#Tourists won’t let COVID-19 stop them from visiting NYC

Broadway is dark and museums are closed, but tourists still want a bite of the Big Apple.

In 2018, the city drew some 65 million visitors according to NYC & Company, the city’s tourism and marketing agency. But now, only a few visitors are exploring what’s open, such as Times Square — where COVID hasn’t stopped creepy costumed characters from requesting hugs from passersby — the 9/11 Memorial and the High Line, which now requires guests to register on iPads at the Gansevoort Street entrance to prevent overcrowding.

We spoke to a smattering of sojourners — including a foursome from India, a couple from Chicago and a fashionista from Thailand — about why they visited NYC during a pandemic, where they’re staying and how they’re spending their time in a mostly shuttered city. Despite Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s mandate that many out-of-state travelers quarantine for two weeks upon arrival, most of the sightseers we spoke to weren’t familiar with the edict, and no one had plans to stay longer than two weeks, making the governor’s request moot.

A romantic getaway

“My entire family was saying, ‘You can always go later, don’t go now,’” said Heidi Reinhofer, a 23-year-old actor who came for an in-person meeting with a local talent agency instead of opting for one over the phone. To be safe, she wore a mask and goggles on the flight from Chicago. “On the plane we were told that we’d have to fill out some form [about quarantining], but we never got it,” said Reinhofer, who brought along her boyfriend, Jason Loehr, 23, and made her business trip into a weeklong vacay.

The duo is staying at the Holiday Inn near Times Square, and said that they won’t let “fear” stop them from seeing the city. “We wanted to visit and climb the Statue of Liberty,” said Reinhofer, who has been to the city twice before and plans to visit the outside of the New York Stock Exchange and the 9/11 Memorial instead since Lady Liberty isn’t fully open for business.

“We’re kinda winging it,” said Loehr, who was won over by Ray’s Pizza. “The pizza here is really good. Compared to Chicago slices, they’re a lot flimsier, but the crust is perfect.”

The Thai fashionista

“People are more scared of the virus here than back in Thailand,” 35-year-old Bobo Sangchooto, visiting from Bangkok, told The Post.

“I like New York, I’ve been here before,” she said. “But it’s so different now. It’s so empty!”

The Bangkok native is just in town for three days with her husband, who had a business trip. They’re sightseeing with friends who go to ASA College in Midtown, and were planning on spending the day shopping and finding an open patio to have lunch. “I went to Sephora and got certain cosmetics that we don’t have in Thailand, like lipsticks and eye shadows,” she said.

The girls trip

“There’s a few rooftop bars that we wanted to go to but they were shut down,” said Rebecca Vaiphei, 26, who came to New York with three girlfriends — Anisha Chetri, 23, Vidyashree Chakraborty, 25, and Masoom Sharma, 23 — from Delhi, India, for the week. They were happy to find tables at Los Tacos No. 1 downtown for lunch, though they’ve also been settling for room service at the Hendricks Hotel on 38th Street, where they’re staying.

“We’re taking precautions and enjoying walking around the city,” said Vaiphei. The gals planned the trip about a month ago and paid a “decent” amount for the journey: about $1,000 each for the 15-hour flight.

“It’s less crowded, so it can be a good time to visit New York depending on what you want to do,” said Vaiphei. “We haven’t been disappointed.” The group spent some time shopping at H&M. They also planned on hitting up Victoria’s Secret, and snapped pics of themselves exploring Central Park.

The long weekend warrior

Lisa Dismukes, 48, flew in from Chicago, for a long weekend. “I heard New York was entering Phase 4 so I thought, why not?” She made her way around The Bronx and Brooklyn, and got as far as Canarsie. “We got Popeyes when we got there.” She said her plane ticket, which she booked about a month ago, was around $100, and she got a “nice price” on her Wyndham Hotel room in Midtown.

“I have noticed that everyone is following the rules with the face masks,” said Dismukes, who is a fashion entrepreneur. “And I think New Yorkers are more friendly now.” She wanted to climb the Vessel at Hudson Yards, but settled for a photo in front of the attraction since it was closed. “Next time I’m in New York, I’ll climb it,” she said. Dismukes has been going out to eat at outdoor restaurants with friends, including Sylvia’s in Harlem. “I got the catfish and it was great.”

Her advice to fellow travelers: “It’s cheap to get to [the city], but once you get there, rates are higher for taxis and at restaurants. They want to make up for lost business.”

The smooth sailor

“I came on a sailing trip from Miami to New York,” said Amanda Batts, 26, who spent the past three weeks with her boyfriend on a boat coming up the East Coast from Miami. “I’m leaving tomorrow and flying back to Miami to pack up my apartment,” added the amateur boater, who is planning on moving after losing her job in the restaurant industry.

The couple have spent the past few days living like the locals have during lockdown: “We’ve been laying low, cooking at home,” said Batts, who did manage to indulge in a New York bagel on her trip to the High Line. “We went to Murray’s, and I got lox on an everything bagel.”

It’s one of the few authentic experiences she can get.

“Everything is closed so I can’t really see the real New York,” she said.

The prospective student

Rising high school junior Zack Walsh, 17, is scoping out colleges in the city. “We visited the NYU and Columbia campuses,” said Zack, who drove in with his mother from their summer house in Massachusetts for a long weekend. The family lives in San Francisco. “I’ve never been to New York before, and I like it. I think in normal times it might be too fast-paced for me though.”

The teen has had a chic trip despite the COVID closures: “My dad’s a member of the Soho House so we went to the one in Dumbo and in Meatpacking,” he said. The mother-son duo are staying at the Stewart Hotel near Herald Square, and are eating meals outside, like at the vegan taco spot Jajaja Plantas Mexicana near the Manhattan Bridge.

“I like to take pictures of people,” said Zack, who’s been exploring the city with his camera and riding Citi Bikes. “Some people got upset I was taking their photo, but I don’t blame them.”

A mother-daughter escape

Sophy Rindler, 45, said she and her 16-year-old daughter Shana “needed a change of scenery” after the months-long lockdown at their home in Miami. The duo arrived on July 12 on a cheap flight — $206 each round trip — and are staying with family on the Upper East Side.

“I was expecting a ghost town, but I find New York is still New York,” said Rindler, who’s been to New York several times before. Despite closures, they’ve been able to traverse Manhattan. “We went to Chinatown, had brunch at Bubby’s and went to Central Park and walked all around,” said the mom.

They also managed to spend some time at the 9/11 Memorial — ”This is the first time I’ve been here,” she said  — and have been traveling by subway, but carefully. “Today the subway was packed, but we looked for the least crowded cars.”

The East Coast jaunt

“We went to Times Square, we had some pizza, and did the Statue of Liberty,” said Sarah Owems, 35, who was joined by her sister, Jennifer Cato, 38, and Cato’s daughters Aviona Overstreet, 16, and Nemo Overstreet, 17, on a day trip to the city from Baltimore, where they are renting an Airbnb. The Fort Worth, Texas, natives are celebrating Nemo’s high school graduation, and have spent the week in Baltimore so that they could easily take road trips up the coast. They’ve hit up Mt. Vernon, Washington, D.C. and Philadelphia.

Owems has been to the city before, but wished she could’ve stopped by the Met. “My sister and I are really big museum buffs, so we missed that.”

“New York is still magical,” said Owems. “I wish there were more things open, but I think my nieces still got a feel for the city.”

From Russia with love

Lilia and Denis Ermakov are in town from St. Petersburg, Russia. The couple is surprised by how many things were closed in the city — despite entering Phase 4, the city is far from bustling — but Lilia is still happy to be back — it’s been 25 years since her last visit. The duo said that customs was a breeze, and that they were not asked to quarantine despite traveling from Eastern Europe.