Having lived in NYC my whole life, I experienced life within the "epicenter" of this "tragic" pandemic. I have never seen the parks so full of people in December - every bench is occupied. Every bench.
In my neck of the woods, many people have largely lived their lives on park benches, doing everything they can to have connections with other people in as normal a way as possible. People "socially distance" as much as they can, sitting as far apart from one another as possible, and talk. Usually with masks on.
In Brooklyn, NY, this is possibly the best way to remain sane without risking being a victim of the huge increase in random senseless crimes, and without risking being a perceived nuisance to the public.
It's sad to see it, because it's so obvious what trouble people are going through to get this all done. To see people bundled up in winter coats, barely able to move, so they can bare the near-freezing temperatures - just to socialize - really shows how hideous these lockdowns are and how much they threaten the human spirit.