I visited New York City in March and found a ghost town. Eight months later, I retraced my steps and saw the landmarks are coming alive again.

Times Square looks very different eight months after the lockdown started.Frank Olito/ Insider

• In March, I explored Manhattan at the start of the coronavirus lockdown, and eight months later, I retraced my steps to see how the city has changed.
• Grand Central Terminal and Times Square are busier than they were in March, but they're not as busy as they were before the pandemic.
• In Bryant Park, I saw elements of the old New York — an ice skating rink and tables have been set up for New Yorkers to enjoy the outdoors.
• I found that New York City is very slowly adjusting to a new normal.

The coronavirus pandemic is completely changing the world. That was clear to me back in March, as I watched New York City — a place I've called home for five years — go into lockdown. Stores closed, restaurants boarded up, and people stayed inside their cramped apartments to wait out the pandemic.

A couple of weeks after the lockdown went into effect in March, I took an Uber from my Brooklyn apartment into Manhattan to explore. I found a completely abandoned city — a city I did not recognize.

Eight months later, the lockdown restrictions have eased in the city. I decided to venture back into Manhattan and retrace my steps to see if, and how, the city has changed again.