NYC with Acadia and Lily

Overall, we have done a good job making sure that our work related back to our essential question of “how has the culture in NYC changed throughout the pandemic?” The approach that we have taken is different than what I originally expected we would do. While we have been sticking to our plan and interviewing people who contribute to the culture of the city, we have also been making very many visual observations. We have noticed things such as changed rules at businesses and the amount of people visiting those businesses. One challenge that we faced, mainly while we were uptown in Harlem, was getting people to agree to talk to us. Many businesses such as whole foods explained that they could not answer any questions because of strict management rules. Other street vendors just simply did not want conversation or to answer questions. This was disappointing but we understood that it would not work out every time.  So far, we have learned that the culture has changed and not necessaril...

  NY Public Library  click here for our vlog!

       Before Covid Grand Central was always booming with people, LIRR workers, train conductors, business people, tourists and more. Stepping into Grand Central now is a very different vibe then before. There are no longer crowds of people. The dining hall is empty with many iconic stores that used to be there before closed, the infamous clock tower no longer has groups of people trying to take photos in front of it. The apple store is empty, the ticket holders seem bored, and the homelessness issue seems to have grow immensely.       One of the biggest shocks for me was that the transit store was closed. When I was a kid I would go to the transit store every Christmas with my family. My eyes would light up at the toy trains dusted in fake snow, and my brother and I would push through the crowds to get the best looking spot. It was really hard to see the store closed, it honestly made me emotional.   Another big change that I noticed ...

  “Write about a single experience or moment, and ask: how does this moment, experience, or encounter relate to my essential question?” An experience that relates to our essential question is when we were talking to a security guard at the Museum of Natural history. We had a short but informative conversation with a very friendly security guard right before we exited through the back of the museum. We asked him about the changes he has noticed in the museum since the pandemic. He explained to us that the museum could no longer have tours and school groups and that there weren't as many tourists or visitors. He told us that school groups and tours were a vital part of the museum and what made it so lively. He also said that although those tours were not happening the museum was still getting back to its old self and soon groups would start coming in again. This relates to our essential question of or larger idea of proving New York City "isn't dead." Although the museu...

  Pre-Covid Sylvia's restaurant in Harlem overflowed with energy. If you wanted fried chicken from The Queen of Soul Food you often found yourself waiting hours for a table or takeout because of how busy it was. If you were lucky enough to get a seat inside, the atmosphere was magical. The hums of upbeat jazz, happy waiters, sounds of sizzles from the kitchen, and smell of fresh fried chicken and collard greens filled the slightly outdated space. The experience of eating at Sylvia's was one to remember and kept people coming back for more.       It was hard to imagine that a place like Sylvia's could ever close or be less busy than it was pre-covid and we were not let down when we turned the corner of 127th street and a line wrapped around the exterior of the restaurant. Groups of people waited outside fanning themselves, laughing, talking, as they waited to place their order. Indoor dining was not happening, only self-serve tables set up under a tarp that was ...

When we visited Harlem, we walked around several blocks including 125th between Lenox and Adam Clayton Powell Junior Blvd, which were the most crowded streets by far. As we walked further West down 125th street, we passed by several shops set up on tables on the side of the block. They were selling things ranging from jewelry, clothing and phone accessories. We approached a few of these street vendors, and one nice man agreed to talk to us. He was selling sweatshirts on a large table on a busy corner. This man, who wanted to remain anonymous, told us about how his business as a street vendor had changed because of the pandemic, but he also explained how it wasn’t just the pandemic that had caused changes in business, but also gentrification. A new hotel had gone up fairly recently and the man described how, “in this area most of the garment stores are closing down because of this hotel that is driving up the property taxes.” The hotel changed the way that people interact with businesse...