It has been difficult selling advertising for the paper, which is my regular job, so I was asked to keep a diary of the past few weeks as I walk around the neighborhood. I also have no sports to watch which has given me a lot of extra time.
Day 1: Wednesday, March 18
My first day of keeping track of everything around me. On March 12, New York State had declared we were in a state of emergency and on March 17, all schools, bars and restaurants in the city were supposed to be closed.
I expected chaos to ensue but for the most part people just wanted to go outside and enjoy the nice weather. There were joggers everywhere, kids playing in parks and lots of people walking their dogs.
It was strange seeing so many businesses that were normally open were closed, and I had to pick up my lunch from Francesco’s then eat it home instead of eating it there. They said they were getting business but it hurt them to not have any customers allowed to sit down and eat. Workers at Margaret Palca Bakes on Columbia St. near Degraw St. were worried that there would be a complete shutdown. Multiple delis reported they were still doing fine in terms of business but were worried about the virus. Some workers at Bonafide Deli on the corner of Hicks St. and Kane St. wore masks and gloves to work.
Day 2: Thursday, March 19
I had to get groceries and realized that the Key Food on Henry was much more crowded than usual and there were a lot of people buying in bulk. The lines were much longer than they typically are. In addition to supermarkets, butcher shops were also getting a ton of customers. Esposito’s and Staubitz Market had lines out the door. Both are located on Court St. in Carroll Gardens. Some places put up signs limiting the number of people allowed inside at a time since health experts calling for social distancing. Bakeries and liquor shops also had pretty long lines. Most nail salons were closed and so were some barbershops, although others remained open.
Some people looked like they were intent on going about their business as usual whether that was jogging or families eating outside together, while others looked terrified and covered all their extremities. I overheard people talking about coronavirus everywhere I went. My mom, a public-school teacher, had to go to her school building for lessons on how to use the technology required to teach students from home.
Day 3: Friday, March 20
While I was walking to work I started getting a bunch of text messages. When I checked my phone I saw that Governor Cuomo announced a statewide stay-at-home order. That meant all non-essential businesses would have to close, including restaurants, barber shops and many more. The order doesn’t prevent me from going to work because journalists are considered key workers. I also got an extreme haircut earlier in the week so luckily I won’t have to worry about getting one for a while.
The weather was beautiful and there were still some people out but less than I had seen in the previous two days. I spoke to a few parents, whose kids were playing in a park. They told they wanted their kids to be outside for a while. They just made sure they avoided contact with other kids and used hand sanitizer afterwards. I also spent a lot of the day outside (just avoiding getting close to people or touching surfaces) but a few of my friends told me they didn’t want to go outside or that their family told them not to.
On my way back home, I saw that the butcher shops and liquor stores were still very busy and had lines that were so long people had to wait outside.
Day 4: Saturday, March 21
As I walked through my neighborhood (the Columbia Waterfront District) everything looked empty. I can’t remember ever seeing the streets so quiet on a Saturday afternoon. All the restaurants were closed and had signs saying that costumers could only order takeout or come in to pick up their food. I crossed over the highway and walked to PS 29, which is usually filled with kids playing in the schoolyard on weekends. Today, the gate was locked.
After a while I got hungry so I went to Margaret Palca Bakes for lunch. They put up a sign outside saying they were still open and asking people to help out local businesses. When I stepped inside I was the only one there. Workers told me they were worried about business but didn’t know what to expect because this had never happened before.
Day 5: Sunday March 22
I noticed more people on the street than yesterday. There were a lot of people on the street near Fairway although I didn’t see many people on Columbia St. or Van Brunt St. on my way there. The buses that passed me along the way never had more than a couple of people on board (and most of the ones I did see were wearing a mask).
I ended up spending much of the day at home, which wasn’t very exciting. My mom had to set up Google Classroom to prepare for teaching students online, which was difficult because, partly because as a family we’re awful with technology, and also because it was difficult to get in touch with other people to ask questions.
I turned on ESPN because I’m a huge sports fan. ESPN had been starved for news Tom Brady’s announcement that he was leaving the Patriots dominated the news. They ended up showing a marathon of Brady’s best games. As I Giants fan, I usually wouldn’t watch but there wasn’t anything else I found interesting . Sadly they didn’t show one of the two Super Bowls where Giants beat the Patriots in. It wasn’t a very exciting day for me.
Day 6: Monday, March 23
The weather was awful today. The streets were empty. According to NY1 the bad weather was actually a good thing because it kept everyone inside. The only people outside were a few workers in masks and people walking their dogs. The park across the street from the Chase Bank was filled with kids last week. Today someone from the Parks Department put up a sign saying it was open but recommended that people not go in.
Day 7: Tuesday, March 24
The rain finally stopped and I ventured out. Nearly half of the people I saw were wearing a mask. I noticed more signs at parks saying that they were still open but that it was at your own risk to go and not recommended.
My mom had to start teaching her students from home. A lot of the students had trouble figuring out how to use Google Classroom and what their new schedules were, so many couldn’t join their online classes, and some who did were late.
My family usually uses public transportation frequently and my dad works in Manhattan. Now, when he has to go to Manhattan he walks over the Brooklyn Bridge instead of taking the subway. I’ve also been avoiding public transportation. I walk anywhere within a few miles and drive when I must. It’s actually nicer that there is less traffic. Today I went out for work but spent the rest of the day inside.
Day 8: Wednesday, March 25
The first thing I do when I wake up is to look out my window to check the weather. It was drizzling. I live above the Brooklyn Queens Expressway and today there were hardly any cars even at rush hour.
I notice that lot of local businesses that had been open the last time I passed them were now closed. That included a few delis even though they weren’t forced to close because of government policies. I spoke to workers at House of Pizza, Brooklyn Bread and Fragole, with one worker from Brooklyn Bread calling it “a very slow day.” They all said they were all less busy than usual but said they were still getting some business from pick-up and takeout orders. Brooklyn Bread and Fragole are located on Court St. in Carroll Gardens. House of Pizza is located on Union Street.
With so many people out of work or working from home, more people are cooking and less are ordering food. I’ve still been going to many of these local businesses consistently and they haven’t been crowded. Some friends and other people I’ve spoken to have said they aren’t going out except to buy groceries.
Day 9: Thursday, March 26
I checked the news and saw that Governor Cuomo announced patients would have to start sharing ventilators in hospitals.
I decided to go see if people were still taking the subway after that piece of news so I stopped by a few of the local stations. Carroll St, Bergen St and Borough Hall were all pretty much empty. I only saw a few people in each of the stations even though it was the middle of the day. More than half the people I saw there had a mask or gloves on. About a third of the people I saw outside had a mask on. I also overheard a woman on the phone saying that the hospital she worked at was running out of masks.
There were still kids playing in parks. I walked by Van Voorhees Park and it was packed with tennis and basketball players. It’s possible that basketball courts will soon be closed to help enforce social distancing.
I’ve been doing my best to keep the six foot rule and I’ve started carrying hand sanitizer when I go outside. My parents both worked from home today and most members of my family are only going outside when they absolutely have to (buying food or walking their dog).
Day 10: Friday, March 27
Today was was the first day I really noticed people were going out of their way to avoid strangers on the street. When I would walk by people would move to one edge of the sidewalk and I would move to the other one. I tried to go shopping for essentials but there a lot of things that were all gone, including toilet paper, tissues, hand sanitizer and protective masks. I had to go into work and only about a third of the people who are usually at the office were in.
After that I was able to spend the rest of the day at home. My dad went grocery shopping for my grandparents. I was able to speak to them on the phone and it was nice to catch up and hear that they were okay. They’ve been staying inside all this time, with the exception of walking their dog in the backyard.
I noticed papers posted on telephone poles and windows by people offering to shop for the elderly and those with underlying health conditions. In the midst of all the hoarding, panic and chaos it was nice to see people still trying to help others and do the right thing.
Day 11: Saturday, March 28
I woke up, looked out my window and saw that it was raining. The street was empty and there was no traffic on the BQE. I’ve actually been hoping for rain for multiple reasons lately. The first is it keep people from going outside and spreading coronavirus. The second is it helps with my allergies. I usually get allergy shots every Tuesday but because of coronavirus the allergy clinic I go to is closed right now. That, along with very warm weather lately, has made my allergies flare up.
The New York Times announced that hospitals and the emergency response system in the city were already overwhelmed by cases and were forced to prioritize specific cases. The family and friends I’ve been talking to are especially scared because the numbers continue to rise instead of falling.
Day 12: Sunday, March 29
My friends told me that the city might start giving $500 fines to people who don’t follow social distancing policies. We’re not sure if and when exactly that fine would be put in place.
For me, it’s been another boring but safe day spent working from home and watching television.
Thanks for sticking with me through these 12 days. My biggest takeaway from this time and this journal is listen to the advice of medical experts and stay safe. Help out the people who need it the most whenever it’s possible and make the best of this challenging time. Being miserable won’t make anyone any safer. This is a lousy, stressful situation so find safe things you can do from home and enjoy them.
