way of cities competing for the most museums, most tourism, most headquarters etc.. More regionality and less “world-class" is a future that’s more compatible with environmental change. No city should want to become Amsterdam.

[chris08876]

Folks... enjoy the reduction in traffic and pedestrians while it lasts. Vehicle traffic and foot traffic has gone up dramatically over the last few months. It will only get worse.

NY is not dead, is not destroyed, the 7th Seal has not been activated.

Life is returning to normal, just with modifications. Give it time... it will return.

And once the hordes of tourists return, the city will look like this: Which is perfectly normal, nothing to see, just a regular day.


Credit: https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Gridlock


Anybody who's been on roads in the tri-state will tell you that the masses are back at it. Mini vans with homicidal depth perception are back, and hordes of cars with bumper guards are back on the roads. Life is returning to normal.

[C.]

Originally Posted by ocman

I was listening to the radio a few months ago where some urban professor was saying how the coronavirus has made people aware of just how much NYC has become a “zombie city” where tourism and jet setters take up so much space and now everyone is feeling their absence due to the pandemic. NYC’s future maybe should rely less on this huge number of people that just jump from NYC to LA to London where cities themselves are sold like products, and the city’s politicians see people who live there as nuisances who get in the way of cities competing for the most museums, most tourism, most headquarters etc.. More regionality and less “world-class" is a future that’s more compatible with environmental change. No city should want to become Amsterdam.

This is the dumbest crap I've ever read - NYC a zombie city full of LA and London jetsetters?! C'mon!! It's guaranteed the so called urban professor is not a resident of NYC.

[dc_denizen]

building your economy on tourism, white collar jobs, and real estate can have pitfalls, is what the professor seems to be saying

what about manufacturing, NYC used be a huge manufacturing hub (not surprisingly as it has an incredible harbor).

[jd3189]

Originally Posted by destroycreate

I keep seeing people express this sentinment.

What exactly is, and what does, a "low key" even NYC look like?

As others have explained ( and my own opinion), NYC will just be more locally focused. There will be slightly less tourism, nationally and globally. It will pretty much be like it was in the 90s and early 2000s, which is better than it was in the 70s and 80s but not as good as it was in much of the 2010s during the nationwide “urban renaissance”.

[chris08876]

Originally Posted by ocman

I was listening to the radio a few months ago where some urban professor was saying how the coronavirus has made people aware of just how much NYC has become a “zombie city” where tourism and jet setters take up so much space and now everyone is feeling their absence due to the pandemic. NYC’s future maybe should rely less on this huge number of people that just jump from NYC to LA to London where cities themselves are sold like products, and the city’s politicians see people who live there as nuisances who get in the way of cities competing for the most museums, most tourism, most headquarters etc.. More regionality and less “world-class" is a future that’s more compatible with environmental change. No city should want to become Amsterdam.

The weed is strong in California. If this urban professor is from California, Professor Phencyclidine, I'd take his word about corona and NYC with a small grain of laced salt.

Tourism is a huge industry, employing 1000's. It also... has a massive spill over effect onto other sectors such as hospitality, retail, garment... just about everything. Its all synergistic. Professor Phencyclidine needs to get out of his LA tent and come visit NYC to see the opposite. No zombies here.

Originally Posted by dc_denizen

building your economy on tourism, white collar jobs, and real estate can have pitfalls, is what the professor seems to be saying

what about manufacturing, NYC used be a huge manufacturing hub (not surprisingly as it has an incredible harbor).

Incredibly so. The professor is correct. Reason why the city is an Alpha++.

NYC is always in the crosshairs, but we will persevere. People get their jollies from seeing us struggle, but we'll prove them wrong time and time again.

[iheartthed]

A significant amount of, if not most of, NYC's tourism is business travel. That is coming back as soon as this pandemic is under control. And business travel will make leisure tourism economical again.

[JManc]

As soon as Cuomo lifts the quarantine, I will be up there to visit family in Upstate and I will definitely have to stop through NYC to take advantage of the small(er) crowds for some photography.

[chris08876]

I wonder if they will put the tree up this year (Rockefeller Center). Seeing that tree yearly is like the Hajj for me, along with billions of other folks that crowd all of Midtown causing people gridlock.

Christmas is a magical time in NYC, it really is. Its a big bummer that this December might not be so magical.

On a side note, what the hell is the NYE ball drop going to look like, assuming Fall goes sour.

Will be one for the history books. Social distancing perhaps in Times Square...

[Will O' Wisp]

Originally Posted by chris08876

NYC is always in the crosshairs, but we will persevere. People get their jollies from seeing us struggle, but we'll prove them wrong time and time again.

As someone who has made far too many jokes at NYC's expense, we do it because we know you can take it. Even if my and every other city can feel like we're in competition, I'd feel an almost existential dread if NYC fell. We all live in American cities, but New York is the American city.

[JMKeynes]

NY will always remain the financial capital of the world and the most dominant American city by far.

I'd like to know why all of these moronic articles focus only on NY. If people all start working from home and shopping only online, that will affect every city in the world -- not just New York. Then again, since NY, London, LA, SF, etc. have uber luxury shopping, they may be the only cities to survive, since no one will buy a $2m Cartier necklace online. Therefore, typical American cities like Atlanta, Dallas, Charlotte, Portland, Cleveland, Minneapolis, etc. might die, but super rich cities like NY and SF will continue to thrive.

[uaarkson]

Companies spent decades decentralizing and many did not return to cities until we were well into the internet age. There’s a reason corporations pay absurd rents to locate in Midtown - it has a real, vibrant business ecosystem that’s one of a kind in the world. One viral pandemic is not going to stop offices from being built in the city. Crumbling public transit might.

[hauntedheadnc]

Originally Posted by JMKeynes

NY will always remain the financial capital of the world and the most dominant American city by far.

I'd like to know why all of these moronic articles focus only on NY. If people all start working from home and shopping only online, that will affect every city in the world -- not just New York. Then again, since NY, London, LA, SF, etc. have uber luxury shopping, they may be the only cities to survive, since no one will buy a $2m Cartier necklace online. Therefore, typical American cities like Atlanta, Dallas, Charlotte, Portland, Cleveland, Minneapolis, etc. might die, but super rich cities like NY and SF will continue to thrive.

I can't speak for the other three cities in your list, but never, ever, ever underestimate a big-haired Southern debutante's lust for conspicuous consumption. Or an Atlanta rapper's, for that matter.

[JMKeynes]

Originally Posted by hauntedheadnc

I can't speak for the other three cities in your list, but never, ever, ever underestimate a big-haired Southern debutante's lust for conspicuous consumption. Or an Atlanta rapper's, for that matter.

Yes, but Atlanta, like Dallas and Houston, lack high-end downtown shopping. There’s no Cartier on Peachtree Street. Those stores are in suburban malls. Lennox Square is hardly Madison and 65th.

[hauntedheadnc]

Originally Posted by JMKeynes

Yes, but Atlanta, like Dallas and Houston, lack high-end downtown shopping. There’s no Cartier on Peachtree Street. Those stores are in suburban malls. Lennox Square is hardly Madison and 65th.

Not to nitpick, but you're technically wrong about that particular detail. The Cartier store in Atlanta is at the Lenox Square Mall, which is indeed located on Peachtree Road. Peachtree Road is what Peacthree Street becomes once it gets far enough out of downtown and Midtown -- so it is in fact on the Peachtree spine, and not on one of the eighty-plus other roads in Atlanta called Peachtree.

[JMKeynes]

Originally Posted by hauntedheadnc

Not to nitpick, but you're technically wrong about that particular detail. The Cartier store in Atlanta is at the Lenox Square Mall, which is indeed located on Peachtree Road. Peachtree Road is what Peacthree Street becomes once it gets far enough out of downtown and Midtown -- so it is in fact on the Peachtree spine, and not on one of the eighty-plus other roads in Atlanta called Peachtree.

Funny, but as noted, when standing in the Lennox Square parking lot, it feels like you're in the burbs and is not remotely like walking along Madison Avenue, same with the Gallerias in Dallas and Houston.

[streetscaper]

lol I'd say the overwhelming majority of retail stores (more than 80-90%) have opened back up in the retail sections of the city I've been to, and it's been like that for well over a month now.

[streetscaper]

Apple reportedly in negotiations to expand New York City office location

Apple is currently in talks with its New York City landlord to expand the office space it has in the city.

Earlier in 2020, Apple leased 220,000 square feet of office space at the 11 Penn Plaza building in Midtown. Now, the company is looking to expand.

According to Business Insider, Apple is negotiating with its landlords to add about 60,000 square feet to its existing 11 Penn Plaza office. Reportedly, there are options in the building for more space.

The talks are ongoing and there is "nothing concrete," meaning Apple may not yet have decided on the amount of office space or whether it wants to expand at all....