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The Summer Of NYC Is Here, This Is What New Yorkers Are Saying About It
By
Ben Yakas
Published Jun 24, 2021
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By
Ben Yakas
Published Jun 24, 2021
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The Summer of NYC. Hot Vax Summer. The Roaring 2020s. Whatever you want to call it, it has arrived.
New York has lifted almost all of the state's coronavirus restrictions and safety measures in the last couple of weeks as more and more people have gotten vaccinated. Social distancing campaigns are a remnant of the past. And a majority of New Yorkers seem to have tacitly come to an agreement to ditch all masks outside altogether.
On March 13th, 2020, the enormity of COVID-19 was just starting to seep into the collective consciousness—people were being implored to exercise an abundance of caution in the face of a disease for which we had little-to-no information. The city was the epicenter for the devastation of the virus early on; by April, the unrelenting blare of sirens drowned out the subways, pigeons, and taxis to become the soundtrack of a city sheltered in stasis.
Scott Lynch/Gothamist
Now, around 15 months later, there is an undeniable, infectious energy coursing through the streets of our city, emanating from every open fire hydrant, every late night bodega, and every person lingering on their stoop to talk to a neighbor.
Movie theaters, gyms, and baseball stadiums are filling up again. Bars are packed to the brim, and it's getting harder and harder to find a good reservation on a Friday night. People are waiting on lines again and barely even complaining about it. FOMO is back. If you see a crowd of people huddled on the sidewalk, you might not even go out of your way to avoid it, because there is something thrilling about brushing shoulders with unfamiliar bodies.
New Yorkers underwent a trauma that will take a long time to unknot; the city has been through hell, and people who have persevered and gotten vaccinated deserve to embrace this moment.
That doesn't mean that everyone is ready for it.
As we spoke to New Yorkers, we discovered that despite the eagerness to lose the masks and renew community bonds, there is still a hesitancy about diving back into our old lives and routines. Some said they were unsure whether it was too soon to be celebrating the end of a pandemic that is still raging around the world; others stressed that they felt a tension between the urge to hug strangers and the reality that they don't know who they can trust.
"I'm praying that everyone who is not wearing a mask actually has the vaccine, but unfortunately, the honor system is what we have," Mahaliah, a bartender at Covenhoven, told Gothamist/WNYC.
The city is reopen for business and culture, but the Summer Of NY isn't a simple victory lap. People can't just flip like a light switch. It will take patience for many people to truly emerge from their pandemic mindsets—and that's assuming there isn't another outbreak or setback with public health efforts. But it's heartening to see that after this long stretch of unrelenting isolation, the overall mood of the city is one of cautious joyfulness.
Read More: Photos—Revisiting Manhattan’s Pandemic Emptiness, One Year Later
We sent out photographers Scott Lynch, Sai Mokhtari and Scott Heins across the city over recent days to capture the emotions of a city suddenly re-engaged—and we asked people whether they think the city is back, how they're processing the last year, and what they're most looking forward to doing this summer.
Susan with the Stoop Kidz Brass Band
"We might be out here dancing in Brooklyn, but if in Palestine they don't have vaccines... this is not going to be over so soon. Everyone has to be protected for one of us to be protected. We've all got to be careful. But here most of us are without masks now, because most of us are vaccinated, thank goodness. I feel elated. We can get out. This is a great, great band." — Susan, enjoying the Stoop Kidz Brass Band, who have become a fixture in Prospect Heights throughout the pandemic.
Baby Shiloh, Diane, and Gasmir.
"Every day one of us is alive as New Yorkers is a blessing. It's a bad virus that's slowly leaving our society, and I'm ecstatic about it. [But] we're still taking precautions, we lost too many people. What keeps me going... I make each day the best day possible." — Gasmir
"I work in health care and we're still seeing patients diagnosed with COVID. So even though many people are getting vaccinated, we have to take precautions. Just get acclimated to this new normal. I don't think we'll go back to being maskless, because of this experience, and I also give a nod to history — the Spanish Flu of 1918, two years and then the Roaring '20s and we partied. But it's not two years yet. Give us some time. We'll adjust." — Diane
Virginia, Ryan and son Reno
"Coming out to live music and dancing in the streets was the first time I felt NY has turned the corner. I think New York has reopened for the locals first and foremost, so it feels better than before. I've felt NYC has prioritized tourists for a long time and while tourism money is important, I've felt crowded out of my own home for a while. The open streets program and the half empty museums have prioritized the locals and I'm excited to enjoy the sites of my city for the first time this summer. I know it won't last, so I'm eager to enjoy it while it's here." — Virginia
Racheal
"To me, New York never left. It adapted and evolved in order to survive, which is the most New York thing that can happen. I moved just before the pandemic hit, and I had no idea what to expect when I came back for a work trip. The city isn’t quite operating at full capacity yet, but it’s exactly where it needs to be for a responsible re-opening. Overall, it was heartwarming to see how this resilient community always comes together to keep the New York spirit alive." — Racheal
Luz, Lizzie and Carrie
"New York is absolutely back. I [felt it when] the weather started getting nice this year...[But] I think you can't go back to normal in the sense of like, sharing a joint with strangers at a bar, I can't go back to that."— Luz
Navani and Meeta
"I don't think pandemic times are truly over, but I think it's a step in the right direction."—Navani
"It's definitely not over, but it's definitely better. New York was the worst place to be last year, but we're actually doing well now and this is a good place to be."—Meeta
"It feels amazing to be here without my mask on, and also not freaked out, that's the main thing." —Navani
Jordan in Domino Park
"Once we could order drinks at the bar, that really made it feel like [the city] was back. Because we haven't been able to do that in a year. I could order a drink from my favorite bartender, and it made me feel alive again." —Jordan
Skyler and Arielle in Domino Park
"We've definitely turned the corner. I've seen a big uptick in people being out at more restaurants, with them being more crowded. Everyone is out and free, it's so nice to see everyone take their masks off. Honestly, hugging people, being close to them, physical proximity is what I'm looking forward to this summer."—Arielle
Zoe and Michelle
"I feel like we're looking at the summer of our lives. I live in Williamsburg, and walking down Berry and Bedford, just the last few weeks, there's just a lot of people out and about. It's hard to get a reservation now at a lot of places."—Michelle
Joe
"I really feel we're opening up too soon. They don't have vaccinations for the kids but they're allowing them back in school, which could endanger their teachers. But who am I to go against that? I love my city, there's nothing like my city."—Joe
Blossom, Gia and Darnell
"I feel like we're approaching the end [of the pandemic], because we can walk around freely, they're not so uptight about you having masks on now, so I feel like that's uplifting. I just went to the ice cream parlor and talked to the lady without a mask."—Darnell
"This summer, I'd like to go to the beach and I want to go to the aquarium."—Gia
Gabriela, Yousef, Jeferson and Chris
"It feels good, I'm able to take off my mask outside, but I end up usually putting it back on when I'm inside."—Gabriela
"Whenever I'm with people that I know, or just walking on the streets, it's nice being able to see people's faces again."— Chris
"I'm looking forward to hanging out with friends, it's been way too long since I've hung out with friends."—Yousef
Olesya at Brooklyn Botanic Garden
"I think it's getting to the end, but it's not the end yet. I work in a hospital, so I see we still have cases of COVID, not everyone has gotten the vaccine yet, they need more time to see how the vaccine is going to work, what are the long-term side effects. So people still need time for it to be resolved...but it's such a relief, it's such a blessing, thank God, now that we're able to go out a little more."—Oleysa
Darian and Jade at St. Ends
"[The first time I went inside a bar this year] I was at Pony Boy in Williamsburg, I did not expect it to be so packed. The dance floor was popping. I remember being like, wow, I wanted to cry from excitement, but I was also extremely anxious. So I was riding this line of anxiety and absolute euphoria."—Jade
"I don't know that we'll ever be [over] the pandemic. There is no other side of the pandemic. We're just in this way of life now."—Darian
"This summer I'm looking forward to shaking my ass in a club, honestly."—Jade
"Same!"—Darian
Mahaliah, bartender at Covenhoven
"Before we could take our masks off, trying to tell people to keep their masks on while drinking beer was really difficult...It feels good to not be at home alone. We love the community and everyone's really happy to be back, so it's a great environment and aesthetic."—Mahaliah, bartender at Covenhoven
Reginald, bartender at St Ends
"I think that New Yorkers are going to play it right. We're not going to lose our minds completely. We're still going to ride the subway with masks, do some stuff with masks, but for the most part, New York is 100% back. [I first felt that] last week when I was sweating from six hours of slinging drinks. It went from zero to 100 [when we started reopening]. It's Hot Vax Girl Summer right now, it's going on."—Reginald, bartender at St Ends
Washington Square Park
Scott Heins/Gothamist
"You can meet people again. As a wandering nomad who pretty much walks out the door and just meets people, the pandemic really kicked my ass. You can't even see faces, just eyes. The art of conversation, when everyone's masked up, is really challenging. Now it's way easier."—Terevon
If you want to share what you're hearing, seeing and feeling during this momentous summer, send audio, photos, written comments, and video to [email protected].
Photos and video by Scott Lynch, Sai Mokhtari and Scott Heins; additional reporting and editing by Jen Carlson.
Tagged
Summer of NYC
pandemic
summer
Ben Yakas
Ben Yakas is a former Gothamist reporter.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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