New York, city of resilience and inspiration

Spring has sprung! Daffodils sprout along Park Avenue as lighter jackets replace heavy coats and the parks fill with bicyclists and joggers. As the temperature rises, our spirits do, too.

This year, there’s something especially promising about spring. Together, we’ve made it through a challenging year, and every day there’s more hopeful news. What’s now most inspiring is how New York City’s timeless qualities are playing a role in rebuilding our beloved city: from the world-class arts and culture, to the hustle and bustle of businesses big and small to the city’s rich diversity.

Here’s how we can draw on New York’s best characteristics to motivate and encourage one another, both now and in the months ahead.

Celebrate the arts

From the Great White Way to off-off-Broadway, New York’s vibrant theater scene is one of the city’s crown jewels. But last year, with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, theaters ceased operating to stop the spread, and for the first time in decades, the city’s stages were quiet.

There’s reason to have hope, as evidenced by so many exciting projects in the works. I was thrilled to read the recent news that this summer, Shakespeare in the Park will return to Central Park’s Delacorte Theater. At Roundabout Theatre, where I’m a Board member, the upcoming Refocus Project is spotlighting the work of Black playwrights through virtual readings. And Lincoln Center is launching “Restart Stages,” an outdoor series that uniquely combines concerts, performances and film screenings with opportunities for New Yorkers to give blood and donate food.

Throughout the pandemic, EY has maintained its support of New York’s arts institutions, from the Brooklyn Museum to the Whitney to Lincoln Center. I’d encourage all major employers in the city to do the same, as the arts need our support now more than ever. And to all residents of the greater New York City area – take advantage of these amazing opportunities to enjoy the best of the arts right in our hometown!

Shop local

I’ve previously written about New York City’s thriving entrepreneurs, and how their resiliency and resourcefulness enriches us all. From mom-and-pop shops to billion-dollar startups, the innovation, energy and creativity of entrepreneurs contribute so much to the city’s economy.

But the past year has been hard on so many local business owners, as we navigated the pandemic and its economic consequences. I’m reminded of my recent conversation with Melba Wilson, a Harlem- based restaurateur and advocate for the city’s restaurants, which have been especially impacted by COVID-19. We discussed the hospitality industry’s critical part in shaping what’s next for New York, and we can help them in that effort.

As consumers, we can all make a difference by choosing how and where to shop and dine. Think about the businesses in your community and consider your own capacity to support them – by ordering takeout from a local restaurant, to buying groceries from locally-operated supermarkets, to picking up essential items at a local bodega. Shopping local is another way of saying “thank you” to those who have worked hard to keep neighborhood businesses afloat during the past year.

Take a stand for inclusion

New York City is not only the largest metropolis in the United States – it’s also, by many accounts, the most diverse. More than 800 languages are spoken in the five boroughs alone, and New York City not only has the country’s largest African American community, but also the largest Jewish population outside Israel, the most Puerto Ricans outside Puerto Rico and the biggest Asian American community of any U.S. metropolis. There are thousands more cultures represented among the city’s population, and all have left their unique stamp on the city’s civic identity as a “melting pot.”

No matter who you are or where you’re from, here, we’re all New Yorkers. But there are some who see division in diversity, rather than rich inclusion. Acts of racially motivated violence, like the rise in anti-Asian American bias and xenophobia, have no place here – or anywhere. I am most inspired when I see others speaking out against hatred and bigotry.

Every one of us must take a stand on behalf of our neighbors. If you see something that’s threatening a fellow New Yorker, please say something. Change starts with each of us.

Last spring, we inspired each other by posting rainbows in our windows and clapping for health care workers. And this year, let’s focus on how we can continue to support and celebrate what makes New York City the greatest place on earth.

?The views reflected in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the global EY organization or its member firms.