Kept Thinking I Could Never Live Without You By My Side

Doesn't it seem like if the biggest city in America is desolate and boarded up on 5th Ave and Broadway that this would be big news.  At least talked about and covered with tons of opinion pieces?   It wasn't until a comedian wrote an Op-Ed on our inability to recover did anyone even mention the fact, that it's looking super bleak out here.  I'm going to take a day off in order to go again and see for myself but I've sent my roving reporter husband out and he confirmed it's as the video shows.  Manhattan is showing it's diversion from the other boroughs in this way though because even though there are certainly a multitude of moving vans in the Brownstone areas of Brooklyn, the rest of it is slowly coming back to life.  Thriving might be an overstatement but you can see how the different classes were impacted and how they each reacted. Instead of fleeing, there is a small chance better opportunities and fairer rents might exist again.  Manhattan affects everything though and subways and bus threats from the MTA could make life very difficult for millions.  But what you see on the day to day, is more folks out on the streets, running, walking dogs, with families, strollers back in full force.  With some of that new big money gone, the mix is feeling more pleasantly balanced again.  For a time it felt as though the super wealthy youth were taking over whole neighborhoods and in turn businesses reacted just as quickly, not only changing but removing what made those areas unique.   Now we're feeling a 70's vibe, simpler, less cyber and more down to earth but can it survive without all the big money players?  It's nice, not having to listen to people holding those power calls on the streets, with their business tones at high volume.   That's not what the boroughs were ever about but were quickly becoming.   

These giant square pizza slices tasted like a food trip back to the 70's. 

The changes are a mixed bag.  On our tiny block alone, several business have boarded up, most recently the Gay owned dress shop next door.  The restaurants in the last weeks have kicked into a new phase though with the German place even setting up a whole tented area in the new park square.  The pizza place that laid lifeless for weeks has new management and seems to be more consistent with their hours.  Brooklyn Moon had folks dancing on the sidewalks and have won the award for best outside dining experience (in my mind), providing live music, astroturf, a kiddie pool, umbrellas, and a cool motor home shaped like a air streamer, complete with awning out front.  Brooklyn Moon