An April Letter from the Editor: Go Big, Stay Home

The view out of my NYC apartment is one of about 75 windows into other NYC apartments. For the past 10 years, I’ve caught glimpses as people share family dinners, get ready for nights out, lounge in front of the TV, and more. I’ve felt the brief pang of loss when one day a studio across the way is suddenly empty, making way for the next resident. We generally ignore each other, trying to create a semblance of privacy in a city that doesn’t really allow for it.

But over the last few weeks, things have changed. At 7 p.m. every night, we all huddle by our windows, opening them up to cheer for the essential workers who are keeping our city running. People ring cowbells, bang pots and pans, whistle, cheer, and clap. A few times people have blared songs over their speakers, like Alicia Keys’ “Empire State of Mind”, or Frank Sinatra’s “New York, New York”. For five or so minutes, night after night, we connect, cheer, and wave.

Sometimes I’m struck by how little the ritual—variations of which have been replicated across the world—really means for healthcare workers in need of protective gear and grocery store workers in need of hazard pay. But other times I’m moved by the mix of beauty and desperation, as we try to do our little part to help these heroes feel recognized. I cheer for my dad in Pennsylvania, a doctor who is still reporting for work, and for the healthcare workers in this city, many of whom change shifts around 7 p.m. I clap for the cyclists delivering food on the street and for the grocery store two blocks down. And I show up for my neighbors, as we root each other on for making it through another day. 

I read a tweet the other day that likened the sirens of NYC’s coronavirus to the smell in the city after 9/11—that repeated, sensory reminder that something is really wrong. I keep thinking how that sound will define this moment in time, as the ambulances blare one by one down the street all day long in the midst of an otherwise eerie silence. But the other sound that will stay with me is the raucous, desperate, hopeful cheering out my window every night.

In times of crisis, it’s natural to feel helpless. But there are things we can do to help our communities, especially the people who keep it running. We can stay home to protect those who cannot. We can check in on each other. We can donate to the charities doing meaningful work if we’re able to. We can remember our neighbors by not over-shopping and disinfecting common areas. As April holidays approach, we can leave an Easter meal or a Passover seder plate on neighbors’ doorsteps (I posted on my building’s virtual bulletin board about the latter this week). And here in NYC, we can clap out our windows at 7 p.m. every night.

Everything about life at home feels different right now, which makes it both a privilege and a challenge to work for a site that specializes in home service and inspiration. In the past few weeks, as the Apartment Therapy team has shifted to working remotely across the country, we’ve also been thinking about what will make the next weeks, months, and beyond a little more comfortable for our readers. We’ve been thinking about the questions we have in our own lives, and listening to your feedback in the comments, in emails, and across social media. Home means something new now—it’s where we’re sheltering in place and seeking comfort. With that in mind, last week, we launched a new stay-home homepage, which we’re calling Stay In Your Apartment Therapy. We’ll be updating it frequently with tools and resources to support life at home right now.

At the end of 2019, we printed shirts t-shirts with a slogan that became more relevant than we ever could have predicted: Go Big, Stay Home. What started as a rallying cry to spend more time appreciating our homes is now a far more universal maxim (you can buy your own version of the shirt to support two charities here). We also decided to make that motto our theme for April: Go Big, Stay Home. Throughout the month, we’ll be publishing projects and ideas to help you to stay home, if you can. If you’re looking for a regular (and productive) distraction, check out our spring cleaning program—you can sign up here and catch up on what you missed so far here.

A few months ago, I promised the return of Apartment Therapy’s beloved Small/Cool Contest. On Friday, we officially started accepting submissions. When we’re all spending so much time in our homes and away from each other, I hope that this can give you the chance to celebrate your space and to connect with our larger online community. I can’t wait to see your small/cool spaces for 2020—you have until April 24 to enter (voting starts May 4).

I’m wishing you all health and safety in the coming weeks, while at the same time knowing that won’t be possible for everyone. If you’re outside working to protect your community, please know I’ll be clapping for you every night at 7. And I hope the ideas on our pages provide you some measure of distraction and comfort in the moments you can be home. If you have the privilege of a safe and comfortable home right now, I hope you’ll join our community and team in quarantine. Please let me know in the comments what articles, ideas, and inspiration would help you most. We need our homes more than ever before.