February 16, 2021
In March of 2020, the country was faced with a crisis in the form of a global pandemic. The way business was done shifted dramatically, businesses closed, or were forced to have employees work from home for their own safety. Hudson Square, like many areas of New York City, and many cities around the world saw our daytime population plummet. While streets became eerily quiet and the city that never sleeps may have taken a nap, it never stopped. Reason being, people that are the heart and soul of this neighborhood, and this city for that matter, never stopped.
While most were gone, the Heartbeat of Hudson Square kept pumping. From corner stores that stayed open 24/7/365, to restaurants that were forced to get creative with delivery, Hudson Square fought on. Some of our businesses pivoted from their daily operations to making PPE or providing meals for first responders. Some people made sure the streets were safe and clean, during Black Lives Matter protests and beyond.
While we’re not done with this pandemic, and we all look forward to when life returns to “normal”, it is never too early to say thank you to those who kept our neighborhood alive during the darkest of days.

Our maintenance workers Robert and Issa, or our clean ambassador Mamadou are in the neighborhood daily removing litter and graffiti as well as setting up and maintaining our multiple public spaces. Additionally, they are tasked with keeping our trees healthy by mulching, watering, and weeding of our tree pits; repainting our tree guards as needed; and maintaining the permeable pavers. These silent heroes in the neighborhood make our community a safe, clean, functional place to live and work.