New York City's annual St. Patrick's Day parade is not only a treasured tradition but a beacon of hope and progress in a post-pandemic world, says Mayor Eric Adams.
Prior to its cancellation in 2020, the city's St. Patrick's Day parade had been held each year since 1762.
Mayor Adams joined Q104.3 New York's Jim Kerr and Shelli Sonstein Thursday morning at their 18th Annual Irish Breakfast celebration at Connolly's Pub & Restaurant.
Adams said he's only missed the St. Patrick's Day parade a handful of times since becoming a police officer in the '80s. Bringing back the parade this year was an important moment in the city's recovery, he said.
"COVID is not terrorism, but it brought terror," he said. "And now we're at the 9/12 moment when we march down in the St. Patrick's Day parade. We're getting up and we're saying New York is stronger, better and we're ready to get back to our city being open."
He then pivoted to address widespread concern over an increase in violent crimes in the city, particular those occurring in the subways.
"I was a transit police officer during the early-'80s, when our system was ravaged with crime, homelessness — crack cocaine was destroying our city, and I know that we can't go back there," Adams said. "I'm seeing signs of that, but I will let New Yorkers know we're not going backwards; we're going to move forward; this is going to be one of the safest cities in America, and we deserve that."
Watch Mayor Adams' full interview via the player above.