#Slow start for Phase 2 suggests NYC’s got a very long way to go

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A restaurant on Madison Avenue serves drinks to customers seated at sidewalk tables as the city moves into Phase Two re-opening from the coronavirus pandemic.
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New York finally began Phase Two reopening Monday — and it wasn’t with a bang.

The subway didn’t look much different from last week, nor the commuter trains. An Uber driver told us he hadn’t seen much of an uptick in business either. “People are still scared,” he said from behind his mask, adding that he didn’t expect Gotham to make a real comeback before the end of the year.

Book publishers told Publishers Weekly they’re hoping to reopen New York offices around Labor Day. The advertising guys we spoke to aren’t optimistic about their employees coming in any week soon. Many companies that have made remote-access work just don’t want to be the first to move.

It may well be Phase 3 or 4 before most Phase 2 workers return.

If office workers don’t rush back, retail can’t expect much. Most likely, neighborhood commerce will bounce back first: We saw a long line waiting to get into The Strand — which not long ago worried it would have to close permanently.

At least restaurants are coming back, though on a gorgeous day, with tables six feet apart, we saw lots of empty chairs outside popular East Village eateries.

But it’s early yet. The city only opened applications for restaurants to take sidewalk space on Friday (way to plan, Mr. Mayor), so only 3,200 of the city’s 26,000 eateries applied in time to qualify for Monday.

The city that never sleeps just spent three months in a near-coma. She’ll be a while waking up — but she will: 8 million of us are looking forward to hearing her roar.