My air purifier saved me during NYC’s air quality crisis

Smoky haze from wildfires in Canada diminishes the visibility of the Empire State Building on June 7, 2023 in New York City. New York topped the list of most polluted major cities in the world on Tuesday night, as smoke from the fires continues to blanket the East Coast.

New York City looked like a sepia-toned post-apocalyptic hellscape on Tuesday and Wednesday. 

An air quality crisis hit NYC like never before, thanks to wildfire smoke that floated down all the way from Ontario and Quebec. Area residents watched in fascinated horror as the iconic Manhattan skyline disappeared in an orange haze. We saw air quality alerts turned maroon, the highest level. I realized this is what it must be like to live on the West Coast.