By Lisa Stein
NEW YORK–Patricia Craugh was inconsolable. She saw her city in ruins. On TV. From thousands of miles away. And she felt a tug she hadn’t felt for years. “I felt terribly homesick. I just wanted to come back and make sure everything was OK," says Craugh, 78. The Bronx native had moved away from New York 50 years ago; she’d been back only twice since then, the last time 30 years ago. But suddenly she needed to be here. And as the nation girded for war, she boarded a plane in Portland, Ore.
She arrived two days before the military strike against Afghanistan began. And she was here when the bombs began to fall. New York was on high alert: Security was bolstered at bridges, tunnels, and airports. National Guardsmen were sent to patrol Penn and Grand Central stations. The country was at war. But Craugh was unshaken. “Are you kidding?’’ she says with a shrug when asked if she is scared. “I’m a New Yorker. I feel as safe as I ever have here.’’
New York is a much different place than it was when Craugh last lived here; when, she says, she used to meet dates under the famous clock in the lobby of the Waldorf Astoria, hoping for a glimpse of celebrity guests like Frank Sinatra, Cole Porter, and Ella Fitzgerald. But in one very important way it’s the same. The country was at war then, too. And everyone was on edge. But just like then, New Yorkers are coping. “I’m more mindful, but what can you do?’’ said paralegal Stefanie Grofus, 30, as she ate lunch outside at Rockefeller Center.
Sure, some people are loath to take the subway or drive through the Lincoln Tunnel from Jersey. And a few may shudder when jets roar overhead. But if New Yorkers are scared, they’re not showing it.
Last Monday, a crisp fall day, crowds lined Fifth Avenue for the Columbus Day parade, renamed the Columbus Day Parade for America. There had been talk of canceling. But only briefly. “This is not ordinarily a parade I attend, but I came to show how grateful we all are,’’ said Bob Neuner, a midtown patent lawyer with Baker Botts whose father was a New York City firefighter. Neuner lifted his hands high above his head to clap loudly with the other bystanders as a New York City fire engine drove by in lieu of firefighters lost and those still digging through the rubble.
Out-of-towners were at the parade, too. But not enough, says Cristyne Nicholas, president of NYC & Co. Tourism is off by 40 percent. Business at restaurants and hotels is picking up, but it’s still iffy. Ditto Broadway. Right after the World Trade Center attack, five shows closed, and eight, including the venerable tourist faves Les Miserables and Phantom of the Opera, are on the endangered list, says Jed Bernstein, president of the League of American Theaters and Producers. (Forget about getting tickets for the New York stalwarts The Producers and The Lion King, though–they’re still sold out. (In true New York fashion, denizens were lining up for cancellation tickets on September 13.)
In an attempt to lure visitors, the city is planning its first-ever autumn Restaurant Week, October 15 through 21, during which diners will be able to get prix fixe lunches for $20.01 and prix fixe dinners for $30.01 at some of the Big Apple’s trendiest (and priciest) cafes, including the Tribeca Grill and the Russian Tea Room. On November 5, NYC & Co. kicks off a promotion called Paint the Town Red, White, and Blue. Travelers will be able to get hot hotel, restaurant, and theater packages. Hotels are already offering deals–even the icons like the Plaza ($100 rebates on stays through November with receipts from museums, restaurants, and shops) and the Waldorf, and the chic boutique inns. “It’s a great time to come to New York City,’’ says Nicholas.
Just ask 1,000 Oregonians who flew in last weekend. They braved the skies–which they insist are friendly–to show their support by opening their wallets and their hearts. In return, they received airfare, rooms at the Waldorf, and Broadway tickets for a song. They were also treated to a 10-course dinner in Chinatown and a lavish reception in the Waldorf’s Grand Ballroom, where Gov. George Pataki came to personally thank them.
Patricia Craugh and her niece, Colleen Kruse, 38, were part of the Oregon crew. When they arrived at the Waldorf, the hotel staff was lining the steps at the Park Avenue entrance, applauding. “I stepped aside because I thought I was in the way of somebody important they were welcoming," says Craugh. But she wasn’t: This time, she was the star. “They wanted to let us know how much they appreciated having us here,’’ she says, pushing her white hair aside as she dashed to join others in the group marching in the Columbus Day parade as guests of the city. Craugh says she had such a blast that she extended her stay–and plans to come back for Christmas. “I feel great,’’ she says. “It’s good to be home. I know everything’s going to be OK now.’’
