Times Square is Deserted and Grand Central is a Ghost Town. But at Least I Found an Apartment.

It is a fundamental law of the universe that the Junior’s Cheesecake restaurant on 45th Street in NYC cannot be empty — ever. That’s like humans breathing water. Or weeds respecting your property line. Or Mr. Rogers cursing out the pope. Does. Not. Happen.

On Monday night, the Junior’s Cheesecake restaurant on 45th Street was empty — as were Times Square and Grand Central.

It’s hard to believe that things in the country were still semi-normal a week ago. Yes, events were being canceled, but cities weren’t on lockdown, restaurants were still open, and we weren’t looking at two months of social isolation. Someone waking up from a coma this week would be hard-pressed to believe they weren’t still in one.

But, on the bright side, I hopefully found a place to live after IUPUI kicks me out of my apartment on Friday. I’m planning to tour the Renaissance Tower apartments in the St, Joseph neighborhood near Indy’s Central Library first thing Thursday morning, and then hopefully sign a lease and move in Friday straight from moving out of my IUPUI apartment. Renaissance is one of the few places in Indy that offers short-term leases, and I’ve heard excellent things about it, so I’m happy with it.

Right now I’m extraordinarily grateful that journalism can still be done remotely, which means I’ll continue to have a freelance writing income. Conducting phone interviews for every story isn’t preferable, but definitely possible!

I’ll leave you with this sign I passed near Times Square this evening: In times like these, sometimes it’s best to embrace the absurd.

Now the country just needs to hold things together for one more day so I can fly home!