Since the outbreak of COVID-19, New York City has undergone a series of dramatic changes. Many of the museums, cultural institutions, and other landmarks that make this city such an exhilarating place to live have been forced to shut down. It can be easy to find ourselves wondering whether city life will ever return to normal. This week, we’re bringing you a selection of pieces—an appreciation, of sorts—about New York City and some of the places and people that make it such a special town. In “Ever Higher,” James Thurber takes us to the top of the Empire State Building on the eve of its completion, in 1931. (“What’s it like that high up? Well, Bryant Park is a pancake, the Statue of Liberty is something to throw at a cat.”) In “Street Life,” Joseph Mitchell writes about his love of exploring the city’s varied neighborhoods. (“I wasn’t born here, I wasn’t a native, but I might as well have been: I belonged here.”) In “Mozzarella Story,” Calvin Trillin chronicles his appreciation for the cheese made by the owners of Joe’s Dairy, a small shop in the South Village. In “The Book Refuge,” Janet Malcolm visits with the three sisters who own Argosy Bookshop, the fabled rare-book store in midtown. In “The Grocery Store Where Produce Meets Politics,” Alexandra Schwartz examines the chaotic communal ethos of the Park Slope Food Co-op, one of the biggest food coöperatives in the country. Finally, in “The Maraschino Mogul,” Ian Frazier investigates the mystery behind a family-owned cherry factory in Brooklyn. We hope that these pieces offer a welcome distraction for you this weekend.
A report from the top of the Empire State Building.
Becoming part of the city.
Three sisters keep a family business going.
First the red bees arrived; then the Brooklyn cherry factory’s dark secret came to light.
A cheese ritual.
The legendary Park Slope Food Co-op carries sustainable food, low prices, and New Yorkers’ opinions in bulk.
