In Lower Manhattan, Sandy Still Keeping Businesses Dark
When compared with its neighbors Coney Island and the Rockaways, Manhattan seemed hardly touched by the waters and winds of Superstorm Sandy in late October. But almost three months later, areas of lower Manhattan are still laboring to recover.
Earlier this month, a museum devastated by Sandy finally reopened. About 800 people packed the lobby and upstairs galleries of the South Street Seaport Museum in lower Manhattan as Mayor Michael Bloomberg addressed the crowd.
"The best days are yet ahead," he said, pulling out various sailing references. "We did not crash on the shoals, and the river finally went down. God bless, let's all get back to work."
From an outsider's perspective, the crowd reflected a vibrant, active neighborhood. But with the exception of the museum, every single store on the block of Fulton Street is closed and boarded up. Even the museum is limping along.
Sandy swept up to 6 feet of water from the East River to the museum lobby, taking out the elevators, escalator, and heating and air conditioning units.
"But the worst of everything is that the basement was completely submerged in water, and that is where all of our electrical equipment comes in and the water pumps," says Jerry Gallagher, the museum's general manager.
The museum, he says, was able to reopen because of temporary heaters powered by kerosene on the back of the building.
Struggling Stores
At night, the hum of generators is a now-familiar sound for passersby on neighboring streets. A few blocks from the museum, the Bowne & Co. print shop is one of the businesses that's open. It's a glorious space, filled with 19th century presses, handprinted stationary, and shelves of wooden and metal type.
Master printer Robert Warner has his foot on the treadle of a press from 1901, printing cards with the simple word "love" for Valentine's Day. "There is nothing quite like the smell of the ink and the sound of a 19th century machine at work," he says.
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