Streetfilms: Get a Load of How Abnormal New York is Right Now

Our Orson Welles of the street, Clarence Eckerson Jr., takes you on a journey through a livable city (albeit one we only get because of coronavirus).

By Clarence Eckerson Jr.

2:47 PM PDT on March 23, 2020

Streetfilms: Get a Load of How Abnormal New York is Right Now

Park Avenue on Friday, March 20, 2020. Photo: Clarence Eckerson Jr.

I hadn’t been on my bicycle in over a week, choosing to walk and run for exercise during the coronavirus (and observing recommended precautions), but I was curious what my normal commute looked like. So on Friday, I bicycled from Jackson Heights into Manhattan.

Comparing my new footage to my many reels of archive footage provides a reminder of how much we’ve lost — but also allows us to imagine what kind of city we could have when we emerge from this pandemic.

It could be great (if we don’t mess it up).

Clarence Eckerson Jr.

Clarence Eckerson Jr. is the Director of Video Production for NYCSR's StreetFilms and producer of bikeTV. He loves the color purple, chocolate chip cookies, and enjoys walking, biking, and taking transit. He has never owned a driver's license.

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