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First in a series of interviews by local historian Jim Mackin with Bloomingdale residents about the effect of the virus on everyday life. Download the file below to watch his interview with Gilbert Tauber.
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February 28 to May 27, 2020 Ronni Bucklan
1. February 28, 2020 Central Park During the first month of the pandemic I was shocked to see how quiet the city became. I spent a lot of time wandering around Central Park finding it a fantastic opportunity for photography without the crowds. 2. April 1, 2020 Central Park Bow Bridge deserted in the middle of a beautiful day in Central Park. 3. April 30, 2020 Central Park Central Park, midday. I do not think I have ever seen Bethesda Terrace and the fountain devoid of people. |
4. May 27, 2020 Battery Park
As the pandemic continued to go on, my family dusted off our bikes and started riding up and down the Hudson Bike path to get out, exercise and leave the neighborhood. On this day the Marine layer had come in thick. There were no boats in NY Harbor, not one. Suddenly the Statue of Liberty's torch was seen above the fog just as a tugboat came out of the fog too. I only got this one capture.
As the pandemic continued to go on, my family dusted off our bikes and started riding up and down the Hudson Bike path to get out, exercise and leave the neighborhood. On this day the Marine layer had come in thick. There were no boats in NY Harbor, not one. Suddenly the Statue of Liberty's torch was seen above the fog just as a tugboat came out of the fog too. I only got this one capture.
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First two weeks of March, 2020
Margaret Kavanau 1. Stocking up We read about supplements that could support our immune system during the Covid-19 pandemic. I placed orders for Vitamins C, D3, zinc, elderberry, and many others. The pill organizers are very useful. I. only leave the house to get the mail on the front porch or to take out garbage to the big garbage cans at the side of the house. That’s about twice/week. I put on gloves to protect my hands from the corona virus. |
2. Covid-19 Gloves, Washed
When I come back inside, I wash my gloved hands, then wash the gloves again with soap and water, hang them up in the shower to drip dry, then put them in the UV box to radiate to be as safe as possible. I am fortunate I purchased gloves before they were nearly impossible to get at the stores.
3. Stocking up
First two weekends in March we stocked up on food and supplies, having heard about the corona virus now in New York City. We would shelter in Secaucus. Shopping for all the wipes, gloves, Clorox bleach sprays, hand sanitizer, peanut butters, coffees and soups, were very important supplies. Soon after, it was almost impossible to find products that would kill the virus on surfaces and protect us (“PPE”). Food was also selling like crazy as people stocked up for the worst possible scenarios.
4. Best Bunch of Flowers
The online flower deliveries were all booked because so many people were sheltering. So Ted took some free charity greeting cards he had saved, cut out some flowers from a number of them, and taped them on a head scratcher someone had given him as a birthday gift. He then used the tube it came in as a vase. And he put coins in the vase to weight it down. (The construction took four hours while I was asleep!!!) This was the best bunch of flowers, and surprise, I ever received! 🌻🌻😷😷
A big thank you to the Bloomingdale Aging in Place Photography Club led by Ozzie Alfonso for sharing their work with us.
When I come back inside, I wash my gloved hands, then wash the gloves again with soap and water, hang them up in the shower to drip dry, then put them in the UV box to radiate to be as safe as possible. I am fortunate I purchased gloves before they were nearly impossible to get at the stores.
3. Stocking up
First two weekends in March we stocked up on food and supplies, having heard about the corona virus now in New York City. We would shelter in Secaucus. Shopping for all the wipes, gloves, Clorox bleach sprays, hand sanitizer, peanut butters, coffees and soups, were very important supplies. Soon after, it was almost impossible to find products that would kill the virus on surfaces and protect us (“PPE”). Food was also selling like crazy as people stocked up for the worst possible scenarios.
4. Best Bunch of Flowers
The online flower deliveries were all booked because so many people were sheltering. So Ted took some free charity greeting cards he had saved, cut out some flowers from a number of them, and taped them on a head scratcher someone had given him as a birthday gift. He then used the tube it came in as a vase. And he put coins in the vase to weight it down. (The construction took four hours while I was asleep!!!) This was the best bunch of flowers, and surprise, I ever received! 🌻🌻😷😷
A big thank you to the Bloomingdale Aging in Place Photography Club led by Ozzie Alfonso for sharing their work with us.
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March 12, 2020 Bonnie Mairs
1. Opportunist The local 99 cent store’s sign, bad spelling and all, caught my eye as I hadn’t found hand sanitizer anywhere. Yes, I bought a 1 oz bottle for $4.00. 2. Nature Ignores the Virus I am self-isolating at home, seeing no one and feeling cut off from my normal life. The Corona virus is following its own path, one I don’t understand. Then I notice the pussywillow on my patio is flowering. It too is following its own path and it brings great joy. |
3. Is Anyone Home?
All day the silence is deafening. Are my neighbors at home or did they escape the city for summer houses in the country? Then, at 7 pm, a wild banging and cheering and shouting in salute to our dedicated health workers! If this photo had audio, you would hear them. Even if not visible, we respond to the virus together.
A big thank you to the Bloomingdale Aging in Place Photography Club led by Ozzie Alfonso for sharing their work with us.
All day the silence is deafening. Are my neighbors at home or did they escape the city for summer houses in the country? Then, at 7 pm, a wild banging and cheering and shouting in salute to our dedicated health workers! If this photo had audio, you would hear them. Even if not visible, we respond to the virus together.
A big thank you to the Bloomingdale Aging in Place Photography Club led by Ozzie Alfonso for sharing their work with us.
March 15, 2020 Gail Lerner
A big thank you to the Bloomingdale Aging in Place Photography Club led by Ozzie Alfonso for sharing their work with us.
A big thank you to the Bloomingdale Aging in Place Photography Club led by Ozzie Alfonso for sharing their work with us.
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March 15, 2020 Thea Callender
1. Subway The last time I took the subway was March 15, I went from denial to amusement to acceptance. In my subway collage, I don the ubiquitous mask. 2. Progression: Walking the dog past the local funeral director, I saw something I had not seen before. In the space for the hearse there was a refrigerated truck. My collage, Progression, shows the movement from virus to truck to funeral home. Somehow, it didn’t strike me as a cool move. 3. No Waiting/Waiting: People formed lines for this popular gym equipment. I had already paid for March, so showed up on March 15. And this is the senior hour toilet paper line at Costco early April. 4. Coping:On Broadway I noticed how local businesses dealt with the growing pandemic. Some closed up shop while others were able to keep a sense of humor. A big thank you to the Bloomingdale Aging in Place Photography Club led by Ozzie Alfonso for sharing their work with us. |
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March 25&26, 2020, Phyllis Sperling-
Founder of the BAiP Photography Group, now in Florida. 1. Miami Beach Spring Break 2020, Midday 2. Ghost Cruise Ships A big thank you to the Bloomingdale Aging in Place Photography Club led by Ozzie Alfonso for sharing their work with us. |
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March 27, 2020, Mark Cordell
2333 Broadway, Facing South & 78 West 85th Street, Facing East Empty Streets of the Upper West Side The Upper West Side can best be described as otherworldly during the early days of the pandemic. During the day there were only a few cars and people on the street and at night there was nobody. I worked from home so I only when out to get groceries and cat food. Most of the people in my building had left so out of the 10 units only me and another resident remained. It was surreal and reminded me of the apocryphal zombie movies I enjoy, minus the zombies. |
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Late March 2020, Mara Gouck
Life in the Earlier Days of the Pandemic My photos represent life in the earlier days of the pandemic. They speak to clever ways in which stores and buildings worked to keep us and their staff safe: a wall of grey plastic delivery bins built to add distance between cashiers and shoppers, giving hand sanitizer its own oak stand set away from our front desk to safeguard the doorman and yet provide protection for tenants. One photo catches an attempt by the coffee house Ploughshares to limit the number of customers. Unfortunately, the store has closed down and is gated. |
I wonder what photos I would take today (May) when I see nothing to call clever: people out in groups without masks, families crying at the doors of emergency rooms. On our way to Riverside Park, my husband asked how I thought young kids must be experiencing this. I had no answer. As we sat on a bench along the park, a family walked by – all masked. The daughter, perhaps 4 years old, was wearing a colorful handmade mask which complemented her dress as she swayed by. THAT is the photo I would have taken. A child who speaks to hope and the future.
A big thank you to the Bloomingdale Aging in Place Photography Club led by Ozzie Alfonso for sharing their work with us.
A big thank you to the Bloomingdale Aging in Place Photography Club led by Ozzie Alfonso for sharing their work with us.
March 17-May 2, 2020 Mingway Lee
About Mingway Lee and His Drawings:
Living in Manhattan with his wife and two young sons Max and Rex, Mingway Lee, is an artist, art educator, interior designer, and Pratt alumnus. On Jan. 10 of 2020, without knowing about the spread of the Coronavirus, he went to China for his business and a Chinese Lunar New Year family reunion. On Feb. 5, he was evacuated from Wuhan to Travis Air Force Base in California, where he spent 14 days in quarantine. He returned to Manhattan on Feb. 19 of 2020. Using a ballpoint pen, he drew over a hundred pictures of what he saw during the coronavirus crisis in China, in Travis AFB quarantine, and in NYC. Some of his NYC drawings appear here by permission.
About Mingway Lee and His Drawings:
Living in Manhattan with his wife and two young sons Max and Rex, Mingway Lee, is an artist, art educator, interior designer, and Pratt alumnus. On Jan. 10 of 2020, without knowing about the spread of the Coronavirus, he went to China for his business and a Chinese Lunar New Year family reunion. On Feb. 5, he was evacuated from Wuhan to Travis Air Force Base in California, where he spent 14 days in quarantine. He returned to Manhattan on Feb. 19 of 2020. Using a ballpoint pen, he drew over a hundred pictures of what he saw during the coronavirus crisis in China, in Travis AFB quarantine, and in NYC. Some of his NYC drawings appear here by permission.
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April 1, 2020 Marjorie Cohen
at her office The perfect accessory for quarantine: Anthony Fauci sox |
April 1, 2020, Joeanna Sayler
West End Avenue, UWS
Penpal
West End Avenue, UWS
Penpal
April 6, 2020 Bob Lejeune
Signs Taped on Urban Outfitter Window
This picture was taken as the pandemic had become more severe. My interest was in getting a good picture that I could post on Flickr. It was to be a reflection with multiple layers and many colors and good composition while at the same time indicating the growing severity of life with Covid-19. Store closing was just beginning, but people still did not have to wear masks in public, although some did, as I did as soon as I was able to get some.
A big thank you to the Bloomingdale Aging in Place Photography Club led by Ozzie Alfonso for sharing their work with us.
Signs Taped on Urban Outfitter Window
This picture was taken as the pandemic had become more severe. My interest was in getting a good picture that I could post on Flickr. It was to be a reflection with multiple layers and many colors and good composition while at the same time indicating the growing severity of life with Covid-19. Store closing was just beginning, but people still did not have to wear masks in public, although some did, as I did as soon as I was able to get some.
A big thank you to the Bloomingdale Aging in Place Photography Club led by Ozzie Alfonso for sharing their work with us.
April 7, 2020 Bob Leonard
98th and Broadway
The onset of Covid-19 limited my movement, restricting me to my neighborhood on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. These quadriptychs attempt to tell a story about the pandemic through artifacts and portraits of my neighbors.
98th and Broadway
The onset of Covid-19 limited my movement, restricting me to my neighborhood on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. These quadriptychs attempt to tell a story about the pandemic through artifacts and portraits of my neighbors.
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April 8, Bonnie Dubin
1. Looking Out 2. It’s All Toilet Paper 3. Sheltering Inside A big thank you to the Bloomingdale Aging in Place Photography Club led by Ozzie Alfonso for sharing their work with us. |
April 9, 2020 Bob Lejeune
Mother and Child Wearing Similar Masks
This is in a way an unfortunate picture, not because it is bad, but because of what the mother and her son did just after I took the picture. First the son removed his mask and soon so did the mother. They wanted to toss that ring to each other. Moreover, the masks were homemade which, unfortunately, offers very little protection. This at a time when the virus was raging outside! This morning I read Michelle Goldberg’s article in the New York Times (which I disagreed with): I wish I had shamed her! “Don’t Shame Those Struggling With Lockdowns”
A big thank you to the Bloomingdale Aging in Place Photography Club led by Ozzie Alfonso for sharing their work with us.
Mother and Child Wearing Similar Masks
This is in a way an unfortunate picture, not because it is bad, but because of what the mother and her son did just after I took the picture. First the son removed his mask and soon so did the mother. They wanted to toss that ring to each other. Moreover, the masks were homemade which, unfortunately, offers very little protection. This at a time when the virus was raging outside! This morning I read Michelle Goldberg’s article in the New York Times (which I disagreed with): I wish I had shamed her! “Don’t Shame Those Struggling With Lockdowns”
A big thank you to the Bloomingdale Aging in Place Photography Club led by Ozzie Alfonso for sharing their work with us.
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April 12 and March 20, 2020
Joan Chiverton, illustrator observed on the Upper West Side I'm an illustrator. With the city closing down abruptly I started keeping a diary with sketches of my observations on the upper west side, and posting it. The NY Times asked me to do a piece on masks. They were unique then and people were improvising. Now they are part of our wardrobe. I'll post a couple of pages from the diary. More can be found on my Instagram site @ joan_chiverton |
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April 12, 2020 Steve Cohen
1. Distractions Are Necessary: Every day we learn more details about how our government ignored the warnings that a pandemic was coming. I don't think Trump was responsible for the unleashing of the coronavirus, but I do think he is responsible for the magnitude of the health and economic consequences of its spread. So, I can either read the NY Times and add to my frustrations or I can watch Netflix to escape. I often choose Netflix. |
2. 7:00 PM Salute:
Every evening New Yorkers open their windows and cheer, bang pots, blow horns and just make noise as a salute to all those risking infection to enable a modicum of life. We cannot thank enough the doctors, nurses, police, transit workers, grocery clerks and delivery people -- all essential but rarely acknowledged in "normal" times. The "7:00 PM Salute" brings tears to my eyes.
3. Covid-19 Headshot:
According to Wikipedia "head shots are intended to show a person as they currently appear and reflect their best qualities." But what qualities are visible when you are wearing a mask?
A big thank you to the Bloomingdale Aging in Place Photography Club led by Ozzie Alfonso for sharing their work with us.
Every evening New Yorkers open their windows and cheer, bang pots, blow horns and just make noise as a salute to all those risking infection to enable a modicum of life. We cannot thank enough the doctors, nurses, police, transit workers, grocery clerks and delivery people -- all essential but rarely acknowledged in "normal" times. The "7:00 PM Salute" brings tears to my eyes.
3. Covid-19 Headshot:
According to Wikipedia "head shots are intended to show a person as they currently appear and reflect their best qualities." But what qualities are visible when you are wearing a mask?
A big thank you to the Bloomingdale Aging in Place Photography Club led by Ozzie Alfonso for sharing their work with us.
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April 12, 2020 Ozzie Alfonso
Early in March I developed a low fever and a dry cough. Over the web my doctor determined it was COVID but no test would be necessary unless I developed shortness of breath. The fever went away in a week but when our son in Brooklyn heard I was sick he began to FaceTime. He has done this everyday since. We haven’t seen or heard as much from him in years. One day we even drove to Brooklyn to give him some food Maura had cooked. Strange days indeed. It’s now mid-May and I’ve grown tired. |
A big thank you to the Bloomingdale Aging in Place Photography Club led by Ozzie Alfonso for sharing their work with us.
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April 15, 2020 Ozzie Alfonso
I was going to Suba’s pharmacy to pick up some meds when I stopped in the middle of West End, looked north and then south – not a moving vehicle in sight. We got to Suba. The gate was partially down. You had to show your name, the lady inside would then attach the meds to a long stick and extend it out to you. A big thank you to the Bloomingdale Aging in Place Photography Club led by Ozzie Alfonso for sharing their work with us. |
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Mid-April 2020, Nili Baider
Street deserted; road deserted. Creating a different life, connecting in new ways. Doing our part. A big thank you to the Bloomingdale Aging in Place Photography Club led by Ozzie Alfonso for sharing their work with us. |
April 18, 2020, Anonymous
My living room
I spent this morning making cards for friends, family, and neighbors.
My living room
I spent this morning making cards for friends, family, and neighbors.
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April 19, 2020, Shelley Feinerman
Painting in the time of covid (c) 2020 got busy during covid - my original paintings and haiku (c) feinerman 2020 |
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April 28, 2020 Lo-Yi Chan
1-2. Extreme Social Distancing: On a sunny walk to Grant's Tomb, I stopped repeatedly to compose and take a picture. As I moved a bit one way or the other for a better vantage point, I became an unpredictable social distancing hazard to those out for a stroll. All carefully avoided me by well over six feet. I hope New Yorkers will remain as disciplined as social distancing gets old. |
3-4. Venetian Abstraction:
Since, like everyone else, I am almost entirely indoors, I decided to try tabletop photography. These are images of closed white venetian blinds on a sunny day, as seen through a piece of art glass. I was attracted by how the glass distorted the parallel lines of the blind.
5. Solitude:
Even in enforced isolation, New Yorkers need solitude.
A big thank you to the Bloomingdale Aging in Place Photography Club led by Ozzie Alfonso for sharing their work with us.
Since, like everyone else, I am almost entirely indoors, I decided to try tabletop photography. These are images of closed white venetian blinds on a sunny day, as seen through a piece of art glass. I was attracted by how the glass distorted the parallel lines of the blind.
5. Solitude:
Even in enforced isolation, New Yorkers need solitude.
A big thank you to the Bloomingdale Aging in Place Photography Club led by Ozzie Alfonso for sharing their work with us.
May 2020 Paul Margolis
"When things got really bad in the city in March and April, I largely stayed indoors, but in early May I began photographing the "new reality" in the streets with my old cameras and black and white film. The work was done in about a 25-block area, from where I live at 103rd and Central Park West to the West 80s."
Paul Margolis is a documentary and fine art photographer. His photos on this website are part of his "Plague Days" collection and appear here by his permission. His photos are arranged on this website by the month in which they were taken.
Visit the website of Paul Margolis at http://www.paulmargolis.com
"When things got really bad in the city in March and April, I largely stayed indoors, but in early May I began photographing the "new reality" in the streets with my old cameras and black and white film. The work was done in about a 25-block area, from where I live at 103rd and Central Park West to the West 80s."
Paul Margolis is a documentary and fine art photographer. His photos on this website are part of his "Plague Days" collection and appear here by his permission. His photos are arranged on this website by the month in which they were taken.
Visit the website of Paul Margolis at http://www.paulmargolis.com
Early May, 2020 Nancy Wight
Riverside Park
But Spring, the pigeons, the sparrows, and the blue skies of May keep reminding us we are not alone.
A big thank you to the Bloomingdale Aging in Place Photography Club led by Ozzie Alfonso for sharing their work with us.
Riverside Park
But Spring, the pigeons, the sparrows, and the blue skies of May keep reminding us we are not alone.
A big thank you to the Bloomingdale Aging in Place Photography Club led by Ozzie Alfonso for sharing their work with us.
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May 5, 2020, Anonymous
Entrance to Riverside Park at 72nd Street I walked in Riverside every morning, listening to The Daily podcast - I did the same walk from 72nd to 96th, seeing people walking mostly alone, in some sort of robot like fashion. Some days it was sad, some days the impending Spring colors were almost insulting considering the pain many were going through |
May 6, 2020, Robin Bell
a neighbor who recently moved to LA
Day 55 LA Quarantine update: Bring Your Broom.
4 adults + 1 baby
The guy up on his cliff house and I saw a jogger run with no mask and I waved my arms like a New Yorker and yelled, “Will ya’ please move to the other side of the road’?” He didn’t, so I pulled the stroller away yelling, “MIT says you’re blowing your virus everywhere, you idiot,” and even more science-insults like that. The lady from around the corner with two canes and neon blue hair and a house covered with old peace banners walked up behind me. I yelled at the street, “If I had a broom, I’d throw it at him.” And she said, ”Next time you will.” So there are no projectile-like items allowed in the stroller, and we don’t know the name of the cliff guy or the lady with blue hair but we’ve got respect.
A big thank you to the Bloomingdale Aging in Place Photography Club led by Ozzie Alfonso for sharing their work with us.
a neighbor who recently moved to LA
Day 55 LA Quarantine update: Bring Your Broom.
4 adults + 1 baby
The guy up on his cliff house and I saw a jogger run with no mask and I waved my arms like a New Yorker and yelled, “Will ya’ please move to the other side of the road’?” He didn’t, so I pulled the stroller away yelling, “MIT says you’re blowing your virus everywhere, you idiot,” and even more science-insults like that. The lady from around the corner with two canes and neon blue hair and a house covered with old peace banners walked up behind me. I yelled at the street, “If I had a broom, I’d throw it at him.” And she said, ”Next time you will.” So there are no projectile-like items allowed in the stroller, and we don’t know the name of the cliff guy or the lady with blue hair but we’ve got respect.
A big thank you to the Bloomingdale Aging in Place Photography Club led by Ozzie Alfonso for sharing their work with us.
May 7, 2020 John Gorham
Central Park
The return of spring was a welcome distraction from the uncertainty
of the first months of the virus
Central Park
The return of spring was a welcome distraction from the uncertainty
of the first months of the virus
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May 8, 2020 Carol Goodfriend
For 2 plus months, hunkered down in the woods with 3 other members of our family, only occasionally do we see neighbors, waving from our cars. We do have a resident vixen and cubs, a meandering ginormous bear, beavers in a huge secluded backwoods pond, self-built. We have many species of birds visiting our window feeder and more chipmunks and squirrels than we need. What I have been doing is what is special to me in the country: the outdoors and the smallness of things. Spring is very late atop our hill, so I am only now spending time observing the beginnings of Springtime in small things |
A big thank you to the Bloomingdale Aging in Place Photography Club led by Ozzie Alfonso for sharing their work with us.
May 8, 2020 JULIA SPRING
In the middle of the day on Monday, May 8, standing on the corner of W. 104th St. at West End Ave., I see a long black car stopped at the light. Three women, wearing masks, getting rained on, are at its back end. I wonder what they are getting out of the trunk, why they are so close to one another. Then I realize it is a hearse and they are crying, sobbing, peering in the window. Are they going to follow it at snail's pace? The light changes and the hearse heads east, leaving them behind. On the far side of the car are two more people, one with an umbrella. The five cry and hug in the rain. A few minutes later they have dispersed.
(by permission of Julia Spring, reprinted from WEST 102ND & 103RD STREETS BLOCK ASSOCIATION newsletter of Summer 2020)
In the middle of the day on Monday, May 8, standing on the corner of W. 104th St. at West End Ave., I see a long black car stopped at the light. Three women, wearing masks, getting rained on, are at its back end. I wonder what they are getting out of the trunk, why they are so close to one another. Then I realize it is a hearse and they are crying, sobbing, peering in the window. Are they going to follow it at snail's pace? The light changes and the hearse heads east, leaving them behind. On the far side of the car are two more people, one with an umbrella. The five cry and hug in the rain. A few minutes later they have dispersed.
(by permission of Julia Spring, reprinted from WEST 102ND & 103RD STREETS BLOCK ASSOCIATION newsletter of Summer 2020)
May 13, 2020 Peter Homans
Bryant Park
I took this shot in Bryant Park close to midday in May. I was coming home from my first doctor's appointment since the beginning of my sequestration.
Bryant Park
I took this shot in Bryant Park close to midday in May. I was coming home from my first doctor's appointment since the beginning of my sequestration.
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May 24, 2020 Anonymous
Staying Safe: Laundry line in living room in order to avoid basement laundry! (The apartment has a washer but no dryer.) |
June 2020 Paul Margolis
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June, 2020 Charles Wall
Nightly protests organized by Three Parks Democrats on 103rd and Broadway. |
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June 3, 2020 Steve McLure
On a walk from Chelsea to the Upper West Side |
June 18, 2020 Win Armstrong
100th St and CPW
New places for old actions:
Haircut on my porch...... for me and
another friend who uses the same hair
cutter... on the day she came into town
to arrange for return to work... people
passing in street looked up, laughed and clapped... (had to take off mask in order to cut hair behind ears)
100th St and CPW
New places for old actions:
Haircut on my porch...... for me and
another friend who uses the same hair
cutter... on the day she came into town
to arrange for return to work... people
passing in street looked up, laughed and clapped... (had to take off mask in order to cut hair behind ears)
June 18, 2020 Vicki R. Finkel:
New York artist and human
Home studio is my work
Paintings inspired by Central Park and nature in general. And mini clay heads to further inspire.
New York artist and human
Home studio is my work
Paintings inspired by Central Park and nature in general. And mini clay heads to further inspire.
Without being able to personally see close family or work in my art studio, had to get creative. My brother, mother and I began painting weekly water color works and discussing and sharing them every Friday in face time meetings. It is the highlight of our weeks. I also began sculpting mini clay heads with the same limited amount of clay I had at home, and send the images out to friends and family to see if they could figure out who I had sculpted that week. It has and Is helping me stay creative, engaged, connected and sane.
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June 29, 2020 Robinson McClellan:
dad, composer, curator at the Morgan Winterdale Arch, Central Park |
My son and I were out for our usual walk in Central Park. Normally we head north from 89th St, but this time we went south, past the Teddy Roosevelt statue in front of the Natural History Museum, just to see it one last time, and then we headed into the park at 81st. We found a nice big chunk of primordial Manhattan granite the size and height of a couple of dump trucks, for my son to drive his (significantly smaller) vehicles around on.
Then the sunshine vanished, and the sky darkened. A big thunderstorm was rolling in, and the clouds told me, backed up by the technology in my pocket, that the rain would be on us in minutes, and a lot of it. After considering various trees for shelter, we (I) noticed Winterdale Arch nearby. A lot of room in there, perfect protection from the storm.
We went in under the arch, and the rain began. A few other people took shelter too, and at first there was plenty of space. With most of us masked and a breeze blowing through, I wasn't concerned.
Then we saw the problem: The good news was that the rain could not touch us. The less good news was that we were in a low-lying area. A huge puddle started to form, and soon it became a small pond, moving rapidly in. More people came in under the arch, and it started to feel a little too crowded, to my taste, in this time of Covid. Social distancing was getting harder. As the water expanded, there was less and less dry ground, and more people coming in. Soon it started to feel like a genuine crowd — an unfamiliar sensation, after all these months, to have strangers suddenly so close.
And then it started to be the very worst kind of crowd: a *festive* one. It somehow became known that it was somebody's birthday, and I realized that everyone was about to start singing Happy Birthday, spewing their cursed aerosols at me and my son from point blank range. I saw that it was time to act, time to put safety first and to make a break for it. Better high water than hell, I figured.
Just as the first syllable began to ring out, "Haaaa...." the two of us broke free, me driving my toddler through the flood on his little red scooter, the water quickly rising past the wheels and well over his ankles... somehow in my panic I didn't think to just pick him up and carry him over the deluge. But who cares about wet shoes — we were safe! Fleeing to rescue ourselves from the mindlessly singing crowd!
Feet utterly soaked, we headed home. As the clouds cleared and the rain dried up, we walked happily through the deepest puddles we could find.
Then we saw a rainbow. It was a lovely day.
Then the sunshine vanished, and the sky darkened. A big thunderstorm was rolling in, and the clouds told me, backed up by the technology in my pocket, that the rain would be on us in minutes, and a lot of it. After considering various trees for shelter, we (I) noticed Winterdale Arch nearby. A lot of room in there, perfect protection from the storm.
We went in under the arch, and the rain began. A few other people took shelter too, and at first there was plenty of space. With most of us masked and a breeze blowing through, I wasn't concerned.
Then we saw the problem: The good news was that the rain could not touch us. The less good news was that we were in a low-lying area. A huge puddle started to form, and soon it became a small pond, moving rapidly in. More people came in under the arch, and it started to feel a little too crowded, to my taste, in this time of Covid. Social distancing was getting harder. As the water expanded, there was less and less dry ground, and more people coming in. Soon it started to feel like a genuine crowd — an unfamiliar sensation, after all these months, to have strangers suddenly so close.
And then it started to be the very worst kind of crowd: a *festive* one. It somehow became known that it was somebody's birthday, and I realized that everyone was about to start singing Happy Birthday, spewing their cursed aerosols at me and my son from point blank range. I saw that it was time to act, time to put safety first and to make a break for it. Better high water than hell, I figured.
Just as the first syllable began to ring out, "Haaaa...." the two of us broke free, me driving my toddler through the flood on his little red scooter, the water quickly rising past the wheels and well over his ankles... somehow in my panic I didn't think to just pick him up and carry him over the deluge. But who cares about wet shoes — we were safe! Fleeing to rescue ourselves from the mindlessly singing crowd!
Feet utterly soaked, we headed home. As the clouds cleared and the rain dried up, we walked happily through the deepest puddles we could find.
Then we saw a rainbow. It was a lovely day.
July 2020 Paul Margolis
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July 14, 2020 Vita Wallace
North side of 106th Street between Broadway and Amsterdam The gardens on, around, below, and above the stoops here are always fruitful and wildly wonderful. This year, the Black Lives Matter messages made them especially poignant. |
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July 16, 2020 Dan Armstrong
Along the Cherry Walk, around 104th Street Recreation during the pandemic: Westsiders preparing to swim in the Hudson. |
Like others, I've become more of a homebody. I go out into the park every day, early because I want to avoid the crowds. But it seems that everyone else has the same idea.
I find that it's hard to unlearn bad habits like touching my food or my face, and although I wash my hands a lot more than I used to, I constantly am afraid that it's not enough. Everyday there is a long line outside City MD, the storefront medical office on 104th Street, and whenever I see it I think "Are all these people getting tested? Are they infected?"
The sirens used to be more frequent. There aren't as many now, or perhaps I've just gotten used to them and they don't register anymore.
I know two neighbors who have had the coronavirus. One is 80, the other is 68. They lay in bed for a few weeks and then continued their lives as if nothing had changed. I read horror stories every day, but I don't have first-hand knowledge of anything like what I've read. Life is pretty good.
July 18, 2020 Dan McSweeney
Amsterdam and 111th Street
After cleaning up the West 111th Street People's Garden, volunteers from the
block association moved along
Amsterdam Avenue, humming the
tune to Suzanne Vega's "Tom's Diner."
Amsterdam and 111th Street
After cleaning up the West 111th Street People's Garden, volunteers from the
block association moved along
Amsterdam Avenue, humming the
tune to Suzanne Vega's "Tom's Diner."
This year has provided greater clarity for members of the Bloomingdale-Morningside Heights community. It's completely fitting this emerged in 2020. Not only did we become more aware of our seemingly intractable differences and divisions, we were also reminded of all that connects us and how good we can be to each other as neighbors. In the face of recent adversity, we have witnessed and participated in a renaissance of community spirit. This is exemplified by widespread offers of assistance to one another, diligent adherence to public health guidelines, ongoing support for the Black Lives Matter movement, and impromptu efforts to bolster city services, such as trash collection. When push came to shove, we demonstrated that we are a resilient and committed community. An example of this spirit can be seen in this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EziFtZYquiw
July 21, 2020 Victor Chen
From my window on the 14th floor looking across
W.101 Street to 285 Riverside Drive
From my window on the 14th floor looking across
W.101 Street to 285 Riverside Drive
- At the start of the lockdown, many neighbors on this street toward West End Avenue would go to their windows or doorsteps and yell or clap or bang on pans. This custom has petered out, but now with
- the George Floyd and Black Lives Matter demonstrations, one family has put this memorial to Floyd in their 13th floor window.
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July 31,2020 Gil Tauber
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From March/April to September, 2020 Lisa Krizman
six months on the Upper West Side 1. March/April Bob and Lisa Krizman out for a walk in March/April on way to central Park. Streets very empty. This is 110th street near Frederick Douglas Circle. 2. April Common site of people walking their dogs on the now empty Columbia University campus. Our dogs Sam I Am and Newton. 3. April Our dog, Newton, on Columbia Univ campus, wearing his mask. |
4. June The 7pm shout out to health workers. If you look closely, you can see people banging their pots and pans to make noise. This went on daily for months.
5. June Growing tomatoes on the coop roof on 114 and riverside. My husband, bob krizman, growing a shaggy beard like most men.
6. Starting in June. Wildlife became bolder as the humans became scarcer in the city. Here’s one of our favorite racoons, Roxie, that always appears at 7:30 PM to the delight and/or fear of New Yorkers out for exercise.
7. July Relaxing on coop roof, with mask handy, since pools are closed and not allowed to travel unless necessary. We bought a festive “pool umbrella” so we could sit outside. Also reflects huge exodus from city. Almost 80% of our building fled to country or other homes outside of the city.
8. by September As time went on, the raccoons multiplied and got more brazen in hanging out on the ledge of Riverside Park.
5. June Growing tomatoes on the coop roof on 114 and riverside. My husband, bob krizman, growing a shaggy beard like most men.
6. Starting in June. Wildlife became bolder as the humans became scarcer in the city. Here’s one of our favorite racoons, Roxie, that always appears at 7:30 PM to the delight and/or fear of New Yorkers out for exercise.
7. July Relaxing on coop roof, with mask handy, since pools are closed and not allowed to travel unless necessary. We bought a festive “pool umbrella” so we could sit outside. Also reflects huge exodus from city. Almost 80% of our building fled to country or other homes outside of the city.
8. by September As time went on, the raccoons multiplied and got more brazen in hanging out on the ledge of Riverside Park.
August 2020 Paul Margolis
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August 22, 2020, Gil Tauber
104th Street and Broadway Demonstration to save the Post Office |
September 2020 Paul Margolis
September 10, 2020 Batya Miller
Covid Art
A neighbor, Mimi Wallace, creates year-round fanciful seasonal displays in our common hallway. They have been especially welcome during this pandemic. On this one the message is "Back to School, Back to Work." Thank you Mimi for brightening our days!
Covid Art
A neighbor, Mimi Wallace, creates year-round fanciful seasonal displays in our common hallway. They have been especially welcome during this pandemic. On this one the message is "Back to School, Back to Work." Thank you Mimi for brightening our days!
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September 21, 2020 Gil Tauber
Columbia University Campus Tributes to Ruth Bader Ginsburg who died September 18, 2020 |
September 26, 2020, Gil Tauber, Riverside Park
October 2020 Paul Margolis
October 9, 2020, Susan Levit,
Upper West Side resident
Riverside park at 72nd Street
It didn’t surprise me when I saw this... Eleanor Roosevelt is wearing a mask. I know if she were here today, she would be on the forefront of making sure we’re all safe. Seeing this I could feel my stress level give a sigh of relief.
Upper West Side resident
Riverside park at 72nd Street
It didn’t surprise me when I saw this... Eleanor Roosevelt is wearing a mask. I know if she were here today, she would be on the forefront of making sure we’re all safe. Seeing this I could feel my stress level give a sigh of relief.
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October 16, 2020 Gil Tauber
From window at 320 Riverside Drive Socially distanced morning minyan at bus stop, 103rd and Riverside Drive |
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October 23, 2020, Gil Tauber
104th Street and Broadway Cool weather outdoor seating for Café du Soleil |
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October 28, 2020, Carolina Owens
1. 104th St emergency MD storefront where there always seems to be line of people waiting outside. 2&3. the bakery on Columbus Ave between 97-98th St. |
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October 31, 2020, Batya Miller
W. 102nd and Amsterdam The line for early voting at West Side High School on 102nd Street and Amsterdam, during the week before Election Day, was mentioned in numerous news reports as one of the longest lines in the city. It began at Columbus and 100th Street, went up to 104th, west to Amsterdam, south to 102nd, then east on a dead-end half block, back to Amsterdam and down to 101st, turning east again by the schoolyard toward the gym. On October 31st,the line was not quite that long. |
November 2020, Paul Margolis
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November 3, 2020, Dean Dacian
6:48am at P.S. 163 on election day |
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November 2020, Lisa Krizman
1. New Owl resident on 115th and Riverside Drive, arrived in November 2020, drawing crowds. Another example of wildlife arriving while human residents get more scarce during the Pandemic. 2. Celebrating Thanksgiving with kids and grandkids living in Maryland via Zoom. Dressing up as Pilgrims to be festive. Thanksgiving 2020. |
November 26, 2020
Vita and Margaret
Our Kitchen
This year, we made our usual pumpkin pies and delivered them to relatives. For ourselves, we tried something new: a purple sweet potato pie!
Vita and Margaret
Our Kitchen
This year, we made our usual pumpkin pies and delivered them to relatives. For ourselves, we tried something new: a purple sweet potato pie!
December 2020, Paul Margolis
December 31, 2021
Lisa Krisman
My husband Bob Krizman and Bob Starer, a friend from our building, celebrate on the roof on New Year’s Eve 2021. The picture shows a “typical” scene during the Pandemic. Hand sanitizer appears along with the other snacks; the gathering is small, informal, with close friends whom you trust, held outdoors in the cold, but on the roof of a NYC building and with people that live close by to avoid public transportation.
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