As Times Square reopens, so does the rest of NYC
BY ROBERT POZARYCKI
Times Square occupies just 0.1% of
New York City’s land mass, but in a
normal year, the restaurants, shops
and theaters at the “Crossroads of the
World” generates tens of billions of dollars
for the city’s economy.
But nothing has been normal at Times
Square for more than a year since COVID
19 offi cially arrived in New York in
March 2020. Within weeks, the area’s
hustle and bustle was replaced with the
sound of silence — the streets empty of
pedestrian and vehicular traffi c, businesses
shuttered and Broadway theaters dark.
As New York City fi nally reopens in
earnest with COVID-19 cases dropping
and more people getting vaccinated,
Times Square is already springing toward
a rebirth. More than 175 businesses have
reopened, joining 18 new brick-and-mortar
shops that launched their businesses
against the current of the global pandemic,
according to the Times Square Alliance,
the community’s business organization.
Tom Harris, acting president and chief
operating offi cer for the Times Square Alliance,
noted that the area is seeing about
138,000 pedestrians walking through each
day — 103,000 more than the record-low
Times Square is kicking into high gear as the city reopens.
of 33,000 daily pedestrians seen at the
height of the pandemic in the spring of
2020.
“However, with the ongoing vaccination
rollout, easing capacity restrictions and
warm weather arriving a year after living
with the pandemic, we continue to see our
vibrant district come back to life,” Harris
said. “We look forward to continuing to
PHOTO BY DEAN MOSES
welcome back New Yorkers and visitors
to Times Square, the center of New York
City’s energy and vibrance.”
How long it will take Times Square to
get back to pre-pandemic levels of economic
activity remains to be seen. Before
COVID-19 hit, according to the Times
Square Alliance, the area accounted for 7%
of the city’s jobs and 15% of its economic
input — including $58 billion in direct
economic output and $47 billion indirect
economic output.
The city and state governments also reap
incredible revenue from Times Square — to
the tune of $2.5 billion in New York City
taxes and $2.3 billion in state taxes.
The revival of Broadway fi gures to be
key toward Times Square’s next act. The
Great White Way has been dark since capacity
restrictions forced theaters to close
in March 2020; the Broadway League announced
in October that theaters would
remain shut down through the end of May
2021.
With Governor Andrew Cuomo announcing
a regional reopening of New York
City as of May 17, it’s only a matter of time
before Broadway and Times Square kick
into even higher gear. The governor stated
that it’s up to Broadway productions as to
when they’ll resume, but the reopening
plan clears the way for the Theater District
to raise the curtain again.
Hotels will also be key to Times Square’s
economic recovery. The Times Square Alliance
reports that a number of major hotels
have reopened to guests, including OYO
Hotel Times Square, RIU Plaza New York
Times Square, Westin New York, W New
York and Time Hotel.
Henrietta Hudson in West Village set to reopen with new look
BY TAT BELLAMY-WALKER
After the pandemic disrupted a thriving
scene at Henrietta Hudson, a
Manhattan-based “queer human
space built by lesbians,” owner Lisa Cannistraci
knew she faced a daunting task to
reopen — and she wanted to make sure
she did it right.
Henrietta Hudson resisted the urge to
partially reopen and the bar has remained
completely closed throughout the duration
of the pandemic. Cannistraci decided to
use that time to renovate the place just
in time for the queer watering hole’s soft
reopening on May 1 and a grand reopening
in mid-May.
“It was such a big, heavy lift,” Cannistraci,
who uses “they” and “she” pronouns,
said as they sat in a workspace near the
bar. “We were at the top of our game in
2019. The 12 hours a week when it was the
busiest — it’s gone. Essentially, I’m building
a business from scratch.”
A small team has been working behind
the scenes to prepare for the reopening
at the bar, which is at438 Hudson St. in
Manhattan’s West Village. Known for its
packed dance parties, Henrietta Hudson
Henrietta Hudson is planning to reopen in May.
is returning as a cafe lounge with a bright,
mid-century design and Palm Springsesque
decor. Visitors can expect arobust
line of small bites, an espresso bar, and
even more cocktails than before. Plus, pods
are stationed outside foroutdoor dining.
“Every square inch has changed in a
PHOTO BY TAT BELLAMY-WALKER
decorative way,” Cannistraci said. “I’m
glad that I made the decision not to kind-of
open. It gave me time to refl ect on where
we’ve been and where we are going.”
An iconic, shimmering disco ball will
still greet new patrons, but there will also
be lounge chairs, a kitchen in the back of
the bar, and some greenery to complement
the upscale vibe, according to design
concepts of the space sharedwith Gay City
News.
“We’re 30 now; we want to sit down
a little bit,” said Molly Adams, the bar’s
digital director. “It allows us to open to a
broader clientele.”
While the renovation was motivated in
part by the pandemic, it was already on
the to-do list. Like clockwork every seven
years, the bar goes through a rebirth, with
the most recent revamp being in 2013.
“It wasn’t on my calendar, but it was
a notion that I need to give more,” Cannistraci
said. “We need to listen to what
people want.”
Visitors must make reservations for now,
and due to social distancing guidelines,
dancing will not immediately resume.
While lesbian bars face a precarious
future, Cannistraci is continuing to push
forward — and not even a year-long hiatus
is slowing her down.
“Surviving 30 years to me wasn’t a conscious
decision,” she said. “You get up in
the morning, you put one shoe on at a time,
and you start your day, and then the day is
over and the bar is still open.”
4 May 6, 2021 Schneps Media