By Steve Cuozzo2021-06-03T00:00:00+01:00
New York City is not quite ready to party. True, the vaccines have routed coronavirus – a seeming miracle after last year’s horrific ‘epicenter’ death toll. Coney Island’s rollercoasters are roaring again.
Governor Andrew Cuomo and mayor Bill de Blasio have lifted most restrictions. Restaurants are at 100% capacity and sports events draw tens of thousands. Broadway and other venues look forward to reopening as soon as casts can be assembled. Times Square is again drawing tourists, while locals flock to the new ‘Little Island’ park in the Hudson River.
But there is a reason to hold the Champagne: near-empty office buildings. Still-quiet streets in Midtown and the Wall Street area tell a different story to landlords’ and politicians’ cheery forecasts.