Why I Left New York City During the Pandemic
Working from home amidst deteriorating conditions can only last so long.
I hate to admit it. I am part of the exodus from New York City amidst the Coronavirus pandemic. My wife and I stuck it out for a while, working from home since early March, but as the walls closed in around our 700 square feet of living and now co-working space, we had enough. There were only so many places to escape when joining confidential meetings or calls (we are both lawyers). I had to wall myself off in our one bedroom, perched on an ottoman my wife previously used for handbag storage. By the end of each week, my back often screamed with pain as I slouched toward the computer screen resting on the bed across from me.
Needless to say, our apartment, much like the city around it, was not conducive to working from home. So much of New York City’s economy is dependent on workers going to the office, whether it’s spending money on lunch and coffee or entertaining clients after hours. With offices still only at a fraction of their capacity (at best), the entire economy of service, hospitality, and retail workers has suffered.
Now is the point where the Jerry Seinfelds of the world will chastise me for not being one of the “real, tough New Yorkers who . . . stayed and rebuilt it.” With all due…
