Staying Indoors
Manhattan Coronavirus is the online journal dedicated to the first 100 days of our experience as an NYC family caught in the gradual unfolding of the Pandemic. The documentation of COVID-19 from our perspective really began on March 8th, 2020 in our daily online trek that we called Manhattan Coronavirus, featured on the website of the same name. This was the date we realized we needed to start to stay indoors in our home in Inwood, Manhattan (near Washington Heights), away from possibly catching the virus. A few days later, around March 11th – 15th, 2020, others across the country became homebound as well.
Hamptons Suggestion
I had been working from home for several years already, so when remote working became a “thing” I had already signed up. And then when COVID-19 hit, I was joined by my wife who started to do her job in our apartment. This happened on or in the range of March 15, 2020. At this junction, my wife and I, and our then 11-year-old daughter, buckled up for what was initially presented by the “experts” as being something that would blow over in a matter of a few months or so. In fact, my sister (who lives in California) suggested we hole up in the Hamptons for a few weeks to let the city thing work itself out. I appreciated her suggestion and where it was coming from, but I knew deep inside that this encroaching dilemma was going to last much longer than just a month or so.
The Reality of the Hamptons being a “Refuge” from the Pandemic
It turns out that not seeking out refuge in affluent Long Island was a good idea. Not only would it have been pricey, but that area was soon fraught with issues including the allegation that the rich people who owned weekend homes in the community purchased all the food in that area for their own personal reserves. This apparently left regular folk locals unable to shop for groceries because there were none. And thus, my family and I committed to waiting for it all to blow over in our New York City digs. But upon reaching the 100th day of the “Manhattan Coronavirus” web diary as seen in this blog, it was clear that the Pandemic was just getting started!