A man smiles and squints to the shining sun on the corner of Astor Pl and 3rd Avenue, New York, April 20, 2021. Photo by Quincy Walter

A sparrow is out as the weather begins to warm. Astor Place, New York, April 7, 2021. Photo by Quincy Walter

People stop to look at books from Chris Santana’s book stand on the corner of Astor Place and 3rd Avenue, April 20, 2021. Photo by Quincy Walter

A woman carrying balloons rides Citi Bike. Saint Marks Place, New York, April 24, 2021. Photo by Quincy Walter

A person looks over Patti Smith’s LP, Horses, Saint Marks Place, New York, April 24, 2021. Photo by Quincy Walter

A regular on this corner, Chris, reads Hell’s Angel by Ralph Barger. Astor Pl, New York, April 20, 2021. Photo by Quincy Walter

Trees begin to bloom on the northwest corner of Astor Pl and 3rd Avenue, April 6, 2021. Photo by Quincy Walter

Skaters on the corner of Astor Place on Saturday, May 1, 2021. Photo by Quincy Walter

An unmasked biker stops at a red light to speak to the bus driver. Astor Pl, New York, April 19, 2021. Photo by Quincy Walter

The post Life returns to the East Village appeared first on Pavement Pieces.

Just a six minute walk from Jamaica’s Van Wyck stop off the E train in Queens, sits one of the largest Shia Muslim centers in New York City.

Last year the Imam Al-Khoei Foundation had to be closed down due to COVID-19. The community was not able to congregate during the holy month of Ramadan. 

But the center  has reopened with limited capacity so devotees can attend sermons, pray as a congregation and break their fasts together, all while following pandemic precautions.

People entering the building before the start of congregational prayers. Imam Al-Khoei Foundation, New York City. Photo by Hassan Abbas. April 30, 2021

Allama Abid Bilgrami, a Shia religious scholar narrates the tragedy of Karbala, a  very significant event for Shia Muslims.  Their third Imam and grandson of Prophet Muhammad was killed in battle along with many members of his family. Imam Al-Khoei Foundation, New York City. Photo by Hassan Abbas. April 14, 2021

Ali Raza and his grandson, Ali Hassan Naqvi pick up a block of clay “Turbah”. During prayers Shia Muslims prostrate upon earth (clay) or anything that grows on earth such as grass or wood (except for minerals). Imam Al-Khoei Foundation, New York City. Photo by Hassan Abbas. April 14, 2021

Blocks of wood and a clay disc called a “Turbah” were set up by a child who is sitting nearby. During prayers Shia Muslims prostrate upon earth (clay) or anything that grows on earth such as grass or wood (except for minerals). Imam Al-Khoei Foundation, Jamaica, Queens, NY. Photo by Hassan Abbas. April 14, 2021

Waqar Ali cries while he listens to the tragic events of Karbala. The atmosphere of the entire congregation becomes somber. Photo by Hassan Abbas. April 15, 2021

Azazhar Hasnain performs the obligatory Ablution “Wudu” (washing of the arms and the face) before performing a prayer. Imam Al-Khoei Foundation, Jamaica, Queens, NY. Photo by Hassan Abbas. April 15, 2021

Sheikh Fadhel Al-Sahlani leads the prayer before breaking fast. Following precautions to prevent COVID-19 the congregation is praying with gaps between each person; under normal circumstances it is obligatory for people in the rows to stand almost shoulder to shoulder. Imam Al-Khoei Foundation, Jamaica, Queens, NY. Photo by Hassan Abbas. April 18, 2021

Shabbir Husain Musliwala prostrates on “Turbah” while he performs Salah. During prayers Shia Muslims prostrate upon earth (clay) or anything that grows on earth such as grass or wood (except for minerals). To prevent the possible spread of COVID-19 people wear masks inside the prayer hall. Imam Al-Khoei Foundation, Jamaica, Queens, NY. Photo by Hassan Abbas. April 14, 2021

Congregational prayers are performed in limited capacity following COVID-19 preventive measures. The marks on the carpet guide people where to stand during the prayer. Imam Al-Khoei Foundation, Jamaica, Queens, NY. Photo by Hassan Abbas. April 15, 2021

A man reads a chapter of the Quran before the start of congregational prayer. Imam Al-Khoei Foundation, Jamaica, Queens, NY. Photo by Hassan Abbas. April 14, 2021

Abdel Krem (seated), and Aslam Ajani put rice and gravy into takeout containers. After prayers are completed, volunteers will distribute a meal of salad, rice with gravy, soup, and dates to the congregation so they can break their fasts. Imam Al-Khoei Foundation, Jamaica, Queens, NY. Photo by Hassan Abbas. April 14, 2021

A man breaks his fast. Imam Al-Khoei Foundation, Jamaica, Queens, NY. Photo by Hassan Abbas. April 14, 2021

After the end of congregational prayers, people leave the main prayer hall for the basement where they will receive a meal to break their day-long fasts. Imam Al-Khoei Foundation, Jamaica, Queens, NY. Photo by Hassan Abbas. April 18, 2021

The post Reopening for Ramadan appeared first on Pavement Pieces.

When the pandemic hit and the city was taken by an uneasy silence, street musicians were the ones who kept the show going on what has always been their most eloquent and biggest stage: the city itself – and that means both above and below the ground. 

For many of them it was a matter of survival: without their gigs due to closure of the usual venues, they turned to streets and subway stations to keep playing their instruments and showing their art.  

That was a big turning point: many of them not only started making more money busking than playing in bars, theaters and festivals but also attracted new fans among the spontaneous crowd that now gathers around them. 

And, most of all, like that band that kept playing on while the Titanic was sinking, they filled the city with zest and hope amidst one of the darkest times of its history. 

Andrew Kalleen has been carrying his piano all over the city. Here he is on Washington Square Park, New York City. February 5, 2021. Photo by Xavier Bartaburu

Joe Mayer plays the fiddle in The Brooklyn Bards, a band that plays a mix of Irish musich and classic rock every week in Prospect Park, Brooklyn, New York. April 23, 2021. Photo by Xavier Bartaburu

Wayne Walcott playing jazz in the Broadway-Lafayette subway station, New York City. January 27, 2021. Photo by Xavier Bartaburu

Flutist playing in Prospect Park, Brooklyn, New York City. April 23, 2021. Photo by Xavier Bartaburu

Percussionist performing in the 14th subway station, New York City. February 19, 2021. Photo by Xavier Bartaburu

Haitian musican Alegba Jahyile and his band, Alegba and Friends, plays Latin music in Prospect Park, Brooklyn, New York City. April 23, 2021. Photo by Xavier Bartaburu

Robert Leslie is a British-born guitarist and songwriter who plays his own songs in many subway stations across the city. Here he is in Metropolitan Avenue station, Brooklyn, New York City. February 19, 2021. Photo by Xavier Bartaburu

Drummer Rob Montemarano, member of The Brooklyn Bards, a band that plays a mix of Irish music and classic rock every week in Prospect Park, Brooklyn, New York. April 23, 2021. Photo by Xavier Bartaburu

Trumpetist Fernando Ferrarone and bassist Bob Bruya playing jazz in the guitarist Marco Grispo’s band in Fort Greene Park, Brooklyn, New York City. April 1st, 2021. Photo by Xavier Bartaburu

Saxophonist performing in Washington Square Park, New York City. February 5, 2021. Photo by Xavier Bartaburu

Street musician playing the cajón and singing in Andrew Kalleen’s band in Washington Square Park, New York City. February 5, 2021. Photo by Xavier Bartaburu

The post And the band played on appeared first on Pavement Pieces.

Theresa laid the small bouquet sunflowers in front of a portrait of La Trace on a bench at the Forest Park bandshell alongside photos of almost 200 victims of Covid-19. The bereaved filled the remaining benches to begin a day that would draw an estimated 500 participants and be broadcasted by Queens Public Television. An approximate 2,000 viewers watched the event on YouTube, Facebook and QPTV.

“Things like this matter, how we live our lives after they’re gone matters,” said Theresa, who declined to give her last name.

As a day of ceremonies began there were all the tell-tale signs of a funeral—scattered sobs and consoling speeches. A collection of politicians, faith leaders, poets, and singers took the stage to begin the 1 p.m. multi-lingual, interfaith ceremony.

The ceremony concluded with an invitation for the bereaved to find their loved ones among the 16 rows  filled with the portraits of Queens residents who lost their lives in the epicenter of the epicenter. All were drawn in front of a yellow heart, the color representing Covid. A curtain of yellow hearts, the backdrop of the bandshell, listed names of 700 victims from all over the world.

EmmLynn Taylor sits with the portrait of her late husband Jules Taylor Jr.. Photo by Annie Burky

EmmLynn Taylor brought a vase filled with flowers and a laminated two-page obituary to place alongside the portrait of her husband, Jules Taylor Jr.  “Monday will be the one-year anniversary,” Taylor said. “They said the firsts are the worst. I think today will be a bridge to year two.”

EmyLou Rodriguez had this in mind when planning the event. She lost both her parents within two weeks of each other. Antonio B. Solomon and Estelita Solomon immigrated from the Philippines separately and fell in love in New York. “Tony” was a U.S. Navy Veteran and was often overseas. “Estie” was a retired nurse. At the time of contracting Covid they lived in Queens Village. Estie was 72-years-old, Tony was 71.  Both passed with the company of nurses. Their funerals were truncated, family members unable to hug.

Rodriguez, a 43-year-old senior grants specialist for NYU Langone Health, couldn’t speak about their deaths but found comfort in Facebook groups where quarantined mourners created a Covid-loss community. Within one of these chats, the idea for a vigil was born, volunteers were recruited and donations were solicited.

“When I saw other people experiencing the same thing I think that’s what gave me the strength to share my parents’ story,” said Rodriguez, a co-chair of the Queens Covid Remembrance Day committee. “When I realized how much it helped me to tell their story I wanted to give others the opportunity to do the same.”

Catherine Solomon, sister to Co-Chair EmyLou Rodriguez, speaks about their late parents Antonio B. Solomon and Estelita Solomon during the Floral Hearts Ceremony. Photo by Annie Burky

For the 4 p.m. floral hearts ceremony families once again took their seats. In a procession down the center aisle, artist Kristina Libby, along with three speakers who lost family to Covid, carried flowers and photos of the deceased Under the bandshell, Libby placed a floral art piece including a heart-shaped funeral wreath.

“What this is about is making space so that everyone who has lost someone or something has a space to tell their story,” Libby said.

When day gave way to night at 7 p.m., candles were distributed, performers sang uplifting ballads and Rodriguez read a letter her father wrote to her mother sometime during their 43 years of marriage.

“ ‘Well, honey, my love, I’ll be waiting for your much awaited response. Take care of yourself and the kids and your mom. My warm embrace and hot kisses,’ ” Rodriguez said. “I extend the same wishes to you all. While they wait our return I would like you to heed their message—take good care of yourself, your kids, your parents.”

The post Queens residents mourn at Covid vigil appeared first on Pavement Pieces.

Passengers at Whitehall station wait for the next ferry, April 15 2021. Photo by Trish Rooney

Passengers embark in Manhattan, April 15 2021. Photo by Trish Rooney

Rules require passengers to remain masked at all times on the ferry, but riders don’t always follow suit, March 13 2021. Photo by Trish Rooney

Commuters depart from Staten Island in the early morning, March 15 2021. Photo by Trish Rooney

NYPD officers talk during the journey, March 15 2021. Photo by Trish Rooney

Tourists take photos of the Statue of Liberty from the ferry, April 24 2021. Photo by Trish Rooney

The Manhattan skyline from the Hurricane Deck, April 15 2021. Photo by Trish Rooney

Passengers look out at the Statue of Liberty from the Hurricane Deck, April 24 2021. Photo by Trish Rooney

A man looks out at the Statue of Liberty, March 15 2021. Photo by Trish Rooney

There are 16 crew members aboard the ferry at all times, April 15 2021. Photo by Trish Rooney

The Manhattan skyline disappears into fog, April 15 2021. Photo by Trish Rooney

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 Disappointed and shocked, he considered returning to Colombia, but he had come to America for new opportunities, and this setback wasn’t going to change his plans. He vowed to save enough money to one day buy a home of his own. In 2006, after six years of renting, Lopez had accumulated enough for a down payment and applied for a mortgage.  While he wanted to buy a co-op, the bank encouraged him to instead purchase a two-family house and take on a renter as an additional source of income. 

 Although Lopez didn’t want to be a landlord, the bank was adamant, so he bought a yellow, flat roofed duplex in College Point, Queens and looked for a renter. He remembers thinking that this was simply what you did in America. 

  “You purchase a house, a two-family house and rent one unit,” Lopez said. “That’s what middle class people do in America.”

 Eventually, Lopez started to see the house as an investment, and he took out a second mortgage so that he could move and start renting both floors of the duplex. The plan worked until both of his tenants stopped paying rent. Now, Lopez finds himself bracing for foreclosure. “It’s devastating,” said Lopez. 

  Single property owners make up only 13% of New York City landlords; according to Housing Preservation and Development data compiled in 2018, the average lessor in New York City owns 21 to 60 rental properties. When it comes to lost rental revenue, large landlords have experienced a greater total loss, but Mom-and-Pop landlords have been impacted more severely because they have less of an ability to weather a loss of rental income. “If you have a smaller portfolio, it’s probably less diversified,” said Furman Center housing policy expert Charles McNally. “There’s a much greater risk in terms of the stability of your assets.” 

 Additionally, small landlords are also more likely to rent to economically vulnerable tenants.  “Our early analysis showed that households that worked in industries likely to be shut down due to [Covid measures] were disproportionately concentrated in smaller buildings, which tend to be owned by Mom-and-Pop landlords,” said McNally. 

The average New York City landlord owns between 21-60 rental properties. Mom-and-Pop landlords are in the minority. Photo courtesy of JustFix.nyc

 Lopez’s tenants are among approximately 185,000 New York City households that are behind on rent. This estimate, which was based on a poll conducted by the Community Housing Improvement Program (CHIP), accounts for around half of the rental properties in New York City. While CHIP estimates that New York City renters owe $1 billion, the city-wide total is probably closer to two-billion. 

After Lopez’s tenant Claudia didn’t pay rent for a few months, Lopez hired a lawyer to serve her with an eviction notice.  The timing was unfortunate for him; a week after he’d filed his claim against Claudia, a city-wide shutdown brought New York City to a halt.  

 Governor Andrew Cuomo issued a 90-day statewide eviction moratorium on March 20, 2020. Suddenly, a tenant who had stopped paying rent before the pandemic was now protected from eviction indefinitely. By April, Lopez’s other tenant, Daniel, also started to withhold rent. Lopez pleaded with both tenants to pay their share. They claimed that they were unable to, but Lopez has his doubts.  “Claudia bought a new car; she has a better car than me,” Lopez said. “How can she say she doesn’t have money to pay rent?”

 The New York State legislature has extended the eviction moratorium each time it expires. The current mortarium is in place until May 1, 2021. The housing courts are technically open, but only certain emergency cases – eviction of violent tenants and hearings against landlords who lock renters out – are being heard. A huge backlog of cases is piling up. Meanwhile, landlords like Lopez are left with no income to pay a looming monthly mortgage. After more than a year of non-payment, Lopez has lost $47,600 of rental revenue. The loss comes at a difficult time. His hours as a sanitation engineer for the New York City Department of Environmental Protection were cut in April 2020. 

 He hasn’t made his $3,000-a-month mortgage payments in almost a year. While the bank gave him a six-month forbearance to delay a foreclosure, his debt is mounting.  He knows the bank will foreclose on him as soon as they are able. 

 While Lopez fights to hold onto his only rental property in Queens, a Brooklyn landlord is facing similar difficulties. 

 Clarence Hammer, 46, grew up in Brooklyn where his parents always owned a house. He witnessed first-hand the stability that comes with homeownership and wanted the same for his family, so in 2007 he bought a two-family house in Brownsville. For 12 years he lived on the bottom floor of the duplex at 618 Rockaway Ave. with his wife, son, and daughter and rented out the top floor. 

 In May 2019, keeping a promise to his wife that they would someday leave the city, they moved an hour north to Harriman, New York. Keeping the Brownsville apartment as an investment, they found a renter, Chantel, for the bottom floor of the red brick rowhouse.  Starting that summer, Chantel paid only half of her $3,250 rent. In September 2019, she paid nothing.

 Hammer filed for non-payment litigation in New York City Housing Court and had three court appearances: November 2019, December 2019, and January 2020.  By March 2020, Hammer was confident that he was nearing legal recourse. Then, the pandemic halted his litigation.

 Today, Chantel owes Hammer more than $58,500, leaving him unable to make his $5,000 monthly mortgage payments. Other financial obligations are falling to the wayside. Taxes and bills sit unpaid as he struggles to pay off what he can.  “I’m constantly getting harassing phone calls from the financial institutions that chose to lend me the money,” Hammer said. “And I don’t really even blame them, I understand. It’s really embarrassing.”  

 Hammer purchased his Brownsville apartment in an attempt to establish intergenerational wealth. “This was something that I thought I was going to pass on to my kids to establish financial stability,” Hammer said.

 In New York City, only 27% of Black households and 17% of Hispanic households own their homes, according to The Furman Center at NYU. 

 “Homeownership is a key wealth generation strategy,” McNally said. “In the wake of the foreclosure crisis [of 2008] we saw a huge destruction of Black and Hispanic wealth. That’s a real concern here as well.” 

 Black and Hispanic landlords are disproportionately affected by the Covid-19 housing crisis that is reaping havoc on their primary investment. As their eviction cases sit stagnant, these landlords are left waiting in limbo, hoping for financial relief, but dreading the inevitable. “I’m going to lose my home,” Hammer said. “That’s the reality.”

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While they are still operating at a limited capacity, in addition to new cleaning guidelines requiring them to sanitize seats before and after each viewing, they are managing to stay afloat. Employees have said there has been a lot of excitement from guests with the reopening and that the theater continues to thrive despite challenges posed by COVID and beyond. One of the biggest concerns is the competition against streaming services. People are choosing to watch movies from the comfort of their own homes. But now that restrictions are slowly being lifted, and vaccines are being distributed, some people will choose to leave their house for the traditional movie theater experience.

Village East by Angelica welcomes movie viewers after a long hiatus, April, 2, 2021. Photo by Inga Parkel

The concession stand is open, but with limitations like no self-service beverages at Village East by Angelika, April 2, 2021. Photo by Inga Parkel

Cleaning sprays, towels, and gloves line the counter behind the concession stand at Village East by Angelika, April 2, 2021. Photo by Inga Parkel

The manager (right) helps a customer purchase tickets at Village East by Angelika while wearing protective gloves, April 2, 2021. Photo by Inga Parkel

A man and woman walk down the hall looking for their respective theater at Village East by Angelika, April 2, 2021. Photo by Inga Parkel

Theater one is prepared for the next movie showing at Village East by Angelika, April 2, 2021. Photo by Inga Parkel

Row availability is alternated to increase social distancing at Village East by Angelika, April 2, 2021. Photo by Inga Parkel

A woman ascends the stairs to find her seat at Village East by Angelika, April 2, 2021. Photo by Inga Parkel

An employee carries spray bottles as he cleans the theater before and after each viewing at Village East by Angelika, April 2, 2021. Photo by Inga Parkel

Two men exit Village East by Angelika after purchasing movie tickets, April 2, 2021. Photo by Inga Parkel

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But as early reports of COVID-19 began making waves in late January 2020, China quickly closed its borders to all flights and halted all adoptions to reduce the spread of the virus.

“China has a really stable adoption process that spans a few decades…just with COVID that’s really thrown things off,” said Kym Lee.

Now, as COVID’s year anniversary has come and gone, the Lees are among hundreds of families still left in total darkness waiting for China to begin processing paperwork so that they may travel to bring their children home.

The hardest part about waiting has been “wondering how she’s doing, and not having regular updates,” said Lee.

Since China began international adoptions in 1992, it has consistently been the top country for international adoptions, as it typically has the easiest and least expensive process. During the year 2005, a peak of 7,903 Chinese children were adopted by Americans.

Although, as China’s economy has grown and domestic adoptions have increased, international adoption numbers have significantly declined since 2005 to an average of around 2,500. Yet, as a result of COVID, 2020 has the lowest number, with only a handful of successful adoptions before things were shut down. 

Katie Chaires knew immediately after the adoption of her first son, Asher, in 2016 that she didn’t want him to be an only child. So, in December of 2018, she filed for a second adoption. She received clearance to fly to China on January 28, 2020, to bring her daughter Noa, 3, home, but three days prior, she received word that China had officially ceased all travel. 

Katie Chairs and her son Asher, 6, March 7, 2021. Photo by Julie Johnson

“I feel like the hardest part has been not knowing how she’s doing, not being able to see her grow,” said Chaires. “I feel like I’ve missed a year of her growth and development and getting to know her. Because at this point, she should’ve been home for a year already.”

Chaires said Noa has Global Developmental Delay, and she suspects medical issues as well. Still, without many updates other than the occasional photo and short video clips the orphanage provides, she doesn’t know a lot about Noa’s wellbeing. 

Initially, adoption agencies had prepared families for a one to two-week delay. But, as COVID grew to a global pandemic, they have stopped predicting when things might resume. What was once the most prominent international adoptions system has swiftly fallen to radio silence, even as other countries like Bulgaria and Columbia have slowly reopened to international adoptions.

On New Year’s Day of 2020, Cynthia and Andrea Bonezzi touched down in Maoming, a city along the tip of China’s southern coast, to adopt their second daughter Anna, 3. 

During their two weeks in China, there were no emerging reports about COVID-19. The city was getting ready to celebrate the Chinese New Year and, “everything was normal,” said Cynthia Bonezzi.

They remain amid the few families to successfully bring their daughter home on January 18, 2020, before China halted all adoptions. 

“We were able to get it done in record time and just made it before everything shut down in the pandemic,” said Bonezzi.

Families who were on their way to China with connecting flights were turned away at their midpoint destinations and returned home childless, Bonezzi said. 

And if the Bonezzis had been one of the families turned away, Anna probably wouldn’t be alive, as she was in a fragile state medically due to a chronic illness, and required immediate surgery when they arrived home in New York City.

Cynthia Bonezzi and her two daughters Lily and Anna in China’s White Swan Hotel, January 2020. Photo Courtesy of Cynthia Bonezzi

 There have been no reported cases of COVID outbreaks in any orphanages or institutions as a result of the lockdown.

But studies have shown, the longer children are in these orphanages and institutions, the more significant setbacks in motor skills and cognitive function they may encounter. The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia attributes these delays to a lack of verbal and physical stimulation from caregivers. 

According to Lisa Nalvin, MD, once a child is placed into an adoptive family, they typically “demonstrate remarkable ‘catch-up’ rates when given the appropriate support.”

The Lees celebrated their daughter’s fourth birthday in December by sending a cake and goodies to the orphanage. And as the days, weeks, and months slowly pass still with no word from China about when adoptions might resume, Kym Lee continues to remain hopeful that her daughter will be able to spend her next birthday at home.

“Everything’s really up in the air,” said Lee. “We’re praying and hoping and believing that she’ll be able to come home maybe this year.”

The post Chinese adoptions halted by COVID appeared first on Pavement Pieces.

But in March 2021, because of the pandemic, their growth came to a screeching halt. They now have three active leases – two in Montana where they’re headquartered and one in San Francisco. They significantly reduced headcount since turning off their office lights last March. Over 50% of workers were furloughed or laid-off, with only 20% of those who had been furloughed brought back in summer 2020. With studio doors shut, they were receiving little to no revenue stream. ClassPass’ physical workplace was shifting. 

Like many other companies, their employees have continued to work from home since the onset of the pandemic. What’s been lacking in company culture and social interactions, is made up for in working from the sofa, front stoop, and in the most comfortable leisurewear. 

Ashley Bolitho, a Senior Manager of Employee Experience & Workplace Operations at ClassPass, explained that late last year they conducted a survey. They wanted to get a better understanding on how their employees envision working in the future since for better or for worse, they had become accustomed to working from their homes. 

“Around 22% of the team responded they wanted to be in an office full time,” said Bolitho. “About 48% of the team said that they wanted to work out of an office part time and work remotely the rest of the week. And the remaining showed that they want it to be fully remote in the future.”

The pandemic has forced ClassPass, and many other businesses, to rethink the traditional landscape of the workplace. It has thrown the once hard and fast rules for work structure out the window. For most, gone are the days of the prescribed Monday through Friday office commute. In a survey conducted by Gartner, over 80% of company leaders plan to permit remote work after the pandemic. 

Bolitho clarified that there is no blueprint or a one size fits all for companies on how best to return to the office as COVID-19 loosens its grip. Having a better pulse on their employees’ preferences for returning, ClassPass ultimately decided on a choose your own adventure model, where employees will enroll annually on how they want to return to the office. Options are fully remote, full time in the office, or a hybrid model where employees will be in office some days and remote the others. 

“What used to work, no longer works,” said Bolitho. “We know people need some kind of connection and collaboration, and they are going to continue to need that. But now that folks have a sense of autonomy, we’re going to want to continue to give them that autonomy. That’s why we’re giving them options on how to return to the office”.

The streaming giant Spotify followed suit. Joining the ranks of other tech companies who announced they will shift to a flexible work model, Spotify will allow their 6,550 global employees not only to choose their preferred work mode, but have granted flexibility around location, choosing the city where they work. Spotify stated that their people live and work in different ways and the future of work of Spotify will be more flexible, effective and sustainable through their new model

With more companies leaning towards a hybrid approach, the question begs – how do you maintain an office culture, without, well, an office? Those face-to-face encounters in the kitchen when grabbing an afternoon pick me up will be slim, if not cease to exist. The last year has proved that human interaction is vital, and while digital gatherings help, they certainly cannot be substitutes. 

“Shopify has coined the term bursting,” said Shopify Designer Manager Katarina Batina.

“The idea is that at a certain cadence throughout the year, Shopify will support teams co-locating. We’re imaging a world where your team meets in a centralized location for a week of focused work and intention setting for the quarter or the year. ”

Batina always wanted to work at Shopify, but with headquarters in Ottawa, Canada, she wasn’t champing at the bit to move from her home in idyllic upstate New York. When she eventually joined in October 2020, the company had gone fully remote, or as they like to call it “digital by design”, helping in her assertion that it was the right time to join the team.  

Katarina said that the CEO Tobias Lütke always tinkered to move the company in this direction, even prior to the pandemic. Because of the size and aspiring scale of the organization, they saw this as an organic and fortuitous time to permanently take the company fully remote. One reason they decided not to support a hybrid model, is they’re weary of the divide it will create among the two class citizenry of people who are in the office and people who are not. Also, it would just become a logistical nightmare.

“It’s not going to be an equitable environment if we did a hybrid model,” Batina said. “When everyone’s on a Zoom call, it’s great. But when half the room is and half, the room isn’t, it just creates this dual class structure that doesn’t really work well. We want to create an equal experience for everyone once it comes to a work environment.”

Regardless of the position companies take, each will present their own unique pros and cons. For Batina, she’s enjoying the ease and frequency she’s gained from remote work with the five employees she manages.

“We’re not in a fishbowl of a conference room or in a coffee shop with a lot of distraction,” said Batina. “You can have a really open conversation, where if you’re in the office, and you’re having emotional responses, you don’t need to worry about someone seeing you.”

Not all Silicon Valley execs are on board for fully remote or a flexible approach work. Netflix CEO Reed Hastings stated last year that he expects his employees to return to the office once the majority receive the vaccine. No matter what approach companies take, one hope remains. That the formal office dress code never comes back, and the days of pandemic sweat-centric wardrobe reigns supreme.

The post Remote is the new workplace normal appeared first on Pavement Pieces.

The streets  did slowly came back to life, but the city still lacks the energy that it’s famous for. 

Each photo represents a month of the pandemic, which so far has infected over 780,000  New Yorkers and killed 48,537.

APRIL, 2020

Time Square, New York is at a stand still with no tourists flooding the streets. April 7, 2020. Photo by Michelle Diaz

MAY 2020

Washington Square Park, New York pre-Covid is always filled with skaters and people eating outside. But not on May 13, 2020. Photo by Michelle Diaz

JUNE 2020

As the warm weather starts to take over New York, a woman cutting up mangos sell fruit up by the subway entrance. Brooklyn, New York. June 18, 2020. Photo by Michelle Diaz

JULY 2020

An empty subway car heading to Coney Island, New York. July 20, 2020. Photo by Michelle Diaz

SEPTEMBER 2020

People eat outside at That Diner in an outdoor setup that mimics indoor dining. Bowery, New York. September 9, 2020. Photo by Michelle Diaz

OCTOBER 2020

Path riders on route to the World Trade Center in New York. October 18, 2020. Photo by Michelle Diaz

NOVEMBER 2020

A sea of people crowd around Columbus Circle celebrating Joe Biden winning the 2020 Presidential Election. November 7, 2020. Photo by Michelle Diaz

DECEMBER 2020

People sit, socially distanced, to watch a video playing on a screen at the MOMA Museum. December 5, 2020. Photo by Michelle Diaz

JANUARY 2021

Broadway theaters remain shut down. Shubert Theatre, New York. January 18, 2021. Photo by Michelle Diaz

FEBUARY 2021

People wait on line to get vaccinated at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, New York. February 17, 2021. Photo by Michelle Diaz

MARCH 2021

During an in-person NYU journalism graduate class, Digital Newsroom, students wear masks and maintain 6ft apart rules. March 11, 2021. Photo by Michelle Diaz

The post One year of COVID-19 in New York City appeared first on Pavement Pieces.