Wishing well in Times Square brings
New Yorkers closer to the New Year
BY DEAN MOSES
Tuesday, Dec. 29, marked the last
day New Yorkers could submit New
Year wishes in Times Square.
In lieu of thousands of New Yorkers
packing Times Square to watch the iconic
ball drop, the Times Square Alliance devised
a way for everyone to be a part of the
New Year festivities — albeit without the
crowds — through Confetti Wishes.
The New Year Eve’s wishing well is a
project held by the Times Square Alliance
and sponsored by Planet Fitness to
wind up a traumatic year with thousands
of positive vibes. Since Dec. 3. a booth,
dubbed the wishing well, was erected
just below the shimmering billboards in
the heart of New York where individuals
lined up to write their New Year’s wish
on a piece of confetti. These multicolored
pieces of paper will then be stored away
until New Year’s Eve where they will
then be shot out of cannons over about
40 families of frontline workers and fi rst
responders at midnight. Plastered along
the booth and throughout the concert
Nathan Pettway and Patricia Coleman share their wishes.
stage setup for the annual performance
are the logos of event sponsor Planet
Fitness.
“People can come in and write their
New Year’s wish on a piece of confetti,
and today is actually the last day, and then
PHOTO BY DEAN MOSES
we will collect all of them and they will
be sent fl ying all over Times Square,” said
Hali Free, who helped coordinate attendees
at the wishing well. She shared that about
200-400 wishes have been submitted per
day since the booth opened.
Since the annual spectacle has become
an invite-only affair, these wishes are a
way for everyone to express their hopes
for a better 2021. The hardships of the
COVID-19 pandemic has made Keyndall
Osibodu and her family appreciate the
things they have, so they ventured out to
the wishing well simply to say thank you.
“Obviously 2020 was such a challenging
year. I feel like it is such a beautiful thing to
have a wish and a hope, and a manifestation
for 2021, just given how challenging it was
for all of us and all of our communities. The
beautiful thing about setting intentions—or
setting well wishes—is that even though
it is just writing something down, there
is power in words and power in people
being a part of a shared experience,” said
Osibodu.
Fellow wisher Patricia Coleman is sad
that another staple of New York tradition
has been halted due to the pandemic. “Just
the idea of not having the ball drop with
lots of people there is kind of disappointing.
So, I think this is a great replacement,
and I think we will be a part of history for
sure,” Coleman said.
Gramercy Park Hotel in danger of shuttering: report
BY DEAN MOSES
Gramercy Park Hotel has been out
of service since the COVID-19
pandemic began wreaking havoc
throughout the city, closing business after
business. Now it has been reported that the
historic Manhattan guest house was slated
to shut its doors for good just a few days
after Christmas.
The Gramercy Park Block Association
sent out an alert to its members this
morning calling for donations in hopes of
protecting the historic nature of the area.
The alert stated, “While the East, West,
and South sides of Gramercy Park are
landmarked, the North side of the Park
is not. We are remaining vigilant about
what could go into the space if the Hotel is
permanently closed.”
The 5-star hotel lies in stark contrast
when compared to its appearance nine
months prior. The army of lights implanted
in the building’s yawning awning are
shrouded by rows of scaffolding, while the
main entrance is blocked off completely. It
is a similar scene in the lobby. All luxury
furniture has vanished leaving an empty,
echoing husk with two chairs blocking the
revolving doors.
The entrance to Gramercy Park Hotel as it appeared on Dec. 23.
The news of the possible eviction comes
as a shock to local residents, especially to
those who frequented its built-in restaurant.
Victoria Castro stood on the sidewalk
and looked at the establishment with dejected
eyes upon learning that the luxury
hotel may close once and for all. Since the
pandemic has caused so much devastation,
Castro is not surprised that another staple
of the community faces eviction.
PHOTO BY DEAN MOSES
“This place used to be very lively. It was
a place to drink, hangout, and I always
came here. It was a hip place for people
in their 20s. It was so nice. A celebratory
place where NYU kids would come when
they graduated,” Castro said. “It’s a similar
story I hear about all the time now. I’m just
surprised it happened to such a big institution
like this.”
Michele Huntington is another shocked
local, who is deeply heartbroken that one
of the foundations of the Gramercy area is
in danger of seeing its fi nal days. The news
of this establishment’s struggle makes the
fear of COVID’s lasting effects even more
palpable for Huntington. “It’s very upsetting
to the standpoint that if Gramercy Park
Hotel is that drastically affected by COVID,
what’s next?” she said.
Other residents see things a little differently
though. The issue of rowdy parties
and clusters caused some community
members sleepless nights, so for Amory
Alexander, the potential loss of Gramercy
Park Hotel is bittersweet news. While he
worries for the future of the building, the
elimination of noisy weekends once normal
life resumes is a silver lining for him.
“What’s going to happen to it in the
future? I live nearby so I’m certainly
concerned about what they are going to
do with it. If it’s going to be transferred
from what it was to apartments and that
kind of thing, it will cut down a lot on the
nightlife here,” Alexander said adding, “If
this is no longer going to be a liquor providing
service, I think a lot of residents are
probably going to be relieved. When things
were normal, on a late night, parties would
go on into the early morning.”
4 Dec. 31, 2020-Jan. 6, 2021 Schneps Media