Sandy Blasted, a Photo Essay

Whole Foods in Union Square was packed with people as Sandy approached.

After the storm barreled through, the streets of

blacked-out Lower Manhattan were deserted,

All stores, restaurants, etc. were closed.

Above 42nd Street, where the lights did not go out,

it was business as usual.  A refugee from downtown

could eat a gorgeous meal, if she was willing to walk

three and half miles each way to get to it.

Power companies from all along the Eastern seaboard sent their employees
to help New York get its citizens back into the 21st Century.  The visiting
 workers marshaled in Union Square.

The National Guard came to help, too.  All along Park Avenue, one could
see military vehicles, many painted in desert camouflage and guardsmen in
fatigues.

Though the power was off for almost a full week, five hours after it
 came back on, the first store to open in our area  was the venerable
 and  incomparable Strand Bookstore--at 9 AM on a Sunday morning.

With the Sanitation Department stretched to its limit trying to clean up in
 devastated neighborhoods in Queens, Brooklyn and Staten island, the city
stopped picking up recyclables until further notice.  As of November 15th, they are still piling up. 

By Tuesday, November 13th, life was so back to normal, that four stalwart
mystery writers along with their moderator were able to present a panel
at the Mid-Manhattan Branch of the New York Public Library.  Let to Right:
Julia Pomeroy, Jon McGoran, Lucy Burdette, Dirk Robertson, and your reporter.

 Annamaria Alfieri