Sneezeguards used to be the stuff of Vegas buffets and midtown lunch delis, but as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, they’re now essential equipment in New York’s trendiest restaurants. More →
As the reality of coronavirus became obvious in March, getting married and having a wedding seemed like something that was completely off the table for many people. Yet, some couples found ways to forgo lavish festivities and celebrate their big day with a small group of loved ones, abiding by COVID-19 restrictions. More →
Starting Friday, New York State will require bars, restaurants and gyms to close at 10 p.m. and will cap the number of people allowed at private gatherings to 10, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced this afternoon in a phone call to the press. More →
Over the weekend, people across the country pushed coronavirus to the back of their minds as they took to the streets to revel over Joe Biden’s historic victory over President Donald Trump. Social distancing was virtually nonexistent in Washington Square Park, where New Yorkers danced in mosh pits and sang “We Are the Champions” well into Saturday evening. More →
“Owning a bar in a fucking pandemic sucks– to be as succinct as possible,” says Abby Ehmann, 61. More →
As the sun set over south Brooklyn Tuesday is night, most polling sites were quiet. In contrast to the lines that plagued early voting sites, voting locations like PS160 and PS105 were empty, blue and red stickers on the sidewalk urging non-existent waiting voters to socially distance. But at the Borough Park YMHA, a crowded line stretched down the block. Waiting voters, primarily members of the Orthodox Jewish community, wore few masks and stood inches apart, despite poll workers and signs reminding them to distance. More →
Just one day before Halloween, there’s a bit of a frenzy inside the Halloween Adventure Shop on 4th Avenue. Customers walk in carrying sopping wet umbrellas, and they leave behind their slippery footprints. Inside, they shuffle around the store, some selecting the final touches to their costumes, others still looking for inspiration as they browse the wall of wigs. More →
“Come up on the second floor, and then it’s the second door!” Juju told me over the phone when I asked how to get to The Secret Door, the Williamsburg tattoo parlor where she worked. Outside, the grey, graffitied warehouse had barren walls; inside, dim-lit corridors and innumerable doors made it look like a maze. Ironically, “The Secret Door” was printed in small characters on the heavy metal door in question. Inside, a few green plants and some vintage pieces of furniture here and there worked as a bright frame to all the art, in sketches or framed, that lived in the open-space loft-style studio. Above Juju’s station, outlines of abstract faces, minimalist moons and elegant designs mapped the wall and welcomed every client into Juju’s world. More →
Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, jails and prisons have become hubs for infection, with crowded conditions that leave few opportunities for social distancing. The spread of the coronavirus in New York City jails has been well-documented, including at the city’s infamous Rikers Island jail complex, which has been called the “epicenter of the epicenter” of the pandemic. More →
The city’s plans to reconstruct a 2.5-mile stretch of parkland along the East River on the Lower East Side have been pushed back to next year as nearby residents continue to call for access to outdoor space during the COVID-19 pandemic. More →