Cherry Blossoms at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden

These are difficult times, but NYC will be back.

Life has changed in dramatic and unexpected ways this year.

Meet Anthony and Paul Ramirez of the Bronx Beer Hall. To keep serving their community during the pandemic, these Bronx brothers have gotten back to basics—and haven’t missed a beat.

Meet Mohammed Ahmed and Happy David of Casa Magazines. Their commitment to family—in its many forms—has underpinned the success of the West Village’s favorite newsstand and its ability to endure the pandemic.

Meet Loycent Gordon of Neir’s Tavern. The owner of this nearly 200-year-old watering hole has weathered a storm or two. Since the pandemic hit, he has found new ways to serve the neighborhood.

Meet Puiyan Taglianetti. A Snug Harbor fixture, she believes that a deep connection to nature and community has always kept spirits high at Staten Island’s famous oasis, even in the face of the pandemic.

Meet Shelley Worrell of Caribbeing and Little Caribbean NYC. This powerhouse of the City’s tight-knit Caribbean community has transformed pandemic-related hardship into an opportunity to serve.

Meet Noëlle Santos of The Lit. Bar. Fueled by a love of literature and wine, the owner of the Bronx’s only bookstore will rise to any challenge.

Meet Laval Bryant-Quigley of the Brooklyn Museum. Having grown up across the street, the museum’s new marketing director knows what our city’s institutions mean in moments of hardship.

Meet Paul Moakley of the Alice Austen House Museum. While living in the former home of the groundbreaking photographer, the curator creates meaningful connections between past and present—which has served his Staten Island community well during the pandemic.

Meet Regina Bain of the Louis Armstrong House Museum. As the pandemic tests how we connect, she is finding new ways to inspire with Armstrong’s music and legacy.

Meet Tren’ness Woods-Black of Sylvia’s Restaurant. The granddaughter of the “Queen of Soul Food” remains committed to treating—and feeding—her neighbors like family.

This video celebrates the Black community in NYC, its energy and its contributions to the City, US and world.

Author and former journalist Diane Cardwell and CEO of the NYC chapter of the Black Surfing Association Lou Harris provide their unique perspectives and experiences being a part of the Black surf community in the Rockaways, Queens.

There is a small but longstanding community of Black cowboys in NYC. Hear from Dr. George E. Blair—a 90-year-old descendant of the Buffalo soldiers—who produced an all-Black cowboy rodeo in Harlem for over 30 years and continues to teach New Yorkers how to ride horses in his New York Riding Academy on Randall’s Island.

Yannick Lebrun and Caroline Dartey are dancers with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater who emigrated from French Guiana and Switzerland, respectively, to pursue their dreams. Lebrun has been dancing with the theater company for almost 15 years, while Dartey is just starting her journey. Both enjoy the sense of community and freedom of expression that exists with being a professional dancer in New York City.

In late summer of 2021, tennis fans flocked to Queens for the triumphant return of the US Open Tennis Championships. The two-week sporting event—one of the biggest in NYC since the start of the pandemic—was a win, in more ways than one.