Life in ‘Brooklyn suburbia’ is calm, but never this quiet

Essie Duke
Brooklyn, New York
3 p.m., Saturday, April 4, 2020


Life in ‘Brooklyn suburbia’ is calm, but never this quiet

Spring has finally sprung, except it doesn’t really feel like it. The weather is warmer, cherry blossoms are in full bloom with barely anyone outside to enjoy it. Like my family and almost all families living under ‘sta)y-at-home’ orders, life has essentially come to a standstill on Cove Lane.

The coronavirus has really changed the pace of life in Brooklyn.

This afternoon in my gated community, a group of young children played “freeze tag” on the grass behind the condos. Other children rode around in their play-Mercedes Benz in the driveway. A mother went on a walk with her infant in a stroller. But only a few people are seen at a time, no more than four, usually. For the most part, everyone stays inside.

To paint a picture of how life usually is on a Saturday in my neighborhood, there are normally plenty of children playing outside in playgrounds, families enjoying picnics on the grass, people walking their dogs and enjoying frozen treats.

Now, Cove Lane resembles something belonging to a ghost town. The playgrounds are closed off to the public, I haven’t seen a single large group outside, and I passed by only one man (who was wearing a mask) walking his dog.

As the weather gets warmer, it becomes more and more difficult for me to fathom staying indoors. All I want to do is go to my favorite museums, hang out with my friends – who I don’t get to see when I’m in Miami – or even see a movie at the local theater. Everything that I love

has been shut down, at least for now. All I have left is family, FaceTime, and a whole lot of hope.


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