Collected Item: “COVID-19 Reflection: Local Businesses”
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COVID-19 Reflection: Local Businesses
Tell us a story; share your experience. Or describe the item you are submitting. What does the object or story you've uploaded say about the pandemic, and/or why is it important to you?
The COVID-19 pandemic obviously played a major role in everyone’s life around the world. My life, the lives of those around me, and my neighborhood has drastically changed from when the pre-pandemic to today. My daily life including my school, work, and social life have completely changed. One thing I saw greatly affected by the pandemic were businesses. Many small, local businesses everywhere struggled with regulations and inability to afford rent, resources, and employees. While some online businesses as well as larger corporations like Amazon have thrived due to the pandemic. I live in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn and my neighborhood is full of many restaurants, bars, and local businesses. During the pandemic I saw many businesses struggle and even permanently close due to the pandemic and the government’s COVID regulations. I experienced this personally at my job. For about 8 months prior to the start of the pandemic I worked as a barista at a coffee shop. I remember first hearing about this unknown virus while working but had no idea how much it would end up affecting the store. Not even two weeks later I found out my job had to temporarily close, just like most other restaurants and businesses in New York City. The coffee shop, along with the two other locations the owner had in Bay Ridge, ended up permanently closing. He no longer runs this business at all. Luckily I was able to receive unemployment benefits for a while due to losing my job there. As well as this business, I saw many businesses I know struggle. A health food store called Appletree right down my block, which my family and I have been going to since I was born, struggled greatly with affording rent and resources due to their loss in sales during the pandemic. A few months ago they also permanently closed. I remember seeing the barber shop by my house, which is normally full of people, always empty with no customers. It was upsetting to see local businesses like these forced to close when many of these business owners and employees rely on their sales to support themselves and their families. I also remember many restaurants struggling with regulations that were put into place once they were allowed to open. I saw local restaurants receiving extreme fines and forced to close or not serve alcohol due to their issues with the COVID regulations. I think many restaurant owners could not afford to stay open if they followed all strict regulations, but this ended up hurting them even before due to the fines and tickets they received. I now see my neighborhood much more busy and many businesses that did survive the pandemic and are somewhat flourishing now. This is nice to see and for the sake of these business owners, I hope it remains this way.
What sort of object is this: text story, photograph, screenshot, drawing, meme, etc.? And where did you find it?
screenshot from Bklyner news
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I have co-creators
Name of the item creator, unless anonymous
Rachel Lindy Baron
Please enter a url associated with this item, if relevant.
https://bklyner.com/end-of-an-era-bay-ridges-hall-of-fame-billiards-club-closed-for-good/
Use tags (separated by commas) to describe your story or documents. For example: Does it relate to a particular neighborhood? Does it relate to a particular aspect of the pandemic: school, work, family, hospital.
Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, Local Business, Pandemic
Give a date associated with this story or documents.
2020-02-12
What is your affiliation, if any, with Brooklyn College? (e.g. Junior undergrad majoring in history; faculty in the English Dept; human resources staff member; alumni; community member; Brooklyn resident; etc.)
Junior undergrad majoring in Health and Nutrition
If what you are submitting was created as part of a Brooklyn College class, please indicate the course code (i.e., ENG1010) semester, and professor:
HNSC. 2100
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I agree to a CC-ND-NC Licence