As I headed to New York City on Wednesday for my first business trip in more than four years–since just before the pandemic and lockdowns–I was filled with curiosity. I’d read about how, during that four-year period, the Big Apple was struggling with an explosion of homelessness, a migrant crisis, a soft office space market, rising crime rates, garbage on the sidewalks, infrastructure issues, and countless other challenges that only the country’s largest cities experience. I’d also heard from someone that you couldn’t walk the streets of Manhattan without being exposed to open drug use and a constant marijuana smell.
I’m happy to report that on my two-day visit, which was confined to walking around midtown and downtown areas and parts of Brooklyn, I didn’t see any of that. To be sure, there were homeless people here and there, but there were no open-air drug markets, no mounds of refuse, and no clouds of marijuana smoke. I walked for blocks during the day and at night and used the subway without incident or hassles. All in all, the midtown and downtown New York City of 2024 seemed a lot like the midtown and downtown New York City of 2020.
I was glad to learn this, because the Big Apple is one of the great American cities, offering things that no other city can–like the look of St. Patrick’s Cathedral at night, the chance to turn a corner and see the Chrysler Building in the distance, Broadway shows, jazz venues, comedy clubs, interesting shops and stores, live theater, great museums, and some of the best restaurants you can find anywhere on the planet. Based on my admittedly limited experience, it’s all still there, waiting for people to come and enjoy.
Webner House 