On the 11th March 2020 I was on my way to London for my first visit back since I left the previous June. I’d been planning the trip for months around my birthday, which was ironic as I had spent the last 7 years trying to escape the exact city for my birthday that I was now excited to be heading to. What a difference time can make. The week before I was due to make the trip it became even more important as I found out I needed to head over to Norway to get an essential stamp in my passport to prove I could legally get married in just a few weeks. I arrived at JFK Airport at 9:10pm for an 11pm flight. The airport was so quiet as the Coronavirus was starting to make an impact all round the world, but this was still a time of naivety on my part, with little awareness of what was about to happen throughout the world in just a few days time. We could still travel internationally but so many people were deciding not too. I kept being asked by many if I was still coming to London, and I just kept answering of course - as I was prepared to board a plane with no face mask or hand sanitizer…
The Lonely City
Little did I know that just 10 minutes earlier President Trump had announced that travel to and from Europe would be blocked due to the spread of Coronavirus in mainland Europe, however the UK was still open to travel. But it wasn’t that simple - no one could answer me and confirm if I left the US would I be able to return? After about half an hour of trying to get answers I realized that leaving the US at this moment was going to prove complicated when I came to return home, so with a heavy heart and a confused mind I decided not to board my flight and returned home to Hell’s Kitchen instead.
And then everything changed in the world. When I made the decision to stay I was full of emotion as to whether I’d made the right choice, but as the next 24 hours passed it became evident that I had. The following day a friend of mine from Norway working on a short term contract in NYC was told to go home. Broadway went dark and closed with immediate effect and you could feel in the air throughout New York that this was just the start and that everyone was bracing themselves for the unknown. There was a sense of fear and uncertainty of what was happening and what would be next. Each passing hour and day came with new news of the effect Coronavirus was having on the world, and just like that, New York City shut down. We were all told to work from home and isolate, only essential shops stayed open with limited hours and the city that never sleeps shut its doors and boarded up. The lights stayed on in Times Square, but the people and cars were no more. Visitors no longer came, and those who could get out of the city did. But like myself, many stayed.
Times Square, pretty much to myself
As the number of infections rose the hospitals struggled to cope, so they brought support in the form of USNS Comfort - a stark reminder of what was happening and also to come, even more so as it was docked at the end of my street. Coronavirus hit New York City harder than almost anywhere else in the world with nearly 24,000 deaths to date and 237K positive tests and counting. New Yorkers stayed strong and at 7pm each evening the city would stop and celebrate the health care and key workers with applause and cheer. The spirit of New York was strong - this city has dealt with the impossible before, and yet, it always rises.
Chelsea has never looked so quite
Walking the streets of New York at this time was a unique experience. No traffic, very few people and near silence. The city that never sleeps was in pause mode as the news from around the world reminded us this wasn’t just here, it was everywhere - a truly global pandemic The digital age of high speed broadband meant that you could live the global experience and feel the weight and magnitude of what was going on and shudder at quite how vulnerable the human race is. At that moment the city was the quietest and the loneliest, but I never felt alone. I knew the world was experiencing the same and praying and hoping for better days ahead.
But then, after several months of isolation, I could feel hope. It seemed sudden when it came but at last spring turned into summer and we understood the importance of staying safe and how to protect ourselves and others - masks and social distancing are now part of New York life. The day the USNS Comfort left felt good as we knew things were changing. It had stood guard on the city ready to help when the worst arrived, but the reality was it wasn’t needed - the land hospitals coped incredibly with all that was thrown at them.
On July 6th Phase 3 began and outdoor dining was allowed. As the city started to wake up even more, you could feel the pulse return. Many restaurants expanded their outdoor seating to welcome back guests, taking over the sidewalks and often the roads with tables, planters and strings of lights - bringing an almost European feel.
The start of Coronavirus seems a long time ago, as does the life we enjoyed before. Even with these small steps to something that represents a pre-Covid life, we still have a long way to go. Many parts of the US are experiencing spikes in infections and still the international airways are closed, which means no wedding can take place yet, and as it stands I have no idea when it will happen - but that’s fine, it will.
What has 2020 taught me? Life doesn’t always go to plan and how you adapt and look after yourself is key. The world slowed down and many spent time at home with loved ones, time to think and reflect and plan for the future. But so many lost people they love, 803K around the world have died so far.
How will we look back on these days? Will we remember the hard reality that we lived or look back and feel blessed for what such a unique moment in time gave us? The end of this is still a long way off, but this beautiful, lonely, famous city has kept me sane, along with the help of my new companion - a small Miniature Schnauzer, one of the many lock-down puppies to arrive in New York City during this time. I’ve experienced this city like never before. But the reality is, I hope I never see it like that again.
OK 2020, time for something new - here’s to better days ahead...
Hudson Yard from Hell’s Kitchen