When the City Stopped: Stories from New York’s Essential Workers

When the City Stopped tells story of the COVID-19 lockdown in the words of ordinary New Yorkers, illuminating the fear and uncertainty of life in the early days of the pandemic, as well as the solidarity that sustained the city. Through oral histories compiled by Manhattan Borough Historian Robert Snyder, we see that while many worked from home, others knowingly exposed themselves to danger as they drove buses, ran subways, answered 911 calls, tended to the sick, and made and delivered meals. As we mark the fifth anniversary of the crisis, Snyder speaks about this deeply moving new book with S. Mitra Kalita, a journalist, media executive, and author, who co-founded Epicenter-NYC, a newsletter to help New Yorkers get through the pandemic.

Presented with the Gotham Center for NYC History and Epicenter-NYC.