Mayor Eric Adams this past Monday unveiled a new “We ❤️NYC” campaign, a clear riff on the 21st century “I ❤️NYC” version, which has people feeling … a certain way. The original campaign launched in 1977 as a way to reignite New Yorkers’ optimism for the city during a period when crime rates were on the rise, schools were deteriorating and neighborhoods were in ruin. The city hopes the new campaign will have a similar impact, as the city emerges from the pandemic, once again facing many of the same challenges from the 70s.
“This city overcame the darkest days of the pandemic because of the selfless work of everyday New Yorkers,” Mayor Adams said at an event kicking off the campaign. “The ‘We ❤️NYC’ campaign asks everyone who loves the greatest city in the world to show it by lending a helping hand and spreading that love to every block across all five boroughs.”
“We ❤️NYC” is also a celebration of the city’s “Doers” who are making a difference, including Epicenter’s founder and publisher, S. Mitra Kalita.
Three years ago, the world froze, restaurants and museums were shut down, tourists disappeared and subway cars were empty. People were afraid and vaccines were not yet available. Out of this uncertainty and the need to connect New Yorkers to news, information and each other, S. Mitra Kalita and her husband, artist Nitin Mukul, launched Epicenter-NYC.
We want to acknowledge and thank you, our neighbor, our community for your support and trust in the entire Epicenter team and our leadership. That has allowed us to help tens of thousands of New Yorkers get vaccinated, provide resources at food pantries and share the stories of those around us. We look forward to seeing more New Yorkers follow your example and the work we’ve been doing collectively through the campaign, after all this is the greatest city in the world. As Adams said at the unveiling, there are only two types of people, “those who live in New York and those who wish they did.”
