The Prospect Park area experienced a bevy of fallen trees, including some notable older trees in the park itself. Bushwick had a scattering of fallen signs and fences, but nearby Williamsburg fared much worse. At the Williamsburg waterfront, the storm swell kicked up over the boardwalk and took out some of the ferry piers. A giant foundation at the foot of North 5th Street, slated to accommodate a massive new apartment tower, was transformed into a pond. The submerged site was engulfed with water that reached boardwalk level, and remained that way well into Tuesday evening.
People queuing up at the only open store in the LES. Photo by Jill Fehrenbacher
In Manhattan, the waters that flooded lower Alphabet City had receded by Tuesday afternoon, but left layers of debris along the streets. When we visited, drivers and pedestrians could be seen exploring the streets, but were turned away at 1 th Street, which was closed off beyond 14th Street near the Con-Ed plant. Although there is still a massive blackout, several bars were open, serving up beer to Manhattanites without power or a way to get to work. The Key Food on Avenue A at 4th Street was selling off milk out front of a dark store to a long line of people for $5 a pop!
The longest lines were at the very few cafes selling coffee, which had people lined up by the dozens for a caffeine fix. Which just goes to show that New Yorkers can keep on keeping on- as long as they have their daily cup of joe.
