San Diego Union-Tribune (Sunday)
SHAKEN NEW YORK IN ONLY EARLY STAGES OF REOPENING
It’s still too soon for Broadway shows, dancing, nightclubs
In the early days of the pandemic, New York was the focal point of the outbreak’s wrath. After shutting down for months to flatten the growth curve of the novel coronavirus, the city is opening up again, for residents and visitors alike.
“Things have been really nice (these) past couple months, especially with our numbers dropping,” says Benjamin Liong Setiawan, a lifestyle writer who has lived in New York for over 20 years.
“It’s been nice to be able to enjoy the city again.”
However, that doesn’t mean New Yorkers want visitors to expect business as usual. While attractions are reopening and indoor dining returned at 25 percent capacity on Sept. 30, much of New York City is still closed or struggling to remain open with coronavirus precautions. Not to mention, its residents are still experiencing an emotional toll.
“I think a lot of people probably did experience PTSD,” Setiawan says. “All that we ask as New Yorkers is that you respect the people that live here and the rules that have been put in place so that we can keep everybody safe.”
Before you plan a trip to New York, familiarize yourself with restrictions by checking the state’s coronavirus website. Chris Heywood, the executive vice president for global communications at NYC & Company, says that people from about 30 states are required to quarantine for 14 days on reaching New York, whether they’re arriving by plane, car or bus. Currently, California is not among them.
Here’s what else to know if you’re considering traveling to New York during the pandemic.
Where you can stay
Whether New York City hotels stayed open throughout the pandemic or are only just beginning to reopen, many are offering packages to bring in more business, Heywood says.
They’re also carrying out enhanced cleanings, putting up sneeze guards at front desks and sometimes suspending amenities (such as restaurants and fitness centers).
“It’s definitely ‘safety first’; that’s kind of the ethos of the city right now,” Heywood says.
Setiawan recommends finding a hotel based on what you would like to do on your trip. If your primary focus is visiting museums, find accommodation uptown.
“If you want to be by the water, there’s 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge. It’s beautiful and has a pool, and you can explore Brooklyn Heights and Dumbo and Cobble Hill,” he says.
What you can do
If your ideal New York visit includes going to a Broadway show, dancing at nightclubs or going to a concert, you will want to hold off on a trip. However, the government is allowing more and more businesses to reopen.
To navigate the everchanging status of businesses, the city’s tourism board is keeping an updated website of what’s open and how to get tickets if needed. “There is a bevy of things to see and do right now,” Heywood says.
To reopen as safely as possible, attractions have tweaked their operations in a number of ways. For example, visiting the High Line trail requires getting a free timed-entry pass ahead of time. The Empire State Building is limiting its visitor capacity by 50 percent and is performing enhanced cleaning. It also advertises that during its recent renovation, the building in
stalled “state-of-the-art air purification” systems. Like the High Line, guests must have reservations and will have their temperatures checked before they are permitted to enter. They must also wear face covering and observe social distancing throughout the experience.
As museums, including the American Museum of Natural History, the Museum of Modern Art and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, reopen, “many of them obviously are following all of those social distancing rules and [doing] pre-ticketing and limiting how many people can come in,” Heywood says.
Setiawan is a fan of simply walking around the city and spending time in its parks, like Madison Square Park, Prospect Park and Washington Square Park.
He recommends setting aside hours to explore Central Park and take advantage of the free audio guides available at notable sites. The actress Julia Louisdreyfus narrates information about Bow Bridge, for example, and the actress Isabella Rossellini explains the Ramble.
“If you’re uptown, there is Riverside Park, which is really beautiful and along the Hudson River,” Setiawan says. “There’s places to ride your bike. There’s places to picnic. There are some tennis courts up there.”
What you can eat and drink
New York City’s bars and restaurants have been deeply wounded by the pandemic, and the list of permanently closed establishments is still growing.
As you visit places to eat and drink, whether you’re staying there or taking your order to go, be mindful of the hospitality industry’s trauma.
“You’re watching someone drown — try and be a little bit more empathetic,” says Sother Teague, the beverage director of the world-renowned bar Amor y Amargo.
Teague’s advice to visitors who want to be respectful bargoers includes tipping well — fewer customers means fewer tips for employees who rely on the gratuities to pay rent. Plus, employees are doing extra work to set up safe sidewalk accommodations.
Teague also recommends getting to bars early. The city’s coronavirus restrictions require guests to leave establishments by 11 p.m., so bars need more business earlier in the evening. Finally, consider ordering bottled cocktails to go if they’re available.
“You can get your cocktails to go and walk around the city; you couldn’t do that prior to the pandemic. The open-container laws were different,” Setiawan says.
“It’s nice that that’s been relaxed a bit so you can support your favorite bars, try to help people out and also have a great cocktail to go. Who doesn’t want that?”