Photos show how crowded New York City is becoming as vaccinations ramp up - and locals say the energy of the city is coming back
As vaccinations ramp up in the US, crowds are coming back to the streets of New York City.
Tourists and locals alike told Insider it felt as if the New York energy was coming back.
Photos taken by Insider in April and May show people hanging out and packing parks once again.
Before the pandemic, New York was a place where you could sit anywhere and never run out of people to watch, and it's starting to feel like that again.
More than 6 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines had been administered in New York City as of May 3.
Source: NYC Health
As vaccinations ramp up, tourists and locals have started returning to hot spots like Times Square, The Wall Street Journal noted as early as March.
Source: Wall Street Journal
The streets in Times Square were full when Insider visited in April, with costumed characters walking around and people snapping pictures.
In Times Square, some 200 businesses, including stores and hotels, have reopened, Patch reported.
Source: Patch
Broadway is allowed to reopen at full capacity on May 19, Deadline reported, but the theaters most likely won't be ready for performances until September.
Source: Deadline
But people were already filling the space where patrons used to wait in line for play tickets when Insider visited in April.
At Union Square Park, people have been enjoying the warmer weather.
On May 1, the park was filled with people demonstrating, shopping, and relaxing.
Ajalynn Baxter told Insider she'd lived in New York since 2017 and loved talking to strangers and making new friends.
She said it'd been easier to make friends in places like Union Square Park since vaccinations had been ramping up because it felt safer.
Tim Clegg, who's lived in New York for 20 years, went to Union Square Park with friends May 1 after receiving his second shot.
Clegg said he spent most of the pandemic walking around New York and the city felt deserted. "It was interesting but eerie," he said. "It's nice to see the streets full again."
Washington Square Park seemed to be even more crowded than Union Square when Insider visited in May.
The benches were pretty full, with people sprawled out on the lawn.
Sanoq Mooney, who said he was vaccinated and visiting New York from Delaware, spent May 1 relaxing in Washington Square Park with friends.
He said he'd been visiting the city since he was a kid and the energy this time was overpowering, in a good way.
Zane Taylor, who moved to New York during the pandemic, said being in the park felt like being a part of history.
"It feels like the city is really waking up," he said. "It's energizing more and more every day."
Marjorie Zien, a photographer who's lived near Washington Square Park for over 30 years, said the area was starting to feel normal again.
"It does feel like some form of normalcy is returning," she said. "Combined with the nice weather of the season, one might forget for a minute what the past year has been like. It's refreshing, good for the soul."
Read the original article on Insider