We are about to end the second year of the pandemic. We started the year with new vaccines, a gradual return to work, and grounds for optimism. As the year unfolded, Covid case rates went down in New York City and there were signs of a new normal, with some of our treasured public rituals and ceremonies taking place again. We were so happy on Thanksgiving, but on the next day we found out about the Omicron variant and we are upended again. As this year of emotional turmoil reaches its conclusion, let us all hope for a better 2022.
January: a discarded mask in a bare tree in Central ParkFebruary: No one is having pizza in the snow at Sal and Carmine’s pizzeria on Broadway and 102nd Street. Outdoor dining was enjoyable in the good weather, but by February there were few customers. February: a weekend snow day brought people to Central Park to play. For one day, everyone enjoyed the beautiful city covered in snow and seemingly free of care. April: Museums like the Museum of Natural History reopened, tentatively, with masks and social distancing. May: with vaccines widely available, the CDC advised that vaccinated people no longer needed to wear masks on the street. May: like many restaurants, the Mexican Festival Restaurant on Broadway and 102nd Street failed to survive the prolonged shutdown. May: closed storefronts on every block, signs of the damaged economy and the despair of people who lost their livelihoodsJune: Masks again, with children still not eligible for vaccines.July: people could sit on the beaches in the heat, but no lifeguards were on duty.September: the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks was remembered at the Firemen’s Memorial on Riverside DriveOctober: Halloween almost looked normal, if you could overlook the restaurant’s sidewalk shed erected for outdoor dining.November: the New York Marathon returned to the streets after the 2020 cancellation and joyous people welcomed the runners on Fifth Avenue near the 24 mile mark. November: Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade was open to the public again with giant balloons greeted by enthusiastic crowds. It was only one day later when we found out about the Omicron variant of the coronavirus and its dangerous spread throughout the world. December 5: Christmas shopping on Fifth Avenue, with masks
December 19: a line of people waiting for two hours to get a Covid test at an urgent care on Broadway.
DeborahShapiroPhotos 
Captured the year! What a moving story in photos!
Thank you! I wish the year could end better.
Thank you!