But now, the fallout from the terrorist attacks, combined with an already faltering economy, has left the city's $13 billion culture industry with a trepidation that has been unleavened by a few bright spots, like the rebound on Broadway over the last month that many producers fear will be hard to sustain.
"There is a lot of trepidation with this new book.
"I feel a little more trepidation with this [character] because she's so emblematic of people's nostalgia," Blunt admitted.
The Monday-night buildup to Jamaica Inn started early, with a bottle of Betty Stogs bitter, nervous trepidation with a hint of optimism running through my veins and the question on everyone's lips in Cornwall: "How will the Cornish accent sound this time?" Now, the BBC have a bit of recent history here, as they also got it about 200 miles off with their recent mockumentary W1A.
"A little of the trepidation with Dooley's appointment has been a fear among some investors that it might represent more of the 'same-old, same-old' as when Philippe was in charge".
There was a distinct undercurrent of trepidation with Game 3 to be played here Wednesday, and it is easy to understand.
Finally, there is always trepidation with a change in administration about how the whistleblower programs will fare.
"So there's been a little bit of trepidation, with people not really knowing if they're going to be involved or not - but since Thursday everybody is really buzzing about it now.
So any thoughts of boarding a Smooth Cruise stirred a mild trepidation, along with a milder enthusiasm.
It was a mesmerizing performance, full of yearning and trepidation, with falls to the floor and reaches, suddenness and serenity.
