Today as I was walking along Eastern Parkway marveling at the bright, newly unfurled leaves on the trees, I was struck with the thought that even though it’s May, a part of me is still stuck in March. In my mind, the year has just begun and as I optimistically wait for summer & fall to resurrect this year, the nature around me has gone through significant transformations. At the beginning of March, I was still hoping for one last snowfall and the trees were mostly barren. Now, my backyard is alive with purple wisteria flowers, ivy and leaves, and buzzing bumblebees, all reminiscent of a jungle. I feel as if our time has paused and I nearly expected nature to follow suit. Yet, it keeps on moving, bringing us hope in its beauty and growth. Maybe, since we underwent so much change in March, the universe feels we need this time of latency to recover & it’s true- we need to recuperate in a lot of ways: healing from the virus and the losses it has caused primarily.

Among those losses are the jobs of more than 38 million Americans, more than 2 million of those filing for unemployment being New Yorkers, including some of our PPTC members. Job loss, loss of social gatherings & togetherness, the closing down of schools and camps, etc. are all reasons why many people are anxious for the day we can press “play”.Yet, until the world and its people heal, we stay put in this type of purgatory, slowly inching forward towards a full opening as nature moves on.

We seek safe harbors and fill our time in ways that are meaningful or that simply pass the days, we look forward to reunions to come, and maintain and build community virtually. A part of this community comes from story-sharing, which our members Linus Ly, Nick Cohen, and Savanity Davis have generously done. They let us peek into their lives during this pandemic, how it has impacted their careers, their running, and their hopes for the future.

LINUS LY

Linus is legendary within the PPTC community for his STRAVA art- designing running routes that spell out messages or create a picture. His past accomplishments have included the LOVE run on Valentine’s day and the menorah run for Hanukkah.

Linus doing a group Zoom workout with PPTC member Regina.

Prior to the pandemic, what did you do for work?

I was a computer support technician, not directly employed, but employed as a contractor with limited access to the network.

What did life look like for you before COVID-19?

Life was pretty decent. I had just gotten a new job with a boost in hourly wage and the commute was nicer.

How far out did you know that your job was in jeopardy?

Barely any time. I knew that work-at-home was being offered to everyone but I didn't think that many people would actually make use of it.I didn't have the option to work from home. The nature of my work involved a lot of physical interaction, such as swapping an older laptop computer for a newer tablet computer.

How has applying for unemployment been?

Applying for unemployment was challenging at first because my existing account with NY.gov was somehow locked out or disabled, but the error message didn't phrase it in that helpful manner. Some link to reset the password, from the Department of Labor page, would time out again and again. I went around that issue by resetting the password from the DMV page, which also uses NY.gov ID. Or at least that's how I thought I skirted the time-out issue. Even after I was able to login, filling out the application took a few tries because it kept crashing at the last steps. Again I am not sure if it mattered, but I used two different web browsers and two different laptops before succeeding.

What are you up to now?

I’m home everyday brushing up on tech skills while looking for another job. Ideally, I’ll find a job that I can do from home. Out of an abundance of caution, I only leave home for grocery trips and such. Exercise-wise I'm limited to working out inside the house, my backyard, and the alley: No more running, just yoga, rope-skipping, elliptical, and Wii. The new normal is slowly driving me insane.

Has anything positive come out of this experience?

Nature can recover sooner if humans give it a chance. Note that I used the word “sooner”. I am all for saving the Earth, but it can always recover. It’s the humans that will not recover, at some point. Hopefully, when things get back to “normal”, whenever that is, working-from-home will be used more liberally, especially in congested areas like Midtown Manhattan.

What are your hopes for the future in regards to your personal/work life?

I miss being able to explore the city on foot and hope to get back to that. It is important to have a job, so I hope to be gainfully employed, too, but not at a job that sucks most of the time out of the day.

NICHOLAS COHEN

Nick is known for his good humor and amicable smile and is the owner of STITCH Bar & Lounge and Houndstooth Pub both located in the Garment District, and both of which have served as hubs for PPTC members’ hangouts.

Nick, Cian, and Ethan cheering for frontline workers at 7pm.

How did you make the decision to close your bar(s)/restaurant(s)?
We took the hard decision to close the doors to STITCH and Houndstooth Pub on Friday March 13th, a few days before the NYS Mandate. Both locations hold over 250 people and without large group events, regular clientele, MSG events, and tourists it’s … LIGHTS OUT.

How far out did you know this was a possibility?

The writing was on the wall after a ton of event cancellations at the restaurant and bar. I have an industrial engineering firm that throws an Annual St Patrick’s Day Party on March 17th. The party usually has 300 people, bagpipers, corned beef, and live music - it’s such a great party and is one of our biggest events of the year. This event along with many others by Ernst & Young, Macy’s, AP, etc. were cancelled in the ten days prior to the mandate. My places are in the Garment District on 37th & 8th Avenue (fun fact: I also am on the Board of the Garment District Alliance). There are very few residential units in the neighborhood. We don’t do a lot of take out/delivery, so that wasn’t really much hope for us in staying open without “bums on seats”.

How has this impacted you and your family?

My wife has been impacted the most. As a stay at home Mom, her life has spiraled into chaos.

She is running a catering hall, educational complex, game arcade and gymnasium, all inside the house. We are staying positive, fighting, squabbling, bickering, eating too much, and lazing about the house … you know, like the rest of you are. Lol.

“I honestly don’t want to think about what I would do for a career change, though. When you build up businesses over 15 years, it’s very hard to just walk away.”

Nick and his kids, Cian and Ethan during virtual schooling.

What are you up to now?
I am “technically” unemployed right now. I have been busy applying (and getting) the PPP (Paycheck Protection Program) loans for my restaurants. A lot of Netflix, baking and bike rides with the boys when I can get them off screens. I am patiently waiting for some normalcy to return to our lives. Running 5 miles once each day, and trying not to worry too much.

Has anything positive come out of this experience?
Meh …

What are your hopes for the future in regards to your personal/work life?

Good question….

On one hand, I want everything—especially running—to go back to normal, whatever that means. On the other hand, I want a complete career change (offers on a postcard please, seriously lol).

I honestly don’t want to think about what I would do for a career change, though. When you build up businesses over 15 years, it’s very hard to just walk away. I got my start in the U.S. in 1993 at age 21 from Dublin, Ireland and won the Visa lottery. My first job was with Boston Beer Company as the NYC Sales Manager. Perhaps I could go back to beverage sales. I’ve considered looking at sales jobs in running, but haven’t acted on anything at this stage.

I lost my nightclub, “Shine,” on September 11th. It was an A-list celebrity nightclub on West Broadway and Canal in the frozen zone. That broke my heart. I am hoping that we can make it through this time and reopen both places in August. If not, as Beyonce says...

“I’m a survivor (what), I’m not gon’ give up (what)
I’m not gon’ stop (what), I’m gon’ work harder (what)
I’m a survivor (what), I’m gonna make it (what)
I will survive (what), keep on survivin’ (what)”

… and most importantly, I want to keep smiling and being a good human being and faster runner!

I just want to wish you all good health and happiness over this chaotic time. Honestly, one of the hardest things right now is missing the club and PPTC group runs. ‘miss the heck out of you all.

“ Now is the time to come together as one, as a community. The only thing that matters is that we are in this together. Keeping this mindset and staying creative, we will survive. Our community will survive.”

SAVANITY DAVIS

Savanity is not only a PPTC member, but also one of the owners of The Montrose where she has hosted PPTC events, including a viewing party of the Marathon Olympic Trials in late February, one of the last club gatherings before the NYS stay at home order was called into place.

Savanity is the Digital Social Media Manager for the United Federation of Teachers as well. Her role is limited during the pandemic as she works from home: She handles inquiries from UFT members on digital platforms, interviews various departments, and shares valuable information through her “Ask Savanity” platform.

Savanity with her twins in front of the Montrose as they prepare to reopen at the beginning of June.

How did you make the decision to close your bar/restaurant?

My business partner, Gene, and I decided to not remain open for the safety of our staff and customers. We are not closed permanently. Although takeout and delivery has always been an option for restaurants during COVID-19, it is very difficult to survive off of an average of 2-3 deliveries per day. This would be especially challenging for us since we only began offering this service in February, a month before COVID-19 pandemic made its footprint nationwide. Looking forward, we are aware of the data connected to the COVID-19 pandemic, and we feel comfortable reopening a safe environment for our customers and staff. We have begun the necessary steps needed to provide safety for our staff and customers and are hoping to be open the first week of June.

How far out did you know this was a possibility? How has it impacted you?

Every small business owner has the fear of "handing in their keys" or closing their doors permanently due to COVID-19, but this cannot be a first response. There is always a small voice in the heads of these owners screaming about data and sales that are not happening due to COVID-19. Or as most have done, like The Montrose, due to no sales or income for almost three months. But this is what makes a small business owner shine: We find ways to survive. From following other restaurant owners, you can say we are stubbornly optimistic. We begin to think out of the box. Creativity is a key to survival. From our beer and food distributors to our staff to our PR team, all had to think creatively in order to survive. As I always say, we are in this together. We are all impacted. As a restaurant owner, I am seeing positive moves forward that would not have happened, if it weren't for the pandemic. You must always find the positivity among the pain, anger, and loss.

What are you up to now?

I’ve been quarantining with my family. This arrangement teaches one to see the world not only as a business owner, but as a person, a sister, a father, and a mother. This experience has allowed my business partner, Gene Gerovich, and myself to slow down the fast pace of The Montrose and reevaluate our community footprint. We have been blessed to create a community atmosphere of positive vibes and community voice.

Now, we can take this voice to another level, a family level. During our telephone planning meetings, I normally had my youngest siblings around (they are 12 & 10 years old - I am the oldest of six). I would ask them what they thought about our ideas. It was interesting to hear the kiddos’ point of view. My siblings screamed, “Why not sell hot dogs?!”

I told Gene, “The kiddos are saying to modify our menu and make it smaller, but with different types of hot dogs.”

At first I laughed, but then a glaringly bright light bulb went off in my head, launching me into a creative mode. Gene and I actually took their idea! We asked them what kinds of hot dogs they would like, which evolved into lunch boxes for kids as they continue remote learning during this pandemic. One by one the pieces came together. We created a yummy menu consisting of different kinds of hot dogs, veggie dogs & a variety of fries. We formed a partnership with a family-owned CT hot dog company to make this vision possible and had the unique idea to use Hawaiian rolls as buns, yes Hawaiian rolls! Of course we will keep some of our famous items such as our Jameson BBQ wings, our jumbo pretzel, and a couple others from The Montrose menu. Our only goal is to continue to be a community bar to a community that we love and care for, Park Slope.

Has anything positive come out of this experience?

I mentioned plenty above, but I will say the words “community and together” have been further defined within this pandemic. Competition and the race to success are now on the back burner. We at The Montrose have our logo proclaiming "a community bar.” When we were open, we always offered trivia on Wednesdays, karaoke on Thursdays, sports every day, Ladies Night on Saturdays, running club gatherings and race sponsorships, Park Slope Parents meet-up meetings for soon to be moms and of course free space for non-profit and running clubs. That is what we were before the pandemic and will be again once we are full throttle. What makes us who we are, though, is that Gene and I are ordinary small business owners that care about one thing, solidarity. We are standing with our neighbors and reaching out a hand of support. Now is the time to come together as one, as a community. The only thing that matters is that we are in this together. Keeping this mindset and staying creative, we will survive. Our community will survive.

What are your hopes for the future in regards to your personal/work life?

Personally, I am now pregnant with twins as I enter my journey as a mother. I guess you can say, I am now a part of the "COVID-19 baby boom.” Funny. I cannot wait to see the next chapters within my personal life. I cannot wait to be able to run again, because at this moment I am unable to run with the twins. So some cravings will just have to wait. Gene is the best business partner and best friend I could have. I appreciate his wife and family every day of my life. I can say that I am truly blessed to have a partnership with him. I will have to be more active on the "back office side" and not so much in the front, as I am used to. This will be a major change for me. I am a mover. I am a doer. I like to be involved and personally oversee things, but I trust in my partner as he has always trusted in me. So this time, he will take the front and I will handle all else remotely and within the digital world. But together, we will get through this.

Interviews and text by Rachael DePalma
Photos courtesy of interviewees
Edited and produced by Alison Kotch

Quarantine Stories: Navigating Job Uncertainty