New York is deprived of the hustle-and-bustle of residents, tourists and traffic. The emptiness allows you to appreciate a side of the city few have seen before.
Under normal circumstances, spring season meant parks loaded with tourists and residents catching up with vitamin D, streets filled with pedestrians rushing to work or a rooftop event, and long lines of people waiting to get seated for brunch.
Now, in the midst of spring, parks are deserted and the few people at them are locals, streets have only a few pedestrians that don’t seem to be in a rush to get anywhere (except for healthcare and essential workers), and the only long lines are to enter the grocery stores.
The city that never sleeps is dormant.
Sunset at the Vessel in Hudson Yards, April 22, 2020. Photo by Maria Abreu
Army soldiers and a civilian walking around Hudson Yards, April 22, 2020. Photo by Maria Abreu
A guitarist at Central Park’s Bethesda Terrace, April 23, 2020. Photo by Maria Abreu
Fort Tryon Park during a nice spring afternoon, April 4, 2020. Photo by Maria Abreu
A view from Fort Tryon Park of the George Washington Bridge, April 4 2020. Photo by Maria Abreu
Bryant Park on a Saturday at 5:30pm, April 23, 2020. Photo by Maria Abreu
A lot of grass at Bryant Park, but nowhere to lay down. Due to COVID-19, the grass is off limits to prevent social interaction, April 23, 2020. Photo by Maria Abreu
This is a project of Lori Grinker’s NYU graduate photojournalism class.
