Holed Up In Tribeca. Living and working from home amidst the…
By: Sebastian Stone
Tags: Work Life Balance, Relationships, Work, New York City, Coronavirus

Holed Up In Tribeca

Living and working from home amidst the NYC Coronavirus outbreak.

Empty Tribeca streets.

This was my first week working from home amidst the Coronavirus outbreak. I am holed up here with my wife in Tribeca, a New York City neighborhood some might typically consider desirable. Yet there is little to be desired in a city and state that currently leads the nation in Coronavirus cases (by a wide margin). And it feels like we are only getting started.

Work informed both me and my wife respectively that we are to work from home indefinitely. Governor Cuomo has since ordered a shutdown of non-essential businesses. My wife and I live in typical New York City fashion. Our apartment is about 700 square feet of “spacious” real estate. It is hard enough for two people to live in this space, let alone configure two home offices that were never here before. When my wife had to purchase a printer for work to accompany the printer we already have at home, that officially triggered the transformation. Home had become work, and work had become home. Where the hell would we store a second printer?

At least we have jobs that permit us to work from home. With so many people in this city and country struggling, particularly in hospitality and service industry jobs, I count my blessings. If we as a society do not take care of those who are suffering during this time — whether that suffering is health-related, economical, or emotional — we will all fail. Apart from the larger issues created by this virus, however, the holed up life working from home presents its own relative challenges.

The Kitchen Bar Is My Office.

My wife occupies the dining room table. We do not have an office, let alone a separate desk. A high-top bar chair has converted itself into my desk chair. My laptop now spends an inordinate amount of time on the bar, which can no longer be used for happy hour or snacks. It feels too much like “work space.”

As last week progressed though, I adapted to this ever encroaching work zone. Before I even approach it in the morning, I change into clothes that are more work appropriate. To each their own, but I cannot work in sweats, and I want to appear somewhat presentable on any video calls. My attire helps to set my mindset for the day. When the work day concludes, I throw on the “home clothes.” At that time I also try to clean my work space to remove anything work-related. This creates some work-life separation and balance. It may be a pain in the ass to set it up my “office” again the next morning, but at least the space is clean for the evening.

Confidentiality and Privacy, Anyone?

Did I mention that my wife and I are both working from home in 700 square feet? On top of that, we also work for competitors. Obviously we are careful to segregate and sequester ourselves in our one bedroom if we need to discuss anything sensitive, but I would be lying if I said it was easy. And if you have a smart speaker, Amazon, Google, or some random dude could be listening too.

Whether your industry is financial services, technology, or something else, many couples (or roommates) work at competing firms. With the mass shift to working from home, the risk factor of inadvertently sharing confidential information increases tenfold.

Your own personal privacy is at stake too. Anytime you video chat colleagues on platforms like Jabber or Zoom, you invite them to see some of your most private spaces. Make sure you know how to use the video and audio features on these platforms (especially the hide video and mute audio functions!). You do not want to be like #PoorJennifer here.

New Communication Norms.

In my first full week working from home, I found that certain communication expectations shifted. No longer can people stop by my desk to chat. They always have to call. The problem is that when everyone knows you are working from home, they think they can call all the time, anytime. They expect you to be present and always available. I am still working on ignoring calls or chat requests, even when I appear to be “green” and available on our Firm’s internal chat systems. You should not have to drop everything and pick up any call simply because you are generally always present in the same spot now working from home.

A more entertaining and evolving norm is the virtual happy hour. My colleagues tried this late last week to cap off our first full week working from home. It is difficult when only one person can really talk at a time, but the effort was amusing. Everyone flashed their drink of choice on camera and then collectively imbibed. Although a little ridiculous, I felt like it boosted morale seeing everyone in one place. Working from home can feel incredibly isolating, even if you live with others, but especially if you are single.

All the Single People.

Quarantined at home with your spouse can be difficult enough. The two of you may be the only people you see for days on end. It is no surprise that in parts of China the divorce rates spiked after quarantines were lifted. Any underlying relationship issues can leap to the forefront when the scenery stays the same and activities grind to a halt. My advice — carve out your own space and communicate often.

I can only imagine how difficult it is when you cannot communicate with anyone in person. Enduring a long period of isolation can take a serious mental toll. We need to be mindful of the single people among us and make sure they do not feel left on a deserted island.

The need for isolation also raises the question of socially-focused programs. For example, what happens if addicts miss too many 12-step meetings? It is imperative for these segments of society to stay connected, even if they can only meet virtually. Extreme times may illicit extreme responses. Without social connection, it may be tempting to address a panic-stricken state with pills or bottles of tequila.

The Streets Are Still . . . Alive?

New Yorkers can still connect — in six feet increments — in the city’s streets and parks. They have not closed yet (nor should they). While you should refrain from activities where everyone touches the same ball, walking through a place like Central Park is probably safe (and refreshing).

The streets in Tribeca have been eerily empty though. Given the neighborhood’s location, it does not see nearly the amount of foot traffic (on normal days) as Midtown, for example, but during the outbreak the streets have been almost deserted. I try to go for at least one walk per day around the neighborhood. Of the people I do encounter, most are respectful and maintain a reasonable distance.

Restaurant windows advertise take-out as a safe (not to mention the only) option. Some locations have wrapped their seating areas in caution tape to make the point more apparent. I was happy to see local coffeeshops like Interlude open, but every retailer I walked past was shuttered. I am not sure many of these places can survive an extended quarantine or lockdown without government assistance.

One group who I would argue needs government assistance are the construction workers. How can we require all non-essential services to shutdown, yet continue to have teams of construction workers milling around the same job sites? Mayor De Blasio thinks they maintain reasonable separation, but I do not buy it. The construction industry has been understandably resistant, but if non-essential retailers have to shut their doors, job sites need to close as well. Unless there is an emergency, stay home.

That assumes everyone has a home, of course. On my daily walks around Tribeca, I almost always encounter homeless. Whether they are digging into trash cans, picking up cigarette butts, or taking shelter under the rows of scaffolding along Church St., I cannot help but ask: how are we helping these people when they are destined to contract Coronavirus? I doubt many have signed up for Obamacare. I would be surprised if any of them have health insurance. Some cities have organized temporary housing, and more should follow suit. When we look back at this time, we do not want to live with the regret that we could and should have done more.

Holed Up In A Bubble.

Admittedly, it is difficult to empathize completely with the challenges faced by New York City hospitals, not to mention the tragedies that played out slowly, and then rapidly, in Italy. I live in a bubble of relative safety. I know a few people who have contracted Coronavirus, but I have not seen its effects firsthand.

Wealthier New Yorkers have escaped to their Hampton abodes and upstate retreats in an attempt to weather this storm. Not everyone is so fortunate. I feel lucky FreshDirect still delivers groceries to my front door.

It is hard to take something like a virus seriously when you cannot see it physically or directly witness its debilitating and deadly impacts. Yet I know it is serious. I have watched Contagion and Outbreak after all. But in all seriousness, it is the duty of millennials like me and my wife to try our best not to contract it. The risk of us spreading the virus to someone who is older or in a high risk category is too great.

So I will continue to work from home. I will keep walking outside for brief periods, always six feet apart and never touching anything. My wife makes me strip down and wash everything the minute I reenter the apartment.

We will continue to ride this out holed up in Tribeca. Hopefully we can all reemerge from this for the better. Say hi to your friends and family. Pick up the phone (but not always for work!). Facetime each other. Host a virtual happy hour, no matter how ridiculous you think it might get. We will get through this, but we can only do it together. Six feet apart and virtually, of course.

Stay safe out there.