When Steve Schwarzman’s grandson went on break from boarding school at the end of February, he brought home a classmate from China, who wasn’t able to fly back home for obvious reasons.
Now coronavirus has come to Manhattan, where Owen Right and his friend are currently stuck, playing video games and other things 12-year-old boys do before heading to their home in the Hamptons.
“I think we should stay home forever,” Owen said.
The inconveniences are tallying up for New York City’s most privileged residents. Private schools have closed, galas canceled, vacations to Europe and warmer climes are getting scrapped or tweaked. Aspen instead of Italy seemed like a safe switch until an Australian who visited the tony Colorado ski town tested positive for the virus.
Some families have retreated to their vacation homes on Long Island, the Hudson Valley or Vermont. Others are urgently trying to rent such houses.
“We’re headed to the Hamptons with my whiskey and Lysol wipes,” said Julie Macklowe, who lives on the Upper East Side.
Macklowe said she’s canceled all her engagements, including a board meeting for the Fashion Institute of Technology’s Couture Council. “No play dates. The kids can FaceTime each other, we’ll find out if that works.”
It’s become clear that coronavirus isn’t going to discriminate or choose where to go by ZIP code. Some New York City mothers are going to worry about how to provide food if public schools close and their child is unable to get meals there, or how their kids will keep up with their studies if they don’t have a computer at home for remote classes.
Jennifer Wallace, a journalist writing a book about achievement culture, said she’s trying to keep things in perspective for her children.
Sheltering Arms
Last week, as rumors swirled about an imminent closing for her eldest son William’s private school, she took him to a gala for Sheltering Arms, a nonprofit serving New York City’s neediest children and families. William raised his paddle to make a gift during the auction.