Snapshots of the “New Normal” in 17 Different American Cities

From Pete Souza to Mark Peterson, photographers across the U.S. took us inside their communities to capture a moment frozen in time. [Image] [Image]( Main Street in America: 62 Photos That Show How COVID-19 Changed the Look of Everyday Life Here is America. A walk around the block, a trip to the grocery store, a socially distanced meetup in a neighbor’s driveway. The span of our physical world has gotten small these past few months—very freaking small. Yet weirdly, along the way, our everyday surroundings, the spaces and the streets and the buildings we look at all the time but never really see, feel different. The mundane—a woman sitting on a bench, a cyclist, an empty bus—has become extraordinary. This month, on the verge of the slow and scattershot reopening of the country, Esquire dispatched seventeen photographers—including former White House photographer Pete Souza—to document their very small worlds, and to find out what has changed and what endures. What did they find? Shuttered storefronts, empty playgrounds, deserted beaches, sure. But also college graduates congregating around a keg, a lone musician keeping the beat alive in the French Quarter, carloads of shoppers filling a mall parking lot, and the neighborhood barber back in his shop, cracking jokes through a mask. These photos describe a moment: We were stuck in the in-between, and it was confusing, but in it were also moments of beauty. We wanted to chronicle all of it. Because soon enough this will all feel like a crazy dream. Right? [Read the Full Story]( [Image] [Image]( The “Fast” Series Is Now America’s Best Franchise. Here’s How That Happened. F9, the latest installment in the Fast & Furious franchise, was slated for release this weekend—until the coronavirus scuttled most major releases. Months earlier, Esquire’s Kevin Sintumuang spoke with Justin Lin, the F9 director whose previous work on the franchise helped transform it into America’s greatest franchise. Here’s how that happened (and almost didn’t happen). [Read the Full Story](  [Image]( Todd Snyder's Memorial Day Sale Is One for the Ages It's no secret that we're big fans of Todd Snyder at Esquire HQ. The man is a master of reinventing modern American staples—often using premium fabrics sourced from far outside the States— and recently he's been on an absolute tear. Snyder has an uncanny knack for knowing exactly what is we want and then follows through by offering up the very best version of it at the moment we realize we want it. As it turns out, Todd is also a generous soul and in his endless magnanimity is gifting us all a Memorial Day sale for the ages. Esquire’s Avidan Grossman curated his favorite picks for you. [Read the Full Story]( [Image]( The Cargo Pants (Yes, Cargo Pants) to Introduce to Your “New Normal” Uniform Talk all you want about the swinging of the pendulum, but there is a (perhaps uncomfortable) truth we need to acknowledge: Cargo pants never really went anywhere. The bad ones? Yeah, they were bad. They were big and boring and, despite all promises to the contrary, pretty much useless. The problem is that they dusted all the good cargo pants—the BDUs and the teched-out options alike—with their stink. But the good ones were there; they were just hidden. Esquire’s Jonathan Evans makes the case for these, from Nike ACG, as one of them. [Read the Full Story](  [Image]( The Coolest Sneakers of 2020 (So Far) We're less than half a year into the absolute shitshow that is 2020, and it already feels like a lifetime. Pandemic. Lockdown. Looming economic uncertainty. It can get a little taxing, to say the least. But cheer up, bucko! If there's any small consolation to be had in our current situation it's that the Sneaker Industrial Complex carries on mostly undeterred, chugging merrily along and releasing all sorts of heat we're now forced to flex within the confines of our homes (and, y'know, for all our loyal followers). From retro rereleases to futuristic models to new riffs on not-entirely-new silhouettes—and everything else in between—there's more than ever to help you stay enthused about the state of sneakers today. So stay positive, at least when it comes to the coolest sneakers of the year. Here's what's catching the eye of Esquire’s Jonathan Evans, Avidan Grossman, and Mike Kim so far. [Read the Full Story]( [Image]( You Can’t Go to the Barber. But You Can Still Trim Your Beard Like a Pro. If you're starting to get a wee bit curious about what your face would look like with some serious scruff, or suddenly find yourself strangely open to the idea of growing out your beard in all its bushy glory, you're in good company. Extremely limited exposure to the outside world and its harsh "set of standards" represents nothing if not a great opportunity to experiment with a look (or a few!) you'd be hesitant to embrace otherwise. And right now, though you can’t ask a professional to help you get there, you can use a few of their best practices to make it happen from home. Here are six simple steps. [Read the Full Story](  Follow Us       [Unsubscribe](  [Privacy Notice](  esquire.com ©2020 Hearst Communications Inc. All Rights Reserved. Hearst Email Privacy, 300 W 57th St., Fl. 19 (sta 1-1), New York, NY 10019   Â