We are on the path to a record year. We were set to celebrate, but it hangs in the balance with this transit strike.

A lot of the stereotypes went away after Sept. 11 of us being rude and unwelcoming. For the first time, our police officers and our firefighters were a tourist attraction.

This is priceless as far as its value to New York City.

If they spend $20 on a cab, they’re going to go to McDonald’s, not to Olive Garden.

This is a tremendous economic value for New York City, but it’s also an incredibly valuable symbolic message and media message that New York City is open for business.

I think people, for the first time, saw New Yorkers unfiltered.