An Update From New Rochelle, N.Y.: How They’re Doing After The Spotlight
How’s New Rochelle doing now? “Shining.” (Photo by Hallie Milstein)
If you read the headline for this article and can’t remember where you’ve heard of New Rochelle from, let me remind you.
In the beginning of March, New Rochelle, New York, became famous for being a COVID-19 hotspot in the early days of the virus’ emergence in the U.S. You might recall a containment zone, the national guard, and a lot of special attention from Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
Because the virus was so new in America, the prevalence of cases in this one city and the regulations for containment resulted in a media frenzy. Just like that, New Rochelle was nationally known for coronavirus.
And while these are definitely newsworthy events, New Rochelle’s reputation came to be associated with COVID-19 as headlines were circulated like “NEW ROCH-HELL” from the cover of the New York Daily News.
As an Elon student from New Rochelle, it was definitely a shock to see my hometown become infamous overnight. Now that I’m back in New Rochelle (or New Ro as we call it), here’s an update from the former epicenter itself.
“There certainly was a period of time during which New Rochelle was portrayed in the media as a sort of plague-ship, which was both unfair and inaccurate,” said New Rochelle Mayor Noam Bramson. “But I think that impression has long passed.”
“New Rochelle has moved from being an unusual outlier to being typical,” Bramson added, referring to the fact that COVID-19 has since spread to become prominent all over the nation, and the epicenter has since shifted 20 minutes away to New York City. “I think many people have looked at the way the people of New Rochelle have responded to this challenge and have been impressed and have concluded that this is a city that met this challenge well.”
Bramson said that he is impressed by the way New Rochelle residents handled the outbreak, crediting the school district, community organizations, and a refrain from hysteria among other factors. He feels that after being in the national spotlight, New Rochelle has come out on top.
New Rochelle promotes itself as a “City of Homes, Schools & Houses of Worship.” The reputation of the city is now in question following an early outbreak of COVID-19. (Photo by Hallie Milstein)
While the mayor is confident that New Rochelle’s reputation is intact, local residents and business owners have suffered the brunt of this media attention, associating the city with a terrible infection.
Some companies, like Peloton, won’t deliver their products to New Rochelle. Additionally, some people even felt embarrassed to be associated with New Rochelle. A New York City doctor and New Rochelle resident disclosed that her daughter would not wear New Rochelle High School apparel in order to avoid judgement if she were to see friends from out of town.
College student and New Rochelle resident Sophie Moravec was not able to avoid such discrimination based on her hometown. Her spring break ended just as the first COVID-19 case in New Rochelle was reported. Her friends then refused to see her because she had traveled from New Rochelle even though she had no contact with the one reported case, and they continued to avoid her even after the projected incubation period had come and gone. All of this happened before social distancing guidelines became the norm.
“Now I understand, but at first it felt like I was dirty,” Moravec said. “It felt like I did something wrong.”
New Roc City, a popular destination in New Rochelle, is unusually empty. (Photo by Hallie Milstein)
Moravec added that, unlike Mayor Bramson, she is worried about New Rochelle’s reputation going forward. Not only does she expect this to affect how people think about the city in nearby areas, but she also fears for New Rochelle’s standing around the nation and the world.
On the other hand, Catherine Cook, owner of a salon suite business inside New Rochelle’s containment zone, is hopeful about the city’s reputation going forward. She is confident that once this is all over, her business won’t suffer.
She was not always so optimistic, however. At the beginning of the outbreak, she saw many clients cancel their appointments out of an unwillingness to venture into the Westchester city. “I felt like there was such a stigma against New Rochelle,” she said.
Additionally, as someone who lives outside Westchester County, Cook expressed that for a while, she would not disclose that she had a business in New Rochelle. “I felt shunned,” she said. This was only heightened when Cook received many stares while grocery shopping in a sweatshirt from a local business that said “New Rochelle” in large print.
A board promotes solidarity in New Rochelle, New York’s containment zone. (Photo by Hallie Milstein)
Another resident, Lisa Ruggeri recalls being in a restaurant in Dutchess County and hearing people talking negatively about her hometown.
To the people who now know New Rochelle only for its association with COVID-19, Bramson said this: “We have proven ourselves to be a strong and resilient community that does not break into divisions under pressure, but instead unites. …The way in which we have responded to this challenge has, in many ways, been a useful model for the country.”
Bramson is not the only one spreading a message of positivity during this time. Signs reading “NEW RO STRONG” have popped up all over the city, conveying a message of unity and prosperity.
Some residents are also hopeful of New Rochelle’s status going forward and don’t shy away from the recent media coverage. One such example is Justin Sherman, a New Rochelle resident and owner of a baseball training company who has been giving virtual athletic lessons in hopes of spreading positivity to children in quarantine.
“I’m proud to say we’re the epicenter,” Sherman said. “It’s just a coincidence about New Rochelle. … And you know, we’re really pulling together. I think everyone is doing their role. We’ve done a great job. I think we’re shining.”