By Chauncey Alcorn, CNN Business
New York City tourism and real estate officials are hoping Thursday night s New Year s Eve celebration will mark a turning point for Times Square, the Manhattan neighborhood that has become a symbol of sorts for the economic ills of the Covid-19 economy.
Commerce among the more than 1,500 businesses in the tourist destination and business district centrally located between major public transportation hubs has been decimated by the pandemic. However, business leaders still expect the area to make a full economic recovery once Covid-19 vaccines become widely distributed.
Times Square Alliance President Tim Tompkins says his nonprofit, which hosts events and promotes economic development in the neighborhood, considered canceling its New Year s Eve ball drop ceremony this year in the face of surging Covid-19 cases, but ultimately decided it was important to continue the tradition, even if it s closed to the public.
NEW YORK, Dec. 29, 2020 /PRNewswire/ Organizers of the famed New Year’s Eve Ball Drop Celebration are bringing the world’s biggest party right to your home, live and direct from the crossroads of the world, Times Square. Jamestown, owner of One Times Square – home of the iconic New Year’s Eve Ball – has collaborated with Ultimate Gamer, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Samsung, and others to create a first-of-its-kind virtual New Year’s Eve experience to allow people to ring in the New Year safely.
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New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said: “New Yorkers are excited for a fresh start in 2021, and we’ll ring in the New Year by doing what we do best: looking out for one another. We’re keeping our city safe by forgoing large gatherings, and I know this dynamic virtual programming will still make this New Year’s Eve a night to remember.”
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The coronavirus pandemic has made 2020 a year that no one will ever forget, and many people are ready to move on.
With a number of vaccines already seeing distribution, people are looking ahead to 2021 and a return to normalcy at some point in the new year. Until then, the best that most people can look forward to is putting 2020 behind them.
Normally, New Year s is a time to remember and move on, but the pandemic has changed virtually every aspect of life.