A Day in the Life (of a retiree): Manhattan is not dead (yet)

I have been in Manhattan often in the past week. I am energized whenever I go. I love crowds. And tall building. 

 

We went to two plays in three days. Friday night we saw Peter Pan's Gone Wrong -- and Times Square was as crowded and busy as ever -- remember those long, lonely empty months during Covid - no signs now. We had driven to Brooklyn to park and took the Q train in -- probably the longest subway ride in three and a half years.

 

On Sunday we took the ferry in to see Kimberly Akimbo. We went in early and hung out at the Tin Building downtown before taking the subway to the theater and back to the Wall St area for dinner, before catching the ferry back to Rockaway - and let me say this time and again -- Bill de Blasio deserves enormous credit for making an alternative transportation system viable. 

 

Times Square was still popping on Sunday and the downtown area on the lower east side too. New York was supposed to be dying with so many offices still closed. 

Then on Tuesday I took the ferry for the annual co-op meeting where the entire long-time board was overthrown by an insurgent slate. It was like seeing Unity Caucus lose -- except I would say the co-op old board seemed pretty competent though somewhat closeted and uncommunicative. I split my vote between the slates, which I actually used to do a long time ago with Unity until I couldn't bear it.

 

Wednesday I did a gym and swim before heading back to Times Sq for an 11:30 yoga class -- and a very nice free mat from Peloton. The class was easy - nothing close to the much more difficult Bikram hot yoga I usually take.

 

 

Harder was meeting a former colleague and friend over at Juniors and having lunch, ending with a giant piece of cherry cheesecake.

 

And finishing up with a stroll through Bryant Park and a stop at the 40th St. library which was packed.

 

 

Midtown doesn't seem as dead as the press is making it out to be. While lots of vacancies still, more places are opening. My building had a vacancy for almost 3 years and one for the past 6 months and both have been filled.

 

Check out the streets for the Pride events this weekend and see if Manhattan looks like it's going to die. The big test will come with the commercial real estate bust when loans come due in 2025.

Wednesday night I joined the UFC Ex Bd zoom with the job of monitoring the questions and the chat. A big crowd showed up with lots of unfamiliar names.

 

Thursday morning I did the swim only and then headed downtown for the big noon rally -- which I will report on in an upcoming post.