On the Road is a weekday feature spotlighting reader photo submissions.
From the exotic to the familiar, whether you’re traveling or in your own backyard, we would love to see the world through your eyes.
Five years ago on May 7, 2020, ema sent in Pandemic pics from New York City. One month later, on June 8, ema sent in the pics you’ll see today. It’s now 5 weeks after that, maybe we need another set of pics? If ema sends them in, I’ll make sure they get posted very soon. Welcome back to New York City, Pandemic style. ~WaterGirl
After two months of wearing masks, social distancing, and [alleged] vigorous and frequent contact between cleaning products and MTA buses and subway cars, let’s go back to the streets and see if we can notice a difference. First, the Avenues (N/S, looking S):
Park Ave.
Madison Ave.
5th Ave.
Next, the cross streets: Central Park South and E 79th St. (E/W, looking E).
CPS
79th St.
Before we proceed, as a result of the official complaint lodged against me by TURTLE (Turtles United and Resolute Toward Lie Elimination), I must inform you that my April picture was “taken out of context.”
Park turtles are responsible, socially distancing city residents, and don’t you forget it!
(Taken around noon on Monday, 6/8/20 – the first day of Phase I reopening in the city, the very last region of NY state to reopen – with a cell phone. Turtle and duck pictures taken in April with a Sony a5100.)
NotMax
???
Damn, 2025 already? That was a lo-o-o-o-ong nap.
OzarkHillbilly
Wait… WHAT????
sukabi
@OzarkHillbilly: it FEELS that long, time really has become relative.
J R in WV
Yeah. I spent a week in NYC not that long ago, but now eels like decades. Been years since I went out to eat!!!
May try for some high end carry out from our excellent Thai Chow place on my way out of town. Got pre-cooked BBQ ribs last trip at Kroger’s, then rinsed off the BBQ sauce and put them in sauerkraut to bake, was delicious! Bubbies Sauerkraut, best commercial product I’ve found.
Empty metropolis is strange and sad! But at least not spreading diseases!!
NotMax
@J R in WV
Never pooh-pooh anything emanating from bubbie‘s kitchen.
;)
donatellonerd
Paris looked (and sounded) that empty til mid May. still relatively empty — touristless — but enough cars to be noisy again. at least outside my windows. we have new kittens now (and a 9 month old, about). so entertainment.
raven
@NotMax:In the year 2525
If man is still alive
If woman can survive
They may find-
Ain’t gonna need to tell the truth, tell no lies
Everything you think, do, and say
Is in the pill you took today
Amir Khalid
At least the New York city fauna are not suffering the consequences of humans’ mismanagement of the pandemic. And I agree with JR in WV: it’s strange to see NYC with so few people about.
arrieve
NYC is definitely coming back to a sort of life. If the weather’s nice, there are lots of people out on the sidewalk, running errands or just taking a walk. Almost everyone is masked, despite the heat and humidity, though you do see masks pulled down for smoking or eating a slice of pizza. Masks are required in stores and there’s 100% compliance; I think we all remember April and don’t want to go back there.
I go out maybe twice a week, and I still put my clothes in the laundry and take a shower the minute I get back. It will be a long time before I feel comfortable doing otherwise.
Xenos
@donatellonerd: I was in Paris a few weeks ago on a personal errand. Generally quiet aside from some aggressive panhandlers without tourists to scam.
WaterGirl
@NotMax: @OzarkHillbilly: @sukabi:
At least one of you figured out that “5 years ago on May 7, 2020” was intentional. :-)
WaterGirl
@raven: I always loved that song.
WaterGirl
@arrieve: Yeah, I’m figuring that pictures of NYC from July will be really different.
ema
I will try to take some more pictures tomorrow and maybe on Monday. You can definitely notice the difference, with more people and cars out and about, but still nothing like the before times.
WaterGirl
@ema: Sounds good! I will post that one a week from today in On the Road After Dark, if that works for you.
MagdaInBlack
@raven:
Man that one really stuck in my head, I know every word. I must have been 10(?) when that came out
Elizabelle
Excellent photos.
And I caught the “five years ago” and its meaning immediately. All of life feels like that now.
ema
@Elizabelle:
Thank you!
Miss Bianca
Is it my imagination, or do those NYC skies look blue, blue, BLUE?