On March 17, 2020, I had an appointment in mid-town New York. It was the second full day of the Covid lockdown, so I took my camera with me to document the effects on the city. One year later I returned and walked the same path to see how things had changed.
Lexington Ave, March 2020
Lexington Ave, March 2021One thing that was immediately obvious was that there was a lot more traffic on the streets. The streets had been a ghost town in 2020. Now you would never know that there was still a pandemic going on. Same thing for Fifth Ave and 42nd Street.
42nd Street, March 2021My first stop was at Grand Central Terminal. In 2020 I had the place almost to myself. This year there were certainly many more people around, although it was not back to its full capacity.
March 2020
March 2021
March 2020
March 2021Bryant Park has also seen some return, although neither day was particularly conducive to sitting outside for lunch.
March 2020
March 2021
March 2020
March 202The places where I found the largest changes were the open spaces of Times Square and Herald Square. It was in these spaces that people had returned, enjoying the seats and tables to have a snack or take a rest.
March 2020
March 2021
March 2020
March 2021New York is not "back to normal." But, as the number of vaccinated people continues to increase, and as businesses begin to bring back people to their offices, life is slowly returning to midtown.
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