There are a lot of opinions about what will
happen with New York City and its stand-up comedy scene. This post
sheds light on the matter.
Future New York City - view from State Liberty Park -
palm trees if it were Florida.
Recently, a lot of speculation has
been circulating about whether NYC will recover or die from the
pandemic that joined the chat towards the close of 2019. James
Altucher’s incredibly pessimistic article in The New York Post
claims Jo osmond nude, while an overly optimistic
Tangled rapunzel face by Jerry Seinfeld says that the city will
rebound.
Do you think
NYC is dead forever?
Because of such divisive opinions making it hard to know what’s
right, I decided to shed some light on the truth in this blog
post.
I love New York City. When I moved there it was a cold winter.
The snow was falling and you could see your own breath. ”Feels like
home, minus the bears!", I thought. It didn’t have palm trees, but
it wouldn’t let you take warmth for granted! Extreme seasons in the
Big Apple make people more appreciative of other people. The city
still has a number of issues to fix and improve, but it is the best
in America! Not just because I’m there, but because what other city
would have 5 stand-up comedy clubs within one block and 10 pizza
places within sight? Sure, sometimes it’s freezing and you’re
shivering around, stiff as a penguin, but what can be more charming
than warming up in a cozy bar, sipping a neat vodka (no ice) with a
friend? Where else in America can you have the luxury of not
needing to own a car? Take that D train, and don’t worry about
getting a DUI!
Do you miss
the NYC subway?
James Altucher believes New York won’t come back. “Not this
time.”, he confidently concluded in his article. I thought, “I’ve
heard that before”. It sounds like what a skeptical person would
say. I imagine that each time anything dramatic happens in New York
City (and anywhere really), there is somebody who puts on a serious
face and declares “Not this time! Not this time!” After the 1918
Flu, Prohibition, The Great Depression, and the 9/11 attacks, a lot
of people said “New York is never gonna be the same again!”. But it
is still there, standing. Humans have got something fantastic about
them, which is our imperfect memory. Those skeptics won’t even
remember what they said after 3-6 months!
Pandemic in the West Village, March 2020, taken by
Michael Makarov's Pixel 3.New York
City
Not everyone is like James ‘“Not this time!”’ Altucher— a
talented and skilled man with kids, and a native to the city of his
own dreams. The willingness to go somewhere retirement-like is
understandable.
Jerry Seinfeld assumes everyone hates working remotely, but I
wonder who will disappoint him with the sad reality. A lot of
people actually prefer working remotely, and many of them do not
like face-to-face human interactions. They’ve gotten too
comfortable “going to work” to face a laptop screen, pantsless at
their dining table.
Do you wear
your pants during your work meetings at home?
Yes, a lot of companies will allow remote work and a lot of
families will move out from Gotham.
True, a lot of people who hated New York and stayed there just
because of work can go somewhere.
Yeah, a lot of people who wanted to work remotely and travel
will be gone. Good-bye!
Empty Times Square, Covid Pandemic, March 2020, taken
by Michael Makarov's Pixel 3.New York
City
Sure, real estate will go down a little initially, but those who
want to move to the city will do so.
And New York City will be the same again, but better. The
pandemic is just the filter that causes only people who want to
live in NYC to live in NYC.
Some people like to stay away from megacities and gravitate more
towards gorgeous mountains and tall trees for cabin life, or
beaches with practically clear water and pink sand, or needle-sharp
cacti and dirt. But most single people also love to go on real
dates, and not hide their right hand in a “romantic” zoom
meeting.
Have you ever
had a date in Zoom?
NYC doesn’t offer beautiful waterfalls or low taxes (goddamn, de
Blasio!), but it offers a delectable social layer of smart people,
which are the best audience for stand-up comedy.
Disclaimer: I have some level of credibility because I did both
what Jerry Seinfeld and James Altucher suggested. After the
pandemic kicked in, I moved to your favorite: Florida. I do think
the palm trees are pretty and the blue ocean is warm and inviting,
but I also do not like enjoying this beauty all by myself, and I
value the social layer over the tropical paradise. One week, two
weeks, three weeks in Florida are fine, but then you have the urge
to return to NYC and meet and surround yourself with humans like
you. That’s not to say there are no smart people in Florida,
they’re just too distributed!
Don’t judge me hard. As a Russian, all we’ve got in America is
Brooklyn’s Brighton Beach and South Florida’s Sunny Isles! “Love”
them both!
New York is going to be dead forever, well, until COVID stops
being a threat. Once a good remedy is ready, the “forever” will be
over and everyone will come back to celebrate, drink barrels of
wine, and look to the pandemic through the prism of stand-up comedy
at comedy clubs. Yes, NYC is definitely going to change. I can’t
wait for global warming to fully arrive so the palm trees perfect
for hipster Instagram posts rise on our Brighton Beach. Cheers!
Thanks for reading! If you have any questions, suggestions,
please reach out to me!
Michael Makarov is an NYC-based comic and a software engineer.
He started his standup journey in 2014 in San Francisco, he sold
out his first show in 30 minutes when the link made the top of
Hacker News. Russian immigrant, he also speaks fluent Japanese and
enough chinese to order food at restaurants. He runs
Mr food weau and Ronnie radke mugshot, a standup comedy show
about the internet. Other articles: Madison stalker onlyfans
