by Jared Evan

You-Tube reporter “Action Kid”,  has for several months been documenting NYC during the coronavirus lock-downs.

With the exception of the dwindling protesters , NYC is still asleep

Yesterday, the young social media videographer  , documented  NYC from Grand Central Station towards Times Square during the 5PM rush hour into Hell’s Kitchen. In the second report he walks 5th Ave from Rockefeller center towards Murray hill .

These videos well document NYC as it slowly re-opens and offers an excellent glimpse into the current situation NYC faces.

NYC is still eerily quiet, most business still closed, the trains empty during rush hour, many boarded up stores and restaurants. The reporter does an great job in both videos and this is eye opening for many of us who have not been in NYC since the pandemic began. The retail sector does not look promising, notice literally hundreds of storefronts abandoned and up for rent.

In the second Video- you get a glimpse of the BLM protest from yesterday afternoon , peaceful and largely made up of young Caucasian liberals. Once cleared from the protests, the reporter ventures to Madison and 5th, as the famed Rockefeller Center is closed, high end stores are boarded up, and some guarded by security as the brigade of protesters made their way thru.

At one point you can see the entire march, and clearly after 3 weeks, the thrill of marching has waned  and the size of the crowds drastically smaller.

Without the protesters 5th ave, Madison Ave and Lexington Ave are totally empty and the report captures it well. It’s always exciting to see social media platforms being used to inform and make the public aware of information.

These are fascinating videos and will be an excellent time capsule memory for some very strange times in NYC. Looking at these videos makes one wonder, will NYC ever come back as the big tourist destination? Will entire business sectors vanish from the city?