The city is coming back. If you’re here, you can feel it. There...

The city is coming back. If you’re here, you can feel it. There have been a few shock headlines that suggest otherwise. And there seem to be some tabloid reporters wading through normal life in search of crime, vagrancy, and drug use. But all the pessimism in the world can’t prevent the inevitable. New York is coming back. The parks are alive. The streets are once again filling with random encounters. And if you want an outside table at your favorite restaurant on a Tuesday night, you better plan ahead. Because everyone else has the same idea. The energy is returning, only now it has a slightly different flavor. Because it’s the energy of a comeback. The city has been through so much this past sixteen months, and the suffering continues in many forms. Many are still grieving their loved ones. The lights of Broadway haven’t quite returned. And the small business situation is heartbreaking, so many good people are being crushed beneath a mountain of unpaid rent. New York is hurting. Nobody is denying that. But New York is coming back, because the people are still here. The soul of New York was never skyscrapers. It’s people. This tiny dot on the globe has more languages, more religions, more ideas, more dreams, and more stories than anywhere else on earth. There’s eight million people here, and all of them are different. But everyone has one thing in common: they’re here for a reason. They love New York. And they’re going to bring it back. This month I’ll be partnering with my friend NEWYORKNICO on a series called #comebackNYC. For years Nico has been documenting interesting New Yorkers. He calls himself the ‘unofficial talent scout’ of New York, but I think that’s too simplistic of a label. More than anything, these people are his friends. He cares about everyone he features. And they care about him. Nico has been introducing me to some of his favorite New Yorkers, and during the month of June I’ll be sharing their stories. It’s been a very meaningful series for me personally. This is such an important chapter in the life of the city, and it’s a privilege to be a part of this moment. #comebacknyc