By Jimmy Mckenzie

All photos by Paul Clemence, courtesy of ARCHI-PHOTO

Since the pandemic began the city that never sleeps has been so near empty that many walking along the usually chaotic Times Square had plenty of sidewalks to enjoy all to themselves. Restaurants were soulless, and even usually lively Bryant Park was deserted. We all wondered where everybody went. There was a never felt before stillness in the city.

Well, there is good news for all our New York City fans! The city is slowly coming back to life and the Big Apple is coming out of hibernation. For those of us that want to explore and still want to keep pandemic safe protocols, Paradise had a chance to experience some fun activities that can be enjoyed in the sunny days of Spring and Summer while keeping ourselves “socially distant” from the masses.

Here are five “must-see” activities that can be enjoyed outdoors in the Big Apple with safe Covid protocols in place for these post-pandemic times:

Edge is perched at 1,100 feet above the ground in one of Hudson Yards high rises is this new observation deck. Designed by renown architecture firm Kohn Pederson Fox, the Skydeck offers sprawling views of Manhattan and beyond and even below. The glass panels that surround the deck offer a 360-degrees magnificent view of the city giving the viewer a full perspective of the Big Apple. And if you brave enough there is even a glass outlook allowing the brave ones to stare straight down all the way to the streets below.

While at Edge, take a moment to sip a glass of champagne with light bites at the bar located on the 100th floor to enjoy while admiring one of the best views in Manhattan.

Mercado Little Spain is a Spanish market with small kiosks where one can select delicious Spanish cuisine from their restaurant counters. Mercado was inspired by the lively mercados of Spain, created by renowned Philanthropist and Chef Jose Andres to bring a taste of Spain to the Big Apple. Mercado also has a full-service restaurant, the Spanish Diner, if one prefers to be served a la carte. The Spanish Diner features open garage-like doors to the outside, is airy, and tables are spaced out for social distancing. If you decide to try the restaurant do not miss the Bocata de Jamon Serrano accompanied with a Sangria de Cava- made with cava, gin, and seasonal fruits. Mercado Little Spain is a market eatery that will satisfy your craving for Spanish food.

Head over to the New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx to see Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama’s KUSAMA: Cosmic Nature exhibition, full of her extravagant and colorful polka dots. The exhibit is open to visitors until mid-October allowing the public to enjoy Kusama’s art and concepts in an open-aired space with lots of room in between visitors. One of the highlights of the exhibition is the octopus-like “Dancing Pumpkin” sculpture made of bronze and painted bright yellow with black polka dots.

Not to be missed, head over to the Native Plant Garden area to check out Kusama’s permanent installation “Narcissus Garden”­- the pond is filled with hundreds of mirrored steel balls creating a soothing wave-like effect and hypnotic and hissing sounds.

One of Manhattan’s most successful new urban planning renewal, the High Line quickly became one of the city’s most popular destinations. Now for the post-pandemic times the crowd control timed entries are making it again a pleasurable, and safe, experience. Climb up for a stroll and check out some of their cutting-edge art installations and some great new architecture being built along the elevated walkway.

Although exploring Manhattan by foot is a great way to experience the city, there is a more comfortable way to take in the Manhattan skyline: from a NYC Ferry. The city now offers a sprawling network of ferries cruising along the East River and even all the way to the Far Rockaway.

A New York ferry ticket costs only $2.75 and one gets to pass by some of the Big Apple greatest landmarks such as Lady Liberty, Lower Manhattan, Brooklyn Bridge, Long Island City, Roosevelt Island, and the United Nations.

Paul Clemence is an award-winning photographer and writer exploring the cross-section of design, art and architecture. A published author, his volume Mies van der Rohe’s FARNSWORTH HOUSE remains to this day the most complete photo documentation of that iconic modern residential design, and a selection of these photos is part of the Mies van der Rohe Archives housed by MoMa, New York. He is widely published in arts, architecture and lifestyle magazines like Metropolis, ArchDaily, Architizer, Modern, Casa Vogue Brasil and others. Archi-Photo, aka Architecture Photography, his Facebook photo blog quickly became a photography and architecture community, with over 970,000 followers worldwide. An architect by training, Clemence is originally from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and now lives and works in Brooklyn, New York.