Final few days of my NYC trip after Hurricane Sandy Hit

NBC Studios on Monday 29th October preparing NYC for Sandy later that evening...

Day Two of Trip to NYC...

With Hurricane Sandy howling through NYC - understandably I couldn't really sleep from Floor 32 of The Marriot East on Lexington Avenue on 49th Street.  We were told to put the blinds down in case the windows came in.  In the morning we were still in one piece - the night of the hurricane we stayed in the hotel restaurant breakfast area as it was so packed and then watched a movie in our room with Richard Gere and Susan Sarandon called Arbitrage courtesy of the hotel for my birthday.  Richard Gere still playing the lothario surprise surprise. 

After the film I couldn't help looking at all the crazy weather forecasts of Americans reporting from the East Coast !  I had to turn the TV off as was getting totally freaked out and kept getting worried messages from my friends back home which was very kind but slightly weirded me out as I wasn't sure what was going to happen...

Day Three of Trip to NYC....The morning after Sandy hit NYC.



Central Park After storm 30th October

House in Chelsea NYC after storm

 

This is the dangling crane that was hanging over a multi million dollar apartment.  One of these apartments at the very top is worth $95 million dollars

 

 

 

In the morning we were relieved to get out of the hotel and walked about ten miles that day as there was no transport and nothing open.  We were lucky our hotel still had power as could see walking down into Chelsea from about 38th St downwards there was a blackout and it was like going into the third world with no traffic lights working.  We walked around our area and saw a crane which had become unhitched and the roads were closed off and people taking photos of that.  Central park had fallen trees everywhere.  As we walked downtown we came across a home which looked like a dolls house as the facade had fallen away.  My NYC trip was turning into a bit of a spot the storm damage as opposed to find the shops and galleries etc.  What damage will we discover when we turn the next corner...

The only place that was open to all was St Patrick's Cathedral where we sat exhausted from no sleep and just fell into mass there.  The priest prayed for the people affected by the storm and for the visitors to New York hoping they would get a positive experience from New York.  When I reflect back I really did get an amazing experience from NYC.  The people were great with their amazing resilience and spirit with getting on with the clear up.

Porter outside our hotel with bath cap over his hat.



St Patrick's Cathedral

One restaurant which was open without power but with candles and who rustled up the most delicious bolognese I have ever tried was an Italian in the Meatpackers district . 

 

 Italian Restaurant in Meatpackers District

We wondered on to the World Trade Centre Memorial Centre which was shut and the atmosphere was so serene and eerie. Flooding has happened all around this area.  Cars were deserted in the street and some floating in underground car parks.

 Brooklyn Bridge from the Seaport Historic District

 

We got a cab back to our hotel and he was relieved to be crossing the 38th St which had traffic lights from midtown upwards.

We had to rebook our flights and were told we wouldn't be able to fly out until Monday 5th November!  What a nightmare so Jake got on the phone for two hours to explain we had kids to get back to and one disabled one and please could he do everything in his power to help and by some miracle Christopher from United Airlines came through with two last seats on the only flight out the following evening.  Phew...I said I hoped Christopher would get a promotion and he deserved to and said he was an angel which he was. 

That evening MOMA was open www.moma.org 
We had a wonderful late birthday meal there and it was the best food Jake ever tried.  The belated birthday celebration was well worth the wait I loved the location.

It was an eventful day in the aftermath but one birthday I will never forget. 

Day Four of my Trip to NYC and final day
The next day 31st October in the morning before we left for the airport I managed to get a trip to the Guggenheim museum to see Black and White Picasso Exhibition which was wonderful.   

Guggenheim Museum

I had an extraordinary birthday and one I will never forget.   I don't know if you'd call it R and R and my heart certainly skipped a few beats when Sandy was ripping through the city. But one thing's for sure I've fallen in love with the Big Apple and have the perfect excuse to return.