• by Sara Guaglione , December 14, 2020

As of today, all restaurants in New York City are closed for indoor dining — a decision made by Gov. Andrew Cuomo to control the spread of the COVID-19 virus in the city. 

The Partnership for New York City, a nonprofit organization, estimates roughly one-third of the city’s 240,000 small businesses will not make it. As of August, those businesses had scrapped 520,000 jobs, according to New York Times reporting.

A survey from the New York State Restaurant Association that included 6,000 restaurant operators found more than half said it was unlikely their businesses’ could survive the next six months without government aid.

New York magazine partnered with Neighborhood Spot to create a capsule collection, based on the 16th annual “Reasons to Love New York” issue, a tribute to 500 local businesses forced to close this year, since the pandemic began.

Proceeds from the collection will go toward the Restaurant Workers’ Community Foundation’s COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund. 

The collection includes a $25 tote bag and a $35 print of the New York cover, drawn by artist Jeanne Verdoux.

The merchandise is available now through February 28 on Neighborhood Spot’s website.

Neighborhood Spot is a Lower East Side–based organization founded earlier this year to help struggling businesses around New York City.