I'm an urbanite to my core and this idea of "social distancing" (though absolutely necessary right now) is devastating to me. To live in a city like New York is to trade private space for public space. It means depending - and thriving - on interdependence.
I don't have a dining room but that's OK because I am lucky enough to patronize my neighborhood's restaurants and bars. I don't have storage space but that's OK because everything I need is at my bodega. I don't have a home office but that's OK because I can work at coffee shops. But now all of these supports have disappeared for the foreseeable future.
The first time I moved to New York I was 26 and about to start graduate school. Six weeks later it was 9/11. My heart broke for this beautiful city but I saw her rise from the (literal) ashes. I witnessed the incredible resilience of everyday New Yorkers. I moved back for the second time this past summer, this time with my husband and two kids (it was my dream to come back and raise my kids here). Nine months later we are wrestling with this virus. Schools are shut down and everyone is on edge and now the mayor is seriously considering a citywide lockdown. But I know, deep in my bones, WE WILL GET THROUGH THIS.
Sending you love and elbow bumps from NYC.
Photo of The Oculus by Victor J. Blue for the NYT.
For those who revel in urban life, it's hard to believe it can just stop. (NYT)
