NEW York has been ravaged by the pandemic and at the same time, has experienced a surge in violence to levels not seen in nearly a decade. Now a new campaign, NY Forever, aims to aid the Big Apple’s recovery.
The virus has hit New York hard?
Nowhere has escaped the impact of Covid-19, of course, but the city that was a cultural beacon of ballet and Broadway and an epicentre of fashion, media, entertainment and finance, has recorded more than half a million virus cases and nearly 27,000 deaths.
It became a ghost town?
As officials grappled with the spread and tourists stayed away in droves, the city enacted a shutdown order for months that led to then-President Donald Trump declaring in October: “Take a look at New York and what’s happened to my wonderful city. For so many years, I loved it, it was vibrant. It’s dying, everyone’s leaving New York.”
New Yorkers left?
It is thought that about 3.57 million people left between January 1 and December 7, 2020, resulting in roughly $34 billion in lost income, according to estimates from Unacast, a location analytics company. In TriBeCa - a wealthy neighbourhood in downtown Manhattan - residents who left earned an average income of about $140,000, while the typical person moving into the neighbourhood earned an average of $82,000.
Why did they leave?
Reasons range from city dwellers, locked in their often small apartments, unable to avail themselves of New York's usual entertainments, decided to try life outside of the city. Wealthy residents left in their hordes, able to easily switch to bigger homes in the Hamptons or Connecticut, making a New York exodus.
Violence?
By the end of 220, New York's 447 homicides made it the city's bloodiest year in nearly a decade. A rise in gang violence over the summer was pointed to for some of the surge, but the pandemic played a part in slowing the court system and social upheaval in general.
Now?
A new campaign, NY Forever, has launched in a bid to rebuild the city, focusing on raising awareness of the need for civic engagement. The non-profit group behind the campaign has enlisted support from more than 100 New York icons - including comedian Jerry Seinfeld, comedian and actress Amy Schumer and actor Nathan Lane - to help them achieve their goal of getting at least 500,000 New Yorkers involved.
They have to take a pledge?
New Yorkers are being urged to sign a “pledge” on the campaign website to “use every ounce of our collective strength to rebuild New York.” The pledge states: “We know we must build a better future, one that leaves the city stronger and more equitable than ever before…Our recovery relies on all of us.”
The aim?
As cities and communities worldwide grapple with how to move forward and watch how the Big Apple campaign unfolds, NY Forever say they want to "turn this moment into a city-defining triumph” via the assistance of its best asset - the people.
Glasgow’s Miles Better?
During the early 1980s, Glasgow’s Lord Provost told Struthers Advertising Agency that he wanted a campaign in the style of the iconic “I Love New York” and the “Glasgow’s miles better” slogan was born, with the words wrapped around the bright yellow figure of Mr Happy. It became one of the most successful city rebrands to date.
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