The Silence Below Thirtieth Street

I took the day off work today to help people who were affected by Hurricane Sandy. I did not have to go very far. Twenty blocks south of where I live was a totally different world, it felt like a war zone. There were hardly any people on the streets and the national guard was out delivering food and supplies to shelters. There were policemen at every intersection as the traffic lights were not working. I was humbled by the few shops that were open, they were giving food and water to people who needed them at no cost. Among volunteers were elderly people, children and even the people that had been affected directly. It felt like everyone came together to help. As I walked down the road people asked me if I was ok or if I needed anything. I felt a sense of togetherness and pride; it made me very proud to be a New Yorker.

I hope we recover soon, please volunteer if you can. There are many people that are stuck in their homes with no food, electricity or water. Many of them are senior citizens who cannot fend for themselves and need help. It has been a rough few days. The streets below thirtieth made me see how vicious nature can be.

The Movies - it is Just Like the Movies

On sunday night all I could think about was movies depicting attacks on New York City; waves that come crashing down, engulfing the city and leaving it in ruins. This week my life felt like one of those movies. Sandy was approaching; the thunder, rain and lightning created a perfect symphony in the sky. I was sitting in my living room looking out of the window listening to the winds howl. I'm glad the Hurricane struck at night as it would have been much scarier to see her wrath in broad daylight.

Over the past few days I've seen many pictures of streets, subways and entire boroughs submerged in water. Friends & colleagues who live in Jersey and Lower Manhattan have no water and electricity. Surprisingly though, I still can't fathom it. I feel like an outsider looking on. I worked at home through the Sandy after-math on Monday and Tuesday. I was back in the office on Wednesday as I don't drive or use public transportation, the submerged subways and roads did not come in my way. My fridge was stacked up with supplies, I was one of those who bought water and canned food just in case; I even filled up my bathtub with water. I see the devastation around me and am thankful for not being affected by it directly. I am sure New York will feel and remember Sandy for months to come. It still feels a little surreal to me. Below are some pictures that I took this week.  



I pass this crane everyday as I walk to work and there it was standing to greet me post sandy  



We snuck into Grand Central just before the storm started; the policemen thought we were journalists thanks to the big professional camera my husband was carrying. I have never seen anything so amazing as Grand Central without a person in it. Of course we were discovered and promptly escorted out (oopps)



On Tuesday evening we took a walk to Central Park. We could not go inside but this shot gives you an idea of how beautiful, clam and serene the park looked. I wish I could have gone inside. It looked like being in a fairytale land.

The famous crane that we saw so many images of all through the week and all over the world. It is now a tourist attraction on 5th Avenue.