New York City — Missing the City That I Knew

I’ve always resented and hated New York City, so I’m surprised to find myself saying I miss it. It dawned on me this week, when I got an invitation to an event being held by an institution that is just a few doors down from National Review’s offices. It will be a digital event. So, like the morning meetings I have with my NR colleagues, or my “get togethers” with friends overseas, I must “go” to it by going to my home computer. Many New York corporate offices don’t intend to open again until the spring, given the fears of a second wave of COVID-19. In the meantime, hundreds or thousands of struggling New York institutions will die.

I’ve already noticed that the comedy clubs I liked are closing. There was an English pub that I used to go to. Before COVID, I knew it was facing big decisions with an upcoming lease. Has COVID saved it by creating a crash in rental prices? Or has COVID destroyed it by drying up revenue for half the year?

About the Author

Michael Brendan Dougherty

Michael Brendan Dougherty is a senior writer at National Review Online.

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I’ve always resented and hated New York City, so I’m surprised to find myself saying I miss it. It dawned on me this week, when I got an invitation to an event being held by an institution that is just a few doors down from National Review’s offices. It will be a digital event. So, like the morning meetings I have with my NR colleagues, or my “get togethers” with friends overseas, I must “go” to it by going to my home computer. Many New York corporate offices don’t intend to open again until the spring, given the fears of a second wave of COVID-19. In the meantime, hundreds or thousands of struggling New York institutions will die.

I’ve already noticed that the comedy clubs I liked are closing. There was an English pub that I used to go to. Before COVID, I knew it was facing big decisions with an upcoming lease. Has COVID saved it by creating a crash in rental prices? Or has COVID destroyed it by drying up revenue for half the year?