New York-based photographer Miranda Barnes takes us on a visual tour of Brooklyn in lockdown.
The coronavirus pandemic has been a once-in-a-millennium experience. But for those who quarantined in New York City, the planet’s former epicenter, the experience has instead been once in an eternity.
Millions of New Yorkers—inherently social creatures—were suddenly huddled inside notoriously small apartments. Beloved businesses, subway cars, and city blocks emptied out where crowds once streamed through by the thousands. Even Times Square, usually packed with tourists and performers and passersby, fell silent as the city’s residents banded together to protect one another from the spread.
But in the midst of tragedy, New Yorkers regained an appreciation for the spirited community they call home, as well as for the city itself, which—despite countless think pieces from naysayers—isn’t going anywhere, anytime soon. Here, photographer and native New Yorker Miranda Barnes reflects on an unprecedented year in the City that Never Sleeps and gives us a closer look at Brooklyn in quarantine.
“There have definitely been good weeks and bad weeks. I try to remind myself of my privilege in having a family that lives close by so that I’ve never really been alone during this pandemic, but I’m also giving myself space to grieve the plans I had for this year.” (Taken at home in Crown Heights, Brooklyn.)
“I’ve had to ask myself in these past few months, and in particular during the Black Lives Matter movement, if I was truly using my platform as much as I could. Now, I’m thinking more critically about my work and what I want to accomplish going forward.” (Apartment building on Nostrand Avenue, Brooklyn.)
"I’m a native New Yorker, so walking has always been an essential way of getting around." (Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn.)
"Normally, I try to take a 30–40-minute walk along the Eastern Parkway, the location for the annual West Indian Day Parade. I’ve been going since I was little, so I get nostalgic for it every year." (First Baptist Church, Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn.)
"I’m definitely more in tune with my surroundings now. For the walk pictured, I was with my mom and we were reading the plaques in the ground along the Parkway. They are in memoriam of WWII soldiers, and I had never realized why they were there." (Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn.)
