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It’s been a while — for real, how long’s it been? — but the eerie scene of silent NYC streets is still hard to get used to … particularly the boarded-up stores at one of its most popular shopping spots.
Check it out … a month into the coronavirus pandemic, and the once-thriving designer and luxury boutiques of SoHo are all still shuttered.
The Louis Vuitton and Polo Ralph Lauren shops chose to go with a more branded look for their lockdowns — with inspirational quotes to boot — but the end result is the same as Jimmy Choo, Dior and Chanel … closed for business, and hopefully protected from theft.
Of course, many of these stores went dark in mid-March, when pandemic panic was in full swing and the City ordered non-essential businesses to close.
Shop owners were initially encouraged to keep their lights on or hire additional security to protect valuables instead of boarding up — to maintain a semblance of normalcy — but stay-at-home orders quickly followed … so they battened down the hatches.
As we told you … law enforcement in NYC was concerned the new ghost town environment would result in break-ins and burglaries, particularly in the night hours, but so far it seems the boards have done their job.
It’s a very similar situation on the West Coast, where several Rodeo Drive shops have moved their inventory to keep it all safe … until the rich and famous are able to get out there and buy it again.