As the City Reopens, New Yorkers Like Al Wright Are Starting to Process the COVID Era
“This thing had me scared, I'm not gonna lie to you,” Al Wright, a maintenance technician for Battery Park City Authority’s Parks Operation...
‘We’re Here—Night, Day, Rain, Sleet, Snow, Heat, Pandemic’
During the last few months, more and more stories of how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted New Yorkers have been told and retold. They form a shared...
Dispatch From a Downtown Mail Carrier: ‘Send to Your Loved Ones’
The post-pandemic world could be one without the U.S. Postal Service, whose political and financial struggles have been well-documented. The USPS is...
How a Small-Business Owner Draws Strength and Hope From History
Matt Khatamov is co-owner of FiDi Cleaners at 89 Washington Street. Like other small-business owners he is grappling with the COVID-19 crisis, but...
Generosity and Tolerance: This Restaurateur Delivers (Even When It’s Not Returned)
When the Downtown Alliance chatted with Kanruthai Makmuang on May 18, she’d been working 25 days straight. Makmuang is co-owner of the Thai kitchen...
‘We’re in Business, That’s the Success Story’: Jeremy’s Ale House Reopens
Lee Holin grew up in a family of New York restaurateurs. His father started his namesake Jeremy’s Ale House (228 Front Street), a friendly...
‘We Cut One Key a Day,’ a Downtown Locksmith Says, ‘But There’s Hope. We’ll Be Back.’
“I felt like a movie star,” Harry Santiago joked about his recent photo shoot for the Downtown Alliance’s portrait series. Granted,...
The Diner That’s Seen It All: George’s During COVID
Billy Koulmentas grew up in the family business. He still remembers at 12 years old delivering burgers from his dad’s diner George’s (currently...
These People Are Making Sure New Yorkers Don’t Go Hungry
Before the pandemic, school food service manager Donald Jarvis was responsible for supervising a handful of city schools’ nutrition programs,...
Firefighters Self-Isolate to Keep Their Families Safe: ‘It’s Been Difficult Staying Away From Everyone’
The firefighters of Lower Manhattan’s Engine 4/Ladder 15 have been through some pretty tough times. The company lost about a dozen men during...
