© Reuters / Mike SegarA phantom of "Phantom of the Opera": deserted productions line Broadway's theatre row
Seven months into the pandemic, as many US states inch back toward 'normal', New York is in the grips of a crime wave, reinvigorated lockdowns, and widespread fear of pretty much everything. Thank local government.
New York City has lost billions of dollars in tax revenues on tourism, music, art, theatre, restaurant dining, and everything else that once fueled its mammoth economy over the seven-month Covid-19 pandemic shutdown. It's in worse shape than most US states, and unlike many others, its continued misfortunes are largely of its own making.
The shuttering of the city's iconic Broadway theaters alone has sent hundreds of thousands out of work and signaled to both wealthy city inhabitants and out-of-town visitors that their cash is better spent elsewhere. Theaters announced just weeks ago that performances would be cancelled through March 2021, and the Metropolitan Opera House canceled its entire season through 2021.
New York's famed restaurant scene isn't faring any better. The 'lucky' establishments are finally - as of two weeks ago - allowed to operate at 1/4 capacity indoors, which given the amount of money they've lost over the last 6 months is a band-aid on a cannonball wound. The unlucky ones in New York Governor Cuomo's newly-invoked 'red zones' must continue to seat patrons outdoors in the freezing cold as summer gives way to a damp, chilly autumn. To make matters worse, there's no Thanksgiving parade, no Black Friday shopping, no fun allowed.
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